Televangelism: The Gospel Of Prosperity By Sherrie D. Larch

Televangelism: The Gospel Of Prosperity

1

Televangelism: The Gospel Of Prosperity By Sherrie D. Larch

Author Notes:

This term paper was on the greed and fraud that televangelists and their mega-churches

commit on a daily bases. Today’s televangelists use people’s religious beliefs, fears, and

charitable giving to make millions for their businesses under the guise of biblical tithing. This

paper is not in full term paper format and is not a teaching tool on how to write a

college/university term paper.

2

Televangelism: The Gospel Of Prosperity By Sherrie D. Larch

Introduction

What most of us today imagine as a religious institution is usually a modest, peaceful,

and spiritual building. It houses a place of worship; a church, synagogue, temple, or mosque, and

most likely, has a person who is trained to lead services in his or her particular religion with the

ability to counsel the members of these religious institutions or organizations. These clergy are

usually given a yearly salary through their congregation’s offerings and/or through a national

denomination group‘s charitable donations, these contributions are also called tithing. This

tithing is also used to help congregation members when they have some type of financial

problem and to help local charities, to feed and clothe the poor in the community.

Different from basic religious intuitions or organizations televangelists and their mega-

churches send out their flamboyant mesmerizing and at times disturbing sermons on to your

radio, television, and internet. With studios that look more like Hollywood sets than a place of

religious worship; showing a strange mixture of Christianity, spiritual drama, and wealth. These

ministries can be heard and seen in your home twenty-four hours a day; seven days a week.

These ministers speak of a version of the Christian gospels that is called the “gospel of

prosperity” which is also called the “law of reciprocity”. This is the belief that donating

money, or tithing to God, creates wealth and a place in heaven for the donor. These

televangelists also strongly use the vivid imagery of hell, damnation, and Armageddon, to pull

the listener into their messages of tithing and its blessings. Though, not a new concept in

Christianity, it takes a very modern tone in these ministries showing the listener all he or she can

have if they just follow the “gospel of prosperity“ and what may be their fate if they do not give

to God. They use people’s generosity, religious beliefs, fears, uncertainties, and sometimes

3

Televangelism: The Gospel Of Prosperity By Sherrie D. Larch

greed, to raise donations in the name of God and charity. But is this morally and legally right?

Can you really buy your way to heaven by tithing? Or is this just another telemarketing scam?

Televangelism: Business, Political, or Religious Organization

Television and radio ministries have been around for decades, pulling listeners in with

their strong messages of Christian salvation. Televangelists like Billy Graham and Oral Roberts

started the movement of ministering to people in their own homes, through television and radio

programming formatted to entertain the listener and to provide another religious outlet that was

not just in a church pew on a Sunday morning. These ministers’ message was a strong old

Southern Pentecostal style of Christianity, pulling from scriptures that focus heavily on the belief

of salvation only through Jesus Christ. They relied heavily on the belief in faith healing through

the laying on of hands and spiritual and physical prosperity through giving. They also focused on

the belief in the Rapture at the End of Days, which is the belief that Christians will be taken

physically up to heaven before the war of Armageddon, which will be fought by Jews and other

non-Christians. Armageddon will end by all non-Christians being annihilated because of their

lack of belief in Jesus Christ, all Christians will then return to earth, and Jesus Christ’s second

coming will be complete. These images were not only to encourage Christians to stay faithful to

Jesus Christ, but to bring in more listeners for the televangelists and their ministries.

Television and radio ministries were a new way to proselytize to a mass audience starting

out nationwide and gradually growing worldwide, taking their message to a variety of cultures

and countries that in some cases had never heard of the Christian religion or its message and

scriptures. This was a more efficient way to spread the word than the old traveling missionaries

that had to journey around the world to proselytize to the masses. These ministers also found that

4

Televangelism: The Gospel Of Prosperity By Sherrie D. Larch

it could bring in a lot of donations from eager donors. These donors wanted an easy way to

spirituality, believing it would help forgive their sins and would create a better existence if they

gave to God. They also hoped to create wealth and protection from poverty and all its damaging

side effects. Donors also believed that giving to God would save them from physical and

spiritual annihilation, guaranteeing them a place in heaven during the Rapture and war of

Armageddon in the future. This made it not only a way to minister to the millions but to raise

millions of dollars yearly through their listeners’ hopes and fears. The profits from these early

media ministries started a whole new media system, based entirely on the concept of saving souls

through television, radio, publishing, and much later the internet. These ministries were based on

worship, healing, and salvation through tithing.

