Greetings again from Pasadena! This time I have to report we are back in "foggy bottoms" — the normal foggy, gloomy weather during the morning hours this time of year, with the sun breaking through about noon. But we are all fine here and in good health.
Mr. Herbert Armstrong and Mr. Rader are back from a successful trip to Japan. Most of you already know he met with Japan's Prime Minister Ohira and a number of the leading cabinet ministers. Now, Mr. Armstrong p1ans to travel to Tunisia this summer and also mainland China! As we were enthusiastically discussing in our International Division meeting Friday, that opens up the possibilities for reaching a population of ONE BILLION extra people! So we should certainly all be praying fervently for Mr. Armstrong and the success of these upcoming trips.
Good reports keep coming in from around the world about improved attendance and offerings during the Days of Unleavened Bread. And, although our attendance was down slightly in the U.S. because of the upheavals of the last year, the combined Passover offerings were up 3.4% over last year! So the brethren are certainly with us and the strength and cohesiveness of the churches as a whole is increasing again. Year-to-date income for the entire U.S. is up 11%, for which we are most thankful.
Fellows, although we are not planning to emphasize the "numbers game" as some have called it, we do want to urgently ask all of you dedicated ministers to get out and VISIT all the brethren in your churches! I think all of the older ministers realize why the not-so-subtle campaign against visiting was launched, and now that problem has been taken care of and excised from the church. So please go out and get to know your brethren in their own homes. Encourage and build them in faith and love and unity. Have more in-home Bible studies with several families coming together, and organize a system in your local areas for your full-time and local church elders as well to do the same so the entire church area over which you are responsible can soon be covered.
Don't wait for them to call you! Often the person or family who needs a visit most and is simply "withering away" through neglect will be the last to call. You need to be perceptive — have a system of elders and deacons working with you to encourage and strengthen these people — and then get out and encourage a weak or discouraged family before it is too late! We will be getting back to you with more specifics on this in a few weeks, but the main thing is that you build your own system, use your leading men and elders, start moving God's Church forward and building it once again!
Messrs. McMichael, Luker and Jutsum and I are leaving for San Antonio this coming Thursday for Evangelistic Campaign and for this entire mini-series of campaigns which, we hope, will be the forerunner of many more to come.
Probably you have all read about the gunman who shot two women, injured fifty people and killed himself back in San Antonio — right near the site of our campaign this Friday night! It almost appears that Satan is up to his old tricks again — trying to discourage people or hinder them from wanting to come out for such a meeting! Please bear this in mind fellows, and I want to ask all of you to urge your entire congregation to pray fervently for these Evangelistic Campaigns, for God's strength and guidance for Mr. Herbert Armstrong, for God's direction and blessing on his trips, and for the new GROWTH that we know God will give us in His Work as we do our parts enthusiastically.
We are not growing rapidly yet. But I definitely sense a felling in the vast majority of the ministers and brethren that we are getting back to the "Gideon's army" type of attitude, that we are "turning the corner," and that real progress and GROWTH is coming up soon on the horizon!
Thanks for your prayers, your love, your loyalty and your support.
FROM PASTORAL ADMINISTRATION
Copyright © 2024 Herbert W Armstrong Library