Proclaim to the World the GOOD NEWS OF THE WORLD TOMORROW
Box 111, Pasadena, Calif. 91109
Publishing: The PLAIN TRUTH a Magazine of UNDERSTANDING
Ambassador College near London, England
June 18, 1962
Dear Co-Workers with Christ:
GREETINGS! Here is the latest news in the fast-moving progress of God's great Work—and the latest in plans for the future at this moment.
I am writing from my study at Ambassador College in England. This letter will be re-copied and mailed to you from Headquarters at Pasadena, California, and from North Sydney, N.S.W., Australia.
I have just returned from a long conference with our British Advertising Agents in London. Right now momentous decisions are being made for further expansion of magnitude in GOD'S WORK. These decisions were made today:
We are beginning immediately the monthly purchase of TWO PAGES each issue in the German edition of Reader's Digest—called, in Germany, Das Beste. Also the Austrian edition. Circulation, German edition, 950,000 copies; Austria, 65,000 copies—total, 1,015,000 copies. This means actually between three million and five million readers. THAT IS A LOT OF PEOPLE.
These full double page articles stand out and catch the eye above most articles or advertisements in these magazines. The subject matter published has been startling, interest-arousing, thought-provoking. These two-page articles, published for some two years now in the English and Australian and New Zealand editions, have stimulated a TREMENDOUS mail response and request for The Plain Truth, the Bible Correspondence Course and other literature. Many lives have been changed—many actually CONVERTED, and brought to Christ and God's Kingdom, as a result of these Reader's Digest articles. The British edition reaches one OUT OF FIVE of the entire population of these British Isles! This is a POWER!
For some two years The WORLD TOMORROW broadcast has been thundered in tremendous power, twice a week, over Radio Luxembourg on their GERMAN transmission, beamed on Germany, Austria, and German-speaking countries. This is the most powerful radio station on earth. Already the circulation of The Plain Truth in GERMANY— the GERMAN edition of our magazine, published in the GERMAN LANGUAGE, called die Reine Wahrheit—is 5,000 copies. Many in Germany have been converted as a result of this powerful broadcast and our literature. The WORK OF GOD in Germany has grown to the point we can no longer handle the tremendous mail response from our London Offices.
Consequently we are now OPENING OFFICES IN DUSSELDORF, Germany, with a suite of 5 roomy offices to start—and 5 more available as an addition when required. One of our German-born students from Ambassador College, Pasadena, a married man with two children, arrived here day before yesterday with his family, en route to Dusseldorf to take charge of the office. This phase of tho work will be directed from our London Office by Mr. Gerhard Marx, also German born, and a graduate of Ambassador College. And so now we are stepping up our SPIRITUAL GOSPEL OFFENSIVE on GERMANY with two pages every issue in their edition of Reader's Digest! We also have at last arranged for a post-office box number at Dusseldorf. For the first time we have a local German mailing address. Germans do not like to write to England, as we have had to ask them to do, to receive God's literature. This local German mailing address, and our offices and work directed there by native- born Germans, now converted and trained at Ambassador College, is expected to make a GREAT INCREASE in the number of German people who will respond to the broadcast.
Just as I have been writing, suddenly, through the loudspeaker in my study, came the announcer's voice, "The WORLD TOMORROW!" followed by the voice of Garner Ted Armstrong. It was exactly 7:00 P.M., Monday, June 18th. My son Ted's voice is, this moment, coming in to my study from RADIO LUXEMBOURG over in Europe, in GREAT POWER. I will stop and listen, as perhaps one to several million other British people are doing this moment, to this powerful program, now coming in at this MOST LISTENED-TO TIME, between 7:00 and 7:30—and it is on at that same time every Monday and Tuesday evenings. It comes in loud, firm, clear, and in POWER!
It is now 7:29, the final theme music is fading out, and the announcer says, "THIS is RADIO LUXEMBOURG." Think or it! This one station reaches the entire British nation on this English transmission, beamed directly on England. The German transmission is beamed the other way, on Germany and Austria. Twice weekly this same super-power station, on its FRENCH band, beamed directly on France, reaches that whole nation in POWER with The WORLD TOMORROW in the French language! And, as I write, Mr Dibar Apartian (he is the speaker on our FRENCH broadcast) and wife are probably at this very moment tuning out from hearing this same program aboard the great ship The United States, and excitedly seeing their first glimpse of land in five days, as that giant ship steams to the west of Cornwall, England, toward Le Havre, France. From there it will steam into Southampton, England, where it is due to dock at 5:00 P.M. tomorrow.
Mr. Apartian, the "voice" of our French broadcast, over both Radio Luxembourg and Radio Europe Number One, will spend the summer in France, visiting and baptizing French people converted through this powerful program. It is expected that he will open offices in Paris, before returning to America. THEREFORE, it was arranged, today, at the offices of our London advertising agency, to purchase two pages every month in the FRENCH edition of Reader's Digest, probably by early autumn.
