Continued: Life styles of the Rich <strong>and</strong> Famous - Pt. 7The upcoming seminar was to be conductedby Jan Crouch’s own cosmetic surgeon<strong>and</strong> was on the topic of liposuction.Perhaps Jan Crouch was indebted toher cosmetic surgeons to promote theirbusinesses after all the time they put intoJan’s reconstruction that occurred in thelate 1990s. Jan seemed to disappear fora while from the airwaves. She left lookinglike Elly Mae Clampett of the BeverlyHillbillies with her frilly pink ruffles<strong>and</strong> blonde curly wigs <strong>and</strong> came back inthe style of Pamela Sue Anderson withstraightened, tinted, wigs <strong>and</strong> collagenlips. Jan Crouch’s personality changedalong with her new outward appearance.She now is rarely seen in a color otherthan black. Before her renovation sherarely wore that color. And her Elly Maegiggles were replaced with Pamela Lee’ssauciness. And the world takes notice.One Christian reporter, Robin B<strong>and</strong>ini,wrote of Jan Crouch, “ She hasreportedly used countless thous<strong>and</strong>sof TBN money to get a variety of facelifts,liposuction, tummy tucks, collagenlip implants, <strong>and</strong> breast augmentation.”Jan Crouch’s former assistant, KellyWhitmore, confirmed this <strong>and</strong> said“Jan has had three breast augmentationsurgeries <strong>and</strong> went from a 34-b toa 40-dd . She wanted to go slowly so itwouldn’t be so noticeable. Dolly Partonwas one of Jan’s idols <strong>and</strong> Jan carriesBarbie dolls around with her.”But Jan Crouch is not ashamed ofthese things, but rather flaunts them to theTBN viewers as some sort of fringe benefitof her prosperity gospel. She doesn’tseem to care what anybody thinks, she’sgoing to do what she wants to do. She hasthe power over the programming of thelargest “Christian” network in the world.It is reported that the Crouches havelived separately for years. This is apparentfrom watching TBN <strong>and</strong> seeingthe Crouches refer to each other as beingelsewhere very consistently. Whitmoretestified of the Crouches’ condos in Tennesseebeing next door to each other, soeven when the Crouches are together inthe same place, they reside separately.There might be some logical explanationfor these reports, however the Crouchesrefuse to be interviewed. But it certainlydoes give “an appearance of evil,”something the Bible clearly warns against.Both Jan <strong>and</strong> Paul have spoken publiclyabout Jan’s reputation as a flirt, sowhen she’s seen acting unbecomingly inpublic, it looks all the more incriminating.Jan shared with the TBN viewers:“When I had gotten thrown out of college-- Can you see this little sweet face?Can you believe this little sweet face evergot thrown out of a Christian college? Imean they went, ‘Out of here, child! Wecannot help you! Out! Out! Out!’ Andthe day that I was thrown out of EvangelCollege in Springfield, Missouri, mylittle daddy that night . . . I was planningjust to leave. I knew the disgrace I hadbrought him. My dad (Edgar Bentley)was on the board of Evangel College. Iknew the disgrace. One of the big wigsin the Assemblies of God church, whenhis daughter going to a Christian collegeof the denomination was the first girlever to get thrown out. I felt helpless. . .“ I heard the car motor going outsidemy dorm window where I had a ladder up tomy window . . . They called it Jacob’s ladder.I don’t think it should have been calledthat -- it’s Jacob <strong>and</strong> John <strong>and</strong> Bruce <strong>and</strong>Ed <strong>and</strong> whoever will . . . I heard Bruce’s caroutside the window <strong>and</strong> I was fixin to go.”She explained how her dad’s prayersstopped her <strong>and</strong> she called him to pick herup rather than run away. Her recent behaviormakes one ask if she has ever gottenover the promiscuity of her youth. Asa public figure in the Christian community,she certainly is looked up to by many TBNloyalists. But her public image makes ahorrible role-model for