The California Collection/TheCaliforniaCollection.cdr/his125/dobson.lzh/DOBSON.TXT

Text File | 1991-09-14 | 12KB | 203 lines

PER:Dr. James Dobson speaks about giving and crooks in the ministry

   This is a letter received from Dr. James C. Dobson, Ph.D President
of Focus on the Family P.O. Box 500, Arcadia, Ca 91006

   April 1987

   Dear Friend,

   I'm sure many of you share my concern and dismay over the recent
developments which have rocked the Christian community and threatened
its credibility. Not in my lifetime do I remember such revelation and
conflict as have occurred in the last few weeks, and the worst may be
yet to come. Two stories, especially, have caught the press, and even
moved the Iran-contra affair off the front page.

   First, Oral Roberts announced to his supporters that God planned to
"take [him] home" if he didn't raise $8 million by March 31. Many of us
flinched, wondering what kind of a God would kill a loyal servant for
the failure or disobedience of his television viewers. Please
understand that my purpose here is not to criticize Oral Roberts, but
rather to express concern over the way the event is being PERCEIVED by
the non-Christian public. Believe me, I have evidence of their scorn.

   Shirley and I received a letter a few weeks ago from a woman who was
very upset by the Roberts controversy. She sent me a news clipping of
the story and then vented her wrath on us. We were blamed for holding a
"tin cup" out to the public and living off the contributions of
exploited people. The letter was painful to read, even though Shirley
and I have never taken a dime of salary from Focus on the Family in its
ten-year history. That is but one example of how disillusionment
generalizes from one person or one ministry to another.

   On the heels of the Roberts episode came the shocking admission of
an adulterous affair by PTL Club President Jim Bakker and possible
extortion payments to keep it quiet. Jim and Tammy Bakker resigned in a
swirl of controversy, and Jimmy Swaggart entered the fray by bringing
additional charges. Then came the news media--Ted Koppel, Larry King,
Dan Rather, Peter Jennings, and Tom Brokaw. Johnny Carson aimed his
monologue at the Bakkers and a reporter observed, tongue in cheek, that
we had lived through Watergate, Irangate, and now Pearlygate.

   Our hearts are grieved by these tragic developments. Not only do we
regret what the Bakkers and the Swaggarts are experiencing personally,
but we are especially concerned for the multitudes of people around the
world whose faith may have been weakened by these revelations. In their
eyes, another Christian leader has fallen. A proclaimer of the Word has
shown himself to be flawed like everyone else. And now, clergymen are
hurling public accusations back and forth and threatening to sue one
another. I can almost hear the disillusioned believers asking
themselves, "Is this Christian way of life really valid? Is anyone
living up to its standard? Or is it all a cruel hoax?"

   If you have asked those questions in the past few weeks, or if you
have been hurt or rejected by an uncaring pastor or hypercritical
church, I would like the privilege of expressing some thoughts that
might be helpful. First, what is so new about Christian leaders who
fall victim to the ravages of sin? Didn't the majority of the great
patriarchs of the Old Testament prove to be just as fallible? Adam and
Aaron and Samson and Saul and Solomon revealed their weaknesses. David
himself, being uniquely ordained and loved by God, killed Uriah so he
could conceal his infidelity with Uriah's wife. As for hypocrisy in the
New Testament church, Ananias and Saphira blatantly lied to their
fellowship about money and paid the penalty of death for their folly.
Certainly, sin is not a new phenomenon in the church, nor should it
weaken our faith when it occurs. After all, our confidence is not in
men or women, but in the Holy One of Israel who is the only All-Wise
and Perfect God. Only He is worthy of our trust.

   I am reminded of the Pharisee who asked Jesus a question, calling
Him "Good Master." Before responding, Jesus commented on the way He was
addressed, "Why do you call me good? There is none good but God." By
this admonition, Jesus was telling us not to put our eyes on our
fellowman--even those who have been exalted in positions of respect.
This is not to say that we should disregard the authority of godly
leaders, but rather that our faith should not depend on the goodness of
professing Christians. To lean too heavily on another person,
regardless of how committed he or she seems, is to set ourselves up for
disappointment. I have witnessed that disillusionment occur time after
time.

   Let me say with strong conviction that the truth of the Gospel does
not rise or fall with human experience. The message of Scripture would
still be valid if every person on the face of the earth abandoned its
ideals. In Noah's day, only one family out of millions remained devout
and obedient. Lot was equally outnumbered in the cities of Sodom and
Gomorrah. Yet the eternal Word of God has continued unaltered down to
this moment, and it will persevere even when the world is history.

