Durante décadas, John MacArthur ha criticado a los predicadores de la prosperidad, comparándolos con “traficantes de codicia” que dirigía los cultos del primer siglo.
Recientemente, también apuntó a líderes evangélicos plagados de escándalos, como el difunto apologista Ravi Zacharias y expastor de Hillsong Carlos Lentz, diciendo que estas celebridades estaban en el ministerio solo por el dinero. Es por eso que los "mentirosos, los fraudes y los falsos maestros" están en el negocio, dijo MacArthur en un sermón reciente. “Los falsos maestros siempre lo hacen por la misma razón: ganancia sucia, dinero”.
Sin embargo, de acuerdo con los estados financieros y formularios de impuestos obtenidos por El Informe Roys, John MacArthur y su familia presiden un imperio educativo y de medios religiosos que tiene más de $130 millones en activos y genera más de $70 millones al año en ingresos libres de impuestos.
MacArthur y su familia y empresas relacionadas han recibido más de $12,8 millones de fondos del ministerio y de donantes. Y MacArthur posee tres casas de lujo por valor de millones.
Solo en un año, MacArthur ganó más de $402,000 por trabajo de medio tiempo en su ministerio de radiodifusión, Grace to You (GTY), y otros $103,000 de The Master's University and Seminary (TMUS). Esto se sumó al salario de MacArthur de la megaiglesia que él pastorea, Iglesia Comunitaria de Gracia, así como regalías de libros y honorarios por conferencias.
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Además, en un escenario muy similar al de Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM), la junta de GTY ha estado repleta durante décadas con miembros de la familia MacArthur. Al igual que RZIM, GTY también dejó de presentar los formularios de impuestos 990 del IRS en 2015, lo que permitió al ministerio mantener en secreto los salarios de los ejecutivos.
Grace Community Church (GCC) se niega a publicar sus estados financieros en violación de un estándar central del Consejo Evangélico de Responsabilidad Financiera (ECFA) del cual Grace era miembro.
Cuando me comuniqué con la ECFA acerca de GCC, el líder del equipo de cumplimiento, Jake Lapp, respondió que la ECFA requiere que sus miembros proporcionen una copia de sus estados financieros actuales previa solicitud por escrito. Agregó: “Hemos estado en comunicación con la iglesia con respecto a este requisito y esperamos que escuche una respuesta pronto”.
Eso fue hace 10 meses.
Hasta la fecha, no he recibido respuesta de GCC, incluso después de enviar un correo electrónico a la iglesia nuevamente para solicitar estados financieros. Sin embargo, recientemente supe que GCC renunció a el ECFA menos de dos semanas después de que Lapp se comunicó con la iglesia para cumplir con los estándares de ECFA.*
También contacté al anciano de Grace Church y director ejecutivo de GTY, Phil Johnson, para preguntarle sobre algunos de estos asuntos. Johnson respondió que parte de la información que solicité es “un asunto de dominio público. Un verdadero periodista lo sabría”. (La composición de la junta directiva de GTY está disponible públicamente; las respuestas a mis otras preguntas no lo estaban).
Johnson declaró además que su correo electrónico, con fecha del 23 de marzo de 2020, sería “la última correspondencia que recibirá de mí. Ni nadie que hable en nombre de nuestro ministerio responderá preguntas por usted con respecto a cualquier historia que tenga la intención de escribir”.
Millones en casas de MacArthur
MacArthur fue atacado por primera vez por su dinero en 2014, cuando varios bloggers publicaron los salarios de MacArthur, llamándolos "reprensible” y señalando que MacArthur “gana más que el presidente de los Estados Unidos."
En respuesta, Phil Johnson publicó una declaración en el Hierro más afilado sitio web, defendiendo el salario de su jefe (ver "El salario de MacArthur" a continuación).
Johnson también argumentó que "el estilo de vida (de MacArthur), no sus ingresos, es lo que las personas con mentalidad bíblica deberían considerar si quieren evaluar su carácter".
Agregó que MacArthur “ha vivido en la misma casa durante los últimos 35 años” y solo posee un automóvil.
“Ninguno de los que realmente ve cómo vive John lo ha acusado alguna vez de autoindulgencia o incluso pensó en sus sueños más locos describirlo como un amante del dinero”, afirmó Johnson.
