FanMAIL: Eddie Long Recession
Loyal reader T. Nicole Merritt responded to yesterday’s post on Bishop Eddie Long scaling back his extravagant Easter Sunday services due to the recession:
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Sandra,
Good day! I will keep this short as Im sure you receive a plethora of emails daily. I was a member of New Birth in Atlanta so I have to comment. Please let your readers know that New Birth has always been involved in the community by assisting people in various ways.
1. I personally was helped when I was going broke and could not pay my bills. I made a request for rental assistance and I received a check immediately. The only condition they had was that I attend financial management classes provided for FREE at the church.
2. When Katrina took place, New Birth set up a transition station at the church. I volunteered for this. They provided victims with showers, temporary places, permanent residences, clothing, food, etc.
Please ask your readers to stop making sweeping generalizations about “Mega Churches”. To their defense though, I was once where they are. I was sitting on the outside bad-mouthing all these pastors and ridiculing the members. But a friend invited me once and I sat there with my arms folded being extremely cynical…but then I opened my arms and my heart followed suit.
Thank you for your time and have a wonderful day.
T. Nicole Merritt
“the Delightful Diva”
This entry was posted on Thursday, April 9th, 2009 at 2:41 pm and filed under Fan Mail, Money & Finances, Religion . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed or Trackback from your own site. This site is Gravatar enabled. Sign up to upload your own avatar.
45 Responses to “FanMAIL: Eddie Long Recession”
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What a beautiful letter. Happy Easter!
I didn’t read the story or comments from yesterday. *shrugs*
Yeah me neither Iscream, Im not getting into that.
but I can’t lie when I was this post, with a FAN MAIL….I just knew it was about to a bunch of shyt talking…but it wasn’t and Im glad….you know how people are about their preachers.
I thought they were going to tell “Dookey and Monster to shoot” our AZZZeZ LMAO
-Isha, in Poetic Justice.
While I am not a fan of mega churches I also don’t knock them just not my cup of tea. I have attended New Birth a time or two in the past. I feel in general Pastors from any size church can be “extra” but if their members do not have a problem with it then oh well. I can attest Bishop Long will reg. have services where folks bring their bills to the alter and they are given a check on the spot. In the end we need to remember we serve God (for those of use who do) and NOT man/woman (as my pastor is female) aka Pastors!
Happy Easter to you…
and i will repost my LAST post from the first bishop eddie long post..your fan mail does not change my outlook.
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these churches are called mega churches for a reason. because they are bonafide businesses. high dollar/high profit businesses. and sadly most of the time… 9 times outta 10 they are NOT in the business of spirituality. and like i said MOST. not all are like that. but the majority are.
what can you expect when the pastor and their wives carry the heck on like a CEO of a business?
LOL@Krysi I can always count on you for a good laugh
Sweeping generalizations = opinions. Everyone has one…
Oh and I will say Bishop still needs to retire the muscle shirts and the black hair dye a hot mess
shaw university here in raleigh has one of the biggest divinity schools in america. so why is it that shirley caesar has a degree in BUSINESS from shaw and NOT a degree in divinity? why is that? you say you have been where WE are…on the outside looking in in re to megachurches….well i have been where YOU are. i still do not approve of shirley caesar having an atm in her church (not sure if it still there…but it was at one time). why is there an atm machine there? to make sure if i want to give i can withdraw? that is MAD inappropriate to me. i expect atm machines in bonafide places of business (gas station, mall, grocery store) –not church. jmo.
again happy easter.
on the same line with the atm..I dont really agree with you wanting my w-2 when I walk into your church and furthermore, if I have to wait in line to get into your church and a celebrity comes (it was Usher in my case) and you stop letting ppl in to allow Ursh and his entourage in, I have a problem with that too. Why do I have to wait in line and sit in the nose bleed to get get my blessings so that Ursh and his peeps get in. Is it a concert or church service. I thought seats at church were first come first serve OR if I can tithe $10k/wkly I can get an assigned seat..
