Suffering for Jesus

It's rough being in the service of the Lord:

If it is, indeed, easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven, the Crouches may have their work cut out for them.

A new report shows that Orange County’s first family of Christian broadcasting earned scads of silver leading the Trinity Broadcasting Network empire:

Paul F. Crouch, the pop (and president), makes $419,500 a year.

Janice W. Crouch, the mom (and vice president), makes $361,000 a year.

Paul F. Crouch Jr., the son (and vice president) makes $130,082.

The family salaries are highlighted in nonprofit watchdog Charity Navigator’s latest CEO salary report, which was released this week and tells us how much nonprofit leaders are making. (Generally speaking, not this much. The Crouches are among the highest-paid chief executives of religious nonprofits, the Chronicle of Philanthropy says.)

Trinity is the world’s largest religious broadcasting company. Its twinkling white headquarters - something of a cross between a Disneyland palace and an inspired recreation of the White House - is just off Interstate 405 in Costa Mesa.

TBN preaches “prosperity televangelism,” and preachers have urged the poor and debt-ridden to give, because God gives back most generously to those who can least afford it.

This inspired us to spend some more time with Trinity’s actual tax returns , which are posted at http://www.guidestar.com/. Clearly, millions of people are listening, and digging deep into their pockets. In 2006, the most recent year reported, TBN:

took in $200.7 million,

spent $141.1 million,

and socked away the extra $59.6 million.

The stellar year pushes TBN’s net assets ever closer to the $1 billion mark - hovering now at $839 million. (Stay tuned; TBN had $327 million in mortgage-backed securities, so we’ll see how those investments fare down the road.)

If you've never visited the Trinity Palace you really ought to go. The inside is all mirrors, chrome and gold. Looks like a bad Vegas design.

I remember the day Trinity Broadcasting Network had their first open house at their old studios in Tustin. Jim and Tammy Baker were still working with the Crouches back then, and I was there with my Dad's quartet as they televised a tour of their studio that day.

Now, I have no problems with CEOs of large corporations making lots of money. It's just that when you spend money given "for the work of the Lord" on the kinds of extravagances the Crouches and the Bakers have, it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.