Si bien es cierto que MacArthur vive en su casa de Santa Clarita, California, desde la década de 1980, la propiedad vale 1,5 millones, más del doble del valor medio de las viviendas de la zona.
La casa de cinco dormitorios y cuatro baños se encuentra en más de dos acres e incluye una cancha de tenis y una piscina. La casa tampoco es la única residencia de John MacArthur.
Desde 1996, MacArthur también ha sido propietario de una villa de $700,000 aproximadamente a una hora al oeste de Santa Clarita, según un documento El Informe Roys obtenido de la oficina del Tasador de Impuestos del Condado de Ventura.
La casa de tres habitaciones y 2.5 baños está ubicada junto a un club privado de clase mundial con un campo de golf de campeonato, canchas de tenis, piscina y excelentes restaurantes. La casa también está a solo 11 millas de la playa.
La tercera y más grande casa de MacArthur, un rancho de siete habitaciones y 7.5 baños en cinco acres en Colorado Springs, se construyó en 2007, según Registros del condado de El Paso.
La propiedad fue entregada a Círculo M Rancho—una sociedad limitada de responsabilidad limitada (LLLP) propiedad de John y Patricia MacArthur—por David Wismer Sr.
Wismer es miembro desde hace mucho tiempo de TMUS' Junta Directiva y también se ha desempeñado como secretario de la Junta de TMUS.
Hablé con Wismer y me dijo que en 2007, MacArthur se acercó a él y le expresó que quería construir una casa en Colorado Springs. Wismer dijo que es dueño de un rancho de 2,600 acres en Colorado Springs y que estaba feliz de darle cinco acres a MacArthur como regalo.
Wismer dijo que MacArthur luego construyó una casa (valuada en alrededor de $800,000) en la propiedad de Colorado usando sus propios fondos.
El salario de MacArthur
Entre 2005 y 2015, MacArthur ganó alrededor de $3,4 millones en compensación de GTY y TMUS, con un promedio de alrededor de $320 000/año.
Además de eso, MacArthur también recibió un salario de Grace Community Church que estaba "bien dentro del rango medio-alto" para los empleados de la iglesia de California, según la declaración de Johnson de 2014.
Esto sitúa el salario anual combinado de MacArthur en un estimado de medio millón de dólares la mayoría de los años. Y en 2012, cuando recibió un salario especialmente alto y beneficios de GTY, el salario de MacArthur probablemente ascendió a tres cuartos de millón de dólares.
En la declaración de Johnson de 2014, explicó que el "salario y los beneficios" de MacArthur superaron los $400,000 en el año fiscal que terminó en 2012 porque la Junta de GTY le dio a MacArthur un "raro 1S t-edición KJB” ese año. La Biblia, dijo Johnson, fue un “regalo único que coronó 40 años de ministerio fiel”.
Además, Johnson declaró que “Grace to You le pagó a John MacArthur cero salario o beneficios por los primeros 30+ años de existencia de nuestro ministerio.”
Sin embargo, esta afirmación no concuerda con los hechos.
Según un GTY 990 de 2002, el 990 más antiguo El Informe Roys pudo obtener: MacArthur hizo $88,336 ese año. Esto fue solo 16 años después de la fundación de GTY, no 30.
Según ECFA, GTY fue fundada en 1986. (La sitio web de GTY dice que GTY se convirtió en una organización sin fines de lucro a principios de la década de 1980).
Es posible que Johnson estuviera fechando el comienzo de GTY en el primer año en que MacArthur fue pastor de Grace Community Church (1969). Fue entonces cuando, según los informes, un voluntario comenzó a grabar los mensajes de MacArthur y a dárselos a los miembros de la congregación que estaban demasiado enfermos para asistir. Pero el ministerio ni siquiera tenía un nombre en ese entonces y probablemente no requería horas extra de MacArthur.
Me acerqué a Johnson para explicarle la aparente contradicción, pero no respondió.
Además, en su declaración de 2014, Johnson afirmó que en algún momento después de 2000, la junta de GTY “tomó la decisión deliberada de pagarle (a MacArthur) un salario completo en lugar de un salario reducido que se redujo arbitrariamente debido al hecho de que tenía otros ingresos”.
Si bien es cierto que MacArthur recibió un gran aumento en su salario GTY en 2003 (72%), MacArthur nunca trabajó a tiempo completo en GTY. Las horas GTY de MacArthur variaban cada año de 10 a 30 horas por semana, según los propios 990 de la organización.
