New huge 'Victory Christian Fellowship' centre being completed in Firhouse, Dublin

robindch

antiskeptic wrote: »

I imagine Jesus' response to this would be "render unto Caesar what is Caesars". That is: pay your bills..

So long as those bills aren't either tax or residential redress payments, of course.

endacl

I found a laser receipt in my wallet from them last year. Couldn't for the life of me figure out where (and why TF!?!) I'd given money to the VCF. Bactracked through the day and realised it was lunch in the Westland Cafe. They're certainly not short on income generation. The lord didn't provide that day. I did. :rolleyes:

joseph brand

Church pastors face arrest for using Alsatians to keep the receiver out

THE pastors of .one of Ireland’s most high-profile evangelical churches face arrest after Alsatians were used to prevent receivers seizing their premises in Firhouse in Dublin. Gardai were yesterday served with a High Court ‘attachment order’, which was
handed down on Friday after the court heard testimony that staff at the church had
been preventing receivers entering the property including using German a shepherd dogs.

The church, the Victory Christian Fellowship, is run by Pastor Brendan Hade and his wife Sheila, and owes €18m to Bank of Scotland Ireland. An Irish Mail on Sunday investigation has established that Mr Hade and his church have earned millions from a series of businesses – including €16m paid by the State for housing asylum-seekers. Mr Hade now faces imprisonment over his refusal to cooperate with receivers from Grant Thornton. His wife, their two sons and another man are also named as trustess affected by the court order. They have been ordered to appear before the court on Wednesday. The Victory Christian Fellowship is registered as a religious charity and as a result does not have to publish its accounts.

Sulla Felix

endacl wrote: »

I found a laser receipt in my wallet from them last year. Couldn't for the life of me figure out where (and why TF!?!) I'd given money to the VCF. Bactracked through the day and realised it was lunch in the Westland Cafe. They're certainly not short on income generation. The lord didn't provide that day. I did. :rolleyes:

Huh? You mean they owe that cafe or it was one of those "would you like to donate to <cause>" deals? Didn't know they did that over here.

endacl

Sulla Felix wrote: »

Huh? You mean they owe that cafe or it was one of those "would you like to donate to <cause>" deals? Didn't know they did that over here.

I presume they own it. Receipt was for a sambo and coffee. The only place I bought a sambo and coffee was that cafe. Receipt said victory christian fellowship.

Sulla Felix

endacl wrote: »

I presume they own it. Receipt was for a sambo and coffee. The only place I bought a sambo and coffee was that cafe. Receipt said victory christian fellowship.

Gotcha. Was just wondering. I've been in a few places in the States where you're asked if you want to donate a dollar to charity. They usually say which, but a couple of times I've twigged they just asked for a donation for "a local charity". Once it was a church, once it was a pro-life advocacy group. :mad:

Vx200Racer

http://www.sundayworld.com/top-stories/news/no-escape-to-victory/

Sarky

I love a happy ending.

seamus

I think much earlier in this thread we were all asking "How did a small church have the money to build such a huge structure?". The answer was that they didn't have it.

In a way I'd almost prefer that they'd legitimately managed to build it. This way you have a few hundred people who've been conned out of money and a few people who'll likely do a Quinn on it and flee the country with the money they've scammed.

Though I am loving that their surname is "Hades". I'm pronouncing "Hay-dees", I don't care what the correct one is.

I think there's a good opportunity here for a government body to do something with the Firhouse building. It's a new building in a good location. They're building 3 schools in the area at the moment, they could just take it for that, save themselves the hassle. The IDA or someone could also take it and try get a retail premises in there, maybe an Avoca or something...

MrsG09

Separate to the church there are a number of businesses being run from the building, a cake maker, a star bucks, restaurant and a preschool / montessori, all independent of the church with separate accounts etc. staff if these businesses are really worried they may lose their jobs today if the high court close the building

endacl

MrsG09 wrote: »

Separate to the church there are a number of businesses being run from the building, a cake maker, a star bucks, restaurant and a preschool / montessori, all independent of the church with separate accounts etc. staff if these businesses are really worried they may lose their jobs today if the high court close the building

If those businesses are being run successfully, there's any number of suitable vacant properties within fartin' distance of the centre.

MrsG09

I don't think a restaurant or preschool can relocate that easily. The preschool is a purpose built facility.

endacl

MrsG09 wrote: »

I don't think a restaurant or preschool can relocate that easily. The preschool is a purpose built facility.

Ah well. The little 'uns will be better off away from the brainwashing. Small price.

MrsG09

As I said the play school has nothing to do with the church

endacl

MrsG09 wrote: »

As I said the play school has nothing to do with the church

A bit close for comfort all the same.

