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Joyce Meyer and the Word of Faith Ministry Leader
by Jack Zavada
Joyce Meyer overcame a
background of sexual and emotional abuse to build one of the largest Christian ministries
in the world.
She is also a bestselling
author of more than 90 books, including Battlefield
of the Mind, Never Give Up, and Eat the Cookie...Buy the Shoes.
Her ministry has been the
subject of controversy, however, and she was one of six Word of Faith preachers
investigated by U.S. Senator Charles Grassley (R, Iowa) in 2007 for their
lavish lifestyles.
Since that time, Meyer has
reduced her and her husband's salaries and relies more on royalties from her
books. She has also increased the financial transparency of Joyce Meyer
Ministries.
Did God Make Joyce Meyer Rich or
Did Her Donors?
Like several other Word of
Faith preachers, Joyce Meyer lived large on things supplied by the ministry: a
private jet, a luxurious home for her and each of her four grown children,
expensive cars, and an opulent headquarters building adorned with costly
furnishings.
A 2003 St. Louis Post-Dispatch article
detailed some of the office trappings:
The decor
includes a $30,000 malachite round table, a $23,000 marble-topped antique
commode, a $14,000 custom office bookcase, a $7,000 Stations of the Cross in
Dresden porcelain, a $6,300 eagle sculpture on a pedestal, another eagle made
of silver bought for $5,000, and numerous paintings purchased for $1,000 to
$4,000 each.
At one time, Meyer told
the Post-Dispatch that
her home, a 10,000 square foot Cape Cod with a swimming pool and guest house,
was no different from a parsonage that many churches supply to their pastor.
She made no apologies for her
lifestyle, saying she has obeyed God and done his work and that he has made her
rich as a reward.
Critics, such as Ministry
Watch and the Trinity Foundation, say such finery has no place in a tax-exempt,
nonprofit organization.
Meyer's ministry came under
investigation by Senator Grassley in 2007 with five other Word of Faith
preachers: Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Creflo Dollar, Eddie Long, and Paula
White.
At the conclusion of the
probe, Meyer joined the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA),
a respected group with high standards for financial transparency and
independent governing boards.
After Meyers became a member
of the ECFA on March 12, 2009, Senator Grassley commended the ministry for its
membership and transparency.
Although the ministry does
still own the jet, no homes or automobiles have been provided for any family
members.
The malachite round table, the
marble-topped antique chest of drawers, and the porcelain statue were donated
to other ministries. The bookcase, which is built into the wall of an office
and the two eagles statues still remain with the ministry. And the ministry no
longer owns the parsonage.
Joyce Meyer's Rocky Beginning
Born in 1943 in south St.
Louis, Missouri, Pauline Joyce Hutchinson has stated that her father sexually
abused her after he returned from World War II.
She graduated from
O'Fallon Technical High School, marrying a part-time car salesman shortly
after. That marriage lasted five years.
Following her divorce, she
married Dave Meyer, an engineering draftsman, in 1967. She frequently credits
Dave Meyer's support and encouragement with helping her turn her life around.
She admits she was blunt,
selfish, and rude in the early years of their marriage.
Meyer said she received a
personal message from God in 1976. She got her start in ministry by leading a
Bible class and soon became associate pastor at Life Christian Center, a charismatic church
in Fenton, Missouri.
That led to a daily 15-minute
local radio program. She resigned as associate pastor in 1985 to start her own
radio ministry, "Life in the Word."
Her husband suggested they
expand to television ministry, which started on Superstation WGN in Chicago and
included the Black Entertainment Television network (BET).
Today, Joyce Meyer Ministries' Enjoying Everyday Life and Everyday Answers With Joyce
Meyer TV programs are broadcast in more than 90 languages into
more than 1 million households and radio stations throughout the world.
The Missouri headquarters has
441 employees, with another 168 workers in satellite offices throughout the
world.
According to Meyer's website,
the organization provided more than 28.7 million meals in 2016 through its
international feeding program, operates about 30 children's homes throughout
the world, provides medical care to hundreds of thousands, and supplies
disaster relief in the United States and overseas.
Other programs include
inner-city outreach, water relief, prison ministry, and support for centers
fighting human trafficking.
Joyce Meyer Preaches On
Largely unscathed by the
negative publicity, Joyce Meyer continues to speak at about a dozen women's
conferences a year, as well as host her television program.
She is a staunch defender of
the Word of Faith message, claiming that God blesses his people financially and
materially for their faithfulness to him.
Her primarily female
audiences love her humorous, gently scolding style and say her battles with
abuse and breast cancer make her messages practical and uplifting.
Jack Zavada
· Created
and manages and blogs at Inspiration-For-Singles.com
· Published
several books about Christian lifestyle topics
· Contributes
to numerous self-growth and Christian-based websites
· Former
newspaper reporter, technical editor, and public relations director
Experience
Jack Zavada is a former writer for ThoughtCo who
concentrates his contribution on Christian topics and lifestyle. Jack began his
45-year career as a police and government newspaper reporter and Associated
Press wire editor. He later served as a technical editor at the U.S. Army
Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL). Other positions held
include being a publications editor and a communications director.
As a writer, Jack focuses his work into three
genres, Christian lifestyles, self-help, and western fiction. Other than his
work for ThoughtCo, Jack also contributes to several Christian-focused websites
including Bible-Reflections.net, SelfGrowth.com, LivingWordBaptist.net,
JustMeCatholicFaith.com, and WZAKClevland.com. Jack created, manages and blogs
at his website Inspiration-For-Singles.com. The site also serves as a platform
for marketing his self-help eBooks. He also writes and publishes western fiction
under the pen name of Calder Boone.
Education
Jack Zavada earned a Master Arts (M.A.) in
English Composition and a Bachelor Science (B.S.) in English literature, both
from Illinois State University.
Awards and Publications
· Hope for Hurting Singles: A
Christian Guide to Overcoming Life's Challenges (Pine Cone
Press, 1st edition, 2017)
· Outsmarting Loneliness (Pine
Cone Press, 2012)
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