The popularity and rules of television broadcasting changed over time making it easier

for televangelists to reach the people and their financial donations. The Dictionary of American

History (2003) states: “Televangelism boomed in the 1970s and 1980s, when the Federal

Communications Commission (FCC) changed its policy of mandating free time for religious

broadcasts to allow stations to accept money for religious programs. This regulatory change

inspired more than a few preachers to use television as a means of funding their ministries”

(The Dictionary of American History (2003), Televangelism:

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Televangelism.aspx). Today there are Christian religious

programs on most cable and local television and radio stations. There are cable stations like The

Christian Broadcast Network (TBN) and satellite companies like the Angel Network, that devote

themselves entirely to Christian programming and ministries throughout the United States and

the world. Many of these televangelists have or are affiliated with what is called today’s mega-

churches, which bring in even more congregation membership and revenue for their ministries.

5

Televangelism: The Gospel Of Prosperity By Sherrie D. Larch

These ministries also have their own websites, and own or are invested in publishing and

film companies that create all forms of Christian entertainment, including books, magazines,

television shows, movies, and video games. These are all based entirely on Christian news,

lifestyle, scripture, and belief. These media outlets raise billions every year from their listeners’

charitable donations. They promote the belief that if you give to them as a church and charity,

and buy their products, that you are giving to God‘s kingdom guaranteeing you earthly wealth

and a place in heaven.

Televangelists tell their audiences that the money that is donated is biblical tithing,

money that is going directly to God, his kingdom, and people. This money will create wealth for

them, the donor is told, and is going to those who are needy around the world. Televangelists use

their own interpretation of Christian scripture on giving and charity called the “gospel of

prosperity” to convince their followers that poverty is caused by not believing that wealth is

good and a natural spiritual state of being a true Christian. The richer you are as a Christian the

more you are closer to God and his favor. Professor David Jones states: “This gospel has been

ascribed many names, such as the “name it and claim it” gospel, the “blab it and grab it”

gospel, the “health and wealth” gospel, the “word of faith” movement, the “gospel of success,”

the “prosperity gospel,” and “positive confession theology… Teachers of the prosperity gospel

encourage their followers to pray, and even demand, of God “everything from modes of

transportation (cars, vans, trucks, even two-seat planes), [to] homes, furniture, and large bank

accounts… According to this law, which is supposedly based on Mark 10:30, Christians need

to give generously to others because when they do, God gives back more in return. This, in

turn, leads to a cycle of ever-increasing prosperity” (Jones, D, The Bankruptcy of the Prosperity

Gospel: An Exercise in Biblical and Theological Ethics: https://bible.org/article/bankruptcy-

6

Televangelism: The Gospel Of Prosperity By Sherrie D. Larch

prosperity-gospel-exercise-biblical-and-theological-ethics). These ministers use biblical doctrine

and psychological reinforcements to make the listeners feel special or superior to those who are

suffering in the world. This makes poverty a curse from God making believers of the “gospel of

prosperity” feel that the poor are sinning somehow, and if they are poor, making them believe

they must give no matter how. To insure that followers give to their organizations, televangelists

create different interpretation of the Old Testament (the Torah and Jewish Bible) and New

Testament (the Christian Bible).

The Potter’s Ministry states on their website: “Poverty is a curse: 'You are cursed with a

curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation' (Mal 3:9). God calls man cursed here

because of robbing God. People's hands are tied many times by their own poverty. And poverty

is mainly because of disobedience to the Word of God. Mal 3:8-10 talks about those who

withhold their tithes and offerings are robbing God. As a consequence, they are also robbing

themselves of the blessings of God” (Potter’s Ministry, THE CURSE OF POVERTY:

http://www.pottersministries.org/Messages/html/CurseOfPoverty.html). The “prosperity

gospel” and its followers keep reminding listeners that poverty is a curse from God, and

donating your last dollar is the only way to save yourself from this curse. There is no other way

to atone for your sins, than to send money to, whichever televangelist you are listening too.