More, I arranged in the offices of the advertising agency today, for placing our DOUBLE-PAGE Messages in the following editions of Reader's Digest, in their own native languages in each case: BELGIUM, HOLLAND, SWITZERLAND, SOUTH AFRICA, INDIA, and the Arabic language edition reaching a large percentage of the literate and educated peoples of EGYPT, JORDAN, LEBANON, SYRIA, IRAQ, ISRAEL, SAUDI ARABIA, SUDAN.
Circulations of these are as follows: French, l million copies; Belgian (French language), 100,000 copies; Dutch, 200,000 copies; Swiss, 105,000 copies; South African, 140,000 copies; India, 80,000 copies; Middle-East edition in Arabic, 20,000 copies. TOTAL circulation, 1,645,000. Add this to the German and Austrian editions and the l 1/4 million copies in Britain, and the 300,000 or more copies in Australia and New Zealand editions already used— and this means a Reader's Digest circulation of over FOUR MILLION COPIES, read by more than TEN MILLION PEOPLE! These powerful double-page messages are carrying Christ's Gospel to a vast audience—or will, as soon as these editions are added—so tremendous you probably cannot entirely visualize it. And we are planning, as soon as God leads the way, to start these same powerful double pages in the UNITED STATES editions of Reader's Digest—the largest circulated magazine on earth! Later, but probably not this year, it is planned to put the same messages, in their own languages, in the Japanese and South American editions, and the Scandinavian editions.
FURTHER! Today, as I was riding to London for the appointment at the advertising agency, I read a letter, urgent, from our New York advertising agency, through whom we purchase most of our radio broadcasting time around the world, outside the United States. Radio Lourenco Marques, which covers the entire nation of South Africa, just as Radio Luxembourg covers Britain, has now offered The WORLD TOMORROW three more half hours a week—making six nights per week, straight across the board! I shall send a telegram as soon as I finish this letter, approving this POWERFUL addition to our broadcasting power in the nation of South Africa. With that, and Reader's Digest, GOD'S MESSAGE will hit South Africa intensively—and British surveys show that The WORLD TOMORROW is the most listened-to radio program in South Africa, even now!
I have before me, now, on my desk, ready for my signature, the legal document consummating the purchase of one of three remaining important pieces of land jutting into our college campus here, which we have not previously been able to purchase—and which is sorely needed. As soon as this is delivered to the present owner, with check for 10% of purchase price, the transfer of this property of several acres will be legally bound. A good house goes with it, direly needed, since housing is scarce and a big problem here.
Fellow CO-WORKERS, GOD'S WORK IS GROWING! It is hitting this world, on all continents now, with terrific impact! It is guided by Jesus Christ, our Head and chief Director. It is EMPOWERED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD! But our living Saviour, Jesus Christ, works through us, as HIS BODY. He has given us the great and matchless PRIVILEGE of being Co-Workers with HIM—yes, Him, who LIVES today, and actively guides and directs this dynamic, fast- growing WORK OF GOD.
We do not all have the SAME part or function. Mrs. Armstrong and I are grateful, and REJOICE, that God has made it possible for us to put approximately 30% of our income, in money, into His Work, beside our entire time night and day, and our very lives. WHAT a blessing! HOW blest we are! God has made it possible for YOU to help this Work GREATLY by constantly PRAYING, EARNESTLY AND SINCERELY, FROM THE HEART, and BELIEVINGLY, for it. Will you?
And God has made it possible for all of you to contribute YOUR financial part, according as He has prospered you. Remember, Jesus Christ said that the poor widow who gave into the Lord's treasury her little two mites gave more than the rich man—for she gave her all. But, if God has blest YOU with more, remember Christ said those rich men had not given as liberally as this poor widow— they did not give as much in proportion. God expects HIS CHILDREN to GIVE according as they are able, generously, cheerfully, as a PRIVILEGE! He does not ask our all—but generously according as we are able. But He says, in His Word, He does expect the first tithe (or tenth), plus what offerings we can afford, according to ability.
THAT IS YOUR PART in this glorious WORK. Jesus Christ came and started it. As God's Spirit started the WORK in and through His physical body, so we, now, are His collective BODY, empowered by THAT SAME DYNAMIC SPIRIT OF ALMIGHTY GOD! Remember we NEVER ask the public for money, either over the air or in any of our literature. It is all FREE. Thus those of us who are GOD'S people—His begotten children—HIS Body—GIVE generously and joyfully, in order that in this work WE MAY GIVE THE GOSPEL FREELY OVER THE AIR AND IN ALL OUR PRINTED LITERATURE!
This constant GROWTH in the power of God's WORK—in the number of precious lives brought to Christ—and right now several baptizing teams are on tour over the United States, Canada, Britain, and Australia, and, in coming weeks, Germany and France— all this growth does cost money—and GOD'S WAY of supplying it is through US who are CO-WORKERS WITH CHRIST!
THANK YOU, in Jesus' name, for your prompt and continuous regular response! We are laying up treasure in heaven! And the need, right now, is SPECIALLY URGENT!
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