Open Letter to Destiny Herbers and Flatwater Free Press 

Pastors Hank and Brenda Kunneman would like to share an official response letter for members, donors, and followers of the ministry to have access to read, in response to a press article that was recently published by Destiny Herbers and Flatwater Free Press. 

You may view the letter below or Click the button below to view and download the letter. 

Dear Ms. Herbers,

This is in response to the article printed in your paper, Flatwater Free Press, on March 7, 2025, regarding Lord of Hosts Church, the church I founded and have pastored for the past 28 years.  I am an Omaha native and this community has been my home and life passion.

My letter’s purpose is to inquire why you did not report on all the good this church has done for the community.  You indeed reached out to us for comment, but your stated reasons for contacting us were not the highlighted focus of your article.  Had you truly wanted an honest commentary on your questions, you wouldn’t have boldly moved forward with comments that were not only exaggerated but also classless.  This was nothing more than a political hit piece.  Your article seems as if meant to depict me and the ministry as folly.  You and your reporters attended events and services like undercover spies, taking photos without permission, and approaching church members uninvited. 

Your article painted the ministry as cultic and politically biased, yet the article itself was biased in that it deliberately left out the countless ways this ministry has blessed and revitalized the community.  You wouldn’t have had to look too hard to obtain the facts to see this.  It’s very clear you had time to research the ministry’s growth and recent building project but could not take the time to research its reputable history, humanitarian efforts, family ministries, or the help it has provided to so many.

Since you failed to research all the information about the ministry I would like to provide it:  Lord of Hosts Church was the founding church that helped launch Heartland Hope Mission (formerly known as Mission for All Nations) in 1999, which today feeds over 81,000 families annually with food and clothing needs.  We remain a large supporter of this mission today.  We have helped families in need along with our local schools through backpack drives and school supply drives.  We have helped financially support other churches around the metro with their building projects and programs.  We have been active in partnering with other organizations on the tornado and disaster relief efforts in our area and helped with similar disaster relief efforts across the country.  Our church has also been a supporter of our first responders in our community.

While you mention that the church purchased considerable real estate in the past few years, once again it seems this was done to paint the ministry in a negative light.  The buildings we purchased were in decline and in some cases ill repair.  Each was already going to be sold by their previous owners, some of which were largely vacant.  Our intention was not only to gain much-needed space for ministr to also help revitalize the dilapidated plaza where the ministry has been located since 1997.  In the nearly 30 years of being here, we have been unable to see any property owner or investor take on this important need and we took up the task. It’s disappointing that you could not see how Omaha has benefited from this.

Sadly, the article did not highlight how the church helped beautify Millard in an area that was largely in decline.  The church also incurred the cost of replacing parking and roads surrounding the Millard Plaza to not just benefit the church, but benefit all the tenants and businesses in the area and to make the parking areas safer for both drivers and pedestrians. 

With these property purchases we obtained the services of The Lund Company to manage each property to ensure every existing tenant receives the utmost and professional lease management.  

During the pandemic, the church discounted or forgave the rent of several already struggling businesses.  Yet due to the pandemic’s toll on several of these businesses, some were unable to survive.  Also, to help alleviate businesses’ financial burdens, we allowed them out of their leases early.  One such business was the iconic Shirley’s Diner of whom the church forgave their last four months’ rent so they could upgrade to their beautiful new facility.  Blimpie was also another business in our building that we forgave rent as they were going out of business as well.

It is sad that your article did not depict the founding and growth of Lord of Hosts Church as a beautiful success story that highlights our beautiful city.  Incidentally, some of your facts about the properties were also inaccurately stated.

As far as the politically charged nature of your article, that perhaps only underscores your own political bias, it is my obligation as a pastor to address the moral issues facing our country from a biblical worldview.  This should be the privilege and obligation of every Bible-believing pastor to uphold; and yes, I have spoken prophetically for more than 30 years what I believe God has been saying about different issues as well as political figures, which incidentally has included both conservative and democratic presidents and leaders.  I prophesied the election victories of both Presidents Clinton and Obama, but unfortunately you didn’t take that into account as it appears the intention was only to malign this ministry as a Trump-biased operation.  What I have prophesied over 3 decades has happened and I stand by that. 

I also find your emphasis on the financial growth of the ministry distasteful as it has been supported by hardworking Christians, Americans, and people worldwide whose donations were meaningful earmarks in their lives.  They donated because this ministry was there for them online during the harshness of the pandemic, offering them hope while churches were mandated to be closed.  Your discredit of the ministry is a discredit to these individuals as well as the challenges they faced.

Notably, Lord of Hosts Church conducts an independent audit of its financial practices annually and has been shown to have impeccable standards.  To paint the ministry as some misused television evangelism racket and then use financial information to slant viewers toward your views is again an example of egregious misrepresentation of journalism.

Lastly, you mentioned attending a special event at the church, but then inaccurately compared it to a rock concert while painting attendees as political extremists. However, all the beautiful moments of worship, the thousands who received prayer and ministry, as well as helpful resources was conveniently omitted.  Perhaps it’s news to you that Christians actually believe that they also deserve a place at the table in the conversations that affect future generations and the cultural landscape.  Again, your report was unprofessional and offensive.

It is requested that you retract your biased hit piece and consider writing a positive article about our church that takes into account its three decades of life-changing ministry and benefit to Omaha, Nebraska, and the world.  In honor to God and all the wonderful people whose hard work and generosity has been the building block of Lord of Hosts Church, I will make our audience aware of your offensive article and will be reading this letter to our church congregation both here and around the world.

Sincerely,

Pastor Hank Kunneman