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Angel Flight 44, The Book

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We have referred often within the AF44 section of KennethCopelandBlog.com to the book which I wrote entitled, Angel Flight 44: The True Story of Two Dedicated Pilots, a 60-Year-Old Airplane, and the Amazing Hurricane Katrina Mission That Birthed a New Aviation Ministry. Consequently, I consider it is necessary for me to elaborate on a few points related to that topic.

In this section we will let Kenneth Copeland do most of the talking through excerpts from the book. We will then discuss briefly the nearly 78,000 copies KCM gave away to partners and ministers.

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Providing Things Honest:

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Let me begin by stating at the onset that I am NOT taking ANY of these quotes out of context in any sort of effort to make Kenneth Copeland “look bad.” In fact, in two cases below I have excerpted almost the entire chapters! (Which, due to my exclusive copyrights for these sections and almost the entire book, is certainly my prerogative to do.)

Furthermore, anybody who has already been reviewing the videos and BVOV magazines here on KennethCopelandBlog.com should readily recognized these citations as being completely congruent with what he has said publicly in other settings. The BVOV magazines provided for download on this website are in their entirety as originally provided by the KCM archives, and the videos embedded hereon have all provided full context as well. Thus, I have already demonstrated painstaking efforts to provide things “honest in the sight of all men” as Romans 12:17 and 2 Corinthians 8:21  admonish me to do.

Lastly, let me also mention that though the book is no longer on the market through the original publisher, there were tens of thousands of copies distributed by KCM to its partners worldwide. Thus, there are plenty of people out there able to double-check my quotations for accuracy and context—and at the time I am writing this, there are also numerous USED copies of Angel Flight 44 in the ORIGINAL paperback edition available on Amazon.com for others to obtain and check if they so desire.

SPECIAL NOTE 1: There was later an abridged edition called, Angel Flight 44: A True Story, which won a 2008 Silver Angel Award from Excellence in Media. However, the publisher removed that streamlined edition from the market too soon for the available used copies to accumulate significantly on the used book market, and that edition does NOT have the “Copeland” chapters included.

SPECIAL NOTE 2: Although this should be obvious, I will state it anyway: Neither I, nor Kenneth Copeland, nor Glen Hyde, make ANY money off of used copies purchased—just as Ford Motor Company does not make any money if you buy your cousin’s used Ford car.

Now with all that said, let us begin examining quotes…

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Kenneth Copeland Said:

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This first quote is actually most of the text of chapter 33, found on pages 207-209. I wanted to give you a fairly exhaustive excerpt so that the key portions emphasized by BOLD text will make proper sense. Wherever you see an ellipses in brackets “[...]” in any of the quotes below, that indicates where I am jumping from one citation to another to skip over non-related text.

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Not too long before Katrina hit, our ministry experienced a major upsurge in finances. Miraculously, we had money to put into relief efforts immediately upon landfall of that storm. The Lord had already provided much of the extra capital we needed in advance to begin helping people down there.

Because of the timing of the financial increase, it was obvious where much of the overflow was to be directed. This was a move of God. This pre-storm provision happened within hours of the need’s manifestation. As we were praying for the people and praying against that storm, I knew that the Lord had already moved for us. We took that upsurge of finances and poured it into purchasing water, food and everything else we could think of that people would need.

A few days later, we went on the Internet, and a lot of our partners began responding. Thanks to our partners’ obedience to the Holy Spirit in this matter of giving, we were able to not only start off on the right foot, but we were also able to continue the efforts for as long as was needed.

It is one thing to find out about a disastrous situation and then, out of desperation, try to respond to it—which is like trying to build a house in the middle of a flood. It is another thing entirely to hear and obey God-directed “unctions” in advance so that, when the situation comes, the preparations have already been made for immediate action. Thank God, Glen Hyde was sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s promptings to do something at a certain time, without even knowing why he was doing it. [...]

