Is Calvary’s Faith Promise Giving a Sham?

For many years, Senior Pastor Prince Guneratnam (PG) has boasted to the world that Calvary Church has given away millions of ringgit to Missions and Evangelism every year.

Twice a year on Faith Promise Sunday in January and July, when new 6-month pledges are solicited from the congregation, PG and the Missions Director will show video clips of the Missions Projects which the Church has supported in the previous 6 months. And as always is the case, PG will also proudly declare to the congregation that due to their overwhelming giving towards their faith promise pledges, there is a surplus over the Missions Budget and that surplus will be channeled to the Church Building Fund.

The members have constantly been led to believe that all their Faith Promise
contributions are given away to support Bible schools, Christian organizations, missionaries and missions work throughout the world and only the surplus funds over the budget are kept by the Church for Calvary’s own building fund.

Before the Calvary saga erupted about 4 years ago with the exposure of financial mismanagement, unethical practices and abuse of power and position in the Church, Calvarites have never doubted PG and his Pastors and Deacons. Now, the members, having been wised up to PG’s true character are beginning to question the utilization of the Faith Promise funds collected from members.

Picking up on several requests from readers, CT decided to investigate this particular topic of discussion going on in the Blog and for this purpose, CT perused through the past years’ Church Annual Reports, Missions Fund Reports and the reports of the Extended Ministries of the Church.

At a glance, the Missions Fund Reports appeared to be in order. All the Faith Promise collections appeared to be properly disbursed and accounted for. It was only when CT started cross referencing and extracting various figures from all the various reports that CT discovered a shocking fact.

And the shocking fact is that from 2008 to 2012, from the total Faith Promise collection each year, less than 10% was given away to external parties. More than 90% of Faith Promise collections was kept internally to finance Calvary’s own ministries, staff payroll and the church building program, which is now, the Calvary Convention Centre (CCC).

For 2011, only
RM228,246 or 6.6% of the total Faith Promise collection of RM3.44 million was distributed to Bible schools and external Missions work.

19.3% were utilized to pay the church staff salaries and church outreach workers,
18.9% was utilized to support the church’s Extended Ministries like AIM, Communication Ministry, Prayer Tower, Calvaryland etc,
7.2% was transferred to Outreach Property Fund,
39.4% transferred to fund the CCC construction and the balance
8.5% retained in the Missions Fund.

Click on the image 1 to view the comparison between the official version and the real version of the utilization of the Faith Promise collections for the years 2008 to 2011.

Click on image 2 to view the Missions Fund’s Statement of Income and Expenditure.

It is fair to conclude that what is presented and declared to the congregation year after year, is nothing but pure misrepresentation of what actually happens to their sacrificial giving in Faith Promise. This act of misrepresentation and misleading the congregation by PG and his Pastors and Deacons is totally unacceptable and despicable.

On the subject of misrepresentation, CT also investigated the issue of the “real” staff costs of all the pastors and employees of Calvary Church. Most members do not realize that the amount of staff costs/stipends stated in the main Church accounts in the Annual Report does not cover the entire staff force of the Church. That amount stated represents the salaries of only the Pastors and some selected church staff. The rest of the church staff and all the outreach workers are paid from the Missions Fund with a handful of staff being paid from the Extended Ministries’ accounts.

This breaking up of staff costs and hiding under separate accounts or funds is again another issue of transparency.

The actual total staff costs of the Church come up to a mind-boggling figure of RM4.5 million for 2011. This represents about 54% of the total Income of the Church from tithes and offerings and donations/income received by the Extended Ministries. The contributions to the church building fund and faith promise are excluded in computing the percentage as both these collections are specific and meant for their respective purposes and are not deemed as income for church operational use.

Click on image 3 to view the breakdown of staff costs.

According to the MISSIONS MANUAL of Calvary Church, it states that,

The Missions Dept was then formed to look into the matter of the administration of missionary funds and the development of a strong missions programme to look into the sending out of missionaries, the accomplishing of greater nation-wide and worldwide expansion in missions and the attaining of greater efficiency in missionary matters in    general.

PURPOSE OF THE MISSIONS FUND

This fund seeks to provide full or partial financial support or sponsorship towards approved missions projects carried out locally or abroad. It also provides a reliable and responsible channel (or vehicle) for which designated offerings may be transmitted.

Has the Missions Department fulfilled its original purpose as stated in the Mission Manual?

Have the funds collected through the Faith Promise Programme been distributed in accordance to the stated Purpose of the Missions Fund?

With another Faith Promise Sunday coming up in July, let us hope that the congregation will be smart and seek God’s wisdom before they put their pen to the Pledge Card. Above all, let us hope that PG and his Pastors and Deacons will respect the intent and faith of the giver and release every ringgit collected through the Faith Promise program to fulfill the purposes of Missions and Evangelism for which the program was originally intended.

________________________________________________________________

Added on 22 June 2012

In response to queries from some readers concerning the legal status of Calvary Church as a registered body, we post below an audio clip explanation by lawyer Mr KK Wong during an EGM held on 15 August 2008.

Has TOTT Worked?

Many members and ex-members of Calvary Church, KL have been asking this question :-
“Has TOTT (Turn Off The Tap) worked?”.
The answer is a resounding “Yes”.


CT has tabulated the figures below from the Annual Reports of the Church from 2007 to 2010. The total income has dropped since 2007 with the highest drop registered in 2010 of 19% from the previous year. With the expenditure remaining high, the surplus has also dropped since 2007 with the highest drop recorded in 2010 of 30% from the previous year. Similarly, the Faith Promise has also suffered the same fall in income since 2007.


This is clear evidence that when Church members are unhappy, they will “speak out” with their wallets. This should also serve as a warning to all the pastors out there that they ought to conduct themselves and their Church affairs with integrity, transparency and accountability lest they suffer the same consequences as Calvary Church.

