QUESTION 4:

Stan claims millions of people have read his book - what is the truth?

ANSWER 4:

Stan has frequently told audiences that millions upon millions of people have read his book "Betrayed!"  Consider his own words,

1.  "More than 10 million, 10 million, 10 million people have read."  (source: audio recording of his testimony given at Living Word Church, New Port Richey, Florida, January 25, 2004)

2.  "More than 12 million people have read it."  (source: audio recording of his testimony given at Venice Bible Church, Venice, Florida, February 15, 2004)

3.  "They tell me between 10 and 12 million people have read it. They tell me six to eight to ten people read each copy."  (source: audio recording of Stan speaking at Cumberland Community Church, Smyrna, Georgia, July 3, 2005)

4.  "'Betrayed!' has been published in 30 languages around the world and has been read by more than 10,000,000 people." (source: Stan's website)

5.  "More than 12 million people have read it." (source: audio recording, Horizon Community Church, Cincinnati, Ohio, July 24, 2005)

Apparently, Jews for Jesus with whom my father serves as a staff missionary believes what Stan says is true for in an August 8, 2005 fundraising letter signed by David Brickner, Brickner says regarding the book, "We're told more than 12 million people have heard the Gospel through reading 'Betrayed!' On the average, six people read each copy."  (source: August 8, 2005 letter)

I personally do not know how many copies of the book have been printed, sold, given away or otherwise distributed.  I can only reflect what I do know as fact as follows:

1.  Stan's claims were taken directly to Dwight Baker of Baker Book House which publishes, through Chosen Books, "Betrayed!"  Specifically, Stan's numerous quotes regarding the matter were brought directly to the attention of Mr. Baker and more specifically, Stan's odd claim that "between six to eight to ten people read every copy."   Mr. Baker was asked what the process was whereby such an extraordinary claim was established.  On August 23, 2005, Susan Harlow (Mr. Baker's assistant) wrote back and said, "As for the statistics for the number of readers per copy of a book, while it is quite possible that some statistician has made a study of this which Mr. Telchin has read, we are unaware of the study." (source: August 23, 2005 letter)  My father has been asked to produce the evidentiary support regarding his claim and he has refused.

2.  One audience member, upon hearing Stan's claims, contacted Baker Book House and later wrote and said, "I did okay until I heard him (Stan Telchin) say that 12 million people read his book.  What a lie.  I called Baker Book House and was told his numbers are way off - by many millions." - H.S., London, England (source August 15, 2005 letter to Baker Book House)

3.  In the week of August 8, 2005, I called Baker Book House and told them what Stan was representing.  Baker Book House responded by saying, "He is exaggerating. We (Baker Publishing Group) have no way of knowing how many people have read the book.  There is no possible way to know who bought the book and how many times it has been passed around." (source: August 15, 2005 letter to Dwight Baker)

4.  In a Wednesday, March 3, 2004 email from Baker Publishing Group, they stated, "We don't actually know the real figure, but it is closer to 1.2 million than 12 million." (source: March 3, 2004 email)

5.  The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association was contacted on February 24, 2004 and Stan's remarks were brought to their attention.  The ECPA, after researching sales data,  responded by saying, "12 million readers?  Good heavens no! That can't be possible based upon the historical sales numbers.  If he (Stan Telchin) bases it on the number of people each copy is passed too, that's ridiculous as well. Nobody anywhere can know how many times a book has been passed around. It would appear than a million - certainly no more than 1.5 million - have been published." (source: ECPA sales data and February 24, 2004 printout)

The best and most authoritative source in this matter would be the publisher, Baker Publishing Group, who has said regarding the total number of copies of "Betrayed!' published worldwide since it was released "is closer to 1.2 million."  As far as Stan's claims that "six to eight to ten" people read each copy, he should produce the evidence that supports that claim as being truthful.  If he cannot substantiate the claim, he is best to stop making it as people are not believing it.

This past November 2005, Stan was scheduled to speak at Covenant Fellowship in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania.  On the church website, Stan was presented as "Stan Telchin, Jews for Jesus speaker and author, has shared his story around the world, on TV and radio, and in the most-read Jewish testimony book of all times: 'Betrayed!'" (source: www.covenantfellowship.org)  Stan should be able and willing to demonstrate that his book is "the most-read Jewish testimony book of all times."

I am of the opinion that my father's representations regarding the number of readers is a lie.  The evidence just does not support what he says as being truthful and he has, thus far, refused to produce the evidence to support what he says. 

Related:  See 'Question1' and 'Question2' which addresses Stan's Ph.D. claims and the confusion regarding his honorary doctorate.

*copies of all referenced sources available upon request at no charge.  Please request these sources by sending an email to atoxicfaith@aol.com and ask for Packet Q4.