This article started out as a journalistic post-mortem, explaining what we had learned from the Bob Larson investigation, and why it was of lasting import to the Evangelical community. But Bob had ideas of his own: On April 11, he announced his intentions to go secular, making a desperate bid to become the Christian Rush Limbaugh. No doubt, both Christians and Limbaugh will bristle at the comparison.
Secular Bob: Travelin' in the Rush Hour?
On Monday, April 18, 1994, the secular airwaves will be invaded by the "Christian" version of Geraldo. That's right, it's Bob Larson Live! As if two hours wasn't more than enough....
Bob explained his mission to his Talk-Back audience:
"Do you know there has never been a national Christian voice in secular talk-radio? Never! And a couple of things finally drove this message home to me: Do you know that a recent Gallup poll shows that 59% of all Americans say religion is important, and 64% say that religion can solve all or most of today's problems? So, who are they going to get answers from? Who's out there to give them the answers?Bob Larson has finally elevated hypocrisy to an art form. By comparison, Bob makes Jerry Brown look like a saint, and Rush Limbaugh, a paragon of virtue. For that matter, he makes Jim Bakker look like a choir boy (those who have read my previous Internet / Christian Press Report articles know why I say this). But Bob should take comfort in the fact that if he ever wants to become the Christian Bill Clinton, he'll win that title by acclimation.Are they going to get it from Jerry Brown or G. Gordon Liddy? They gonna get it from Larry King or Rush Limbaugh? With all due respects, Rush does a great job, but did you just read the headlines recently? Now, he's got a live-in lover -- moved in with a woman. Excuse me, Rush -- you're doing a great job and I respect it, but there's something called moral authority if you're going to deal with subjects like abortion or homosexuality that you'd better have...." [1]
Both are compulsive liars, known womanizers, and dodged the draft in the Sixties. Both are accused of abusing their positions for personal financial gain. And both complain that the press has treated them unfairly....
His plan to move into the "secular" arena was reasonably predictable, and has been rumored for some time now. But to me, the more intriguing story will be the financial structure of this new venture. While the information is still sketchy, the venture is likely to be structured as a partnership -- with the Ministry putting up cash as a lim ited partner, and Bob retaining a profits interest as a general partner. In other words, if the venture succeeds, Bob Larson will become embarrassingly rich, and if it fails, the Ministry will be left hold ing the bag.
It wouldn't surprise me one bit if our Pentecostal Phil Donahue is able to pull this one off. Mix the Weekly World News with Rush Limbaugh (and throw in a little Howard Stern, for good measure), and you have a prescription for commercial success. Of course, if "Bob Larson Live" succeeds, Talk-Back will be an endangered species; once Bob moves mainstream, he no longer will have to pay even lip-service to Christian standards of morality. And when ghost-writers write "his" next series of novels for him, no one will even raise an eyebrow. He will have become a celebrity.
Free enterprise at work -- isn't it exhilarating?
Satanic Ritual Abuse: Shirley, Bob Jests!
Bob Larson's sharpest critics have often suspected that, like other real-life Jonas Nightingales, he hires "shills" to lend a little controversy to his shows. Other opponents of Larson's claims concerning the pervasiveness of "Satanic ritual abuse" are more charitable, dismissing him as a showman. But all agree on the fact that he [nor anyone else] has yet to produce any competent evidence that would lend even colorable support to his theory of a grand Satanic conspiracy.
Instead of answering the critics with hard evidence (or better yet, enlisting their aid), Larson greets them with harsh and bitter words. For instance, during his recent show on a alleged "Satanic murder" in West Memphis, Arkansas, Bob delivered this Clinton-esque soliloquy:
"All the time I sit behind this microphone I-- I hear the carping of the critics. And I'm not talking about the Witches and the Satanists -- I mean, I expect them to give me a rough time.... But you know, all too often, it's the Christians who are the worst critics -- who listen to this broadcast and say,As a rule, Bob's more questionable callers are careful not to reveal enough of their stories to enable any outsider to check them out. But every once in a while, a caller will provide us something to work with, like Shirley, a hysterical grandmother who appeared on his show on the late Kurt Cobain's alleged suicide attempt in March of 1994:'He's just doing that for money and sensationalism,' or, 'Where's the proof? Where's the proof?' Those of you who have said that, I'm really sick of it. Why don't you spend your own dime, pick up the phone, and call the parents of those three precious eight-year-old children who were sodomized, brutalized, and murdered, and say to them, [in a snotty voice], 'Where's the proof?' How many more kids have to be killed?
