Present Word - Former Toowoomba Leadership

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Faith Hopegood
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Present Word - Former Toowoomba Leadership

Post by Faith Hopegood »

All the videos produced by the genius that is YouTuber PRESENT WORD are fantastic.

However, this one video really tops them all and summarises so well the behaviour of the Former Fuhrer of Toowoomba! From what I can deduce, Present Word must have actually been present TCF meetings in Toowoomba to get it all so accurate.

Of course all great comedy is based upon true facts. From what I am told about what happened up in Toowoomba during the reign of Captain Rhett, all the commentary in this video is sort of based on elements of truth.
The men on machinery doing the driveway, the youth doing the tiling, everyone there at 6am tomorrow!
One of the church members was supposed to tile his toilet (for free) and didn't do the job, and by cripes, didn't Captain Rhett give him a serve! All this actually happened!

The people did drive rusty old utes and beat up jap cars with baldy tyres - Captain Rhett used to drive newly leased cars that were turned over very regularly and paid for by the same people that couldn't afford legal tyres. People did go to his house to tend the cattle on a thousand hills at the illegal feed lot while Captain Rhett was on away on a few weeks Christmas holidays - most of his fleeced flock could not afford to go on 4 weeks holidays each year because of their huge monetary giving to the church! Captain Rhett did get the men, young adults and teens to clear his 40 acres of lantana but then he forgot to put the cleared 20 acres in the churches name as promised!

and just like all the leaders in the Christian Fellowship network, there was preferential and differential treatment and standards for family members of the Elders.

and the best quote of all
"it will take them years to earn their salvation, they will have to work and serve and slave"
- just brilliant! This statement succinctly sums up the incorrect salvation theology as taught throughout all the Christian Fellowship churches.

ENJOY
https://youtu.be/cwe_Ul-bKmQ
surprisedbyjoy
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Re: Present Word - Former Toowoomba Leadership

Post by surprisedbyjoy »

Ha or hhhmmmppfff! Certainly a mixture of emotions! Never a truer and sadder word spoken Faith.

The following 'REAL' data from the ACNC https://www.acnc.gov.au/ website would tend to support the truth of your satirical piece.

Some useful information for CF’ians past and present to apply their critical minds to

TOOWOOMBA CHRISTIAN FELLEOWSHIP FINANCIALS (published at ACNC website)

TCF Inc Income
2013 - $1,874,671
2014 - $2,015,907
2015 - $1,624,555
2016 - $964,313
2017 - $851,909
Approx. 200 members and likely 80 families averaging $25,000 p.a offerings per family in offering at the peak. No wonder they drove those cars!

TCF Wages
2013 - $159,984
2014 - $152,481
2015 - $212,383
2016 - $209,395
2017 - $164,358
That's circa $50,000 in wages per ministry family which is sound enough on its own when you consider a significant percentage is likely tax free and their Centrelink benefits are possibly sought (from taxpayers) and added on top.

TCF EXEMPT BENEFIT (23-49% of turnover!!!)
2013 - $489,974
2014 - $718,536
2015 - $798,231
2016 - $254,246
2017 - $200,215
This EXEMPT BENEFIT single line entry on the Profit and Loss is most intriguing and particularly during 2013-2015. Is this FBT exempt or Tax Exempt or simply ACCOUNTABILITY EXEMPT? In any case it begs some analysis from the discerning eye, since it's large in volume and so variable over the years. No transparency of reporting either??? With a few little assumptions it's possible that during the great reign someone was paying themselves in the order of $700,000-800,000 p.a. for a couple of years in combined wages and benefits, plus getting Centrelink......FOR WHAT?! Maybe appendicitis and a heart attack......sad but on all analysis of real data LIKELY TRUE. No malice intended.....just presentation of fact.

Many obvious trends for all to see. Many questions should also be answered by Book keepers, Accountants, Administrators, Executives and Incorporated Committees responsible for the finances and affairs of TCF and it's Senior Minster during that period. Or if not then perhaps the ATO should be investigating why these 'Ministers' are building mansions, maintaining extensive wine cellars, going on wonderful holidays, getting so fat and suffering from nervous breakdowns, appendicitis and heart attacks. Again no malice intended.....JUST STATEMENT OF FACT AND CONCERN for both the victims and perpetrators, past present AND FUTURE!

