Creflo Dollar
Encyclopedia
Creflo Augustus Dollar, Jr. is an American
Word of Faith
teacher, pastor, and the founder of the non-denominational World Changers Church International based in Fulton County
, Georgia. Creflo Dollar Ministerial Association (formerly called International Covenant Ministries), Creflo Dollar Ministries, and Arrow Records. Each of these enterprises is overseen by Dollar and his wife, Taffi Dollar.
degree in education from West Georgia College in Carrollton, Georgia
. He was awarded an honorary
Doctor of Divinity
from Oral Roberts University
in 1998.
Dollar indicates that he received the vision for World Changers Ministries Christian Center in 1986. He held the church's first worship service in the cafeteria of Kathleen Mitchell Elementary School in College Park, Georgia
, with only eight people in attendance and successfully receiving over $100 in contributions from those present. Over the years the ministry has grown rapidly and was renamed World Changers Church International (WCCI). As of 2007, the congregation has grown to 30,000 members with $69 million in revenue (gross cash collections) for 2006. The congregation moved from its original cafeteria location to a modest-sized chapel, adding a weekly radio broadcast and four services each Sunday. On December 24, 1995, WCCI moved into its present location, the 8,500-seat sanctuary known as the World Dome. At a cost of nearly $18 million, it is claimed that the World Dome was built without any bank financing.
Dollar is also the publisher of CHANGE magazine, a quarterly international publication with nearly 100,000 subscribers and The Max, a bimonthly resource newsletter for ministers and ministry leaders.
Creflo Dollar also frequently speaks at conferences and is a best selling author. Dollar and his wife, Taffi, have five children and live in Atlanta.
. He has been criticized for his lavish lifestyle as he owns two Rolls-Royces, a private jet, a million dollar home in Atlanta, and a 2.5 million dollar home in Manhattan. Dollar has refused to disclose his salary and Creflo Dollar Ministries received a grade of "F" for financial transparency by the organization MinistryWatch.
Dollar was subpoenaed during divorce proceedings between heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield
and Holyfield's second wife, Janice Itson, after Itson alleged that Holyfield had donated $7 million to Dollar's ministry just before he filed for divorce. Dollar refused to yield his financial records, but avoided contempt of court charges when the divorce was settled out of court.
of Iowa
announced an investigation of several ministries by the United States Senate Committee on Finance. Grassley asked for financial information to determine whether Dollar made any personal profit from financial donations and requested that Dollar's ministry make the information available by December 6, 2007. The investigation also asked for information from five other televangelists: Benny Hinn
, Kenneth Copeland
, Eddie L. Long, Joyce Meyer
, and Paula White
.
On March 16, 2009, Grassley, now only an individual Senator on the committee, stated "My staff and I continue to review the information we’ve received from the ministries that cooperated, and we continue to weigh our options for the ministries that have not cooperated," noting that two of the ministries, Benny Hinn
and Joyce Meyer
, gave full financial disclosure. Dollar has contested the probe, arguing that the proper governmental entity to examine religious groups is the IRS, not the Committee on Finance.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Word of Faith
Word of Faith
Word of Faith is a family of Christian churches as well as a label applied by some observers to a teaching movement kindred to many Pentecostal and charismatic churches and individuals worldwide. The basic doctrine preached is that of salvation through Jesus Christ and what that salvation entails...
teacher, pastor, and the founder of the non-denominational World Changers Church International based in Fulton County
Fulton County, Georgia
Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. Its county seat is Atlanta, the state capital since 1868 and the principal county of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
, Georgia. Creflo Dollar Ministerial Association (formerly called International Covenant Ministries), Creflo Dollar Ministries, and Arrow Records. Each of these enterprises is overseen by Dollar and his wife, Taffi Dollar.
Biography
In 1984, Dollar received a Bachelor of ScienceBachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in education from West Georgia College in Carrollton, Georgia
Carrollton, Georgia
Carrollton is a city in West Georgia, United States, in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,388...
. He was awarded an honorary
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
from Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University , based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States, is an interdenominational, Charismatic Christian, comprehensive university with an enrollment of about 3,790 students from 49 U.S. states along with a significant number of international students from 70 countries...
in 1998.
Dollar indicates that he received the vision for World Changers Ministries Christian Center in 1986. He held the church's first worship service in the cafeteria of Kathleen Mitchell Elementary School in College Park, Georgia
College Park, Georgia
College Park is a city located partly in Fulton County, Georgia and partially in Clayton County, Georgia, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 13,942...
