Divorce Records: Pastor's Lavish Lifestyle Funded By Church

WFTV Channel 9 News (FL)/January 12, 2005

Orange County, Fla. -- Channel 9 has uncovered the financial records of a nasty divorce involving the head of one of Central Florida's largest churches. The records detail how Pastor Clint Brown, and his wife Angie, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars from FaithWorld's large congregation.

In one case, Brown spent $70,000 in church money on women's clothing that his wife and daughter never received.

The divorce fillings indicate this couple, admired for their family values, had a relationship that was irretrievably broken. Records show they lived a lavish lifestyle, largely financed by the members of their church.

Pastor Brown's Sunday morning services are filled spirited sermons and rock and roll music. On FaithWorld's website, Brown asks for donations of up to $1,000 to "spread praise to the world."

The financial documents in Pastor Brown's divorce file show many of those contributions aren't spread much further than he and his estranged wife, Angie.

Their home in Alaqua cost $1.4 million. The $7,000 a month mortgage is paid for by FaithWorld. So is the electricity, lawn care and pool maintenance.

Angie Brown drives a $95,000 Mercedes. Parishioners pay for that, too, along with the $531 in monthly insurance.

Even after all those perks, FaithWorld still pays Pastor Brown a generous salary. He made more than a half million dollars last year. His attorney says much of that came from the church.

Maybe most interesting in the divorce file is the couple's American Express bills. There are plenty of lavish shopping trips, spending thousands at Burberry's, Neiman Marcus and Gucci.

According to the divorce records, "In excess of $70,000 was charged by the husband to different woman's clothing stores and paid for by FaithWorld during a twelve month period.

But Angie Brown and her daughter say they never saw the clothes.

Pastor Brown's attorney tells Channel 9 that Brown spent the money on gifts for woman ministers at churches he visits around the country.

Channel 9 did try to speak to Pastor Brown and his wife Wednesday. His attorney said he was out of state and her attorney never called back.

Clint Brown has been a pastor in Central Florida since 1993. He bought the FaithWorld property in 1999 from televangelist Benny Hinn, who is now in Texas. At the time, Brown said the church was nearly $6 million in debt.