Evangelicals Named To Ministry Watchdog Panel

By Adelle M. Banks
Religion News Service

WASHINGTON (RNS) The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability has announced members of a commission to advise a Capitol Hill review of financial reform of religious groups.

Secularists, however, say the panel's all-evangelical leadership will be unable to police other evangelicals.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, asked the council to lead an independent review of "self-reform" of religious organizations after he concluded a three-year probe of alleged lavish spending by six major broadcast ministries.

On Wednesday (April 13), the ECFA said the 15-member panel will include Oral Roberts University President Mark Rutland, Campus Crusade for Christ President Stephen Douglass and megachurch leaders Joel Hunter and Bishop Kenneth Ulmer.

Sean Faircloth, executive director of the Secular Coalition for America, criticized the choices.

"Stacking this so-called 'independent' commission with people representing only one narrow religious viewpoint is entirely inappropriate," he said.

ECFA President Dan Busby said the commission will seek advice from legal experts, leaders from a variety of faiths, and representatives of mostly secular nonprofits. The three-year process will include public meetings where anyone can make suggestions, he added.

"We have made a significant effort to set up a framework that will provide broad, broad input," he said in an interview Thursday.

In a statement, Grassley said the commission's mix of input is "important because some of the issues raised by my staff report apply to all charities, not just religious organizations."

Comments

[Bob Wood]

07:08 PM on 04/20/2011

Why is the supernatural so ingrained in our government ? Can anyone name one thing that has occured that was proven supernatural ? So what the heck is the big appeal of evangelicals anyway ? Their answer to everything involves supernatural beings...but nothing I have heard of has ever been proven to be supernatural. Super churches get big money from gullible people who are sold the belief in supernatural beings...and that sending money is somehow beneficial. There's as much evidence to support the existence of gods and goddesses...as there is to support the existence of fairies, ghosts, goblins, trolls under bridges, carriages that turn into pumpkins at midnight, and leprechuans. We need to be electing people who use reason to approach natural occurances...not those believing supernatural causes for everything...(sigh)

[Bobrobert]

06:44 PM on 04/27/2011

If you cannot see the proof of God I would have to say I cannot help you.

Everything in science proves the existence of God... but you really need to open your eyes.

I am just saying...

:-)

[Bobrobert]

06:46 PM on 04/27/2011

PS...

Nice to meet another Wood...

Hee hee hee hee hee......

:-)

[Bob Wood]

08:00 PM on 04/30/2011

Hi Bobrobert...another bearded one too. I really think I have my eyes pretty open. God...in the sense that religions present God...requires the acceptance of the supernatural. Science has revealed that everything from the Big Bang to Butterflys has been brought about by the action of gravity, electro-magnetism, strong and weak nuclear forces. These are all natural laws. The supernatural is something else...I know of no proven event, that has been supernatural. I think that if any such event ever occurred...there would be evidence. I have asked in this, and other forums, if anyone else knew of any such event. No one has offered any. Thus...from what I've read and observed...I conclude that no such event has ever occurred. From my perspective...natural law controls everything. I can understand that other people have a different perspective. Most of my friends and family are believers...they love me anyway...and I love them.
Thanks for your post...it's fun skulling with nice folks...(sigh)

[AbrahamMcLemore]

10:15 PM on 04/19/2011

Sounds like the fox guarding the henhouse.
Next thing you know they will have a gay judge rule on Prop 8.
What next?

[flinthfp]

09:57 PM on 04/19/2011

Crazy for God -

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy1G1qdvIAI

[flinthfp]

09:47 PM on 04/19/2011

This looks like another sphere of control by the republicans and the religious right......

[Talismancer]

12:29 AM on 04/19/2011

It's time to remove tax exemption from the church. Any *real* charity to poor people should remain tax exempt, but conduct of church business is just like any other business...profits should be taxed.

[mflorian]

10:15 PM on 04/18/2011

Here's an idea. Nix the tax exemption across the board.

[alterego55]

06:35 PM on 04/18/2011

That is what happens when you get a watch dog panel instead of what it should be - a Watch God Panel.

