The Rev. Jerry Johnston's First Family Church is facing foreclosure. The Kansas City Star reported today that Regions Bank wants the Overland Park megachurch to pay more than $14 million in mortgage and other costs or the bank will foreclose on the property, sell it and use the proceeds to pay off the church's debt.
The church issued a statement on its website blaming the foreclosure on the economy and citing a Wall Street Journal report about similar instances at churches across the country.
"Your church leadership, pastors, elders, deacons, and ministry leaders
have been praying and in a spirit of unity," the statement said. "We are
confident to resolve this situation while all ministries and worship
services continue as scheduled on our campus."
Here are the highlights of the statement:
* FFC remains proactive with the lender in working out a successful financial debt restructuring that will bridge the challenges of the current situation.The Star reports that foreclosure could take anywhere from four to six months; the bank sent a letter to the church in September seeking payment.* The bank filing was something the Church was expecting, as it is standard Administrative Process required of lenders while working to restructure the debt.
* FFC has demonstrated by internal financial management that it has the capacity to enter into a restructuring with Regions that will repay this debt in full. We are confident that a resolution will be accomplished.
* This development toward First Family Church by Regions is consistent with the Bank's actions since they accelerated the mortgage maturity from 30 years to 5 years recently forcing this situation even while First Family Church was current in its obligations. We recognize banks today are under immense pressure by federal regulators. These are uncertain economic times.
* While FFC continues negotiations with Regions Bank, the mission, ministries, worship services, and Conquest Initiatives will continue without interruption on our campus. We will resolve this matter to the satisfaction of the bank and First Family Church.
* Please continue to pray and rest assured your Elder Board is working diligently to resolve this matter. Church members are encouraged to contact the Elders and Chief Financial Officer of First Family Church at the church office with any questions.
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LATEST BLOG POST:
'This is what the Lord Almighty says, "I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amalek for opposing Israel when they came from Egypt."
"Now go and completely destroy the entire Amalekite nation—[do not spare them/put to death] men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, camels, and donkeys.'"
1 Samuel 15:2-3
...and verse 4 states Israel's army numbered over 200,000 soldiers, so (according to this story) that must have meant there were millions of people in the Amalek nation, that in turn means millions of people were butchered to death by the sword—what a ghastly worse-than a Freddy Krueger (the Nightmare on Elm Street scary character) and Jason Voorhees (the Friday the 13th hockey wearing mask character) combined movie bloodbath! Look:
*over 400,000 men—the on-paper Christian God demanded they be slaughtered/killed/horrifyingly butchered to death!
*over 400,000 women (including big belly pregnant women)—the on-paper Christian God demanded they be slaughtered/killed/horrifyingly butchered to death!
*over 100,000 helpless elderly men and women—the on-paper Christian God demanded they be slaughtered/killed/horrifyingly butchered to death!
*over 400,000 teenagers—the on-paper Christian God demanded they be slaughtered/killed/horrifyingly butchered to death!
*over 400,000 cute infants, crawlers, just learning to walk, just learning to talk "ba-ba-ba", etc, children under 5—the on-paper Christian God demanded they be slaughtered/killed/butchered to death!
*over 10,000 mentally handicapped people, crippled people, diseased people, ailing people—the on-paper Christian God demanded they be slaughtered/killed/butchered to death!
*Yes, all the numbers just listed are guesstimations, but you get the picture, that was a beyond a shocking/ghastly bloodbath, to the ninth power (think about that for a moment: millions of people: big belly pregnant women, infants, babies, toddlers, teenagers, elderly folks, the mentally handicap, the physically helpless, all either shockingly dismembered alive by the sword and/or gutted like pigs...imagine the countless screams, cries, begging, pleading, total chaos all over the place)! And whatever the massive number was,
this gigantic Nightmare on Elm Street/Friday the 13th type bloodbath was ordered by none other than than the Commander and Chief of ancient Israel, the on-paper Old Testament God—whom Christians adore and worship and long to be with!
That's really weird, Christians (generally speaking are a people of non-violence) longing to be with an on-paper character who sometimes has Hitler type tendencies/
like horrifyingly ordering his
on-paper army to
violently butcher to death infants
violently butcher to death babies
violently butcher to death pregnant women
violently butcher to death elderly people
violently butcher to death sick people
and violently butcher to death any handicapped people–without mercy! Hmmm?
