April 17, 2013
To Whom It May Concern,
My name is Steven Wedel. I first became acquainted with Tony and Susan Alamo through the Tony and Susan Alamo Christian Foundation in California, in 197l. This was forty-two years ago. I was a druggie at that time, and would probably be dead and in Hell now if it had not been for the dedication of Pastors Tony and Susan Alamo. The faithfulness they showed for Christians by teaching the converts they had won to Christ the Word of God, and instructing them to be witnesses for Christ by preaching the gospel to others, is the only reason I heard the gospel then and am a Christian today. I had no intentions of becoming a Christian until I met the Christians from this church on the streets of Hollywood, California, preaching the gospel. It was through them that I accepted Christ as my Savior and was saved.
When I started working with the Tony & Susan Alamo Christian Foundation in 1971, we had no money. We all pitched in together, and I worked as well as going out on to the streets of Los Angeles and Hollywood to pass out gospel tracts and spread the gospel. We pooled all the monies that we made into purchasing properties in the area, and fixing them up to use for housing, not only for us, but for the new converts that wanted to move in to the ministry and learn the gospel also. We lived from hand to mouth. Everybody worked together for the good of all.
Everybody shared then and still shares the same vision today of working together as hard as possible to get the gospel message out to as many people in this country and the rest of the world before the second coming of Christ, which will be very soon.
Tony and Susan Alamo never considered any of the properties purchased then to be their personal assets, nor does Tony consider that any of the church properties that we own today are his; they all are for the good of the people in the church.
When I moved out to the Arkansas church in 1977, there was a lot of building going on. We had purchased a plot of land on the top of Georgia Ridge, where the brothers and sisters all worked together to build dormitories and apartments for the families; a swimming pool for recreation; a barn for horses; and a cafeteria for everyone to eat in, as well as many other things. We did almost all the work ourselves to save money, and the result was a beautiful housing project that we all were proud of. Tony and Sue didn't live in all of these houses and apartments, we did, and there was room in the apartments and dormitories for others that wanted to work with the ministry to move into.
I drove dump trucks and cement mixer trucks back then, helping in the construction when all of this building was in progress. It saw the properties that God had blessed us with transformed from just pastures and woodlands into beautiful housing developments that were the envy of many. I saw the construction of the beautiful church built in Dyer, Arkansas, and the building and fixing-up of the businesses we had in Alma and the surrounding areas. Everybody worked together to the best of their abilities to establish these things so that we could be able to afford to put as much money as we could into the ministry and the spreading of the gospel. Most churches don't operate this way and it seems that many denominational church members in churches around the world today don't share in this enthusiastic gospel vision, but they should. God says that whatever we do, we should do it with all of our might, as unto the Lord, and not unto man. All will be judged by God for their works, whether they be good or evil. This is what the Bible teaches.
Again, I have been active in this ministry for forty-two years now. I have never seen Tony or Susan Alamo greedy for anything but the advancement of the gospel. They have taught all of us that everyone is our neighbor and should be looked after the same way we would want to be treated. The properties used by church members and associates are for the good of all of us, our families, our children, and the ministry. I have seen nothing but good done for people by Tony and this church. Pastor Tony has had the church buy food and clothing, even pay rent sometimes for others in trouble. The church has provided gifts and clothing (and still provides) to many, many families at Christmas and Birthday times, for parents and their children that would otherwise be without. It has provided food and clothing (and still provides) by the trailer truck loads to other church organizations and missions to distribute to needy families in their own areas. It has provided fresh water tanks and kept them filled in refugee camps in Africa, where families of many poor refugees had nothing of this sort and has also provided food and clothing for them. It has sent Bibles and gospel materials to thousands of people around the world at no charge in order to give as much Christian help to those in need. It has sponsored radio programs around the world for millions of others to listen to and hear the gospel in these late hours that we are living in, and it has provided hope and spiritual help to many, many people through the 24 hour counseling and prayer line we keep open always. Many, many people’s lives have been turned around through the dedication of Tony and people in this church, and this list could go on and on with things such as hospital and medical help to others in need, and we could just keep going.
You want to falsely accuse Pastor Tony of gaining from the properties and things the church owns. Get real!! He has been maligned and been lied about more than anybody in the world today that I know of. He doesn’t gain anything from the things people in the church own and maintain. His mission is to spread the gospel and to see souls saved, period. The end. You want to bring accusations against real Christians laboring in the ministry tirelessly. What are you doing to keep the commandments of God? What are you doing to help others? Do you think you are exempt from the judgment of God? You may think so, but believe me when I tell you there is no one that will be exempt from that great day. Why don't you repent and believe the gospel while it is still possible? Christ would rather see you saved than to end up in Hell.
Very sincerely yours,
Steven Wedel