▁local ▁L GB T ▁media . ▁ ▁Cont ro vers ies ▁ ▁E lev ation ▁Church — and , ▁in ▁particular , ▁senior ▁past or ▁Steven ▁F urt ick — have ▁caused ▁controvers y ▁over ▁the ▁church ' s ▁lack ▁of ▁financial ▁trans par ency , ▁F urt ick ' s ▁personal ▁wealth , ▁and ▁question able ▁practices ▁by ▁the ▁church . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁F urt ick ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁built ▁a ▁large ▁house ▁( 8 , 4 0 0 ▁sq . ▁ft , ▁he ated , ▁ 1 6 , 0 0 0 ▁sq . ▁ft ▁total ) ▁on ▁ 1 9 ▁acres ▁of ▁land ▁in ▁W ax h aw , ▁NC , ▁a ▁sub urb ▁of ▁Charlotte . ▁The ▁house ▁and ▁land ▁are ▁val ued ▁at ▁just ▁under ▁$ 1 . 8 ▁million . ▁F urt ick ▁has ▁stated ▁that ▁his ▁home ▁was ▁paid ▁for ▁with ▁money ▁from ▁his ▁book ▁sales ▁and ▁publish er ▁adv ances , ▁rather ▁than ▁his ▁sal ary ▁from ▁E lev ation ▁Church . ▁The ▁church ▁has ▁refused ▁to ▁answer ▁questions ▁about ▁F urt ick ' s ▁sal ary , ▁his ▁tax - free ▁housing ▁allow ance , ▁how ▁much ▁he ▁makes ▁from ▁books ▁and ▁speaking ▁fe es , ▁with ▁E lev ation ▁only ▁saying ▁that ▁F urt ick ▁is ▁gener ous ▁to ▁the ▁church ▁with ▁the ▁money ▁he ▁receives ▁from ▁writing ▁books , ▁arr anges ▁for ▁the ▁church ▁to ▁purchase ▁his ▁books ▁directly ▁from ▁the ▁publish er ▁at ▁the ▁author