In response to the Alliance's request for information, St. Matthew's stated, in part, that:
“St. Matthew's Churches is a church, not a charity. The Church at no time makes any charitable outreach in any of its literature that it sends out, and the Church never makes any representations as to any charitable use of its funds. The Church does provide its members, as all churches do, an opportunity to worship through tithes and offerings, yet the Church never makes donations a requisite for membership in the Church or a requirement for receiving the Churches' literature. The Church provides everything to the public for free. While some churches have subsidiary religious organizations that are charities and are subject to reporting requirements, this Church has no such entity or subsidiary.
In addition to conducting its weekly Church services, the Church mails millions of pieces of religious mail nationwide annually and is mindful of the fact that the Better Business Bureau receives numerous complaints concerning the Churches' mail sermons...Any person who asks that their name be removed from the Churches' mailing list will have their name immediately removed. They may receive one or two additional sermons which were already in the mailing system.”
The Alliance notes that both the Alliance and BBBs from across the country have received public inquiries from individuals who have received direct mail letters from this organization.