History of Firehouse Church

Since leaving the Army, Marcus’ goal was to establish a church called Firehouse. We have documented his pursuit of finding a church building and fundraising efforts.

Shortly after leaving the Army he moved to Chicago, began to rent facilities to hold occasional services (more like events) in various locations, some in Chicago. some out of town. There were often multiple speakers and featured long sets of rap and rock-type praise music. Marcus includes prophetic words in his services, including reading auras and interpreting dreams he has had of random people in the crowd.

More and more the emphasis at his services has been on having an extensive altar call for a “move of God” to occur, where Marcus and his fellow ministers lay hands on people to “impart” spiritual experiences like speaking in tongues or demon casting. Deliverance, the casting out of demons, has taken a more and more prominent role in Marcus’ ministry in the past year. He has networked with many of the false teachers highlighted in this blog.

This section documents the history of his efforts from 2019 on to purchase a building. Up until August 2021, he claims to have raised $40,000 to buy a building. He posted several times about potential purchases that never panned out, but very little communication was offered. In August 2021, he posted a dramatic video about another potential building. He claimed it was an excellent price because it included classrooms he said would be used as a school. He then told everyone he had raised enough to purchase it for cash, and that it would only need a few thousand to repair. After the sale, he began to disclose that actually, it would take hundreds of thousands to repair, perhaps more than the building was worth. And that he didn’t have money for all that.

Below are excerpts from articles previously published on a previous blog documenting this series of events.

August 2020 -August 2021

In August 2020 he posted this

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December 2020. Marcus posted a picture one day,

Nothing more since then. Not a word about this building.

In March 2021, he posted more updates about Firehouse. This explains why Paypal isn’t working.

Then in May 2021 He posted this livestream, now deleted.

The following comment by Saad Caudle, explains why the video was deleted.

The next day he posted this video asking for money. He states they will be renting the building.

A week later he posted this update

A week later, May 14th he posted this update saying that 20% of “the goal” for buying a building had been raised even though there is no viable plan to actually buy a building at this time. Marcus had promised above to provide email updates about financial goals to donors. He has never made that information public.

In June he posted this- another assurance that he is working on the corporation status

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New Building- August 9, 2021

When Marcus posted this video in early August, we published an article that covered the content of the video and also raised questions, based on the history outlined above, about whether this was a feasible plan.

Quick clarification: In this video Marcus claims that this article contained a lie that he had no intention of buying this building As you can see, that is not true. We raised questions, that is all, so Marcus, the apology would be due from you, except no one is asking. Just please do not lie again.

Marcus posted a dramatic video yesterday, with inspirational music blaring and the now omnipresent tears flowing, about a church building for sale that he thinks God might be leading him to buy. He is so excited that he asked his followers to each give $1 so he can pay cash. This is a listing available online for this property

So, we have seen this before, pleas for money to buy buildings that never materialize. Assurances that he is getting his church organization in order. Be warned, if you give to Marcus Rogers believing you are helping buy the cute church in the video, there’s a good chance it won’t happen. For many reasons this is unlikely.

• Past history of poor communication of goals and progress regarding building purchases.
• Initial walkthrough shows many major repairs needed. The price tag will be much higher after inspection.
• Firehouse is not a viable corporate entity despite Marcus’ past claim that is was.
• The utilities, insurance and upkeep may not be affordable for a small congregation.
• If a loan is needed, it will add to a huge burden of requirements for guaranteed monthly income and other stipulations It is unlikely that the tithing income of the 30-40 attenders of Firehouse will be adequate to cover loan payments.

It’s been 60 days since the last update by the Secretary of State. If Marcus has not registered his ministry by this time, there must be a reason. Please know that while not accusing anyone, the plain fact is that Marcus most likely understands that he will have to face some realities if he does register with the IRS. He may owe back taxes or other penalties for the past several years. It may require him to submit financial statements that could be hard to explain to his donors. It could open him up to an audit. If he has handled everything with integrity he should have nothing to fear. Followers would be wise to pause and see what happens.

While Marcus has made it known that he is willing to be financially transparent, in the past this is how he has reacted to questions about his donations. Some would say that’s not exactly transparency, but there are plenty of followers who have no problem with giving blindly.

It will take months to sort all this out. Donating immediately is not by any means necessary. Followers can “follow their hearts” if they choose but God is not honored by foolish use of the finances that he blesses his people with. Prosperity preachers lean heavily on the “sowing a seed so God will bless you tenfold” schtick, implying it’s fine to be reckless when giving and just let God sort it out. And worse, implying it’s a way to manipulate the will of God.

