Herbert W Armstrong

   Greetings this time from rainy Pasadena! We are continuing to have cold but very clear weather for which we are all thankful. Also, we are most thankful that the receiver is gone. Now we can get back to the business of doing God's Work without the distractions this recent legal furor and receivership have caused.

   Mr. Armstrong is fine and is looking forward to seeing the area coordinators this Wednesday. They are now arriving, and Burk McNair and I were able to have a fine lunch with Elbert Atlas. Arriving back at campus, we were able to greet Tony Hammer, Guy Engelbart and Carl McNair who had also just arrived for our conferences which begin tomorrow morning and continue through Thursday afternoon.

   Mr. Leroy Neff is now installed in an office, and we are pleased to have him on our team" here at headquarters. I know he will make a fine headquarters coordinator, and he is respected by all of the older members who have known him for so many years.

   Vince Szymkowiak left just a few days ago for Joplin — my old hometown — to replace Don Mason who is moving to the pastorate in Tulsa. I certainly wish them both well in their new responsibilities and hope to see them again soon.

   We are now moving ahead with plans for evangelistic campaigns in chief cities this spring and early summer! We will plan to run the full-page ads giving our side of the story of this recent attack and include a mention of campaigns in these ads, as well as running smaller special ads besides, announcing the campaigns with times and places. Since we are getting more media attention at this time anyway, we hope to use this to the advantage of God's Work to get out the gospel. So please PRAY for God's guidance on our efforts and for the success of these evangelistic campaigns!

   Mr. Rader, incidentally, is all for these campaigns and is freeing up money from the media budget for this purpose.

   Speaking of budgetary matters, perhaps it would be helpful to some of you to explain how the income is up and yet there is still a cash crisis?!? This is truly the case, fellows, because of factors which are quite real. First, this time of year is normally below par for income. So we normally borrow an extra $1 million or so and then pay it back after the spring holy day offerings. Additionally, as you may have read, a loan for $1.3 million was called by United California Bank the minute they heard about the "receivership. And, the receiver himself spent about $1.6 million paying off the auto line (paying for the lease cars for the whole year) and the construction line in the same way. We would have spaced this out over at least a year. So when you add up these figures plus many thousands extra for our legal fees and other emergency expenses during this crisis, you comp up with a minimum of $3 mi1lion plus the $1 million we were not able to borrow at this time of year because our credit was withdrawn due to the receivership.

   Therefore, our working capital for the first 2% months of 1979 has been depleted by at least $4 million! Yet, it is a temporary cash crisis since we do not have to pay-back the loans, we will be paying off much less in lease car and construction expenses since most of this is now prepaid, and our normal income should be rising throughout the spring holy days.

   Actually, we are having a slight increase in mail income for the Work over last year — for which we are very thankful. And if all of us loyally rally to the cause and cause those members who are "sitting on their hands" regarding tithes and offerings to become positively turned on again, the income will take a spurt forward! So I hope the above explanation does help many of you who have been "concerned" about these matters and have wondered if we are trying to lay off men because things are "shaky" out here and this type of thing. That is not the problem at all. There is a temporary cash flow crisis, and we do need to be careful for the next-few months. But, all in all, the brethren of God's Church worldwide are responding magnificently and the Church of God — under the leadership of Jesus Christ — is solid — as — a rock!

   So let's all realize this more than ever and encourage our brethren to rally behind the leadership of Jesus Christ and his faithful human servant Mr. Armstrong. And let's all try not to listen to every negative rumor that is thrown up in the air repeatedly by dissidents every few days, it seems.

   Mr. Armstrong has approved the idea of Mrs. Luker coordinating the input and ideas to help our ministerial wives have a greater part in — and reward from — the ministry. I was able to have a talk with Lee Ann and three other ministers — including Denny, of course, and get their input about this recently, Lee Ann and some of the sabSatica1 ministers' wives have some very fine ideas, and we will be getting these out to you soon. Additionally, I hope that many of you wives in the field will send into us here at P.A.D. your comments and suggestions about this program, and we will certainly pass them along.

   Finally, fellows, let's all really get close to our God as we approach the Passover. We will all soon be looking solemnly at that bread which was broken to symbolize the fact that we can be healed through Jesus' stripes; and at that wine picturing the agonizing death that had to occur to pay for our sins — even we in the ministry. So we must be sure to study and meditate on the meaning of this upcoming Passover. Let's pray fervently that God will help all of us to surrender ourselves more completely to him that he might pour out upon us his spiritual power and blessings more than ever before in this age.

   God be with you as you yield to Him. With Christian love,

Roderick C. Meredith