Matthews - On Monday, February. 25, representatives for Benny Hinn of World Healing Center Ministries provided a significant amount of written material to Sen. Charles Grassley's office in response to his Nov. 5, 2007, request, according to Jill Gerber, spokesperson for Sen. Grassley. "Sen. Grassley and his staff will evaluate whether the material responds sufficiently but are encouraged by the demonstration of cooperation," Gerber said.
Rusty Leonard is the founder of MinistryWatch.com, whose investigations of Hinn and televangelist Joyce Meyer were instrumental in Grassley commencing his investigation of televangelists last year. In part because of MinistryWatch.com's engagement of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Joyce Meyer made changes to its organization and "substantially has answered Sen. Grassley's questions," according to Gerber. Meyer's representatives are scheduled to meet with Sen. Grassley's staff this week to provide a few outstanding details.
"We were pleased to hear that Benny Hinn has come to his senses and agreed to cooperate with Senator Grassley," Leonard said. "We hope that the other four uncooperative ministries will also reach the same conclusion that answering the Senator's very legitimate questions is their best option. We also trust that donors might one day have the opportunity to examine the ministries responses themselves as well as Senator Grassley's analysis of those responses. In the end, we trust that needed actions will be taken to assure that donors in the future are treated fairly by these and other ministries that now hide their finances from those who give sacrificially and faithfully."
According to Gerber, "the Copelands' response to Sen. Grassley's letter is far short of answering the questions, a point that Sen. Grassley's staff has conveyed to the Copelands' representatives. Sen. Grassley's investigators continue to keep open the lines of communication with the ministry, while also considering additional steps in the congressional review."
The other ministries - Creflo Dollar, Paula and Randy White, and Eddie L. Long - have not provided any information in response to Sen. Grassley's Nov. 5, 2007, letter. Sen. Grassley's investigators are keeping open the lines of communication with these ministries, while Sen. Grassley considers follow-up letters.
