National and local leaders of the Presbyterian Church (USA) on Wednesday voiced their support of Denver businessman Stanley W. Anderson, while word of his financial hardships angered other church members who say the denomination should have done more homework before announcing his record $150 million pledge.
John Detterick, executive director of the church’s General Assembly Council, told church delegates meeting in Birmingham, Ala., that Anderson’s difficulties – reported Wednesday in The Denver Post – are “a great disappointment to many people who have been excited.” But Detterick predicted the money will be delivered as promised to a new church growth fund.
A search of public records found Anderson, 62, has faced liens for failing to pay income taxes and homeowners association bills, and he owes hundreds of thousands of dollars to creditors who say they loaned him money to keep his commercial credit-card business afloat.
Anderson’s Arvada home is in foreclosure, and his assets have been frozen because of an unsatisfied court judgment.
Anderson said Tuesday that he will pay off his debts and would never make a promise to the church he could not fulfill. While the private foundation that is to deliver the donation has no assets, Anderson said the money will come from “offshore investments” with “various partners.”
A church spokesman said Wednesday that one of Anderson’s backers is from Bermuda but that he didn’t know details. Anderson did not return phone calls Wednesday.
The Rev. Janet Schlenker, stated clerk for the Denver Presbytery, called Anderson “a very active and faithful participant in the life of the church.”
But she said in a statement that “few of us know anything about his personal finances.”
“We certainly have no reason to believe his generous offer was not made in good faith or with the best of intentions,” Schlenker said. “Despite recent news coverage, at this point we can do nothing else than support Stan and be grateful.”
Elsewhere in Birmingham, the outlook wasn’t so optimistic.
“To be honest, many of us are not really sure what to think,” said the Rev. Michael Walker, executive director of Presbyterians for Renewal, a conservative group. “You start out with a word of great hope for the future of the church, only later to find out that hope may in fact have been based on misinformation.”
The Rev. Mark Patterson, a pastor from Ventura, Calif., was bewildered that the denomination did not research Anderson’s finances.
“That seemed like a no- brainer – research him, get to know him,” Patterson said. “Second, just the potential image it does for the whole church … it looks a little dishonest at the very least and a little conniving. It just pains us all.”
Patterson said he has little hope of ever seeing the money.
But Detterick, in his statement to delegates, defended the denomination’s handling of the situation.
“In the church, unlike a business that oftentimes requires ramification of capability, when people make a pledge of a gift to the church, we accept that gift, we accept that pledge with gratitude and grace,” he said.
Staff writer Eric Gorski can be reached at 303-820-1698 or egorski@denverpost.com.