, with only eight people in attendance and successfully receiving over $100 in contributions from those present. Over the years the ministry has grown rapidly and was renamed World Changers Church International (WCCI). As of 2007, the congregation has grown to 30,000 members with $69 million in revenue (gross cash collections) for 2006. The congregation moved from its original cafeteria location to a modest-sized chapel, adding a weekly radio broadcast and four services each Sunday. On December 24, 1995, WCCI moved into its present location, the 8,500-seat sanctuary known as the World Dome. At a cost of nearly $18 million, it is claimed that the World Dome was built without any bank financing.
Dollar is also the publisher of CHANGE magazine, a quarterly international publication with nearly 100,000 subscribers and The Max, a bimonthly resource newsletter for ministers and ministry leaders.
Creflo Dollar also frequently speaks at conferences and is a best selling author. Dollar and his wife, Taffi, have five children and live in Atlanta.
Controversy
Dollar is known for his controversial teachings of Prosperity theologyProsperity theology
Prosperity theology or gospel is a Christian religious belief whose proponents claim the Bible teaches that financial blessing is the will of God for Christians. Most teachers of prosperity theology maintain that a combination of faith, positive speech, and donations to Christian ministries will...
. He has been criticized for his lavish lifestyle as he owns two Rolls-Royces, a private jet, a million dollar home in Atlanta, and a 2.5 million dollar home in Manhattan. Dollar has refused to disclose his salary and Creflo Dollar Ministries received a grade of "F" for financial transparency by the organization MinistryWatch.
Dollar was subpoenaed during divorce proceedings between heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield is a professional boxer from the United States. He is a former undisputed world champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, earning him the nickname "The Real Deal"...
and Holyfield's second wife, Janice Itson, after Itson alleged that Holyfield had donated $7 million to Dollar's ministry just before he filed for divorce. Dollar refused to yield his financial records, but avoided contempt of court charges when the divorce was settled out of court.
Senate investigation
On November 6, 2007, United States Senator Chuck GrassleyChuck Grassley
Charles Ernest "Chuck" Grassley is the senior United States Senator from Iowa . A member of Republican Party, he previously served in the served in the United States House of Representatives and the Iowa state legislature...
of Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
announced an investigation of several ministries by the United States Senate Committee on Finance. Grassley asked for financial information to determine whether Dollar made any personal profit from financial donations and requested that Dollar's ministry make the information available by December 6, 2007. The investigation also asked for information from five other televangelists: Benny Hinn
Benny Hinn
Toufik Benedictus "Benny" Hinn הין; born December 3, 1952) is a televangelist, best known for his regular "Miracle Crusades" – revival meeting/faith healing summits that are usually held in large stadiums in major cities, which are later broadcast worldwide on his television program, This Is Your...
, Kenneth Copeland
Kenneth Copeland
Kenneth Copeland is an American author, public speaker, and televangelist. He is the founder of Kenneth Copeland Ministries, which preaches a “prosperity gospel”: "Prosperity gospel assures followers that the more they give including in the form of tithes to the church, the more they will receive...
, Eddie L. Long, Joyce Meyer
Joyce Meyer
Joyce Meyer is a Charismatic Christian author and speaker. Meyer and her husband Dave have four grown children, and live outside St. Louis, Missouri. Her ministry is headquartered in the St. Louis suburb of Fenton, Missouri.-Early life:Meyer was born Pauline Joyce Hutchison in south St. Louis in...
, and Paula White
Paula White
Paula Michelle White is a Christian author, speaker, and church leader. She is co-founder of Without Walls International Church; a large, influential, non-denominational, charismatic church with two locations in Florida...
.
On March 16, 2009, Grassley, now only an individual Senator on the committee, stated "My staff and I continue to review the information we’ve received from the ministries that cooperated, and we continue to weigh our options for the ministries that have not cooperated," noting that two of the ministries, Benny Hinn
Benny Hinn
Toufik Benedictus "Benny" Hinn הין; born December 3, 1952) is a televangelist, best known for his regular "Miracle Crusades" – revival meeting/faith healing summits that are usually held in large stadiums in major cities, which are later broadcast worldwide on his television program, This Is Your...
and Joyce Meyer
Joyce Meyer
Joyce Meyer is a Charismatic Christian author and speaker. Meyer and her husband Dave have four grown children, and live outside St. Louis, Missouri. Her ministry is headquartered in the St. Louis suburb of Fenton, Missouri.-Early life:Meyer was born Pauline Joyce Hutchison in south St. Louis in...
, gave full financial disclosure. Dollar has contested the probe, arguing that the proper governmental entity to examine religious groups is the IRS, not the Committee on Finance.
External links
- Official Biography
- Creflo Dollar Ministries homepage
- World Changers Church International homepage
- World Changers Church-New York homepage
- Creflo Dollar Sermons Delivered at Kenneth Copeland Believers Conventions
- National Public Radio story
- Copy of Senator Grassley's letter to Creflo Dollar
- http://interactive.creflodollarministries.org/magland.asp?site=CDM