[alterego55]

11:23 AM on 04/18/2011

I'm surprised they didn't include Jim Bakker on the commission. He's back on DirecTV, with a new Tammy Faye. He's hocking everything from timeshares in Branson, MO, to zircon jewelry, to Armageddon kits - all for a "love gift" of course.

He could provide them a road map on how to fleece the sheep.

[researcher]

01:38 AM on 04/18/2011

who will watch the watch dogs. catch 22 here. this is like obama putting wall street guys to do reform on wall street.

wash is so corrupt they put the foxes in charge of watching the hen house after many of the foxes have eaten most of the chickens. politics 101 fleece them before they know what hit them.

oh and give great speeches. the liberals and progessive love great speeches. ed of ed show cannot get enough of obama now.

[Jackamus]

02:53 AM on 04/18/2011

This has nothing to do with Obama.

[pita143]

08:47 PM on 04/18/2011

In the narrow minded, EVERYTHING has to do with Obama. They will blame this President if the sun does not come out tomorrow.

[UnderTheHedgeWeGo]

07:52 PM on 04/20/2011

And judging from George the Lesser conservatives don't even care if the speech is in recognizable English.

[sunshine14]

09:41 PM on 04/17/2011

What only evangelical church now? Protestant? Catholic? Mormon? Baptize? Buddist? Pentecostal? And what about the other hundreds of different Christian churches also, Jewish?  A joke right? Who made evangelical and who voted for this? all churches together? Kind of bias is it?

[bearchao]

06:45 PM on 04/17/2011

"Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, asked the council to lead an independent review of "self-reform" of religious organizations after he concluded a three-year probe of alleged lavish spending by six major broadcast ministries."

"Grassley said the commission's mix of input is "important because some of the issues raised by my staff report apply to all charities, not just religious organizations."

Did Grassley read the same directive I read?

[From the Raft]

10:41 AM on 04/19/2011

" ... a three-year probe of alleged lavish spending ..." It took him that long to find a "Lavish Spending Panel?"

[zakwouldhave]

06:41 PM on 04/17/2011

Great, a win-win for the religous groups (mostly a trickle down operation that doesn't trickle much). Must be nice to police yourselves...and to constantly forgive yourselves.

[chefbob50]

09:16 PM on 04/17/2011

Didn't you get the memo? All American institutions are self policing now it save s money that way...

[sunshine14]

09:22 PM on 04/17/2011

No one needs to police God's Church, for God police HIS OWN 1 Church and if a Church has to have a police to over see, well that Church is not the Church of God to begin with, right?

[tek1]

06:09 PM on 04/17/2011

Does anyone know if this group is compensated with tax dollars for the services rendered?

[caland]

06:08 PM on 04/17/2011

can we all start voting the Atheists into office? i have a feeling we'd all be better off.

[patman77]

04:16 PM on 04/17/2011

prostitution the worlds second oldest profession. the first, preachers. jesus was the one and only christian, the reason the romans satisfied the wishes of the main organized religion at the time was because JC was spreading the word that you did not have to go through a priest,rabbi,preacher etc. to get into heaven. all of the so called christians after him have cashed in or fabricated to spread fear,shame and gain control.

[sunshine14]

09:34 PM on 04/17/2011

Deception? Heaven is not a place where the saved go. We are not going up, but HE is coming here. The Meek shall inherit the earth. We are not going to be going up to do what, ride around on clouds? Christ God's Kingdom will come here on earth. Christ says in revelation HE will dwell on earth for a 1,000 years. The unrighteous, ungodly, lawless ones their world on this earth will end. God's world will dwell on earth. Were not going up. I AM coming with a new earth (world government) and a new Jerusalem (church of God). The Righteous (Saints with Christ) will rule on earth. It is said Christ is King of -King"s"-more then one king right? The righteous ones the saints will be the Kings who will serve under Christ the KING over all Kings Th King of Kings -Head over all.

[capjas1369]

11:09 AM on 04/18/2011

this 'god' should come soon while the housing market is still good for the buyer. A 1,000 loan should be pretty resonable right now.