ORLANDO -- The former head of the Holy Land Experience theme park in Orlando has resigned his position and vacated his seat on the park's board amid a restructuring and staff reductions, park officials confirmed Tuesday.
The departure of Tom Powell, the park's chief executive officer, comes just two months after the “living biblical museum” merged with the Trinity Broadcasting Network, the world’s largest religious television network. The resignation of Powell, who had been the only board member not directly related to Paul Crouch Sr., the network's founder and current president, consolidates full control of the park in TBN hands.
Powell's resignation, tendered August 21, came just weeks after he was named CEO for the park. He was replaced as president by Paul Crouch Sr.'s son, Paul Crouch Jr., TBN spokesman John Casoria said Tuesday. "He’s going to be the go-to guy to be there to deal with procedures and processes," Casoria said of Crouch.
In a statement Tuesday, the TBN said Powell is "moving on to the next challenge" after "having completed his calling." Casoria was tightlipped about Powell's reasons for leaving due to a nondisclosure agreement, he said.
"That’s in Tom’s heart of hearts," Casoria said. "All I know is that he submitted a resignation. He was offered positions doing similar things at other places, even in the secular world, where he'd be paid a lot more money."
The network is drafting a new organizational flowchart for the park's management to be unveiled sometime in the next few months, according to Casoria. In the meantime, he’s not too worried about how the park runs.
"I'm fairly certain there aren’t going to be any hiccups," he said. "The place runs itself."
Powell was named president of the Holy Land Experience in 2005, following the park’s separation from its parent ministry, Zion’s Hope, and its founder, Baptist minister and Jewish convert Marv Rosenthal. Tasked with righting a ship that had sunk more than $4 million into debt under Rosenthal’s leadership, Powell worked to boost the park's credit rating and brokered the deal that led the TBN and its deep pockets to assume control in June of this year.
Powell is not the only key employee to leave in the last 30 days. The TBN has terminated two positions, the park's director of production and a park operations position, because their positions had become "duplicates" following the merger, Casoria said. The park's production department is now directed by the TBN's own production staff, based in Santa Ana, Calif.
Despite these changes to top personnel, Casoria says the TBN has no intention of changing the mission or ministry of the Holy Land Experience.
"We're still spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ and using the park to do so," he says. "We have the same ministerial staff as before the TBN took over. We don't want it to change. It works in complete and total sync with TBN."
For previous reporting on this topic, including the comment from a self-described former Holy Land Experience employee that sparked this story, click here:
The Holy Land Experience: Who shall inherit the kingdom?
Print
Email
Bookmark
Comments
a gentle Holy Land team member, 2007-08-31 15:43:35 -- Flag for review
In addition to the two terminations that you mentioned in this article, there have been 25 other resignations/terminations-without-cause/layoffs in the past two weeks.
Brad Flora, 2007-08-31 22:47:25 -- Flag for review
Hmm. I'd be very interested in hearing more about these departures. Would you be willing to drop me a line at bradflora at gmail.com?
Anonymous, 2007-09-02 17:04:53 -- Flag for review
Did you know that TBN bought lamps for one of the offices that cost $3,400 each???? There are four of them! I know that many employees there have a problem with that. We are not there to put on "airs" or be something we are not. Extravagance does not spread the gospel. Also, why are there still donation boxes in the park? We should just sell a lamp, or four...
Anonymous, 2007-09-02 22:44:44 -- Flag for review
The majority of us HLE employees fully understand that it's TBN's right, as owners, to do what they wish with the property. Our argument is not that they don't have the authority to do these things. It's that their actions have been so ... unwise ... capricious ... lacking wisdom. We're concerned that they continually solicit donations (on TV and otherwise) to "keep the ministry running" when the obvious surplus exposes this as a lie! Sites like www.ministrywatch.com reveal financial practices, and it's downright painful to see the waste and luxuriant materialism going on in the name of "ministry."
