On April 6, 1969, the members of Peoples Temple in Redwood Valley signed a statement that allowed for the transfer of funds from the church to a “missionary account” to be used by Jim Jones “at his discretion.” The document consists of four pages of identical handwritten text, with the signatures of 106 members underneath.
While the list includes names of people who became some of the Temple’s most outspoken critics – such as Linda Swaney, Mike Cartmell, and Jim Cobb – as well as several other people who simply left the church, considerably more than half of the names are of people who were in Jonestown on 18 November 1978.
The text reads:
April 6, 1969
We the undersigned members of Peoples Temple Christian Church Disciples of Christ of Redwood Valley Calif. in the general assembly acting on the motion made by Tom Grubbs & seconded by Jim Pugh and others do request & instruct our treasurer Eva Pugh to transfer all funds from the church treasury to a missionary account to be used by our Pastor James Jones at his discretion.
In witness of our unanimous consent we do affix our signatures.
Decision to transfer church funds to missionary account, RYMUR 89-4286-QQ-2-H1 – QQ-2-H4