 TOTT has been giving Pastor Prince Guneratnam (PG) nightmares and scrambling for Bank loans, which he had hoped, to avoid. Despite his constant dose of prosperity gospel, continuous reminders to the members to bring their Tithes and Offerings to the storehouse (Church) and the oft-repeated remark that they should not eat in McDonalds and pay in KFC, the giving by members continue to dip.

The original plan was to borrow only RM35 million to help fund the construction of the Calvary Convention Centre (CCC), however later, the loan amount became RM43 million instead.


Now, with the cost of CCC escalating to RM200 million for just Phase 1 alone and the drop in Church Income , the Church has to borrow an additional RM75 million, making a total eventual borrowing of a massive RM118 million.

The total estimated cost of the CCC is now at RM300 million, an increase of RM150 million from the original approved budget of RM150 million in 2005.


TO RECAP : Click on the links below to read the following previous articles on the CCC :-


Article # 1 : CCC : The Alarming Facts posted on June 20, 2011

Article #2 : CCC: Calvary Convention Catastrophe? posted on June 21, 2011


Article # 3 : CCC Cost Continues to SOAR posted on June 2, 2011




The latest question on everyone’s lips is:-
“Will PG be able to complete CCC?”
The simple answer is “Yes”.

So long as the Church is able to give sufficient collateral to the Banks, the Banks will lend the necessary funds to the Church. Well, the Church does have sufficient landed properties accumulated over the last 50 years to secure the Bank loans.


However, the more important question to be asked should be:-
“If the CCC is completed with the Bank loans, will the Church be able to repay the loans?”
The obvious answer is “No”.


Based on current interest rate of say, 8% for such Commercial loans, the Interest Payable on a loan of RM118 million amounts to RM786,000 per month while the Principal Installment payable over a 10-year repayment tenure amounts to RM983,000.


The total monthly payment of RM1.769 million is way beyond the means of the Church, considering that their surplus per month for 2010 is only RM508,000.


If the loan is stretched to 15 years, the total interest and principal repayment will still be a massive RM1.44 million per month.

This is even before taking into account the cost of maintaining the CCC which is not likely to be cheap.

Based on the present congregation size and income, Calvary Church is surely headed for financial catastrophe. Calvary Church may lose all the properties charged to the Banks and the CCC itself. If this happens, Calvary Church may even go into bankruptcy.


That was what happened to the Crystal Cathedral mega church in USA when it could not service their US$36 million mortgage.

Click on Title below to read the article from Berita Calvary
US Church files for Bankrupcy




Coming back to our present topic, It is always easy to borrow money but the repayment is seldom as easy. With a world-wide recession looming ahead, times will get tougher. Members’ ability to maintain their giving will, invariably, be affected.

PG may have planned to sell off some or all of the Church properties to reduce the Bank borrowing but with the anticipated slowdown in the property sector, the properties will not likely fetch as much value as he had estimated.


This is actually the time to exercise wisdom and refrain from excessive spending and borrowing. The Bible warns against getting into financial slavery and urges the believer to always prepare for bad times. And bad times will come, that’s for sure.

 

Here's another article posted in Berita Calvary which is worth taking note of : Borrow to Build

Audio Clips from CCC Fund-raising Services

In the previous posting, we published a summary submitted by a reader of what transpired on Sunday, 4 July’s Fund-raising at the Sime Darby Convention Centre. Those who attended that Sunday Service thinking that it was a usual Worship Service were in for a surprise. The entire sermon was tailored to make the people “feel good” about themselves. “We are a people with a destiny … We are on an assignment that God has given us…” Every sentence was carefully crafted with one purpose in mind, to persuade the members to give money to the building of the Calvary Convention Centre (CCC), the vision of PG.

Here are the audio clips of what Bro Han Joke Kwang and Senior Pastor Prince (PG) said at the services about the advances for the CCC. Almost the entire long-winded altar call by PG was to cajole the members to give to the CCC. Both offerings collected during the two services on that Sunday were also channeled to the CCC.

Clip 1 : Listen to what HJK and PG said about the members of Calvary Church

What Bro Han Joke Kwang said (with CT's comments in blue)

Bro Han explained that Bank Negara approval has been obtained to allow the Church to collect short term interest-free advances from members only for the construction of the CCC. All advances must be put in by 30 September 2010 and will be a fixed period of up to 5 years until 2015.

Advances will be repaid to members within 30 days of the maturity date or within 30 days in the event of death of the member. Upon maturity, members may choose to extend the advance subject to repayment by 30 September 2015 which is the final repayment date set by Bank Negara. Members may choose to convert their advances into a contribution at any time before or upon maturity. The terms of the Advances will be documented in a Statement of Understanding.

The Church expects to receive advances of between RM10,000 to RM100,000 from 60% of the members to achieve the target of RM35 million. This will save the Church at least RM8 million in interest saving. Of course, he did not elaborate that this means the burden of this RM8 million interest saving is indirectly passed on to the members either in the form of loss in potential investment income or loan interest to be paid to the bank by the member if he/she chooses the unwise route of taking a bank loan to advance to the Church.

Bro Han advised members to provide adequately for their own personal needs during their participating period of the advance. In other words, if the members get into financial difficulties during the tenure of the advance, the Church is unlikely to help them out or repay their advances early. Members should heed this warning seriously as the world economic outlook is not looking good at this moment and there are expectations and forecasts of an impending worldwide recession. As CT has stated earlier, if members wish to give an advance, give only what you can afford to lose.

The repayment of the RM35 million advances will be from cash flow surpluses of the Church or if need be, from the sale or refinance of the Church properties valued at RM52 million. As the surplus income over expenses is reducing drastically due to the falling attendances and members becoming wise, the possibility of the Church having to sell its properties is real.

This is a deviation from the original plan when CCC was first mooted. Members were assured then that the main Damansara Heights church and possibly Damansara Perdana church will not be closed or sold even after the CCC is built. Sis Petrina, had in the past, also assured members that Damansara Heights building will continue to be used for Sunday services, small meetings and to hold wedding services.

