M.o.n.e.y.

[onetime]

In my view, the issue is that the guilty are caught, tried and punished. Punishment usually involves heavy fines, loss of assets, and/or incarceration. While this wouldn't undo all of the damage done over the years, it would be justice for people who were harmed, abused and defrauded.

After decades of non-starter projects - especially building funds in Waukegan - there is indeed a lot of questions that need to be asked, and have been asked. Unfortunately, the questions asked by current and former members will always be greeted with the same response that I mentioned. The only way any real answers will ever come out is for someone outside CFCMI, such as a state or federal revenue agency, to inspect the books and ask whatever happened to all the supposed projects that never started.

On that note, if one was to file litigation against CFCMI and actually win, what would be the prize be? Who would want that old dump of a gym? If it were me, I would level the whole property and then sell it to an industrial park owner for business development. I would not want the infamous Field of Blood in my name. I don't want dibs on the houses the pastors own either. The property values have dropped due to the housing market collapse. As for their cars and motorcycles - most of their vehicles are gas hogs! I would be flushing money down the toilet. This reminds me too much of the booby prizes Monty Hall would give on "Let's Make a Deal".

Their day of reckoning will come eventually, and no amount of money laundering or book cooking will save them.

I agree that talking, asking and pleading will accomplish nothing anymore (not that it ever did in my experience). Action is the only thing that matters. Outsiders need to be brought in. Some ways to get an outside agency involved have been laid out in previous posts. This is a good place for starters: < http://www.irs.gov/charities/churche...181365,00.html >

It will take at least one courageous, tenacious and resourceful person who has reliable information about what CFCMI is currently doing today as well as in the recent past. This individual must be willing to contact state and federal agencies with the information and convince them there is reason to believe that tax laws may have not been complied with. If successful, the feds will take it from there.

Anything above and beyond this—be they whistleblower checks, booby prizes, his and her Harleys or used gymnasium furniture—is all just a bonus. The real objective is justice.

IMO.

[onetime]

As Otis Ray Hope found out, they're discovered, found guilty and sent to the hoosegow.

A former Hagerstown pastor was sentenced to more than three years for tax evasion and bank fraud conspiracy.

A federal judge also ordered 53-year-old Otis Ray Hope, who once served as pastor of the 2,000-member Montrose Baptist in Rockville, to pay restitution of more than $2.4 million.

U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said Hope created false financial statements to defraud a bank into approving a $1.75 million loan, stole hundreds of thousands of dollars of tuition for himself and cheated on his taxes.

"This sentence holds him accountable for a pattern of fraud and deceit," Rosenstein said.

According to his plea agreement, Hope was hired in 1996 as the senior pastor for Montrose Baptist, the second-largest Baptist church in Maryland. He supervised the Montrose Christian School and a program that taught English to foreign students. In 2001, Hope took over the program and had the students wire the money to an account that he controlled. From 2001 to 2003, students paid more than $1.35 million into Hope-controlled accounts.

Hope kept nearly all the money for himself and members of his family, spending it on golf outings, a family vacation to Hawaii, plane tickets, cars and home improvements, prosecutors said. When Montrose Baptist church leaders learned of his scheme in 2002, Hope resigned.

Hope and his brother, Richard, 51, of Denham, La., began operating the Shiloh Conference and Retreat Center, a former YMCA gym in Hagerstown. In 2006, the brothers took out a $1.75 million commercial loan on behalf of the Shiloh Co. The loan was used to refinance the mortgage and to release $108,835 being held in escrow by the previous lender for renovations after a fire in June 2006.

Hope admitted in court that he "falsely represented" to the lending institution that the Shiloh Conference and Retreat Center had reopened for business after the fire.

Scott McCabe
Washington Examiner
http://washingtonexaminer.com/crime-...-evasion-fraud

It looks like Otis went from a Ray of Hope to a Dope.

It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the IRS. It shorely is.

[onetime]

You know who you are.

If you have already started to get the wheels in motion, good for you. I wish you much success and I offer you encouragement. Many years ago I was part of a whistleblowing effort that helped to expose much wrongdoing. It wasn't easy—we encountered enormous resistance at first—but our efforts started a long process that culminated in justice when the wrongdoer was found guilty and sent to prison. If you believe in something strongly enough and have the courage of your convictions, you will succeed.

If you are convinced that something must be done but haven't yet got started, I understand. Sometimes you have to get your ducks in a row first. And reaching out to authorities can be quite intimidating. And you may be wondering if you even know enough yet to blow the whistle. But there is help. You just need to find it. Fortunately, finding help today is a lot easier than it was a generation ago.

For example, you may have reliable information regarding possible tax fraud, but you just need to get started putting it all together. You need help developing the information and putting it into a format the IRS understands. There are attorneys who specialize in tax whistleblower cases. Find them, talk with them and see if they might be able to help.