Marcus cannot continue to toe the line of financial unaccountability indefinitely and expect to gain the confidence of donors. His Go Fund Me’s were not that profitable. The first one asked for $450,000, for ministry travel needs, which he explained was equal to one dollar for every follower he had at the time. He raised $31,000 and bought a Dodge Charger. The second one, he asked for $10 but left it open for over a year. He raised over $10,000 before shutting it down. He again said the money was used for ministry needs but was not very specific. He did start posting pictures taken in his new pick up truck not long after.

$41,000 dollars is fair amount, but far far less than the “$1 per follower” goal he set. and that doesn’t account for taxes and a GFM fee. The lack of transparency and clear goal-setting surely did not help the efforts to raise money.

The vast majority of his followers are likely either bought subscriptions and/or very casual followers who have no interest in donating. It’s not likely that he will raise what may end up being close to a million dollars from online followers. Most churches need years of planning to reach a goal like that. And it takes years to build a ministry that can support a building like that. Firehouse is still too small to support such a large project, and even if he can raise the cash to buy the building, it will take many thousands more to renovate and start a school or other outreach programs he wants. It’s all good goals but this is not how you get there. There is no sign of any godly wisdom or counsel here.

This is an emotional campaign based on an emotional decision. He wants this building. He does not need it. He cannot afford it, and does not care. He will ask the widows and orphans in his audience to support him even with an unknown but very real risk of failure. No one should make this into a “God thing”. God allows humans to choose their own foolish failures by their free will. This does not have the evidence of a wise godly decision.

This article demonstrates that Marcus Rogers is not being transparent with his donations, has been misleading and unclear about his intentions, has proven to not manage donations well and is making a poorly planned campaign for a large amount of money before knowing if the plan is feasible or what the cost will be. If you donate, do not mock God by trusting it will be used well. God gave you discernment and THIS INFORMATION. If you choose to disregard it, you will answer for that. For the dozens of people posting online that they gave $x, you already have your reward, the approval of man.

As this article ends, just going to drop this here:

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Update 8/14/21

Marcus Rogers Enterprises is still not in good standing with the Secretary of State. The tax rate on commercial properties in Chicago is about 25%. That will be a huge additional cost.

Update 9/3/21

In the past several weeks, Marcus has continued to post promotional videos for his ministry, a majority featuring his”deliverance” services. More about that here. He continues to ask for donations in these videos. His 8/31 video shows people waiting in line for service in the hot sun and Marcus made the not very subtle insinuation that a building was needed so deliverances could be done in more pleasant conditions. He now claims to be at 50% of an unknown number” needed to proceed” to buy a building. No word on his loan application.

Update 9/4

In today’s Livestream he said he needs $70K more to make an offer on the building. No word on what the offer will be, full price or a loan as he has said before so that repairs can be made.

But he has moved forward to activate his 501C3 status. On Aug 20th, the Illinois Secretary of State activated Marcus Rogers Enterprises as a Domestic BCA corporation.

Marcus claims to be approaching 40% of an unknown figure. He has posted several updates with no forthcoming details of how much is needed or how much has been collected. He did say that he is looking into getting a loan because the obvious repairs will be extensive. So he will be keeping at least some of the cash donations in pocket.

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New Building Update

originally published 9/9

On Labor Day, Marcus posted a short video stating he’s very close to having enough donations to make an offer for the church building he has been posting about for the past month. He said he was going to the bank today to talk to someone there. Apparently he forgot it’s a holiday and banks aren’t open. This is understandable when one doesn’t have a job, every day is a holiday.

Once again, there is no mention of the plan or the amount needed, or if a loan is still being considered. Or is he saying he has raised approximately $580,000 in the past 30 days and only needs $70,000 more to pay cash- and then how will updates be made? He has mentioned getting a loan in past videos so that he can keep some cash for needed repairs but there is no information available about how that is being planned, or any contigency should the sale fall through for any reason.

Marcus Rogers would demonstrate good faith and respect for his donors by being more transparent. But apparently, there are enough followers who think it’s ok to give blindly and it’s God’s problem to deal with if this plan falls through or fails to live up to the expectations being set up, mainly that a solid Christian school will be the top priority. Marcus has promoted this project repeatedly by leading with the vision for a Christian school. Donate please, it’s all for the kids! Oh, and also, the demons! Delivering demons would be so much more aesthetically appealing in a charming church building.

As noted in the update to the earlier post about this potential purchase, Marcus has moved ahead with his plans to register his corporation with the State of Illinois, so he can apply for a 501c3 to get a tax exemption. Here is a copy of the Secretary of State’s record.

