Paul Crouch
Claims to fame: One of the leading televangelists in the “Word Faith,” a.k.a. “Positive Confession,” a.k.a. “Seed Faith,” a.k.a. “Giving and Receiving,” a.k.a. “Health & Wealth,” a.k.a. “Prosperity Gospel,” a.k.a. “Name It and Claim It,” a.k.a. “Blab-It-and-Grab-It”, a.k.a. “Gullible Sucker Sham-O-Rama” (OK, we made that last one up — but only that last one) movement; co-founder, owner, chairman, & president, Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN); rabidly anti-gay whackjob; alleged closet homosexual (thus alleged adulterer)
Moral apex: We don’t see anything wrong with Crouch’s alleged gay sex trysts with a former employee (well, except for the fact that he was allegedly cheating on his wife, the giant-haired Jan Couch); we do, however, find a lot wrong with his alleged cover-up of the alleged affair, including his alleged payout of $425,000 in alleged hush money to his alleged— er, to his accuser.
Why we keep repeating the word “alleged,” obsessively: Because Crouch is lawsuit-happy. So, we’re going to stick to quoting what other folks have written, and stay out of this… even though we believe every word of it.
(We also agree with the conclusion of Betty Bowers, America’s Best Christian: “Mr. Crouch appears to have been forgiven, if only because even those most strongly against homosexuality understand the urge to look for sexual outlets that don’t involve Jan Crouch being naked.”)
The Wikipedia condensed version:
In September 2004 the Los Angeles Times reported that Crouch in 1998 paid Enoch Lonnie Ford, a former employee, a $425,000 formal settlement to end a sexual harassment lawsuit. [link] Ford alleged that he was forced to have a homosexual encounter with Crouch under threats of job termination at a network-owned cabin at Lake Arrowhead in 1996.[ibid.] TBN officials acknowledge the settlement but characterize the accuser as a liar and an extortionist (as well as having a criminal record involving drug use and statutory rape), and stated that the settlement was made in order to avoid a lengthy and expensive lawsuit which could have deteriorated into “mud-slinging”.[ibid.] [link]
Ford, who wrote a book manuscript about the alleged encounter, was forbidden by an arbitrator to publish it because of the previous settlement. From prison (for violation of a previous probation agreement from a past felony conviction), Ford offered TBN all rights to the book for $10 million for the purpose of making it into a motion picture, but his offer was rejected by Crouch, who called it extortion. In October 2004, Judge Robert J. O’Neill awarded Paul Crouch $136,000 in legal fees to be paid by Ford for Ford’s violation of the terms of the settlement agreement, specifically the prohibition of discussing the settlement’s details. [link]
But, wait! There’s more! It seems that TBN personality and whackjob extraordinaire Benny Hinn [see "Memorable quotes," below] fingered — so to speak — Crouch as far back as 1998: “Televangelist Paul Crouch Attempts to Keep Accuser Quiet,” Los Angeles Times, September 12, 2004
The rest of the story can be gleaned through headlines alone (although the articles themselves are full of all sorts of interesting and provocative details):
Crouch to Stay Chief of TBN Despite Gay Sex Allegation
William Lobdell, Los Angeles Times, September 14, 2004
Weblog: Former TBN Employee Alleges Gay Tryst With Paul Crouch
Ted Olsen, Christianity Today, September 14, 2004
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Scandal, sex and sanctimony Paul Crouch and TBN
Andrew Gumbel, Los Angeles Times, September 18, 2004
Ex-Worker Accusing TBN Pastor Says He Had Sex to Keep His Job
William Lobdell, Los Angeles Times, September 22, 2004
Christian broadcasting network responds to news articles
Associated Press, September 23, 2004
Christian Broadcasting Network Wants Former Employee Jailed
Associated Press/October 21, 2004
Judge dismisses charge against man who alleged sex with televangelist
KESQ, March 2, 2005
Born again: Evangelist sex scandal
Lloyd Grove, New York Daily News, March 31, 2005
Fun facts:
• According to Tammy Faye Messner, Paul Crouch was Jim Bakker’s youth pastor (!) — and encouraged the Bakkers to start their own Christian TV station
• Paul Crouch, Jr., was divorced from his wife, Tawny, in 2007.