Look, if some people lose their jobs, obviously that's a bad thing. However, if the businesses are independently successful, they'll have no problem whatsoever relocating. If they are successful, and paying rent, there's no reason a new owner or administrator wouldn't leave them be.

I for one am happy to see it go. I lived very local to it until last year, and I was close to adding a 'no christians' sticker to my front door to complement the 'no junk mail' one.

MrsG09

I live near it too and frequent the coffee shop with friends. I've no interest in the religion and I have never been approached regarding it.

If the building is closed down it will obviously have serious consequences for all businesses and staff within.

Also if a group of consenting adults want to bible bash and give their money to the organisation then let them off. It is their money at the end of the day.

endacl

MrsG09 wrote: »

I live near it too and frequent the coffee shop with friends. I've no interest in the religion and I have never been approached regarding it.

If the building is closed down it will obviously have serious consequences for all businesses and staff within.

Also if a group of consenting adults want to bible bash and give their money to the organisation then let them off. It is their money at the end of the day.

Absolutely. Bash away. Just not on my door. And pay their bills while they do it.

MrsG09

Personally I don't see the problem with someone knocking on my door. The Jehovah's witnesses were around today actually.
A polite 'no thank you' and they are away.

endacl

MrsG09 wrote: »

Personally I don't see the problem with someone knocking on my door. The Jehovah's witnesses were around today actually.
A polite 'no thank you' and they are away.

Fair play to you. Anybody disturbing my space to annoy me about sky tv or holybabyjebusgod gets told to f**k off.

Actually. That's a bit of an exaggeration. The sky tv folks just get told no. Usually. Depending on my mood. Cult recruiters though, they always get the f**k off.

kylith

MrsG09 wrote: »

Personally I don't see the problem with someone knocking on my door. The Jehovah's witnesses were around today actually.
A polite 'no thank you' and they are away.

Really? I tried the polite 'no, thank you', and all I got was a snotty attitude. Maybe they weren't Mormons though, they might been some other sect. Any Mormons I know are generally very respectful, for all their crazy beliefs and sacred y-fronts.

username123

MrsG09 wrote: »

Personally I don't see the problem with someone knocking on my door. The Jehovah's witnesses were around today actually.
A polite 'no thank you' and they are away.

Personally I hate my privacy and enjoyment of my home being disturbed, especially by deluded individuals peddling religion, especially when the purpose of such peddling is to make a select number of individuals rich to the detriment of others. I include all religions in the above.

On the Victory Centre, I am local to it also and am glad that such a scam is being exposed and closed. The businesses who rent space should have no issues - probably the receivers will continue to open the building for them for a bit and/or they will relocate. Friends who attend classes there have been informed of an alternate location should the building be repossessed.

MrsG09

Any Mormons I know are actually very nice as well.

I have to say the victory centre religion doesn't bother me in the slightest. If people are going to fall for that kind of money grabbing org they will fall for another. They are willingly handing over their money. Nobody is forcing them to

endacl

username123 wrote: »

The businesses who rent space should have no issues - probably the receivers will continue to open the building for them for a bit and/or they will relocate. Friends who attend classes there have been informed of an alternate location should the building be repossessed.

So...... no downside really...

MrsG09

123 I know it's easy for the classes to relocate, the slimming world, baby massage etc but its the insite businesses where staff don't know if they will have a job to go to in the morning

username123

endacl wrote: »

So...... no downside really...

Well what I see as a downside is that a beautiful purpose built built building on lovely manicured grounds may end up just going to rack and ruin.

Who will have the money to buy it from the receivers? Probably no one.

I think that that is a dreadful shame. I hope its not like the gym up by Lamb Doyles, a beautiful new building, just gently rotting away. What a waste.

username123

MrsG09 wrote: »

123 I know it's easy for the classes to relocate, the slimming world, baby massage etc but its the insite businesses where staff don't know if they will have a job to go to in the morning

Why wouldnt they have a job - the business will move elsewhere wont they?

MrsG09

At 9am in the morning?

username123

MrsG09 wrote: »

At 9am in the morning?

I think you are being a bit alarmist. There may be some disruption but there is no reason to think a successful business is just going to sack all the employees because they space they rent is no longer available when there are plenty of available spaces elsewhere that can be rented.

MrsG09

I don't think it's alarmist if you work from a building that could be shut tonight.
I don't think it's possible to relocate a 5 roomed play school with a play ground over night

Tabnabs

MrsG09 wrote: »

Separate to the church there are a number of businesses being run from the building, a cake maker, a star bucks, restaurant and a preschool / montessori, all independent of the church with separate accounts etc. staff if these businesses are really worried they may lose their jobs today if the high court close the building

Interesting that this particular branch of the empire doesn't show up on the official website http://www.starbucks.ie/store-locator

I wouldn't loose to much sleep over redundancies, the Hades would put the worst political levels of nepotism to shame.