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Movie star pastor Joel Osteen’s megachurch is repaying thousands and thousands of {dollars} it received in COVID-19 disaster funds that prompted backlash final yr.
Houston-based Lakewood Church acquired about $4.4 million by the Paycheck Safety Program (PPP) to cowl payroll and different bills whereas shutting down in-person providers for seven months final yr, in accordance with the Houston Chronicle.
The church acquired widespread backlash, with critics calling out the necessity to separate church and state, particularly contemplating most church buildings within the U.S. are tax-exempt. Lakewood defended its choice, claiming that not one of the cash went to Osteen nor his spouse.
Lakewood mentioned the PPP mortgage was essential for them “throughout such a time of want.”
“Like many organizations quickly shuttered by the pandemic, this mortgage offered Lakewood church short-term monetary help in 2020 making certain that its roughly 350 workers and their households would proceed to obtain a paycheck and full well being care advantages,” the church mentioned in an announcement.
Lakewood reportedly offered an announcement from its financial institution exhibiting that it has made funds on the multi-million greenback mortgage since January.
In line with information launched by the Small Enterprise Administration, Lakewood was amongst not less than 60 non secular establishments in Texas that acquired greater than $1 million in loans by the federal CARES Act, the primary stimulus bundle handed by lawmakers in response to the pandemic’s stranglehold on companies.
This system was met with controversy as a result of it was the primary time the federal authorities provided a direct line of economic help to untaxed non secular and nonprofit teams.
Underneath the laws, church buildings and nonprofits with fewer than 500 workers have been eligible for forgivable loans if used on primary prices, together with payroll and utilities. Those that criticized this system argued that as a result of the loans are forgivable, they’re technically a grant, which means the federal government was subsidizing non secular operations.
Whereas Lakewood has chosen to pay the cash again, it’s unclear if some other church buildings will observe swimsuit. We’ll maintain you posted.
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