Swails Vs Oral Roberts University, Lawsuit Filed by Former Employees Options

[appletree]

Pastor's Wife: Church Is a Divorce Asset

Friday, Nov. 16, 2007

Mineola N.Y.--The estranged wife of a pastor claims her husband blended his professional and personal finances so thoroughly that his church should be counted as an asset in their divorce.

A judge agreed in a decision to hear arguments on the claim, and he ordered a financial appraisal of the church. Lawyers said it could represent the first time anyone in New York state has tried to treat a religious institution as a marital asset.

The wife argues that her husband of 31 years used his Brooklyn church as a "personal piggy bank," setting his own income, spending the congregation's tithes as he pleased and running a catering business out of the building, according to the decision by state Supreme Court Judge Arthur M. Diamond. The couple's names were redacted from the decision.

The wife said $50,000 of the couple's money went into starting the church, and that the church's property is partly hers. "that church is no different than any other business he might have opened",said the wife's lawyer Robert Pollack.

The pastor maintains that he is simply a church employee, and the institutions's funds should not be considered his, according to Diamond's decision. "My client can't own the church," said the minister's lawyer, Eleanor Gery.

Things seem to be heating up for "jack leg" preachers. The publicity that is being generated in these cases could be an encouragement for others who know about these kinds of abuses to speak out. And maybe some board members will wake up and take notice.

Board members take notice? The key word in your post is "claimed." Nothing has been proven. They are obviously going to fight it out in court.
On another thread I read where one of you said did Pickle and Joy start the rumors of abuse of funds by DS? I had to laugh. The word "rumors" was totally correct. No Pickle and Joy did not start some of the rumors but others did. I know several of the people on this board and their reasons for being here. Let's just say credible sources they are not. Of the present or ex employees that have brought forth the rumors and allegations against DS, not one has provided any proof whatsoever of any kind of illegal, dishonest or underhanded financial dealings. That goes for several other rumors they have provided.

I learned a long time ago, that if you don't care to lie or twist the truth, then anybody can claim anything they want to. That doesn't make it so. That is why we are cautioned so strongly by the Word and SOP that we are not to be involved in this kind of activity. Thank our Lord and creator that thousands of people have not been duped into believing all this tripe. They have stood faithfully by 3abn, Danny, administration and the board. They continue to stand behind Jim G. and Danny as the work of 3abn progresses. In this thanksgiving season, I am, above all, thankful for that.

[Richard Sherwin]

Funny Appletree how you constantly talk about "rumors" and those that make them up without offering anything to disprove them. Your words ring hollow when you attack the messenger but not the message (except in broad and general terms). Are you saying the emails from Danny, Dr. Thompson, etc are just lies? How about the large amount of money made on the sweetheart property deal to the Sheltons, the attempt to evade taxes by Danny with the horses, etc etc? There has been a lot of documentation of wrong doing, what say you? All made up lies by evil people to take down Danny and 3abn?

Board members take notice? The key word in your post is "claimed." Nothing has been proven. They are obviously going to fight it out in court.
On another thread I read where one of you said did Pickle and Joy start the rumors of abuse of funds by DS? I had to laugh. The word "rumors" was totally correct. No Pickle and Joy did not start some of the rumors but others did. I know several of the people on this board and their reasons for being here. Let's just say credible sources they are not. Of the present or ex employees that have brought forth the rumors and allegations against DS, not one has provided any proof whatsoever of any kind of illegal, dishonest or underhanded financial dealings. That goes for several other rumors they have provided.

I learned a long time ago, that if you don't care to lie or twist the truth, then anybody can claim anything they want to. That doesn't make it so. That is why we are cautioned so strongly by the Word and SOP that we are not to be involved in this kind of activity. Thank our Lord and creator that thousands of people have not been duped into believing all this tripe. They have stood faithfully by 3abn, Danny, administration and the board. They continue to stand behind Jim G. and Danny as the work of 3abn progresses. In this thanksgiving season, I am, above all, thankful for that.

[caribbean sda]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.asp...4_1__Embat80818



Richard Roberts resigns as Oral Roberts University president

By Ziva Branstetter, World Projects Editor
11/24/2007 12:21 AM



Embattled Oral Roberts University President Richard Roberts resigned Friday following nearly two months of allegations that he and his family misused university and ministry resources.

