Dear Friends,

I received a troublesome letter recently which I’d like to share with you. I’d very much like your opinions and so I quote it below:

Dear Zola,

I just received your fund raising letter today. I do enjoy your program when I can see Lt. However, the time slot is not the best for me. We’re usually just getting home from church services and are tied up getting the children ready for bed.

I believe your ministry is worthwhile yet we don’t support it financially. Why? After we’ve paid our tithes, given to help support our mission board, paid our pledge to the rebuilding fund at church, paid our pledge to CBN and our favorite Christian radio program and occasional gifts to special ministries at our church, there’s not much left to go around. We’re not wealthy, and a paycheck only goes so far.

I suspect a great many of your viewers are in the same boat as we are. While we find your show interesting and enjoy watching it, we’re so financially committed to other things that there’s little left. In our view, the local church that ministers to us deserves the bulk of our giving. Then comes our other committments, and unfortunately, your show is low on our priority list.

You seemed to imply in your last letter that to watch your program without donating to your ministry is freeloading. I’m not sure if that’s the message you wanted to get across but that’s how I understood Lt. I would not continue to watch it if I felt that you begrudged me the privilege of viewing it without paying. In fact, I’m not sure that I’ll watch it again because I’ll feel guilty—like I’m stealing instead of receiving from a freely offered ministry.

I truly believe God meets all of our needs. He has in my life. But, when I have a need I take it to Him alone. I don’t have to tell anybody, and yet God always meets my need. I don’t need to look to man for the fulfillment of my needs—I look to the Source. I suggest you get your eyes off man and look to Jesus to meet the financial needs of ZOLA LEVITT LIVE.

In Christ,

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” —Phil. 4:19–20.

I’d like to deal with the above, point by point because, just as the writer says, perhaps a great many of you are in the same “boat.” And if enough of us get in that boat it’s going to sink.

First of all, I don’t write “fund-raising letters.” If that were my intention I would hire an agency which does just that, like many of the other programs. My letters are meant to be personal and to reflect my feelings for what they’re worth. If I ask for money it’s because we need it—gobs of it—to continue our program. My letters to you are missionary reports, not junk mail.

Now the writer I just quoted is a solid Christian giver with a big heart and a limited income. She finds our program interesting and enjoyable but places it “low on our priority list.” Therefore, for her it is worth watching but not worth supporting.

I did not mean to “imply” that watching without donating is freeloading—I meant to say it loud and clear. “Freeloading” is a hard word, but let’s face it, we must earn what we partake of in this world.

The Gospel allows for certain people to receive without giving and we keep to those principles. We never ask for money from the poor, the elderly, widows, prisoners and the like. We are honored to serve those for whom our Lord felt so much compassion. But for all others let me say something very obvious—there it no free television.

You pay for secular television by purchasing the products it hawks. You pay for educational TV by direct donations, and you pay for Christian television with Christian giving. If you are not paying, someone else is simply paying your share.

Let me inform you of just what it would take in cash if each and every viewer would pay his proper share for each program. IT WOULD TAKE 10¢ PER MONTH.

That figure is exact, if not overstated. It would actually afford us a little extra for such sudden shocks as CBN air time charges. But the figure it based on everyone.

In reality, however, some people send other peoples’ dimes. An anonymous giver sent us $10,000 several weeks ago. That’s enough for 100,000 of, you to enjoy a month of our program for free. But I wish each of you would send your dime each month and maybe a few more dimes with it to make up for those less fortunate than you.

Now, on our writer’s final point—that God meets all of our needs—I’m in complete agreement. I’ve read the verse she supplied. But how does God meet our needs? Does He come down with the money Himself or does He send His elect?

I have a feeling that it was God who inspired the writer’s thought provoking letter. I think she felt some discomfort over receiving without giving.

ZOLA LEVITT LIVE is a freely offered ministry. If those who deliver it to your living room—producers, directors, cameramen, make-up artists, researchers, video tape and board personnel, distributors, broadcasters, satellite operators, etc., etc.,—would not want money to do so, then obviously we wouldn’t ask you for anything. We actually use very little of your donations for ourselves. You might take comfort in the fact that you are giving a great many Christian people work to do—the world’s best kind of work.

There’s little else that I can say. You are educated American people and you know the truth of all I’ve said. Each person should certainly give as God leads them and we begrudge our programs to no one. But if we can’t pay for them we can’t continue them and that’s all there is to that. The long time of reruns was necessary for lack of funds. We hope to never face a time when we can’t even send you a rerun.

Think it over and let me hear from you. I’m listening as always.

Your messenger,