Herbert W Armstrong

Mr. Rader began his 35-minute address by reminding the men of the heavy responsibility of the ministry. He said that a minister must act as a buffer between problems and his flock. He must represent stability, certainty and confidence. He must have the capacity to understand difficulties, so that he can keep a church on an even keel no matter what. When a member seeks out his minister to discuss something with him, the minister has a God-given responsibility to make sure the member leaves the meeting feeling in some way unburdened and uplifted.

Mr. Rader said that ever since he began his career as a young man he has been in close association with men who were considerably older than himself, including of course, Mr. Armstrong. He felt that this had given him a more mature perspective on life than he would otherwise have had. As most of the ministry are still comparatively young men, they perhaps do not spend much time thinking about the end of this physical life. Paul's words "the wages of sin is death" have little meaning to a man this young. But for older members in their 50s, 60s, or 70s, the purpose of human life takes on a profound meaning. The older one becomes, the various theories expounded by secular sources become less and less satisfying, compared to the truth of the real human potential as explained in God's word.

Mr. Rader finished his talk by explaining some of the characteristics of successful people that he had known at many levels of business and society. One trait that he believes is common to those who succeed, is energy. There is a difference between just health and real energy. Many people may be able to participate in vigorous physical sports but they lack the energy to produce hour after hour, day after day, month after month. Mr. Armstrong, he reminded us, has come back from a critical illness to work twelve to fifteen hours a day. There is nothing like sheer energy to make a man successful.

— John Halford, Minister's Club, Secretary