With the sudden appearance of the receiver on the Ambassador College campus last January 3rd and the resulting confusion, it became vital for the Church to create a swift and authoritative method of communication. Thus, the "Telephone Network" for the Worldwide Church of God was born. Now, in hours a message can be given to the entire church which before would have taken days.
As an adjunct to the Telephone Network, it was decided to begin using the WATS line in the Mail Processing Center to air "News Hotline Tapes." Through this means ministers throughout the United States could call the WATS number and hear the latest news of the Work given on cassette tape by Mr. Meredith or a recognized leader of the Church.
As of: this writing, over six News Hotline Tapes have been heard by the ministry. Below is a summary of their usage.
NOTE: These figures are less than the actual number of churches because often a minister will call in once, but share the information with two or three churches on his circuit. We believe virtually every U.S. congregation is covered in this program.
Because of its capability for swift communication throughout the Church, we anticipate this WATS line message service will continue in the future — even after the current crisis has passed. Through the WATS lines, Mr. Armstrong can get a message to the brethren in hours — and the cost is virtually nil, since we are already paying for the WATS equipment anyway.
Mail Count As reported last time, mail is continuing to increase. The mail count for this week is up even over last week. At present, the mail for March stands at 104,645.