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Jerry's time, hopefully, has come to pass. Suckers are born every minute, so he'll still be able to worship his god (money) while sucking it from other people. He's loaded, still, I wouldn't feel bad for him, he still has his half million dollar home and his kids are loaded too. His new church (new day church kc) has a "fan" website (thenewdaychurchkc.com) all about Jerry's switch to a new brand.
Jennifer,
He may very well be a great guy, but he clearly has a problem with greed, is unable to admit that he was wrong, is foolish with his money, and continues not to be transparent with the church budget. Step back for a moment and take a look at the obvious. This man had an outrageous salary for him and his family (previously $400K then reduced to ~$175K for him alone), all the while his church doesn't even own the building while they are taking in ~$17mill annually? The building is going down while his son still goes to Oxford? You do the math - they we definitely NOT wise with their $ and following the very Ramsey approach they endorse. I think people are sick of seeing the hypocrisy. Why not try apologizing for your outrageous salary, being foolish with your money to get yourself into this mess (having a VERY bad mortgage), and in the future - being TRANSPARENT with you money? I think this would glorify God more than anything - not firing faithful leaders and going into foreclosure.
i know Jerry personally . His aunt and uncle went to my church when i was a child. Jerry is a great guy . he is not a thief like some of you have posted. you do not even know him ,so how can you say all these evil things about him ?
You group of naysayers are pathetic....and I'm sure you are making The Lord sick to His stomach. Instead of gossiping, how about praying IF you know how!!!
Well Zabcus, I doubt you are going to pray for him, however, Jerry Johnston preaches 100% from God's word, unlike a many pastors we know. All you "nay sayers" are wasting your time don't even know about.
You should all be ashamed!!!
First Family Church is not a member of the Southern Baptist convention nor the Missouri Senate. That's how they are able to "refuse" to divulge financial information. If they were a member of either of the above organizations, the church could have and probably would have been taken away from the Johnston's long ago!
I do not believe this is a cult. Just a greedy man who tries to use the Lords name as a way to make money. I grew up as a preachers son and have seen this over and over. Mike Bickle and Kansas City Fellowship looked like a cult, but this is a common case of greed and arrogance. I hope they don't last.
i was not a member of this somewhat of a cogragation but my sister and her family were members for several years so on one occasion i had visited the church it was all i could do from getting up and walking out but i had respect for my sister and the lord. i guess it bothered me yhat all they talked about was financing and as i looked around i thought unless the money is being mis managed there should be no reason for that pastor to tell the congregation to dig a little deeper that was after the basket had been passed around the first time so here it came again i was disgussed i thought how does he sleep at night. knowing that some of these people couldn't even afford it but he sure was living the high life fancy cars,big houses,fine dining and his beautiful wife i couldn't imaagine her maintence bill. needless to say my sister finally left that cult. thank god!! i feel he used the church and the lord to get wealthy how sad. i guess that is what power money and prestige do to people god bless all and for jerry and his family we will all continue to pray for you
people have been wondering about that cult and excessive spending and payrolll to family members for years!
I was a member and almost walked out one sunday when the pastor Jerry announced to the congreagation that next sunday was catch up time for tithes to be given. I have never heard that and thought it was very unthoughtful to ones give what they can with the economy the way it is. Also I was not happy to be watching all the videos of his family in all the foreign countries and his son overseas getting education.
Pastor Jerry has been running, evading, tap dancing for years! Several years ago when he had to explain where all the money was going (including house in Hallbrook, wardrobes for he and the first lady, acreage in southern Johnson County, blah blah blah) he was explained it away with his mega earnings from his books, cd's, dvd's- all of which were separate from the church and that land? In his son's name. It was even disclosed that he wasn't really a "Dr." nor a "Reverend" in fact hadn't attended a seminary (or hadn't at that time). I'd like to know if he and the church have been under the gun since Sept., then why wait till now to try and do the right thing? How does he keep skating? I'll bet he has the biggest entourage of attorneys in the church! And, how does he pay for them? Oh! That's right! He doesn't have to say because under their Southern Baptist balloon, they don't have to report anything if they don't want to.
Jerry might even have to give up his Black American Express Card and take some of his family off the payroll.
The Lord giveth; and the Lord taketh away.
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