Paul Irwin had hired a Web consultant with porn ties.
Less than a month after being placed on paid leave, American Bible Society (ABS) president Paul G. Irwin failed to have his annual contract renewed by the organization’s trustees. Irwin had served as president of the Bible society since 2005.
The trouble for Irwin started with a May 18 New York Times story about Richard J. Gordon, an expensive Web consultant whom Irwin had hired. Gordon, the story revealed, had a criminal record and longstanding business ties to pornographers. Gordon had also done credit card processing work for an online gambling enterprise.
Tax records from 2005 to 2007 reveal that the Bible society paid more than $5 million to Gordon’s companies. Several employees have questioned Irwin’s expenditures and decision-making during his tenure at ABS, and the organization’s trustees launched an independent financial investigation in wake of the New York Times report.
Posted by Madison Trammel on June 9, 2008 3:57PM
Comments
If Mr. Irwin misused funds the firing is appropriate. If he hired someone with a criminal record who's worked with porn and etc. and is being fired for that, the firing is inappropriate. We hire people for competency, not for their pasts or other, non-related, business dealings. The criminal record is the least problematic, or at least should be. Christians should be all about second chances, so not using someone because they have a criminal background is clearly unchristian.. On the gambling, would we refuse to use a bank that handles an account for the local casino? As for porn, how many Christians have bought magazines through magazine services that also sell Playboy? If Christians only deal with business people who never do business with anyone doing something of which we do not approve, our business dealings will become pretty limited and the research required before doing business with a new person will become extensive. While we are not "of the world" we are most certainly "in the world."
Posted by: Hubert Edgar at June 10, 2008
Does the ABS have a HUGE web presence? If not, then why do the records ...
"reveal that the Bible society paid more than $5 million to Gordon’s companies."
$5 million worth of web expertise is quite a bit of expertise. Let our firm bid on it, next time.
It may well be that the gambling and porn ties simply alerted the board to check expenditures overall.
Posted by: Marc Schiler at June 10, 2008
Lets hope that mr. Irwin thinks on God still. And is repentive if act really happened. Satanic angels torments and fools. Go sedgewick ,ks area! That is a great place to be. I think! Thank you for your time. Gal 3:2! Psalms 99:9-hill pray.
Posted by: andy christ at June 10, 2008
What is this consultant doing for 5 million. What does a Bible Society need for 5 million.The problem is that this Bible Society is selling itself as a faith providing a Bible. It needs a clean, clean image. Converts from other religions have unholy pressures against them when converting and don't need to have someone throw in their faces anything that indicates criminal activity, or sinful activity to make the new convert forget the Bible they just received. If the person getting the second chance is attending church,fine, and has changed his life, fine, but leave the second chance as personal and don't drag his past behaviour where it can cause more damage to what is giving him the second chance than the damage caused by what he needed the second chance for.
Posted by: Anna at June 11, 2008
May God help the evangelical world, when it does His business by employing worldly, carnal methods to get money (I presume).
Posted by: Scott McCarty at June 11, 2008
Before commenting, you have to know all the details behind why this was done and why the president was NOT fired, but only that his contract was not renewed. The Bible Society has every right not to renew anyone's contract for any reason. It's business. I believe they did the right thing as the ministry deserves a chance to dig themselves out of this hole. May the Lord be with them.
Posted by: Just Me at June 13, 2008
You want the truth? I worked with Paul Irwin and know firsthand of the relationship between him and Richard Gordon. This is no "second chance" story. Gordon pulled this same stunt at the Humane Society of the U.S. and Gordon has defrauded so many people it's ridiculous.
I hope one or both lands in jail. Gordon's sentence on the prior fraud felony was SEVEN years. That's not something to sweep under the rug for Christians or anyone else. He took alot of money from alot of people willfully and intentionally, then tried to run and hide. Most white collar criminals are not recidivists. However, in Gordon's case, it looks like he cdouldn't wait to get out to play his games ahead. If you knew the whole story, you'd wretch.
Posted by: Truth at July 5, 2008
Perhaps CT should treat this story as an investigation. I fear that ABS will quietly try to sweep this under the rug. This episode with Richard Gordon didn't spring up overnight--the current culture of non-governance by the Board of Trustees allowed this to happen. The firm chosen to conduct the forensic audit has already received nearly $2 million in fees from ABS, so one has to ask just how thorough and impartial this audit will be.
Posted by: Consequences at August 5, 2008
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