20/20 Hit Piece Against Christian Ministries Misrepresents Facts
by Staff
March 28, 2007
LOS ANGELES, (christiansunite.com) -- An ABC News 20/20 segment critiquing the spending practices of major Christian ministries based on unreliable information obtained from a prejudiced source mislead viewers by presenting biased opinion, innuendo and outdated and incomplete information as facts, according to Paul Crouch, Jr., Vice President of Administration for Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN)."20/20 used Wall Watchers Rusty Leonard, who has a longstanding practice of attacking ministries who are not in agreement with his brand of theology, to insinuate˜not substantiate--that many Christian ministries might not be spending their donations properly," Crouch said. "20/20 and Mr. Leonard failed to mention that ministries such as TBN, as not for profit organizations, are subject to much more stringent financial scrutiny from both the government and donors than are public or private companies."
To avoid even the appearance of the types of ministry problems inferred in the 20/20 segment, TBN has put into place self-regulating policies that keep the ministry's integrity and transparency intact, such as an independent compensation committee that recommends salaries of its top executives, maintaining debt free operations through prudent planning and wise investing, and utilizing both liquid and long term assets such as real estate to assure the long term viability of the ministry, according to Crouch. "Compliance with these policies along with the already tight regulations applied by the government for nonprofit organizations gives incredible protection and peace of mind to our donor base," said Crouch.
"TBN's transparency and 34 year history of integrity have allowed it (with God's grace) to become the most watched Christian broadcaster in the world," Crouch said. "TBN has a legacy of charity and service to the poor through its His Hand Extended outreaches at its broadcast facilities around the country. Recently, it helped to build a hospital in Haiti, and coordinated the collection and contribution of medical supplies and first-responder equipment and vehicles as part of that work. It has contributed money and resources for hurricane Katrina and Rita, and 911, relief and rebuilding, with a special focus on children traumatized by the loss of a parent and/or home."
TBN is the world's largest religious network and America's most watched faith channel. Each day TBN offers 24 hours of commercial-free inspirational programming that appeals to people in a wide variety of denominations. TBN now reaches every major continent via 54 satellites and more than 12,500 television and cable affiliates worldwide. In the United States, TBN is available to 92 percent of the total households. Its website receives more than 27 million visitors monthly. In addition to TBN, the network owns and operates seven networks, including: The Church Channel, JCTV youth network, TBN Enlace USA Spanish network, and Smile of a Child TV children's network. For more information on TBN, visit www.tbn.org.