Oh and I will say Bishop still needs to retire the muscle shirts and the black hair dye a hot mess
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OH shyt….you almost KILT me with “muscle shirt” BUWAHAHAHAHA!
and KWALL….you know you were suppose to end that comment with “please don’t be mad at me, your sister in Christ”
ROTFLMBAO….damn we CRaZy.
I have tried to listen to Eddie Long, but his image was distracting from his word, I do find it hard to take anyone with a s-curl seriously and his word of prosperity just wasn’t for me. But of people feel like their spirits are being fed there, then good for them. I also don’t like Joel Osteen because his message seems to fluffy and feel good for me. I attend a pretty big church in Atlanta (well Norcross) and I feel I grow more as a christian in that congregation than anywhere else.
POINT BLANK WITH THE KNID OF MONEY THAT CHURCH WAS PULLIN IN no ONE…NOT ONE MEMBER SHOULD BE BROKE….THEY SHOULD LIVE JUST LIKE HIM!
I’M NOT EVEN GONNA GET INTO THIS TODAY IT’S A SHAME WHAT PEOPLE DO IN THE NAME OF GOD….IT MAKES ME WANNA KEYBOARD BANG SOMEONE OUT YO
JESUS BE SOME BLACK HAIR DYE…AND GET IN HIS EYE!!!!!!!!! LOL
Why do I have to wait in line and sit in the nose bleed to get get my blessings
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why do churches even HAVE nosebleed sections these days? i mean…really? the term “nosebleed section” came from when EVENT venues got bigger and bigger. church is NOT an event/show. just like back in the day when your folks said “SCHOOL is NOT a fashion show.” church is neither a concert, fashion show, place of business, or ANY of that.
i didn’t end it like that @krysi cause for once we really ARE talking bout church! LOL.
LMAO, at all U MFs!! We on FIE today.
Before you comment, I want you all to live a day in the lives of a preacher of a “megachurch” Pastors or Bishops of the “mega churches” are Presidents of major organizations. Who work overtime daily to serve everyone in their congregation. Yes they get hefty salaries, but at who’s expense? Whenever a church member is in need, like Nicole said, they get it. Do I need to take you to http://straightfromthea.com/2009/03/31/afternoon-blessings-gods-stimulus-plan-video/
God blesses the faithful. End Story.
“THE DELIGHTFUL DIVA”- Is that her church stage name? WTF
I’m with Smurfette and KWall - a church is not a business and I really don’t like ATMs being in them. I also don’t see why someone has to be stopped from coming into the church so a celebrity’s entourage can enter - seriously? That’s messed up. But, I heard that’s happened in Dallas here at Potter’s House when some Cowboy players used to show up.
I just don’t see how people can be fed by prosperity messages. How much you earn/give/flaunt has NADA to do with your soul.
Like my pastor said, there are a lot of people in church going straight to hell.
Here is a sweeping generalization of Mega churches for you:
“Mega churches are for mega morons”
BISHOP EDDIE LONG’S COMPENSATION
Between 1997 and 2000, Long received $3.07 million in compensation from Bishop Eddie Long Ministries Inc.
• $1,450,000 — House
• $1,037,992 — Salary
• $350,812 — Use of Bentley
• $195,145 — Home improvements, including $135,560 for landscape improvements, $3,286 for a parsonage pool table, $35,169 for a built-in hutch, plus other items.
• $13,074 — Property taxes
• $16,000 — Expense account
• $9,600 — Benefits, deferred compensation
$3,072,623 — Total
Sources: Form 990 income tax returns filed by Bishop Eddie Long Ministries Inc. and DeKalb County tax records.
“GET YO HANDS OUT MY POCKET!”
Not Malcom X..lol
@Daisy
******
Thats what somebody need to do in a MEGA church….just jump up and scream “GET YO HANDS OUT MY POCKET”
I would be so weak!
“GET YO HANDS OUT MY POCKET!”
I can’t stop laughing.
