Dick DeVos is running for governor in the state of Michigan. His father Richard DeVos along with Jay Van Andel co-founded Amway. According to Forbes list of the richest 400 Americans, Richard DeVos has a fortune worth $3.4 billion dollars and is number 65 on the list.
Because junior wants to run for governor, he recently disclosed tax and charitable giving records for himself and his wife Betsy. The Dick and Betsy DeVos Foundation handed out more than $10 million dollars from the foundation to schools, think tanks and various charities between January 2002 and December 2004, according to the Lansing State Journal's report.
Here are the top 6 recipients:
1. Education Freedom Fund Grand Rapids $978,000
2. The Potter's House Grand Rapids $807,550
3. Little Star Inc. Aspen, Colorado $525,000
4. Haggai Institute Atlanta, Georgia $500,000
5. Flannel Grand Rapids $453,349
6. Mars Hill Bible Church Grandville $431,000
It would seem that the number 2 recipient was The Potter's House, but if you add line items 5 and 6 together, you get a total of $884,349.00. You see, Flannel is the outfit that produces Rob Bell's super-hip and super-cool NOOMA videos. Rob's mission in life is to use these videos, his church, and his book to repaint the Christian faith. Now it matters not that Christ has not given him a mandate to do this. What matters is that Rob feels the need to do it. And with those deep DeVos pockets backing him up, he just might make a go of it.
Now I absolutely believe that the DeVos's and everyone else in this country have the right to give money they've earned or inherited to whomever they wish. God knows that they and the Van Andels have done much good for the greater Grand Rapids area. What bothers me is that I believe Rob and Mars Hill are doing great damage - not to the true Church of Jesus Christ, no one can foil His plans - but damage to people searching for answers in post-Christian America. I've listened to enough of Rob's "messages" to know that what he speaks of is not authentic, Biblical Christianity. It simply is not. Sorry, but TRUTH WINS.
I would be very interested to know how Rob & Co. managed to get nearly a million bucks from this foundation. That's a lot of cash. And, more importantly, one wonders if Rob would be the superstar he is today without welfare checks from the son of one of America's richest men.
R.J.
Lansing State Journal Article on DeVos' Giving
PDF of DeVos Press Release on Giving from the Detroit Free Press
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