The reality now is that, the CALVARY CHURCH that God has built in the last 48 years (and not 40 years as PG claimed in his sermon) may be gone for good. In its place, the iconic CCC (if completed) will stand to the glory of PG and the freemason architect and not to the glory of God as PG, Sis Petrina and the Deacons have always proclaimed. How can a building not even known as a church bring glory to God? How many non-Christians will actually know what the name “Calvary” means if it does not have the word “Church” attached to it?

In the presentation, Bro Han did not explain the costs and expenditure of the CCC project. He did not clarify what the RM35 million advances and the existing cash balance in the bank can achieve.

According to a reliable source, the Church needs RM70 to RM80 million just to construct the roof and walls on a shell and core basis. To be able to have a proper sanctuary (of less than 5,000 seats) to worship in, the Church needs a further RM30 million. Where this money will come from, no one has any idea. We can only assume by our calculation, the Church will have to draw down on the Alliance Bank loan facility of RM35 million. If this bank loan is taken up, then all the main properties will become encumbered as the bank loan is secured by the properties.
 If this happens and the Church sells the properties later, the sale proceeds cannot be used to repay the members’ advances as the bank will have the first right over the sale proceeds. Our beloved Church is certainly in dire straits!

Clip 2 : HJK giving the introduction to the "Advance To CCC"

What PG said during altar call (with CT's comments in blue)

During the long-winded altar call, PG psyched up the congregation into giving an advance as well as renewing their contribution pledge to the CCC building fund. He told the members it is a wonderful privilege to be able to give an advance to the CCC. He gave suggestions on the many ways the members can bring an advance in, namely from:

1) money that they have kept aside
2) money that they can have access to
3) money that they have that can pay up an existing personal loan
4) to take a loan

Members should exercise wisdom in this area of giving and financial stewardship. Money which you have kept aside for a rainy day or for your children’s education or for your retirement or for whatever purposes should remain kept by members for the purposes it was intended. Please remember that providing for your family’s welfare or for your future is biblical. It is not “hoarding up treasures on earth”.

We do not know what PG meant by “money that we can have access to”. If you are in a position of trust like a Fund Manager or the Treasury Officer or Accountant of your company, please do not touch the money which is entrusted to you or under your control. Do not entertain the thought that God has placed you where you are for a time such as this.

If you have money to pay off an existing loan, please do so. Please do not channel it to CCC and continue to be in debt. Lastly, do not take out a loan to give an advance to CCC.It is not a wise thing to do.

PG stated that “I don’t want to go on Facts….I want to go on the Truth…I want to move on the Word of God but God’s Word tells me. Do this out of a willing heart because the Bible says it is those who are willing and obedient, they will eat the fruit of the land…and if you’re not willing, you won’t be obedient…..”

He subtly put fear in the minds of the congregation that if they are not willing and obedient to give, they will not eat the fruit of the land. It is sad that he has taken the Word of God out of context to induce members to give.

Clip 3: PG giving a long winded altar call to get members to give the "Advance". This clip in only a fraction of the actual length.

PG also shared the story of the Good Samaritan to justify the Church asking for advance from members. In the story as we know, the Good Samaritan left the wounded man into the care of the inn-keeper, gave him two denaris and told him that if he spends more than the two denaris, he (the Good Samaritan) will repay him (the inn-keeper) when he returns. PG likened this as the Good Samaritan asking the inn-keeper for an advance. Shocking interpretation, to say the least.

PG even puts additional words in the Good Samaritan’s mouth. He quoted the Good Samaritan as telling the inn-keeper “I can’t give this to you now but you give first” and proceeded to ask the members to give first!
We are lost for words!!!

PG then called on the members to “Seal what you are giving with Communion”.
Huh???

Clip 4 : The Good Samaritan as interpreted by PG

 

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This short explanation on the story of the Good Samaritan was put in as a Comment by a reader. We do feel that all who are reading and listening to Clip 4, should have a right understanding of the Good Samaritan story in the Bible.

GOOD SAMARITAN said...

The Parable of the Good Samaritan tells the story of a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho and while on the way he is robbed of everything he had including his clothing, and is beaten to within an inch of his life.

That road was treacherously winding and was a favorite hideout of robbers and thieves.

The next character Jesus introduces into His story is a priest. He spends no time describing the priest and only tells of how he showed no love or compassion for the man by failing to help him and passing on the other side of the road so as not to get involved.

If there would have been anyone who would have known God’s law of love it would have been the priest. By nature of his position he was to be a person of compassion desiring to help others.
Unfortunately love was not a word for him that required action on the behalf of someone else.

The next person to pass by in the parable of the Good Samaritan was a Levite, and he does exactly the same thing that the priest did;
he passed by without showing any compassion. Again he would have known the law, but he also failed to show the injured man compassion.

The next person to come by was the Samaritan, the one least likely to have shown compassion for the man. Samaritans were considered a low class of people by the Jews since they had intermarried with non-Jews and did not keep all the law.

Therefore, Jews would have nothing to do with them. We do not know if the injured man was a Jew or Gentile, but it made no difference to the Samaritan, he did not consider the man’s race or religion.
The “Good Samaritan” saw only a person in dire need of assistance and assist him he did, above and beyond the minimum required.

He would dress the man’s wounds with wine (to disinfect) and oil (to sooth the pain). He put the man on his animal and took him to an inn for a time of healing and paid the innkeeper with his own money. He then went beyond common decency and told the innkeeper to take could care of the man and he would pay for any extra expenses on his return trip. The Samaritan saw his neighbor as anyone who was in need.

Because the good man was a Samaritan Jesus is drawing a strong contrast between those who knew the law and those who actually followed the law in their lifestyle and conduct. Jesus now asks the lawyer if he can apply the lesson to his own life with the question, “So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?" (Luke 10:36). Once again the lawyer’s answer is telling of his personal hardness of heart. He cannot bring himself to say the word Samaritan, he refers to the “good man” as “he who showed mercy.” His hate for the Samaritans (his neighbor) was so strong that he couldn’t even address him in a proper way. Jesus then tells the lawyer to “go and do likewise,” meaning that he should start living what the law tells him to do.

