Cost of dinner plates for presidential home — $7,775.00
Cost of commissioning a presidential portrait — $69,270.00
Writing a letter that obliges you to provide these figures — Priceless!!!
For everything else…there’s the Cooperative Program.
For everything else…
Published
The Baptist Blogger 
ok, this is jus sad. does he really believe that he is this special? is his ego really that huge?
Tim
Okay, just looked at the Presidential Portrait, and I was thinking … if you add a beard … well, I have to ask because if anyone knows you do … Is Paige Patterson really Santa Claus?
I’ve noticed all this lavishness and the reference to First lady and President, yet Al Mohler appears to be just the opposite. Where is all this money that Paige has coming from? And why all the lavishness including a tombstone for a pet? I’m still scratching my head on that one.
First, does anyone find it funny that Dorothy is relegated to the backgroud and in a photo only. But the dog is front and center!
Debbie,
The point is that Patterson is using Cooperative Program funds, which is comprised of the money given to the local church by its members to finance these things.
Bchatcher:
I don’t know that Cooperative Program funds were used for the portrait or the plates. In fact, it appears that Patterson used restricted funds designated for those particular projects. It doesn’t change the fact that money has been wasted, and it raises questions about the accountability of a seminary president who would raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for his portrait or his house when the school’s operating accounts had dwindled to a zero balance, even necessitating that the school borrow money from restricted funds to meet payroll demands.
But I’m fairly certain these matters and their explanations will come to light very soon….
BSC
Ben,
I clicked on your link and then scrolled through the other portraits. Lo, and behold! Drs. Al Mohler and Jimmy Draper also had their portraits made by this artist. Did you know this?
Mark
And Land:
http://www.mastersofportraitart.com/portraitartists/johnhowardsanden/portraits/land.htm
BSC
bchatcher said: “Debbie,
The point is that Patterson is using Cooperative Program funds, which is comprised of the money given to the local church by its members to finance these things.”
I suspected this was what was being pointed out, I just didn’t want to jump to conclusions. I am slow on this one. :) I think it’s because I don’t want to believe this is actually happening, even though deep down I knew that was the point. Thank you for clarifying and if this isn’t a reason to reform and ask a lot of questions, I don’t know what is.
Debbie, there is a luandry list of things going on within the national convention and individual state conventions that would rival the political pork we are so accustomed to crying out against. Why do state leaders need to drive convention Ford Expeditions? How do you not question an individual planting hundreds of churches a year? Does a seminary house need an east wing? The list is long. The questioners are few. Imagine the missionaries that could be funded if the excesses were eliminated. It’s easy if you try. Okay, sorry for the bad Lennon reference.
Who’s that banner supposed to be, the headless horsemen of the apocalypse?
The Trustees at SEBTS specifically authorized a Presidential Portrait, in keeping with the Traditions of Men.
Certain breaks with prior administrations (those–spit–liberals) are too hard to make. Perks have no theological loyalty; to the victors go the spoils.
The artist should have used a little less cheek rouge. The subject is still quite alive, thank you.
I must admit, when I first read your post, I thought you were talking about the President of the US, not the president of an SB seminary! I simply cannot believe this! The only way this could remotely be acceptable is if it was paid for by specific donors for this specific expense. It is a horrific thought that these funds came from the seminary budget or especially if they came from CP funds.
As a missionary on the field, we are under constant budget restrictions. We are limited in how we can even use our budgeted funds. Our salaries are barely adequate to make ends meet. With our January pay increase, my base salary is now $24,600 per year. It would take me three years to just earn enough to have my own portrait painted.
How can anyone, in good conscience, even ALLOW the seminary to spend $62,000 on oil and canvas? This is wrong. This is bad. This is just incredible.
May God have mercy on us all.