Items of interest:

• Marcus is the only officer listed. All finances will be handled only by him
• The corporate address is a private home in the Chicago suburb of Glenview
• A search of this property on Redfin.com shows the property was sold in March 2021 for $775,000 and shows the county property ID number. The Cook County Assessor Address Search shows this home was bought by Marcus Rogers. It appears that Marcus used a VA loan to secure a mortgage for this property.

Marcus Rogers has been saying for months that “money is tight” He needs money for sound equipment. He needs money to help a homeless family. He just needs money to support Firehouse.

And now he needs just $1 from his online followers to buy an 18000 square foot, 80 year old building for a church of 30-40 people. Hey Marcus, how much are you and your church contributing to this effort? Maybe instead of mansions, expensive cars, multiple trips to Miami and Vegas (staying in hotels) and a ridiculous $1k weekly rental of a hall that is way bigger than you need and has acoustics so bad you can’t livestream services- maybe you could find that 70k in there somewhere.

Marcus can do what he wants with money donated freely with the understanding that there is no legal accountability for anything. So far, Marcus is not able to accept donations as a 501c3, so they are not tax-deductible. He makes that clear on his website. These are strictly gifts to him personally and donors are trusting him to use them well. Make no mistake, Marcus has no personal convictions about using others’ money any way he wants and not answering to anyone but God.

When his 501c3 becomes active he will be able to, but not legally required to give receipts. He will be required to make financial information public. According to nolo.com:

Nonprofits are required to submit their financial statements and other information — including the salaries of directors, officers, and key employees — to the IRS. … The IRS and nonprofits themselves are required to disclose the information on Form 990 to anyone who asks.

Marcus Rogers can bet his life that his 990 will be requested when available and he can be fairly assured it will be reported here. This information can be found at the IRS website at this link

While he can solicit donations as personal gifts, he might be pushing the limits if he claims to be raising money for a church and paying for personal expenses instead. The FBI defines charity fraud like this:

Charity fraud schemes seek donations for organizations that do little or no work—instead, the money goes to the fake charity’s creator.

Already one donor, who learned about his financial situation after making a large donation, is threatening to pursue legal action. She made a donation to his website, did more research and changed her mind and asked for her money back. He made a public post on Facebook calling her demon possessed and a “Karen” and clearly not agreeing to refund the money. Whether or not this particular situation has legal merit, he would be wise to be more transparent going forward to avoid misunderstandings and the appearance of possible deception.

Here is the Federal Trade Commissions guidelines for avoiding charity fraud.

And finally for the umpteenth time: MARCUS ROGERS- GET YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS VERIFIED. There have been reports of followers mistakenly giving to fake accounts. While there are scammers out there, it looks very much like you are doing some scamming yourself when you REFUSE to get your accounts verified. All platforms do this, and they do NOT discriminate against anyone for religious reasons- that’s just silly. Lots of religious users are verified. Verification is a consumer safety issue and these platforms want their users to be as safe as possible from scammers. If they want to ban you for religious/political issues, they will ban you, but they won’t refuse to verify your identity.

Update September 27

Kudos to our sister at the Daughter of the Lord Yeshua Christ’s You Tube channel. She did some brilliant research and posted a fantastic video last night. Among other interesting facts, she found out that Marcus has had a separate 501c3 active since October 2020. It’s called Firehouse Fellowship.

The video explains many implications for religious organizations of having a 501c3 and also how having a 501c3 LLC and another corporation at a separate location can provide shelters and write offs for taxes.

Speaking of write offs, anyone who donated to Marcus since October 2020 can request a receipt from Marcus. He is not obligated to provide one, though he would be doing his donors a favor. In the video, there is footage of Marcus saying specifically that the main reason he would start a 501c3 is for the sake of the donors and their tax deductions. Yet for almost a year, he has kept his 501c3 status secret, his website stating that donations are NOT tax deductible. What on earth is he doing? We will be publishing another article about this soon. Update: The website now states that donations to Firehouse church are tax deductible. Marcus Rogers ministries donations are not.

A fool and his money are soon parted.

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The Edifice of Ego

originally published 11/10

After months of fervent fundraising, the day has finally come. Or actually no, it hasn’t. Once again there is confusion and another delay in this purchase. Marcus keeps using the word transparency.

Marcus made up his mind the day he first saw this place that this was “the one” without knowing anything else about it. But he was sure. Saying God had any hand in it would be dangerously close to blasphemy. Marcus didn’t commit this to prayer first. God’s hand in this is more likely to be seen in allowing the foolish to reap their foolish rewards. Those who supported this endeavor may be wondering what is so foolish about this and how could anyone say God’s hand is not in this. Perhaps you weren’t paying close attention.

