Business Notes SALES PROMOTIONS

As the top Lincoln-Mercury dealer on the East Coast, Freddye "Action" Jackson knows how to strike a deal. But none of his promotions have ever stirred such a fuss as his Christian Members Buyers Plan. A born-again Christian, Jackson sells Lincolns for $600 over dealer cost and Mercurys for a mere $250 markup to certifiable Christians in Fairfax, Va. Ministers get an even better deal, and with each sale Jackson makes a donation to the church of the buyer's choice.

The program has sparked an uproar because he declines to offer the same discounts to any non-Christians except Jews, whom Jackson said he includes because they believe in God. Even so, David Friedman, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, has urged Jackson to drop the program. Says he: "I want him to see there is something wrong in asking customers to declare their religious affiliation and to treat them differently according to that."