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List of Churches That Received PPP Loans

You might be surprised to learn that churches are not exempt from the public-private partnership (PPP) loans that have been plaguing the U.S. economy for so long. In fact, many churches have taken out these loans and suffered the consequences—sometimes with devastating results.

There are thousands of churches in the Philippines which have loans with the Philippine government at a low interest rate. They borrowed money that could be used to reach and help people outside their church walls, but didn’t because they are worried about interest rates rising. Learn about; PPP loan religious organizations, Did churches get PPP money.

List of Churches That Received PPP Loans

Save Our Church is one of several organizations that have spoken out about the fiscal problems that have plagued the government in recent times. The organization has provided a list of churches that received ppp loan and other support from the government.

The churches below were listed as record in the database of ppp loan applicants. You may check this database out yourself by clicking here . If you are listed in this database as a ppp loan applicant and would like to have your entry removed, please leave a comment on this page or send me an e-mail

We have compiled an anonymous list of Nigerian churches that received PPP loans – donations rather than loans by the Federal Government. We hope this will help someone.

The following churches received ppp loans:

  1. Church of the Holy Sepulchre – Jerusalem
  2. Church of the Nativity – Bethlehem
  3. Church of the Resurrection – Jerusalem
  4. Church of the Holy Sepulchre – Jerusalem (A)
  5. St. George’s Cathedral – Beirut
  1. First Baptist Church of [city]
  2. Trinity United Methodist Church
  3. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church
  4. All Saints’ Episcopal Church
  5. First Presbyterian Church

Romans 14:17 KJV ~ For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

This verse tells us that the kingdom of God is not about the things we see on earth, but instead it’s about our hearts. The word righteousness means justice or fairness. The word peace means to be at rest with someone or something. And joy in the Holy Ghost means having a happy feeling about yourself because you have right standing with God through Jesus Christ (John 3:16).

Did churches get PPP money

The answer is yes.

The government has allocated billions of rands to religious organisations for the construction of houses of worship.

In February this year, the department of public works announced that it had set aside R3.8 billion for new churches and mosques over the next three years.

The department noted that the funding would be used to build new premises for “Christian denominations” in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State and North West provinces.

However, there are no details on how much money each denomination will receive or how many new churches will be built nationwide.

A spokesperson for the department told Africa Check that there were currently no plans to extend these subsidies beyond 2020 as they were part of a “political commitment”.

PPP loan religious organizations

The government of Ghana has been giving PPP loans to churches and religious organizations. The list of these organizations include the following:

The Catholic Church, The Presbyterian Church, The Methodist Church and others.

The government has been giving out these loans to these religious institutions for them to develop infrastructures in their respective areas. For example, the church of Christ has been given a loan of $10 million to build a world class auditorium for them. This project is expected to be completed soon.

PPP loans are a great way to get a loan for any kind of business, but they’re especially useful for churches.

But there’s a big downside: PPPs don’t have as much money available as conventional loans.

Here are a few things to consider when applying for a PPP loan:

You may have to pay more interest. PPP lenders charge higher interest rates than banks or credit unions because they’re taking a bigger risk on the deal. It’s worth it if you can’t get funding any other way, but be sure you understand what the lender expects from you before signing on the dotted line.

You’ll need good credit and financials. If you’ve got poor credit scores or poor financials, don’t expect to get approved for a PPP loan right away. You’ll need to build up your credit score and prove that you can manage money responsibly before getting approved for one of these loans.

You’re more likely to qualify if your church is established and stable — not new or in danger of closing down soon because of an influx of clergy misconduct allegations or declining attendance figures

For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

The Bible tells us that “the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Romans 14:17 KJV.

These are just some of the churches that received PPP loans. There are many other churches that received loans over $150,000.

Why Churches Should Not Take The PPP Loan

The PPP loan is a great idea, but it’s not for churches.Churches should be wary when considering this loan because of the following reasons:

Some aspects of the program are unclear. You may be eager to apply for forgiveness, but there are five considerations you should keep in mind first.

