Pastor Worth $760 Million Faces Backlash Over Haiti Relief Promises

Televangelist Kenneth Copeland is under fire for failing to deliver on promises to fly disaster relief supplies to Haiti following a devastating earthquake. His ministry, Kenneth Copeland Ministries (KCM), has also been scrutinized by the Senate Finance Committee over concerns about its nonprofit operations and financial transparency.

Rich Vermillion, co-author of Angel Flight 44, has been particularly critical of Copeland. He claims that despite pledges made during the Southwest Believer’s Convention to launch a disaster-relief aviation ministry, no such initiative was ever operationalized. Vermillion noted, “The money collected for Angel Flight 44 has not been accounted for,” adding that Copeland’s promises remain unfulfilled.

Angel Flight 44 was intended to provide ongoing aviation aid during disasters, inspired by KCM’s efforts following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2006. While KCM claims to have made one aircraft available during those disasters, spokesperson Dr. Stephen Swisher admitted that Angel Flight 44 was “not a specific promise with a timeline attached.”

Swisher revealed that donations for Angel Flight 44 totaled just $7,788.43 and were spent on repairs for an aircraft that remains inoperable. Despite receiving $2.4 million in disaster relief donations since 2005, KCM has opted to support other organizations rather than develop its own aviation ministry.

Critics, including Vermillion, have labeled the ministry’s actions as misleading. “A generic relief fund is far from a functioning aviation ministry,” he said, urging Copeland and his organization to take accountability and fulfill their commitments.