"God Help Anyone Who Would Get in the Way of TBN"

[TBC: Brittany Koper, a granddaughter of TBN founder Paul Crouch has initiated a lawsuit against their network. This has brought the following response.]

"God help anyone who would …get in the way of TBN" [Excerpts]

On Thursday, Feb. 9 [the same day] —  Paul Crouch and his son, Matt, were having a live chat on TBN’s “Behind the Scenes.” Paul was reminiscing about how TBN began back in 1973 — God spoke to him as he was driving on MacArthur Boulevard — and the conversation took a turn that Koper’s attorney finds somewhat menacing.

“You know what’s funny Dad?” Matt said (at minute 8:38 on the video). “There have been a few attempts in the TBN history to upset TBN, to stop TBN — there have been a few fools in the 38, 39 year history, coming up on 40 years, and you know what, any attempt at stopping TBN — they have no idea who they’re actually pushing into the corner. You and Mom get pushed in a corner, God help you. That’s a lesson I’ve learned from you, seriously.”

Paul Crouch responded: “God help anyone who would try to get in the way of TBN, which was God’s plan.…I have attended the funerals of at least two people who tried….

“Boy, anyone that’s ever tried to get in the way of this network – don’t. Don’t try it. Don’t try it, I’m telling you. You’re playing with fire. God says ‘I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’ And TBN, you know what, just plain old TBN as a great network entity is proof of the sovereignty of God and the power of God against hell and high water. This network stands as a monument to the faithfulness of God. He did it. Jan and I were just simple little kids — we didn’t even know what we were doing. It was God’s idea. He did it all.”

Crouch then appealed for donations. “Anyone have a need?” he asked. “Plant a seed. Get to the phone.”

Trinity Christian Center, which does business as TBN, is a nonprofit in the eyes of Uncle Sam, which means it doesn’t pay taxes on its income. It reported revenues of $175.6 million, expenses of $193.7 million, and net assets of $827.6 million at the end of 2010, according to its tax returns. Its highest-paid officer was Paul Crouch, with compensation of $400,000. 

Koper’s attorney, Tymothy MacLeod, said that Koper is readying documentation regarding her charges and will submit a package to the Internal Revenue Service for its review.

(Sforza, "God help anyone who would …get in the way of TBN," Orange County Register Online, 2/14/12).

[TBC: Crouch has a long history of issuing "warnings" such as this -- for example: "I say, ‘Get out of God's way, quit blocking God's bridges; or God is going to shoot you if I don't'...Oh hallelujah. I refuse to argue any longer with any of you out there" ("Praise-a-thon" on TBN, 4/2/91).]