And out of this, a new and different form of ministry has been born: Angel Flight 44. It is growing right now. It is still a baby, but it is growing. Right now, it is in its infancy, but we will never again get caught partially prepared for such a disaster. Angel Flight 44 is a ministry that is here to stay, and I will tell you why…

Katrina is not the last catastrophe that will occur. We are going to see more of those kinds of things. There are other places around the world where sin has become so heavy that the atmosphere will not be able to withstand it. And when that happens, it will explode. In those instances, the earth just breaks. It groans and travails and buckles under the pressure that sin has put upon it. In those times, you cannot fix things with a few prayers and some half-hearted hallelujahs.

Certainly, there are ways to pray effectively in times like these, and I am learning more and more about it; but being prepared for it is just as important as praying after it has happened. We must have certain arrangements already set in place. Some preparations are based on experience from previous incidents, and some are simply Holy Spirit-directed instructions that may seem strange, but are actually critical steps that will make perfect sense later on—either when you see the catastrophe coming, or just after it has happened.

We are not going to be caught like that again, having to scramble to meet people’s needs and learning how to meet those needs in the process. We found out in Katrina, and later in Rita, what people needed. So, we are preparing. Angel Flight 44 is alive and growing rapidly.

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Again, let me now excerpt the majority of a chapter, this time from from chapter 34 (pages 211-214). Note: The subtitle included below appears within the book’s actual text:
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We also learned from this experience that the government could not handle it. I am not saying that in order to criticize the government. The truth of the matter is that they are not supposed to handle stuff like this. It is not their job. The government can help, but it is actually the job of churches all over this country to help meet the needs of people. The proper order of things would be for the government to help the church help the people—which is why the church is there.

Throughout the relief efforts, the Body of Christ worked together to make things happen. And I have noticed we are all still working together to meet the needs of people. We have noticed it locally, around our local area. There are now over thirty different churches working with our church in helping to feed this county and the county right north of us. We make food deliveries to them and they distribute. There are Presbyterian churches, Baptist churches, and all kinds of churches. They all come together because people need help. [...]

The Ongoing Mission of Angel Flight 44

The government is a welfare organization, whereas the church has a heart of love for people. And when Katrina hit, the churches went into action. All the churches needed were some supplies—and that is where we came in. We felt that was our job—to help supply those churches who in turn supply the people in need. Therein was born the ministry of Angel Flight 44.

That is our mission in the future: we will help churches help people. And from this time on, we are still building, we are still gathering, and we are still preparing as if there is a storm on the way—because there is. We just do not know where it is going to hit, but the storm is coming. Jesus said so in His Word.

So, we are preparing for it. We are preparing equipment. We have plans for more airplanes as the Lord provides funds for them—and He will. Great big things that fly into places, and little bitty things that fl y into other places. We need airplanes that haul a lot of stuff, and airplanes that haul a little stuff. We need airplanes that land on the ground, and airplanes that land on the water. We are also believing for helicopters. Now, I have not seen any use for a balloon yet, but I am not ruling that out!

We have plans for acquiring other types of equipment. We have hangars on the drawing board right now in order to be equipped in all areas of flight.

So, that is where we are now. A ministry has been born, and we are going to nurse it and build it and grow it and do our part.

Yes, there is a new baby in town, and her name is Angel Flight 44. And she is coming on strong because…the storm is coming. I do not know whether it is a hurricane or a bunch more tornadoes, or what. But we are going to be ready next time. [...]

All of this taught us and trained us. You know, God does miracles, but He does not plan on your trying to live your life depending on them. A miracle is a divine intervention on the normal course of nature to get you back on His track. You are then, however, supposed to stay on track by living on the power of His Word. We are supposed to live by the Word, not just by miracles.

Now, in this situation we had to have the miracles because “the bridge was out,” so to speak. Something had to happen to get us from one place to the other, and He did the miracles that we needed. The next time something like this happens, we will be way ahead. Even though we will still have the miracles, we will also get better at helping the people. Moreover, the whole Church will get better at it. That is the way it ought to be.

The same thing was happening with other ministries, too, such as Operation Blessing and our close friend and partner, Buddy Shipp of American Samaritan. Those guys, thank God, were ahead of us because they had been in that ministry for a long time. They had a lot of things prepared that we didn’t. But they didn’t have any wings. The idea of there not being any highways available was never much of an issue before Katrina.

