Evangelist Jamey Ragle - Trying to Raise $10,000 So He Can Take the Summer Off and Lose Weight
"They're sitting out there, waiting to give you their money. Are you going to take it? Are you man enough to take it?" Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
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But to "slow down", it means Jamey needs....YOUR MONEY! Read it for yourself here, straight from Jamey's Facebook page:
"I am writing to ask you to help me be a part of a wonderful ministry opportunity this summer at Freedom Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. I have to raise my financial support for this to become a reality. Will you help? Our goal is 10,000. This will enable me to serve during the months of June, July, and August. This will also provide me the opportunity to enjoy some great preaching from pastor Rob White and to follow my doctors orders... Literally! My doctor told me Tuesday that my schedule was too hectic and that I must lose some LBS."
Jamey continues his plea:
"Seriously I want to continue to serve my Lord faithfully but I need to get on task with weight loss and exercise. This will allow me 3 months of continuity, accountability, and productivity! During my time here I will be aiding the pastor and staff in all aspects of ministry. I will also be able to be a part of a great church family."Continuity, accountability, and productivity? Jamey, cut the crap and be honest: You want to quit your job as evangelist for 3 months, and you want your Facebook friends to pay for it. Jamey, do what most normal people who can't put the fork down have to do: continue to work, and STOP EATING, AND BEGIN EXERCISING. Join Weight Watchers. Use the MyFitnessPal app to track your calories. But a Richard Simmons exercise tape.
I can think of no other profession in the world where a person could abdicate their work, stay home and focus on weight loss because they had hit people up for money in advance. Of course Jamey has to justify this with a hefty dose of "allow me to do the Lord's work" so people will buy it. But truth is Jamey is asking for money to stay home all summer long and basically NOT do what he says God called him to do. It's good to be a "Man of God".
Now Jamey makes the final appeal for money from his friends:
"Would you help make this opportunity become a reality? I need 100 friends to give 100.00 or 200 friends to give 50.00. Any gift would be greatly appreciated. Checks can be made directly to Freedom Church and sent to their address at 3755 Cornell Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45241. If you would prefer to give another way feel free to contact me directly at jameyragle@yahoo.com."
I'm glad Jamey included this closer in his plea for money. This is a great example of how many pastors' thought process works. They live in an alternate universe where money is raised by making people think God wants them; needs them; or requires them to give it to the Man of God or the 501(c)3 religious organization that has hired the Man of God. "Men of God" can use gimmicks, half-baked excuses like Ragle's - so long as there is some sort of loose connection to "the Lord" that the money MIGHT be used for, and if your targets like the MOG, and the MOG is charming and/or funny and/or handsome, there will be gullible people to fork over the money to the Man of God making the plea.
I guess Jamey Ragel IS man enough to take the money from the people who are sitting out there - just waiting for him to take it.
Perhaps Jamey went to this Man of God training session that was secretly recorded by the Watchdog back in 2011.
