St. Matthew's Churches
Encyclopedia
St. Matthew's Churches, formally St. Matthew Publishing Inc., is an evangelical
"Christian ministry". It is primarily a mail-based "ministry" with an address in Tulsa, Oklahoma
, with churches in New York
and Houston. In 1999 St. Matthew Publishing Inc. reported $26.8 million in revenue. In 2007, it reportedly earned $6 million a month.
, was born in 1933 and has written fundraising letters for other evangelists, including Oral Roberts
as well as Don Stewart
, WV Grant, and Rex Humbard
.
Ewing operates Church by Mail Inc., which had a several decade long struggle with the IRS before being denied tax-exemption in 1992, which was appealed. Ewing was a revivalist in the 1960s with revenue at $2 million. He then began writing fundraising letters for Oral Roberts
. By 1971 Ewing renamed organization Church of Compassion as a "mail-order church with half a million 'members'" with income exceeding $3 million. In 1979 he started for-profit advertising and printing "to provide printing and mailing services to nonprofit religious groups." Then in 1980 his business Church by Mail applied for tax-exemption. However, by the 1990s his businesses owed back taxes to state and federal agencies. Nonetheless, in 1993 he bought a $2.2 million, 6400 square feet (594.6 m²) home above Beverly Hills. Subsequently, a year later the U.S. Tax Court ruled Church by Mail Inc. is "operated for private rather than public interests" and "is not a church" within the meaning of federal tax laws.
Although for several years the ministry operated without a church building and conducted its direct mail
donation operation through the Tulsa address, a physical location to hold services — a then-78-year-old Baptist church in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood — was purchased in Houston in 2004. St. Matthew's Churches' lawyer says weekly services draw about 1,000 people. According to the Trinity Foundation
, an evangelical watchdog group, the physical churches are only associated with the mail-based ministry as a cover that allows the lucrative operation to retain tax-exempt church status. The status was granted by the Internal Revenue Service
in 2000 after a 17-year court battle.
One of their mailings consisted of a paper "prayer rug", on which recipients were encouraged to kneel and pray. This mailing, along with others, have been mentioned by the Attorney General
of the State of Arkansas
, among others, as not providing information about their financial and fundraising practices. While the ministry does hold tax exemption
status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
, it has been the subject of numerous complaints to the Better Business Bureau
, whose evaluation conclusion was that the organization did not meet two standards for Charity Accountability.
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
"Christian ministry". It is primarily a mail-based "ministry" with an address in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, with churches in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Houston. In 1999 St. Matthew Publishing Inc. reported $26.8 million in revenue. In 2007, it reportedly earned $6 million a month.
Origins
The ministry is led by its founder James Eugene "Gene" Ewing, a former tent minister, who, according to the Trinity Foundation, lives in Beverly Hills, California. Ewing, a native of Kaufman, TexasKaufman, Texas
Kaufman is a city in Kaufman County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,490 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Kaufman County.-Geography:Kaufman is located at ....
, was born in 1933 and has written fundraising letters for other evangelists, including Oral Roberts
Oral Roberts
Granville "Oral" Roberts was an American Pentecostal televangelist and a Christian charismatic. He founded the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association and Oral Roberts University....
as well as Don Stewart
Don Stewart (preacher)
Don Stewart is a Pentecostal minister and faith healer. He is a televangelist who hosts "Power and Mercy" on Black Entertainment Television, The Word Network, and other television channels...
, WV Grant, and Rex Humbard
Rex Humbard
Alpha Rex Emmanuel Humbard was a well-known American television evangelist whose Cathedral of Tomorrow show was shown on over 600 stations at the peak of its popularity....
.
Ewing operates Church by Mail Inc., which had a several decade long struggle with the IRS before being denied tax-exemption in 1992, which was appealed. Ewing was a revivalist in the 1960s with revenue at $2 million. He then began writing fundraising letters for Oral Roberts
Oral Roberts
Granville "Oral" Roberts was an American Pentecostal televangelist and a Christian charismatic. He founded the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association and Oral Roberts University....
. By 1971 Ewing renamed organization Church of Compassion as a "mail-order church with half a million 'members'" with income exceeding $3 million. In 1979 he started for-profit advertising and printing "to provide printing and mailing services to nonprofit religious groups." Then in 1980 his business Church by Mail applied for tax-exemption. However, by the 1990s his businesses owed back taxes to state and federal agencies. Nonetheless, in 1993 he bought a $2.2 million, 6400 square feet (594.6 m²) home above Beverly Hills. Subsequently, a year later the U.S. Tax Court ruled Church by Mail Inc. is "operated for private rather than public interests" and "is not a church" within the meaning of federal tax laws.
Operations and fundraising
The ministry has been accused of preying on the very low income and the elderly by using census records to target their mailings. Initial mailings often only speak of the "power of prayer"; once a recipient responds and is placed on the church mailing list, they are targeted with letters saying that monetary donations are required for their prayers to be answered.Although for several years the ministry operated without a church building and conducted its direct mail
Direct mail
Advertising mail, also known as direct mail, junk mail, or admail, is the delivery of advertising material to recipients of postal mail. The delivery of advertising mail forms a large and growing service for many postal services, and direct-mail marketing forms a significant portion of the direct...
donation operation through the Tulsa address, a physical location to hold services — a then-78-year-old Baptist church in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood — was purchased in Houston in 2004. St. Matthew's Churches' lawyer says weekly services draw about 1,000 people. According to the Trinity Foundation
Trinity Foundation (Dallas)
The Trinity Foundation is a watchdog ministry founded by Ole Anthony in 1972 and based in Dallas, Texas .Trinity has primarily investigated televangelists such as Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Joyce Meyer, Paula White, Robert Tilton, W.V. Grant, pastor Edwin Barry Young, and the Trinity...
, an evangelical watchdog group, the physical churches are only associated with the mail-based ministry as a cover that allows the lucrative operation to retain tax-exempt church status. The status was granted by the Internal Revenue Service
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
in 2000 after a 17-year court battle.
One of their mailings consisted of a paper "prayer rug", on which recipients were encouraged to kneel and pray. This mailing, along with others, have been mentioned by the Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
of the State of Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, among others, as not providing information about their financial and fundraising practices. While the ministry does hold tax exemption
Tax exemption
Various tax systems grant a tax exemption to certain organizations, persons, income, property or other items taxable under the system. Tax exemption may also refer to a personal allowance or specific monetary exemption which may be claimed by an individual to reduce taxable income under some...
status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code
Internal Revenue Code
The Internal Revenue Code is the domestic portion of Federal statutory tax law in the United States, published in various volumes of the United States Statutes at Large, and separately as Title 26 of the United States Code...
, it has been the subject of numerous complaints to the Better Business Bureau
Better Business Bureau
The Better Business Bureau , founded in 1912, is a corporation consisting of several private business franchises of local BBB organizations based in the United States and Canada, which work through their parent corporation, the Council of Better Business Bureaus .The Better Business Bureau, through...
, whose evaluation conclusion was that the organization did not meet two standards for Charity Accountability.
External links
- Saint Matthew's Churches- Official
- JamesEugeneEwing.com- Official