The Denver Post devotes a few pages today to a special report on the Heritage Christian Center, a very large evangelical church in Aurora, Colorado, run by a self-ordained minister, Bishop Dennis Leonard. The Bish lives in high style. His family has profited mightily from church activities and a church-run charity. And they’ve had easy access and strong influence over church members that they’ve used to promote their various multilevel-marketing activities, including Melaleuca.
It’s quite a tangled web of affiliated for-profits, affiliated non-profits, kickbacks from mortage lenders and Realtors, IRS and HUD investigations and audits, and raised eyebrows from legal and financial experts consulted by the reporter.
They preach the Gospel of Prosperity over at Heritage. Give ten percent to God, don’t worry about paying your utilities if you don’t have enough left over after that. There’s an ATM in the lobby, in case parishioners were too busy earning their modest wages to remember to bring their ten percent tithes in cash and forgot their checkbooks and their credit cards are all maxed out. Thoughtful, those ministers.
Ka-ching. Amen. Ka-ching.
My daughter and son in law just changed to Heritage Christian Church. I am very upset that they get very verbal with the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News for all the “bad publicity” they have written on Heritage Church. I believe it is a cult. I am investigating it as I believe they don’t even understand this religion. First of all they thought it was Non Denominational and now I find out it is an Evangelical Church. After reading your review…can you please provide me proof to show them about the IRS, the money, a picture of the so called Bishops house, etc.
I am not happy! Please help me find the proof to get them out of this church. Thank you.