Churches of God accept windfall

Christian Century, Jan 25, 2003

"If God wants to take the devil's money and give it to us, that's fine," says Gerald Abreu, one of three Church of God pastors whose congregations are to receive tithes from a West Virginia man who won a Powerball jackpot on Christmas.

Abreu, who now leads the small Abundant Life Church of God in Torrance, California, formerly had businessman Andrew J. Whittaker as a congregant back in West Virginia. Whittaker told NBC's Today show: "We pay tithes to three churches and we're going to take care of these pastors with 10 percent of the money as it comes in."

Whittaker, 55, took a payout of $113.4 million from the Multi-State Lottery Association after the Powerball jackpot reached $314.9 million if paid over 30 years. Three pastors, along with his attorney, will handle a $17 million fund, he said. "I think it's really meant for me to do a lot with this money to help people."

Added Whittaker: "Those three pastors have stood by us when we were sick, prayed for us when we were in need." His wife, Jewell, plans to use some winnings for a trip to Israel.--RNS