Many financial institutions are not yet set up to handle applications for forgiveness. Many organizations are working on “forgiveness portals” or planning to use other forms of automation to streamline the process. These technological resources cannot be finalized until the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Treasury Department issue definitive guidance. As of right now, it’s unclear when we can expect to see that sort of direction. For instance, Bank of America has informed PPP loan holders that it plans to roll out its online loan forgiveness application process in early August and that it will notify borrowers via email when it is ready to do so.


Churches have an extra two months to spend their PPP funds, giving them more time to take advantage of opportunities that could result in their loans being completely forgiven. For churches that receive their loans before June 5, 2020, the covered period can be either eight weeks or 24 weeks. Having more leeway in when PPP funds can be used can be useful for maximizing debt cancellation.


No payments are due until either the church submits an application for loan forgiveness or 10 months have passed since the end of the covered loan period. The need to apply for cancellation is diminished by the absence of a pressing payment deadline.


In some cases, applying for forgiveness may be less of a hassle for clients than they anticipate. If a church meets one of the following criteria, it can use the streamlined SBA Form 3508EZ process:
They are sole proprietors, independent contractors, and other self-employed people who applied for a PPP loan without counting the salaries of any employees.


From January 1, 2020, until the end of their covered loan period, they didn’t cut salaries or hourly wages for certain employees by more than 25%. Furthermore, with a few exceptions, they didn’t cut the number of employees or the average paid hours for employees, either.


They were unable to maintain the same level of business activity during the loan period due to federal safety requirements or guidance related to the pandemic, and they did not reduce salaries or hourly wages for certain employees by more than 25%. Public accountants anticipate SBA direction to assist in defining the scope of applicability of this safe harbor.

Churches can get ready for the forgiveness application process by keeping records of how loan money is put to use while they wait for final program guidance. Accumulate account statements and other proof of payments to substantiate non-payroll costs like mortgage interest, rent or lease payments, and utilities. Loans of $2,000,000 or more are guaranteed to receive increased scrutiny from lenders, though they are not required to do so for all disbursements included in the application for forgiveness.

List of Churches That Received PPP Loans

A summary and additional analysis of our research is available in the article Trinity Foundation Investigation: $78.6 Million in Government Guaranteed Loans Given to Televangelists.

Head of OrganizationLoan Recipient OrganizationAmount of LoanJobs RetainedFiles a Form 990TV MinistryNotes About Organization
Che AhnHarvest Rock Church$311,24134NoYesGod TV is where you can catch Che Ahn’s show.
Ernest AngleyGrace Cathedral$375,89083NoYesA sexual abuse lawsuit against televangelist Ernest Angley was settled privately, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
Sonny ArguinzoniVictory Outreach International$465,07242NoNoSonny Arguinzoni has been criticized for using manipulative tactics in his outreach to gang members and addicts.
Jim BakkerMorningside Church Productions Inc.$444,40039NoYesJim Bakker, a televangelist, is being sued because he suggested silver solution could treat coronavirus on his TV show.
Jim BakkerMorningside Church Retreat Inc.$198,70018NoNo
Jim BakkerMorningside Church Management$194,20021NoMaybe
Mark BarclayLiving Word International$317,44038NoYesMark Barclay Ministries is another name for Living Word International. There is a Hawker 800XP private jet in the church’s fleet. Mark Barclay has a TV show on VTN.
Jonathan BernisJewish Voice$894,61073YesYesProduces the TV program Jewish Voice with Jonathan Bernis.
John and Lisa BevereMessenger International$542,85937NoNoPost-2017, it’s possible that Messenger International didn’t bother filing its Form 990 anymore. Due to their participation in ECFA, some fundamental financial data is made public.
Rick BezetNew Life Church of Arkansas$2,288,200498NoNoMultisite church has sixteen campuses.
Mike BickleInternational House of Prayer$2,514,300473NoMaybeCreating confusion, two different organizations founded by Bickle operate as International House of Prayer. This IHOP operates as a religious order, as explained in a Christian Sentinel article.  IHOP stopped filing a Form 990 after 2015.
Mike BickleInternational House of Prayer —  Forerunner Christian Fellowship$215,90061NoYesCreating confusion, two different organizations founded by Bickle operate as International House of Prayer. This IHOP operates as a church and is a member of ECFA which publishes basic financial information. IHOP operates a 24 hour per day streaming channel of their services.
Brady BoydNew Life Church (Colorado Springs)$1,783,255163NoNoMegachurch once pastored by Ted Haggard.
Claud BowersAssociated Christian Television System Inc$168,20018YesYesOperates TV station WACX in Orlando, Florida.
Greg BradshawHarvest Bible Chapel$2,556,200289NoNoMegachurch previously pastored by James MacDonald.
Joseph BranhamVoice of God Recordings$1,162,500107YesNoDistributes sermons by William Branham.  Brannon, who died in 1965, actually helped launch the career of cult leader and mass murderer Jim Jones.
Tony and Cynthia BrazeltonVictory Christian Ministries International$319,85227NoYesChurch owns a Sabreliner jet. TV program airs on The Word Network.
Jamal BryantNew Birth Missionary Baptist Church$462,16542NoYesAfter pastor and televangelist Eddie Long died, Jamal Bryant was selected to be the church’s new pastor. Television program airs on Sundays on The Word Network.
Happy CaldwellVictory Television Network$219,10021YesYes At the end of 2018 Victory Television Network had $14 million in total assets which included a cash reserve of more than $1 million.
Morris CerulloMorris Cerullo World Evangelism$923,70089NoYesIn December 2019, Cerullo’s ministry opened a $190 million themed resort. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the project was built debt-free.  Morris Cerullo died July 10th, 2020.
Neville ChankersinghChristian Television Corporation$1,064,900115YesYesTelevision network broadcasting from Florida.
Ryan CollinsBethel School of Technology$230,00023YesNoRelated to Bethel Redding. No employees reported on latest Form 990.
Matthew CrouchTrinity Broadcasting of Texas$3,308,005336YesYesTrinity Broadcasting of Texas is  a smaller affiliate of Trinity Christian Center of Santa Ana, the original parent organization of TBN, with reportedly more than $1 billion in assets in 2018 including $488 million of publicly traded securities. Trinity Broadcasting of Florida, also a subsidiary, owns a large private jet at Matthew Crouch’s disposal—a Bombardier “Global Express”, N3PC.
Jim CymbalaThe Brooklyn Tabernacle$1,466,105149NoNoThe Brooklyn Tabernacle features one of America’s best known church choirs.
Richard DeHaan JrRBC Ministries$3,425,000107YesNoBetter known by the trade Our Daily Bread Ministries.
Gregory DickowLife Changers International Church$426,30067NoYesProduces the TV program Power to Change Today.
Dave DummittWillow Creek Community Church$5,683,425353NoNoAfter previous pastor Bill Hybels was removed because of sexual harassment allegations, Dave Dummitt was selected to be the new pastor.
Dr. Tony EvansOak Cliff Bible Fellowship$2,378,260245NoYesDr. Tony Evans’s ministry Urban Alternative produces his radio program. His TV program airs on TBN.
Sean FeuchtSean Feucht Ministries$20,8001YesNoWorship leader at Bethel Redding.
Jentezen FranklinFree Chapel Orange County$370,17029NoYesSatellite campus in Irvine, California.
Jentezen FranklinFree Chapel Worship Center$1,714,855134NoYesHosts the TV program Kingdom Connection with Jentezen Franklin. His church is a member of ECFA which discloses basic financial information.
Debra FraserTotal Living International$208,00015YesYesOperates the Total Living Network.
Steven FurtickElevation Church$3,656,700377NoYesMinistryWatch reported that Elevation Church ended 2019 with a cash surplus of $26 million. Furtick’s TV program airs on TBN.
Eric GeigerMariners Church$2,700,000NoNoIn 2018, Outreach Magazine listed Mariners Church as the 21st largest church in America, with  an average attendance of 13,651.
Jack GrahamPrestonwood Christian Academy$3,353,8000NoNoSchool operated by Prestonwood Baptist Church.
WV GrantEagles Nest Churches$39,2004NoYesAfter ABC Prime Time Live’s Diane Sawyer and Trinity Foundation investigated and discreditied WV Grant in the early 1990s, the televangelist was convicted of tax evasion.
John GrayThe Relentless Church$1,250,000151NoYesThe church purchased a $1.8 million home for pastor John Gray who is currently in a legal battle with televangelist Ron Carpenter whose church previously occupied the church property.
Craig GroeschelLife. Church Operations, LLC$7,007,000451NoNoLife. Church is well known for its Youversion Bible app.  (the period in the name is intentional)
J.D. GreearSummit Church$2,306,000264NoNoPastor Greear is currently serving as president of the Southern Baptist Convention.
Kenneth  HaginRhema Bible Church$1,487,115212NoYesRhema Bible Church owns a Canadair/Bombardier Challenger, N91KH. Their TV program Rhema Praise airs on Daystar.
Mac HammondLiving Word Christian Center$2,782,600397NoYesSeveral weeks before applying for the PPP loan,  LWCC purchased telelvangelist Jesse Duplantis’ old Falcon 50 jet. Hammond’s church also owns another private jet, a Cessna 650, N178HL, which it obtained in the fall of 2019.  Hammond, a aviation enthusiast, also owns a jet fighter trainer.
Benny HinnWorld Healing Center Church$684,60025NoYesBenny Hinn Ministries is a tradename registered to World Healing Center Church. Hinn’s TV audience significantly shrank after his TV program was removed from TBN. In 2017, the Internal Revenue Service and postal inspectors raided the church after obtaining a search warrant. Trinity Foundation investigators strongly suspect that Hinn immediately hired a defense attorney and paid the IRS millions of dollars to prevent a criminal trial.
David HolstenMission Aviation Fellowship$2,080,000199NoNoMission Aviation Fellowship is an ECFA member and reported almost $87 million in total assets in 2018.
Larry HuchFreedom Center DFW$514,13247NoYesLarry and Tiz Huch’s TV program New Beginnings airs on Daystar.
T.D. JakesPotter’s House of Dallas, The$2,568,898270NoYesTD Jakes Ministries is a trade name registered to the church.
Robert JeffressFirst Baptist Church of Dallas$2,277,135293NoYesPastor Jeffress’ TV program Pathway to Victory airs on various religious TV networks.
Robert JeffressFirst Baptist Academy$409,02568NoNoSchool operated by First Baptist Church of Dallas.
Robert JeffressFirst Baptist Medical Center$1,566,90089NoNoMedical clinic operated by First Baptist Church of Dallas.
David JeremiahShadow Mountain Community Church$2,059,674248NoYesDavid Jeremiah’s ministry Turning Point for God  reported $22 million in assets on its 2018 Form 990.
Brian JohnsonBethel Music$852,20058YesMaybeRelated to Bethel Redding. No employees reported on its 2018 Form 990.
Steve JohnsonCornerstone Television$548,49269YesYesCable TV channel broadcasting from Pennsylvania.
Daniel KolendaChrist for All Nations$703,14645YesYesEvangelistic ministry founded by the late Reinhard Bonnke. Christ for All Nations airs on TBN and God TV.
Marcus and Joni LambWord of God Fellowship$3,913,200303NoYesWord of God Fellowship is the parent organization of Daystar Television Network. Daystar purchased a Gulfstream V shortly after being approved for the PPP loan. In response to Inside Edition investigating the jet, the network paid back its PPP loan with interest. Lamb denies paying for the jet with PPP money.
Christopher LarsonLigonier Ministries$1,982,574160 jobsYesYesTheologian R.C. Sproul founded the ministry which publishes Tabletalk magazine and operates Reformation Bible College. The late Sproul is not usually thought of as a televangelist but his sermons are broadcast on NRB TV.  
Greg LaurieHarvest Christian Fellowship$2,962,300410NoYesGreg Laurie’s sermons are broadcast on TBN.
previously Carl LentzHillsong Channel$179,30017NoYesThe Hillsong Channel was created in a partnership between TBN and Hillsong.  Lentz was fired from Hillsong in the beginning of November due to an affair and a successor has yet to be chosen.
previously Carl LentzHillsong NYC LLC$623,50043NoYesHillsong’s American churches are registered as limited liability companies, an unusual practice, but not illegal.  Lentz was fired from Hillsong in the beginning of November due to an affair and a successor has yet to be chosen.
Guillermo MaldonadoMinisterio Internacional El Rey Jesús$2,027,537287NoYesMinisterio Internacional El Rey Jesús is reportedly America’s largest hispanic church and is located in Miami. Maldonado’s ministry owns a Dassault Falcon 50 jet, N37KH.
Joyce MeyerJoyce Meyer Ministries$5,084,900402NoYesJoyce Meyer Ministries is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability which provides basic financial information about the ministry.  Joyce Meyer Ministries also owns a Gulfstream IV jet.
Paul MortonGreater St Stephen Full Gospel$253,28230NoYesMorton is pastor of two megachurches and his TV program airs on The Word Network.
Todd and Julie MullinsChrist Fellowship Church $4,613,992448NoNoMulti-site church with almost 30,000 attendees before covid-19.
Joel OsteenLakewood Church$4,436,224368NoYesOsteen’s Lakewood Church is the largest megachurch in the U.S.  None of the loan was used for his salary.  The church did not apply for the loan initially and the loan was granted in the July / August period.
Rod ParsleyWorld Harvest Church$1,771,400165NoYesTelevangelist Rod Parsley’s TV program Breakthrough airs on Word Network.
Peter PopoffPeople United for Christ$512,66768NoYesIn 1986, on Johnny Carson’s The Tonight Show guest James Randi revealed that televangelist Popoff received messages from his wife over a radio receiver, rather than from God. Video of the broadcast is on YouTube.
Frederick PriceCrenshaw Christian Center Church$1,884,847157NoYesThe TV program Ever Increasing Faith With Fred K. Price is broadcast on TBN and Daystar.
Richard RobertsOral Roberts Evangelistic Association$369,20054YesYesOral Roberts Evangelistic Association has lost more than half its employees since 2017. In 2019 the ministry reported $3 million in assets.
Touré and Sarah Jakes RobertsPotter’s House of Denver$229,80022NoNoSarah Jakes Roberts, daughter of T.D. Jakes was in the news for purchasing a $4 million home.
Sid RothThe Messianic Vision$589,6000NoYesThe TV program Sid Roth’s It’s Supernatural is known for featuring people claiming to have messages from God. The guests are often questionable.
Robert “Bobby” SchullerCrystal Cathedral Ministries$414,709UnknownNoYesProduces the Hour of Power TV program.
Jay Sekulow and Pat RobertsonAmerican Center for Law & Justice$1,232,30087YesYesJay Sekulow is the CEO of the organization and Pat Robertson is president. Gary Sekulow is the CFO of this organization and Jay Sekulow’s related organization Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism, which uses the tradename American Center for Law and Justice.  It’s 2019 form 990 reported $58 million in total assets of which $31 million are invested in publicly traded securities.  Sekulow’s TV program airs on TBN.