Sin embargo, las horas que MacArthur afirmaba trabajar cada año parecen tener poca relación con el salario que recibía. Por ejemplo, en 2007, MacArthur afirmó trabajar 20 horas por semana en GTY y recibió $174,191. En 2008, según los informes, trabajó 10 horas por semana y recibió casi lo mismo: $177,083.
De manera similar, las horas de MacArthur en TMUS variaron de 10 a 40 horas por semana entre 2005 y 2015 y no correspondían necesariamente a la cantidad que le pagaban.
MacArthur registró una gran cantidad de horas para GTY y TMUS, especialmente considerando que también trabajó como pastor de GCC. En un año, 2012, según los informes, MacArthur trabajó un total de 60 horas a la semana en GTY y TMUS. Esto se sumó al tiempo que pasó pastoreando GCC, una iglesia con una asistencia promedio de más de 8,000 personas.
A continuación se muestra un cuadro compilado por El Informe Roys, mostrando tanto las horas reclamadas por MacArthur como los salarios que recibió durante los años analizados.
(Aunque no se documenta a continuación, Phil Johnson recibió entre $160 000 y $238 927 por año entre 2005 y 2015 por su función en GTY. También recibió un préstamo sin intereses de $50 000 del ministerio para la compra de una casa, que fue totalmente perdonada durante un período de cinco años.)
Un asunto de familia
En su sitio web, el Estados ECFA, “Cuando un ministerio se encuentra con el fracaso, o peor aún, con el escándalo, sus dificultades casi siempre se pueden atribuir a una falla en el gobierno”.
Una característica clave de la buena gobernanza, según la ECFA, es mantener “la realidad, no solo el apariencia de gobierno independiente de la junta”. La ECFA considera que los miembros de la junta son independientes si no están relacionados por sangre o empleados de la organización.
Sin embargo, durante décadas, dos de los hijos de MacArthur han formado parte de la junta directiva de GTY junto con su padre. Phil Johnson, un empleado clave de GTY, también ha sido miembro de la junta durante muchos años.
Desde 2002, la junta de GTY ha variado en tamaño de ocho a 12 miembros. Entonces, a veces, hasta la mitad de la junta era un MacArthur o un empleado de John MacArthur.
Uno de los hijos de MacArthur, Matthew MacArthur, permanece en la junta y figura en cada 990 desde 2002 como tesorero de GTY.
El otro hijo de MacArthur, Mark MacArthur, también figura en cada 990 desde 2002 como miembro de la junta de GTY.
En febrero de 2020, Mark MacArthur fue acusado por la Comisión de Bolsa y Valores de estafar a los clientes en un esquema de inversión de $16 millones. Todavía en agosto de 2020, Mark MacArthur fue todavía en la lista en el sitio web de GTY como miembro de la junta. Mark MacArthur es no enlistado como miembro de la junta hoy.
En su declaración de 2014, Johnson afirmó que los miembros de la junta “con relaciones de sangre o conexiones laborales con John MacArthur se recusan de las decisiones salariales”.
Sin embargo, no es solo John MacArthur quien se beneficia potencialmente de la presencia de sus hijos y Johnson en la junta. GTY también ha pagado millones a lo largo de los años al yerno de MacArthur, Kory Welch, ya las empresas que posee Welch, al igual que TMUS.
Millones para Kory Welch
En 2008, Welch era empleado de GTY, ganando $83,677 como director de transmisión de televisión. Welch, quien está casado con la hija de MacArthur, Melinda Welch, también disfrutaba de un préstamo hipotecario sin intereses de $20,000 con la condonación total de la deuda de GTY.
En 2008, no había otros contratistas que prestaran servicios de producción de video para GTY, según los 990 de la organización.
Sin embargo, al año siguiente, Welch comenzó a trabajar para GTY como contratista de producción de video a través de una compañía que Welch había formado dos años antes, llamada El Grupo Welch. En 2009, GTY pagó a The Welch Group $741,000 por “servicios de posproducción”, casi 10 veces más de lo que GTY le había pagado a Welch el año anterior.
Desde entonces, GTY ha pagado a The Welch Group o a Dorma Productions (otra pequeña empresa propiedad de Welch) entre $659 000 y $790 000 por año por un total combinado de $8,3 millones entre 2009 y 2019.