Let’s set the record straight. Marcus has been demanding apologies from unnamed critics on a weekly basis for months, who he says have slandered him in some way about this purchase. That is too vague for anyone to respond to. Just speculating, but this blog, and one you tube video I know of, raised questions that this transaction might not happen. Many solid reasons were given including the following:

• Past history of poor communication of goals and progress regarding building purchases.
• Questionable use of other funds raised for “ministry”
• Initial walkthrough shows many major repairs needed. The price tag will be much higher after inspection.
• Firehouse is not a viable corporate entity despite Marcus’ past claim that is was. (or it was and he never disclosed this)
• The utilities, insurance and upkeep may not be affordable for a small congregation.
• If a loan is needed, it will add to a huge burden of requirements for guaranteed monthly income and other stipulations It is unlikely that the tithing income of the 30-40 attenders of Firehouse will be adequate to cover loan payments.

These are very reasonable doubts to raise concern. And since that time, other information has surfaced to add to these doubts.

• It was discovered that while telling people money is tight, and asking for donations for a camera, he purchased an expensive home.
• He has both a for profit corporation based in that home and a 501C3 non profit that has been active since October 2020. He has never told his followers that these entities exist.
• He publically shamed a woman who asked for a refund of her donation.
• He scammed thousands by using homeless family as an excuse for donations, then never gave them a dime. More about that and the woman mentioned above, here.
• He blatantly brags about buying luxuries while begging for more money for a building he cannot afford. He also spent at least $5000 in Mid October on promotional fees to promote his music video on the Worldstar Hip Hop website. This video reveals what happened.
• He bragged repeatedly that November 8th was the big day, he would be closing on the building. Late on November 10th he finally admitted there were delays that will run into December. Surely he knew before November 10th or even the 8th. He posted a live stream on the 8th for 45 minutes. No mention of anything. Why can’t he just be honest?
• On November 10th in his live video he said very clearly that the money for the church was HIS money. No mention of donations, or that God was supposedly the one who provided funds to purchase a building for HIS use. He said HIS account would be wiped out after paying for the building.
• He is taking this money and buying this building in his name only. Technically, in the name of Firehouse Fellowship LLC, which is solely controlled by Marcus Rogers. So in that sense, yes , it is his money now. He has never mentioned what kind of accountability he has for either his personal or business integrity. Anyone supporting him is doing so blindly.
  
  

For all the above reasons, pointing out that it might not and possibly should not come to pass is hardly slandering. He has squandered his own trust and stained his own reputation all by himself. He has proven himself unreliable in financial matters. No one is wrong to point that out. No one owes Marcus Rogers an apology.


His obsession with apologies reveals that his emotions and ego have been very invested in this purchase. Perhaps to the point that rational thinking and reasoning has left the scene. This building will need more funding than has been raised so far to repair. Marcus admits that Firehouse loses money now, paying a stunning $4900 a month to rent facilities. Now he will have to keep renting while the repairs are made with money that he does not have. He has also mentioned some zoning issues that are not insignificant and are very likely not resolved already. More money for legal fees. This does not appear to be a very wise financial investment. He wants this building. He does not need it. He cannot afford it and does not care.

He says he wants it of course for church, although it is apparently completely unsuitable for what he thinks a church should be. Though it needs massive repairs, on top of that he wants to remodel huge areas for less than practical reasons. Turning the existing sanctuary which he thinks is unsuitable for worship, into a daycare will cost thousands. He thinks the daycare will generate enough income to fund the school, but to make money, funds to remodel have to be realized.

Funding the school- where to begin? The expectations that seem to be circulating are that Marcus will be starting a private school, a traditional elementary and perhaps middle school. Classes are divided like traditional schools (K-8) with a room and a teacher for each. (There is nowhere near enough room to add an additional high school program.) Classes will meet approximately 6 hours a day and include lunch and recess. Parents’ roles are to drop their kids off, assist with homework and of course pay the tuition. But wait, the daycare will cover tuition? An average daycare income is $37k per year, the range being $20K -$60K per year (source: daycarebusinessboss.com) The average private school tuition in Illinois is $8334 per year. (source: privateschoolreview.com) Many church schools charge less but that is because they are very heavily reliant on the church for support. $60k will not make a tiny dent in the budget of a school. Firehouse church is currently insolvent financially and dependent on You tube income and donations to pay their bills. They cannot subsidize the school and it will take perhaps years for the daycare to cover the costs of start up to even make a contribution to help the school with minimal expenses. There are so many questions unresolved to determine if this is a viable option.