Let’s say, for instance, there was an earthquake someplace and the highways were wiped out. Your ability to get in and out would be lost. I was thinking about certain parts of the country where they have gotten away from their ferryboats; they have gotten away from any public transportation except for the highway-type. Even with the trains, in most cities if you ask somebody, “What would you do if you had to ride a train?” They wouldn’t even know where one was. They would not know how to get on the thing.

If an earthquake were to tear the highways up, what would you do? That is when we need to have airplanes flying in. But what if it also tears up all the runways? That is when you must have helicopters—or flying boats. You are not going to get rid of the ocean! It will be there no matter what. That is the way God has us praying and thinking now. He had to bring us up to a higher level in our mentalities—He jerked us up there through Hurricane Katrina.

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Now a few smaller excerpts from chapter 35 to finish up the Copeland quotes:
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[...] I am spiritually wise enough, with what little I have learned, to recognize certain places that are earmarked for this kind of thing. I mean, my goodness, you do not have to be a spiritual “rocket scientist” to figure out that there are certain places that, in the natural, are set up for disasters.

There are whole cities built on huge faults. There are whole cities built in the shadow of volcanoes, and that kind of thing. Well, we need to be spending more time praying and listening to God concerning these things because God went to Abraham before Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed. That fact let me know that it is God’s will to reveal to His people where these things are going to happen, and to direct us to get into prayer and change what we can. Then when one does actually happen…we fix what we can after it takes place.

So we are learning. Big things have been born out of Hurricane Katrina. We will never be that ‘dumb’ again. (Page 217)

[...] Well, New York City listened—and God spared them when disaster struck. On the other hand, New Orleans did not—and God could not help them any more than He did to stop that storm because they were used to not listening to Him. If people will not listen to God in their everyday lives, and reject His counsel just to keep their sin, then they will not be able to hear Him when He tries to warn them of pending disaster. Really, that is why He tells them not to sin in the first place…it brings disaster.

But thank God, He had a whole bunch of us willing to go down there when it was all over. He knew full well those people’s hearts would finally be open to receive His Word…and many of them have repented and turned to God since then as a result. One Word from God can change your life forever.

All of this was because His Church would listen to Him, get ready when He said to—and then work together to help those people when they were in need. (Page 221)

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Okay, I have let Kenneth Copeland do his own talking above. Added to the videos and BVOV magazines also provided here on KennethCopelandBlog.com, these quotes conclusively reveal to any impartial person that the aviation ministry of Angel Flight 44 was indicated by Copeland to be already existing, and developing further for the future natural disasters Copeland knew would occur.

Now, let’s see how many of these copies of Angel Flight 44 are circulating out there….
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AF44 Book Giveaways:

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The book, Angel Flight 44: The True Story of Two Dedicated Pilots, a 60-Year-Old Airplane, and the Amazing Hurricane Katrina Mission That Birthed a New Aviation Ministry, was given away to the ministers attending the 2007 KCM Minister’s Conference in January, 2007, as the third video in the article The AF44 Miracle and Kenneth Copeland’s Promises has already shown. Exactly 1,300 copies were ordered and expedited to KCM, and the video shows how the giveaway was conducted.

Additionally, the book was also offered to the Partners of KCM in their April, 2007 “Partner Letter” mailing.  The following image is a scanned copy of the mailer insert included within my own received copy of the specially marked “Free Offer Enclosed!” envelope:

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Click image to enlarge:

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The following image is a scanned copy of the donor card also included within that mailer, where partners could check, “Yes, please rush me my free gift copy of Angel Flight 44” right above the place where the offering amount is entered on the card (Note: I redacted, or “blacked out,” my personal information from the address field):

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Click image to enlarge:

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You can download a scanned copy of the entire April, 2007 four-page partner letter I personally received in the mail. The two scanned items above are combined onto a fifth page and are included. Download by clicking on the Adobe PDF image below (English only):

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(2.8 mb)

Note: Adobe’s free Acrobat Reader 7.0 or higher is required to view the above PDF

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KCM ordered from the publisher 75,000 copies, but a printer overrun resulted in a total of 76,400 being delivered. (The publisher did not charge KCM for the extra copies.)

