Text of 1981 Letter Sent by Schuller to Raise Funds for Church

The following is the text of the letter sent by Robert Schuller Ministries Inc. in 1981 to potential contributors. According to Schuller’s former director of marketing, Timothy D. Waisanen, the letter was dictated four months before Schuller left for China and was mailed before he left the United States.

August 4, 1981

Dear Friend,

Have you ever been a long long way from home?--and then come back to find unexpected good news?

Such a thrill!

And when I return home I hope to have a letter there from you--waiting for me.

I am writing to you today from Peking, China.

And I am sending this letter to my office asking my secretary to forward it to you IMMEDIATELY!

I want you to know that what has happened here in China is nothing short of a miracle!

Your prayers are being answered. I have felt your prayers with me.

You can see from the enclosed snapshot, that I am standing on the great wall in China, holding up a book printed in Chinese.

What is the title of the book?

“Move Ahead with Possibility Thinking!”

Yes! Published in Hong Kong! Nothing is Impossible!

Ten years ago I was advised that it would be impossible for me to ever journey into China in my lifetime. The Impossibility Thinkers were wrong!

And then I was advised that it would be impossible for any of my books to be published in the country of China. The Impossibility Thinkers were wrong!

And then I was advised that it would be impossible for me to meet with Chinese Christians. Again the Impossibility Thinkers were wrong!

I was advised that Communist top government officials would never meet with a Christian Minister! But I have broken the barrier!

The Impossibility Thinkers were wrong! (AGAIN!)

I am here!

I can not give you any details of my conversations with the leading Chinese personalities--I must honor their privacy.

I will be here for only a few more days and then I must return home to complete preparations for the most inspiring and uplifting fall season in the history of the Hour of Power.

But to be candid, open and totally honest with you, homecoming will be a time of mixed emotions for me. I know what I will face:

A mountain of unpaid bills!

And I know what I will have to do.

I will have to work night and day with my financial staff...writing letters to my friends to raise the money to pay these bills so that the Hour of Power can move ahead into the fall season.

I am only human. I wish I didn’t have to face a single problem! And I am sure you have had that feeling.

Right now deep inside I am hurting.

I want to spend all my energy creating the most inspirational and beautiful programs that anyone has ever seen.

But unless I spend the energy to raise the money to keep the Hour of Power afloat, I will be forced to take the program off the air in some cities.

And this will give me an even deeper pain.

You and I are really partners in this ministry. We share and share alike.

And if your letter is there waiting for me when I return home, my heart will be filled with a special burst of enthusiasm.

And because you are my partner, you must know the truth:

If we can’t pay all of our bills at the end of the summer, we will begin cancelling television stations.

That is my only alternative.

But I am tremendously optimistic in believing that this does not need to happen and it will not happen!

I believe that when I return home I will have a letter from you saying:

“Dear Dr. Schuller, Yes! We will be partners. You spend your energy creating--I’ll spend mine contributing. You preach I’ll provide. You pray, I’ll pay!”

I will be so thrilled, I’m believing you will send $25 with your letter.

Write me your letter and your check right now!

Please enclose them in the reply envelope.

God loves you and so do I!

Sincerely

Robert Schuller

PS. When my secretary mails you this letter, she’ll enclose a special slip with your name on it and these words:

“DEAR DR. SCHULLER--YES! WE’LL BE PARTNERS.

YOU SPEND YOUR ENERGY CREATING, I’LL SPEND MINE CONTRIBUTING. YOU PREACH, I’LL PROVIDE.

YOU PRAY--I’LL PAY!”