young Christianwomen who are sent the message that impurity<strong>and</strong> sleaze is quite OK for a believer.Both Jan <strong>and</strong> Paul Crouch are globetrotters who stay in the finest, first-classhotels. In fact, one day on Behind theScenes, Jan Crouch held gr<strong>and</strong>-son, Calan,on her lap, talking about what a relaxingweek-end she had <strong>and</strong> Calan blurtedout that they stayed at the “Ritz Carlton,”an expensive five-star hotel on the beachin Laguna. Jan quickly put her h<strong>and</strong> overhis mouth <strong>and</strong> made excuses that theyjust wanted to stay at the beach. That’sodd too since the Crouches own a housein Newport Beach <strong>and</strong> a condo near thenew Costa Mesa headquarters, a merefew miles from their house. (Again, moreevidence that the Crouches reside apart.)So Jan Crouch knows her lifestyle isshameful or she wouldn’t have been embarrassedwhen Calan advertised it. TheCrouches apparently hold to an idea ofcheap grace -- “Sin all the more that graceshould abound.” Insiders have reportedthat Jan Crouch enjoys smoking cigarettes<strong>and</strong> Paul Crouch keeps a supply of expensivecigars on h<strong>and</strong>. Once Jan joked abouther smoking on the Praise-a-Thon in April,2001. “Matt said today on the phone to me,our son Matthew. When I was talking tohim, he said, ‘Mom, it sounds like you’vebeen smoking for 50 years.’ I’m sorry --No, only 48.” And she laughed about it.Paul Crouch also has expensivetaste. He recently bragged about buyinga classic sports car while at the same timeclaiming that he controls his money, hismoney doesn’t control him. “The Lordgave me a desire of my heart last week,Crouch announced during the Spring2001 Praise a Thon. “I got me a littlesports car . . . Yes I did, just like SteveBrock’s. He got his a year earlier, yes.”Steve Brock, Benny Hinn’s tenorwho has also been a regular performeron TBN’s Praise-the-Lord programsfor a couple of decades, got agood laugh from Crouch’s confession.TBN Regulars Follow SuitThe lifestyles of those who haveshows on TBN tend to match the exampleset by the Crouches. There are afew exceptions, but the programming onthe network tends to send the same message<strong>and</strong> give a consistent display of avarice,greed, <strong>and</strong> worldliness. The Bibleis specific as to how we must respondto those whose lifestyles are so ungodly.“But now I have written to you notto keep company with anyone nameda brother, who is sexually immoral, orcovetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, ora drunkard, or an extortioner--not evento eat with such a person.” (1Co 5:11)1. Harrell, Daved Edwin Jr., “All Things ArePossible,” @1975, Indiana University Press,Bloomington, p 742. Prasch, Jacob, “People’s Opinions or God’s,”a study of II Sam. 5 & 6, audio tape #PRA1129on file.3. Capps, Charles, “Seed-Faith Book TurnsLife Around,” from Oral Roberts’ magazine,Abundant Life, May/June 1987, pg. 5.4. Buckingham, Jamie, “Something GoodHas Happened,” from Oral Roberts’ magazine,Abundant Life, May/June 1987, pg. 7.Hunt, Dave -- “Word-Faith Movement” messagespoken @ CCLV on 2/28/99, audio tapeon file.Philadelphia Inquirer, 12/1/80, “A False Image.”Robison, James, quoted in Philadelphia Inquirer,“Oral’s ‘death watch’ Start,” 3/5/87.“O Timothy” magazine, Volume 7, Issue 3,1990. David W. Cloud, Editor. Quoted in “AndThey Will Make Merch<strong>and</strong>ise of You” by MichaelClark <strong>and</strong> George Davis, A WildernessVoice Website, [http://awildernessvoice.com].Buckingham, Jamie, Daughter of Destiny, pg.246.Ibid., pg.272-273.1998 On-line forum, Thread: “TBN is insane”:alt.fan.bob-larsonApodaca, Patricia, “Southl<strong>and</strong> Ranks as TV’sBible Belt, Los Angeles Times, Orange Countyedition, 1/12/9812 <strong>Moriel</strong> Quarterly • June 2007
The video is available from Paw Creek <strong>Ministries</strong>,5110 Tuckaseegee Rd., Charlotte, NC28208. >www.pawcreek.org
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