We track Satanic crime here at our offices and cult activity, and there is so much evidence about what's going on around the country that it--- you know, it never makes your local press." [2]
BL: "I've got Shirley from Bakersfield. Shirley, what's on your mind?"Well, that's an invitation I couldn't resist. Let's face it: Yuma, Arizona isn't exactly South Central, the Dan Ryan, or Twelfth Street in Detroit. And while I don't claim any actual evidence on this, I'd suspect that they can still measure their yearly murder rate in fractions. When a reporter friend called the Yuma police department and asked about Shirley's story, they didn't have any clue as to what he was talking about. Ditto, the Yuma Daily Sun. We knew the story was a hoax -- almost by nightfall.Caller: "Yeah, Bob--"
BL: "Yeah."
Caller: "Because of people like this man [Cobain] and others, my children became involved in drugs, and now, they've become involved in murder."
BL: "What?"
Caller: "Now, they're involved in murdering a man and chopping him up in little pieces and throwing him around the desert in Arizona. Okay? That's what this music promotes. That's what this kind of music promotes. Okay? [BL tries to interrupt.] They were raised in a Christian home, but they got involved with some boys who liked this music, and then they got involved in this music, and then they started doing drugs, and now, they're-- now, they're going to prison for the rest of their lives for murdering somebody."
BL: "Those are your--- "
Caller: "These are my two girls. These are my children. You know, and I don't want that boy who's in the hospital--- I don't want him to die. I know he's some mother's son. But it's his kind of music that caused my children to be the way they are today."
BL: "You're telling me your daughters chopped a man up and scattered his pieces in the desert?"
Caller: "Yes, sir. You can check it out with the Yuma, Arizona police department if you want to. They were just up here last weekend to talk with me about it. They haven't even found all of the boy yet." [3]
As it was a particularly easy story to confirm, I thought it might be interesting to see just how hard Larson tried to confirm it. And in that venerable tradition of Mike Wallace and Ed Bradley, I called the HOPE Line -- nearly three weeks later, to give them a reasonable opportunity to do so:
CC: "Compassion Connection."Of course, that is not iron-clad evidence that Larson stages calls. However, it does cast grave aspersions upon his assertion that Satanism is rampant in America. When bona fide researchers like Jon Trott and Bob and Gretchen Passantino come to his doorstep whining for evidence, Bob has none to give. But that admission would destroy a most profitable ministry ... Satanism is simply too good of a scam to pass up.KS: "Yes, I just wanted to find out something I couldn't find out on the Victory Club line; I was sent over here. You know, Bob has mentioned Shirley a couple of times, and I was wondering--- Did you guys actually follow up on her?"
CC: "Well, I don't know what you're talking about. Shirley?"
KS: "Yeah, Shirley. the one gal whose-- the grandmother whose daughters killed a man in Arizona?"
CC [recognition in voice]: "Yeah. You know, Merilee [a.k.a., Debbie Reseigh] is the regular HOPE Line operator on, and we have not heard-- I know that we paid her Public Service bill. We overnighted that, and we were waiting to hear from her, as far as social services, and when she got adopted kids. So we are in the process of following up on her."
KS: "So, you haven't called anything like the Yuma city police department or something just to see if the story--"
CC: "No, because the-- she's not-- she's not in Arizona. She's in California."
KS: "Well, I understand that. But what I was wondering about is the story itself. I would think that you'd want to find out to see if the story of having several kids -- having her daughters cut up a kid and leave it in the desert -- I would think that was something you'd want to check up on."
CC: "Um, boy-- I'm sure that the story was confirmed, but only probably through her. We would have no reason to call the authorities; there's a social worker involved. Normally, I'm the one who screens callers for the show, and I remember Shirley very well and did talk to the social worker. So I would assume that that's a type of verifying--"
KS: "You talked to the social worker?"
CC: "Uh-huh. Uh-huh, I sure did."
KS: "And the social worker told you all about the daughters?"
CC: "I didn't specifically ask any details. I just asked if there was a custody battle going with the children, and the daughters were in custody, and Shirley was trying to get custody of the kids-- uh, the three grandchildren. That's all I asked about."
KS: "So, you never really checked on the story of whether there was a "Satanic murder," where they left the body in--"
CC: "No, I didn't."
