“For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs,” from 1 Timothy 6:10 in the New International Version of the Bible.
While the Christian faith is often associated with grace, humility and righteousness, megachurch pastors live lives of luxury while God’s children starve in the streets. Private jets, plastic surgery, designer clothes, large church compounds filled with the latest in event technology and more are commonly found in the purchase history of megachurches.
This corruption goes all the way to the White House with President Trump’s appointed faith adviser televangelist Paula White. White has been a pastor since the late ‘80s but truly rose to popularity in the ‘90s when her congregation, without Walls International Church reported 5,000 weekly attendees.
This popularity would soon lead to a $1.5 million contract in 2001 with Black Entertainment Television to bring White to televisions across America with her new show, “Paula White Today.” The following year, White received a phone call from Donald Trump commending her for the show which led to their long friendship as she became his personal minister.
Now I am not a pastor, I have no ill will with Christianity or with any other religion. That being said I come from a Christian family and have been to church for a large part of my life. I am a practicing Christian (heavy emphasis on practicing) and I am finding out what religion means to me personally in my young adult life.
Even though I am still questioning my relationship with religion, I strongly believe that this is bullshit.
I am not saying that just because White and other televangelists are rich, and that means to me that they are ineffectual. Billy Graham, who was largely popular from the 1940s-1990s, accumulated $25 million by his death at 99 in 2018. Graham was a very popular and prosperous televangelist who preached to over 200 million people in 185 countries.
“Who in the Bible spoke out the strongest against greed or pride (or any other sin)?” said Graham on his website’s questions and answers page. “The answer is Jesus and when someone claims to be a follower of Christ and yet allows greed or pride to control them, then they’re not following Jesus’ clear teaching.”
Graham led his congregation with financial transparency, by avoiding scandals and refusing to rely on excessive profits from his ministry. Graham famously wrote and published the “Modesto Manifesto,” a printed code of ethics on avoiding temptation and corruption financially.
Paula White on the other hand, has owned a condominium in Trump Tower since she befriended Trump. By Trump’s first campaign for president in 2016, White freshly married Journey’s keyboardist and moved into a $1.125 million mansion in Akopa, Florida.
White is not only just friends with Trump, but is believed to use her role as a pastor to cater to Evangelical Christians to get their vote for Donald Trump despite allegations and controversy towards him.
On the Jim Baker Show, White made headlines in the Christian Post for implying that Christians will face judgment by not voting for Trump.
“”You’re going to have to make a decision that won’t just be held accountable here for how things turn out for you, your children, your grandchildren, but you’re going to have to stand accountable before God one day,” said White on Baker’s Show. “If you cannot align with the word of God, I don’t see it.”
For Passover 2025, White posted a video on her website that was later taken down due to controversy. White claimed that if donors give $1,000 they will receive spiritual gifts. Seven gifts she called “spiritual blessings.”
You can still find the video through third-party sites but there is no longer an official source from White to find the video. She has denied the controversy and has labeled it a “deceptive smear” to the Christian Post. That being said, this has not been the first time White has asked for a large donation from her congregation to buy a private jet. In 2016 White advertised “Resurrection Seeds” to her congregation.
“There’s someone that God is speaking to, to click on that donation button by minimizing the screen. And when you do, to sow $1,144,” she said to the Christian Post in 2016. “It’s not often I ask very specifically but God has instructed me and I want you to hear. This isn’t for everyone but this is for someone. When you sow that $1,144 based on John 11:44, I believe for resurrection life.”
I can see a future for me to follow a truly Christ centered life but I am deeply worried by Christianity’s future in this America. Jesus represents more than capitalism, He is more than the White House, and He represents more than America.
