THE BEGINNINGS OF PAY TV

It was 1980.  Travis was four and loved watching Sesame Street.

I was serving the McClellandtown Free Methodist Church.  They had decided to have a revival and invited Reverend O. R. Tessaro as the evangelist.

I had known Brother Tessaro for years and had been in his revival meetings many times.  He was one of the best known and loved evangelists in the denomination.  He made frequent trips to Brazil.  He had been a car salesman before coming to Christ.  He was a statesman of the church and was well known throughout the denomination!

We invited him to stay in the parsonage with us.  He agreed to stay one night.  Then another.  Then another.  We realized it was his way of keeping the door open to travel home, if something didn't work to his liking.

He was a gracious guest!  He spent all morning studying and praying;  then came down for lunch.

The first day that he came down for lunch, Travis was sitting on the couch watching Sesame Street.  Brother Tessaro came down the stairs and turned the TV to the news.  Travis went off!  I left the room and told Debbie to stay out of the living room!

Eventually, things calmed down.  We had a nice lunch!

The next day, around noon, Brother Tessaro came down the stairs again.  He walked to the TV and turned it to the news;  then he walked to where Travis was sitting AND HANDED HIM A QUARTER!!!! 

And 'Pay TV' was born!