Fraud in the name of God: the big megachurch scam

byAriana Eschenbacher features editor

A new method of manipulating the masses has recently grown in popularity: megachurches. Megachurches, which are often defined simply as a church that has an average weekly attendance of 2,000 or more, have been on a steady rise over the past few decades. According to the Hartford Institute for Religious Research, there are over 1,500 megachurches in the United States as of 2018, with roughly 90 of those having a weekly attendance between 10,000 to 44,000 people. As well, on top of their large amounts of attendees, many such churches, such as Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church, broadcast their sermons live, thereby accumulating millions upon millions of weekly views. Beyond the glitz and glamor, however, it has become increasingly prevalent that the message they have come to preach no longer revolves around faith, but political what-not and profit.

Needless to say, with such a large reach, pastors like Osteen have direct daily influence on their follower’s lives. Their word, which is akin to God’s for some believers, is how many receive advice involving money, family, health and even who to vote for. And while it is undeniable that politics and religion have intermingled throughout American history, many megachurches seem to erase the lines between church and state. When pastors move from advising their congregations to follow Christian values to foisting their own political beliefs upon impressionable members, the beauty of religion is replaced with personal gain.

Such an issue is best displayed in the relationship between Donald Trump and megachurch leaders. In fact, during the start of Trump’s 2020 campaign, the first rally was held at King Jesus International Ministry, a prominent megachurch in Miami, with the very vocal support of its church leaders. As his campaign continued, more and more such pastors voiced their support for Trump, thereby continuing to manipulate the faith and trust of their followers into more voting power. Additionally, during the pandemic, megachurches, such as Global Vision Bible Church in Tennessee, adamantly preached against topics like vaccination and mask-wearing. “I will ask you to leave. I am not playing these Democrat games up in this church,” said its pastor, Greg Locke, in reference to members entering the church with masks, according to an article in The Lexington Herald-Leader. Not only do these churches risk spreading misinformation and bias philosophy, they value for the likes of megachurch preachers Osteen, Locke and, most prominently, Oral Roberts. Prosperity theology is especially lucrative for these pastors as it pushes the idea that those who give money to God will be blessed with money themselves, even though oftentimes “God” is their bank account. ence, running such platforms does with its drawbacks. this, the “prosperity or the philosophy that rewards increases in faith with increases in wealth, has been a

Roberts, a televangelist and founder of Oral Roberts University, is often regarded as the largest prophet of prosperity theology. Oftentimes, he is accredited for his unique way of combining capitalism and religion. Roberts was involved in many controversies, such as telling his viewers he needed to raise $4.5 million soon or else God was going to “call him home.” He promptly received over $9 million, and God did not, in fact, call him home. In addition, he used his fundraising to finance his lavish lifestyle, eventually building his net worth to $117 million at the time of his death. In the end, Roberts was nothing more than a scam artist who exploited vulnerable people for his own financial gain and stands as the perfect example of how faith and religion is exploited within megachurches.

Regardless, the teachings at prominent megachurches, such as Lakewood, take away from the true meaning of Christianity. From their ungodly use of church literature to fund their hyper-capitalistic tendencies, to their incessant need to involve their sermons with religion, some modern-day megachurches have warped the meaning of civil service to feed their own personal gain. Positive public perception, while decreasing, is only supported by their grand acts of service. Once such extravagance is stripped away, the true philosophy of these churches is revealed: profit.