New Covenant Publications - A Counter Cult Ministry

 

Leadership Lifestyles
of the International Churches of Christ
an article by Timothy Greeson

 

 

[This article was originally written in 2000 with information available at that time. New information has come to light as of March 2003 in reference to the leaders of the Church in NYC, which has prompted a revision reflecting that new information.]

 

 

Since 1994 there has been an average of 20,000 members a year walking away from the International Churches of Christ / Boston Movement (ICC), an organization which claims to be “God’s modern day movement”, the one and only “true church”. This exodus in just the last 6 years has caused the number of former members to eclipse the number of current members. Add to this the number of members leaving since the inception of the ICC in 1979, and the number of former members more than triples that of current members. In fact, according to statistics quoted by ICC leadership, for every three people who join this organization there are two people leaving. Why is this?

Thousands of former members, many interviewed by various news organizations, claim that numerous legalistic, controlling, and abusive practices run rampant throughout the ICC, beginning with the highest levels of leadership. They also cite charges of favoritism, and hypocrisy on the part of leadership concerning “sacrificial living”. They claim that while most of the membership give sacrificially and live financially sacrificial lives, often feeling pressured by leadership concerning amounts of their weekly giving and contributions, many of those in leadership live just the opposite.

Al Baird, elder and teacher in the LA church, and spokesperson for the ICC, has publicly dismissed these numerous claims as false, uttered by what he calls “disgruntled former members”. Interesting to note that this same tactic is used by many large companies who seek to silence those who bring claims and charges of wrong doing against them. They label those who bring such claims against them as “disgruntled former employees”. Some of these companies have even attempted to discredit these “disgruntled former employees” by character assassination, especially when there is ample evidence to support the claims being made by these former employees. The ICC appears to be guilty of this same practice, causing many current members to ignore or dismiss ample evidence supporting the claims of former members. This article focuses on one such claim by former members and the evidence that supports it.

In September of 1999 the Chicago Church of the ICC purchased a home in the affluent North Shore area of Wilmette, IL. The cost of this home was $400,000. The lead evangelist of the Chicago church, Byron Parson, and his family took up residence shortly thereafter. At first, the knowledge of this purchase was kept from the members of the Chicago church. When the information began to circulate it caused a lot of problems within the membership in Chicago, even to the point of some of the members leaving the ICC. During a church meeting in which former member and Elder, Isaiah Pickett, was being "marked", a term used for the ex-communicating of someone from the fellowship, the purchase of the home in Wilmette was brought into the open. The following is an excerpt from the explanation given to the members by Elder, John Mannel, for the purchase of this $400,000 home.

"As it stands now, we're talking uh, we're just about everywhere in the Chicago Metropolitan area, with one exception. The only geographic area we're not in is the North Shore. That area Wilmette, Glencoe, Winietka, Highland Park, Lake Forest. What does that remind you of? Money…. but uh, we thought we were gonna attack and uh, uh evangelize the North Shore of, o- of Chicagoland. And we brought a bunch of great people, great disciples with awesome hearts down from Milwaukee church with the idea of planting the North Shore (inaudible) to be able to afford what the North Shore had to offer.

As a result, they wound up living around in Skokie, Evanston and surrounding areas, and started converting people in those neighborhoods which is awesome, but the North Shore remained dark to the light of God. And, uh, it's been that way ever since and really up until this point in time and frankly we made the decision, uh, for a couple of reasons. One of which was, we, we have got to reach this, this place. We can't say that everyone else deserves salvation but them. But you know what, they are not the kind of neighborhood you just sort of, uh, live over in, uh, uh, live over in Berwyn and go knocking on doors in Glencoe {laughter} it just doesn't work you know what I mean? …. And so the decision was made and we had, the, the time is right we believe, to begin the North Shore Ministry. Uh, and uh, you know in doing that (inaudible) we're at the decision now where we're going to do this and do it right …. If we're gonna evangelize Wilmette. If we're gonna evangelize Glencoe, well somebody's gotta be in that area to establish a beachhead (inaudible), that you become part of the community. You don't go in there as transient people and say "we're gonna evangelize this area." And so the decision was made that we're gonna go we're gonna move into those areas."