But, Marcus has also said, though he has not repeated it, that this will NOT be a traditional school He termed it a “Homeschool school”. That would mean that parents are primarily in charge of their kids’ educations. What many homeschool families do is join a local homeschool co-op, where teachers are hired to teach a la carte classes that meet 1-2 times per week for an hour each. These groups often meet in churches that donate space to keep their costs down. It should be noted that this is far different from a traditional school. Far less space is needed since classes do not meet every day and grade levels can be combined for some subjects. Costs are far less of course but parents must be committed to the full time education of their kids including teaching their kids on the days the co-op classes do not meet. Co-ops do not require use of a gym for PE nor a cafeteria since most kids come and go throughout the day and only attend the classes they need. A little more transparency from Marcus would be helpful for parents and donors who are building expectations around this project.

He is going to keep living in a huge mansion almost an hour away in a wealthy suburb. He seems to not realize that this is the real world and he will be setting up a church in a lower middle-class neighborhood in the city that is heavily Hispanic. He doesn’t seem to understand that it’s not going to go over well that in the neighborhood to find out that the new pastor has no interest in dwelling among the “little people” of the area. No, he will visit them when necessary but drive home this other “church” in Glenview. He doesn’t seem aware of the optics of being a “YouTube famous celebrity” who took his followers’ money and bought himself the nicest home he could afford while buying his church the most run down place in town with no true interest in the neighborhood. He just likes the park across the street.

But all that said, this is his chance to make it right. Perhaps this project will be what he needs to restore the broken trust and give him some purpose and direction and give him the motivation to do better and be better. Perhaps doing some real hard work in the real world will spur some needed growth, humility, and maturity. He wants the public life and that will always come with public scrutiny. Especially in the Body of Christ, accountability is a mandate from God. He doesn’t get a free pass to entitlement and to blame everyone else for his responsibilities.

Time to grow up and man up. Let’s hope he doesn’t blow this chance. He’s already off to a shaky start.

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The Emperor’s New Palace

originally published Nov 12, 2021

Yesterday Marcus did a short livestream from the church building. This is the 12th video “update” Marcus has posted. Only 5 of these videos have had any pictures or information on the condition of the building. Here’s a recap of Marcus’ “transparent” updates:

• August 9th “I am shocked by what I just saw” This video showed a short tour of some of the main areas of the church. The video discusses no damage and does not show any damaged areas. Marcus says it is too good to be true-all it really needs is new paint and floors. Asks every follower to donate $1
• Aug 10 “$1 per follower going a long way” Recaps the video footage from 8/9. Posted from his home computer. Says he has about 40% of what he needs to make an offer.
• Aug 12 “Huge news” Video posted from a hotel room has no pics. He says it needs a little work- a little water damage and air conditioning. He says he will get a commercial loan.
• Sept 6 Labor Day “So Close” Recorded while walking in a home improvement store. He says he is going to the bank today. (He forgot it’s a holiday?) He says he needs $70k more to make an offer.
• Sept 12 “This is it” Marcus posted from home. He says sellers accepted offer for $550k, and he has almost that much. Needs more donations. Now he says:
  • roof needs work,
  • flooding in the basement
  • need to tear down sanctuary to build daycare
  • turn gym into sanctuary,
• Oct 4 “I was under investigation….” posted from home, no pics. Says the contract is signed for $550k which is what he has in hand. Says minor roof repairs and flooding are the only problems. Title refers to his claims people are calling authorities to investigate him.
• Oct 6 “It’s offical! We did it! Shut your mouth devil” Posted this video at a bank to secure earnest money. Still no new pics. Again says main problems are a little flooding, a little roof work.
• Oct 9 “Take a tour” -inspection at bldg. Finally some new footage. This time we find out:
  • gym needs soundproofing and carpet
  • bathrooms need renovating
  • roof needs “a little work”
  • Sanctuary – wants to divide into 3 rooms for daycare.
  • “A little flooding” in the basement
  • Says he will need “a couple thousand dollars for repairs”
• Oct 15 “Look at this”- livestream from the building-
  • Finally a look at the basement flooding
  • Kitchen needs complete remodel
  • Wants to add food pantry
  • gym (new sanctuary) has leaks in ceiling and floor damage, needs carpet, drywall, new wiring.
  • Wants a recording studio
  • Roof needs a little bit of work
  • Masonry brick outside needs work
• Oct 19 “This is amazing ” livestream from church.
  • Electricity in education wing not working
  • Need to add a bathroom for daycare
  • Need to replace doors
  • Need to get rid of stained glass windows and pews
• Nov 4 “Well…” -video from building- Says electric and plumbing estimates are being done. 4 days til the closing date.
  • Says building is no longer zoned as a church but it’s not a big deal. He will hire a lawyer and get it resolved
  • 2 of the 9 classrooms will be remodeled into a coffee house
  • HVAC needs updating to meet city code
  • There is a problematic parking issue
  • Wants to spray paint entire exterior brick a darker color
  • Electricity in gym needs to be redone and updated
• Nov 10- “So sick of it” – live stream from home.- This is 2 days after closing was supposed to happen, and Marcus has not told anyone anything. At 28 minutes in, someone asks for building update. He complained about having to explain then read an email that said he won’t be able to close until December 1 due to some kind of water bill contract.
• Nov 12 “Quick update” livestream from building. It was raining outside, so inside he shows:
  • lots of water damage, water on floors in several rooms and dripping water from ceilings
  • ceiling falling in in kitchen due to water damage
  • Says today they are looking at plans, talking about colors to paint

