Prosperity preaching’s basic premise is that God wants us to be successful, which includes material wealth and all that it associated with it. Prosperity preachers are not new phenomena in the black community. In the early 1900’s colorful preachers like Daddy Grace and Father Divine drew large congregations and became wealthy because of their charisma and their preaching of a personal prosperity doctrine.
Money and religion have been intimately tied together since Christianity rose to power during the decline of the Roman Empire. Over the centuries, Rome-based Christianity collected vast fortunes in gold, art and property and individuals leaders of the church and their families became extraordinarily wealthy.
The material corruption of the early Christian church eventually led to the Reformation and a bloody time in Europe, but money and religion remained inextricably intertwined as the church still wielded considerable influence because of its money and possessions. Today money and religion remain unyieldingly interconnected and not always to the benefit of the followers. It is no different with the black church.
“Rev. Ike” is considered the modern day model for prosperity gospel preaching spawning a whole school of prosperity preachers including Creflo Dollar and Benny Hinn who have become fabulously wealthy preaching the Gospel. Recently, Rev. Ike’s career received a boost with his connection to the BET.
With its blend of music, entertainment, news and religion, Black Entertainment Television (BET) is one of the most watched television networks in the black community and it regularly features a host of television evangelists. The once black-owned network was bought out by entertainment giant Viacom for $3 billion, but now the nation's largest African American television network is being criticized for allowing evangelists who have been discredited for financial improprieties, ethical lapses and even fraud have access to its airways.
Among those televangelists causing concern are revealed fraud Peter Popoff, the much investigated Robert Tilton and prosperity preachers Reverend Ike and Benny Hinn. In an article published in the September issue of Salon Online Magazine, University of Virginia professor Virginia, Jeffrey Haddon, said that "A network that pats itself on the back by saying it serves the black community ought to stop selling time to people who take advantage of them."
Texas Attorney General Dan Morales said that Tilton is "raping the most vulnerable segments of our society—the poor, the infirm, the ignorant ... who believe his garbage." According to a recent piece in Liberty Magazine, at the height of his evangelical stardom the Robert Tilton Ministries was taking in an estimated $80 million per year, giving Tilton a salary of $400,000.
Rev. "Ike" (Frederick Eikerenkoetter) is the founding father of the modern "prosperity gospel" movement on the airwaves, and has been promising believers that in exchange for their cash, Jesus will shower them with material reward. "The lack of money is the root all evil," says Rev. Ike. Eikerenkoetter who regularly wears $1,000 suits, has a fleet of Rolls-Royces, as well as, several luxury homes on both coasts.
Creflo A. Dollar is a more recent "prosperity gospel" salesman, who heads a 35,000 member "megachurch" congregation in Atlanta, Georgia, the World Changer Church. Like Rev. Ike, Dollar promises the faithful that they will be blessed with a shower of wealth and prosperity courtesy of Jesus Christ. It's worked for him; according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Dollar drives a Rolls-Royce, flies around the world in his private jet, and has a $1 million house in a gated upscale Atlanta neighborhood."
Fund raising for these “televangelists” range from religious self-help books, videos and tapes to prayer clothes that have been personally anointed and sell for as much $20 to prayer tunnels and even corn meal that has been blessed and sent to the donator for a special blessing.
Religious charms, holy hankies, "prayer tunnels" and other ruses for extracting money from followers is often perfectly legal under the First Amendment. Promises of wealth and prosperity, though, can be dangerous vehicles in taking money—and hope—from those who can least afford it.
Despite how many people may be hurt by this holy hucksterism, usually it is only financial taxing and extremely embarrassing. Obviously, this is not the case when savings accounts are wiped out or people are put under financial stress because of money hungry dream hustlers.
Money and religion have been intimately tied together since Christianity rose to power during the decline of the Roman Empire. Over the centuries, Rome-based Christianity collected vast fortunes in gold, art and property and individuals leaders of the church and their families became extraordinarily wealthy.
The material corruption of the early Christian church eventually led to the Reformation and a bloody time in Europe, but money and religion remained inextricably intertwined as the church still wielded considerable influence because of its money and possessions. Today money and religion remain unyieldingly interconnected and not always to the benefit of the followers. It is no different with the black church.
“Rev. Ike” is considered the modern day model for prosperity gospel preaching spawning a whole school of prosperity preachers including Creflo Dollar and Benny Hinn who have become fabulously wealthy preaching the Gospel. Recently, Rev. Ike’s career received a boost with his connection to the BET.
With its blend of music, entertainment, news and religion, Black Entertainment Television (BET) is one of the most watched television networks in the black community and it regularly features a host of television evangelists. The once black-owned network was bought out by entertainment giant Viacom for $3 billion, but now the nation's largest African American television network is being criticized for allowing evangelists who have been discredited for financial improprieties, ethical lapses and even fraud have access to its airways.
Among those televangelists causing concern are revealed fraud Peter Popoff, the much investigated Robert Tilton and prosperity preachers Reverend Ike and Benny Hinn. In an article published in the September issue of Salon Online Magazine, University of Virginia professor Virginia, Jeffrey Haddon, said that "A network that pats itself on the back by saying it serves the black community ought to stop selling time to people who take advantage of them."
Texas Attorney General Dan Morales said that Tilton is "raping the most vulnerable segments of our society—the poor, the infirm, the ignorant ... who believe his garbage." According to a recent piece in Liberty Magazine, at the height of his evangelical stardom the Robert Tilton Ministries was taking in an estimated $80 million per year, giving Tilton a salary of $400,000.
Rev. "Ike" (Frederick Eikerenkoetter) is the founding father of the modern "prosperity gospel" movement on the airwaves, and has been promising believers that in exchange for their cash, Jesus will shower them with material reward. "The lack of money is the root all evil," says Rev. Ike. Eikerenkoetter who regularly wears $1,000 suits, has a fleet of Rolls-Royces, as well as, several luxury homes on both coasts.
Creflo A. Dollar is a more recent "prosperity gospel" salesman, who heads a 35,000 member "megachurch" congregation in Atlanta, Georgia, the World Changer Church. Like Rev. Ike, Dollar promises the faithful that they will be blessed with a shower of wealth and prosperity courtesy of Jesus Christ. It's worked for him; according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Dollar drives a Rolls-Royce, flies around the world in his private jet, and has a $1 million house in a gated upscale Atlanta neighborhood."
Fund raising for these “televangelists” range from religious self-help books, videos and tapes to prayer clothes that have been personally anointed and sell for as much $20 to prayer tunnels and even corn meal that has been blessed and sent to the donator for a special blessing.
Religious charms, holy hankies, "prayer tunnels" and other ruses for extracting money from followers is often perfectly legal under the First Amendment. Promises of wealth and prosperity, though, can be dangerous vehicles in taking money—and hope—from those who can least afford it.
Despite how many people may be hurt by this holy hucksterism, usually it is only financial taxing and extremely embarrassing. Obviously, this is not the case when savings accounts are wiped out or people are put under financial stress because of money hungry dream hustlers.
