' s ▁disc ount ▁and ▁keep ▁the ▁money ▁from ▁sales , ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁publish er ▁pays ▁the ▁church ▁to ▁produce ▁market ing ▁materials ▁to ▁promote ▁F urt ick ' s ▁books . ▁E lev ation ▁has ▁confirmed ▁that ▁F urt ick ' s ▁sal ary ▁is ▁set ▁by ▁a ▁Board ▁of ▁O verse ers ▁composed ▁of ▁other ▁meg ach urch ▁past ors , ▁who ▁vote ▁on ▁his ▁sal ary ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁compens ation ▁study ▁conducted ▁by ▁an ▁outside ▁firm , ▁and ▁that ▁F urt ick ▁does ▁not ▁vote ▁on ▁his ▁own ▁sal ary . ▁In ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁news ▁report , ▁before ▁his ▁ser mon ▁on ▁the ▁week end ▁of ▁October ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁F urt ick ▁addressed ▁the ▁con greg ation ▁directly , ▁saying ▁he ▁was ▁sorry ▁if ▁the ▁house ▁and ▁surrounding ▁questions ▁caused ▁them ▁to ▁have ▁difficult ▁convers ations ▁with ▁co - work ers , ▁friends ▁and ▁neighb ors . ▁However , ▁he ▁def ended ▁the ▁building ▁of ▁the ▁house , ▁calling ▁it ▁" a ▁gift ▁from ▁God ". ▁ ▁E lev ation ▁Church ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁critic ized ▁over ▁its ▁practice ▁of ▁selecting ▁volunte ers ▁who ▁wish ▁to ▁be ▁bapt ized ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁during ▁so - called ▁" sp ont aneous ▁bapt ism " ▁services . ▁During ▁these ▁services , ▁which ▁usually ▁take ▁place ▁during ▁normally ▁scheduled ▁week end ▁services , ▁the ▁volunte ers ▁are ▁asked ▁to ▁sit ▁in ▁prominent ▁areas ▁and ▁instruct ed ▁to ▁respond ▁immediately ▁to ▁F urt