By Missy Stoddard - mstoddard@tampatrib.com
TAMPA - 7/3/03 - Every Sunday for five years, Jim Peters attended
services at the nondenominational Living Water Church off Interstate
4. He got hooked on Pastor Ron Clark's passion-filled sermons,
his knowledge of the Bible and charisma like Peters had never
known.
Initially, Peters said, he was ``shocked'' by the 10-piece band
at worship, the shouting, the clapping and raising of hands,
and the flags of many nations, not crosses, hanging in the sanctuary.
But something kept calling him back. When Peters, 66, participated
in a laying of hands ceremony that rid him of chronic shoulder
pain, he knew he had come to the right place.
``That was the clincher for me to say, `This is the church where
I belong,' '' he said.
Though he enjoyed the preaching and camaraderie, Peters said
he couldn't shake the feeling something wasn't right. He never
officially joined Living Water and disliked the repeated solicitations
for donations to the church by Clark, 46, and his wife, Belinda,
41, who was an associate pastor.
When newspapers began reporting recently on the Clarks' acrimonious
divorce - including details of their personal finances - Peters
and others say they were shocked and angered. The Clarks earned
a $70,000 salary each, plus a $78,000 tax-exempt housing allowance,
according to court testimony. The money bought a Dade City horse
farm and ranch valued at $500,000 and a $275,000 rental home
in Celebration near Orlando.
``What's gone on in their personal lives is theirs, but it tears
me apart that they kept wanting to get money out of us every
chance they could and I come home to my little, low-cost apartment,''
Peters said.
``At the time I thought it was money well spent. I am now terribly
embarrassed, totally angry.''
Peters and other former members of Living Water said it was disconcerting
to have two and three collections per service. Each Sunday for
about a month, Peters said, an extra collection was taken for
Ron Clark's birthday gift - a new tractor for his ranch.
During the five years he attended Living Water, Peters said,
he gave an average of $10 a week, or a total $2,600. The retired
civil engineer, who lives in a two-bedroom, $347-a-month apartment,
supplements his income singing at nursing homes.
Years Of Tithing
For seven years, Peters' friend Beverly Natario, 66, gave 10
percent of her take- home pay to Living Water. Like Peters, Natario,
a customer-service typist, was enraptured by Clark.
``The anointing of God was there, the Holy Spirit was present,
and the music and word of God was so on fire that you'd sit there
for three hours and feel like you hadn't been there long,'' she
said.
Natario, Peters and their friend Judy Gebo, 61, say they were
as devoted a flock as a church could want. Gebo, an office manager
for a dental practice, also faithfully gave 10 percent of her
income to the church. Both women underscore that tithing is a
biblical directive and that they do not regret giving.
The Clarks, they say, will have to answer to God about how they
spent the money. All three say they never saw a church budget
and had no idea Belinda Clark was drawing a salary. Then they
began reading newspaper reports of the Clarks' finances.
``What I didn't know and what I couldn't understand is why [Belinda
Clark] was getting any money,'' Gebo said.
Belinda Clark said Wednesday that it was her husband's desire
for her to make $70,000. She said Ron Clark wanted to make $225,000
a year, but knew a minister with that kind of salary would raise
red flags with the Internal Revenue Service.
``I think it is a little outrageous,'' she said of her salary.
``I never questioned him.''
She said congregants interested in the church's finances didn't
remain members at Living Water.
``Many people were asked to leave when they pressed it or disagreed
with Ron on anything,'' she said. ``A lot of people in the past
have left disgruntled because they were told that because they
weren't tithing, they were going to hell or they didn't really
love God and because of that, God didn't really love them and
they were cursed.''
During a recent court hearing, Belinda Clark testified that she
was a co-pastor and principal of Living Water's school, which
had 11 students. She is seeking $7,000 a month in support for
her and the couple's two teens. Clark has asked the court to
declare the church a marital asset and wants half.
Clark said Wednesday that she worked 50 to 70 hours a week at
Living Water and is a few credits shy of earning her master's
degree. She said she loves and misses members of Living Water
and has forgiven her husband.
Congregation Dwindles
Ron Clark recently resigned his position at Living Water and
is international director of education for Family Harvest International
based in Chicago. He testified that he has no money to give his
soon-to-be ex-wife. He has blamed the negative publicity on a
decline in church membership - from a high of nearly 2,000 to
about 400.
Clark didn't return phone calls seeking comment. His attorney,
Arnold Levine, was out of town. Melvin Myer, a former board trustee
who is president of the Living Water organization, referred questions
to Rick Barker, acting senior pastor.
Barker said Wednesday that his understanding is congregants are
provided an overview of the church's financial state, but that
details such as pastors' salaries typically are not broken out.
Edward Brennan, Living Water's corporate counsel, said that as
a matter of course, a church's board of trustees determines salaries
and that the congregation typically is not informed of things
such as salaries and utility bills.
Several months ago, before reports of the Clarks' marital woes
became public, Peters, Natario and Gebo said they sensed a change
at Living Water. Ron Clark's preaching was different.
Request For Prayers
Then about three months ago, Natario said, Myer stood before
the congregation and said Belinda Clark no longer was affiliated
with the church. Ron Clark stood up and said he would not discuss
Belinda's departure or the couple's marital problems. Instead,
he asked for prayers and said he was waiting for an answer from
God.
Peters, Natario and Gebo say they wish the church luck in rebuilding
its membership, though they are looking elsewhere for spiritual
guidance. Each has learned valuable lessons as a result of what
has happened to Living Water.
``I will attend a church, and if I feel that's the church I want
to be at, I'm certainly going to ask where their monies go,''
Natario said. ``This is the first time I've ever been disillusioned
by a church.''
Reporter Missy Stoddard can be reached at (813) 779-4635.
This story can be found at: http://www.tampatrib.com/FloridaMetro/MGA2MKW6OHD.html
Check out
http://www.christiannews.0catch.com/rodney.htm
http://www.christiannews.0catch.com/graham.htm
http://www.christiannews.0catch.com/brand.htm
http://www.rickross.com/groups/brownsville.html
http://www.christiannews.0catch.com/remarks1.htm
http://www.tv.cbc.ca/witness/faitha/faithsyn.htm
http://www.christiannews.0catch.com/hinn.htm
http://sptimes.com/News2/lyons/default.html
http://www.courttv.com/trials/lyons/061899_ctv.html
http://www.christiannews.0catch.com/lyons.htm
http://www.christiannews.0catch.com/bfa.htm
http://www.christiannews.0catch.com/strader.htm
http://www.christiannews.0catch.com/dan.htm
http://www.cephas-library.com/pentecostal_straders_carpenters_home.html
http://tmatt.gospelcom.net/column/1996/12/04/
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/9te/9te026.html
http://www.maclaurin.org/article_detail.php?a_id=31
http://www.christiannews.0catch.com/bakker.htm
http://www.christiannews.0catch.com/tilton.htm
http://www.familyresearchinst.org/FRR_02_07.html
http://www.cephasministry.com/baptists_money_changers.html
|