This is not a recommendation, but just an example of the kinds of help and services out there for would be whistleblowers:

http://www.tax-whistleblower.com/?gc...FeYZQgodfCOClg

It may be easier to get started they you realize. You just need to take that first step.

[John Cady]

I host a web series on YouTube titled "Unhinged". This episode covers Dick Brand's comment about giving to the church after knowing he has been scammed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xBZXPkVY2o

Following the recent flap about the Crystal Cathedral, I felt it was time to broadcast it.

[turningjapanese]

You know what I think?


I think some people will never amount to being anything more than a stupid @$$hole.

[onetime]

Another case of living high off the hubcap:

http://www.wjla.com/articles/2011/11...ent-68961.html

I'm not sure if this guy previously announced his retirement, but I wouldn't be surprised if the stress of his crimes results in heart problems.

[John Cady]

Folks, despite all the downsizing and everything else, CFCMI is ramping up what could be its final General Conference. I am only saying final in the sense because eventually they won't be able to afford doing these.

For a small gathering, especially when many of them are already in Norfolk, I am a bit amazed at the prices for the event: $75 for an individual, $150 for a family, and $75 for a sponsor. CFCMI is a small group, and the price of admission is a bit too high in my opinion. The one good thing is that unlike previous conferences, this one allows for groups to visit Norfolk area attractions such as the zoo and the battleship USS Wisconsin instead of being cooped up in a bunch of workshops all day.

The price of admission isn't worth it, when one thinks about it. Bring your own breakfast on Saturday? That's a first, too. Guess they no longer have enough single men left to provide the "free labor". Picnics? They do those anyway when they aren't having conferences, so what else is new? Guest speakers? None. Everyone will have to sit and listen to Pete and Ed, so nothing's new here either.

Who will attend? Mostly the same folks who attend now, with maybe a smattering of people from elsewhere. No invitiations to the public for the services. Souvenirs? Yep, they are hawking the same overprized items they did a while back, but at least they aren't openly selling the B35913 series of sermons. (I'm sure if one asked, dusty copies are available.) At least they will have a nursery so Ed won't have to complain about "satanic distractions".

Compared to the general conferences in the late 1980s, this shows just much CFCMI is merely a hollow shell of what it once was.

[onetime]

Answer: The price.

I remember a humorous appliance commercial many years ago where this overweight, fast-talking Pete Paine-ish type salesman was showing a gullible looking young couple a microwave oven. When he was done describing it, he said with a big grin “Now I’ll show you our deluxe model!” He then twirled the microwave completely around on a lazy Susan swivel, and while it was halfway through the turn, he quickly slapped something on the front of the appliance. When it faced the couple again, it had a “Deluxe” sticker on the door. He smiled broadly as the couple stared blankly. After a few seconds, he moved his hand to cover the “Deluxe” sticker and asked “Would you like to see our regular model again?”

This reminds me of what CFCMI is doing with their “We’ve Failed All the World” shindig. It’s the same old pabulum with a “General Conference” sticker slapped on front. Now there will be a few who pay handsomely for this “deluxe” version, but what if everyone saw through the scam and said “Screw it...I aint paying that kind of money to go and hear the same old bullshίt from these two windbags and watch everyone fawn over them and their fat, haughty wives. I’ll use that money and take a nice weekend vacation!” The General Conference would be over before it even started.

Now that would be something very positive for All the World.

[theadmin]

http://factnet.org/what-going-factne...aden-our-scope

[turningjapanese]

This reminds me of what CFCMI is doing with their “We’ve Failed All the World” shindig. It’s the same old pabulum with a “General Conference” sticker slapped on front. Now there will be a few who pay handsomely for this “deluxe” version, but what if everyone saw through the scam and said “Screw it...I aint paying that kind of money to go and hear the same old bullshίt from these two windbags and watch everyone fawn over them and their fat, haughty wives. I’ll use that money and take a nice weekend vacation!” The General Conference would be over before it even started.

Now that would be something very positive for All the World.

I'm thinking the conference was just another pathetic event to generate income and sell their Amway crap. I'm sure it was a "good thing" for all the oldheads--it gives them seniors something to look forward to, with the potlucks and all.

[onetime]

And his missus needs some new battery powered toys and a facelift.

Here’s a little ditty to kick off Generalissimo’s latest "I'm really here to hang you upside down and shake you until the money falls out" campaign (aka "ABCs of Stewardship"):

♫ ♪ ♪ ♫
ABCs
Stewardship is great you see
Simple as do re mi
ABCs
Stewardship for you
Means money for me
♫ ♪ ♪ ♫
Sit down men I think Deb loves you
Now pass that hubcap and show me what you can do!
Pass it, pass it, baby, come on now
Pass it, pass it, baby, ooh
Pass it, pass it, baby, baby
One, two, three baby ABCs
Do re mi
Stewardship for you
Means money for me
♫ ♪ ♪ ♫