Break free from PG's Spell

A reader who used the pseudonym "Break free from PG's Spell" has submitted this Article as a Comment which aptly
summarizes what transpired at the Combined Worship Services last Sunday.

DECEIVER, DECEIVER, DECEIVER:
PG & BOD & ASSOCIATE PASTORS.

I would sum-up what was "preached" at the Service on 4 July 2010 at Sime Convention Centre: as DESECRATION of God's WORD and the HOLY COMMUNION.

Every word that proceeded from their mouth were meant to deceive those present to part with $$$.

Every Bible reference cited by PG was twisted and taken out of context: from the story of the Good Samaritan( which has nothing to do with "giving") to his audacious association of 'Jesus finished Works on earth to God's glory' with that of CCC-- PG's own coveted desire of his flesh for pride & self glory that has to be finished. What Manipulator!

FACTs are Facts, but bravo, PG can twist to say "Facts are not Truth"! Indeed all his facts on CCC are anything but Truth.

May God have mercy! PG dared MISUSED Holy Communion to declared the "$ ADVANCE of those who 'pledged' are SEALED by the Holy Communion" !!! PG's underhanded fear tactics are simply horrific.

It was NOT a WORSHIP Service, but a Specific CASH ADVANCE Event for CCC. Even the Offerings were taken for CCC ( They would have spent no less than RM25,000 just to create a 'Feel good factor ' conducive to part with one's $$$)

MORE FACTS:
1. PG & HAN said they needed to raise RM35 MILLION 'to complete' CCC, which of course is a lie.
They never dare revealed that this RM35Million is only meant to have the "Shell' of the main hall done. ( the Truth is at least another RM100 Million is needed to complete it )

2. So, finally PG said it: "the Properties in DH, now worth RM52M will be DISPOSED (Sold-off) i.e. everything over the last 42 years will be ground ZERO. ( So the Financial Catastrophe is now a fact)

3. PG ended in Desperation " GIVE YOUR CASH ADVANCE QUICKLY" no later than Sept 2010.

4. While it is meant to be an "ADVANCE" by those who wants to Pledge, throughout PG kept repeating-"you can Always CONVERT it to a CONTRIBUTION! ( God forbid, PG has no intention of
giving the Advance back. Whoever, pray you will read the FINE PRINT in the " Understanding Agreement' you are asked to sign)

5. Utter irresponsible creatures they are to encourage all & sundries to even take bank Loan to give $$$ as Cash Advance.

6. A chart was shown--to the almost exact science, the Percentage & Amount from the 'Congregation' to reach the RM35Million. ( they sure have it all Calculated and worked-out.)

THE TRUTH?
PG, BOD, ASSOC PASTORS & ALL CCC COMMITTEES:
will do well to recall at the AGM 2008 that they were warned :
" For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? lest, after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' (Jesus said in Luke 14 : 28-30)

While PG dare challenge everyone to empty their all-including "money under the pillows", ask him:

Has PG himself sold ALL his POSSESSIONS to give to CCC?
or is he building more "Barns" for himself in M'sia to UK to USA?

_________________________________________________________

8 July 2010. This is another thought put in as a Comment from one regular reader who uses the pseudonym "Woshipper of 25 years"

Worshiper of 25 years says...

(1) CCC can NEVER be a vision from God! From the very first day, when the land was recommended by Han to PG & others and viewed & sought for back then in 2003, it " WAS A TERRIBLE human MISTAKE ". 

(2) From the secular real estate realistic point of view, it was already an " ERROR buy decision "! 

(3) You " do not begged " from the landowners to sell to " you " ! 

(4) Now in 2010,we have the consequences of a bad business decision. DECISION that was not based on " FAITH in God "! 

(5) There was no " PEACE of Mind " from God at all on that day! It was a hasty decision, was more like chasing after the WIND! It was a blind decision alright as I perceived it then !

(6) No one dare to speak out against the buy decision in 2003 ! WHY ? A few disagreed but could not do anything to stop it, as it was "bulldozed through" in the EGM ! This was the beginning of PG downfall then in 2003? The rest henceforth that followed are merely history!

(7) It was the spirit of "ARROGANCE" that gave birth to more MISTAKES which in turn CHOKED CC ! I shaked PG hand in 2003 and I sensed PG's " Negative High Handed Attitudes "! I noticed a few left full time service instead of openly pointing out his Negativism ! 

(8) So now how to solve the CC and CCC saga? My answer is very simple ," be HUMBLE and Cut Loss or 'else' scale down 70% of CCC's building plan ". 

(9) Proceeding in its present Grand design, with enlarging run-offs , with various future variation orders, CC will definitely SELF-DESTRUCT in due time! 

(10) You should NEVER NEVER NEVER borrow money to build ! 

SDCC meeting on 4-7-2010 actually protrayed more Negative Consequences to come ! 

(11) As I see it PGs are illegal pastors ever since 2004 and 2006. How to Pray and get blessings from illegal pastors?

(12) All the NEGATIVE effects like bad publicity , CIM funding errors, Deacon removed, PG's deacons choice voted in, faithful servants removed, resolutions denied in EGM & AGM ,Court cases for injunctions to rectify on-goings , 400 members sacked for having faith in God,etc, etc are actually consequences forseen in a vision back in 2003! 

Many asked me how did I knew it ? I just SMILED back and replied " I only TRUST GOD " not man !

Calvary Church Appeals For Advances

In a desperate attempt to seek funds to restart the abandoned Calvary Convention Centre (CCC), Senior Pastor Prince Guneratnam (PG) once again is turning to the members for advances. This appeal for advances is said to be planned for the Combined Worship Services to be held on Sunday, 4 July 2010 at the Sime Darby Convention Centre, Bukit Kiara.

