I have good news to share with those of you out there that have been affected by Pastor Star R. Scott – he’s being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service.
I originally posted on Star R. Scott in November of last year, and received a lot of comments – some of which were lost during the transition in June to the self-hosted blog. The original story was depraved in of it self, but many of the comments showed that it was much worse than could be reported. It showed that many who had left Scott’s congregation are still hurting over this, and indeed, will continue to do so. Divorces, family destruction, and spiritual destruction have happened because of what has happened at Calvary Temple.
The pastor of a Sterling church says the IRS is investigating his control of church finances, which include $8.5 million in church real estate and hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of vehicles that he and his wife use in a “racing ministry.”
The IRS does not publicly discuss investigations. But Pastor Star R. Scott told members of the 400-person Calvary Temple at a July 12 church discussion that eight IRS agents spent five hours interviewing him July 9. The agents told him that he, not the church, is the subject of civil and criminal probes, he said.
Calvary posts a large portion of its services and weekly pastor-led discussions on the Loudoun County church’s Web site. Formerly affiliated with the Assemblies of God, the church became independent in 1986 and now follows its own version of evangelical fundamentalism.
(snip)
Michelle Freeman, who left Calvary in 2007 after 12 years, during which her family split apart over disputes with church leaders, said: “All these people are writing this off on their taxes, and he’s using it to raise his standard of living.”
Calvary’s finances and theology are a painful topic for many former members, who meet on support-group-style e-mail lists and in coffee shops. Some raise financial questions, but the focus is more on how church leaders urge family divisions when there is a dispute about church theology. Married couples are encouraged to divorce, and parents are told to shun children who rebel, they say.
You can read the rest here.
As a I said, ‘Pastor’ Scott is a real piece of work. Frankly, after doing a little investigation on my own, and after watching the hurt come across in the comments, I hope the IRS can find something if there is something to be found.
We will continue to pray for those hurt by this.
January 24th, 2010 10:55 pm
I’m stunned after having read this and more since last night. I was about to lead my family into membership and, thank God, came across this information. I’m numb.
But the nagging doubts and “maybe it’s just me” thoughts are bearing fruit. Thank you for taking the time to publish this.
I’ve been hurt, but not as badly as I could have been.