Finally, a good use for a Mega Church

[Baitball Blogger]

Clermont may buy megachurch to offer more recreation for residents

Buying a church may not be the typical way for a city to expand its services, but for Clermont, it could be the answer to a prayer.

The growing city in south Lake County, whose residents have been demanding more recreational opportunities, has offered to pay $6.3 million for Celebration of Praise Church of God, which can't afford an upcoming $7 million "balloon" payment on its mortgage.

The 47-acre megachurch on a hilltop overlooking U.S. Highway 27 includes an Olympic-size swimming pool, the largest auditorium in Lake County, a gymnasium and 30 undeveloped acres that could be home to a new police station, a conference center or a recreation complex.

"The sky's the limit with the things we could do there," said City Manager Darren Gray. The City Council gave its conditional blessing last week.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-clermont-church-purchase-20130918,0,3555097.story

[8 track mind]

1. a church going broke?

$7 mill balloon payment? wow! Guess the flock ain't got deep pockets.

[1-Old-Man]

13. Thank Jesus.

[JEFF9K]

2. Crackhouse ...

Crackhouse would be a better use for a Megachurch!

[tech3149]

3. I don't like the idea of bailing them out

but I'd rather have public funds buy the asset than let some bankster get it and sell it of, at a profit, for whatever.

[Baitball Blogger]

4. It sounds like a reasonable price for what they're getting.

Our city paid 3 million dollars just for a twenty acre parcel ten years ago! But, there was a lot of shady things going on around that time.

Thanks, Feds, for nuthin.

[defacto7]

5. First Crystal Cathedral, now this....

Where oh where will I go to church now?

[longship]

7. There's always the Trinity Broadcorping Castration..

Er, eh... Pardon me. That should be Trinity Broadcasting Network.

Operated by these guys: Paul and Janice Crouch.

Aren't they lovely?

That Janice has the greatest sense of style:


Here's their compound, er... One of them:


Religion. It's a scam. ALWAYS!

Btw, here's a report on the Crouch's.
http://s.21sns.com/s/Paul-Crouch-Owns-13-Mansions/

They have 13 mansions.

[defacto7]

8. 13 is outrageous!

If it were 12, then it would stand for the 12 apostles and that would be fine. But 13? That's heresy!

Or maybe it's just hairesy.

(one bad pun for the day)

[longship]

9. I bow to your brilliant bodily humors.

[LibertyLover]

19. The 12 apostles plus

Jesus = 13. Crouch is just being Biblically correct.

[defacto7]

22. Yeah, but which one does Jesus live in?

You answer me that smart guy! And then there's the problem with Judas. If you take the 12 minus the bad guy, then add Jesus, you have 12! There!

It's all in the math: (12a -1a) + J = 11a + J = 12 x m SEE! 12 mansions.

[LibertyLover]

25. Well, technically it would be smart gal -

but remember, after Judas hanged himself his position was filled by lot. Matthias was the lucky disciple who moved up to apostle. So, voila, as they say, the magic 13!

[defacto7]

27. No, he tried to give his daughters for sex to a crowd of rowdies and his wife was turned to stone

a thousand years or so earlier. He would have been too old.

No wait, you said Matthias.... hmmm.... well, hmmm.... He doesn't count because big J didn't choose him and you're not supposed to gamble.

There!

[joeybee12]

23. One is needed just for her wigs...nt

[malaise]

14. Choking with laughter

Bwaaaaaaaaaaaah hahahahahahha

[AllyCat]

18. hey, those worshippers gave hard-earned dollars to pay for that!

I mean, they were buying their way to heaven with food money. They FASTED to provide that wealth. How dare you call it a scam! I'm sure the Crouches share once or twice a year when the media is available.

[hatrack]

24. Ahhhhhhh!!!!! My EYYYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS!!!

[AllyCat]

6. A pool at a church? Man, when I went to church, it was exciting to have a small fountain

in the grotto.

[LuvNewcastle]

11. Mass baptisms? They must be dunkers, like Baptists.

I hardly see a need for a pool at a church. I guess there aren't any poor people to serve in that town.

[AllyCat]

16. Maybe they let people have a day at the pool if they come for witnessing or whatever it is

they call that preaching to the caged audience thing that they do.

[jmowreader]

21. Then you really DON'T understand what a church is in The Last Days

A church, especially a really big one like the one we're discussing, is less a place to praise God (you can do that in a closet, like the Bible tells you to) than a sanctuary from the Unwashed, Hell Bound Masses. As such, they build all the pleasures of the world into them so The True Believers can do things like going swimming without the risk of lusting over naked flesh. Google "burkini" and you'll get results like...

[darkangel218]

10. Lol cool.

[Tanuki]

12. It's really offensive to me that this "church" has been enjoying all this tax-free luxury

at everyone else's expense.

[AllyCat]

15. Well, that just about sums up the insanity of this whole thing.

Why again is this tax free? Good question.

[snooper2]

17. Turn half of it into indoor Kart racing

That would be cool

[xfundy]

20. The city should take it for unpaid taxes.

[Sheepshank]

26. Lest it go into default first, then let the bank repo it...then buy at public auction

I don't think bailng them out is the right thing to do....financial bilking of the public should have it's very public.

[bullwinkle428]

28. Perhaps the church should try making their balloon payment with these: