Oliver wrote:My point was that, in my opinion, if there are donations given to the BKs either through public programme or voluntarily through an individual own donation, that would not be enough for such a vast expansion.
So where does the money come from or how do they get it?
Obviously, most so called "centers" are just the private homes of the individuals who own and live in them. Many of the so called centers only have a handful, or even just one or two BKs in them. It's always struck me as cheating of the BKs to call them all centers. It is as if the Vatican called the home of every Christian a church.
As moreclearernow alluded, running a temple in India is a business and depends first and foremost about owning, grabbing or getting land from the government. FIrst you build a temple, stick a few deities in it, then you get donations (
over simplified explanation, I agree, but fairly true and fairly true across the whole of Asia).
So the clever businessman, Lekhraj Kirpalani, saw an opening in the market for a network of "home churches". No need to wait to have the money to buy land for a temple where the competition is strong, open up centres in domestic houses. And that is what they have done the world over ... slowly concretising the most successful of them into corporate run businesses. It's has allowed them to expand quickly.
I tend to think the money they will make at a gig like Peace in the Park will hardly cover costs. I would guess it's the same as at a low level pop concert ... the marketing goods are more for raising awareness or PR value than the amount they make from them.
And then what happens, BK Publications is a separate company. The money from its sales goes to it. Who gets it and how is it spent ... how many royalties do they have to pay to which authors and artists? I've heard again that there is some contention in that area as some give for free, some are taken for free but others, their BK VIPs, get paid. Ditto when Lucinda or Bliss sells CDs and Marneta gets bookings, do they pay an agreed donation?
Business or temple?