KS: "No, you didn't check that out."
CC: "Uh-uh."
KS: "Okay. I was just curious. Thank you." [4]
The "Gold" Standard (Robert Tilton)...
My investigation of Bob Larson Ministries began rather innocuously. All I wanted to do was document one footnote in my book, The Curse of Thomas, and I needed a real-life example to substantiate my charges. Any disciple of Jim Bakker and Billy Sol Hargis would have done (and there are plenty of them in the cesspool of media evangelism), but as luck would have it, Bob Larson's financial information was available. And the rest is history.
Still, my main interest is in the story behind the story -- the one I half-expected to find. It is a tale of pandemic corruption extending from the pulpit to the printing press. A plague, threatening the very fabric of Evangelical Christendom. The classic struggle between good and evil. An uncivilized civil war.
While it is far beyond my power to end that war, the 'intelligence' we have gleaned from the Larson investigation may help those who want to restore Christendom's moral compass. It is with that goal in mind that I offer this article.
The publisher of the erstwhile "Robert Tilton Fan Club Newsletter" (now Snake Oil magazine), who goes by the moniker, "Brother Randall," graciously provided me with a copy of his compilation of articles on Robert Tilton, The Beast of Robert Tilton. I had followed the Tilton scandal on a purely casual basis, but the good Brother's research put this entire problem in perspective. The Warnke, Tilton, and Larson stories were almost identical--- only the names had been changed. As this excerpt from a 1990 article by Dallas Morning News columnist Steve Blow suggests, the signs of impending scandal were clearly visible:
"The next morning I stopped by Brother Bob's offices and TV studio, located not far from his home. The reception area was elegant, decorated in mauve and pale green. Photo portraits of Brother Bob hung on two walls.For those familiar with the Larson investigation, this article is a sad but familiar refrain. Bob Larson displayed a portrait of himself on his recent appearance in an HBO special. [6] He refuses to talk with anyone from the Christian press. [7] Rather than submit his ministry to independent scrutiny, he resigned from the National Religious Broad casters. [8] Brother Bob is in total, complete, and sole control of his Ministry; according to former BLM vice-president Lori Boespflug, its hand-picked Board of Directors has never held an outside meeting, and whenever Brother Bob is asked about the compensation he receives from Ministry sources, he consistently refuses comment.His secretary, Roseann Rueffer, came out to tell me that Brother Bob does not grant interviews. And she said he wasn't in town anyway.
Roseann and I began to chat about the ministry. We sat in a couple of wing-backed chairs in the reception area and talked, off the record, for more than an hour. Suffice it to say that she believes Brother Bob is a man of great integrity.
I told her that could very well be true, but that he operates his ministry in such secrecy that it's impossible for outsiders to make that judgment.
Word of Faith is run as though it is Brother Bob's private, multimillion-dollar corporation. There is no board of trustees, no deacons, no elders. He alone sets policy. He alone sets the budget.
Brother Bob is 'totally, completely, and solely in control,' Mr. Joyce [Tilton's attorney] said. I asked Mr. Joyce how much Brother Bob pays himself. 'None of your business,' he said." [5]
Snippets from other articles, such as the Dallas Observer's "Robert Tilton: Heart of Darkness," captured my attention. Scott Baradell's observations were remarkably familiar: "At home, charitable organizations have complained that they get referrals but no money from Word of Faith"; [9] Compassion Connection affiliates like the Arlington, TX office of Watchman Fellowship made the same observation concerning Bob Larson. "He [Tilton] has shrouded Word of Faith's finances in secrecy ever since." [10] Bob Larson wouldn't release his ministry's audited financial statements unless a request is made in writing, and the inquirer states his reasons for asking. [11] "Indeed, he [Tilton] almost never has offered doctrinnaire positions..." [12] An internal memo, provided by a former Larson staffer, echoed a similar refrain: "Muriel, Margo and Becky all said that we totally avoid any theological responses." [13] But his attempt to find the meaning behind the man was in my mind most revealing:
"At the center of the growing storm, a fundamental question remains unanswered: Who is Robert Tilton? What sort of past creates such a man?Take out the reference to drug abuse, and those words easily could have been written about Bob Larson. In Hell on Earth, Larson claimed that he "achieved fame at the age of thirteen when his first hit song was published"; however, Sharla Turman Logan, the keyboard player for his high-school rock band, The Rebels, reported to Cornerstone's Jon Trott that she knew him at thirteen, and she "never heard of any hit song." [15] Logan also refuted Larson's tales of debauchery -- in Western Nebraska, during the early Sixties, no less! -- following their concerts:Tilton's own account of his life is a classic tale of sin and redemption, of a drug abuser wandering in the spiritual desert until God, 'in an audible voice,' anointed him a prophet. Disaffected followers have cast him as a modern-day Elmer Gantry-- a preacher who once possessed noble intentions, but who money and power have led astray.