Televangelists use extreme psychological and business tactics to get listeners to pick up their

phones and donate. They sell religion in the same way telemarketers sell you products and

services, anything from friendly persuasion to outright spiritual threats, using God and the fear of

damnation as their sale’s tools. They play on people’s weaknesses, desires, basic needs, and

spiritual fears, particularly, targeting those that have been raised in the Pentecostal faith or other

Evangelical denominations. They prey on the elderly and their retirement benefits and real estate

7

Televangelism: The Gospel Of Prosperity By Sherrie D. Larch

holdings, and they also pray on those with fixed incomes. Those who they know are having

spiritual doubts in their own religious experiences, whether Christian or not, are also targeted.

These ministers feel that those weak in faith may be easily converted to their viewpoints and

interpretations of Christianity through fear tactics. Televangelists make themselves the only path

to God and salvation, for the millions who listen to their messages. Televangelists pull heavily

on the Christian tradition of never questioning a member of the clergy or their view of what is

right or wrong, which would be considered rude. Many of these listeners do not understand

Christian scripture, and feel it is not their place to understand. They feel that because it is a

minister (a man or woman of God), they can trust them and their interpretation of biblical

scripture because they have been anointed by God Himself. To question anything these ministers

say would be a sin against God himself. These ministries also want to generate an atmosphere of

distrust when it comes to the secular world for their followers, making them more emotionally

and spiritually depended on them for their spiritual and physical well-being. They rely on

people’s gullibility and ignorance of their own religion or political viewpoints, speaking out

against any form of intellectualism, whether it is religious or secular. If their listeners start asking

too many questions, these ministers fear they will stop listening to them. This would stop the

donations coming, which would affect their ministries. Ignorance is bliss for these businesses.

Listeners are told on these ministries’ websites, television, and radio programs how they

can send in as little as a dollar, twenty dollars or thousands of dollars. Payments can be made by

cash, check, credit card, money order, and direct-deposit. They can be made one-time-only,

weekly, monthly, bi-monthly, and yearly or whatever is convenient for the donor. Listeners are

encouraged to give in various ways. They can give stock from companies that they have invested

in. They can give IRA and annuities in portions, sharing their retirement with a televangelist’s

8

Televangelism: The Gospel Of Prosperity By Sherrie D. Larch

ministry of their choice. Donors can give property as gifts, receiving a partial payment from the

ministry, and avoiding the capital gains tax. Donors can also give estate gifts, by putting the

ministry in their wills, to avoid estate taxes. Listeners are shown products like jewelry, books,

DVDs, CDs, and other products with Christian imagery and subject matter, that they can receive

for even more charitable giving. They are also encouraged to go buy these products in their local

Christian book stores and on national Christian websites. Most listeners do no truly know where

their hard earned money goes; they just send it in without any questions.

Televangelists like Pat Robertson, Joyce Meyers, Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Joel

Osteen, John Hagee, and others, look more like corporate business leaders and political lobbyists

than your basic clergy at your local place of worship. With the use of Christian scriptures and

imagery, good business skills and management, and psychological tactics, they gain wealth

through the selling of salvation, blessings, and the pardoning of sins. The money they raise from

listeners is used to invest in many businesses like cattle, movies, book and magazine publishing,

diamond mines, nutritional and vitamin companies, amusement parks, and various other

investments. These investments have nothing to do with basic religious ceremony or duties, or

charitable outreach and giving. Televangelists live a lavish lifestyle through their listeners’

donations and gifts, with large salaries that allow for multi-million-dollar homes and offices,

expensive cars, and private jets (To see their lifestyles go here

http://www.inplainsite.org/html/tele-evangelist_lifestyles.html and http://www.jesus-is-

savior.com/Wolves/greedy.htm). These religious organizations are more like corporations, but

because of the constitutional rules of the separation between church and state and the tax except

status of being a non-profit organization; do not pay taxes. The United States government does

9

Televangelism: The Gospel Of Prosperity By Sherrie D. Larch

not really know how much these religious organizations or televangelists are worth financially,

because their businesses and investments are so vast, encompassing the globe.

Televangelists and their religious businesses also give heavily to political organizations

and politicians that share their political beliefs and causes, going against the federal

government’s rules for religious and charitable groups and organizations. The Internal Revenue

Code states: “To be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, an

organization must be organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes set forth in

section 501(c)(3), and none of its earnings may inure to any private shareholder or individual.