* Dead* @ Fly comment 17…
I’m afraid to scroll up and see that…
Ahhhhhhaaaaaa
She did sign that. Goodness gracious yall are acting up like its Friday!
flyqtnva please tell me those figures are figments of your imagination!!! That’s appalling… that’s not WJWD
Any Institution that brings in millions of dollars needs to be run LIKE a business.
Long, 52, defended his compensation during an interview about his charity. He’s transformed New Birth, based in Lithonia, from a 300-member church to a 25,000-member megachurch with a global presence, according to the church’s Web site.
“We’re not just a church, we’re an international corporation,” Long said. “We’re not just a bumbling bunch of preachers who can’t talk and all we’re doing is baptizing babies. I deal with the White House. I deal with Tony Blair. I deal with presidents around this world. I pastor a multimillion-dollar congregation.
“You’ve got to put me on a different scale than the little black preacher sitting over there that’s supposed to be just getting by because the people are suffering.”
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of a Senate committee investigating lavish salaries of nonprofit executives, said leaders of tax-exempt organizations must be responsible for the public trust they’ve been given.
“I’m worried that a few people are confusing the ringing of a church bell with the ringing of a cash register,” Grassley said in a statement in response to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s inquiries about the charity. “When I hear about leaders of charities being provided a $300,000 Bentley to drive around in, my fear is that it’s the taxpayers who subsidize this charity who are really being taken for a ride.”
think about it…they are tax exempt…….
Damn it Fly I was about to say is that money taxed…
There you go US Gov that’s how you close the budget gap. If a church makes more than 1million they should have to pay taxes.
Since its run like one anyways.
But didn’t Jesus feed everybody with 2 loafs ah bread and 5 catfish…..or was it 2 catfish and 5 loafs of bread….either way IT DON’T TAKE ALL DAT BISHOP!
Fly….please stop….for the sake of my appendix.
@iscream that’s why is so easy to skim off the proceeds Uncle Sam is not looking. I’ve always said churches should be taxed. If they really want to help a community put more money where your mouth is.
Jesus was a carpenter don’t recall him riding around in a rolls or bently he walked and in sack cloth and ashes.
LMBAO @ fly - Oh my God, I would roll if someone did that in a church during offering!
LOL
Damn - did he really say all of that @ fly? So, if a pastor drives a nice Pontiac (like mine) or he doesn’t walk around with bodyguards or an entourage (mine doesn’t) - he’s not worthy?
If that doesn’t make people run from the Eddie Long corporation - I don’t know what will.
He is going to lead some people straight to hell, worrying about diamonds and Bentleys and all that other hood rich crap.
churches are tax exempt, but when the pastor is paid a salary, HE’S NOT! I hope Bishiop Jheri, I mean Eddie Long is paying his taxes…
LOL@ catfish and white bread, Krysi.
…..LOLOLOL. I dont have comment cuz it’s already been said. funny funny funny.
Sandra this link has been posted on essence.com under their blog section…lol You are blowning up this week..lol
Ya’ll are too funny in here today. I need to have my 83 year old grandmother posting in here about these so-called Mega churches and preachers. And goodness, don’t get her started on Reverend Ike (ya’ll might not remember him-lol). I agree with my grandmother: showing tax forms and having an ATM isn’t what church should be about. Trust when I tell you, you cannot buy your way to heaven!
Well, it’s good to hear a positive story from someone (that use to be) in his congregation 4 once.
WHATEVA!
I know who Rev Ike is…lol
Yall tickled me today!!
#39 I remember reverend Ike–he used to sell the green “prayer cloths,” i.e. dinner napkins. Wasn’t sister Perri (pebbles) selling holy water? I mean, who are these followers buying, literally, into this nonsense?
Krysi why did you say catfish? LMAO! How come it wasn’t tilapia or red snapper?
Krysi why did you say catfish? LMAO! How come it wasn’t tilapia or red snapper?
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Jesus from da south, he know good eathing…LOL!