Otra empresa propiedad de Welch, llamada WeKreative, también ha recibido más de $1 millones en trabajos por contrato de TMUS. Desde 2016 hasta 2019, TMUS pagó a WeKreative casi $1.1 millones por "servicios de marketing, relaciones públicas y producción de video", según TMUS. informes de auditoría y 990s.
Durante este tiempo (en 2018 y 2019), TMUS también contrató a Welch como director de operaciones y durante un tiempo como director de marketing, por lo que Welch recibió más de $138 000 en salarios y beneficios.
TMUS no respondió a las solicitudes de comentarios sobre el trabajo por contrato de Welch o el posible conflicto de intereses relacionado con sus puestos en TMUS.
Además de estos trabajos y cargos, Welch es el director general de El fideicomiso benéfico John MacArthur (antes El Fondo de Gracia del Maestro). Esta es una organización sin fines de lucro de California creada "para apoyar varios ministerios de John MacArthur, según el estado financiero de 2019 de GTY".
El único miembro de The John MacArthur Charitable Trust es GTY y GTY elige a la mayoría de la junta del fideicomiso. El fideicomiso no presenta 990, por lo que no se sabe si le paga a Welch un salario por sus servicios.
Dinero y Ministerio
“Muéstrame a una persona que predique el evangelio del dinero, el mensaje del dinero, el mensaje de la riqueza; te mostraré una persona que ha sido corrompida por el amor al dinero”.
Eso dijo John MacArthur en un sermón de 1987.
MacArthur agregó que "nunca jamás quiso estar en una posición para ver el ministerio con una etiqueta de precio". Por eso, dijo MacArthur, nunca pide dinero cuando predica en otras iglesias. "Ese es un problema demasiado abrumador para mi carne".
Sin embargo, está claro que MacArthur recibe mucho dinero de sus propios ministerios. Y aunque es posible que MacArthur nunca haya predicado el evangelio de la prosperidad, un evangelio que promete salud y riqueza, sus ingresos y su cartera se parecen mucho a los que lo hacen.
MacArthur puede ser el predicador del evangelio anti-prosperidad de Estados Unidos, pero su vida, y la vida de los miembros de su familia, parece ser bastante próspera, y aparentemente tiene que agradecer a sus ministerios.
*ACTUALIZAR: La versión original de esta historia no informó que GCC había renunciado a ECFA. Además, se ha cambiado la imagen aérea de la casa de MacArthur en Colorado. La foto original era de una propiedad cercana, pero no de MacArthur.
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508 Respuestas
The World, the Church and Laodiceanism
https://www.cgg.org/index.cfm/library/booklet/id/452/world-church-laodiceanism.htm
How much do you make Roys? Where is your prayers for this man if (and a big if) he is using money unwisley. Where is the Bible verse that proves this? You attack without the Word of God. Do you hate Macarthur? If you say yes that is not biblical. If it is no, your actions do not speak this way. Even your words are not proving it. Which is your answer. Macarthur; has he not taught acording to the Word of God. You are saying someone is sinning without proving it acording yo the Word of God. What is sin without the Word of God to tell us. Do you not use money unwisley. Have you not lied, stolen, lusted, dishonored your parents, worship carved images (T.V, phones, anything put ahead of God). Last I checked every man and women sin even Macarthur and even you. Last I checked also having money is not a sin. You have sinned, I have sinned. Can you say I am wrong? Do you not have money? do you not spend a lot on things? Say Macarthurs sin in context with the Word of God. You have proven nothing acording to the word of God.
You’re asking me to provide commentary, which I do not do in my news pieces. I present the facts and you can discern for yourself. However, I will say that your line of questioning is concerning. Are you suggesting that because all of us sin, pastors should not be expected to meet the qualifications outlined in Scripture? (“An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not dependent on wine, not violent but gentle, peaceable, and free of the love of money.” 1 Tim. 3:2-3)
As for how much I make… Unlike MacArthur, I fully disclose what my ministry pays me. It is published in a document posted to our donate page. Here’s the link: https://julieroys.com/2019-2020-financial-statement/
I think you misunderstand the purpose of news stories. They are not to provide commentary or to prove that someone has sinned. They are to report the facts and allow the reader to draw his/her own conclusions. As for charge against me, that I love money, do you have any evidence to support that? If not, you should retract that statement.
Great ministry. Thank you for your pursuit of truth.