Where does Scripture teach that to spread the Gospel to an affluent community such as Wilmette a "beachhead" must first be established by the church taking up residence (buying a home) and becoming a part of that affluent community? Where does Scripture teach that you cannot evangelize an affluent community as "transient" people? Most of the evangelizing done during the first Century was by Apostles like Paul and Peter who were very "transient". And to suggest that this affluent area known as the North Shore had "remained dark to the light of God" for no other reason than the ICC had not yet moved into that area, speaks volumes about the ICC stance that they are the one true church and that outside their membership there is no light of God.

After hearing this explanation, some of the members still asked Byron why he was moving to a $400,000 house. He responded that he did not own the house, nor did he have any equity in the house, that he pays rent. One woman even stated:

"We don't have a place to even worship God. You, you have seen the suffering of the people, and you buy a $400,000 house with the money we give the church? (inaudible) We always give our contribution, everything Byron."

Needless to say that many people were upset to find out that their hard earned contributions, which they live sacrificially in order to give, were used to buy such a pricey home in an affluent community for the lead evangelist of the Chicago church.

Parson's home
Parson's home

I personally flew to Chicago to see this house. This house, located at 421 Illinois Road, Wilmette, IL 60091, has 4 bedrooms, a new maple kitchen-family room which opens to a deck and private fenced yard in back, central air and furnace, attached 2.5 car garage, a recreation room, and sits on a corner lot. While this is certainly more than comfortable, this home does not appear to me to warrant a $400,000 price tag. Yet it reveals the reality of real estate costs in affluent residential areas. It also reveals the truth about the ICC leadership mindset concerning "image". 

But this was not the first time that this kind of purchase had taken place. In the spring of 98 Kip McKean moved into a new home, a roomy condominium in the highly affluent community of Pacific Palisades, California. The condo was purchased by the LA church for $480,000! According to Al Baird it was purchased as a parsonage for the lead evangelist of the LA church (who just happens to be the leader of the movement, Kip McKean). The current market value of this condo, as of July 2000, exceeds $540,000. I wonder how many members of the LA church had knowledge of this purchase before it was aired on national television in an investigative report by the Fox News network? Shortly after the investigative report was aired, the ICC published an article to ICC members, in which Al Baird stated that:

"To a college student or a single adult or someone not familiar with LA real estate prices, it may sound expensive; but that is just what real estate costs in West LA and many other parts of LA."

This is true IF you are speaking of real estate in posh, affluent areas such as Pacific Palisades or Brentwood where many celebrities live. But there are many areas of LA where $480,000 is not by any means the norm for real estate. This is quite verifiable by checking real estate publications for the LA and surrounding areas. This statement made by leadership is misleading. I would be curious to find out what percentage of the membership in LA live in affluent areas such as Pacific Palisades, or own homes valued in excess of $480,000. If the leadership of the ICC thought it no big deal to purchase the condo, why did they feel it necessary to publish an article explaining their actions to their own members and down playing the cost of the condo? Oddly, just four years previous to the purchase of this condo, Kip McKean was rebuking those in leadership for the purchasing of houses. During the ICC Manila World Leadership Conference in 1994 Kip McKean stated:

"When the first special contribution came, Al, wanting God to know his heart, and with the need for world missions, sold his house. Just like in the Bible, Acts 2, Acts 4. But today we're not selling houses, we're buying them. Now if you're buying a house, how you going to ask someone to sell theirs for a special missions contribution?"(Kip McKean, Malachi: God's Radical Demand for Remaining Radical, Manila World Leadership Conference, 1994)

This did not stop many of those in leadership from continuing to purchase homes, several of them within three to four months of the annual collecting of "special contribution" (an amount set by leadership and expected from each member. In recent years it has reached an amount 20 times a person's weekly tithe.) Kip also made mention of people in leadership owning "…2 and sometimes 3 cars…" and evangelists making "…$80,000…" a year. And this was back in 1994 (six years ago). God only knows what some of them are making today.

In the ICC article Al Baird also stated, as did Byron Parson about himself, "the McKeans pay fair-market-value rent." What he did not say is that the McKeans also receive a nice housing allowance with which to pay that rent. According to an ex-leader of the ICC, Rick Bauer, those in leadership receive housing allowances, travel, entertainment, and other allowances which often doubles the total compensation package. So not only did the cost of the condominium come out of the contributions and tithing of the members, so does the housing allowance which pays the rent.

