As public outrage grew Friday over an appeal from popular televangelist and founder of World Changers Church International, Creflo Dollar, to raise $65 million from 200,000 people to purchase a luxury Gulfstream G650 airplane, his ministry confirmed Friday that he’s now traveling “commercial,” but still needs the new airplane to transport thousands of pounds of food and his staff around the world.
The Christian Post first reported on Dollar’s online appeal called “Project G650” Thursday where it was highlighted that the ministry’s current carrier is too old and battered to continue flying after a recent accident. It further noted that Creflo Dollar Ministries claims that it needs the $65 million aircraft to continue spreading the love of Jesus around the world.
A screen shot of the website appealing to supporters of Creflo Dollar’s World Changers International church to help him purchase a million airplane.
“Due to this recent incident coupled with the 31 years the airplane has been in service, we believe it is time to replace this aircraft so that our pastors and staff can continue to safely and swiftly share the Good News of the Gospel worldwide. Believe it or not, there are still millions of people on this planet who have never heard of Jesus Christ and know nothing of His greatness. Our hearts desire to see precious lives changed and snatched out of darkness and thrust into His marvelous light! We need your help to continue reaching a lost and dying world for the Lord Jesus Christ,” noted Dollar’s appeal before requesting supporters of the ministry to sow a $300 seed into the airplane fund.
A report from the National Transportation Safety Board on the nature of the accident involving Dollar’s ministry plane on Nov. 24, 2014, however, indicates that the need for a new plane might’ve stemmed from a lot more than the aircraft simply getting old, but due to significant damage from the accident.
“A Gulfstream Aerospace G-1159A airplane, N103CD, had a nose landing gear collapse during a runway excursion at the London Biggin Hill Airport (EGKB), near London, United Kingdom. The airplane sustained substantial airframe damage,” the report said of the Nov. 24 accident, a photo of which can be viewed here.
As of Friday afternoon, the link to the $65 million campaign was no longer functional and appeared with a message stating that the link “could have been removed, had its name changed, or is temporarily unavailable.”
Juda Engelmayer of 5W Public Relations in New York, which represents Creflo Dollar Ministries, told The Christian Post on Friday that he doesn’t know what has happened with the campaign but confirmed, almost grudgingly, that his high-flying client is now using public transportation.
“Whatever he has to [use to travel], you know, commercial transportation,” he said.
Inside the luxurious Gulfstream G650 airplane.
When asked why Dollar can’t continue to use commercial flights to travel around the world, Engelmayer said that it’s not easy to do.
“You’re missing the point. The plane is not so Creflo Dollar can get on by himself and fly. They take a ministry team of 10 to 15 people with them. They take thousands of pounds of food and provisions with them when they go around the world. If he’s coming to the New York church, he’ll hop on a Delta flight; if he’s taking 12 people plus 100,000 pounds of food, it’s not that simple,” he explained.
After CP told Engelmayer that a Creflo Dollar Ministry official confirmed in October that if the televangelist had to travel from his headquarters in Georgia to preach in New York City, the church in New York City would have to foot half of the jet’s $9,500 fuel bill, he explained that that was not always the case.
“It really depends on where he is coming from. If he is on a multi-city trip going from place to place and New York is one stop within a two day period, perhaps. But if he is gonna’ be here for a week, that’s not how it works. They use it (aircraft) depending on what his trip is,” he said.
The Gulfstream G650.
When asked how much it would have cost to repair the damaged airplane, Engelmayer said: “I don’t have the numbers but it’s not even about repairs, it’s about whether or not the frame of the plane can handle the repairs also. It’s a lot of different FAA regulations that are involved. I don’t know if it’s just a simple number on cost or whether or not it can even achieve the flight after, or whether or not it can achieve FAA approval afterwards.”
Asked if Dollar was comfortable making the $65 million request to the public, Engelmayer said: “I will have to get back to you on that. He and I have not had a discussion on the campaign. I just know the need for the plane and what they do with it.”
Editor’s Comment
This is nothing more than ‘Plane Greed’, and such requests for money is bound to put this ministry into a nosedive
Coercion Code - "Dark Times are upon us" 
well Creflo we like millions of others around the world need money just to live and even buy our own home. Cause some of us have never had that dream of life ever happen. And we spend our lives paying off huge rents for someone else’s home they bought as an investment. We struggle to put food on the table for us and our children, buy the medications we need for our body that lives in constant pain, pay our bills cause everything is going up and up, After all of that, we have little or no money left for clothes, or an outing etc. We certainly don’t have money to travel in our own country, let alone around the world.We don’t get to go on holidays cause sure can’t afford them. We use our computer to reach the world for our Lord, from the home we rent. Why cant you travel on a normal plane like everyone else does. Oh that’s right, Having your own , shows you to be the wealthy celeb preacher to the world, and that your word of faith doctrine works. Yes it does indeed. For you and all the fellow pastors,preachers,leaders,teachers,evangelists preaching it.Getting the flock to send you millions in the hope God blesses them back, with the same kind of wealth you and all the pastors have fleeced.Whilst pastors like you have become filthy rich it’s nothing more than filthy lucre to God.You all preach how you have all found favour with God, and that is why he is blessing you all with great wealth. Such is the egos of you all. We just remember how our Lord was tempted by satan in the desert and he was offered all the kingdoms and wealth of the world, if he bowed down and worshipped satan instead. He didn’t bow down , and did not receive all the kingdoms and wealth from satan. He received his kingdom instead from God, when he died on the cross for mankind’s sin.The money you receive is not a blessing from God to show how much he adores you , and how much he favours you. It’s really a gift from satan for preaching a false gospel. That God himself has allowed to be a curse to you. Because the love of money has indeed become the root of all evil to pastors like you, and you have all pierced yous souls to get it.One day in the not too distant future, you and all the like minded pastors out there in the world, will indeed find out how much of a curse that money really is, when God begins to truly send his judgement. Pastors like you make christians like us sick to our stomach, because your greed, your false doctrines, and your idol worship of money and yourselves, do nothing to help in reality further the true gospel.
Gotta feel sorry for him though his other one was damaged.
LoL Yes Lance, we are weeping uncontrollable tears over that :). We drive around in an old battered car that is over 23 yrs old, and it can barely make it to 90 , and it has no air con, cause that broke down, and it has none of the modern safety features that cars have today. But that’s all we got to drive, as we got no money to get anything better. And like us there are plenty out there having to make do, with old battered cars or none at all etc etc. So why cant he ?? Simply because the plane is a status symbol to him to show his enormous wealth. But maybe if he gets this new plane his heart so desires,it may be the very vessel that God judges him with. God can always use our sins to bring about our demise cant he 🙂