Here are some still shots from the videos

To recap this recap, Marcus Rogers, while using the word “transparency” in nearly every video, waited until he had collected enough donations to meet the selling price to start showing the extensive repairs this building needs. Not only that, apparently, he got this far into the transaction before finding out about critical zoning and parking issues. It was not until October 9th that he posted any new pictures. At that time he was still downplaying the roof and flooding as the primary issues, saying they were not very significant. At that time he said he needed “a few thousand dollars” to do repairs.

He’s also thrown out a long list of unnecessary and impractical ideas as if money were not an issue. A recording studio, coffee shop, painting the entire exterior dark gray, remodeling the very unsuitable sanctuary into a day care and turning the gym into a sanctuary.

He apparently started shopping for a building with only $40,000 in donations, the sum total of what he has raised in the previous three years. Presumably, his website and cashapp donations have been going towards savings, especially since he says he funds ministry needs from his personal income. The kind of facility he wants- a church, school, daycare and coffee shop with adequate parking, would easily cost millions in that market. Likewise, remodeling this building to accommodate all these features will cost millions that he does not have. Perhaps he is painting a rosy picture to distract from the grim reality of the situation. We have no choice but to speculate since Marcus claims he is already being exceedingly transparent about finances. There is little reason to think he will be more forthcoming in the future.

Even now, he has not posted any specifics for a budget or plan of action for addressing the numerous extensive repairs needed, including major electrical, plumbing, HVAC and structural issues. Many of these are no doubt regulated by city code so it’s likely that an occupancy permit won’t be issued till the major safety issues are resolved. He will probably also have to get his parking and zoning issues resolved before using the building.

He has an insolvent church unable to afford the rental of a small space weekly. But he thinks You tube is an endless source of bountiful income to leverage some heavy debts and expenses on. Though he claims to fund a lot of his ministry expenses from his personal income, personally he has a $775k mortgage(with zero down) which will be in jeopardy if You tube ever kicks him off- a very real possibility in the current social/political climate on social media. That’s a huge debt!

The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender.

Proverbs 22:7

Also, our economy is faltering, inflation is spiking, fuel costs are soaring as we head into winter, supply chains failing and his primary demographic will be the most negatively impacted by vax mandate layoffs. Church attendance is down and livestreamed services, which he plans to prioritize, enable attenders to stay home. We live in an uncertain time of looming religious persecution and the reality of viral pandemics. If Marcus Rogers had had enough cash in hand to buy this building, make repairs and enough income to pay the bills, this might make sense even in unprecedented economic instability.

But he does not have any spare cash in hand. He says the cash payment for the building will wipe out his account. This is a foolish transaction. He jumped in before getting vital information, then ignored reality to salvage his ego as evidenced by his many demands for apologies to critics saying this was not going to be a viable endeavor. He cannot afford the repairs, let alone large costs for normal maintenance and utilities. Relying on future revenue of donations and social media income is not sound financial planning.

He bragged in his video that he is the first in his family to own a home. It’s very clear he has never owned property nor run a business. If he thinks buying and running a church is anywhere comparable to owning a home, donors who have not already done so, should run the other way and find better ministries to support. Furthermore, he has not sought or received advice from anyone with expertise. “God told him” has always been his only epistemological credo. That failed him in January with the failed Trump prophecy, his only defense being he had mistaken his feelings for God’s voice. Those who refuse to learn from history are bound to repeat it.

It appears Marcus has bought a building that will not be usable for some time, if ever. He now says that the school is going to be phase 2. His plans seem to be to remove 2 classrooms and the gym/cafeteria which would be detrimental to his presumed priority of running a school. He may never get this building rezoned. It’s likely the building was rezoned due to its age, condition and the inability of the property to meet current city codes, such as an ordinance for parking that would require 37 parking spaces for a building that size. It’s going to take some serious legal fees to resolve this issue.