In fact, an exploration of the unplumbed early years of Rob ert Tilton reveals a tale of constancy, not transformation. The dark roots of the preacher's present character--the relent less ambition and overarching greed, the absence of a moral center, and the shameless manipulation of the oh-so-vulnerable faithful--run straight and run deep.
Robert Tilton, seller of spiritual snake-oil, is and always has been a salesman. Even his autobiography is a con." [14]
"None of us ever did anything sexually or even drank. My father went with us to the concerts as a chaperon, and he would have picked up on any sexual stuff. We played at pizza parlors, rodeos, and churches. Everyone came, from little knee-high kids to grandpas and grandmas. But Bob talked about us like we were a bunch of sluts." [16]Larson started his career as an itinerant evangelist, preaching on the evils of rock-and-roll music. He supported himself through sales of books and gospel records, some of which he wrote himself. And as the eyes often are said to be windows to a man's soul, his words are windows to his heart.
One of those gospel records, "Peace Within My Soul," is highly persuasive evidence that Larson is as inept in his handling of an guitar as he is a word-processor. The album itself is an effective cure for insomnia: the lyrics are uninspired; the music, bland and formulaic. Featuring forgettable tracks like "Men and Machines" and "The Soap Opera Song," it was destined for oblivion. Yet, one song in particular is deserving of our attention -- not for any great lyrical value, but for what it reveals about the pathos of Larson's tortured soul. The avarice and envy unabashedly drips from his voice in this, the introduction to "Enjoy It While You Can":
"I had just concluded a crusade, and boarded a plane for the flight home. They herded me into one of those economy-class seats that American technology has designed to put the maximum amount of body into the minimum amount of space. Tired and cramped, I was treated to a terrible cold-plate lunch. I felt miserable.These days, Bob is serving himself -- and gets to fly first-class. He 'rubs elbows' with the likes of Bob Guccione, Jr., Sam Donaldson, and reportedly, even Paul McCartney, and revels in the adulation of his devoted fans. Like Mike Warnke, Robert Tilton, and the phalanx of pecunious preachers before him, he's enjoying it while he can.All of a sudden, I heard a commotion up in first-class. I asked the stewardess what was going on. 'Oh, don't you know? That's the Jeff Beck rock group on their way to a concert,' she said. 'They're having a party.'
I used to be a rock entertainer, too. But here I was now, serving Jesus, worn out and flying second-class, while those rock stars were living it up." [17]
A "Higher" Standard (Focus on the Family)...
The best way to put the ministries of Robert Tilton and Bob Larson in perspective is to compare them to a "good" ministry, like Focus on the Family. Its' fund-raising guidelines, set by founder James Dob son, are worthy of review:
"We believe that the way an organization handles its finances is a reflection of its integrity in every arena. Therefore, we have established strict limitations on the way our resources are used. Here are the fund-raising policies I wrote years ago that have governed the ministry:[Contrast that with names like "Jimmy Swaggart Ministries" and "Bob Larson Ministries." There is one notable exception, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, but believers and skeptics alike will agree that Rev. Graham is a very special case.]1. This ministry belongs to God, not to James Dobson. It is neither a monument to me nor a legacy to my memory. Focus on the Family does not bear my name....
[Even in the best of times, the Bob Larsons and Robert Tiltons use deceptive and dishonorable fund-raising tactics, almost as standard fare. Larson's modus operandi is to falsely claim that his ministry is on the edge of financial collapse; the fact that it had millions in cash and marketable securities in the bank when those claims were made is conveniently overlooked.18]3. One of the ways we can discern the Lord's will regarding the continuation of our work is through the support He sends (or doesn't send) from His people. Therefore, during lean times we will make our obligations known to our friends--but we will not squirm, scratch or claw for contributions. We will never resort to disrespectful and dishonorable methods of fund-raising, even when the needs are serious...."