Hi Ms. Roys,
You don’t have an easy job. I couldn’t do it. I care too much what others think. You have a ministry holding con-artists accountable. It is an enormous and burgeoning field and what you are doing is desperately needed. This stuffed shirt should be elated that he hasn’t dropped over dead in one heart beat like his role models Ananias and Sapphira.
Mac is a classic fraud. He is above rules and regs now. He’s too powerful now, he knows, to worry that he’ll be disgraced. A love for money truly is a root of all kinds of evil.
Thanks for lighting a fire under his shorts. To be restored, all he must do is LOVE GOD WITH ALL HE IS.
Dear Heavenly Father, save this sinner from himself
Winner, nothing in this comment actually addresses the allegations being made. You’re deflecting back onto the author of this article instead. You seem defensive. I personally have learned from John MacArthur, but these financial dealings are not transparent or ethical. He needs to respond to this material and rectify the situation.
What is wrong with John MacArthur being wealthy?
I do not attend GTY, nor have I attended TMUS, and I do not financially support these ministries. While I disagree with John on a number of teachings, I hold him in very high regard, and believe this piece is unfair and does not provide as much context as it should to be a true work of journalism.
The bible is clear that we are to doubly honor those that bring us the word of God, and in the Greek, honor spoken of hear is where we get honorarium. Add doubly to it, and we can clearly see that if is a generosity we provide our pastors, or are supposed to. A workman is worthy of his hire. Do not muzzle the ox while he is threshing the floor.
Having said that, money is never to be the reason to be in ministry, and I am 100% certain that McArthur is not motivated by money. Making an issue out of a home he bought 33 years ago that has gone up in value in a part of the country where home prices are well above the national average is only intended to emote anger at him. What is your real agenda here?
Without laboring much more here, the author provided no scripture to make her points, which is disturbing especially since it has a “ministry” slant to it, and decided that a man who works insane hours, especially for his age, brings in many more millions for the thousands he receives from 3 separate entities, and leads ministries that change lives globally, is the same as the charlatans whose sole purpose is to get people to give them their money, is cruel, dishonest, agenda-driven, and demonstrates a really shallow heart.
Couldn’t have said it better.
I would rather listen to JM than some of the nonsense I hear and I’m happy to pay because I believe a man who clearly studied the word deserves his income, I’m sure if you asked him to give it away and God told him to he would I’m sure if you asked him to work for a year and God told him to he would and finally I never heard him once ask for money unlike this posting the first thing I saw was ‘Donate’ the kettle calling the pot black as we say in the U.K. Oh for some good men to spring up in our hungry country Thanks JM I learn so much from you
Nothing in what I’ve written indicates that I think taking donations is wrong. However, being transparent about how those donations are being spent is critically important. Unlike GTY & GCC, The Roys Report discloses everything, including how much I am paid: https://julieroys.com/2019-2020-financial-statement/
julie reyes
I firmly disagree with your written perspective towards John MacArthur. Especially where you spoke on his home’s value nearly double the median of the area. I think you owe an apology, and have thrown shade where the man has literally given his entire life to ministry and preaching the gospel. So what if he makes 500k a year? Phil even told you he drives one car and anyone that knows him would not at all label him a lover of money. To group him with other pastors who have had sexual fallouts from ministry is hard to read.
I’ve liked your other articles but with respect I am really disappointed in this one.
God bless you,
brad
Do you have information indicating his home isn’t worth nearly double the median value of homes in the area? Phil’s statement was deceptive, as you surely can see. Does that not concern you?
I did not call MacArthur a lover of money. I reported what he’s taking from his ministries and the facts concerning his lifestyle. You can decide. You also can evaluate his decision to give millions to his son-in-law and stacking the board with family members and a key employee. If you don’t have a problem with that, that’s your prerogative. But I think those who donate have a right to know how MacArthur’s ministries operate.
Thank you for this! Others are not ready to deal with the reality of who J-Mac’s wealthy lifestyle. I’ve seen several comments about referencing your lack of scripture in this article, but any true believer should know what the Word says about men like MacArthur, Zacahrias, and Furtick, men who turn JESUS’S HOUSE (NOT John MacArthur’s) into a den of robbers.
