Ed Young and the Copyists

Oh, fascinating.

Ed Young is a popular evangelical preacher in certain Christian circles. Point of Grace tried very hard to model its services after the Grapevine, Texas megachurch. And “mega” is not an exaggeration – the POG auditorium would almost fit onto their stage. And POG’s lead pastor Jeff was a carbon-copy of Fellowship’s pastor Ed Young. He talked like him, dressed like him, and delivered like him. And now some are questioning Ed’s lavish lifestyle, which disturbingly parallels many of Point of Grace’s internal workings in many ways:

One former staff member who says he was close to Young but wishes not to be identified, described it this way: “The lack of accountability. The lavish lifestyle that keeps increasing, while the attendance keeps decreasing.”

Over the past few weeks, News 8 has been in contact with a number of individuals who were once close to Young at his massive Fellowship Church in Grapevine, disturbed by his direction and treatment of staff.

Young recently replaced his chief financial officer and replaced him with his personal attorney, business partner and fishing buddy, Dennis Brewer Jr.

There’s definitely a common thread there – the board at POG was / is made up Tom and Jeff’s friends, and not elected by the church – they were hand-picked. A discussion of the “treatment of the staff” could fill its own entry entirely.

Like good ol’ Benny Hinn, Young has a private jet:

With Brewer’s help and a complex series of business creations and transactions, Young is now jetting around the country in a French-made Falcon 50 private jet; estimated value, $8.4 million.

Records obtained by News 8 indicate Fellowship Church became the operator of the jet in March of 2007. News 8 discovered the jet parked in a hangar at Alliance Airport north of Fort Worth, tucked away where only a select few can see it.

Those who hear him preach every Sunday have never been told about the aircraft.

He also makes some serious cash:

News 8 has also learned that Young’s 10,000 square foot, $1.5 million estate on Lake Grapevine is not listed on the tax rolls in his name, but rather in the name of “Palometa Revocable Trust.”

Records show that Young was paid $240,000 a year as a parsonage allowance; that’s in addition what sources say is a $1 million yearly pastor’s salary.

And of course, he rakes in cash from creativepastors, one of the businesses that POG bought many sermons from:

News 8 has also learned that in 2007, Young sold the intellectual property of Fellowship Church’s marketing Web site, CreativePastors. He also sold the church’s membership mailing list to a newly-formed, for-profit company called EY Publishing.

[…]

n the past few years, Young and his attorney, Dennis Brewer Jr., have created a number of for-profit companies generating money apart from Fellowship Church, including: Creative Pastors, CreativePastors.com, Creality Enterprises, Creality Publishing, EY Publishing, Ed Young Resources and UOI Resources.

All the businesses list the fifth floor of Dennis Brewer’s law office in Las Colinas as their office address.

But the resources used to generate the profits come, in part, from the not-for-profit Fellowship Church. For example, Ed’s favorite sermons that were delivered at the church.

Young might not be breaking any laws, but as the article says, “perhaps he is violating the covenant of honesty with his congregation.”

Ya think?

Exit, stage left.
Sparks