A Maserati-driving pastor who owns $4 million of property needs to be more open and transparent about his church’s finances, former members say. Murray Watkinson, a former carpet layer who sold his carpet business in Wellington in 1975 after “encountering God in a supernatural way”, began the Celebration Centre church in 1990 in Aranui with Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Tithes’
Vanuatu’s PM promises to pay churches 10 percent of national budget
Friday, April 26th, 2013
Vanuatu’s Prime Minister, Moana Carcasses Kalosil, has promised the Vanuatu Christian Council that his Government is going to start paying 10 percent of the national budget to the churches. Based on the present budget, 10 percent would amount to 21 million US dollars. Kalosil became Vanuatu’s and the region’s first Greens prime minister when he Read more
Huge jumps in tithes and profit at City Impact Church
Friday, September 28th, 2012The God business is going gang-busters at City Impact Church and its Queenstown branch. In the year to last December, revenue at the pay-to-pray religious network topped an unprecedented $10 million – up $2.7m or 36 per cent. According to freshly-filed financials, tithes – a 10 per cent worship tax labelled “donations” – accounted for Read more