Peter Popoff

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Peter Popoff practicing faith healing on television infomercial
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Peter Popoff practicing faith healing on television infomercial

Peter Popoff is a German-born U.S. televangelist who has spent most of his career claiming to treat physical ailments through the use of faith healing. His ministry is based in Upland, California. He has asserted that he has the power to channel God and that God works through him to cure various ailments, and many of his crusade services have involved him working alleged miracles by laying his hands upon members of the audience. Popoff is also known for sending packets of Miracle Spring Water to his viewers. He claims that the water is a solution to physical and financial problems.

Contents

[edit] Early Career and Fraud

At appearances in the 1980s ministry conventions, Popoff routinely and accurately stated the home addresses and specific illnesses of his audience members, a feat he allowed them to believe was due to divine revelation and "God given ability".[1] His actual methods were discovered in 1987 when noted skeptic James Randi visited a show and discovered radio transmissions of Popoff's wife off-stage reading information which she and her aides had gathered from earlier conversation with members of the audience.[2] Popoff would simply listen to these promptings with his in-ear receiver and repeat what he heard to the crowd. After tapes of these transmissions were played on the United States TV program The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Popoff's popularity and viewing audiences declined sharply, and his ministry declared bankruptcy later that year.

Popoff's shows also featured audience members who were brought on stage in wheelchairs and then rose dramatically to walk without support. These were some of Popoff's most incredible healings, but what believing audience members and television viewers did not know is that wheelchairs were used by Popoff to seat people who were already able to walk.[3]

Popoff wrote several paperbacks in the early 1980s that were published by Faith Messenger Publications but are now out of print.[4]

[edit] Current activities

[edit] Return to Media

Popoff's infomercials can be seen late nights and early mornings on the Travel Channel, BET, and Comedy Central.[5] He is also once again buying time on selected local stations in the US. [6]

[edit] Prosperity Theology

Popoff has recently appeared on late-night U.S. television as a priest and also in infomercials. He has promoted his "Miracle Spring Water" as a "point of contact" for divine healing. He has also preached a form of prosperity theology under the slogan "Go into business with God", claiming that God will make "divine transfers" into a viewer's "divine account". One infomercial states, "A divine transfer is a supernatural event. This is not money you're going to make from your job... God is going to supernaturally put money into your account."

Within four weeks of submitting one's address to Popoff's automated phone service, subscribers receive in the mail from Popoff (now calling himself "Prophet Peter Popoff") a three-page essay filled with elaborate biblical language and red-ink imitation handwriting. Instead of the promised "Miracle Water", included is a tiny plastic "Golden Tablet" and a "Miracle Band" (a cardboard bracelet marked simply with "JIREH", Hebrew for "see" but sometimes translated "provide"[7]). Popoff purports that the "Golden Tablet" was made by God and intended to create immense wealth for the subscriber. Popoff then insists that the subscriber wear the "Miracle Band" while posting him a check for $28.30 (related to Exodus 28:30 in some way), in order to receive further instructions on how to use the "Golden Tablet".

[edit] Potential Ongoing Fraud

Popoff's new television programs once again feature him "healing the sick" in a manner identical to his method prior to James Randi's exposure of his fraud. It is not known if he is resuming his use of radio transmissions.

Since making his comeback to television, there have been several reports of Popoff gaining financially from donations. Some people have received several letters from Popoff, with each succeeding letter asking for more money than previous. A recent report from Fox affiliate WDAF-TV in Kansas City revealed that Popoff's salary in 2004 was over $500,000, and his assets include a 2006 Porsche convertible worth $90,000. Some reporters are urging those who have donated money to Popoff in hopes of receiving "miracles" to report to the Attorney General in their state.[1]

[edit] Financial details on Peter Popoff Ministries

  • As of FYE 2004, Peter Popoff received $548,167 as President of his organization.
  • 36.7% of the organization's total expenses go towards fundraising and administrative expenses.
  • In total the Peter Popoff Ministries raised $16,220,066 in revenue in FYE 2004. See Charity Navigator [1]

[edit] Bibliography

[edit] Books

  • 7 Hours In Heaven
  • Angels
  • God Has Promised You Divine Wealth
  • Dreams: God's Language for Life More Abundantly
  • God's Abundant Blessings
  • Prosperity Thinking
  • Releasing the Power of the Holy Spirit in Your Life
  • Guaranteed Answered Prayer

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Friedman, Jason. "Reverend Rip-Off", WDAF Fox 4 News, 2006-05-08. Retrieved on 2006-05-21.
  2. ^ Randi, James (1989). The Faith Healers. Prometheus Books. ISBN 0-87975-535-0.
  3. ^ Seckel, Al (1987). “God's Frequency is 39.17 MHz: The Investigation of Peter Popoff”, Science and the Paranormal. Retrieved on 2006-05-06.
  4. ^ Peter Popoff. GoHastings.com. Retrieved on 2006-07-10.
  5. ^ National Television Schedule. Peter Popoff Ministries. Retrieved on 2006-05-06.
  6. ^ Peter Popoff is back. Radio-Info. Retrieved on 2006-07-21.
  7. ^ Y@hovah yireh. The KJV Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon. Crosswalk.com. Retrieved on 2006-06-20.

[edit] External links

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