Legend has it that P.T. Barnum once said, "There is a sucker born every minute."

If that's true, it's possible that Harvey Dockstader Jr. is out to find them all-from prison, and using pastors and "church" leaders to find his marks.

Yogi Berra might call it a case of "déjà vu all over again."

A Christian television ministry in suburban Charlotte, N.C., grows quickly-in just five years-from less than $30 million in annual income to nearly $70 million. The ministry embarks on a $100 million building project. Then come accusations of excess and abuse of donor funds.

This is not a description of Jim and Tammy Bakker's PTL Network, which closed 20 years ago. It describes The Inspiration Networks.

President Obama says he's looking for creative, "outside-the-box" thinking on health care. But the reform plans that have the greatest likelihood of passing put at risk a Christian alternative to insurance that is now being used by more than 100,000 people in the United States.

The elections of Barack Obama as president of the United States and of Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister of Israel are widely seen as defining moments in U.S.-Israeli relations since both took office earlier this year. But defining what? At a minimum, their taking office seems to be defining a new interest in Christian groups working in Israel.

America's defenders often say that no country in the world is more generous toward developing countries than the United States. And that's true: In 2007, the U.S. government poured $21.8 billion in aid into developing countries.

But that's only half the story. As a matter of fact, that's much less than half the story.

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.