Johnson's coop  
Johnson's coop

Then there's Steve Johnson, world sector leader of ACES and lead evangelist of the New York City church, who moved into a luxary co-op at 215 W 98th Street on the upper West Side of Manhattan in January of 1990. Being a co-op the price is not listed with the New York County Clerk's Office nor the New York City Department of Finance, only the name of ownership (Steven and Lisa Johnson), the bank involved in the transaction and the amount of co-op shares purchased (408 shares). According to several brokers contacted real estate in that area of the upper West Side, especially for luxury co-ops, is not cheap. Members were told that an anonymous benefactor put up the money and that Steve's name is listed as owner solely for legal purposes of living there.


[In the previous version of this article I implied that Steve was being deceptive and dishonest by stating that he did not own the co-op. Even though some members of the NYC Church wrote to me informing me that the information was incorrect, they could not or would not supply any evidence or documentation to support what they were telling me. With the only available documents being the Manhattan County Clerk's documents listing Steve as the legal owner, and the members writing to me refusing or being unable to supply any evidence to the contrary, I made a comment that I thought was the truth. I suggested that Steve was lying. Instead of just printing the real estate information and keeping the focus on the apparent hypocrisy in the way the leaders were living, I added the idea that Steve was a liar. In a recent conversation (as of March 31, 2003) with the anonymous benefactor, I was informed that what Steve told members about not owning the co-op was the truth. I was told that both his name and Steve's name appear on the actual mortgage, but that he, himself, had put up the entire $500,000.00 for the co-op. I am currently waiting to find out if the benefactor can locate a copy of the mortgage so that I can verify this by documentation. My apologies to Steve Johnson, his wife, Lisa, and to everyone who read the article and held a wrong assumption about Steve or Lisa based on the comment in the article.]


Then in October of 1994 Steve moved his family to West Nyack NY, where he had purchased a home for the sum of $346,000. Although Steve admits to having needed assistance in purchasing this home, it is a far cry from the modest living the leaders claim. This 2 story home includes 3½ bathrooms, a sundeck, and a sizable plot of land with a large pond and wooded area. The current estimated value exceeds $400,000.

Steve johnson's home
Steve johnson's home
Steve johnson's

There is also the World Sector Leader and Lead Evangelist over the Washington DC church, Douglas Arthur. In May of 1997 he purchased a home in McLean, Virginia (1201 Old Stable Road), priced at $470,000. Apart from this being an extremely highly priced home for someone in a group where the leadership harps on "sacrificial living", as a means to gain higher contribution amounts, it was only one of the two homes owned by Douglas Arthur from May 1997 till July 1999. The first (9406 Vernon Drive, Great Falls, Virginia) was purchased in 1993 for $290,000, and was sold in 1999 for $314,500. Very recently, as of the writing of this article, the home at 1201 Old Stable Road was in real estate listings for the sum of $675,000.00. Three separate realtors in the DC area confirmed this information. They also stated that the home is temporarily off the market. I was also told that McLean is very "desirable" and "affluent". In fact, the July 2000 average sales price for homes in Fairfax County, where the town of McLean is located, was $264,874. That is as of July 2000. Douglas Arthur paid much more than that three years ago. Again, as much as the leadership of the ICC harps on living financially sacrificial lives, it appears as though they don't practice what they preach.

It also appears that many of those in ICC leadership choose to live in either very comfortable homes or the more affluent areas of the cities or towns in which the individual churches over which they lead exist. In the majority of these cases the homes were purchased or rented after leadership status was obtained. We are not suggesting that to live in affluent areas or to own homes in excess of $300,000 is a crime, or even a sin. But for the leadership of the ICC to preach "sacrificial living" and "sacrificial giving" to the rank and file members, and expect it from them, while doing the exact opposite is plain old hypocrisy. And that IS a sin.

The following is a list of additional ICC leaders and the homes that they own or rent at the current time. This information was gathered through public records data bases, County Tax Assessors, County Clerks Offices, Land Records Departments, etc. These are listed on the last page of this article. Make note of the year that some of these homes were purchased, as well as the purchase price. Judge for yourselves whether or not the claim of hypocrisy within the leadership of the ICC is supported.


