Benson Phillips said, "Living Stream Ministry has nothing to do with trainings"
Referring to conferences and semi-annual trainings, Benson asserted, "LSM does not enter into the training. The content of this training is not decided by the Living Stream Ministry. Who decided on the topic, the content…? The co-workers, not Living Stream Ministry….LSM has nothing to do with trainings. The co-workers carry out the training." [Washington, D.C., Nov. 2006]
The FACTS
Yet, consider the following facts:
For at least 8 consecutive years, from 1997 to 2004, LSM reported to the IRS that "The Ministry…also conducts religious training conferences."
IRS tax records reveal that LSM received a major portion of its income from "participant donations from…ministry trainings": in the years 2001 to 2004, ministry trainings generated income of $2.46 million, $2.42 million, $2.99 million and $3.33 million respectively. Ministry trainings generated a total of $17.7 million in the years 1997 – 2004.
Many of "the co-workers [who] carry out the training" are also officers and directors of LSM. Brothers Benson Phillips, Ron Kangas, Ed Marks, Andrew Yu, Dick Taylor and James Lee – the main ministering brothers at the training – all sit on LSM’s board. The only exception is Minoru Chen who does not have a role at LSM (he heads Bibles for America, which solely distributes the Recovery Version of the New Testament, which is published by LSM). It seems that these brothers "wear many hats": most of the co-workers who carry out the training have at least a dual status.
LSM personnel decide the content of the outlines and materials, and LSM publishes the outlines and materials used at each training and conference.
The main co-workers who prepare the content of the training are brothers Ron Kangas and Ed Marks. LSM’s 2004 IRS tax return reveals that these brothers hold positions as Senior Editors and directors at LSM.
Many brothers, including brothers Ron Kangas and Ed Marks, are designated as allocating 40 hours/week to LSM.
It is convenient that the co-workers who decide the content of the materials are also Senior Editors and directors of the company that will publish those materials. This is another example of co-workers/LSM personnel wearing more than one hat.
Books published by LSM (and no other books) are publicly promoted and sold during the trainings and conferences.
The 2005 Summer Training was used to broadcast the One Publication edict making LSM the one publisher in the Lord's recovery.
Invitations to trainings and conferences are sent out on LSM letterhead and signed by "Living Stream Ministry" and the trainings are held at LSM’s facilities in California.
Do these facts show that LSM has "nothing to do with trainings"? LSM appears to invite churches and saints to its own trainings and conferences, and the trainings are held at LSM facilities. The training and conference materials are developed and published by LSM, and other LSM books are promoted and sold during the trainings and conferences. LSM is consistently on record with the U.S. government saying that it conducts these trainings and it derives a substantial portion of its income from these trainings. The majority of co-workers who carry out the trainings and conferences are also directors and officers of LSM. Their participation implies LSM involvement with the trainings.
Is it reasonable to claim that LSM has nothing to do with these trainings and conferences? At the very least, its involvement as a publishing company is impossible to deny. However, even a casual observer would conclude that the line between LSM and the trainings are very blurred, and that it is difficult to determine whether, at any given moment, brother Benson Phillips and company are wearing their "co-worker" hat, their "LSM director" hat or their "LSM officer" hat.