August 29, 1973  
August 29, 1973 - Brethren & Co-Workers Letter
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Herbert W Armstrong 

AMBASSADOR COLLEGE
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA

HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG, Chairman
Publisher of The PLAIN TRUTH Magazine

EXTENSION DEPARTMENT
An educational service at all levels for all people worldwide

August 29, 1973

Dear Co-Workers in the Work of the Living God:

    Autumn is HERE! BIG THINGS are now ahead in this dynamic Work of the living GOD! And this is, or should be, YOUR LIFE — and MINE!

    It's going to take a little space to tell you all of it.

    The new college year gets under way tomorrow. Our largest incoming freshman class is already on campus. Freshman Orientation and the annual Faculty Reception for new students and professors is tomorrow night.

    Sunday I start the most important round-the-world trip yet. At Tokyo the Bible study requested by Prince Mikasa takes place this trip. I have received word that it is to turn into a lecture on the Bible, with up to 60 of the very top people of Japan present — including probably the former Prime Minister, members of the Cabinet and Diet, and leading educators of leading universities. Can you imagine what an opportunity this is? Several of these men know something of the Old Testament. Prince Mikasa reads Hebrew. But they know little or nothing of the tremendous ANNOUNCEMENT Christ brought from God — of the coming KINGDOM OF GOD — the only true Gospel. That Gospel — the Gospel of Jesus Christ has not been proclaimed to the world since the first century. WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY to get that dynamic Message before the LEADERS OF a GREAT NATION! And a nation that already has honored me with the highest honor ever conferred on an unofficial alien.

    Enroute, I will stop off first on our campus in England, to speak to the incoming new students there at Freshman Orientation, and attend the Faculty Reception there.

    The Personal Assistant to the President of Lebanon, Dr. Dahdah, whom I have met, will accompany me from England to Beirut, where I am invited to a personal meeting with the President. This will be a VERY important meeting — my first with leaders of the Arab world. Others are to follow. In Israel, earlier this month, a plan to help bring a friendlier feeling and relation between the Arab world and Israel was suggested from the office of the Ministry of Education. Many think it possible that I can accomplish more, in my capacity as an Educator, Editor and Spiritual Leader of God's Church, than official governments. In any event, these meetings are paving the way to hold large-scale meetings for the public in these nations, where I will be enabled to get to them THE GOSPEL that has been suppressed since the first century — and right now THAT IS THE BIG THING!

    I am scheduled to have meetings also this trip with the King of Nepal, and the King of Thailand, with whom we are cooperating in their programs for educating their mountain people. We will stop off in Saigon, to arrange with President Thieu, in person, for my first big meeting in these foreign capitals of the world — TO PREACH CHRIST'S own GOSPEL to those who have NEVER HEARD IT. We are hoping for a turnout of THOUSANDS there, next February.

    The immediate and long-term future of the Work looks more and more encouraging all the time.

    Take the TELEVISION campaign. We started the DAILY color TV programs a year ago. To obtain a fixed every day time slot so listeners could see the program at the same time every day, we had to take mostly early morning time — as early as 6:30, some stations 7:00, some 8:00 or 8:30. Some said "NO one will be viewing TV at that hour." I told you how, in starting the whole Work on radio, I not only had to start with a poor time, but on little small-power stations. But THE PROGRAM BUILT AN AUDIENCE — it BUILT THE WORK. TV is FAR more effective than radio. I told you it would BUILD AN AUDIENCE, a year ago. Some scoffers said it would not. BUT IT DID, in an almost sensational way!

    Some 26 or 27 TV channels carried the program daily. About twice that number carried it only WEEKLY. By this past spring those few TV channels were bringing more mail response than all 300 or more radio stations! THAT IS THE FACT — not opinion! The TV programs were beginning to BREAK ALL RECORDS for mail from new listeners or viewers!

    This past summer, when so many television programs go off the air for the summer, we took the daily programs off, continuing all the weekly programs — but what money we saved went into full one-hour summer SPECIAL programs. Thousands of you Co-Workers were able to see these full one-hour programs, and thousands have written of how they were inspired and encouraged to see a really strong sermon go before the general public in such a way. The "WATS" telephone line at Pasadena has been ringing steadily all summer, as viewers telephoned in their request for literature, or requesting a visit from a minister.

    Now we are starting the new season on TELEVISION. The daily telecasting is going back on — some splendid new stations, splendid new coverage.

    And now — NEW THINGS ON RADIO!

    In Australia we have been able to buy prime time for new 5-minute programs. These have pulled increased mail at lower cost per letter than the 30-minute programs at a poorer time. Now we are planning to do the same thing in the U.S. and Canada.

