Brian Kluth did not intend to write a best-selling book or build a ministry empire. In fact, his life work is all about combating the materialism that often produces a "bigger is better" mentality. "I want to help lead a generosity movement around the world," he says. "I hope to counter the secular materialism of our day, on the one hand, and to counter the prosperity gospel on the other."

The largest Christian ministry in the world-Food For The Poor-takes in about $1 billion a year. The 500 largest Christian ministries in the world-according to MinistryWatch.com-take in a combined total of about $15 billion.

The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) ended a nationwide search for a new leader by picking long-time staffer Dan Busby as its new president in March. Busby had served as interim president for the previous 11 months and has been vice president and senior vice president since 1998.

Shakespeare warned us to "beware the Ides of March." Technically, that's March 15, but in the nonprofit world this year, the week surrounding that date was as ominous and promising as it was in Caesar's day.

Events began to unfold on March 10, when Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, finally broke his silence on what he is thinking about new regulations with a speech to a forum of nonprofit executives. While not specific about his plans for legislative reform, he made it clear reforms are coming.

It has all the elements 
of a Shakespearean drama: power, money, religion, and sex. But is it The Tempest, or Much Ado About Nothing?

The answer to that question depends upon whom you ask.

At the center of the controversy is Angel Food Ministries. Founded in 1994, the Monroe, Ga., organization feeds poor families. But even though it calls itself a ministry, part of the controversy is whether it is really a very profitable business.

Microcredit is not a new idea. The practice of making small loans for entrepreneurial activities has been around at least since the 19th century. But the idea has taken off in recent years. In 1983, Bangladesh's Grameen Bank was founded explicitly to make microloans. The success of the bank spawned literally thousands of imitators and earned Grameen and its founder, Vanderbilt-educated Muhammad Yunus, the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize.

Financial advisors are in the business of helping their clients make money. When they are successful, they stand to make a lot of money themselves.

And by almost any measure financial advisor Tim Mohns was successful. His practice was growing rapidly, his clients were making money, and two years ago the then 39-year-old was making more than a quarter of a million dollars a year.