Although this members’ loan scheme has not been announced to the congregation, the Life Group (LG) leaders have been briefed and they have been instructed to prepare their LG members to give advances to the CCC project. Below is extracted from the Instruction Sheet given to all LG leaders:

For LG Leaders to help prepare LG members
FAQ - Advance to CCC
"Glorify God...Finish His Work!" John 17:4
Give an Advance ...an investment for His Kingdom!

1. Do we have Finance Ministry's approval?
Yes we do. We thank God that the Hon. Minister of Finance,
Malaysia in accordance with powers conferred by subsection
118 {1) of the Banking and Finance Institutions Act 1989
("BAFIA") has made an Exemption Order which enables
Calvary Church Kuala Lumpur to receive, take or accept Short Term
Advances from members of Calvary Church, for the purpose of
completing Phase 1 of the Calvary Convention Center (CCC) in
Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur.

2. So, what if a non-member or a Calvarite who has applied for
membership wants to give?
They can give a contribution (gift) now. And when they become
members in time to come, they can also make an Advance.
Bear in mind that all who desire to give is significant to God.


3. What is an advance?
Giving of interest-free Short Term Advances that would be
repaid within five years after the completion of Phase 1 of CCC.

4. Who can give Advance?
All church members - Voting members, Associate Members,
Junior Members & Inactive Members.

5. Why Advance?
This being one of the main ways of funding for the
CCC would minimize interest charges that may be incurred from obtaining
bank loans. Such savings can be redeployed for other programs
to further the Kingdom of God.

6. Is there a minimum or maximum amount?
No. All amount is acceptable.

7. What is our target?
At least 35 million Ringgit


8. How long is the Advance ?
Members can receive repayment beginning 2012 up till 2015.

There are a few points to note from the above explanations given.

A. It is good to see that the Board of Deacons (BOD) are now complying with the law relating to deposit-taking, which is what such advances are deemed as under BAFIA. The previous program of taking advances from members several years ago flouted the law as it was carried out without approval from Bank Negara.

However, we hope that our BOD had not made any misrepresentation in order to obtain this special approval. It would seem hard to imagine that Bank Negara would approve such taking of advances from members while fully aware that Calvary Church is not an incorporated entity under any Act and cannot be sued as proclaimed by lawyer, KK Wong at our August 2008 EGM.

Allowing the public to be exposed to the risk of losing their money is something Bank Negara will not do, so we hope that they have not been misled in any way. Remember, misrepresentation is PG’s forte (How he misrepresented CIM to NECF). Perhaps, one of the members can check out this approval with Bank Negara.

B. This Advance is taken only from members of the Church and not others. That is why they are emphasizing that those who have applied for membership can give the advances only when they are admitted into membership. You can expect to see the relaxation of requirements for membership especially to the Associate category. In this category they can have your money but you cannot vote or question them at all. It is not clear if the "contribution / gift" given by non-members and those with membership pending approval, will be "converted" automatically to Advances once they become members later.

C. It is interesting to note that even Inactive members are being encouraged to give advances to the church. While these members are NOT allowed to attend AGMs and EGMs, have no voting rights and absolutely have no say in anything, they are encouraged to give advances for the CCC. Most of the Inactive members are part of the 400 members who were stripped of their voting rights not too long ago and now PG has the cheek to ask these very same members to give!

D. Under question 3, the church has defined an Advance as “Giving of interest-free Short Term Advances that would be repaid within five years after the completion of Phase 1 of CCC”. This statement appears to contradict the answer to question 8 where the church says “Members can receive repayment beginning 2012 up till 2015”.

D1. It is not clear when exactly will be the completion date of Phase 1. It also does not spell out what Phase 1 encompasses? Is it the main sanctuary alone or the main sanctuary with the rest of the building in a state of “shell and core”? The danger is that when the church is unable to repay the members when demanded, they can very well respond that Phase 1 is still not completed.

D2. If indeed the members will be repaid “beginning 2012 till 2015”, is the BOD proclaiming that the CCC Phase 1 is now deemed completed, going by the five year tenure mentioned under question 3? (2010 till 2015 = 5 years)

D3. Assuming this is a mathematical error and assuming 2012 is the expected completion date of Phase 1, then 5 years after would be 2017. So technically, members can only be repaid from 2012 to 2017 and not “beginning 2012 till 2015”.

D4. It is also not clear if the members’ advances will be repaid at one go or spread over 5 years. All this confusion and ambiguity are the hallmark of PG and the BOD.

E. All these questions aside, the most important matter to consider is whether the church will be in a position to repay the members’ advances. The obvious answer is no.

E1. If you look into the 2009 Annual report, you will see that to complete Phase 1 (assuming this is the main sanctuary and the rest of the building being shell and core), it will require RM110 million.

E2. The church has estimated cash balance of RM26 million as at 31 December 2009. If they manage to achieve an overall surplus (including building fund) of RM8 million for this year (similar to 2009 which is very unlikely) and a surplus of RM6 million for 2011 (discounted due to dwindling congregation), they will have a total cash balance of RM40 million.

E3. If it successfully receives advances of RM35 million from the members now, the total of RM75 million is insufficient to complete Phase 1. They will need to take a bank loan of RM35 million to complete Phase 1 and this is assuming there are no additional cost as a result of the current stoppage.

E4. For 2009, the offering and tithes collection of RM7.3 million against an overhead expenditure of RM5.3 million resulted in a surplus of only RM2 million (excluding building fund). If this RM2 million yearly surplus is maintained (which is very unlikely), it will take them 30 years to repay the bank with interest calculated at only 5% per annum.

In this scenario, we have assumed that the church will continue to canvass for building fund pledges which obviously will be used foremost to complete Phase 2 with some funds kept aside to maintain the CCC. We estimate that maintenance of CCC will cost about RM4 million per year (using building wear and tear depreciation over 50 years). It will certainly require nothing less of a miracle to be able to repay the members’ advances by 2015 (Ans 8) as promised.