It is startling to see interest free loans of $50K and multiple $750+ homes belonging to J-Mac. I am disgusted by the hypocrisy in his message and his lifestyle. Has he never heard of the rich young ruler. What is more disturbing though, is the several hundreds of individuals saying we shouldn’t scrutinize J-Mac because he is a man of God. This is absurd. For the very reason that he purports to be a man of God is the reason that we SHOULD scrutinize him! By his own word, we are to call out one another when we sin. This lavish lifestyle of his is just that, GLUTTONY! He is guilty of IMPARTIALITY also with the hiring of his own son’s and their lofty salaries.
I’ve always felt something was off about MacArthur. When he speaks, I hear a knowledge of God, but his heart just doesn’t seem like he loves the Jesus. I’ve heard him dismissive of Beth Moore, dismissive of the plight of other “ethnic” groups (since he and Voddie Baucham think “race” is unbiblical), and wholly dismissive of Donald Trump’s outright arrogance and lack of repentance for sexual sin. And yet, so many pack his pews week after week, thinking that he, along with his crony Phil Johnson (who loves the staunch racist R.L. Dabney’s writings), are the sole arbiters of truth and that their way of exegeting scripture is the only way. Well, please Dr. MacArthur, tell me where it says that you are to store up several homes for yourself in the Scriptures??? WHERE?!?! Also, please look into his statements about knowing Medgar Evers brother, because I read an article from Medgar Evers’s brother that this simply is not true! He didn’t even know who Johnny Mac was!
I hope Dr. MacArthur repents, sales his properties for a modest home within the community, and gives the money away to a non-GTY, gospel center charitable organization like John and Noel Piper have always done! In fact, John Piper doesn’t even touch his book royalties! They go directly to his non-profit, which doesn’t belong to him, but to Desiring God. Right now, if you go to Desiring God, you can find a PDF version of just about every book Piper has written and download it for FREE! I am praying for Dr. MacArthur’s swift, structured repentance in the arena of money.
Again, thank you Julie for holding men like J-Mac and RZ accountable. Using God’s Word for self gain is TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!
I just now became aware of this ministry of truth.
It makes me wonder if I cam get my story out there.
I have long noticed there is no grace left for anyone at Grace Church. It’s a shame.
Know those who labour among us and are over us in The Lord.
esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake.
Be at peace among ourselves.
1st Thessalonians 5:12-13.
Things are very different here in the UK and I don’t pretend to have a dog in the fight. However there are many things to consider because brother John is a prominent minister of The Gospel. Personally my instinct is to pray for him and also for the producer of this article. In both instances, motive makes all the difference. If not with us, certainly with The Lord. God bless.
Amen Brother
I think that some ought to remember that The Lord reads the comments :-)
JohnnyMac attacks so-called prosperity preachers, saying that we need to “deny ourselves.” while using the same moneymaking mechanisms.
He also refuses to come under ECFA financial accountability, while “prosperity preacher” Joyce Meyer DOES submit accounts to ECFA.
Jmac better do a hypocrisy check. Best to clean up your own house first if you want to attack others on financial prosperity.
John McArthur is a great man of God and a great teacher of the word of God. His motive is undoubtedly and clearly the word of God and the gospel and not money.
He has served the cause dilligently for decades, so he deserves to live a comfortable life. It is no sin and does not reflect poorly on him. It is easily trumped by his deeds and his preaching.
There is no doubt of his motives, and the fact that he has a prosperous and powerful church organisation is just proof of his hard work for the Lord.
He is a hypocrite to say the least. You cant compare him with John piper, a true man of God.
Our Pastor makes 5k a month while everyone in the church makes under 3k or less than $1k a month – why do you think people want to become a Pastor: the money is pretty sweet and it’s just the way it goes.
24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep
Faithful or false teachers, if you love the finer things in life, comfort and money then you are no different than the charlatans during Paul’s time profiting from the gospel that is not even yours, have no part in it and certainly didn’t die for it. It was and is Jesus’ gospel who even in his birth denied himself only to be borne in a lowly manger. shame on you for considering yourself entitled !!! Paul wouldn’t even dare.. he denied his right to support and ultimately died for the gospel, and you said you wanted to be like Paul. You will hardly hear JM and his elders do an exposition on Paul’s self-denial. JM was a faithful preacher and a very different man during the 70-80s. I noticed the change beginning in the 90’s to today. There is truly an absence of grace at Grace church for those who didn’t fully agree with JM and carefully isolated, even bullied, intimidated and jettisoned. In many ways, I believe he is a victim of the institutions and people around him who stood to gain much financially or even politically from his popularity. Oh ! how the mighty have fallen. “This world is not my home, Im just a passing thru…” well I guess if you need three homes, then this world IS your home. Thank you Julie for this article. More expose please !!!