Of these, most were delivered to the KCM fulfillment facilities on the grounds of Kenneth Copeland Ministries. However, KCM’s foreign offices in Canada, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Australia, each received 5,000 copies to giveaway to the English-speaking partners who requested them in those countries those offices serve.

Thus, altogether, almost exactly 77,700 copies of Angel Flight 44 were delivered to KCM, and the MAJORITY of these were sent to partners according to the early and mid-term reports I received from the various managers involved. (I never received a final count from KCM, however, so the exact figures are not available to me to share here.)

So in conclusion:

• KCM ordered and gave away 1,300 copies of the ORIGINAL edition of Angel Flight 44 (i.e. with the “Copeland” chapters included) to ministers attending the 2007 KCM Minister’s Conference.
• KCM received about 76,400 copies of this same edition, and gave away most of them, to those partners around the world who requested them.
• Thus, up to 77,700 partners of KCM read the same commitments made by Kenneth Copeland that have been excerpted on this web page above.

I think it is safe to say, then, that Kenneth Copeland needs to be very forthcoming with some answers as to why these statements and pledges have not come to pass.

Next, we will talk about Angel Flight 44, The Money…

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Angel Flight 44, The Money

(Last updated 02/05/2010)

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In this post, we will analyze the evidence and use some inductive reasoning to see what types of AF-44-related funds likely came into KCM as a result of these promises made by Kenneth Copeland (which was probably $1.24 million at a minimum). You can then compare my figures with those KCM is trying to publish now, and consider which might be more realistic given the evidence.

And let me add that as we journey through “the money,” I will also share a few facts known to me along the way…
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Follow the Money:

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In the famous book (and resulting movie) about President Nixon’s Watergate fiasco called, All The President’s Men, the mysterious informant tells reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward to “follow the money” to get to the root of the scandal. Let us take a moment and do the same here, investigating two different but related revenues for Kenneth Copeland Ministries:

• Money donated that was specifically designated for the Angel Flight 44 ministry
• New “partners” recruited, and money acquired in general offerings, as a result of the promises made about the new Angel Flight 44 ministry

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AF44-Designated Money:

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As will be discussed more specifically within the next post AF44’s Status in 2010, the official Angel Flight 44 website (www.angelflight44.com) has been up since the first quarter of 2007. This website is actually owned separately from KCM by Mr. Glen Hyde.

On the “Donate” page, AngelFlight44.com says the following:

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We truly appreciate your interest in becoming a partner with Angel Flight 44.

Angel Flight 44 is an auxiliary ministry of Kenneth Copeland Ministries, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit ministry, headquartered in Texas. Therefore, your gifts are tax-deductible under IRS tax code in the United States. Moreover, any seed you sow specifically towards Angel Flight 44 will be designated for Angel Flight 44 operations and projects. (KCM and Angel Flight 44 do reserve the right to redirect funds toward other humanitarian relief efforts as needed.)

What is even more exciting: God Himself will multiply your contributions and create a future harvest for you…and for those your gift will ultimately impact:

“Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness…the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God…” (1Corinthians 9:10,12)

Online Giving Coming Soon.

All contributions being forwarded by mail can be directed to:

Angel Flight 44

C/O Kenneth Copeland Ministries

Fort Worth, Texas, 76192

USA

Please be sure to make your check payable to KCM, and write “Angel Flight 44” in the memo field.

God bless you, and thank you for supporting the ministry of Angel Flight 44.

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If for some reason that website gets taken down sometime after this article, Angel Flight 44, The Money, gets posted, then here is a PDF of the entire AngelFlight44.com website which was created January 23, 2010. It even includes images the two web pages that do not function at present (click to download):

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Note: Adobe’s free Acrobat Reader 7.0 or higher is recommended to view the PDF .

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Some Questions:

• Is it possible that people who read the book, or heard Copeland speaking at one of the aforementioned recorded services, or read one of the three BVOV magazines, came to AngelFlight44.com? Yes, I know many did. When the book was first released to the partners, the website had very strong traffic (and I monitored the stats regularly back then).