[By stark comparison, Bob Larson Ministries' 1991 audited financial statements revealed that "the Ministry purchased books and materials totaling $67,982 from an officer of the Ministry [Larson]. The officer's cost of the books and materials sold was $45,215." [19]]11. My wife, Shirley, and I will accept no salary for this work, and will pay a portion of the radio air time expenses to compensate for the publicity that increases our book sales. When our books are offered to listeners through the ministry, we will waive all royalties to allow Focus to obtain the lowest possible price from the publisher. When we use secretarial or staff assistance for personal reasons, we will compensate the ministry for that intrusion....
Robert Tilton has never been a member of the ECFA. [21] Likewise, Bob Larson Ministries' response to ECFA scrutiny was to quietly withdraw its' application for membership.22 And actions speak louder than words....13. We will conform to the standards established by the Evan gelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) and the Canadian Council of Christian Churches (CCCC)--organizations created to ensure ethical fund-raising and administration practices." [20]
And the Bottom Line:
In the March 7, 1994 edition of Christianity Today, former CT associate editor Ken Sidey wrote a glowing review of Selling Satan, the book by Jon Trott and Mike Hertenstein chronicling the expose' of Mike Warnke. In his opening salvo, Sidey asked an incisive question which troubles believer and unbeliever alike:
"Ever since the Charlotte Observer 'broke' the PTL story, members of the religious press--at least those who consider themselves journalists rather than public relations flacks-- have asked, 'Why wasn't the story ours?' The question did not grow out of professional jealousy over a scandalous scoop. It came from a sense of community. Why was the exposure of such unethical behavior left to an 'outside' source and not performed by a part of the evangelical body?" [23]There really isn't a reason why the Evangelical community can't rid itself of the nest of vermin feasting atop its' spiritual food chain. Indeed, it seems clear from passages like 1Tim. 5:20 ("Those [elders] who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warn ing.") and 1Cor. 5:12-13 ("Are you not to judge those inside [the church]? ... Expel the wicked man from your number.") that it has a divine warrant to do so. But two elements are lacking: the will, and the way.
Mike Warnke, Bob Larson, Robert Tilton ... these men are not rocket scientists. Warnke and Larson left trails that even Hansel and Gretel could have followed; super-sleuth Jon Trott, reporter Jay Grelen, myself and others have had no difficulty in doing so. The surprising challenge has been in capturing the attention of Evangelical leaders, who have been quite reluctant to lead the charge to confront the sin in their camp.
The excuses given are as varied as the men themselves, but most say that it's simply not their calling. They'd rather preach the Gospel, ruminate over doctrinal issues, or attempt to influence the political process. Yet, whenever they fail to practice the Gospel, they preach a 'different gospel'. And whenever they consciously overlook the sin in their own camp, they squander that credibility needed to influence politics. While my Christian friends take umbrage at the stereotype of Evangelical leaders as sniveling, money-grubbing hypocrites, many recognize that it is, largely, their own fault. When miscreants like Billy Sol Hargis, Jim Bakker, Jimmy Swaggart, Robert Tilton, and Bob Larson are permitted to continue to masquerade as ministers, it makes legitimate ministries look bad -- and, on balance, hinders the transmission of the Gospel. In effect, if you are a Christian, the Robert Tiltons and Bob Larsons of the world are by definition your problem.
According to long-time Larson listener Jack Farmer, even Bob Larson admits that. In a Prodigy post in April of last year, he offered the following observations:
"Since 1987, we have witnessed the fall of Oral Roberts, Jim and Tammy Bakker, Marvin Gorman, Jimmy Swaggart, Robert Tilton, Larry Lea, W.V. Grant, Peter Popoff, Mike Warnke, David Hocking, and now Bob Larson. 12 ministers in the past 6 years; that's 1 too many.It's a job that needs to get done, and one that no one really wants to do. The challenge is to develop a regime of preventative medicine which would obviate the need for doing it. No one seriously suggests that a future David Koresh on the Pentecostal fringe will be stopped, but most scandals concerning mainstream ministers can be prevented.In 1986, Bob had a show in which he interviewed "The Amazing Randi." This was after Randi had exposed Popoff as a fraud on the Tonight show. Bob's concluding remark was, 'How long is the secular media going to do the Church's job? When are the people of God going to take a stand against this sort of thing'?" [24]
The most significant common thread running through the Hargis, Bakker, Tilton, and Larson scandals is that there was a complete lack of accountability in their ministries. If there had been a single independent voice on Larson's hand-picked board of directors, he wouldn't have been in a position to loot his ministry; I think the same can be said for Tilton, Lea, Grant, and others.