Shame on you for even mentioning the word entitled. No one is is entitled to profit from the gospel. Paul would come close to it and YET he denied himself. my last check its not even yours, cost you nothing and very likely you wouldn’t die for. Shame shame shame !!! thank you JR
I believe some “Christian’s” exhibit in inherent desire to be a stumbling block to the church through writings such as these. It is my belief that Ms. Roys has found her calling and had firmly established her purpose in that concrete.
James, Julie is a journalist interested in exposing the truth. That is her calling. By the way, Jesus was also a stumbling block to people because of the truth He proclaimed.
It is difficult for a pastor to live in wealth above the rest of the hoi poloi and not be targeted by critical judgments. I am not judging him because he has been materially prosperous, But his position calls him to be “beyond reproach”. Its is fine to have wealth and do much good works by it, but he has to prove his love for God above all else by living modestly in a more modest home that he may be a shining example of a man who has wealth but live modestly and use his wealth only to do more good in God’s kingdom. Money , power and influence can corrupt anybody, preacher or not, he as a pastor must live circumspectly so as not to bring doubts and controversy to the body of Christ.
John MacArthur is not an anti prosperity preacher. He is against preachers who preach only health and wealth gospel, and deceive people into giving money to their ministries. A pastor or a minister is to preach the whole counsel of God and prosperity message is a part of it not heart of it. I have been blessed by God due to my giving to the work of God thru my church and various ministries.
This article really saddens me, because I have listened to MacArthur regularly and respected him as a man of God. However, I cannot deny the unmistakable fact that he seems to be living the very lifestyle that he has denounced over the years. The criticism of the usual list of prosperity preachers – Duplantis, Copeland, Meyer, etc.- seems rather hollow now. And I find some of his supporters here sound just like the defenders of those same notorious preachers. There is nothing wrong with a minister of the Lord having a nice home and possessions, but, in my opinion, your credibility takes a nose dive when the very lifestyle you rail against is the same one you are living. I’m not sure I will ever look at MacArthur again the way I did before I read this article. The love of money is, indeed, the root of all evil.
Sarah, did it say that JM loved money? He has written lots of books and gets royalties from them. He is in his 80’s and still works full time. Making money is not a sin and California is not like the rest of the US. I for one do not take everything Ms Roy’s says here as being without a bit of some bias she has against John MacArthur, though she denies it. Journalists do not always tell the truth, take a look around and we see lies all over the mainstream media. Do your own research into what JM preaches and rank him based on his life work not on how JR perceives his homes and wealth to be. Biblically, what wrong did she find?
I am astonished by the number of disingenuous arguments being used to defend MacArthur’s financial practice here. Wealth acquired honestly is not sinful, and nobody with any knowledge of the Bible claims this. So why all the straw men about David, Solomon, and “How much do YOU earn?”
Deal with the points of contention.
Is it ethical for GCC to refuse to disclose the salaries of board members? Is it ethical for MacArthur to prefer his own family and employees to be board members, rather than independent persons? Is it ethical for MacArthur to pay his son-in-law a staggering salary for video production work, and then send over $1 million worth of contracts in his direction while he also works at TMUS?
Is it ethical for MacArthur to claim 6 figure salaries for as little as 10 hours of work per week, in addition to other salaries claimed? Is it ethical for MacArthur to offer his executive director and his son interest-free loans which then get fully forgiven? Is it ethical for a minister to own 3 luxury homes, particularly when he preaches against pastors for loving money?
If you want to defend MacArthur, at least answer the *real* questions, not the ones you have invented.
The question is not whether he is making too much but rather, are they paying him ENOUGH? He is a renowned pastor of a large church, founder of a world class seminary and a large international media ministry. He lives in a high cost area with extremely high taxes. He has three homes but he has been working for 60+ years. The 1.5 million value of his primary home is based on the MARKET VALUE, not what he paid for it. If the reporting were honest, they would tell you what he paid for it originally. Real estate in CA goes nothing but up. Even in the financial crisis, real estate in CA stayed flat. Basically, he has made $250k-$500k for the last 20 years which is nothing in Los Angeles. To put it into perspective, the former middle-aged president of Liberty University has a net worth of $100 million and he lives in Virginia. Huge difference. Basically, this is a hit piece done by someone with no knowledge of finance whatsoever. Just because someone is smart, fortunate, or otherwise, doesn’t make them corrupt. Anyone with the slightest knowledge of finance would know this ain’t no Jim and Tammy Faye. Grow up, guys.
