Televangelist takes down web page asking for $65 million in donations to buy Gulfstream jet

After heavy backlash, a Georgia-based mega church took down its web page asking for donations in order to purchase a $65 million Gulfstream G650 jet for its pastor.

The Creflo Dollar Ministries posted a five-minute video to its Project G650 fundraising page, in which pastor Creflo Dollar stated that if 200,000 followers gave just $300 each, he would be able to purchase the ultra-luxurious plane and spread the good word around the world, 11 Alive in Atlanta reports. Dollar's current jet is 30 years old, and after a near-miss in London where the plane skidded off the runway during an aborted takeoff, he decided it was time for a new model, he said.

The backlash was swift, with many pointing out that Dollar is worth more than $27 million, and his World Changers Church International is located in College Park, where the average household income is slightly over $29,000 a year. While the main Project G650 fundraising page is down, Dollar can still receive dollars through the ministry's main donation page.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up