In addition, it may not be an action organization, i.e., it may not attempt to influence

legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate in any campaign

activity for or against political candidates.” (The Internal Revenue Service, Exemption

Requirements - 501(c)(3) Organizations: http://www.irs.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Charitable-

Organizations/Exemption-Requirements-Section-501%28c%29%283%29-Organizations). These

televangelists and their businesses fight against a woman’s right to a safe abortion, trying to pass

laws effecting reproductive health and services, legally stepping in between a woman and her

doctor. These ministers push hard against gay and lesbian rights, trying to stop any equality

protection policies and hate crime laws that include sexual orientation. They also lobby to stop

gay marriage and the ability for gay and lesbians to adopt children. These ministers also want

American public schools to teach Creationism as a valid scientific fact over evolution, and to

allow for other Christian teachings to be part of the curriculum. They also lobby hard for foreign

and Middle Eastern affairs and policies that follow Evangelical styled biblical prophecy, picking

candidates that do not support peace treaties because the Rapture and the End of Days cannot

happen if there is no conflict in the Middle East.

10

Televangelism: The Gospel Of Prosperity By Sherrie D. Larch

Though, religious organizations are not allowed to lobby and indorse political candidates

and political causes without giving up their tax exemption status. These televangelists find loop

holes or ignore it completely, going around any legal or constitutional rules. They feel since they

are part of a religious institution, no one will stop them. And for the most part, no one has tried

to stop them.

These ministries are also strong proponents on the fight to weaken or eliminate the

constitutional rules on the separation of church and state. The First Amendment in the Bill of

Rights states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or

prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” (Cornell University of Law, First Amendment:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/first_amendment). This constitutional protection is for

all religions, not just one. But, some of these ministries would like to establish a national religion

and church going against the United States Constitution, destroying the basic right of freedom of

religion and religious choice. They strongly lobby for this through the policies and politicians

they support. These ministries reinforce this by scaring their audiences with the belief that if

Christianity is not made the national religion, Christianity will be deemed illegal. Listeners are

told that if they do not vote the way that the ministries want them to, they are going against God

and his Kingdom. The paranoia this helps produce creates a group of people that do not trust

their government or any secular institutions that could help them, and at times can create violent

reactions.

Tithing and Charity: History and Facts

So what is true biblical tithing? The Ancient Israel, of the Jewish Torah (also called the Old

Testament) viewed tithing and money as two different things entirely. Law as Given by Moses

11

Televangelism: The Gospel Of Prosperity By Sherrie D. Larch

states: “And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree,

is the LORD’S: it is holy unto the LORD” (Leviticus 27:30, The Torah, The Jewish Bible).

Money from a person’s own talent and work was their own profits, to be used to support

themselves and their families. Most things from nature, was believed to be God’s gift to the

Israeli people, and was tithed back to help others, especially from farming and herding. The poor

were not obligated to tithe, because it added to their hardship, which was not religiously

acceptable to the laws of Israel. In fact these tithing were to feed the needing and to give to the

temple and its priests and servants. Modern day Judaism still states that you must provide for

yourself and your family before you give to God.

Early Christian-Jews kept this tradition on tithing until the Church legally changed the

meaning of tithing and made it a mandatory part of the Christian faith in 777 B.C.E during the

rule of Charlemagne, who mandated it by secular law. Even after the meaning of tithing was

changed, many early Church leaders still followed a life of poverty, believing this was more

biblically acceptable. They believed that riches were of the physical world not the spiritual realm

and were not important to a spiritual existence.

In medieval Europe, the Catholic Church allowed the wealthy to buy what was called

“indulgences”, pardons for sins committed in business and personal interactions. The website

Christian History For Everyman states: “1. Christians receive "temporal punishment" for sin,

even after its guilt and eternal punishment have been forgiven by God. That temporal

punishment must be paid either here on earth or in a temporary, after-death holding place

called purgatory. 2. The Roman Catholic Church has a "treasury," composed of the

"superabundant merits of Christ and the saints," which the Church, through the exercise of

the "power of the keys," can transfer to the benefit of those who are due temporal

12

Televangelism: The Gospel Of Prosperity By Sherrie D. Larch

punishment” (Christian History For Everyman, Indulgences:

http://www.christian-history.org/indulgences.html). These “indulgences” where a type of tithing

to the Church by wealthy business families, who believed that being in the business world and

doing its dealings created sins that they had to atone for by donating a portion of their wealth.

