Simeon Solomon, Ruth, Naomi and Obed, 1860.

In the Tanakh, Obed (Hebrew: עובד, Oved) was a son of Boaz and Ruth,^[1] the father of Jesse, and the grandfather of David.

In the Christian Scriptures, He is one of Jesus' ancestors through the aforementioned genealogy found in the gospels.

Notes[link]

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'Obed-Edom' (oh'bed ee'duhm) Hebrew: "Worshiper of Edom" / servant of Edom.

1. "The Gittite" (probably so called because he was a native of Gath-rimmon), a Levite of the family of the Korhites,^[1]. He had taken up residence in Judah, perhaps as a convert to the religion of David, who had many followers among the Gittites. This could explain David's willingness to entrust a foreigner with the custody of the ark of the covenant. ^[2] For when David was bringing up the ark "from the house of Abinadab, that was in Gibeah" (probably some hill or eminence near Kiriath-jearim), and had reached Nachon's threshing-floor, he became afraid after Uzzah, one of the two oxcart drivers transporting the ark, touched it to prevent it from falling, and immediately was struck dead. So David carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom.^[3] There it remained for three months^[4] and was to him and his house the occasion of great blessing. David then removed it with great rejoicing to Jerusalem, and set it in the midst of the Tabernacle he had pitched for it.
2. A Merarite Levite, a temple porter, who with his eight sons guarded the southern gate.^[5]
3. Became one of the "singers with instruments" appointed by the Levites on David's instruction,1Chronicles 15:16,21.
4. One who had charge of the Temple in Jerusalem's treasures.^[6]

References[link]

• This article incorporates text from Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897), a publication now in the public domain.

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This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (September 2007)

Creflo Augustus Dollar, Jr. is an American Bible teacher, pastor, and the founder of the non-denominational World Changers Church International based in Fulton County, Georgia.^[1] Creflo Dollar Ministerial Association (formerly called International Covenant Ministries), Creflo Dollar Ministries, and Arrow Records.^[2] Each of these enterprises is overseen by Dollar and his wife, Taffi Dollar.

Biography[link]

In 1984, Dollar received a Bachelor of Science degree in education from West Georgia College in Carrollton, Georgia.^[3] He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Oral Roberts University in 1998.^[4]

Dollar indicates that he received the vision for World Changers Ministries Christian Center in 1986.^[5] He held the church's first worship service in the cafeteria of Kathleen Mitchell Elementary School in College Park, Georgia, with only eight people in attendance and successfully receiving over $100 in contributions from those present. Over the years the ministry has grown rapidly and was renamed World Changers Church International (WCCI). As of 2007, the congregation has grown to 30,000 members with $69 million in revenue (gross cash collections) for 2006.^[6] The congregation moved from its original cafeteria location to a modest-sized chapel, adding a weekly radio broadcast and four services each Sunday. On December 24, 1995, WCCI moved into its present location, the 8,500-seat sanctuary known as the World Dome. At a cost of nearly $18 million, it is claimed that the World Dome was built without any bank financing.^[7]

Dollar is also the publisher of CHANGE magazine, a quarterly international publication with nearly 100,000 subscribers and The Max, a bimonthly resource newsletter for ministers and ministry leaders.^[8] Creflo Dollar also frequently speaks at conferences and is a best selling author.^[9][10][11] Dollar and his wife, Taffi, have five children and live in Atlanta.^[12]

Controversy[link]

Dollar is known for his controversial teachings of Prosperity theology.^[9] He has been criticized for his lavish lifestyle as he owns two Rolls-Royces, a private jet, a million dollar home in Atlanta, and a 2.5 million dollar home in Manhattan.^[9] Dollar has refused to disclose his salary and Creflo Dollar Ministries received a grade of "F" for financial transparency by the organization MinistryWatch.^[9][13]

Dollar was subpoenaed during divorce proceedings between heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield and Holyfield's second wife, Janice Itson, after Itson alleged that Holyfield had donated $7 million to Dollar's ministry just before he filed for divorce.^[14] Dollar refused to yield his financial records, but avoided contempt of court charges when the divorce was settled out of court.^{[citation needed]}

Senate investigation[link]

On November 6, 2007, United States Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa announced an investigation of several ministries by the United States Senate Committee on Finance. Grassley asked for financial information to determine whether Dollar made any personal profit from financial donations and requested that Dollar's ministry make the information available by December 6, 2007. The investigation also asked for information from five other televangelists: Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Eddie L. Long, Joyce Meyer, and Paula White.^[15]

On March 16, 2009, Grassley, now only an individual Senator on the committee, stated "My staff and I continue to review the information we’ve received from the ministries that cooperated, and we continue to weigh our options for the ministries that have not cooperated," noting that two of the ministries, Benny Hinn and Joyce Meyer, gave full financial disclosure. Dollar has contested the probe, arguing that the proper governmental entity to examine religious groups is the IRS, not the Committee on Finance.^[16]

The Wittenburg Door writes, 11/8/2007, "Creflo Dollar is one of six televangelists who has gotten letters from the Senate Finance Committee asking them to send in detailed accounting statements proving they are not converting church money to their personal use. Creflo Dollar is the pastor of World Changers Church International of College Park, Georgia. Presumably he chose that name himself, completely free of fear that it would be soon be better known as Money Changers Church International by the 30,000 members who weekly enrich its coffers and make it possible for Creflo to maintain the two jets—one Gulfstream 3 and one Lear—that he uses to shuttle back and forth between Madison Square Garden (where he does a Saturday night service for an audience of 6,000) and Atlanta (where he does a Sunday morning service), not to mention occasional visits to his offices in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia and Nigeria. Creflo's wife Taffi Dollar—and here we remind you once again that we are not lapsing into fiction at any point during the creation of this article—Taffi Dollar is responsible for the household budget at the $3 million Dollar mansion in Atlanta, and the more modest $2.44 million Dollar condo overlooking Central Park in Manhattan. Asked about the Dollar dollars by CBS News yesterday, Dollar said it was untrue that he had two Rolls-Royces; he claimed that he only had one Rolls-Royce and it was given to him by his congregation as a surprise. He also said he did not give $500,000 of church funds to fellow prosperity gospel evangelist Kenneth Copeland on the occasion of Copeland's 40th wedding anniversary. Accordingly, Dollar's annual budget for his operation was estimated at "about 80 million"(citation needed).

References[link]

External links[link]

	Atlanta portal
	Biography portal

• Official Biography
• Creflo Dollar Ministries homepage
• World Changers Church International homepage
• World Changers Church-New York homepage
• Creflo Dollar Sermons Delivered at Kenneth Copeland Believers Conventions
• National Public Radio story
• Copy of Senator Grassley's letter to Creflo Dollar