False Prophet Oral Roberts
The Pentecostal pastor prophesies special prophecies in church publicly
over different members that God is going to make them millionaires, make
them super anointed, give them a world wide ministry, or give them great
fame! As a result the members
are hooked on their wonderful pastor who prophesies good things even
though over the years none of the prophecy ever come to fruition. And the
pastor attributed it all to lack of faith or unbelief or hidden sin on
the part of the member that the prophesies failed.
About six years ago in Living Water Church, Tampa, Florida, Oral
Roberts in person prophesied that God was going to raise up many millionaires
in the church who would be rich and support the work of the kingdom.
A few months ago I checked with the St. Petersburg Times to see what
was happening with the Living Water Church?1
And boy was I surprised! The church filed for Bankruptcy. Since 1992
this large church was not able to meet its budget. And then the Pastor
Ron Clark and Belinda had gone off the deep end with a public divorce which
only compounded the matter.
Living Water, a once thriving, 2,000-member non-denominational Christian
church, sought protection from creditors in bankruptcy court last October.
By then, the church's checking account balance had dwindled to $60 and
the congregation had fewer than 500 members.
Congregants left as details emerged from the divorce of Ronald and
Belinda Clark, the couple who founded Living Water in 1988. Ronald Clark
accused his wife of being mentally ill, unfaithful and a thief. Belinda
Clark claimed in court papers that her husband had a secret plan to sell
the church and funnel the proceeds overseas with the help of church board
chairman Melvin
Myer.
The rancorous divorce of the Clarks began to attract publicity a year
ago, and has been blamed for the defection of nearly three of every four
members at the Living Water Church, which was founded by the couple in
1988.
Ronald Clark, the $138,000-a-year church pastor, accused his wife of
being unfaithful, suffering from mental illness, dabbling in pornography
and stealing church mail filled with Easter church donations. It turned
out that Pastor Ron enforced tithing in his church and collected three
offerings per service, but he, himself, never tithed!
Belinda Clark, Living Water's $70,000-a-year associate pastor who was
fired in the wake of the allegations, accused her husband of domestic violence,
of lying to church trustees to ruin her credibility and of having a secret
plan to sell the church, place the proceeds in a trust, then have funds
funneled to him at a foreign location.
Hence I am very suspicious of prophets who only prophesy good things
happening to people and not telling them to repent from their hidden sins.
And I pray that such prophets will be discerned and not allow to operate.
Ex-pastor
target of IRS inquiry
JEFF TESTERMAN; St. Petersburg Times; Mar 12, 2004; pg. 1.B
Judge
approves Living Water Church sale
JEFF TESTERMAN; St. Petersburg Times; Jun 18, 2004; pg. 3.B
Sale
of bankrupt church's property now back in play
JEFF TESTERMAN; St. Petersburg Times; Nov 28, 2004; pg. 1.B