A second, albeit less tangible, thread has to do with the men them selves. Bob Larson was the spiritual equivalent of Kurt Cobain -- an accident waiting to happen. Ditto, Robert Tilton. The Salem letters and Bob's faked illness in December of 1988 were clear indications of trouble to come. But, like a flare in the wilderness, no one was out there to see it.
As I see it, the most practical solution is a minor modification to the National Religious Broadcasters' by-laws. As a condition of membership, NRB members governed by its' "watchdog" arm, the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, would be supplied with outside directors on a rotating basis. These people would have the same powers as voting directors, but have the duty to report improprieties to the ECFA.
Ministry employees could report complaints to the directors, who in turn, would investigate them on a confidential basis. If a complaint is held to have merit, it would be referred to an ECFA committee that would recommend corrective measures. If those measures were not followed, public censure would ensue.
In theory, it should work. However, the fact remains that "problem ministries" like Bob Larson's and Robert Tilton's do their level best to avoid any kind of outside scrutiny. Therefore, the problem of how to convince wayward ministries to play within the rules remains.
The only solution I can see is peer pressure. If a minister knows that large Christian publishers won't publish his books, other ministries won't invite him as a guest, and radio stations won't carry his broadcasts unless he joins the ECFA, it would be a powerful incentive to him.
The final question I'd like to leave to my friends in the Evangelical community is whether you have the character to 'clean up your own house' -- or prefer to let characters like Bill and Hillary do it for you.
1 Bob Larson, "Talk-Back With Bob Larson" (radio broadcast), 11 Apr. 1994 (tape on file).
2 Ibid., 22 Mar. 1994 (tape on file).
3 Ibid., 4 Mar. 1994 (tape on file).
4 Telephone interview, 21 Mar. 1994 (tape on file).
5 Steve Blow, "So Much Prosperity, So Little Candor," Dallas Morning News [Dallas, Texas], 27 May 1992, no page listed, reprinted in "The Beast of Robert Tilton," Snake Oil [Dallas, Texas], undated, p. 4.
6 "In Search of Satan" (television broadcast), Home Box Office, 1993.
7 Bob Larson, "Talk-Back With Bob Larson" (radio broadcast), 2 Feb. 1994 (tape on file).
8 See, Pat Mahoney, Fax (to Ken Smith), 22 Sept. 1993; Gary Massaro, "Ministry Quits Audit Group Over Finances," Rocky Mountain News [Denver, Colo.], 24 Sept. 1993, p. 12A, col. 5.
9 Scott Baradell, "Robert Tilton: Heart of Darkness," Dallas Observer [Dallas, Texas], 6 Feb. 1992, p. 13 (reprinted in "The Beast of Rob ert Tilton," Snake Oil [Dallas, Texas], undated, p. 25), (hereinafter, "Heart of Darkness").
10 "Heart of Darkness," p. 15 [p. 27].
11 Angelo Diasparra, Memorandum (to staff), 14 Aug. 1992.
12 "Heart of Darkness," p. 15 [p. 27].
13 Ministry mail meeting [ memorandum ], 15 June 1989, p. 1
14 "Heart of Darkness," p. 14 [p. 26].
15 Jon Trott, "Bob Larson's Ministry Comes Under Scrutiny," Cornerstone, Vol. 21, Issue 100, Feb. 1993, p. 18 (advance copy courtesy of Jon Trott).
16 Ibid., p. 37.
17 Bob Larson, "Enjoy It While You Can" (sound recording), Bob Larson Ministries, undated (circa 1970).
18 See generally, Ken Smith, "The Two Faces of Bob," and "The $64,000 Question," both available on Internet.
19 Bob Larson Ministries, 1991 Audited Financial Statements, p. 8 (obtained from Bob Larson Ministries, Aug. 12, 1992, copy on file).
20 Focus on the Family, Guidelines for Fund-Raising (a copy is on my door; I don't have an actual cite).
21 Confirmed via telephone with ECFA personnel, Apr. 7, 1994.
22 See note 8, infra.
23 Ken Sidey, "Selling Satan," Christianity Today, 7 Mar. 1994, p. 35.
24 Jack Farmer, Post (to Kevin Mowery), Prodigy: "Bob Larson Exposed" bbs, Apr. 12, 1994.
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