First Family Church

Infobox religious building
building_name = Exterior of the First Family Church/campus
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location = 7700 west 143rd Street, Overland Park, Kansas, 66223
religious_affiliation = Southern Baptist
functional_status = Active
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First Family Church is a large Evangelical Christian church located in Overland Park, Kansas. The church is situated on 51 acres in southern Johnson County, in the Southwestern portion of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area of the United States.

First Family Church is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, and has among its guiding principles, the stated mission to reach lost people, bring them into God’s family, and inspire them to mature in Christ [ [http://www.ffc.org/aboutus/GudingPrin.php First Family Church’s Guiding Principles] ]

History

First Family Church started with Pastor Jerry Johnston, who liquidated nearly $200,000 in assets from his debt-free ministry organization JJM to start First Family Church in his hometown of Overland Park on September 22, 1996. From its beginnings in eleven different rental facilities, everything from schools to movie theaters, FFC has grown to a membership of over 4,000Fact|date=June 2008.

Current

In July 2001, First Family Church launched its television ministry. [ [http://www.ffc.org/aboutus/history.php First Family Church - History] ] Some sermons are broadcast globally via satellite and archive web video-streaming.

Its 125,000-square foot, state-of-the-art facility features an indoor jungle gym and youth center with basketball courts, fitness room and youth café.

In the Fall 2007, First Family launched First Family Academy.Fact|date=September 2008

Controversy

In March 2007 "The Kansas City Star" ran a front-page investigative series of articles on financial concerns at First Family Church. [cite web |url=http://www.kansascity.com/115/story/35011.html |title=Lax financial oversight riles some First Family Church followers |accessdate=2007-12-04 |format= |work=Judy Thomas ] The paper published several follow-up articles on additional questionable activities of the Johnstons: Lavish lifestyles, [ [http://www.kansascity.com/115/story/199724.html Lavish lifestyles at odds with pastor’s calls for the faithful to sacrifice] ] Jerry and Jeremy Johnston side businesses, [ [http://www.kansascity.com/115/story/199726.html Business offshoots add to bottom line] ] as well as delinquent tax payments. [ [http://www.rickross.com/reference/ffc/ffc7.html Pastor, church have been delinquent in paying tax bills] ] Additional reporting was done referencing that all of Jerry Johnstons children and his mother work on staff with him. [ [http://www.religionnewsblog.com/17697/first-family-church First Family Church payroll includes several Johnston family members] ] . Online reporting also reported on the honorary degree granted to Jerry Johnston. [ [http://www.religionnewsblog.com/17696/jerry-johnston-2 Honorary degree elevates ‘Dr. Jerry’ Johnston] ] .

After the stories appeared, Bott Radio Network, a Christian network with 50 stations based in the same city as First Family Church, announced it was dropping Jerry Johnston and First Family Church from its local AM station (the only station in its network that the show was on). "Bott said the newspaper report raised some serious questions that could be easily answered if the church joined the ECFA" and that the ministry refused to join the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) pursuant to the radio networks standards. [cite web |url=http://www.kansascity.com/115/story/199725.html |title=Pastor’s radio show is dropped |accessdate=2007-11-07 |format= |work=Judy Thomas ]

In July, 2007 a follow-up article was printed in The Kansas City Star citing additional allegations, including the misuse of a $50,000 contribution to Jerry Johnston Ministries that was allegedly diverted to a personal account of the Johnstons'. The article also reported that after the initial March 2007 articles in the Kansas City Star, the Kansas attorney general's office began an investigation into whether Jerry Johnston used church money for personal gain. [cite web |url=http://www.kansascity.com/115/story/720120.html |title=Johnston's former ministry faulted: Misuse of group's finances is alleged |accessdate=2008-03-07 |format= |work=Judy Thomas ]

Legal charges have not been filed but an investigation is ongoing by the State Attorney General.Fact|date=September 2008

A contractor who worked for the church filed several complaints regarding the companies with the Internal Revenue Service, charging that church employees are forced to work for the companies, that church donations are used to fund Jerry Johnston Publications, and that church resources are used by J Cubed Media to conduct business. [ [http://www.kansascity.com/132/story/454740.html Companies operated by First Family Church’s pastor and his son are shut down] ]

External links

* [http://www.ffc.org First Family Church]

References