A businessman, Bert Rivera emailed me and needed an immediate response to a business problem. He sends his product to distributors around the world and includes the million-dollar bill Gospel tract. Here is an angry request from a distributor in Australia to the tract. Question: What would you tell Bert to do, since it is his product? Read my response below…

From: K. W.
Sent: Tuesday, August 29, 2006 6:04 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Complaints
Bert.

I hope you are well.

It has been bought to our attention by several customers that there is unsolicited religious material in your products. I was unaware of this practise. Australia is a multi-cultural society and to have a religious insert in your product is offending certain people in the community.

On a personal note I find the material offensive, and fire and brimstone along with the scare tactics is not how we view religion in this country. Also as a distributor of Hot Shield I am most concerned that your product contained this literature which we were not aware of and therefore indirectly associates the literature with my company.

So we do not offend any more of our customers, we request that the insert not be put into product sent to us here in Australia . Please confirm that this will be done immediately.

Rgds,

Mr. K. W.
Click to read my response to Bert…

Hi Bert,

Of course, the choice is yours. You can honor his request and not include the tract and dust the bottoms of your feet off against him, and keep the account. Or you can choose to stick to your guns, include the tract, probably lose his business, and therefore any further opportunity to minister.

Personally, I would honor his request–this is a “top of my head” response– and keep the business–and the door open. Keep a list of all those who request that the tract be kept out and honor them in their request. How would you feel if you rerceived “Gay” material in products that you bought? That’s my personal opinion…

Obviously, it’s a matter of conscience on your part. Do what you think is best before God, because in this case you have a choice–both are good choices.

Also, may I post these letters on my blog? I will remove the names if you wish. This is very instructional. Keep me posted on what happens,

Steve