David and Vicki ShearinWord of Life Christian Center$398,00076NoYesProduces the TV show The Word for Living.
Kerry ShookFellowship of the Woodlands Church$1,485,100175NoYesTV program is featured on TBN.
Ward SimpsonAngel Christian Trust Inc$239,76514YesYesAngel Christian Trust is better known as God TV.
Judah SmithChurchome$1,622,942115NoNoThis megachurch, previously named City Church, is located near Seattle, Washington.
Johnson SulemanOmega Fire Ministries Worldwide$188,25216NoYesJohnson Suleman is a Nigerian pastor and televangelist.
Andrew SumrallFamily Broadcasting Corporation$1,196,60070 jobsNoYesFamily Broadcasting was founded by televangelist Lester Sumrall and was originally named LeSea Broadcasting.
Jimmy SwaggartFamily Worship Center$2,612,687330NoYesJimmy Swaggart Ministries is a trade name registered to Family Worship Center.
Chuck SwindollStonebriar Community Church$1,779,800399NoNoSwindoll also oversees the non-profit organization Insight for Living which produces a radio program of the same name.
David E. TaylorJoshua Media Ministries International$31,4003NoYesTaylor’s TV program Miracle Mondays is broadcast on The Word Network.  The link is for a 2017 form 990.  Taylor appears to have stopped filing them.
Mark TaylorTyndale House Ministries$4,185,645222YesNoThe ministry began operating in 2019.
Casey TreatChristian Faith Center$506,60063NoYesCasey Treat’s TV program airs on the Hillsong Channel
Kris VallottonBethel Media$496,30077YesYesRelated to Bethel Redding. Almost $2.5 million in total assets and no employees were reported on latest Form 990 (2018). Bethel Media runs Bethel TV which operates as a premium subscription web-based TV channel.
Rick WarrenPurpose Driven Connection511,00038YesNoIn their most recent Form 990 (2018), Purpose Driven Connection reports zero employees.
Rick WarrenPurpose Driven Publishers211,60013NoNoIn 2019 Purpose Driven Communications changed its name to Purpose Driven Publishers.Although corporate papers indicate this organization is a non-profit, there is no record of either name in the IRS database.
Michael WarsawEternal Word Television Network$4,677,5000YesYesIn 2018, Eternal Word Television Network reported $4 million in total assets.
Jane WhaleyWord of Faith Fellowship$271,86058NoNoTrinity Foundation sent an undercover employee into this church in 1994 resulting in an Inside Edition esposé.  Often classified as a cult, the church isolates members from their families and is the target of an investigative book titled Broken Faith: Inside the Word of Faith Fellowship, One of America’s Most Dangerous Cults.  
Paula WhiteCity of Destiny$259,20030NoYesPaula White’s TV program The Walk airs on Daystar.  Formerly known as the New Destiny Christian Center.
Rick WilesFlowing Streams Church$294,365UnknownNoYesTrunews with Rick Wiles airs on TCT Network. PPP loan was obtained with the name “Office of the senior pastor and president of the The Flowing Str.”
Bill WinstonLiving Word Christian Center$1,879,310147NoYesTelevangelist pastors Bill Winston and Mac Hammond both have churches with the same name. Winston’s church also owns a private Gulfstream IV jet, N316VB. While the church doesn’t file a Form 990, Bill Winston Ministries does file. 
Frank WrightCoral Ridge Ministries Media Inc$354,66525YesYesProducer of the Coral Ridge Hour which features the sermons of the late D. James Kennedy.
KP YohannanGospel for Asia$611,8000NoNoIn 2019, Gospel for Asia spent $37 million settling a lawsuit after being accused of fraud. Bloggers carefully reported on the scandal, unlike the religious press, according to journalist Julie Roys.
Ed Young JrFellowship Church$1,520,345134NoYesEd Young Jr’s sermons are broadcast on TBN.
Ravi ZachariasRavi Zacharias Ministries International$1,575,700102NoYesLet My People Think With Ravi Zacharias airs on Vision TV. Basic financial information is available because RZIM is a member of ECFA. Accusations of sexual abuse have surfaced regarding Zacharias who died in May 2020.

PPP loans to ministries and churches with national TV presence:  $78,648,009

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