NBCMiami has an analysis of religious organizations that received the most in PPP loans.
The list includes St. Thomas Episcopal and St. Stephen’s Episcopal both in Miami. Neither commented to NBCMiami despite numerous requests.
PPP loans are part of the federal Spring pandemic relief package. They are administered by the Small Business Administration. As long as they are used as intended, the recipient is not required to pay back the loan.
According to the SBA’s data, the Archdiocese of Miami and organizations associated with it got roughly $24,506,262 to help pay more than 2,500 employees at churches, schools, and charities.
We used it just for staying open and paying the salaries of our two part-time employees, Hechtman said.
According to data released by the SBA, Beth Or Temple received around $14,400 in PPP funding. This amount is just a sliver compared to the millions other organizations received.
King Jesus International Ministry Church got $2,027,537 in PPP funds, according to the SBA data. The Miami mega-church hosted an event for President Donald Trump earlier this year.
NBC 6 Responds found King Jesus International Ministry Church is one of at least 185 religious organizations in South Florida that received over $150,000 in PPP loans. At least 26 of those loans were for more than a million dollars.