   Speaking personally, now, I have thought about these issues for many
years. In fact, my greatest fear has been that I would do something to
hurt the cause of Christ. Some of you have heard me share an experience
that occurred in 1976 in which the Lord spoke very clearly to me. I was
a featured speaker at the Christian Booksellers Convention in Atlantic
City, New Jersey, and arrived a day or two early to capture the spirit
of the event. I'll never forget walking down the aisles where new
materials were being displayed and seeing my picture and my books
prominently arranged in various places. At a precise moment in time, I
seemed to hear the inaudible voice of God speaking directly to me. This
is what He said as expressed in my own words: "Jim, look around you. I
have chosen for reasons that you don't understand to make you visible
and influential with my people. And in that sense, I am preparing to
make the work of my Kingdom vulnerable to you. That's why I'm telling
you now to be careful. Think before you act. Hold a tighter reign on
your tongue and on your thought life than ever before. When your
natural impulse is to become angry or vindictive, resist the temptation
as much as possible. And keep your life free of willful and deliberate
sin. You will soon be in a position to hurt my people. See that it
doesn't happen!"

   How I pray that I will remain faithful to that charge! I would
rather have never been born than to cause others to reject the plan of
salvation and the Christ who gave His life for them. More than any
other purpose in living, I am determined to fight a good fight, finish
the course, and keep the faith. Nevertheless, I ask you to pray that
the Lord will help me fulfill that calling. I, too, am riddled with
imperfection and could fall victim to Satan's temptations. I do not
believe I am vulnerable to the sin of infidelity, because my needs for
love and companionship are met so beautifully by Shirley. But there are
other dangers, perhaps emanating from weaknesses of which I am not even
aware. What I'm trying to say is this: Don't put your trust in me,
either! I will do my best not to disappoint you, and my only desire is
to serve you and your family. But remember that there is none good but
God. Keep your eyes on Him, only.

   Here is one final thought that I must express while I am reflecting
on these critical issues. I have tried to say that EVERY man and woman
is vulnerable to sin at some point. When the conditions are right, each
of us is capable of bringing embarrassment and reproach to the cause of
Christ. "Satan is like a roaring lion, seeking whom he might devour" (I
Peter 5:8). This satanic pressure and our human vulnerability to it
poses a vitally important question to Christian leaders: How can we
protect the reputation of the Gospel in such insecure hands?!

   I can't describe how strongly I feel about this question and what I
believe to be its only answer: WE MUST NOT LEAVE THE REPUTATION OF THE
KINGDOM IN THE HANDS OF ANYONE WHO LACKS STRICT ACCOUNTABILITY TO
ASSOCIATES WHO CAN HELP KEEP HIM ON THE PATH. In the highly visible and
often criticized arena of finances, for example, a Christian
organization was formed in 1979 to administer that kind of oversight.
It is called the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability
(ECFA), and was established to provide strict guidelines and
requirements for ministries that join voluntarily. Among other things,
to belong to ECFA it is necessary to (1) have a functioning board of
directors that is independent of staff and family; (2) conduct an
annual audit of books by certified public accountants; (3) provide a
full disclosure of all financial details to anyone who requests it; and
(4) remain within tight guidelines in fund-raising efforts. ECFA is a
wonderful idea, providing accountability and stability where there
could otherwise be enormous money and power held privately by mere
mortals.

   I am pleased to say that Focus on the Family has been a member in go
standing of ECFA for years. We are grateful for the accountability that
we feel to it and to our strong and independent board of directors.
Several times per year, these men and women who serve on our Board ask
me to account for every dollar contributed to Focus. Furthermore, a
board audit committee monitors expenditures of funds month by month.
These men and women also have the courage to confront me if they feel I
am drifting one way or another. I have asked them to provide this
oversight responsibility and they consider it their Christian duty to
perform it.

   I am pleased to say that many Christian ministries have taken
similar steps to protect themselves against wrongdoing. ECFA now has
341 members; unfortunately, many large ministries do not belong,
including those involved in the present conflict. I'm not sure why that
is true. I believe that any ministry which chooses to remain autonomous
is making a serious mistake even if the highest integrity has prevailed
to this moment. EVERYONE needs to report to SOMEONE. The dangers of
power are simply too great to be held in independent hands. It is at
least possible that the recent embarrassing events would not have
occurred if the proper accountability had been maintained. I pray that
this painful experience will produce a greater appreciation for
independent boards of directors and accountability to the Christian
community at large. It is long overdue.

   These are my thoughts for this month. I would welcome yours in
return. Our highest accountability here at Focus on the Family is to
God and then to YOU, our loyal friends and supporters. We listen when
you talk. We respond when you are displeased. Even the lady who sent
the "tin cup" letter received a courteous reply. Her opinion was
important for us to hear. We consider your trust to be our most
priceless gift from the Lord, and I pledge to you that I will never
DELIBERATELY betray the cause of Christ.

   Pray for us, won't you? And if you choose to continue supporting the
work of this ministry, that would be deeply appreciated. April is one
of the months when we have experienced deficits in the past, perhaps
because of federal and state taxes. But with your help, we will
continue and pursue the exciting projects and ministries God has laid
before us.

   Pray  also for Jim and Tammy Bakker,  Jimmy Swaggart,   Oral
Roberts,   Jerry Falwell and all leaders of  Christian  movements
today.   We may APPEAR to have no needs,  but we are made of the same
imperfect stuff as the rest of humanity.  Only the Lord can keep up
from falling.

   Sincerely,

   James C. Dobson, Ph.D President