Tim Wildmon
AFA president
October 2007 – Sometimes I wish I had a whole lot of money. I do. Perhaps you have never had this feeling, but most people have. If not, I respect your piety, but please understand the rest of us are not necessarily bad people, we just like the idea of having a whole lot of money sometimes. The primary reason we would like to have a whole lot of money is that it would help alleviate some of the ever present pressure we feel to meet financial obligations to others. I’ve talked to people who do have a lot of money and they say, contrary to the old cliche, money can, indeed, buy some happiness. I believe ’em.
For me personally this is how money works. Or better, how money travels. First, at the end of each month our comptroller hands me a check – my monthly salary. Relief and thanksgiving come over me. A short-lived sense of happiness, though. This is usually in the early morning. Then about noon I go home or meet my wife Alison for lunch at which point I must part with the check, never to see it again. I’ve done this so many times now I’m numb to it. I don’t form an emotional bond with the check the way I once did, especially that first year out of college. Those were the days when my heart would beat fast upon receiving the check, I would thank our comptroller three or four times and then I would call Alison from work and tell her I got paid again! She would sort of celebrate with me the idea that we were out of school, on our own, and “making a living.” Now, four houses, three children and 16 years of real-world living later, those feelings of youthful independence are gone. I just thank the Lord we can pay all our bills again. (Just for clarification, I do not own four houses. I have moved four different times as our family has grown, with a little larger house each time.)
Financial freedom must be a good thing because it’s exactly how it will be in heaven. No worries of any kind, including financial.
My dad could tell you many stories of how the Lord through His people – supporters of AFA – have come through for us during the past 25 years of ministry. Relatively speaking, AFA has not had many serious financial crises. I would say perhaps 12 times in 25 years have we really felt the pressure of waiting to see what would come in that month. This is because of my dad’s leadership and his commitment to purchase everything with cash. He always says if you don’t spend more than you take in, you’ll be okay. That’s simple enough. My life’s experience is that this philosophy works 95% of the time. The other 5% you can chalk up to bad luck and “things didn’t turn out the way we planned.” But then, if you are practicing this principle 95% of the time, you should be able to weather the 5% of poor fortune.
One of the challenges facing AFA and many ministries the next few years is how to recruit new and younger members. The majority of you reading this right now are 55 and older. Now we love you and I am not calling you “old,” I’m just saying every organization needs new blood and we need it as well. But the times have changed and many people who are 45 and under don’t have the same sense of conviction as those 55 and older on matters of faith, morality, decency and what Jesus called “righteousness.”
You can look through the Journal this month and see some of the projects we are involved in. One thing you can be sure about with AFA, we are always going to be engaging the popular culture on matters of decency and morality – holding high the banner of Biblical righteousness if you will. We do this first and foremost because we believe the Lord has called us to do this, but also because these issues matter in terms of what kind of country in which we live and raise our children and grandchildren. What is acceptable and what is unacceptable in society is shaped often by the voices that rise up to speak about whatever is being considered. That’s why it is important for AFA – and Christians in general – to speak out on matters of right and wrong and even bring pressure to bear when necessary on decision makers in the political realm as well as the corporate world to do what is right.
If you know someone who might be a potential supporter of the work of AFA, would you please send us their name and address so we may send them the Journal for a few months free of charge? A personal endorsement to them from you about us could go a long way toward helping us find some new blood. Please send their name and address to AFA, P.O. Drawer 2440, Tupelo, MS, 38803, or call 1-662-844-5036 and leave it there. You can also e-mail it to me at twildmon@afa.net.
And if you want to send me a whole lot of money, please overnight it to…. 