F. If for the above reason or for whatever other reasons your advances cannot be repaid by the church, from whom can you recover the money later on? Of course PG and the deacons have every intention to repay you but sometimes things just do not work out. Even with the best of intentions, there may simply be no money to repay you as shown above. Then what recourse do you have? You cannot sue Calvary Church because it is not a legal body.

You may be able to sue PG and the BOD because they enticed you to give the advances. (Please remember the person doing the presentation on 4 July. He will be the one you would sue first.) They may then use 1Corinthians 6 on you and tell you that you cannot sue another Christian especially if he is your senior pastor and your deacons. You could find yourself in quite a dilemma.

G. If possible, those intending to make advances should attempt to get a written "guarantee" from PG and the Deacons in their personal capacity. This will be of great use if you need to institute any legal suit later on to recover your money. This will also be helpful in the event of your demise, so that your loved ones will be able to claim back your advances with less hassle.

Below are some Basic Questions you need to ask:

1. With the granting of this advance, what will be achieved?

2. Would this funding be enough to complete the whole project?

3. If not, then what stage of the project is to be completed that would be considered as Phase 1? Otherwise they will come back later for more advances.

4. If this RM35 million advances is not enough to finish Phase 1, how much more would be needed?

5. Where are the sources for the additional financing?

6. How much cash does the church already have now?

7. Is this advance scheme meant to replace the standby line of RM35 million from Alliance Bank?

8. What assurance can the members get that their advances will be repaid?

9. How and when would the members’ advances be repaid exactly?

10. How and where are the cash flows to ensure timely repayment of the members’ advances?

11. Is there an alternative source of funding for the members’ advances to be repaid? Any assets that are not charged to the Bank that can be sold?

12. Are they hoping to later persuade or manipulate members to convert the loans into gifts?

13. Who are the members lending to?

a. Is it to Calvary Church which is not a legal entity which cannot be sued?

b. Is it to the AOG Malaysia who is in charge of CC?

c. Is it to PG and the deacons?

14. If the church fails to repay the members’ advances, from whom can the members seek redress?

15. Can PG and/or the Deacons provide any personal guarantee?

16. The CCC project has been badly managed by PG and the Deacons. Are they appointing a professional manager to oversee the project?

17. If not, what assurance are there that the project will not be abandoned mid-way again?

18. Can we still trust them enough to lend them money for this multi-million ringgit project?

19. Are there any outstanding commitments and liabilities owing to Nam Fatt or any other sub-contractor or supplier? If so, how much?

20.. Are there any outstanding commitments and liabilities owing to the architect and the consultants? If so, how much?

21. Can any one of these creditors foreclose on the project or stop the project?

22. Are there any legal suits by any of the persons associated with the project which may arise from the current stoppage?

23. What is the current project cost projection? With the additional RM36 million the construction cost would jump to RM186 million. Is this only Phase 1?

24. If Phase 1 will cost RM186 million, how much will be required to complete Phase 2?

25. What works are classified as Phase 2?

26. Have they appointed a new contractor for the project? Who is the new contractor and has adequate due diligence been done on them?

Some Do’s and Don’t's

1. Do ask PG or the Deacons for answers to the above questions. They must provide satisfactory answers to the above questions. Otherwise you would be going just on so-called faith. We all went on faith for the last few years. Look where it has taken us. Was it real faith in God or manufactured faith engineered by man? We must have faith in God and not man, no matter how clever they can talk. No matter how much we respect them.

2. Do pray and seek God for wisdom in this whole matter. He has given us a mental faculty to think and make wise decisions. On top of it, He has promised that if anyone lacks wisdom, he/she just need to ask and He will grant us wisdom.

3. Do discuss with your spouse before you commit to giving any advance because he/she should have a say in financial matters that affect your family welfare.

4. Do consider all your financial commitments in respect of your house, your family and your children’s education before you give any advance to the church. Remember that in terms of priority, after God, your family comes first before the church. So be wise in your stewardship of God’s monetary blessing on your life.

5. Don’t give any advance if you do not have any surplus funds. If you give any advance, you must be prepared to lose it. If you cannot afford to lose it, don’t give the advance.

6. Don’t borrow or take a loan in order to be able to give an advance to the church. This will be foolish. God will never ask us to give beyond what we can afford or what we have. He certainly do not want us to become burdened with debts. In fact, the Bible discourages us from borrowing although it does not prohibit borrowing.

7. Don’t withdraw or use your EPF money to give an advance to the church. Unless you have plenty to live on for the rest of your life, keep your EPF for your retirement use.

8. Don’t sell your properties and give unless, of course, God specifically ask you to do so.

9. Don’t be lured or persuaded by prosperity gospel. If God blesses you financially, it is because of His faithfulness, mercy and grace and not because you deserve it or because you give or advance some money to the church. Never give with the motive of expecting more blessings from God.

Finally, you will have to settle this in your heart and spirit. Do you truly believe without the slightest of doubt that the CCC as have been presented by PG and the BOD is God’s vision? If you believe so, then support it. If not, then use the money that God has put in your hands to bless the poor, feed the hungry, clothe the naked and minister to millions of lost and dying souls out there. This is the real heartbeat of God.

"Unless the Lord builds the house,

They labor in vain who build it;" Psalm 127:1

Who Should Christians Give To In Times Like This?

Last Sunday, our Board of Deacons (BOD) chose to continue with the yearly tradition of asking worshippers in Calvary Church to give an APPRECIATION GIFT FOR OUR CHURCH PASTORS for this Christmas season.

Christmas is a season to celebrate the BIRTH OF CHRIST or JESUS' BIRTHDAY. When we say we are celebrating Jesus' Birthday, do we bring a gift for the birthday boy or do we bring a gift for the birthday boy's servants?

This collection for the Pastors was in place of the regular Sunday offertory. By taking advantage of the Christmas season to collect an appreciation gift for the pastors, have we not ROBBED JESUS OF HIS BIRTHDAY GIFT? Or ROBBED the Church of her regular Sunday collections?

