Crown Financial Ministries
Encyclopedia
Crown Financial Ministries is a nondenominational, evangelical
Christian
ministry with the mission of equipping Christians around the world to learn, apply and teach financial principles which they claim are based on the Bible
. The ministry's goal is to teach 300 million people by September 2015.
's Christian Financial Concepts, (founded 1976), and Howard Dayton
's Crown Ministries, (founded 1985). However, Burkett focused his ministry on mass media, (his radio show, Money Matters and a number of books), while Dayton focused on activities within churches.
The two had met in the 1990s and quickly became friends; they considered the merger logical due to the near-identical mission of their two groups. Burkett was chairman of the board of the combined entity until his 2003 cancer-related death; Dayton was CEO since the time of the merger until 2007 when Chuck Bentley became CEO.
Its message is similar to the message given by financial talk show host Dave Ramsey
, claiming that getting out of debt and controlling one's expectation of living are two important parts of Christian discipleship. In fact, Dave Ramsey credits the late Larry Burkett as one of his mentors who helped him get out of debt and form his thoughts and ideas on finances. While they acknowledge there is no direct admonition in the Bible against assuming debt, they heavily discourage taking it on.
Some Christian financial planners, such as Gary Moore, criticize Crown for what they consider an aversion to taking on debt.
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
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
ministry with the mission of equipping Christians around the world to learn, apply and teach financial principles which they claim are based on the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. The ministry's goal is to teach 300 million people by September 2015.
Background
It was formed in 2000 by a merger of Larry BurkettLarry Burkett
Larry Burkett was an American author and radio personality whose work focused on financial counseling from an evangelical Christian point of view. Burkett was born the fifth of eight children. After completing high school in Winter Garden, Florida, he entered the U.S...
's Christian Financial Concepts, (founded 1976), and Howard Dayton
Howard Dayton
Howard Dayton was born on October 7, 1943, in Daytona Beach, Florida. After graduating from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University in 1967, he served two and...
's Crown Ministries, (founded 1985). However, Burkett focused his ministry on mass media, (his radio show, Money Matters and a number of books), while Dayton focused on activities within churches.
The two had met in the 1990s and quickly became friends; they considered the merger logical due to the near-identical mission of their two groups. Burkett was chairman of the board of the combined entity until his 2003 cancer-related death; Dayton was CEO since the time of the merger until 2007 when Chuck Bentley became CEO.
Activities
- A radio show, Crown Radio: Money Matters was hosted by Dayton and Steve Moore, and aired on 1,100 radio stations. An estimated 2,000,000 listeners in the US listen to the program, which is also aired in Africa, Australia and China. A Spanish-language version is aired in 23 countries. As of April 1, 2008, the show has been renamed MoneyLife and hosted by Chuck Bentley. Howard Dayton has stepped aside as host and CEO to focus on writing books and speaking, but remains actively involved in Crown, according to their website.
- Training volunteer "Money Map" coaches (there are currently over 10,000) to assist individuals and families.
- Various activities (small-group studies, workshops and seminars) with churches of all denominations.
- Selling guides for career management and computer software.
- Providing financial guides for children and teens.
Its message is similar to the message given by financial talk show host Dave Ramsey
Dave Ramsey
David L. Ramsey III is an American financial author, radio host, television personality, and motivational speaker.Ramsey's syndicated radio program The Dave Ramsey Show is promoted with a tagline that "It's about your life and your money," and it is heard on over 450 radio stations throughout the...
, claiming that getting out of debt and controlling one's expectation of living are two important parts of Christian discipleship. In fact, Dave Ramsey credits the late Larry Burkett as one of his mentors who helped him get out of debt and form his thoughts and ideas on finances. While they acknowledge there is no direct admonition in the Bible against assuming debt, they heavily discourage taking it on.
Some Christian financial planners, such as Gary Moore, criticize Crown for what they consider an aversion to taking on debt.
External links
- www.crown.org - the ministry's website
- http://www.ministrywatch.com/mw2.1/F_FullRpt.asp?EIN=581260812 - a history and financial profile of the ministry
- http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/005/23.40.html - May 2006 article from Christianity Today about Crown, Dave Ramsey and Gary Moore