-------------- Original message --------------
From: John Schwery <[log in to unmask]>

> Kathy, I don't mind the churches that are small or that aren't
> businesses. A lot of crazy stuff goes on in the Mega churches.
>
> earlier, Kathy Du Bois, wrote:
> >John,
> >Boy, does that make me mad!! In the mean time, our church, and Greg
> >and myself, are struggling with the issue of having Greg reduced to
> >part time because they can't keep up with our health insurance
> >payments. Brother
> >Kathy
> >
> >
> >At 08:35 AM 8/15/2006, you wrote:
> >>I didn't realize there is so much church fraud.
> >>
> >>Text of forwarded message follows:
> >>
> >>>Religion-Related Fraud Getting Worse
> >>> ;Aug 13 11:05 PM US/Eastern
> >>>http://tinyurl.com/m6qyc
> >>>
> >>>By RACHEL ZOLL
> >>>
> >>>Randall W. Harding sang in the choir at Crossroads Christian Church
> >>>in Corona, Calif., and donated part of his conspicuous wealth to its
> >>>ministries. In his business dealings, he underscored his faith by
> >>>naming his investment firm JTL, or "Just the Lord." Pastors and
> >>>churchgoers alike entrusted their money to him.
> >>>
> >>>By the time Harding was unmasked as a fraud, he and his partners had
> >>>stolen more than $50 million from their clients, and Crossroads
> >>>became yet another cautionary tale in what investigators say is a
> >>>worsening problem plaguing the nation's churches.
> >>>
> >>> ;Billions of dollars has been stolen in religion-related fraud in
> >>>recent years, according to the North American Securities
> >>>Administrators Association, a group of state officials who work to
> >>>protect investors.
> >>>
> >>>Between 1984 and 1989, about $450 million was stolen in religion-
> >>>related scams, the association says. In its latest count _ from 1998
> >>>to 2001 _ the toll had risen to $2 billion. Rip-offs have only become
> >>>more common since.
> >>>
> >>>"The size and the scope of the fraud is getting larger," said
> >>>Patricia Struck, president of the securities association and
> >>>administrator of the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions,
> >>>Division of Securities. "The scammers are getting smarter and the
> >>>investors don't ask enough questions because of the feeling that they
> >>>can be safe in church."
> >>>
> >>>Cases in recent years show just how vulnerable religious communities are.
> >>>
> >>>Lambert Vander Tuig, a member of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest
> >>>Calif., ran a real estate scam that bilked investors out of $50
> >>>million, the Securities and Exchange Commission says. His salesmen
> >>>presented themselves as faithful Christians and distributed copies of
> >>>"The Purpose Driven Life," by Saddleback pastor Rick Warren,
> >>>according to the SEC. Warren and his church had no knowledge of
> >>>Vander Tuig's activities, says the SEC.
> >>>
> >>>At Daystar Assembly of God Church in Prattville, Ala., a congregant
> >>>persuaded church leaders and others to i nvest about $3 million in
> >>>real estate a few years ago, promising some profits would go toward
> >>>building a megachurch. The Daystar Assembly was swindled and lost its
> >>>building.
> >>>
> >>>And in a dramatically broader scam, leaders of Greater Ministries
> >>>International, based in Tampa, Fla., defrauded thousands of people of
> >>>half a billion dollars by promising to double money on investments
> >>>that ministry officials said were blessed by God. Several of the con
> >>>men were sentenced in 2001 to more than a decade each in prison.
> >>>
> >>>"Many of these frauds are, on their face, very credible and
> >>>legitimate appearing," said Randall Lee, director of the Pacific
> >>>regional office of the SEC. "You really have to dig below the surface
> >&g t;>to understand what's going on."
> >>>
> >>>Typically, a con artist will target the pastor first, by making a
> >>>generous donation and appealing to the minister's desire to expand
> >>>the church or its programs, according to Joseph Borg, director of the
> >>>Alabama Securities Commission, who played a key role in breaking up
> >>>the Greater Ministries scam.
> >>>
> >>>If the pastor invests, churchgoers view it as a tacit endorsement.
> >>>The con man, often promising double digit returns, will chip away at
> >>>resistance among church members by suggesting they can donate part of
> >>>their earnings to the congregation, Borg says.
> >>>
> >>>"Most folks think `I'm going to invest in some overseas deal or real
> >>>estate deal and part of that money is g oing to the church and I get
> >>>part. I don't feel like I'm guilty of greed,'" Borg says.
> >>>
> >>>If a skeptical church member openly questions a deal, that person is
> >>>often castigated for speaking against a fellow Christian.
> >>>
> >>>Ole Anthony of the Trinity Foundation Inc. in Dallas, which
> >>>investigates fraud and televangelism, partly blames the churches
> >>>themselves for the problem. Anthony contends that the "prosperity
> >>>gospel" _ which teaches that the truly faithful are rewarded with
> >>>wealth in this life _ is creeping into mainstream churches.
> >>>
> >>>Chuck Crites, a former member of Crossroads Church, learned firsthand
> >>>how effective con artists can be.
> >>>
> >>>The businessman was swindled out of $500,0 00 by Harding in a Ponzi
> >>>scheme, which uses money from newer investors to pay off older ones.
> >>>
> >>>Crites said Harding, who pleaded guilty last year to wire fraud and
> >>>money laundering, boasted about helping fund a new Christian high
> >>>school for Crossroads and hired a music pastor from the megachurch as
> >>>a sales agent. "At one point he even told me how much money he had
> >>>given to the church that year," Crites said.
> >>>
> >>>Harding was nabbed with the help of Barry Minkow, who was himself
> >>>convicted of fraud years ago. Minkow eventually became a pastor in
> >>>San Diego and started the Fraud Discovery Institute, which is
> >>>dedicated to investigating scams.
> >>>
> >>>Crites is putting his money toward a new fraud-awareness kit for
> >>>churches and other groups that Minkow is developing.
> >>>
> >>>"It made me angry at how people are abusing the trust that exists in
> >>>church communities," Crites said.
> >>>
> >>>Investigators say all denominations are at risk, but the most
> >>>susceptible communities are ones where members are deeply engaged in
> >>>church activities, such as service programs and small group prayer,
> >>>giving con artists plenty of chance to ingratiate themselves with
> >>>congregants.
> >>>
> >>>Often, perpetrators are so successful building an image as good
> >>>Christians that churchgoers won't cooperate with law enforcement
> >>>authorities even after the crime is revealed.
> >>>
> >>>"Money has a way of blinding objectivity, even for we who are
> >>>believers," Minkow says.
> >>>
> >>>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >>>
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> >>End of forwarded message text:
> >>
> >>John
> >
>
> John