• In 2001…
Crouch was sued by author Sylvia Fleenor, who accused Crouch of plagiarism in his popular end-times novel (and subsequent movie), The Omega Code. Fleenor’s lawsuit alleged that the movie’s plot was taken from her own novel, The Omega Syndrome. A former Crouch personal assistant, Kelly Whitmore, revealed that she had encountered a loose-leaf binder in Crouch’s luggage that Crouch referred to as “the End Times project” and that he often called it “The Omega” but said he disliked the working title, “especially the word ‘Syndrome’.” The case was subsequently settled out of court for an undisclosed sum. [link]
• As of this writing (January, 2008), TBN is caught up in the tax probe instigated by Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) of six “prosperity gospel ministries.”
Memorable quotes:
Somebody said — I don’t know who said it — but they claim that you Faith teachers declare that we are gods. You’re a god. I’m a god. Small ‘g’ now, but we are the gods of this world. … Well, are you a god–small ‘g’?— Paul Crouch to Kenneth Copeland
“Praise the Lord”
February 5, 1986
Do you know what else that’s settled then tonight? This hue and cry and controversy that has been spawned by the devil to try to bring dissension within the body of Christ that we are gods. I am a little god! I have His name! I am one with Him! I’m in covenant relation! I am a little god! Critics be gone!
— Paul Crouch
“Praise the Lord”
July 7, 1986
The Lord is still speaking through His Prophets to His people TODAY! Brother Oral Roberts gave us a prophetic Word from the Lord — that the TBN Network would grow to be 100 STATIONS and, yes, surpass even that! The Lord also revealed this to Pastor John Hinkle . . . at a time when TBN was only one station!
— Paul Crouch
TBN newsletter
January, 1989
I think God’s given up on a lot of that old rotten Sanhedrin religious crowd, twice dead, plucked up by the roots. I think they’re damned and on their way to hell and I don’t think there’s any redemption for them… the heresy hunters that want to find a little mote of illegal doctrine in some Christian’s eye and pluck that little mote out of their eye when they’ve got the whole forest in their own lives and in their own eyes. I say to hell with you! Oh, hallelujah! Get out of God’s way, quit blocking God’s bridges or God’s gonna shoot you if I don’t! I refuse to argue any longer with any of you out there. Don’t even call me. If you want to argue doctrine, if you want to straighten out somebody over here, if you want to criticize Ken Copeland for his preaching on faith, or Dad Hagin. Get out of my life! I don’t even want to talk to you or hear you. I don’t want to see your ugly face! Get out of my face in Jesus’ name!
— Paul Crouch
TBN “Praise-A-Thon”
April 2, 1991
Read the parable of the Wheat and the Tares in Matthew 13:24-30 and you will see that at the end of this age the “ANGELS” are sent forth to remove evil from the earth. That word “ANGELS” also means messengers. So God may use some of us to finish up the work of this age.
— Paul Crouch
PTL newsletter
March, 1994
God, we proclaim death to anything or anyone that will lift a hand against this network and this ministry that belongs to You, God. It is Your work, it is Your idea, it is Your property, it is Your airwaves, it is Your world, and we proclaim death to anything that would stand in the way of God’s great voice of proclamation to the whole world. In the Name of Jesus, and all the people said Amen!
— Paul Crouch
TBN
November 7, 1997
The first glimmer came one night after a PRAISE THE LORD program. Pastor John Hinkle, of Christ Church in Los Angeles (who went to be with the Lord a few weeks ago) … told us that while he was driving home after the program that night, the Lord spoke to him so powerfully he literally had to pull his car to the side of the freeway and stop. The heavens lit up and he saw in a vision the words, “100 TV STATIONS.” We rejoiced to hear of this revelation.
The next great revelation came some years later, as Jan and I were hosting a PRAISE THE LORD program at one of the great Oral Roberts’ campmeetings.
As he began to speak, a strange new expression came over his face. He paused for several seconds as he looked heavenward and said, ‘Paul, the Lord says, ‘The day will come when you will see ONE THOUSAND TV STATIONS — and MORE before the Lord returns.’ Jan and I sat there, stunned and transfixed for several moments before we could even speak.
— Paul Crouch
TBN newsletter
September, 1999
Benny Hinn: But here’s first what I see for TBN. You’re going to have people raised from the dead watching this network. You’re going to have people raised from the dead watching TBN. Programs — just plain programs — programs that haven’t done much when it comes to supernatural manifestations — teaching programs. It’s not going to be a Benny Hinn saying “Stretch your hands.” It’s going to be your average teaching program, your normal Christian program that’s blessing the church. There’s going to be such power on these programs people will be raised from the dead worldwide. I’m telling you, I see this in the Spirit. It’s going to be so awesome. Jesus I give you praise for this — that people around the world — maybe not so much in America — people around the world who will lose loved ones, will say to undertakers, “Not yet. I want to take my dead loved one and place him in front of that TV set for 24 hours.”
