CBS w Katie Couric 1.29.2008 Copeland

tonight the presidential campaign I'm Katie Couric also tonight the Bible advises don't store up treasures on earth but look at this just some of the TV preachers treasures paid for with tax exempt donations every year televangelists attract more than believers they draw hundreds of millions of dollars from all around the world all of it is tax-exempt but should it be Senator Charles Grassley is investigating six top TV preachers and tonight our chief investigative correspondent Armen Kitaen has a hard look at one of them Kenneth Copeland the so-called Godfather of prosperity gospel in one TV sermon after another Kenneth Copeland and wife Gloria implore viewers to sow the seeds of their faith by following God's Word and donating dollars promising a hundredfold return in happiness and wealth for Broncos this former ministry employee who feared being identified answered hundreds of prayer requests a day most sent in with donations before quitting feeling betrayed by Copeland's gospel of prosperity so when he's preaching health and wealth he's felling your bottom line his business that's why Senate investigators are digging into whether ministry resources are being diverted into an array of for-profit companies tied to the Copeland's cattle horses aviation real estate development and gas and oil wells to name but a few Michael Hoover who worked for the Kenneth Copeland ministries for five years quit in 2005 over disagreements with the church he is one of three former employees who told CBS News they witnessed other employees doing work on behalf of for-profit businesses tied to the Copeland family I believe that they were using a lot of the ministry's assets for personal businesses the nonprofit activity and the for-profit activity are so intertwined that you can't you can't separate them a 2-month CBS News investigation including interviews with nearly a dozen former Copeland employees raises serious questions about the Copeland's religious empire beginning with this lavish lakefront home all 18,000 square feet of it and a fleet of private planes all paid for by the ministry the Lord spoke to me and said you believe for a citation 10 right now Copeland got what he wanted that's the 20 million dollar jet right there parked at the ministry owned Airport one of four planes owned by the church it will never ever be used for anything other than what is becoming to you Lord Jesus but that's not what happened CBS News has learned he used this ministry jet and another to fly to and from Colorado three times in 2007 the site of frequent Copeland family vacations the ministry claims that in rare instances that Jets or employees are used for personal business the church is reimbursed you are not created for poverty churches are not required to file tax forms or make their finances public the ministry which says it does everything by the book has refused to answer key questions about its finances raised by Senate investigators we answered them he gave them a several page lesson on no Kenneth Copeland refused repeated interview requests by CBS News when we went to ministry headquarters near Fort Worth Texas we were turned away there's no way I could see him right now sure if Senator Charles Grassley doesn't get the answers he wants he may well resort to some words of his own in the form of a Senate subpoena see Armen Kitaen CBS News Newark Texas

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Length: 4min 13sec (253 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 04 2012