Talk of First Family facing foreclosure began in January with the megachurch owing more than $14 million on its mortgage to Regions Bank. Word that the church was losing its home base along with everything in the church came Sunday, with its final service at its current location taking place September 11. The church's board of elders said in a statement that "after exhausting every option with Regions Bank, we have no alternative."
But church leaders vowed to "rebuild."
Thomas reported that the church will "re-launch" under a new name, New Day Church Kansas City, on September 18 at Olathe East High School.
The story gets into the salaries of Johnston and his family. They are jaw-dropping if accurate.
In February, Regions Bank asked a Johnson County District Court judge to appoint a receiver pending completion of the mortgage foreclosure proceeding. Among the reasons the bank cited for putting the church under a receiver were the salaries of Johnston and several of his family members.The court filing put Johnston’s annual salary as of August 2010 at $400,000; his son, Jeremy, at $210,000; and son-in-law Christian Newsome at $180,000. Johnston’s wife, Christie, made $60,000, the document said, and his daughters, Danielle Newsome and Jenilee Johnston, earned $40,000 and $25,000.
Through its attorney, the church said in February the salary figures were inaccurate. “There are only three members of the Johnston family on the church payroll — Jerry, Jeremy and Danielle Newsome,” the attorney wrote in an e-mail to The Kansas City Star. “The annual gross salaries for those three employees total $316,800.”
A later motion the church filed said salaries “have been cut drastically in recent months.”
For more on Johnston and First Family, check out former Pitch editor C.J. Janovy's firsthand experience in her 2005 feature, "Open Wide."
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To all those judging and disrespecting the Johnston family and First Family Church:
All you stupid black hearted pukes talking bad about this man and his family are pathedic! You don't even know this man but the first chance you wicked wretches get to disrespect a member of God's family, you jump right on it don't you? Just like the devil to kick a man while he's down.
Do any of you know how much the utilities are in that building? How much it cost to pay all of the staff members? What if the bank scammed them and hiked up ridiculous fees and changed things unfairly like they do with the common joe? You don't know anything except what the media plasters in tabloids, newspapers, etc., which is totally unreliable because we all know they lie, lie, lie to tell the story that gets the highest ratings.
Do you all know how much First Family Church has done to help the community, including me? They paid my rent for me one month when my wife, my children, and I had no way to get the money in time to keep us from ending up homeless. Does that fit the character of a greedy bunch of people? Absolutely not!!! Especially with the church being located in Overland Park [one of the so-called wealthy areas of town (which are usually racially biased)]. They helped an inter-racial family without blinking. That's Christ like no matter what anybody says.
So, all of you hypocrites acting like you do no wrong yourselves quit disrespecting this man and his family and let God deal with them and judge their wrong doing [if there is any wrong doing to judge].
The first thing you wretched fakers scream when you are addresed by the bible's truths is: "Don't judge me!" or "You're judging me!" But, when it comes time to exercise that principle toward someone else that's in a tough spot, you ingrates are awfully quick to judge away. May God have mercy on you all. Hypocrites!
well look at the bright side......there aren't any charges of child molestation against the Rev and his clan.....yet!!!!
It's pretty clear that the "First Family" in the title referred to Jerry Johnston's family, since he enriched it with his followers' money.
Foreclosure papers for First Family Church release - http://www.thenewdaychurchkc.com/FFC%20foreclosure%20approved.pdf
Unfortunately, there is no way to eliminate this mark against your record, and it will likely have a negative impact on applying for a future loan. http://bit.ly/mSrJ4n
Funny how it can ONLY be a magical move of God when a megachurch is growing exponentially and then ONLY the work of Satan, the media, etc. when the entire thing tanks due to greed and mismanagement. Then of course, every….single…time this happens, the chorus of “look at what GOOD they have done” starts up. The problem is, nobody but those who are already fully invested in this charlatan have ever seen the “good”, because ministries like this have nothing to do with actual Biblical servanthood and everything to do with reaching a demographic and retaining customers. If that wasn’t the case, it wouldn’t have folded so epically. Just a bad business model based on a hybrid of politics and evangelical fervor. It’s Amway….but it’s Amway with a path straight to heaven….so people use denial to its full potential in order to still be right about their hero. Great investors to have in your pocket, but apparently not enough of them to keep from getting demoted to a gym. Darn Satan.
Dear "bo_not_AnnNoy" - I have no hatred towards Jerry Johnston, I'm slightly amused by him and his brand of "Christianity" and I know that he's called people he's unhappy with the "Satan 6" in the past and I'm hoping he'll make it the "Satan's 7" by adding me (always wanted to be in an exclusive group). I'm surprised anyone - with a brain - is still following him. The website was all of $20 for two years, hosting was free, I used a already made free template and just copied a bunch of content someone else wrote - like 3 hours of time Monday morning (although the blog postings took about 45 minutes to do and the mobile site was another 90minutes). The website is pretty clear, feel free to send in the good things he's done, I'll post those on the comments page. When Jerry fully discloses his books (from FFC, personal income, etc), I'll fully disclose who I am. (in other words, that will never happen). Visit http://thenewdaychurchkc.com and leave me your comments and I'll post them.
The pastors are disgusting, but as far as separation of church and state goes the law states that IF a school rents space to ANY community organization then it is illegal for the school to discriminate against any other group that wants to rent space on the basis of their religious beliefs...
How is a church having services at Olathe East High School. Separation of church and state anyone?
My bible says greed is one of the seven deadly sins.
Sounds like the whole famn damily was getting a fat slice of pie off this "church".
But wait....I thought our heavenly appointed founding fathers said we were SUPPOSED to inbreed politics and religion...how could Johnston possibly fail if the Lord wants his children to be rich AND republican????
Dear "not_AnnNoy", why do you have so much hatred toward Jerry Johnston? You went to a lot of effort in creating a website about him, why don't you also share the good things he has done. Why don't you share on your website who you are instead of hiding your identity?
It's about time JJ and crew got what they deserve (and it isn't manna from heaven).
JJ may make a comeback. I hope not. Sadly, there will always be those who use religion to build their own kingdoms. And there will be those who choose to blindly follow them.
I do find some comfort in knowing religious hypocrites were the ones most condemned by Jesus. Wonder how JJ and family will feel when the stand face to face with Him and are called into account for their actions? mg in kc
I always wanted a house built on that property but the church won out. Funny how god acts.. Now lets build some nice homes so some of us can enjoy that view the full 7 days a week instead of just on Sunday!!!!
THANK GOD!
Everytime someone tells me that they belong to one of these mega-churches, it amazes me that anyone wants to admit belonging to a church where all the "sheeple" go, where the ministers drive stupidly fancy cars, live in huge mansions, have their own aircraft and all the while take huge advantage of all the money those same "sheeple" give to the church. Figure it out!!
Gee, so the annual gross salary for the 3 of them was 'only' $316,800. Apparently no vow of poverty at First Family, huh?
If they follow through with calling themselves the New Day Church of Kansas City I sincerely hope that city of Kansas City files a defamation suit against these faux "christians." First of all, they will be located in Olathe, not Kansas City. And secondly, Kansas City has enough of its own image problems without having its name associated with this group of bigots and hate-mongers.
"It's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man enter the Kingdom of God." Just sayin,
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