    Also, in addition to the NEW TV season programs, we are planning to try the 5-minute TV programs, and the l-minute commercials we have been using with our half-hour TV programs — in PRIME TIME, as we are able to buy and afford to buy the time. I, personally, have been anxious for some time to see what those l-minute commercials would do in prime time on TV. I think they are the best commercials on TV.

    Now, PUBLISHING: The PLAIN TRUTH is now coming out, a finer magazine than ever. Circulation over 3 MILLION copies. It has had a larger circulation on newsstands over Europe, than TIME or NEWSWEEK. And it has brought more subscribers, at lower cost per subscriber, than any other means. I'm anxious to get this going in the U.S. and Canada.

    The GOOD NEWS in the past was sent to members of the Worldwide Church of God only. Now, if you want it, we will send it to all you Co-Workers. It will contain inside news of the Work, of me personally, of my son Garner Ted, of TV and radio plans, besides articles on understanding Biblical subjects, spiritual living, Biblical doctrines, with the "real meat" of God's Word. Also news of the College, etc.

    PERSONAL CAMPAIGNS: About 50 new personal campaigns are planned for this-coming season. My son's campaigns have produced a real HARVEST. Dr. Clint C. Zimmerman just had a very successful personal, public, preaching campaign in Saskatoon, Canada. Mr. Sherwin McMichael had one in Calgary. Mr. Charles Hunting had a fine public campaign in Regina. More of our top ministers are getting out into personal campaigns before the public with THE REAL GOSPEL that had been withheld from the world for over 1800 years. Many such campaigns are being planned for the United States during coming months.

    So you see, Brethren and Co-Workers, a TREMENDOUS IMPACT with Christ's own Gospel — the most IMPORTANT MESSAGE the Creator God ever sent to MANKIND — is going in greater POWER than ever before — IN PERSON — BY RADIO — BY TELEVISION, both weekly and DAILY — BY PRINT, in The PLAIN TRUTH, The GOOD NEWS, besides dozens and dozens of attractive FREE books and booklets. AND NO ONE ELSE GETS THIS VITAL GOSPEL TO THE WHOLE WORLD!

    As I said, BIG THINGS — the biggest ever — are now ahead in this greatest Work on earth. WHAT A PRIVILEGE to have a PART in it!

    Meanwhile, we need to be aware that the country and the world is heading into a FRIGHTENING STATE OF AFFAIRS. No question about it, Watergate has had a severe effect on this nation and the world. That, and other events, HAVE ERODED CONFIDENCE! Many have been reacting with typical HUMAN NATURE — pulling back, foot- dragging, suspicioning one another, becoming critical, as news media indicted, tried, and "convicted" leaders in their papers and news programs. Prices soared, shortages became commonplace, people began hoarding — greedily buying up staples, canned goods, and non-perishable foods against the frightening future.

    Brethren and Co-Workers, we have told you all along, for years and years, that all this was coming. But that's FOR THE WORLD! That's NOT FOR US!

    Listen to what our GOD and Creator has inspired for US:

    "But of the times and seasons, brethren, ... yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, PEACE, and SAFETY, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child.... But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. YOU are the children of light, and the children of the day" (that is, of God's TRUTH). (I Thes. 5:1-5.)

    We have a SAFE ANCHOR, the Lord Jesus Christ, on whom WE MAY HAVE CONFIDENCE! He wants HIS JOB DONE! He has called YOU as well as me, to GET IT DONE! He has promised to SUPPLY ALL OUR NEEDS, as long as it takes to FINISH HIS WORK. He will never leave nor forsake us! He has opened MIGHTY DOORS to get His last Message to this dying world. I am walking right on through those doors!

    Bigger things are planned now than ever, to get His Message out with MIGHTY IMPACT all over the world!

    Let's GO FORWARD in great FAITH! There's NO WATERGATE in heaven or in God's Work. I'm GOING FORWARD, in this MORE POWERFUL, EXPANDED CAMPAIGN. Garner Ted Armstrong is GOING FORWARD WITH ME.

    We're going to LEAD YOU ON TO GREAT VICTORY — to the mightiest TRUE GOSPEL campaign ever to hit this world. It's a constant financial struggle, here at Headquarters, to keep this great worldwide Work GOING — AND GROWING! We can't do it WITHOUT YOU! And we can't do it without CONSTANT AND HEARTRENDING and PREVAILING PRAYER! We can't do it WITHOUT GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT. And that comes by FAITH, by OBEDIENCE, and by PRAYER! Remember, we pray for YOU daily. We NEED you to pray for us, and IN LIVING FAITH, knowing our trust is in the Mighty GOD, go forward with us! Besides tithes, increase your offerings if you can.

With love, in Jesus' name,
Herbert W. Armstrong

Publication Date: August 29, 1973
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