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• Is it possible that some of the visitors to that website decided to send in a donation to KCM as AngelFlight44.com’s Donate page instructed them? Yes, again, I know that some people did, for I heard of testimonies of people who were moved to send in a donation, or who said they planned to (and I am sure there were more people than those I knew about).

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• How much money was sent in in total, and what ever happened to it? I have no idea. I am not sure that Glen Hyde ever had any idea either. I am very sure KCM can determine it exactly, because of their advanced computer processing capabilities. So it seems to me that an answer from KCM should be given publicly, and that very soon.

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In addition to the data above, it is a common thing for believers to put a specific designation in the memo section of their check when donating to a ministry. Thus, I am personally quite sure the actual numbers of people who sent in money to KCM designated specifically for Angel Flight 44 exceeded the number of those who first visited the AngelFlight44.com website.

Nevertheless, regardless of whether one agrees with me on that last point, the other facts above are sufficient to determine that SOMEBODY sent in money to KCM specifically for AF44…now where is it?

And the Christian public—and especially KCM partners (including the former partners who gave towards AF44, like ourselves)—CERTAINLY deserve to see verifiable documentation of their explanation…and NOT just “take our word for it” excuses, such as those within their recent claims.

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New Partners/General Offerings:

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In the KennethCopelandBlog.com post The AF44 Miracle and Kenneth Copeland’s Promises we reviewed three videos and three KCM Believer’s Voice of Victory magazine editions. When you watch these videos and read these magazines, you can clearly see that their descriptions of the new Angel Flight 44 ministry were tied to offerings and donor recruitment. (We will discuss only two of the videos here for brevity’s sake.)

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More questions:

• The first video on that post took place during the KCM donor recruitment service, known back in 2006 as “Increase Day” (though other outreaches of KCM were also featured within that same service).
  • Is it possible that some of those who answered the “call” to become partners with KCM—or even members of their “Elite-CX Team” preferred partner group—did so at least in-part because of what they saw with regard to the Angel Flight 44 ministry that Copeland detailed?

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• The second video on that post took place during the Friday evening service, wherein a special Angel Flight 44 presentation was made with standing ovations from the audience. Kenneth Copeland immediately began his offertory teaching thereafter, and mentioned the AF44 missions and new ministry again before instructing the ushers to receive the offering.
  • Is it possible that some people were motivated to give—or to give more than they might otherwise have—because of the stirring Angel Flight 44 presentation they had just witnessed?

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• ALL three of the BVOV magazines had the Angel Flight 44 ministry tied in some way to partnership with KCM, and the April, 2007 edition was even called the “Special Partnership Issue.” Kenneth Copeland was even so bold as to say in that issue, “You need several million dollars to build an airplane hangar and buy helicopters, airplanes, food and supplies for Angel Flight 44, your international aviation outreach that helps the needy in times of disaster… Those aren’t just outreaches of Kenneth Copeland Ministries. If you’re a Partner, they’re your outreaches too.” (Page 9)

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The very nature of the two services above and the three BVOV magazines clearly indicate that partner recruitment and the solicitation of offerings were tied to presentations about Angel Flight 44 in some way and to some degree.

Consequently, it is a reasonable use of inductive logic to assume: KCM’s overall increase in partners and donor contributions might have been at least partly due to the presentations given about the previous Angel Flight 44 missions and the promises Kenneth Copeland made about the new ministry that he said had “already” been formed.

Like Bernstein and Woodward, we have been simply following the money trail to see where it leads us. However…we have not talked about the BOOK giveaway yet, have we? Let us look at some real numbers for just a moment before we discuss conclusions…

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The Angel Flight 44 Book Giveaway:

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In the Angel Flight 44, The Book post, we reviewed extensive excerpts from the ORIGINAL edition attributed to (and approved by) Kenneth Copeland. We also discussed how about 77,700 copies of Angel Flight 44: The True Story of Two Dedicated Pilots, a 60-Year-Old Airplane, and the Amazing Hurricane Katrina Mission That Birthed a New Aviation Ministry were given to the partners of KCM and ministers attending the 2007 KCM Minister’s Conference.

