Want Free Nights at Religious Resort : PTL Partners Ask Judge to Protect Gifts

Angry, fervent and bitter letters are trickling into the U.S. Bankruptcy Court from PTL “partners” who contributed money to the television ministry and now feel they have been betrayed.

Written mostly by women, the letters ask Bankruptcy Court Judge Rufus Reynolds to protect the partners’ interests as the PTL goes through Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.

Typical is a letter from Jean Fee of Forked River, N.J., who told Reynolds that she has been a lifetime partner for four years and expected to be able to spend free nights at the Heritage USA hotel, a Christian theme park and resort near Fort Mill operated by the PTL.

“Now every time I call for a reservation, it takes six to nine months,” she said. “I see Tammy Faye (Bakker) on TV crying that they only have $376,000 (sic) left. It makes me mad because I’m a widow on Social Security and I sacrificed to give them $1,000. It took me 40 years to own a small cottage.

“How can they live knowing they have taken millions of other peoples’ money for themselves? Instead of helping others--they are more interested in helping themselves.”

“As a bookkeeper for 35 years, I would have been put in jail for misappropriating the money,” said Fee, whose letter was dated June 29--17 days after the PTL under the Rev. Jerry Falwell filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

“The Bakkers should be run out of the state for misrepresenting Christian ministry. Their goal is to be millionaires on old peoples’ hard-earned money.”

Joanne Miller of Martinsville, Tenn., said she was writing “because I believe that small individuals like myself and our investment needs to be protected by your court.”

Miller said she sends $100 a month to the PTL, is a two-time lifetime partner and a silver partner at Heritage USA.

“I have always considered my monthly partnership a donation to the ministry,” she wrote. “I do not believe that the lifetime or silver membership is or was a donation and it was not tax deductible; it was a contract for six nights free at this hotel and free admission to non-food events.”

Miller accused Falwell of failing to live up to his word to “protect partners” and said, “He does not believe in the full Gospel and has and will change the ministry if he is allowed to do so. I believe a man of integrity and faith should be placed in charge.

“It is the individual supporters who sent their money to build Heritage USA, not the Bakkers or Falwell, but we will be the losers if the partner contracts are not honored.”

PTL founder Jim Bakker in March turned over the PTL to Falwell, a fundamentalist Baptist, after Bakker confessed to a one-time sexual encounter with a church secretary. Bakker has been trying to regain control of the ministry.

Odetta L. Patton of Birmingham, Ala., urged the judge to make “some kind of provision” for PTL partners.

“Our money built those buildings and yet we have no voice in any of the decisions,” she wrote. “Please, when you render your decision, remember those of us who have no voice.”

Her letter was written before the judge announced he will appoint a special committee of partners to oversee their interests during the PTL proceedings.