Ex-Gay Stephen Bennett: Who’s Your Daddy (Pants)
Staunch ex-gay Stephen Bennett has apparently moved to yet another work-from-home project. While Good As You’s Jeremy Hooper may have spoiled the grand opening, the cache still shows the details of the now locked page. More can be seen below from the brief RSS feed:
Bennett has run through a lot of small business ventures to earn his living; sign making, drawing, singing, ex-gay, podcast, virtual church, private discussion group, selling real estate, and now sewing and selling pajama bottom pants to name a few. Many of these ventures required donations to provide the capital, from which Bennett and his wife would take their paycheck and expenses. This is perfectly legal to our knowledge, but in Bennett’s case not particularly efficient. For example, in 2006, Bennett’s ministry reported gross income of nearly $300,000. From that, Bennett and his wife received approx $125K in compensation and miscellaneous benefits, along with nearly $50K in travel expenses (Form 990 – 2006).
Many in the ex-gay industry give us reason to question their sincerity. When facts are few, it makes trust even harder to come by. But in our opinion, few have such a strong ring of insincerity as Stephen Bennett. Despite many chances to give depth and support to his story, he has not done so. And his dogged claim of 100% homosexual to heterosexual, while just what the anti-gay activist right wants to hear, is far from both the data and the reality of ex-gay programs.
If the pattern continues, “Daddy Pants” will be replaced at some point in the near future with yet another idea. The requirements are only that it can be done from home, take little money to start and sell for more than it should. Then again, if it prevents his contribution to the pain and confusion of GLBT’s, perhaps we should all buy a pair?
H/T: Good As You
These may be banned in some States. I hope. Check with your local authorities.
Well… Stephen Bennett has always treated his ‘supporters’ as both suckers and clowns… now they can be suitably attired for the role!
Where oh where is God’s big hand (and a lightning bolt) when you need Him???
Daddy Pants? Daddy Pants? Oooohhh, there is some freudian slip (or pants showing here.
Here’s a free slogan for your advertising, mr. Bennett.
“Can I get into your daddy pants?”
lolz! I want a pair with froggies on them!!
“Daddy Pants”? That has a definite suggestive quality to it. I bet Stephen gives extra-special attention to the pants if you enclose an 8×10 color photo of yourself.
I am utterly shocked that Stephen Bennett and his wife are pulling in 6 figures as part of their ex-gay sham. Of all the ex-gay for pay characters out there, he has always seemed to me one of the least impressive.
I guess he does have some competence in at least one field, fleecing people of their money. In a thousand years, I never would have guessed that he was anywhere near this successful.
I’m not sure why, but those daddy pants really creep me out.
Same here, though he did much less a few years ago. We may find that 2006 was a high point. He’s also expensed some odd figures.
In 2006, he claimed over $5k for “Web Hosting Domain Names.” Even if he is counting his web hosting and domain fees together, this is quite high, especially since he hosts his site with his brother’s hosting service. I have a hard time believing that his own brother is charging him $400+ /mo to host a rather average site.
In 2005, he claimed over $14K for various equipment and furniture, and only $149 for Ministry Events. BTW, perhaps someone with more accounting knowledge that I can explain why he didn’t have to depreciate that stuff over a period of years.
His monthly donations, the regular amounts he asks people to pay to be “part of the ministry” are not that high. The bulk comes through “gifts.” I think it possible that he has (or had) a major donor who believed in him.
We could really use a volunteer to study this stuff on a regular basis at XGW, someone who has some experience with accounting and taxes, particularly those of non-profits.
$400 per month for hosting? To his brother? David, you really don’t need an accountant to figure that one out!
that’s ridiculous. Unless your’e running a high end multi-media business with eCommerce built in, you don’t need freakin’ $400/month hosting. There’s obviously some padding going on in his tax forms.
Dave,
It depends whether the $14K was one piece of equipment or, say, 14 pieces of equipment.
Most non-profits limit what they capitalize – desktop computers, office furniture and the like are expensed. Even copy machines are leased in a way that makes them non-capital. I’ve seen large non-profits with very short asset lists – a couple of servers and some major software installations.
Generally, a for-profit would like to be more aggressive in expensing equipment in order to reduce their net income and pay less tax. Hence, the IRS regulations on what must be capitalized and what methods of depreciation are allowable. However, non-profits don’t pay taxes so it becomes more an issue between the non-profit and their auditors.
In any case, the IRS doesn’t pay much attention to form 990′s and any accountant with any skill can manipulate the form to tell the story management wants to tell. As a result, the 990 isn’t very informative about an organization, EXCEPT for the notes – 2 in particular – Employees making more than $50K and compensation (salary & benefits) paid to board members.
Do you think the IRS would pay attention in this case if we asked them to pay attention?
I don’t think we really know anything — it’s speculation. I would not be willing to make such a move unless the evidence was much more stark and perhaps someone close to the organization could validate at least some wrong doing.
But these records are made public for a reason, not the least of which is accountability to the public. To be accountable, you have to know that someone cares enough to actually scrutinize this information and perhaps call attention to things that don’t seem to make sense. Something can be unwise, even irresponsible, without necessarily being illegal.
It’s our job to make sure the information is available so that others can be aware, discuss and debate the facts, and make up their own minds about who and what are people such as Stephen Bennett and the work they represent.
@gordo: Thanks, that does make sense. I was coming from a purely for-profit business angle.
David – non-profits are an alternate universe – they don’t operate with the same rules and assumptions. They don’t make business decisions based on the profit motive.
Emily – pay attention to what? I’m not sure what the “crime” is. Now, if Bennett failed to report the 6 figure income he paid himself as salary & wages on his 1040…..that’s another issue, but whether his non-profit had $14K more or less of surplus/deficit isn’t much of an issue.
It would seem to me that two people are handsomely profitingfrom this nonprofit. From what little I know about Bennett, I doubt any higher purpose is being served