|
CONGREGATIONS
Is the 'prosperity gospel' prospering?
IN
THE NORTHEAST
• David Wayne Machacek is a resident fellow and visiting assistant professor
of public policy at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. He has written about
the prosperity gospel for Contemporary American Religion (Macmillan,
2000). Contact 860-297-4233, david.machacek@trincoll.edu.
• Scott
Thumma is a professor of sociology and religion at the Hartford Seminary
in Hartford, Conn. He is an expert on megachurches
and can discuss how widespread the prosperity gospel is among their congregations.
Contact 860-509-9571, sthumma@hartsem.edu.
IN
THE EAST
• Bishop C. Milton Grannum is the founder and senior pastor of the
New Covenant Church
of Philadelphia. He has been critical of prosperity gospel, saying God blesses
people with prosperity not so they can buy cars, but so they can share with
others. Contact 215-247-7500.
• Maria
Luisa Tucker is a staff writer at AlterNet, a blog site, and associate editor
of the Columbia Journal of American Studies. In January 2006, she posted
a blog
entry linking the rise and fall of prosperity gospel to national politics.
Contact her in New York City, mt2168@columbia.edu.
• Sondra
Ely Wheeler is a professor of Christian ethics at Wesley Theological Seminary
in Washington, D.C. She has written about what the New Testament says about
money and possessions and can discuss the theological background and implications
of prosperity gospel. Contact 202-885-8757, swheeler@wesleysem.edu.
IN
THE SOUTHEAST
•
Clint Brown is the pastor of Faith World Outreach Center in Orlando, Fla. He
has urged members to give sacrificially so that their "blessings increase" and
bring them more material wealth. Contact 407-292-8888.
• Mike Macdonald is pastor of Broad
Street United Methodist Church in Mooresville, N.C. He has written newspaper
columns critical of prosperity gospel. Contact 704-663-2161, midemac@adelphia.net.
• Leo Sandon is an emeritus professor of religion and American studies
at Florida State University in Tallahassee. He has described prosperity gospel
as more "magic" than traditional Christian theology. Contact lsandon@garnet.acns.fsu.edu.
• John Sullivan is executive director and treasurer of the Florida
Baptist Convention in Jacksonville. He has written
about prosperity gospel as deviant from true biblical teaching. Contact 800-226-8584
ext. 3015.
• Walter
L. Woodrick is a certified financial planner and author of Family, Finances
… and Faith: An Understandable Guide to Life's Priorities (Priority
Pubishing, 2004). He lives in Lynn Haven, Fla. Contact via Priority Publishing,
850-832-9663, or his web
site.
• Stephanie
Mitchem is a professor of womanist theology and African-American spirituality
at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, S.C. She is the author of Name
It and Claim It? Prosperity Preaching in the Black Church (Pilgrim Press,
2006). Contact 803-777-3627, mitchesy@gwm.sc.edu.
IN
THE SOUTH
• Forrest
Harris is director of the Kelly Miller Smith Institute on African-American
Church Studies at Vanderbilt University Divinity School in Nashville, Tenn.
He teaches courses on the theology of ministry in the black church tradition.
Contact 615-343-3981, forrest.e.harris@vanderbilt.edu.
• Shayne
Lee is an assistant professor of sociology at Tulane University in New Orleans.
He is the author of T.D. Jakes: America's New Preacher (New York University
Press, 2005). Contact 504-862-3088, slee5@tulane.edu.
IN
THE MIDWEST
• Alan
Branch is a professor of Christian ethics at Midwestern Baptist Theological
Seminary in Kansas City, Mo. He wrote an article
for The Baptist Messenger about prosperity gospel and Joel Osteen's
relation to it. Contact abranch@mbts.edu.
• David
G. Myers is a professor of psychology at Hope College in Holland, Mich. He has
written
about the pursuit of happiness and consumerism. Contact 616-395-7730, myers@hope.edu.
• Rod
Parsley is the pastor of World Harvest Church in Columbus, Ohio, and the
author of God's Answer to Insufficient Funds (Harrison House, 1992).
He has said people have "sinned" by trying to make others ashamed
of the wealth in their lives. Contact 614-837-1990.
• Jeremiah
Wright is the pastor of Trinity
United Church of Christ in Chicago. He has been critical of megachurches
that preach prosperity gospel. Contact 773-962-5650.
IN
THE SOUTHWEST
• Frederick
Haynes III is the senior pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas.
He helped organize a conference for African-American pastors concerned about
the spread and use of prosperity gospel, especially among African-Americans.
Contact 214-371-2029.
• Anthony
B. Pinn is a professor of humanities and religious studies at Rice University
in Houston. He has been critical of the prosperity gospel preached in some black
megachurches for its lack of emphasis on community service and charity. Contact
713-348-2710, pinn@rice.edu.
• Joerg
Rieger is a professor of systematic theology at Southern Methodist University
in Dallas. He is an expert on mainline Protestant denominations and says some
of those churches, while they do not teach a prosperity gospel, share a "prosperity
mentality" when they preach that "good things happen to good people."
Contact 214-768-2356, jrieger@smu.edu.
• Nasir
Siddiki is the founder of Wisdom
Ministries in Tulsa, Okla. He is the author of Kingdom Principles of
Financial Increase (Wisdom Ministries, 1998) and speaks frequently to businesspeople.
Contact 918-712-7122.
IN
THE WEST/NORTHWEST
• Michael
Scott Horton is a professor of theology and apologetics at Westminster Theological
Seminary in Escondido, Calif. He has called prosperity gospel a "wild and
wacky theology." Contact 760-480-8474, mshorton@wscal.edu.
• Arlene
Sanchez Walsh is an associate professor at Azusa Pacific University's Haggard
School of Theology in Azusa, Calif. She studies Hispanic Pentecostals and the
influence of the prosperity gospel in America. She believes prosperity gospel
is gaining in popularity. Contact 626-815-5439, Asanchez-walsh@apu.edu.
• Steven
Leder is a Reform rabbi at the Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles.
He is the author of More Money Than God: Living a Rich Life Without Losing
Your Soul (Bonus Books, 2004). Contact via Ruth Stoch, 213-388-2401, rstoch@wbtla.org.
|