Los Angeles Church

Marty Fuqua (World Sector Leader, Evangelist)
1408 Laurel Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030
Owner / Purchased: 6-18-99
Price: $430,000.00

Cory Blackwell (former World Sector Leader, Region Leader)
5424 W 61st Street, Los Angeles, CA 90056
Owner / Purchased: 8-97
Price: $385,000.00 (Current assessed value $470,095.00**)

A few of the details for the Blackwell's home are 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, a fireplace, and a pool. It is located in an area known as Lower Ladera Heights and is is described by realtors as "above average" with large custom homes. Recently, Cory Blackwell was removed from leadership, and there are reports that he and his wife are no longer a part of the ICC. But at the time that he was in leadership he purchased his home for $385,000.

Doug Webber (HOPE Worldwide LA)
4821 Vista De Oro Av, Los Angeles, CA 90043 (this area is known as Windsor Hills)
Owner / Purchased: 2-1-96
Price: $380,000.00

John Bringardner (World Sector Administrator)
5934 Brookford Dr, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 902745
Owner / Purchased: 10-29-97
Price: $445,000.00

Realtors contacted described the areas that the above four properties are located in as "above average" and even "affluent" with 3 bedroom / 2 bath homes starting at $350,000 + .

Albert Baird (World Sector Leader, Elder, Spokesman for the ICC)
5509 W 124th Street, Hawthorne, CA 90250
Rents home
Estimated current market value exceeds $300,000.00*

In 1999 the Baird's moved from a rented home in El Segundo, CA that had a purchase price of $322,500 in 1992. One of the realtors that I spoke with informed me that as a rule of thumb the monthly rental price of a home is equal to 1% of the home's purchase value. If this is accurate then the rental price of the home Al Baird lives in is at least $3,000 a month.


New York City Church

James W Brown (Super Region Leader, Evangelist)
32 Kendall Drive, New City, NY 10956
Owned / Purchased: 8-30-96
Price: $349,900.00

Jim Brown's home

(James and Teresa sold their home in Nov of 99 for
$465,000.00 and moved to Westchester county where they had purchased the following home for half a million dollars)

Teresa and James Brown
1 Chestnut st.
Pleasantville, NY 10570
owned / purchased : 8-28-99
Price: $507,000.00

NOTE: In locating the deed, James' wife's name, Teresa, was listed first.

Steve Kinnard (Congregation teacher)
91 Cairnsmuir Ln, New City, NY 10956
Owner / Purchased: 7-28-94
Price: $267,500.00

Notice that Steve Johnson, Steve Kinnard and James Brown all purchased homes in the West Nyack / New City area within a 2 year period


Samuel Powell (Assoc Lead Evangelist)
55 Del Rey Drive, Mount Vernon, NY 10552
Rents home / Purchased: 3-22-99
Price: $350,000.00.

Samuel Powell's home
Samuel Powell's home
   

This property at 55 Del Rey Drive is owned by a World Sector of the ICC known as ACES, which the New York City church just happens to be a part of. 


Samuel Powell's home
Lobby of 500 East 77 St

Sam Powell's previous address is listed as 500 East 77th Street in New York City. This address is located at 77th and York, a very nice area of the Upper East Side. It appears that Sam Powell was living quite comfortably even then. 

In addition to ACES owning a residential property in Mount Vernon, the New York City church, which is under the ACES World Sector, also owns residential property in Mount Vernon at 324 Westchester Ave, Mount Vernon, NY 10552. This residence was purchased on 7-29-99 for the sum of $322,000.00. It is unclear as to who actually lives in this house, but the New York City church owns it.

Daniel J. Conner (Super Region Leader,  Evangelist)
45 E 25th Street Apt 25-C
New York, NY 10010
Owner / Purchased: 3-2000
Price: $362,000.00

Daniel J. Conner's Apartment

The above purchase price was calculated from transfer tax paid. According to the Deed the tax paid was $1,448.00. According to the Manhattan County Department of Records, tax is $4.00 per every $1,000.00 of purchase amount.


Seattle Church

Scott Green (Lead Evangelist, World Sector Leader)
14715 46th St SE Unit 6, Bellevue, WA 98006
Owner / Purchased: March 98
Price: $324,500.00

Thomas Snyder (Assoc Lead Evangelist)
6114 92nd Ave SE Unit 40, Mercer Island, WA 98040
Owner / Purchased: March 98
Price: $420,000.00 (current estimated value exceeds $500,000*)

These two homes were purchased in affluent areas in the same month of the same year. Per the stats of the NW Multiple Listing Service the Y-T-D 2000 average price for homes is $1,326,227 for Bellevue and $1,277,720 for Mercer Island. According to realtors contacted, these prices are higher than other areas in King County. Again, it seems that leadership has chosen the more affluent areas in which to live. Is this what the leaders of the ICC consider living sacrificially?


