Letter to a Big Name Preacher

Dear Big Name TV and Radio Preacher,

       I appreciate so much your concern about my personal faith, giving habits and tithing customs. I have noticed that you don’t live by the same concept. When I get a letter from you it does not contain a check or an offering of any kind. I feel that this is something we need to work on. Your attitude and approach should be open to change. When you claim that the Lord will surely bring an increase to me and even double the amount that I send to you, why wouldn’t that same recipe work in reverse? Please understand that the cost of operating and underwriting a family these days has gone up. In June when we reach our midway point we will also have to possibly drop stations and programming. Yours may have to be the very first to go along with the abundance of your often duplicated mail that I have had to generously donate to the paper recycling industry. If you want to keep the cost of postage and handling down and remain sensitive to the nature of manipulating God’s people, please become the kind of steward of the Kingdom that you expect from us. You see, the amount of gospel junk mail has increased substantially, but the spiritual or financial growth from or because of your input and personal concern stays at a less than modest level.

       Would you please see to the correct spelling of my name in future correspondence? My name is not Ann Tuckinmoney. In your form letters you often end with something like,” When you write us, be sure to ask for the free offer Ann Tuckinmoney.” The Lord owns the cattle on a thousand hills and it’s very unlikely that He approves of His servants begging like a bunch of drunken panhandlers. The Lord knows about your ethics and fundraising tactics and if the Lord sees fit to allow you to stay on the air, it will be because He will fund it out of His vast supply. He is capable of keeping track of and supporting those who are honestly representing Him. The Lord works in mysterious ways. It just might be that you too should get a real job like the Apostle Paul and let the Lord continue to work in mysterious ways without the benefit of your influence. I will close this most verbally generous letter with a blessing for you and your future endeavors. May you receive exactly what you deserve and it is my earnest prayer and desire to see you in eternity so I can tell you in person what I really think.

                                             Sincerely in Christ, T. LaVigne

                                             September 24, 1999