Did you know that Jim Bakker had an amusement park?
You’ll have to excuse me on my lack of 80’s televangelist history knowledge.
Back in 1986, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker’s Heritage USA was the third most visited amusement park in the United States, falling only behind Disney’s two destinations — Disney World and Disneyland
According to i09:
Heritage USA opened in Fort Mill, SC, in 1978, and by the mid-eighties drew in six million visitors each year. The park was perhaps best-known for “Jerry’s Slide,” a 163-foot water slide that Falwell slid down in his suit, resulting in one of the most famous photographs of the televangelist.
Here’s the famous photo:
Jerry Falwell had promised he would go down the Typhoon water-slide if, 1,000 people donated $1,000 to the financially faltering PTL. As you can see, the marketing plan worked and he took the plunge. This might have been his first plunge, but it certainly wasn’t his last.
The “slides and fairy tale castle were, in part, responsible for Falwell’s downfall. After scandals regarding Falwell’s fundraising efforts to build the park’s never-completed hotel and the IRS’s revocation of its tax-exempt status, Heritage USA was hit by another, more physical blow. Hurricane Hugo wreaked havoc on the park’s buildings in 1989, and Heritage closed for good shortly afterward.”
Here’s what Heritage looks like today:
I don’t know all the details surrounding the Heritage USA park, but I do know that as I survey the ruins, I see money used and wasted. Bakker could have built an orphanage or saved starving children, but instead, he built a fun park. This is the furthest thing from Kingdom living.
The same thing can happen to Christian generated media. We see it happen in the music business and the same can happen to film, web, etc … Offering the same product as the world and slapping the word “Christian” on it is nothing but labeling and does nothing to change the contents.
Seeing these ruins is a warning to myself (and I hope for you, too). What am I building? What am I creating? What is my drive? What are the contents of my medium? What do these ingredients yield?
This doesn’t mean I forfeit fun. This doesn’t mean I cut-off cool. This doesn’t mean I lose my edge.
This means I need to honestly survey my motivation, check my course, and move forward in Christ.
Carry on.
[Images via i09]
Brian in Seattle says
Heritage USA is now known as Heratige International Ministries (HIM) and operated on 50 of the original 1500 acres by Morningstar Ministries (Rick Joyner) as a conference center and church. While the theme park is gone, the hotel and timeshare buildings are in use and/or being renovated.
Krist Adams says
So true. Sadly I see too many Christians, churches doing the same thing. We do exactly what the world is doing hoping and thinking that will draw people in and it doesn’t work. Lifting up Jesus, letting the Holy Spirit move and have His way, that works.
Eric Dye says
Truth.
Dennis says
I’m not sure of the whole story, but maybe this was a way to fund a ministry, much like developing websites and themes (like Standard Theme), that helps the ministry fund itself.
I’m not saying Heritage was that…I’m just wondering if we’d be so against it if that were their motivation. It would be hard to know that without talking with them.
Eric Dye says
From Wikipedia: In the midst of Heritage USA’s high point, when it earned $126 million per year, the IRS revoked its tax exemption.
Mark says
Believe it or not Jim is up to it again. He has a TV show that he films at a studio in Blue Eye Missouri, near Branson where he has built a complex with hundreds of condo units, church, gift shop, restaurant, all in a resort like facility. No waterside. Yet.
Eric Dye says
Rinse and repeat! (without the non-profit status this time)
Kevin Farmer says
I appreciated the point of your post. Stewardship can be a fine line sometimes but other time the line is large and made with indelible ink. In this case it was clear.
I have some personal connections to this story. First on the side of “how in the world?” My great grandmother bought a time share there…much to the chagrin of my father. She visited once and then past away shortly there after.
I read the article that you cited concerning Dr. Falwell. While I am not doubting its accuracy I do not think they have drawn proper conclusions. As a Liberty student at the time I had some knowledge of what was happening and would not point to Dr. Falwell’s evolvement as point of downfall. At the time my uncle was an executive of a garbage company that serviced the PTL. They had not been paid in months but continued to do their job. When the group lead by Dr. Falwell came in they paid all outstanding bills and left the situation in a better position then they found it. My uncle was so impressed with Dr. Falwell that he eventually work for Liberty as a assistant football coach.
After the PTL disaster all TV ministries took a hit. The general feeling was that it would blow over and the giving would return. Liberty had to make some huge changes in order to adjust but they did. They learned how to raise money in other ways and has continued to grow ever since.
I wasn’t sure what the author was pointing to by the use of the words “downfall” and “scandal”. Perhaps you have another source that might expand those thoughts.
Eric Dye says
I don’t see any connection between the actions and downfall of Bakker and PTL and Falwell. I also believe that Liberty University is stellar. Just to be clear.