Editing Alamo Christian Foundation (section)

===Early years===
Tony and Susan Alamo founded the Alamo Christian Foundation in 1969 in [[Hollywood, California]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Keller, Larry|title=Cult Evangelist Tony Alamo Convicted On Sex Charges |url=https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2009/07/24/cult-evangelist-tony-alamo-convicted-sex-charges|date=24 July 2009| publisher = [[Southern Poverty Law Center]]}}</ref><ref name=LewisEncyc2nd>{{cite book |editor-last=Lewis |editor-first=James R. |editor-link=James R. Lewis (scholar) |title=The Encyclopedia of Cults, Sects, and New Religions |edition=2nd |year=2001 |publisher=[[Prometheus Books]] |location=[[Amherst, New York]] |isbn= 978-1-57392-888-5|pages=42–43}}</ref> The church became the subject of controversy, especially as its members were active in trying to recruit new members in Hollywood.

It was frequently criticized for its manner of [[Evangelism|evangelization]], which frequently involved requiring young members of the congregation to walk around Hollywood, inviting people to convert to Christianity. They would take them to the church in [[Agua Dulce, California|Agua Dulce]] – roughly an hour away – for evening services, consisting of a meeting and a meal. Many of these individuals chose to stay on to become [[Bible]] students and [[Lay ministry|lay ministers]].<ref name=LewisEncyc2nd/>

In 1976, the church relocated to [[Dyer, Arkansas]], where Susan Alamo had been raised. There, in the small town which is located in the western part of the state, the church grew to several hundred members. It established printing facilities, a school, and a [[Church tabernacle|tabernacle]]. It also claimed to operate a [[drug rehabilitation]] facility, but in fact it was a facility for the purpose of Christian conversion.

Members of the church developed several businesses in the [[Alma, Arkansas]] area. As the church expanded, it established other churches in [[Nashville]], [[Chicago]], [[Brooklyn]], and [[Miami Beach]].

Alamo started a business, which relied heavily on unpaid child labor, of decorating [[denim jacket]]s and [[airbrush]]ing them with bright, colorful designs. Many Hollywood celebrities were seen wearing them, including [[Michael Jackson]]. He wore a modified leather Alamo jacket on the cover of his album ''[[Bad (album)|Bad]]''.<ref name=LewisEncyc2nd/>

The church's projects included Nashville's largest [[Western wear|country and western]] clothing store.<ref name="Keating">{{cite book |author=Keating, Karl |author-link=Karl Keating |title=Catholicism and Fundamentalism: The Attack on "Romanism" by "Bible Christians" |publisher=Ignatius |year=1988 |isbn=978-0898701777 |page=[https://archive.org/details/catholicismfunda00karl/page/115 115] |url=https://archive.org/details/catholicismfunda00karl/page/115 }}</ref>

The church published religious tracts, and it also distributed tapes of sermons by the Alamos. With the help of some church members, they also produced records and tapes, and they launched a national television ministry in the 1970s.<ref name=LewisEncyc2nd/> The ministry mostly aired on low-rated, non-network, high-power television stations in major markets. Susan led the preaching aspect of the ministry, with Tony mostly staying in the background in a production role, making only occasional appearances, usually to perform an inspirational song on camera.  As the decade progressed, the criticism of their ministry grew.  In response, the ministry produced "Susan Alamo Speaks Out", an interview-based program made up of claimed converts who had been transformed by the Alamos' ministry.