There are still some supporters willing to take it all in faith. God can do anything they say, but would they not agree that one should not go speeding through a red light saying “God can protect me”? These are the folks still saying this is a wonderful idea and a beautiful building. It could be under the ideal circumstances, but as it is, this is running the red light. It’s the Emperor’s New Palace.

The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.

Proverbs 21:5

Link to read “The Emperor’s New Clothes” online.

*Hansen, Jens Ulrik (2011). “A Logic-Based Approach

to Pluralistic Ignorance”. Academia.edu. Retrieved 1 March 2013

Marcus Rogers’ Magical Mortgage Math -Was the building donated?

published August 16 2022

Anyone familiar with Marcus Rogers knows he has issues. Marital issues, doctrinal issues, emotional issues, financial issues,. But he also has a fiercely loyal following, people who will not allow their much admired leader to be criticized. People who gave sacrificially when Marcus posted videos last summer about his “dream church” – an abandoned building in Chicago up for sale for only $650,000. Today’s question is, how will these people feel finding out the building was apparently donated to Marcus? Marcus denies this claim but there are many questions raised that indicate it is true.

Note: On July 31, a YouTube creator posted a video about this topic. The video named the church that donated the building. The next day, the church was flooded with harassing and threatening phone calls from Marcus Rogers’ supporters. Out of concern by the creator, the video was taken down. Out of this same concern, we will refer to this church as “Donor” Though this info is public information, we ask that no one contact this church at this time.

First a quick summary of the timeline, We have covered these events earlier in this section of our blog.

• August 2021- Marcus posted his first video of the church and made a tearful emotional plea to raise money so he could buy it to start a school “for the kids”
• October 2021-After less than 60 days, Marcus posted that he had raised enough to make an offer of $550.000. He posted a video stating his offer had been accepted. Some viewers pointed out that the building was not in usable condition and Marcus agreed that some repairs would be needed, and that he was spending all the money he had to buy the building. He would need to ask for more to make needed repairs, but at least he would have obtained it for such a good price.
• December 2021, after a month long delay, the closing came and went fairly quietly. A search of the city of Chicago permit status website shows that permits to replace windows and doors, and do surface roof work- no structural work, were issued on 12/27/2021

• January 2022: Marcus posted video with an update on the renovation costs. Altogether it totaled over $900,000 in repairs and that was just for starters. Again he claimed to have nothing and asked for donations. He then posted that he had raised $40,000. This was enough to remodel the church’s existing sanctuary to be usable for weekly services.
• February 2022: He then posted that a donor had given a $100,000. donation with a picture of an invalidly written redacted personal check. Shortly after this, he posted pics of a crew working on the roof and some windows being replaced

• March- August 2022 Regular requests for money in every video, with promises to build a new sanctuary, and of course the promise of the school, with no real progress in sight. Marcus claims, as he did in his former rental facility, that he just can’t livestream services because the audio echo is too bad in the sanctuary, but if people just keep giving, the new sanctuary will have perfect acoustics for livestreaming. As of August 8th, there are still no new permits to repair the major structural issues or even any minor ones. This week he did post an update, there is now a big hole in the floor to fix some plumbing.

Marcus has presented his supporters with the premise that he raised $550,000 and used it to buy a building to house his church and a school. But according to public records, there are some serious discrepancies with this premise

A search of the Cook County Recorder of Deeds reveals that the building was sold to Marcus Rogers for $10.00. Ten dollars.

Official deed documents often show a “nominal consideration” clause that indicates that a binding contract has been entered and a legal exchange has occurred. It is not always accurate, but we will explain that in this case, the nominal amount is actually more than Marcus paid.

To further support this, the detailed info on the Cook County Recorder of deeds page shows that total consideration for the transaction was $0.00

I searched other similar church properties in Chicago, and they all showed a legitimate property sale value.

Additionally, we have confirmed this with two phone conversations with two representatives of the church that donated the property, (we will refer to them as Donor) who both confirmed that they did indeed donate the property to Firehouse, and that not even $10.00 was paid.

Donor had acquired the property via a donation in March of 2020, from the former church, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, which had dissolved several years prior. It was explained by both parties we spoke to that Donor had no interest in investing one million plus dollars to repair this building, especially with zoning issues that were not resolvable. They just wanted to be done paying insurance and utilities on a building that had been abandoned for ten-plus years.

