August 01, 1982 by Ralph D. Winter

Dear Dr. Winter,

I am a supporter of USCWM and believe in everything you are doing. It is a joy to read in your newsletters how God is providing for you. Even though that large debt is still there, you have made such progress.

But I want to let you know that as an outsider your fundraising has to my mind lost its earlier simplicity. I understand the concept of a one-time contribution of $15.95 and I sent mine in, received the materials, and enjoyed reading them. In fact, I sent in another $15.00 requesting additional books so I could give them out, but I never received these. But the point is that I seldom see anything in your newsletters about the $15.95 concept, which I had thought was great. It is hard for me to understand what has happened, but it seems the original approach has been replaced by Frontier Fellowship. I suspect this isn't true, but please understand that I am confused, and if I am, I think many others must be too.

Unless you have other reasons for not doing it, I suggest you go back to the original game plan and keep it simple till the land is paid for.

With best wishes in the Lord,

Michael Dowling

Dear Michael,

You just may represent thousands of people! But we are not trying to confuse you - or them.

However, most of your facts are correct:

1. We are relying now more and more on $15.00 amounts from the "first fruits" of people taking up the Frontier Fellowship, praying, reading, giving coins daily.
2. We have pretty much failed lately to keep urging new people to send in a "one-time $15.00" gift for the property. But we're still for that. NEvertheless, you will note that we continue to rely solely on $15.00 one-time amounts, as before. The difference is that now those amounts will be, we hope, coming to us indirectly from new Frontier Prayer Partners. THeir first few coins will come (through their churches or agencies) to us, then all further coins will stay with the agency with which they are familiar. Note that it is much more difficult to get people to pray every day than it is to ask for merely $15.00. But it is also much more crucial to do so. Don't you think so?

Also, wouldn't you yourself feel more excited to enlist your friends for on-going prayer and reading and giving than for merely a one-time gift? You can do either one, of course. Both will help us pay for our property!