Kenneth Copeland's new Jet

…..that Jesus fleeced His disciples and His other followers to acquire the finest chariot available at that time.

Wait……yeah, that never happened.

Just $2.5 million more needed to upgrade the avionics and interior to better suit KCM’s needs for international flights.

Don’t wait! Give now - unless you don’t want Jesus to bless you with your own G5!

Check out this from the Babylon Bee….

Seriously, when you can fly at the same speed from basically any airport in the world to another airport that way for a few hundred bucks, I really don’t see how you make a cost/benefit analysis work for that plane.

A $2.5M jet is kind of slumming it in the corporate aviation world.

The convenience of a private jet far outweighs commercial travel. It reminds me of the automakers appearance before congress when some got bent out of shape for a CEO flying on a corporate jet along with his assistants). First, by the time you buy tickets for 4-6 people at the last minute, the cost difference that great. Secondly, commercial flights require an extra 5-6 hours round trip (consider airport arrival time, security check-in, gate times, baggage claim, etc.) When you are paying a high level exec (salary around $500,000/year) around $240 an hour, you don’t want that guy standing line for hours and killing time in an airport seating area. Not to mention there are airports that are more convenient to some things that commercial aviation doesn’t fly to.

But pardon me, my jet is waiting for me to head to Florida to play golf tomorrow and get me back for church on Sunday. And at my salary, you don’t want me sitting in an airport.

Larry, full cost is $17 million, according to the link. Now I’d guess that’s still somewhat slumming on corporate jets—it is used after all and the $2.5 million is just for updates—but somehow Warren Buffett’s old adage about never buying companies that own aircraft comes to mind.

Just for giggles, check out the comment section. I reckon they will be cleaning it out soon, but some of the guys are really harsh on ‘ol KC, and rightfully so.

First, I have never given money to this jet… so what do I care if people give to KCM for them to buy an airplane. That is between the donors, Copeland, and Jesus. It’s not like Copeland is hiding it!

Second, Rush Limbaugh owns a jet. John Travolta owns a jet. Shoot, the university I work at owns a jet to fly around the donors, president, and the football coach… you know, the important people. EVERY college football coach in the country flies around in a jet. Does that bother anyone? Or is it just the KCM is a ministry, and you are judging what other ministries do with their money?

My pastor drives a new F150 pick-up truck, dual cab, leather…. it’s nice. Compared to a lot of people, that is extravagant. Should I be up in arms over his “waste”. You might live in a nice house, drive a new car, use an iphone X… these are all extravagances. Who gets to judge which extravagance is a bridge too far?

Jim, the video for this transcript is here.

You said: “what do I care …. Who gets to judge”

If you don’t care, why do you post?

Aren’t we called to judge?!

….but I think there is a point where too much is too much. Does not Scripture tell us we ought not covet—desire to the point of being willing to sin to get that desire? Does not the Scripture tell us that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil? We can debate what that line is—I don’t think it requires us to eat just bread and water, as Jesus enjoyed some pretty nice things at times—but there is a certain point where a certain love of luxury brings into question what one’s real goals in life might be. Maybe it’s when the “stuff” we get cannot possibly improve our lives, but is rather just there for bragging rights.

So while certainly Copeland’s prosperity theology is the biggest issue with him—a blasphemous distortion of the Gospel—his love for mammon (Matthew 6:24) gives us yet another hint that something is seriously wrong.

Not exactly, though nice try.

What I said was I did not give to Copeland’s ministry. Therefore, what he does with the ministry money is none of my business, except for fraud and the like since that is illegal.

My point is, you all seem to think a jet is excessive. OK. But compared to most of Africa and South America, that new car you drive, or your iphone, or your a/c, or your food that you throw away, etc. is excessive.

I frankly do not care what Copeland does with his ministries money, and neither should you, assuming he is not doing anything illegal. hat he does is between him, his donors, and Jesus. Not you.

….so the possibility that others would, correctly or erroneously, say that the U.S. standard of living is Biblically impermissible makes Scripture’s comment on the matter a dead letter?

Sorry, can’t go with that one, Mark. Scripture certainly doesn’t make it easy to figure out where the lines are, but our Lord tells us there is one—say somewhere where the guy says he’s going to build more barns and live in plenty. It’s a bit more difficult to apply this to Copeland than to others—he at least has a plausible excuse since he is theoretically giving towards God (blasphemously, I believe, but giving nonetheless)—but I would dare say that even long term pastors who do not preach blasphemy like prosperity theology have a line they ought not cross.