I've never posted a review before, but I feel like this church is worth it…read more
Anyone who has ever thought about going to Abundant, formerly called Alfc (Always Looking For Cash), should discard that thought immediately. As someone who has attended Abundant for 17 years, I think I've given them a fair shot, and the only reason I have sat through that many attempts to get my money (they call them sermons) is because my family has been going there for decades. In the beginning, I actually enjoyed going there, but over the past ten years or so, my view of that cultish place has changed drastically. I first started questioning the sincerity of the pastors when the son of Pastor Charles started to get very annoying. He would always try and be funny with his dumb face-making and low-quality jokes, but when he started tooting his own horn about how great his marriage is and bragging on how his wife is the city attorney, which I'm sure she got that spot with the help of a few favors for people (wink, wink), I couldn't take it anymore. But that was just the beginning; then he starts talking about his public speaking degree, which makes sense that he has that degree, considering how bad his book is, and on top of that he would say some pretty dumb things. For example, one time when he first got on stage, the first thing he said was, '"Sex is amazing," with a huge smile on his face, like he had just gotten some before service. Something people don't know about him is that when he was a teenager at the church, a close family friend of mine who was working at the church saw Jared standing awkwardly outside one of the bathrooms. When the worker went into the bathroom, two of Jared's friends were taking turns doing sexual acts to a girl, who was supposedly Jared's girlfriend. The worker told Charles and then was immediately fired.
No better than Jared is Shannon, the entitled princess of abundant. She reeks of arrogance and entitlement. if you've ever wondered about her sermons, let me break it down for you. First, she asks for your money while wearing designer clothes and a Rolex watch on her wrist. Then, she talks about how her mom died and how "devastating" that was for her, which I'm tired of hearing about because a lot of people have lost someone in their life, but most don't have a huge home and an inheritance of expensive items and trips to Europe; most just have to pay for the funeral of that person whom they lost, and all they get is a bottle of ashes. But back to the sermon, next she "paints a picture for you" of how good God has been to her, which I'm sure he has been good to her considering how nice her house is with its pool, courtyard, and huge square footage, plus the fact that she probably gets a housing allowance to pay for that house by doing the "lord's work." Then towards the end of the sermon, she just gets loud and raises her arms in the air and gets everybody excited. then she is escorted out of the auditorium by her security guards, whom she doesn't even thank for giving her a water bottle or helping her on or off the stage. End of service.
Lastly, there's Charles, the big kahuna, the head honcho, the man who started it all with a dream from God. He's the reason his kids have turned out the way they are--entitled, arrogant, and self-absorbed. With the demographic of his church, it's easy to see why he has been able to manipulate so many people for nearly fifty years
Overall, the Niemans just want your money to fuel their lavish lifestyles. They try and direct the attention off of them by offering expired food on the weekends and having prayer groups for the broken, but it's all just a facade to cover their wrong and sinful lives of stealing from desperate people who are hurting and have nowhere to turn but them. I can't stand how they stand in their multi-million dollar buildings and ask for money while they wear watches that cost more than most people's cars. They claim that they were poor when they first started out, but there are numerous stories that disprove that.
They are corrupt. They are frauds. Their sermons are total garbage with no effort or intellect, and it sounds like the same thing is said every single week. These people need to be exposed. People treat them like they are gods and listen to everything they say and cherish every word. It's disgusting.
