Where did Jim get his money?

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[thoughtful_thinker]

I am rather amazed to have found this thread (blog, site) on Jim McCotter and the movement which he lead for so many years. I had done a search on Jim a couple of years ago and found some very surprising trivia about him scattered throughout the net. I did the same thing this morning (on a lark?) and found a wikipedia article. That lead me here.



I was involved in the East Lansing church (my commitment and intensity varied) for about 3 years in the late 1970s. I was there when the church began and frequently sat in with the leadership (the church was so young that it had just two elders and a number of ‘older brothers’) during those first few months. I had the opportunity to hear McCotter (and others) speak on several occasions. I still possess tapes of McCotter’s teachings on God Will For Your Life (which is really the foundation for this movement)and on Philippians. I also have a smattering of teachings on tape by Bovenmyer, Short, and Clark



Though I take exception with the view that this movement (regardless of name) was a cult or cult-like, I do recollect a very turbulent time within this group - a life that was lonely, isolated, and very dogmatically controlled.



I would welcome the opportunity to share honestly and open with most anyone. I refrain from doing so here because I am not sure of the interest.



There is one question that I have wondered about over the past years since I first began what was at the time a whimsical search. And that question is this: Where did Jim McCotter get the money to start and buy the businesses in which he is now involved? I have established that he owns a small jet company and several resorts in the western part of the country, as well as having once owned a radio staion in Florida and a newspaper in New Zealand.



Thinking back, I have a faint (perhaps wrong) memory that his wife ‘came from money’. Otherwise, it seems to me that he must have come into a windfall of money.



Any insights would be appreciated.



michigangoodguy@yahoo.com



I heard Jim once say that it was not wrong to earn a million dollars, but it is wrong to keep it.

[Genevieve]

thoughtful_thinker,
We’re definitely interested in your experiences! I’ve also heard that he came from money but don’t know if that’s true.

What did McCotter say about God’s will for our lives? It definitely might help us make sense of the movement. There’s something about the movement and perhaps Jim that’s so enthralling. Thanks for posting here.

[newcreature]

I recall hearing about a wealthy Italian couple named Ripamonti who helped finance him.

[lone gone]

Roland Ripamonti did help him to some extrent, the Ripamonti family had a business manufacturing eyeglasses.


The latest information I was able to find showed that shortly after Jim McCotter's Father-in-Law died and Jim's wife came into her inheritance, that is about the time Jim left the Movement to pursue business interests. 

[BTDT]

He definitely seemed to have a decent amount of money before he left GC.  I was at his house in Md. a couple of times, and was "around" enough to see who he hung out with (including the Ripamontis).  He was definitely not "church pastor poor"...but then again, the Clarks and others had nice houses out in the country, so who knows for sure. 

To be honest, the money doesn't interest me nearly as much as his track record in New Zealand, the western resort, and Maverick Air.  One knows the tree by its fruit.

I don't get around this forum all that much these days, but I'm definitely willing to participate in some open and honest discussions.
-B-