One may argue that this is the usual tradition in Calvary Church to collect an appreciation gift for our pastors. However, the BOD should be sensitive to the many financial issues that shrouds the church TODAY. Members are already questioning the BOD in arbitrary decision-making where finances are concerned including unauthorised transfer of funds without members' knowledge and making generous monetary gifts to certain invited pastors without proper due consideration. The BOD has displayed poor financial stewardship and total lack of transparency. Now, in taking up an appreciation gift last Sunday, they have obviously not taken to heart the concerns of church members to the wise use and prudence in managing church funds.

With the fears and uncertainty surrounding our abandoned CCC project and the possible financial disaster looming ahead, the members are unhappy, to put it mildly. Amidst the turmoil and crisis that Calvary Church is in today, we would have thought that our BOD would have been wiser and would have asked themselves, "WOULD A COLLECTION LIKE THIS HELP TO BRING ABOUT HEALING AND RECONCILIATION IN OUR CHURCH?"

While we pondered on this, we remembered an OPEN EMAIL written by a church member addressed to the BOD, which was sent to us last year. We hope that this letter will remind us to be wise with the blessings that God has blessed us with.

On Sat, Nov 8, 2008 at 1:11 AM, a member wrote this Open Email to the BOD:-

The Board of Deacons,
Calvary Church
2 Damansara Endah
Damansara Endah, KL

Dear Board of Deacons,

Re : Christmas Offering for Calvary Church Pastors.

The offering taken at the Worship Service on 02 November 08 for pastors and church workers serving in the missions field is commendable. These Servants of God truly deserved to be appreciated and encouraged with a love gift during Christmas time. We are like wise encouraged by their faithfullness and how they do live by Faith and not by sight in their labour of love for God's work on earth-- the Great Commission.

However, I would like the BOD to review the annual practice of collecting money for Calvary's Pastors as a Christmas -year end gift. The Congregation has been giving generously over the decades thinking, I believe like I did, that this monetary gift was like a annual 'bonus'. However, little did we know, that *everyone of them enjoyed a 13th month pay, which in the private sector is as good as a bonus. (By the way, did the BOD approved of 13th month pay? Is this Contractual?)* perhaps, except the general staff, and some others. Does the BOD know?

Although there is no transparency in the financial management of the church, and non- disclosure of salary scale (even though I had personally asked that it be disclosed during past AGM, of course noted but never ever acted by the BOD) it has been widely known that the salary drawn are very high in particular Sr Pastors. In addition to the high pay, most, including Head of Department enjoy many other perks & benefits too.

The Stipends/EPF/Socso of the Church in 2007 is close to a whooping RM3,000,000 (MILLION) excluding those of the Extended Ministries, which amounted to another RM 500,000 (Approx)

It is very sad to see how these 'leaders' who have already so much still find it appropriate to ask some more from the Congregation. (of course, it is now very difficult to distinguish if's actually the BOD, the CEO of the church, or both, who are outright insensitive to the needs of members. Frankly, many members are themselves financially stretched. And what with the global Financial Crisis to contend with. Under such circumstances It is not unexpected of any caring & loving pastor who heads a church, to show deep concern over the well being of the members in such trying times. On the contrary, we see not only NO sacrifices made, but even there is no let up in their grand lifestyle.

On this point about 'sacrifices' when will the CEO lead by example? Even deacon Patrick who had said secular good practice are adopted by the church, why then measures such as taking a salary cut, cutting wasteful expenses like business class/1st class travel, 5 Star accommodation, housing/car allowances etc, are not activated? Please take a look at how responsible and compassionate, albeit not too many, Government Leaders and Corporate Heads respond--they give rather than receive!

May the BOD see it fit to do the right thing, by not "taxing" (which is the case, honestly) the congregation further with the year end $$$ collection for those who are already more than well-off.

The BOD, however, can rest assured the members will know in their spirit, who God wants them to bless, and surely they will give generously, directly to those true servant & workers who have need, as God enables.

In the meantime, It is imperative that the BOD carry out a comprehensive review of the church's Stipends, Perks & benefits and immediately put a stop to reckless/unjustified spending. The BOD has been entrusted with the role & responsibilites for the finances of the church and thus, must be seen to act with accountablity to GOD, and the congregation whom they represent.

In God We trust,

Where Would Jesus Give To In Times Like This?

Matthew 24 : 3-8As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "… what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ, and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.

We are certainly living in the days nearing the end of the age and in troubled times indeed. The recent string of disasters all around us is a testament of that fact. We were first shocked at the fury and devastation of the super Typhoon Ketsana which has caused massive floods and destroyed houses and farms in Philippines, Vietnam and Laos since 26 September. Then, barely 3 days later, we were stunned by the massive 8.3 magnitude earthquake and tsunami which wiped out entire villages in Samoa. Almost immediately, another massive 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit Padang, Sumatra. The Sumatran earthquake tremors were even felt in many parts of Malaysia.

In all these disasters, many lives were lost, untold numbers were made homeless, entire villages were destroyed. Women became widows and children became orphans. Suffering, hardship, pain, hunger, broken lives resulted. Cries for help rang throughout the world and many are responding to the plight of these unfortunate victims.


(These photos are compiled from the Star newspaper and online resources)
Volunteers are being mobilised to go to the aid of these people. Funds are being set up and many are coming forward to give. It is everyone’s hope that their little help extended will bring some relief to the poor victims and help to wipe away their tears. But really, none of us can ever fathom or even imagine the hurt, the pain, the suffering which these fellow human beings are going through right now. Seeing such tremendous suffering around us, what should our attitude be as Christians?
Deuteronomy 15:7 - “If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother.”
Deuteronomy 26:12 - “When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.”Proverbs 14:31 - “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”1 Timothy 6:18 - “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”James 1:27 - “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
1 John 3:17 - “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?”
Proverbs 22:9 - “A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.”

