Dr. Mark Barclay, of Mark Barclay Ministries, a televangelist operating from Midland, Michigan, has asked his followers for more money in donations to repaint a luxury jet that his ministry bought just last year from donations his church has received.
Barclay, known as the “Preacher of Righteousness,” sent a letter to his followers in May of this year, asking for $79,000 to paint the ministry jet, a Citation III 650, which he says, belongs to the Lord.
Barclay said that the paint on the jet, purchased from ministry funds in 2012, has started to chip and it would be better to repaint it rather than to spot paint it in places, according to the website PimpPreacher.com, which tries to expose greedy pastors.
A representative of Mark Barclay Ministries confirmed that they are asking for the money to repaint the jet aircraft, last Thursday, according to the Christian Post.
“We are still believing God to finish the project and we thank you for agreeing with us in prayer,” said the representative.
Apparently, Barclay used clever tactics to try to entice his followers to part with their money for the repaint by quoting Matthew 6:19-21, which talks about not laying up treasures for themselves here on earth but to lay up treasures in heaven.
Barclay apparently tells his followers in the letter that the airplane has been spot-repaired in the past to help stop corrosion, but is now chipping in places, therefore it’s best to do a complete repaint.
Barclay points out that spot painting the aircraft will cost about one third of the price that it would cost to re-paint the whole aircraft. He adds that if they spot paint it, they will have to continue to do that on an ongoing basis.
Barclay starts to lay it on thick in his letter to his supporters by telling them that if corrosion gets a hold of the aircraft, it would be very dangerous, which might result in the aircraft being grounded until the problem is fixed. The pastor’s letter states that God is the real owner of the aircraft, and he urges his followers to help him pay for the re-painting of it.
Also, the preacher stresses that the aircraft is not a luxury for him to enjoy, but is needed for the ministering work that God wants him to do.
He writes, “There are reasons why ministries like mine MUST have an aircraft. I believe it is important for me to explain that the aircraft is far from a luxury item for me. Honestly, if there were any other way to fulfill my assignment, I would choose it!”
Barclay concludes his letter by stating the if 80 people, ministries or companies each give $1,000, then the cost for the repaint will be finished and the aircraft renewed.
[ChristianBlog]
lol…fraud