Philadelphia Church

Walter Evans (Lead Evangelist)
116 Kenilworth Rd, Villanova, PA 19085
Owner / Purchased: 8-30-93
Price: $282,000 (current estimated value exceeds $350,000*)

Robert (Bob) Gemple (World Sector Leader, Elder)
713 Woodcrest Cir, Radnor, PA 19087
Owner / Purchased: 11-92
Price: $412,500.00 (current estimated value between $550,000 and $600,000*)

According to realtors contacted, Radnor is considered an above average area in Delaware County. The average price for a 3-4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath home in Radnor Township is $402,989.


Washington Church

Douglas Jacoby (Evangelist, Director of Children's Ministry)
3814 Kenil Worth Dr, Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Owner / Purchased: April 96
Price: $300,000

Scott Lipscomb (Assoc Lead Evangelist)
5736 27th St NW (or 5736 NW 27th St), Washington DC 20015
Rents home
Current assessed value: $299,860.00** / Estimated market value exceeds $340,000*

San Diego Church

Guillermo Adame (Geographic Sector Leader, Lead Evangelist)
2823 Curie Pl, San Diego, CA 92122
Rents home
Estimated current market value exceeds $300,000*

Steven Smith (Geographic Sector Administrator)
4924 Maynard St, San Diego, CA 92122
Rents home
Estimated current market value exceeds $300,000*

These two homes are located in an area known as University City, which one realtor referred to as "moderately affluent" with the median price "above the average for San Diego County". I also found a residential property located at 6146 Wolfstar Ct, San Diego, CA 92122 apparently owned by the San Diego Church of Christ. That is the name on the title deed. The person living there is Cory W. Charles. It was purchased on 9-09-99 for $419,000.00.


Boston Church

Gordon Ferguson (Elder, Evangelist, Teacher)
27 Hitching Post Dr, Walpole, MA 02081
Owner / Purchased: 4-30-96
Price: $235,000.00

Wyndham Shaw (Elder, Evangelist)
2 Patriot Rd, Burlington, MA 01803
Owner
Current estimated market value exceeds $300,000*

Jimmy Rogers (Evangelist, Geographic Sector Leader, Super Region Leader)
616 Hartford St, Westwood, MA 02090
Owner / Purchased: 7-29-94
Price: $255,000 (current estimated market value $400,000*)

Kevin McDaniel (Evangelist, Super Region Leader)
6 Harbell St, Lexington, MA 02421
? / Purchased: 4-29-96
Price: $242,000 (current estimated market value $350,000*)

Daniel Bathon (World Sector Administrator, Deacon)
222 Grove St, Lexington, MA 02173
Owner / Purchased: 9-17-90
Price: $450,000 (current estimated market value exceeds $500,000*)

Clegg Dyson (Deacon, Director of Children's ministry)
281 Oak St, Westwood, MA
? / Purchased: 7-23-99
Price: $320,000

According to realtors contacted, Lexington is considered an "affluent community" with a school system that is one of the best in the state.


Dallas / Ft Worth church

Gordon (Nick) Young (Lead Evangelist, Geographic Sector Leader)
3911 Walnut Grove Ln, Carrollton, TX 75007
Owner
Current market value $204,216.00 (Denton County Real Property information)

Barry Baker (Assoc Lead Evangelist, Region Leader)
3310 Pecan Meadow Dr, Garland, TX 75040
Owner / Purchased: 9-09-98
Price: $203,490.00

The subdivision that 3911 Walnut Grove Ln is located in is called Hunters Creek. The average sale price for the same size house is about $199,000, which, according to realtors, is in the "above average" sales price for the Carrollton market. The subdivision that 3310 Pecan Meadow is located in is called Villages of Valley Creek. According to realtors contacted, the sale price for that house was near the "top of the Garland Market" and, neighborhood-wise, "in the upper ranges of sales prices".


San Francisco church

Russ Ewell (lead Evangelist)
San Mateo, CA 94401

Dave Weager (Elder, Evangelist)
Los Gatos, CA 95032

So far I have been unable to locate the street addresses as they are not listed. According to realtors, though, San Mateo County is one of the more affluent areas in northern California. And Los Gatos, according to realtors, is "above average" for the Bay area. Los Gatos is a very upscale city located in Santa Clara County. According to the Los Gatos home page, in March 2000 the median sales price for a home was $865,000 and the average sales price was $1,252,558, while the median price of a home for the entire County of Santa Clara in July 2000 was only $547,000. Los Gatos is considered expensive, but very nice with Victorian style homes. One realtor even described Los Gatos as "a wonderful, sought-after town where most people would love to live."

I also found a residential property located at 1498 Swordfish St, Foster City, CA. 94404 that is apparently owned by the San Francisco Church of Christ. At least, that is the name on the title deed. It was purchased on June 6, 1997 for $498,000.00. The assessed value is currently $527,718.00.


Orlando church

Richard Runge (Lead Evangelist)
7626 Pointview Cir, Orlando, FL 32836
Rents home
Current estimated market value exceeds $300,000*

This home is located in the subdivision of Sand Lake Point in the Dr. Phillips area, a few miles north of Disney. According to realtors it is in an excellent school district and surrounded by very nice homes.


Denver church

John Lusk (Lead Evangelist, Geographic Sector Leader)
869 Saint Andrews Ln, Louisville, CO 80027
Rents home / Last sold on 12-03-98
Price:$283,500.00 (current estimated market value exceeds $300,000*)

Preston (Howard P) Shepherd (Region Leader)
9277 S Lark Sparrow Dr, Littleton, CO 80126
Owner / Purchased: 12-04-97
price: $221,200.00

The Saint Andrews home is in the Coral Creek Ranch subdivision of Louisville. It is a neighborhood of very nice homes adjacent to Coral Creek golf course; not considered by realtors to be highly affluent, but "certainly well above average". The home on Lark Sparrow is in a hugely popular area of south Denver called Highlands Ranch. According to realtors contacted, it is "probably the single most popular subdivision in the Denver Metro area" and "a very affluent community". Also according to realtors, both addresses are homes currently priced in the $300,000 range, while the current average price for homes in Denver is between $210,000 and 215,000.


Phoenix church

Joe (Joseph R) Silipo (Evangelist)
14874 N 103rd St, Scottsdale, AZ 85259
Owner
Current estimated market value exceeds $200,000*

This home is located in McDowell Mountain Ranch subdivision, a very nice and newer area of northern Scottsdale with mountain views and nice parks. The Scottsdale area is considered "affluent" compared to Phoenix. The home itself was only built in 1997, so it was purchased as a new home.


Triangle church

Samuel Laing (Lead Evangelist)
423 New Rail Dr, Cary, NC 27513
Owner / Purchased: 11-93
Price: $205,000.00

According to realtors this home is located in one of the newest sections of the Silverton subdivision and, in terms of home pricing, the homes in this area are generally considered to be "above average". In fact, Cary, in general, has more affluent neighborhoods than surrounding cities in Wake County".


Nashville church

Douglas Lambert (Lead Evangelist)
2031 Castleman Dr, Nashville, TN 37215
Rents home / Last sold in 1993
Price: $182,000.00 (current assessed value $266,000**)

Douglas Lambert lives in the area known as Green Hills. According to realtors in Nashville this is an "affluent" area near Green Hills Mall. It is one of several areas that people tend to flock to. It is one of the three most popular areas and is definitely in great demand. According to realtors the current average cost of a home in the Nashville area is estimated at between $125,000 and $150,000. The cost of the home that Douglas Lambert lives in was above today's current average even seven years ago.


Miami church

Andrew Giambarba (Lead Evangelist, Geographic Sector Leader)
15220 Dunbarton Pl, Hialeah, FL 33016 (Miami Lakes - Lake Glenn Ellen subdivision)
Rents home / Last sold in 1992
Price: $189,500.00

Terry Folker (Evangelist)
4301 SW 101st Ave, Ft Lauderdale, FL 33328 (actual location is in Davie, Fl / Royal Palm Estates)
Rents home
Current assessed value $198,750.00

According to realtors, 4301 SW 101st Ave is currently being offered for rent for $2,300/month

Arthur C Colson ( ? )
11351NW 23rd St, Plantation, FL 33323 (this area is known as Plantation Acres)
Owner / Purchased: 8-31-99
Price: $228,000.00

I included the above three addresses even though the prices did not seem that high compared to most of the others listed in this article. However, for the area in which they are located these homes are in the above average range. As one realtor stated, "It is interesting that you selected areas that have large properties. Land tends to be getting to become a premium and most Broward homes do not have such large lots. The areas you selected are the exception." Another realtor stated, "I can tell you that Plantation Acres is considered an 'affluent' area and is a highly desirable address in Broward County. Royal Palm Estates is also very nice, but doesn't carry the same 'prestige' as Plantation Acres."