Isaiah 58:10 - "And if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday."
Proverbs 19:17 - “He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.”
While the whole world is responding in compassion and mercy, here in Kuala Lumpur, the pastors of Calvary Church are busy encouraging or almost forcing the church staff and life group leaders to sell coupons for the coming Calvary carnival in an effort to raise funds to build the extravagant world-class 5,000-seat Calvary Convention Centre (CCC) costing no less than RM200 million including land.

To achieve their sales target, bundles of coupons are shoved into the hands of the church staff and life group leaders who are “encouraged” not to return unsold coupons but only to hand in the cash for the coupons. This has put unnecessary burden on the church staff and lay leaders.

There should not be a need to compel church leaders and church staff to hard sell the coupons in order to raise funds. Our God is a rich God and if indeed, the CCC is His vision and His will, He will surely provide the funds. There is no need for Senior Pastor and his pastors and deacons to worry. They just need to trust in Him and exercise the faith which they preached about.

However, every Calvarite (including the pastors and deacons, if they will be honest enough) knows that this mammoth Convention Centre, if completed, will become another white elephant which will suck every cent from the church coffers just to maintain it. Yet the leadership can be so blinded as to continue to push the members to give to the building of this centre and in the process, lay heavy yokes on the shoulders of the church members. Where is their conscience?

How can the leadership of Calvary Church say that they are followers of Jesus but continue to have their priorities totally out of sync with the heartbeat of God? Jesus did not come to build mega churches or big convention centres. He came to build lives…. period! The Bible says He came for the poor and needy, for the widows and orphans. That is what missions is all about…..touching lives and saving souls. Missions is never about buildings. Buildings can never bring glory to God. Lives touched and won for God will bring glory to God.
Therefore, in harsh and troubled times like this, when people are dying around us, when the cries of the poor and the suffering echo all around, when love and compassion are much needed, every child of God and every church ought to re-examine themselves and set their priorities right.

CalvaryToday hopes that all the funds raised in the coming Calvary carnival, bowling event and golf tournament will be totally channeled to the victims of the recent calamities. Better still, the Church should sell off the CCC project and give the proceeds to where Jesus would give to.

Matthew 19:20 “‘All these I have kept,’ the young man said. ‘What do I still lack?’ Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions (the CCC?) and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’"

So, dear Senior Pastor Tan Sri Prince Guneratnam, what say you?


AND, To all Calvarites, WHERE WOULD YOU GIVE TO IN TIMES LIKE THIS?

To read COMMENTS made by others, CLICK on "_ Comments" below. Scroll down to read the latest comments.

Pastor Phil’s Story

When Dr Lum shared the story of what happened to Pastor Phil Stevenson when he came to minister at one of our Calvary youth camps several years ago, many Calvarites were shocked at the victimization dished out by our Church on Pastor Phil. As you may recall the story, at the end of the youth camp, a love offering was collected from the youth for Pastor Phil. Many young people gave sacrificially because they were very blessed by his ministry at the camp. However, the love offering collected was never given to him, instead, it was kept by the Church. One of our associate Pastors apparently explained to Pastor Phil that the money would be used to offset his airfare here, which was “expensive”.

This ill-treatment of an invited speaker is despicable, no matter how hard, our pastors and deacons may try to explain their actions. But it is consistent with how our Church treats those they can take advantage of, whether they are visiting pastors, Calvary staff or mission workers. On the other hand, our Church is generous to those who can benefit them. How else can one explain why our Senior Pastor and Deacons gave US$10,000 to Dr Guynes for coming to chair our EGM last year and why our Senior Pastor gave S$10,000 to Rev Robert Lim for preaching in our Church for one Sunday?

As you all know, that EGM was held to “clear” all the allegations against Senior Pastor and Dr Guynes chaired and guided the EGM accordingly. As for Rev Robert, his Church was subsequently purported to have given Senior Pastor a brand new Volvo costing more than RM300,000 and Senior Pastor’s wife a brand new Honda Civic. It may be something our MACC may want to look at, if they come across our blog.

Back to Pastor Phil. Several months ago, a few core TTG brothers & sisters felt that what happened to Pastor Phil ought to be put right and so, collectively they sent a love gift to him. He responded through the email as follows:

“I am writing this email to express my thanks and heart felt love to all those who put together to give the financial gift I received when --- and--- came to Perth recently, I was humbled to see such an act of generosity and honor for the preaching of the Word of God amongst the youth of Calvary, and it appears to me that there are many sincere and wonderful people at Calvary church to whom I would love you to pass on my thanks and love.

Let me take a few moments to let you know how I have dealt with what happened at the camp. When I was told that I would not be receiving the love offering I was shocked as you can imagine. Mostly because they had told the kids that it would be given to me and I know many would have given sacrificially towards this financial gift. But God used this to help me check my motives. Why did I go and speak places? Was the gospel free as far as I was concerned? I decided that my motives were to be to bless the kids at Calvary or anywhere in fact and I should expect no financial reward for this, So a lot of good came from a bad situation as you can see.

Then a few weeks ago --- and --- arrive with your card and the financial gift that was taken up by yourself and some of the church members. I was deeply touched by this selfless act, I felt honored for the small part I played in the camp those few years ago and I was reminded that there are God's people everywhere who just want to act with integrity and righteousness. I will be telling our church community of how you have blessed me. The money by the way came at just the right time and with the exchange rate I know this is not a small amount in malaysian terms.”

Pastor Phil also shared the story of this bad experience and how God turned the situation
around into something good, in one of his sermons in his Church.

Click on the link below to hear the full sermon entitled “'3 targets of Christian Generosity' dated 19 May 2009.

http://www.perthcic.com/podcast.php

God is Always Good in All Situations To All Who Love Him and are Called By HIM!

For your easy listening, we have downloaded the sermon here. Ps Phil's sharing of his experience in Calvary is about 33mins 40 seconds into his sermon.