After talking to Marcus, Donor agreed to donate the church. Donor wanted to see the church continue ministry in the neighborhood. Their understanding was that Firehouse was trying to raise money to meet the selling price. Knowing that the building would need approximately $1 million in repairs, Donor said they would be glad to donate the property and that Firehouse should keep donations for repairs. Donor expressed surprise and disappointment to learn that Marcus told his donors that he paid $550,000 and was asking for $700-900K more for repairs.

Marcus’ only responses so far were a couple comments on social media. In the comments on a post now deleted, he claimed that he could “prove” he paid $550,000 and showed an MLS listing. The $550,000 sale price on MLS is not an accurate record of the amount paid. The MLS prices do not reflect any buyer or seller concessions made. A price has to be entered to close the listing, and the Donor representative said that the $550k number would serve as a property value for insurance purposes.

Another unanswered question- The denomination that the original church belongs to gives their guidelines for the assets of dissolved churches:

CCM – Guidelines for Constitutions and Bylaws of Lutheran Congregations – Page 9– Revised November, 2012

10.2 In the event that the congregation dissolves, all property shall be disposed of by the final voters
assembly for the payment of debts and all just claims against the congregation, and any and all
surplus and all rights connected therewith shall be conveyed to and become the property of the
District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

In accordance, the Donor church’s Constitution reflects this as well.

((Donor)) Lutheran Church – Constitution May 18, 2014 | R e v i s e d 4 | P a g e
B. Dissolution
In the event that the Congregation dissolves, all property shall be disposed of by the final Voters
Assembly for the payment of debts and all just claims against the Congregation, and any and all surplus
and all rights connected therewith shall be conveyed to and become the property of the Northern
Illinois District of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.

The guidelines above, while specific to the LCMS denomination, are implemented because both federal and Illinois law state that proceeds from the sale of assets of a dissolved non-profit must go to another non-profit. (US Code Title 26) Non profits are also forbidden from making an excess profit on any transaction. Maybe it’s all cool but it seems like a loophole was exploited if Marcus actually paid $550,000. That is a huge profit for Donor church on a property that was donated to them by law.

According to Home Disclosure.com, this property has two title transfer transactions on record. The first was a transfer from Trinity Lutheran to Donor church in February 2020. The second is a transfer from Donor church to Firehouse in December 2021. Both transactions show a sale price of zero. We know the first was a legally required donation and the legal records reflect this. If Marcus paid $550,000 it should be reflected here.

There is also an ownership description of “heirs”. I’m no legal expert but my research on this term indicates a special warranty deed might have been a bad idea.

I reached out to both the Donor church and the Northern Illinois District of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod for more information. The District referred me to the Donor church for more information. The Donor church did not respond to my request for clarification. The Executive director who signed the deed from Donor to Firehouse is no longer with Donor church as of July 2022.

Furthermore, in June, almost a year since the church fundraising was first presented, Marcus posted this- a request for money to buy a neighboring house, to be used as a halfway house.

Sounds very much like them same scenario- I want to pay all cash, oh please help me buy this, for the homeless! (What about the school?) This time, before opening wallets, lets hope his supporters have enough sense to ask more questions.

We believe Marcus should be accountable to his donors. Donors should be able to ask and receive answers to questions like these:

• While asking for money to buy the church and now the house, Marcus has continued to invest very large amounts of money in travel, his rap albums, album promotions and videos, gifts for friends and cash giveaways at services. Where has all of this money come from?
• Why is there no record of the $550,000 payment for this building?
• Why has there been so little progress on repairing the building?
• When will the school open?
• Why is the new sanctuary, and buying additional property a priority over the school?
• Why is the new sanctuary a priority when attendance at Firehouse seems to be about half the capacity of the current sanctuary?
• Would he agree that no matter what the circumstances, his supporters should not be harassing the Donor church?
• How was he able to raise $550,000 in one month and one year later, still have hundreds of thousands in repairs to be made?
• If this building was not sold to him for $550,000, why did he not disclose this at the time of the sale?
  
  And a question for supporters of Firehouse church-Do you understand that Marcus Rogers

• has a 501c3 for tax purposes.
• uses a for profit corporation for sheltering income,
• all church property is in his name alone. He is the sole officer of Firehouse Fellowship.
• does the church even have a bank account? asked about payment for the building he stated this:

• Why was all the money in his account?
• Why then is there no record of a separate transaction and deed transfer?
  
  With many more questions than answers, followers would be wise to wait for answers.
  
  

Bold Faced Lie about building purchase

This blog is cautious to make accusatory statements, but this statement by Marcus is so blatantly false it cannot be construed as anything but a lie. He made a Q&A video in August 2022 and answered questions about the building purchase.

He also tried to mislead with an untrue assertion about the sale price