Someone has got a lot to give an account for!

Other useful links:
https://www.corneyandlind.com.au/resour ... entrelink/
https://www.ato.gov.au/Non-profit/Getti ... charity-/
surprisedbyjoy
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Re: Present Word - Former Toowoomba Leadership

Post by surprisedbyjoy »

In the link https://www.corneyandlind.com.au/resour ... entrelink/ the author suggests the following
Is the Fringe Benefit not provided principally in respect of duties other than any pastoral or directly related religious activities?
Once the employer is satisfied that the employee is a Minister of Religion, they must then be satisfied that the Fringe Benefit is provided principally in respect of pastoral duties or other duties or activities directly related to the practice, study, teaching or propagation of religious beliefs.
Option A: The Fringe Benefit is provided principally in respect of pastoral duties
Pastoral duties is not defined in the FBTAA (Fringe Benefits Tax Act). However, TR 92/17 http://law.ato.gov.au/atolaw/view.htm?d ... /ATO/00001 and TR 2018/D2 https://www.ato.gov.au/law/view/documen ... 1231235958gives the following examples of pastoral duties:
• communication of religious beliefs;
• teaching and counselling adherents and members of the surrounding community;
• providing adherents and member of the surrounding community with spiritual guidance and support;
• attendance at an in-service training seminar by a person, provided that the seminar is of a spiritual nature; and
• meeting with and visiting adherents, the sick, the poor, or persons otherwise in need of emotional and spiritual support.
This list is not exhaustive, and there may be other examples.
However, the Fringe Benefit must be provided principally in respect of these pastoral duties. This part of the legislation is unclear in meaning and there are a couple of investigations open.
Glad to see our friendly Tax Commissioner is keeping an eye on all things "charitable". I was starting to wonder if their was a new definition to such a noble approach to life and love?

It would certainly seem that there's been a fair old bending of the rules around the notion of religious activities in the case of TCF. I don't see livestock fattening, land acquisition, dog breeding or large mansion/wine cellar building in that listing Mr Tax Commissioner!!! High expense ski trips to NZ don't seem to raise a mention either?! I wonder who is accountable to the Tax Commissioner? Employer or Employee. You'd tend to be a bit conflicted if you were both! (or both the employee and the President of the Incorporated legal entity representing the Employer) :o :oops: :roll:
Faith Hopegood
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Re: Present Word - Former Toowoomba Leadership

Post by Faith Hopegood »

Thanks for your detailed information Surprised By Joy,

Pretty chilling stuff to think that a former Senior Pastor was receiving $700,000 per year!

And the average giving per family of $25,000 !!!!! that is just stunning. and don't forget this would be paid out of after-tax net wages dollars - so the families would have already paid income tax on these dollars and then managed to contribute $25K on average per family to the church. I am sure not many families would be earning greater than $70K per year (gross salary) - deduct a bit of tax from this - say $15K and then the family is paying $25K to God out of a net $55K - not much to live on, pay rent or mortgage payments, food, utilities etc! This is truly "fleecing the flock" on a breathtaking grand scale.

I had heard rumours of dog breeding taking place as well.

Again, thanks for your posts.
surprisedbyjoy
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Re: Present Word - Former Toowoomba Leadership

Post by surprisedbyjoy »

No worries Faith,

It would certainly seem that the "Present Truth" concepts of the CF movement in 2000-2015 seemed to include a "Truth" that building mansions, amassing large wine collections, expensive NZ ski trips, acquiring cattle properties and building cattle and dog breeding enterprises were indeed "directly related religious activities" and therefore Tax Exempt. Where else could those sorts of dollar amounts have gone? Couldn't possibly have been legitimately distributed among 3-4 ministry families under the legitimate tax rulings of tax exempt activities/expenditure of a Minister. Might explain the sudden disappearance of a couple of Star Messengers previously so prominent?!

I recall someone prominent mentioning somehere that "Present Truth" was a dynamic and ever changing concept, reserved for those who were graced as "Messenger" types. Kept us all dumb and guessing too no doubt! Perhaps 2000-2015 was simply a season for that type of "Present Truth" among the more Entrepreneurial type Star Messengers. Who knows? Certainly a plausible rationale.
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