Again, the “Partner Letter” give away of the Angel Flight 44 book was directly tied to donations—the check box for requesting the book being right above the contribution amount blank on the donation form.

Moreover, let me explain to you some numbers:

• KCM paid the publisher only $2.30 per copy of the 75,000 ordered (but since 76,400 were delivered and no additional cost charged, their net price per book was actually about $2.26). They were given a ridiculously good deal (about 91% off the retail price) because the publisher actually allowed them to name their own price.
• KCM staff told me that they typically get MORE offerings back when they give away products “for free” in their partner letters. I was told it varied, but typically $20 per product given was the minimum offering they received back from those requesting the “free” products. (They particularly like to give away DVDs and CDs because their total cost per product shipped is less than $1).
• When we add postage, the envelope, and other direct expenses, KCM’s direct expenditure was still less that $4 per book requested.
• Thus, a minimum of about FIVE times what they spent on the books came in to KCM with the donor cards checked to receive a copy of the book: That is likely a minimum of about $1.24 million return on investment (i.e. profit) JUST ON the upwards to 77,700 books they “gave away.”
• If KCM’s average rate of returned offering was higher than their normal $20 minimum, then those figures could climb quickly into multiplied millions of dollars received by KCM into their GENERAL FUND that can be attributed to their broken AF44 promises. For example: At $30/book, $2.02 million; at $40/book, $2.8 million; and at $50/book, about $3.6 million.

And again, as we already noted on our previous post, Angel Flight 44, The Book, we need to pay special attention to the following scanned image. Notice how the “gift” request check box was located DIRECTLY ON the KCM donation card mailed to KCM’s partners?:

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(Click image to enlarge)

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So now add to the above book “give away” figures those funds that likely came into KCM’s general fund through AF44-related partner recruitment and general offerings, and you can readily understand why KCM’s published figure of only $7,788.43 is an absurd insult to the intelegence of Christian believers everywhere.

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Conclusions:

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It appears to me that KCM’s overall general budget almost assuredly increased as a result of their “Angel Flight 44 book give away” (to the tune of potentially millions of dollars). That book promised a new ministry, and KCM’s overall budget likely increased as a result of “giving” that book to KCM’s partners. Yet, the ministry does not exist today, and there has been no explanation why it does not.

Since Kenneth Copeland promised the new Angel Flight 44 ministry, and since KCM has likely benefited financially from those promises, then it is the biblical and ethical thing to do to explain to the partners and Body of Christ WHY that ministry does not exist today—and they CERTAINLY need to explain where the AF44-designated money has gone.

To date, neither KCM nor Kenneth Copeland himself, have offered any explanation for their failure to carry through on their promises, nor have they made an honest public accounting of the money that was taken in. (And I have been trying for nearly three years to get them to come clean, first privately, and now publicly.)

Consequently, KennethCopelandBlog.com is calling the Copelands to account publicly—and should what seems to be fraud prove to be actually what has occurred, then we are also calling on them in advance to simply repent.

Let me also state again that a generic “Disaster Relief Fund” is no substitute for a fully-functional aviation support ministry. The earthquake victims in Haiti right now, for example, would have preferred Copeland’s promised aircraft landing with food and water than KCM’s non-transparent distribution of their alleged “Disaster Relief Fund” (i.e. nobody really knows what money goes where, or if at all, for KCM is not certified by ANY third party financial accountability entity such as the Evangelical Counsel for Financial Accountability; and Wall Watchers’ MinistryWatch.com has given them a financial transparency grade of “F” for their lack of openness.)

I do not doubt that KCM has “partners” on the ground helping in Haiti—Operation Blessing International being one of them. I really do not doubt that they give money to their partners to help in such disasters. What I doubt is how MUCH of those funds donated by other people to KCM’s Disaster Relief Fund are properly used in this way…especially since it was not a “fund” but an aviation support ministry for humanitarian relief that they originally promised.

Lastly, it appears that this is NOT the first time KCM has conducted an apparent “bait and switch” campaign with donor funds, as one of our following articles will discuss more fully…

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