I disagree, any former or present business owner understands the games MacArthur is playing. It is obvious many of the people commenting did not read what Ms.Roy’s wrote or they did not understand what they read.
Until recently I had no idea of the degree of pastor and prophet worship in this country. Many of them are living like sultans and their followers bow down in worship. Read the comments on their YouTube videos. All praise and thanks for men and very little mention of God.
Paul denied himself the support that he was entitled to simply because he doesn’t want to be associated with the charlatans profiting from the gospel during his days. JM chose to profit from the gospel in the same way. The amount of wealth here is of no consequence, what matters is whether Paul’s teachings sank deep into him. Lets deal with the WHY and not the HOW MUCH. Now, whether you like it or not he has chosen to be in the same club. It was and his choice. More power JR.
The real story here is Kory. He is a gifted con artist who has positioned himself next to his mark and successfully siphoned millions from these ministries. It’s an open secret, and at least one GTY administrator was “sent out” because he raised questions about it. Keep digging, Julie. There’s much more. Ask the people who attended Wayside Chapel in Rosamond when Kory was the treasurer and his dad Leroy was the pastor.
John will make this about himself and say that Kory is coming under fire only because they’re really after him. He’ll label it “persecution” because that’s what accountability looks like to him after so many years of having none. Meanwhile Kory will continue to skim off the top. As one who has sat under John’s teaching for years it breaks my heart to see how he’s finishing. A cautionary tale for us all.
Check out the TMAI missionaries fund raising activities without caps that no one here in America will pay them such salaries. Why do you think they became missionaries in the first place instead of working at Walmart. TMAI missionaries are notoriously disruptive, arrogant and have caused many church splits wherever they go. You’ll find there’s NO financial accountability nor audits being done as to the truthfulness of their missionary reports. Most live very comfortable lives doing very little submitting field reports published in the TMAI newsletter that are over stated mostly stolen work. If you give to them, check out how they spend your sacrificially given hard earned dollars. Dig some more Julie. You need not go very far.
whatever happened to the rape case of a TMS student of a TMU student that JM and chaplain then Rick Holland harassed and pressured not to report and even forgive the attacker ?
I did not know about this & I am sorry to hear about this. This is awful, hideous & awful. I hope the student is doing better in their recovery.
Sorry … I don’t get it. Nice headline …. but there is nothing behind it. Am I supposed to denounce MacArthur because he made a great Cali home choice in the 1980’s that has seen tremendous appreciation? ‘Prosperity guy’ or a person with wisdom. Good for him. If his income streams from pastoring, media and authoring permit him to have additional home(s) … I hope he enjoys the fruits of his labor as he wraps up his career. Credit to the Roys Report for the tantalizing headline that got me here … but to me this was only ‘clickbait’ … You’ve lost credibility with me.
The amount of comments supporting JM’s extravagant lifestyle supports the reason why we will continue to have “wolves in sheep’s clothing” in the church; no accountability, no boundaries, no transparency-only permission and adoration. Dear God, please be merciful to your sheep.
When Paul said the worker is due is wages, he did’nt mean that one can enrich himself from ministry even if its teaching the truth. Profiting from the gospel was never allowed and was vehemently condemned by Paul and IS A SIN. The gospel is just an enterprise to many, a livelihood that is far more lucrative than the alternative and/or a means to an end (gain). Its contemptible to see pastors stealing the gospel of Jesus and charging people royalties, stipends for repeating it as if it was theirs. I love JM and sat under his teaching for many years but this has just gone too far.
I once heard JM argue that pastors are no different and should be paid equitably with CEO of big corporations. I guess he sees himself as a CEO and expects to be paid a CEO compensation package. His followers and fellow pastors who believe the same are in the end just after the money.
Why all the secrecy behind the salaries and houses when they are legitimately earned and lovingly given by donors and the church ? Why the crude and crass response from the board and Phil when there’s nothing wrong with the compensation ? Integrity by John’s own definition is “what one does when no one is watching”. Where is the integrity when you hide all these accumulation of wealth from GCC members ? Time and truth John….