In his resignation letter, Roberts states: "I love ORU with all my heart. I love the students, faculty, staff and administration and I want to see God's best for all of them."

Roberts' letter, sent to the Board of Regents, states his resignation was effective Friday. The board is meeting Monday and Tuesday to determine its search process for a new president, university spokesman Jeremy Burton said in a statement.

"Executive Regent Billy Joe Daugherty will continue to assume administrative responsibilities of the office of the president, working together with Chancellor Oral Roberts, until the regents meeting," Burton stated.

The announcement follows weeks of bad news for Roberts and the university, including an overwhelming faculty vote of "no confidence" in Roberts and a statement by Provost Mark Lewandowski that he would resign if Roberts were allowed to return.

[Shepherdswife]

Just found this update--I guess you can't argue with God--even when He seems to have contradicted Himself...
shepherdswife

-------------------------------------------------------
Roberts Says God Forced His Resignation

Nov 29, 8:04 AM (ET)

By JUSTIN JUOZAPAVICIUS

TULSA, Okla. (AP) - Richard Roberts told students at Oral Roberts University that he did not want to resign as president of the scandal-plagued evangelical school, but that he did so because God insisted.

God told him on Thanksgiving that he should resign the next day, Roberts told students in the university's chapel on Wednesday.

"Every ounce of my flesh said 'no'" to the idea, Roberts said, but he prayed over the decision with his wife and his father, Oral Roberts, and decided to step down.

Roberts said he wanted to "strike out" against the people who were persecuting him, and considered countersuing, but "the Lord said, 'don't do that,'" he said.

After submitting his resignation, he said, for "first time in 60 days peace came into my heart."

Roberts spoke for only a few minutes and was applauded and cheered by students. He wiped away tears with a white handkerchief and his hands.

"This has nearly destroyed my family, and it's nearly destroyed ORU," Roberts said.

A lawsuit accuses Roberts of lavish spending at a time when the university faced more than $50 million in debt, including taking shopping sprees, buying a stable of horses and paying for a daughter to travel to the Bahamas aboard the university jet.

Roberts has previously said that God told him to deny the allegations. The week the lawsuit was filed, Richard Roberts said that God told him: "We live in a litigious society. Anyone can get mad and file a lawsuit against another person whether they have a legitimate case or not. This lawsuit ... is about intimidation, blackmail and extortion."

On Wednesday, Roberts said God told him he would "do something supernatural for the university" if he stepped down from the job he held at the 5,700-student school since 1993.

On Tuesday, the founder of a Christian office and education supply store chain pledged $70 million to help the university, provided it passed a 90-day review of the school's finances. Oklahoma City businessman Mart Green, founder of the Mardel chain, offered to donate $8 million immediately.

Roberts said he would return to the full-time evangelistic healing ministry, "which is where my heart has always been," and told students and faculty that he will be praying for them every day of his life.

"I believe with all my heart the best is yet to come for ORU," he said.

Roberts walked out of the chapel through a side door to more cheers. Regents Chairman George Pearsons followed, telling students the ORU administration is "endeavoring to do the right thing" during a very difficult time.

"This is a good university," Pearsons said. "ORU is a place where love is king."

Gary Richardson, the attorney who filed the lawsuit accusing Roberts of lavish living, said Wednesday there was a possibility for settlement with the university, but held out little hope for settling with Richard Roberts after what he said was his failure to admit in chapel he did anything wrong.

"You can't imagine the people who say to us, 'Don't let it be swept under the carpet,'" Richardson said.

Richardson also said his firm filed a request with Roberts' attorneys for a copy of a report detailing an outside audit of the university's finances. Tuesday, Pearsons refused to provide details of the audit, citing the pending litigation.

"We'll get it, as long as there's a lawsuit involved," Richardson said.

Roberts remains the CEO of the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association and remains a "spiritual regent" who cannot vote on university matters.

On Tuesday, Pearsons announced a plan to separate the finances and leadership of the university from the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association, a move welcomed by many students and faculty members.

The university has been under the ministry since its inception in 1963, an arrangement that critics say led to co-mingling of funds and a blurring of leadership roles.

[KayD]

Hmmm...