Bizarre, Religion, Society

The Lord Will Not Provide: Religious Organizations Firing Employees Due to Lack of Contributions

thumb_bag_of_moneyIt appears that the economy is hitting evangelical groups and universities — once thought to be recession-proof. Both Oral Roberts University and Focuc on the Family have announced major layoffs. The Oral Roberts layoffs come shortly after a settlement with the founder’s son.

Oral Roberts University will lay off ten percent of its workforce. The school has been embroiled in a scandal involving the son of its founder, who is accused of using the University as a private fiefdom for himself and his wife.

The layoffs come after the school agreed to a roughly $450,000 separation agreement with its former president who resigned amid a spending scandal. That is a remarkably good deal for former president Richard Roberts, given the allegations of fraud and waste. Under the terms released Friday, ORU will pay Roberts his $223,600 annual salary for the remaining term of his appointment, which was to run through November 2009.

It appears that roughly 100 people will help pay for the settlement. The struggling school an annual budget of $91.8 million and is more than $17 million in debt.

It is not like the old days when Oral Roberts could threaten that God would “take him home” unless people sent him thousands of dollars.

For its part, Focus on the Family announced that it would fire 202 employees — roughly 20 percent of its workforce. 2
The group pumped considerable money in the successful California Proposition 8 fight against same-sex marriage.

Focus spokesman Gary Schneeberger confirmed that more layoffs are being planned. They blame the economy and falling contributions for the layoffs.

For the story on Oral Roberts, click here.

For the story on Focus on the Family, click here.

17 thoughts on “The Lord Will Not Provide: Religious Organizations Firing Employees Due to Lack of Contributions”

  1. Sounds yummy, although I would be tempted to ‘Up’ the spices’, myself.

    My favorite ‘homemade’ barbecue sauce uses chile sauce, but when I don’t have it on hand, I use ketchup. Lately, I found Heinz makes one ketchup ‘organically’ and without high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). It’s very good!

    I try to stay away from products containing HCFS as much as possible – including chile sauce… 😉

  2. Patty C:

    I am trying to brine a turkey breast with this recipe. Will report on the outcome. Come on spring time:

    3/4 cup salt
    1 bone-in turkey breast (about 6 lb)
    Rub
    1 Tbsp paprika
    1 Tbsp chili powder
    1 Tbsp granulated sugar
    1 Tbsp brown sugar
    1 tsp salt
    1 tsp freshly ground pepper
    2 Tbsp oil
    Cranberry-Orange Barbecue Sauce (recipe
    follows)

    Cooking Instructions
    Put salt and 2 cups very hot water in a tall 8-qt pot. Stir until salt dissolves. Add 2 cups ice
    cubes; stir until water is cold. Place turkey in pot, skin side down, and add enough cold water to
    cover. Stir brine around turkey, cover pot and refrigerate at least 12 hours, or overnight.
    Rub: Mix ingredients, except oil, in a bowl. Stir in oil.
    Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for covered indirect grilling over medium heat. Have ready a
    disposable foil roasting pan.
    Remove turkey from brine; pat dry with paper towels. Rub spice mixture over breast, working
    some under skin. Place in foil pan.
    Place pan on grill rack as grill manufacturer directs for indirect cooking. Cover grill and cook 11⁄2
    to 2 hours, or until an instant read thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast, not touching
    bone, registers 165°F. Remove turkey to cutting board; let rest 30 minutes before slicing. Serve
    with Cranberry-Orange Barbecue sauce.

    Cranberry-Orange Barbecue Sauce
    Makes 31⁄2 cups Active: 10 min/Total: 35 min
    Planning Tip: Refrigerate covered up to 2 days. Reheat to serve.
    cups ketchup
    can (8 oz) jellied cranberry sauce, cut in small pieces
    small onion, chopped
    ⁄2 cup orange juice
    ⁄4 cup red-wine vinegar
    Tbsp each yellow mustard and Worcestershire sauce

  3. Hay mespo – Happy Wabbits! Just a thought…

    I am now suspect of the unsolicited ‘Resurrection’, if you will, of ‘Blog Entries Past’ or ‘beeps’ as I now dub them
    – if you get my drift…

    p.s What are we cooking this weekend? I’m doing the obligatory LoL – boned, marinated, and grilled. Yeh, Spring! 🙂

  5. azoptimist:

    “… only God’s omnipotence and wisdom are eternal.”

    ******************

    Someone should ask Him then why He didn’t foresee this and do something about it before now.

  6. Unfortunately, the devil speaks from the pulpit. God, I believe, provides our needs, not our wants. Church leaders should let God work THROUGH them; after all, human abilities are small and finite; only God’s omnipotence and wisdom are eternal.

  7. Pingback: B’Man’s Sabbath Watch: Must Not Have Prayed Enough… « BuelahMan’s Redstate Revolt

  8. I would love to see some investigation on the perks that the so-called ministers continue to enjoy while the rank and file enter the holiday season out of work and, no doubt, scared to death. IS THIS THE TRUE ‘WAR ON CHRISTMAS’?

  9. Rafflaw,

    Be sure to look up November 19 in the ‘Holy Days’ of the subgenius in the wikipedia article.

  11. Sorry about that rafflaw,

    I thought you were referring to (google this) Bob Dobson church of the subgenius.

  12. I am always amazed at the ebb and flow of history. Six years ago these institutions were setting the political and social agenda with the outright support of the White House. Now they are struggling to survive amid a sea change in public sentiment. They are like vampires though laying dormant to rise again on the next tide of intolerance and fear.

    “Full fathom five thy father lies,
    Of his bones are coral made,
    Those are pearls that were his eyes,
    Nothing of him that doth fade,
    But doth suffer a sea change,
    into something rich and strange,
    Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell,
    Ding-dong.
    Hark! now I hear them, ding-dong, bell.”

    –The Tempest

  13. Bob,Esq.,
    I am sorry, but I don’t follow what Dr. Dobson has to do with Bob. Are you referring to yourself? All I am saying is that the Focus on the Family spent millions to try to take away a civil right of a segment of our society, and now they are crying poor and have to lay people off. Maybe Dr. Dobson should have saved the organization’s money and some people could still have a job and the gays and lesbians would still have their right to marry whomever they choose. That was all I was trying to say.

  14. Rafflaw,

    “I wonder if Dr. Dobson took a paycut to help out his followers?”

    So, would that be about Bob giving slack or taking slack?

    Or should we give you some slack?

    Give us some slack will ya rafflaw.

  15. It is such a shame that so-called people of faith cannot pay their bills due to economic struggles. I wonder if Dr. Dobson took a paycut to help out his followers?

  16. Like my grandfather used to say, “The Lord giveth, but Oral Roberts taketh and taketh and taketh . . .”

  17. Hi,

    Just wondering around the blog world and want to say have a good thanksgiving, from my blog to yours. And posted a funny thanksgiving card to view for my fellow bloggers, so stop by at drunkdreamer8.com and enjoy

    Be blessed
    C. Apana

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