The Tar Heel Monday, August 24, 198733
14 a Ihioly mess : : ' '
Local ministers deplore the saga of Jim and Tammy Bakker
By ALECIA HOLLAND
Staff Writer
The problems of Jim and
Tammy Bakker and the battle over
the PTL Club have had a negative
impact on the image of televan
gelism. According to local mini
sters, the controversy has wea
kened the credibility of
televangelists but it may benefit
local churches.
Tm not just amazed, I'm
abhorrent!" said Manuel Wort
man, the United Methodist Cam
pus Minister, when asked about
the Bakker Falwell televangelist
controversy. "Those of us in the
mainstream are amazed at the
amount of money that televange
lists bring in and expend on
salaries and houses. Most of us
have found that they are doing just
what they have now been proved
to have been doing. If we haven't
said 'see, I told you so' already,
we have felt that."
Robert Seymour, the minister
of Olin T. Binkley, said, "I haven't
had any confidence in this kind
of ministry (televangelism) for a
long time. It is already damaging
to the televangelist movement, but
people have short memories and
in a few years it will be ancient
history."
James O. Abrahamson, the
pastor of the Chapel Hill Bible
Church, said, "It is better that this
controversy, as ugly and embar
rassing as it has been, be exposed
now than continue. Many people
have suspected what is going on
for a long time."
Pastor Evans of the United
Christian Fellowship of Chapel
Hill said he was surprised that
people have been so alarmed that
an evangelist could make a mis
take. "It is a shame that this
controversy has been dealt with
publicly and not privately by the
church."
Both Evans and Abrahamson's
ministries are evangelical, but
neither is directly related to the
televangelist movement Neither
Seymour's nor Wortman's minis
try is associated with the evangelist
movement.
Abrahamson, Seymour and
Wortman believe that televange
lism's lack of credibility may
benefit local and community
churches. Wortman believes
this will not affect most main
stream churches because most of
their finances come from local
church members. However, this
could go in favor of local churches
because there is public accounta
bility of funds, or accountability
to those who contribute, he said.
"Prosperity Christianity is not
what I consider Christianity to be.
In my way of thinking, televan
gelism is not the way the church
should be. Televangelism is a form
of religious entertainment it's
like Johnny Carson with a reli
gious host. The church as I under
stand it is a community of faith,
with a focus on people being
present as people," Wortman said.
"My fear is that so many of the
contributors are the poor, the
emotionally unstable and the
elderly, who, for whatever reason,
send money without adequately
informed judgments," Wortman
said. "There are some people who
are ideologically bound by a belief
pattern that you are supposed to
send money to get into heaven."
See HOLY MESS page 43
Dips
Countiy
Kitchen
'Put a little south in your mouth
405 W. Rosemary, Chapel Hill
942-5837
II
STUDENT
PRICES!
'ml
r.tC-VZSAhoico-DiscsYsr
SUNGLASSES
by B AUSCH & LOMB
1 IFiF
UnhKrsiiyCpliciciiii
University Squcro, Dcv.ti:cv.7I Chcpc! II"3
942-0711 . -'''-.'MiO-ft SrtOvt
ORIENT
EXPUESS
RESTAURANT
SAVORY
SUMMER
FARE
Come into the Orient
Express and sample
fine goods from a
wide variety of
European traditions
All served aboard a
restored 1914
Pullman car. ,
Slavic Dinners & Lunches
201 E. Main, On The
Tracks In Carrboro
967-8933
SnaKk Bar and Convenience Store
(LcffATEOlN THE MONOGRAM O.UB BUILOINC)
1
m
I
!
Mi
Sen Dsinlis V PCGG W ScSoScdps
i " I " j introductory offer
16 OZ, bottle V (while they last) eJeJeaCn
Vcanned Sohos only)
a m n fr f t i
0400 0000040000000000 0000040000000000 .
Health & Beauty Aids
School Supplies
Special Prices good from 82487 until 83087