Pastor who recently bought Lamborghini and lives in $1.8 million house asks congregation to pay $250,000 for church repairs

Relentless Church pastor John Gray has asked his congregation to foot the bill for repairs to the church roof to the tune of $250,000 ...

Relentless Church pastor John Gray has asked his congregation to foot the bill for repairs to the church roof to the tune of $250,000 in addition to what's already collected for weekly tithes and offering.

The request came after the Greenville-based celebrity pastor said Relentless inherited millions of dollars in debt when the church took over the building from outgoing pastor Ron Carpenter, who moved his Redemption ministry to California after 25 years in South Carolina.

Gray broke down the church's financial need on Feb. 10 by saying the roof repairs could be made if 2,500 people gave $100, or more than half could be raised if 500 people gave $300.

"So now we need 499 'cause I got $300 on it. Anybody else?" Gray asked. "The work must continue. This is not a plea for money, it's a plea for partnership so we can be what we’re supposed to be."

Gray said the roof was put on the building in 2004. He wanted to collect the $250,000 from churchgoers by April 3.

It is unclear how much money has been raised to this point. Gray and Relentless CFO Travis Hayes declined to comment for this story through church spokeswoman Holly Baird.

Relentless Church assumes millions in debt from Redemption, Gray says

Gray spent portions of his sermon titled "Off The Wall" to discuss the transition from Redemption Church to Relentless Church, telling attendees that he failed to give the congregation "enough space to grieve the transition of a new leader."

He said he realized the transition has not been easy, having members accept Gray as their new church leader after following another pastor for so long.

"The reality is there's a grief process that happens when a leader leaves," Gray said. "I have been trying or seemingly hoping you guys would connect with me in the same way without giving you the space to grieve."

Gray went on to say that Redemption had accrued substantial debt that Relentless has had to assume responsibility for when Gray took over.

"(Ron Carpenter) handed us keys. The keys were not to a paid off building, the keys were to an opportunity, an opportunity to continue the work," Gray said. "Nothing you see is paid off. It wasn’t paid off when we got here."

Hayes had previously declined to share the church's operating budget with The Greenville News.

In a prior interview with Hayes in late 2018, he told The News that Relentless would not publish an annual financial report since the church is too new.

"Yes, the ministry puts out year-end annual reports, not always but some years," Hayes said in December. "Relentless has been here seven months now so we're not expecting to do any annual reports this year. This is a brand-new church."

Gray said during the February sermon that he believes Relentless will be debt-free within 24 months.

"We didn’t take an easy assignment. If we wanted an easy assignment, we would start from scratch without millions of dollars in debt," Gray said. "We took the assignment because we knew God has given us the right people to build with. I believe the best days of Relentless Church are in front of it."

'Because of all the climate change'

Gray said God told him to expect strong natural disasters in South Carolina this year that will require Relentless Church to be a place of refuge for those seeking shelter from the storms.

"The Holy Ghost said this to me so I’m going to speak it out, that there is severe weather coming to the region this spring because of all of the climate change and issues," Gray said. "Whether you understand all the science behind it or not, or agree, I heard the Lord say, 'I want you to make sure the house is covered so that when storms come people can come in here and be covered.'"

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Gray further explained that God told him the congregation will provide what's needed for the repairs. He brought a staff member to the stage to explain the financial need for the roof and showed an aerial picture of the church campus.

"There’s some stuff on the roof that needs to be fixed," Gray said. "And the Holy Ghost said, 'Ask the people.' He said, 'Whatever you need is in the house.' You know what Relentless Church is, it’s a safe place for people to come in the midst of a storm in the natural and the spirit." 

The Book of John Gray

Gray, an associate pastor of Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston, came to Greenville in 2018 after Carpenter, the Redemption pastor, announced he would leave to carry out his ministry in San Jose, California. 

Carpenter asked Gray to assume the lead pastor role for the congregation.

Gray is well-known through his television show "The Book of John Gray," which is now in its fourth season on the Oprah Winfrey Network. He has also published two books including his latest, "Win from Within."

Gray was in the national spotlight in December after he bought his wife a Lamborghini Urus for their eighth wedding anniversary. The purchase grew criticism, though Gray responded to remarks by stating none of the church funds were used to buy the vehicle and that the funds came through his other revenue streams.

Gray and Relentless Church came back into the spotlight in January when The Greenville News reported that Gray was living in a $1.8 million home in Simpsonville that was funded by the church. Church leaders said the particular parsonage is what was needed to entice a pastor of Gray's "caliber" to Greenville.