| By MURRAY HUBBARD | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| A GOLD Coast valuer says a prime lake front block of land sold by Bond University to a fundamentalist Christian church for $310,000 was worth in he vicinity of $4.2 million Bond University sold off the 1.76 ha block of land at Bermuda Street, Robina to Rhema Group Pty Ltd in April 2002, after a contract was negotiated in early 2001. It was a small price to pay for the dirt on which to place a reported $67 million, eight storey, residential tower proposed to be called 'Bond Uni Students Towers', that will incorporate student accommodation and Rhema Bible Church. High profile Gold Coast valuer Iain Herriott says an investigation of the land by his company estimated its true market value at between $4.2 million and $4.4 million.
"The fact is that 85 per cent of the land is underwater and there are significant obstacles to overcome before it could be built on," said a university spokesman. "They will have to build over the lake and use pylons that go at least 30 metres into ground,” he said. "While there is 1.76 ha involved, most of it is underwater and worthless." The purchase has put the spotlight on the fundamentalist Christian church, Rhema Bible Church Australia Pty Ltd and an associated string of development companies. Currently the church and its development arms has millions of dollars worth of projects on the boil in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, following on a list of completed developments, started soon after the church moved its headquarters to the Gold Coast from Perth in 1996. Rhema Developments Pty Ltd is now a large Coast developer.
The church, and the various development companies, are headed by Pastor Michael Moorhead, formerly from Kansas City and his son Matthew. Pastor Moorhead lives in a $1.4 million penthouse at the Inlet Apartments at trendy Main Beach and drives a black BMW. He purchased the penthouse for $715,000 in 1998 and sold it to one of his companies for $1.4 million in September 2001. In 1979 Pastor Moorhead graduated from the Rhema Bible Training Centre in Tulsa Oklahoma and 'sensed the call of God to Australia'. With wife Randa he moved to Perth and later relocated the Rhema Bible Training Centre to the Gold Coast, where it is now based at Bond University Commercial Centre, sharing headquarters with the various Rhema Developments companies. The Rhema church is affiliated with the tongues-speaking Kenneth Hagin movement, best known for its involvement in the 'Toronto Blessing' or Toronto Fall, where worshippers collapse, dance, laugh or scream after being anointed. Opponents claim the 'blessing' is fraudulent with nothing to do with the Holy Spirit. But it is the church's interpretation of the Bible and attitude to prosperity that has aroused the greatest interest. That public interest peaked on June 1 last year when a cargo aircraft crashed in South Africa killing disgraced former cricket captain, Hansie Cronje. Cronje admitted accepting more than US $130,000 over four years from Indian bookmakers attempting to influence the outcome of cricket matches. While Cronje's epitaph for most people will read 'self confessed cheat' the reality was, according to his allies, that he had an 'unfortunate love for money’. Cronje told the commission into the bribery allegations that he had 'tried to live a Christian life and walk the way the Lord wanted me to walk… I allowed Satan and the world to dictate terms to me'. He had become closely aligned with the Pentecostal Rhema Fellowship Church in South Africa. The Rhema church believes strongly in miracles and success as expressions of God in what critics call a 'greed is good' religion. With this background of 'success theology' Cronje believed he was underpaid as a cricketer and saw a chance to supplement his income with bribes, as clear evidence of God's favour. Ray McCauley, Hansie Cronje's South African mentor, often swaps his pulpit for one in Australia, that of Pastor Brian Houston of Hills Christian Centre. Houston wrote a book titled 'You Need More Money' and urges Christians to become money magnets and encourages them to aspire to live in the best streets and in the best suburbs of Australia. Cronje chose to confess his sins to McCauley before his cricket board chief, Dr Ali Bacher, who (AB) he had earlier convinced that he had done nothing wrong. Rhema's list of Gold Coast and Brisbane developments is impressive. Completed projects include La Casas, Chateau Jardin, Beaches on Wave Street, 140 house and land packages at Belmont Crest and Varsity Manor. Current projects include Peppertree Place, Northview Residences and Forest Mews while the future holds Mapleton Terraces, Gainsborough Greens Country Club and 140 units at Varsity Waters The Rhema Church operates under a number company names in Australia including Rhema Australia Ltd, Rhema Bible Church Australia Pty Ltd, while the business arms include Rhema Developments Pty Ltd, Rhema Property Services Pty Ltd, Rhema CMD Pty Ltd, Rhema Property Holdings Pty Ltd. In addition Pastor Moorhead is also a director of Romanza Property Pty Ltd, Romanza Property Group Pty Ltd, Veranda Pty Ltd, Veranda Homes Pty Ltd, Veranda Property Group Pty Ltd. Pastor Moorhead was overseas and unavailable Source: Gold Coast Sun, Wednesday, January 15, 2003- Page 17 Appeared in Issue CETF NR MONTH YEAR |
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