Greenville church

Stacy Vaughn (Lead Evangelist)
106 E Earle St, Greenville, SC 29609
Rents home
Current estimated market value exceeds $275,000.00*

According to a realtor in Greenville, locals refer to the downtown section where East Earl Street is located as "The North Main Area", and yes, it is considered "affluent".


Hartford church

Steve Tetrault (Evangelist)
10 Belfor Rd, Norwalk, CT 06850
?
Last sold in June 1998 for $210,000

Barry Beaty (Evangelist)
51 Rifle Rd, Fairfield, CT 06430
?
Last sold in July 99 for $435,000

These two addresses are not really in the Greater Hartford area. They are located in Fairfield County, which, according to realtors contacted, has a "much higher selling price on average than the Hartford area." Realtors stated that the average for home sales in the Hartford area is in the mid $150's depending on which town you are interested in. 51 Rifle Road was said to be near the Fairfield University and "a very nice address in Fairfield."

I realize that there are some members of the ICC who will read this article and say to themselves, "So the leadership live in nice houses or nice areas, so what? This is God's way of blessing them. They deserve this for leading God's people." I wonder if these members really stop to think about what they are saying? Do these members really believe that God would bless those in leadership with lifestyles that totally contradict the very thing they preach to others? Are those people in leadership exempt from what they teach and expect from the rank and file members?

The men who led the first century church led by example. They were servant leaders. Ask yourself if any of the apostles would've preached "sacrificial living" to the multitudes, yet would've chosen pricey homes or affluent areas for themselves. More to the point, would Jesus have done so? Ask yourself if any of the apostles were so concerned about "image" that these men of God would have lived in disregard of the very words they spoke? More to the point, would Jesus have done so? Ask yourself if these apostles would have attempted to convince themselves and others that in order to reach the affluent, they, as leaders, would have to live like the affluent? More to the point, would Jesus have done so? And, finally, ask yourself if these apostles would have used the contributions and tithes of the people who were living "sacrificially" in order to have done so? More to the point, would Jesus have done so?

 

 

Addendum:

One update that we sent to be pertinent to the point of this article, which occurred in Oct 2001, is the purchase of a condo by the Lead Evangelist of the Boston Church Randy Mckean (brother of Kip Mckean.) The condo is unit #21 is in the Huckins Farm Condomium complex at 19 Pickman dr., Bedford, Ma 01730.

The purchased price listed on the dead is $650,000.00

 

 

*current estimated market values were obtained from various realtors and from http://www.domania.com
**current assessed value is the value placed on a property by the Tax Assessor of that county.

(For additional information concerning financial issues of the ICC please read the articles $$$$$$ and What Happened.)

The following is a list of sources used to obtain the real estate information supplied in this article.

  • http://www.realtor.com/
  • First American Title Company
  • Dataquick Information Systems
  • http://www.knowx.com/
  • http://www.domania.com/
  • http://www.infousa.com/
  • http://www.infospace.com/
  • Rockland County Clerk (NY)
  • New York City Department of Finance (NY)
  • New York County Clerk (NY)
  • Westchester County Clerk (NY)
  • Westchester County Board of Elections (NY)
  • Los Angeles Registrar
  • Recorder/ County Clerk (CA)
  • King County Department of Development and Environmental Services (WA)
  • Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (MD)
  • Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Washington DC)
  • San Diego County Clerk (CA)
  • Boston.com / Real estate / Recent home sales
  • Denton CAD Real Property Information
  • Orange County Property Appraiser (FL)
  • Maricopa County Assessor (AZ)
  • Broward County Property Appraiser (FL)
  • Fairfax County Department of Tax Administration (VA)
  • Various Realtors who provided information via the MLS system

for more information contact New Covenant Publications at our e-mail address: or write to: New Covenant Publications, P.O. Box 167, Radio City Station, NY NY

 

Copyright © 2000 New Covenant Publication