Anonymous, 2007-09-05 15:30:05 -- Flag for review
Why is it that supposed Christians are siding with the people who are attacking fellow Christians? Do you realize what this makes you look like? Why don't you comment on how God is able? God is able to handle his own creation in ways that none of us ever will be able to. When you join in the ranks of these Christian bashers, you are avoiding some of the most important parts of scripture! Not that your concerns are not important, they are. But there are much better ways to handle these situations than becoming like Christian bashers. These people who have nothing better to do than dig through other peoples' trash really need to decide whether they have any business calling themselves Christians. This is not how the Bible says to handle it.
If there's one thing I can't stand, its hypocrites.
Matthew 7:21-27
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
Just because some of you may go around professing to be Christians doesn't mean you are. When these wannabe watchdog groups run around trying to dig up dirt, why can't we say, "God is in control. He will work everything out". When we stand before God, we will answer for our lives. I wouldn't want to have to explain a lifetime of being nothing but critical, hostile, hateful, etc etc etc etc etc. These watchdog groups do exactly that. They think they can strongarm people into submission. Well, TBN doesn't answer to them. They answer to God, and God is far more effective at dealing with these kinds of concerns and problems than they will ever be.
HLE, don't let yourselves fall into this trap. Lets pray that God will take control, and God will put things into action the right way. I don't see watchdogs doing this. All of their excuses in the world mean nothing.
Watchdogs, just so you understand, if a ministry doesn't bow down to your demands for information, financial or otherwise, its not because they are hiding anything. Many of them just don't feel like they have to bother with those who have control issues. You guys should handle things TOTALLY biblically and not half way like you are. Think about it.
anonymous, 2007-09-05 19:30:10 -- Flag for review
Wow!! It seems like the "real christian" just decided to honor us with his presence... its nice for them to show up and attack people's Christianity, especially since it seems he has no idea of everythng that is going on at HLE....
Hey buddy, since you love Matthew 7 so much, why don't you read Matthew 7, verse 1: Do not judge, or you too will be judged..
Just because you judged those who you disagree with doesn't mean that the verses that apply to others don't apply to you.
I know it applies to me, to you, and to everyone who reads this and has an opinion about it...
NOW YOU THINK ABOUT IT!!
A happy HLE employee, 2007-09-09 08:29:39 -- Flag for review
I went to the store where they bought the new(much needed) furniture and the prices are not what is being said. The park would have been closed for good in July had TBN not bought it. The paint, carpet and furniture is exactly what we needed. The group sales are up and the phones are ringing off the hook. We now welcome all groups and in the past we were not allowed to invite certain groups to the park due to limited religious views. I plan to enjoy the blessing that God has bestowed upon us and hope that all critics resign as fast as they can. 1Peter 2:1, 1John 2:11, 1John 4:20, James 4:9
P.S. These TBN people pray with us daily and they are very loving. They want us to love those who are coming against them. I love them but hope they leave!
Happy Employee of HLE (no more fear and secrecy on this property.)
Caution, 2007-09-10 16:09:46 -- Flag for review
The only time in our six-and-a-half year history that there has been widespread fear and secrecy on the property is since July of 2007. Never before. Through the cutbacks, through the hurricanes, through the transfer of management all three previous times, there has been a prevailing pull-together-and-make-it-happen attitude.
You're right, there's no need for the last commenter to be anonymous, because it's clearly one of two specific people. I'm thankful for the commenter's comfort and joy in the situation, but would caution against the deceptiveness of "stuff." It's bright, it's very flashy, but at the end of the day it leaves you no closer to God.
Welcome to The TBN Experience. May the Gospel of Jesus Christ continue to be preached!
Anonymous, 2007-10-16 23:13:05 -- Flag for review
I am always amazed how so-called ministries put only their family members on their board of directors. Could it be there is less accountability? No one to object to extravagant spending, shading things going on? Yet God sees all. They may try to swindle the people but God is keeping tabs. True Ministry is reaching out to poor orphans and widows and keeping oneself unspotted from the world. True ministry is not entertainment.
James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
To many, the Lord Jesus will say, "Depart from Me, I never knew you."