These donations (or tithing) helped create a large amount Christian art and architecture, by

building churches, cathedrals, and paintings that were of biblical stories and people. Many of the

works from artists like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo Buonarrot, and Raffaello Santi (also

called Raphael), were funded through these church followers’ indulgences. This type of tithing

did come with its critics; men like Martin Luther (1483-1546), the leader of the Lutheran

Reformation felt that the Catholic Church and its leaders were over stepping their holy duties. In

his 95 Theses Martin Luther stated: “Hence those who preach indulgences are in error when

they say that a man is absolved and saved from every penalty by the pope's indulgences”

(Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences Commonly Known as The 95 Theses by

Dr. Martin Luther: http://www.spurgeon.org/~phil/history/95theses.htm). The Church leaders

were making themselves the holy ones and selling forgiveness that they had no right to, and

making the Church very wealthy. This was much like what televangelists are doing today for

themselves and their businesses.

Basic churches today use tithing for variety of purposes. Most ministers have a set yearly

income, which comes from their local church or national denomination. This income is based on

the ability of the church or its organizations to pay, some ministers make more than others, but

most do not make more than a middle class income. Tithing is also used for the upkeep of the

church building and its property, which probably includes some type of outside help and

services. Church donation are also used to help the poor and others who need help, like soup

13

Televangelism: The Gospel Of Prosperity By Sherrie D. Larch

kitchens, work resources, drug counseling, psychological help, spiritual support, and various

other community programs throughout the church’s area. Churches will also partner up with

other places of worship, community centers, and charitable organizations, to help a larger

population.

Religious origination are not the only form of charitable non-profit agencies, there are

secular charities also. But both must follower regulations and laws that were enacted to protect

the charity and the donor. Non-profit businesses most stay politically neutral without supporting

a candidate or political cause. Charities can focus on reaching your heart. But ethically and

legally cannot use any tactics that can be perceived as threatening. The donor is always in control

of what they choose to donate. The donor also has the right to inquire about where their donation

is going and to ask about the charity’s financial records, which should be public record. Charity

Navigator states in their article “Top 10 Best Practices of Savvy Donors” that: “Savvy donors

know that the financial health of a charity is a strong indicator of the charity’s programmatic

performance. They know that the most efficient charities spend at least 75% of their budget on

their programs and services and less than 25% on fundraising and administrative fees…

Sophisticated donors realize that charities need to pay their top leaders a competitive salary in

order to attract and retain the kind of talent needed to run a multi-million dollar organization

and produce results. But they also don’t just take the CEO’s compensation at face value; they

benchmark it against similar-sized organizations engaged in similar work and located in the

same region of the country… Charity Navigator reveals that the average CEO’s compensation

of the charities we evaluate is roughly $150,000” (Charity Navigator, Top 10 Best Practices of

Savvy Donors: http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?

bay=content.view&cpid=419#.U4WhhCgvA6w ).

14

Televangelism: The Gospel Of Prosperity By Sherrie D. Larch

A donor must realize that some charities may pay more by region and by what the non-

profit is supporting. A charity that is based on raising money for higher educational programs,

museums or the arts will pay their CEOs more than a charity that is helping the poor. The best

way to be a smart donor is to investigate a charity, whether religious or secular, and find out

what their reputation is.

Conclusion

Religion and charity is something that can and should go hand and hand. Religious and

secular institutions have had a history of helping poverty and need throughout the world, and this

will continue. On the other hand, televangelists and their organizations do not follow rules and

regulations that deem them as a valid religious or charitable non-profit organization. They break

basic rules on political activity and it is hard to prove what percentage of their listeners’

donations ever makes it to a real charitable cause. The records are not there to see, which is the

only valid way to know if your donation is going to the needy or going into someone‘s pocket.

But looking at televangelists’ lavish lifestyles of excess should give the donor insight to where at

least most of their donations are going too. Televangelists preach about the importance of tithing

to God for salvation and the forgiving of sins. They twist Jewish and Christian scripture to

support their message of the “Gospel of Prosperity” or the “Law of Reciprocity” to make

themselves powerful and rich, lining their own pockets in the process. So can you really buy

salvation through tithing? This question can only be answered by God, and He or She, cannot be

interviewed.

15