Paul Crouch: Benny Hinn! Jesus!
Benny Hinn: I’m telling you. People will be — people — I’m telling you, I feel the anointing talking here. People are going to be canceling funeral services and bringing their dead in their caskets, placing them — my God! I feel the anointing here — placing them before a television set, waiting for God’s power to come through and touch them. And it’s going to happen time and time — so much it’s going to spread. You’re going to hear it from Kenya to Mexico to Europe to South America, where people will be raised from the — so much so that the Word will spread that if some dead person be put in front of this TV screen, they will be raised from the dead and they will be by the thousands. You wait. Now the Lord just told me — and I don’t know whether this is true or not — as I’m saying this, the Lord said He gave you that word many, many years ago.
Paul Crouch: I have said that, yes.
Benny Hinn: I don’t remember you saying that to me ever.
Paul Crouch: No, I didn’t.
Benny Hinn: [He said] “I’ve told him this already.”
Paul Crouch: Yeah, the Lord spoke that to me in the very beginning of TBN and I didn’t really …
Jan Crouch: And I had a dream.
Benny Hinn: You had a dream.
Paul Crouch: Yeah, tell him about that little …
Jan Crouch: That’s just a dream — people were being raised from the dead. Years ago.
Paul Crouch: It’s on tape. I said the day is coming …
Benny Hinn: I see quite something amazing. I see rows of caskets lining up in front of this TV set and I see them bringing them closer to the TV set and as people are coming closer I see actually loved ones picking up the hands of the dead and letting them touch the screen and people are getting raised as their hands are touching that screen. With this program — I’m not talking about my program — I’m talking programs, plain programs aired — the glory of God will be so on TBN that there’s going to be divine resurrection happening as people bring their loved ones to the TV set.
Paul Crouch: Just because it’s His time.
Benny Hinn: It’s His time. Now here’s something else I see. Jesus, I give You praise for this, I give You praise for this, I give You praise for this — the day will come, Paul — and I pray you’ll be here. I pray the Lord will allow you to be here and see it. I mean, physically be here. You’re in your 60s now. But the day is going to come when the gifts of the Holy Spirit will so intensify in the church that young children will be watching TBN and signs and wonders will begin to take place through them. Impartations of the Spirit will come to them. A little child that knows nothing about the gifts, knows nothing about the anointing, knows nothing about the power of God, will be imbued with power from on high as a child, as that TV set comes on, and will go out like fire torches to their schools and their playgrounds and their families. I see children, I see children, what looks like fire in their lips spreading — but I see these kids touching the TV set, receiving it, and going out and spreading it. And it’s going to happen with children in the U.S., Canada, all over the world. And I do see people being raised from the dead here, but I see masses of them overseas.
“Praise the Lord”
October 19, 1999
[Transcript]
(OK, so that was more Benny Hinn than Paul Crouch, but until Hinn has his own sex scandal we can write about, we just couldn’t resist posting this classic piece of whackjobbiness.)
[T]he one that really got my goat (pardon the “Missouri” in me), was a dear brother on Praise the Lord a few weeks ago. Yes, on OUR TBN! I was down in Florida and the program was on tape. If it had been “LIVE” I would have called the engineer to take it OFF THE AIR!This ‘dear brother’ was waxing eloquent on the ‘error’ of giving to God, expecting ANYTHING in return! In about 15 minutes, he totally trashed everything Oral Roberts has taught us on ‘Seed Faith’ for over 40 years! The great messages by R.W. Schambach, John Avanzini, Dad Hagin, Benny Hinn, John Hagee, Rod Parsley, T.D. Jakes, and a host of others, flushed right down the drain!
. . .
So why do the heretic hunters and other critics trash the ‘seed faith’ message? I’ll tell you why — and here is the bottom-line for this whole letter. They are either ignorant of the Word, or bound by their traditions, OR — and this is frightening — some are, I believe, of their father the devil!
He will inspire the heretic hunters to use THEIR TRADITIONS to keep us poor, sick, discouraged, and deceived!… the mask is OFF. We see clearly the subtle deceptive tactics of the evil one! Let’s keep taking the wealth of the world.
— Paul Crouch, defending his “gospel of prosperity”
TBN newsletter
February, 2003
Suggested Bible reading for Mr. and Mrs. Crouch:
Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
— Titus 1:15-16
Suggested Bible reading for the followers of Mr. and Mrs. Crouch:
Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake.
— Titus 1:9-11
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