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As the years went by, Ted had become president of the Student
Body of the College, and had begun preaching sermons in the Church.
In June 1955, I went on television. I think Ted had participated
in at least one radio broadcast by that time. His brother, Richard
David, had spoken on a few radio programs--once from Paris.
During this TV series, I let my two sons participate with me
on a television program. Ted seemed to take to television, as I
often expressed it, "like a duck to water."
This TV series was consuming my entire time. It was leaving
no time for my other duties of heading the day-to-day executive
leadership in God's Work. In January 1956, I went off TV.
Experience up to that time had shown me that it was daily radio
broadcasting that was building the Work.
I personally traveled to all parts of the United States with
our advertising agent, selling our radio program to station managers--
especially the nation's leading 50,000 watt stations.
Ted had shown aptitude on the TV series--in fact, I had let
him do one program by himself. Naturally, I had encouraged him to
begin doing occasional radio programs.
At times his voice sounded so much like mine that people could
hardly tell which of us was speaking. Meanwhile, Rod Meredith had
been making strides towards becoming one of our top ministers.
Dr. Meredith began urging me to make Garner Ted vice-president.
The Work was GROWING, the organization was expanding. So I did
make Garner Ted vice-president and later Dr. Meredith second
vice-president.
As we were passing through the sixties, Ted began gradually
doing more and more of the radio programs--by the early sixties
I believe most of the weekday programs. I continued to do the
Sunday programs.
By about 1969 or 1970, I had started Ted on television. We
had built a fully equipped television studio on campus. Ted's
natural inclination led him into making a good number of secular
documentary programs. As vice-president, he had gradually assumed
more and more of the executive administrative duties, giving me
time to begin getting into other parts of the world, carrying
Christ's GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD into other parts of the
world.
But by September 1971, his personal emotional problems forced
me to quietly and privately disfellowship him. He went to El Paso,
Texas.
But above all, on my mind, was the urgency to keep it
confidential--known to only about two of our other top ranking ministers
at Headquarters. Above all, I wanted to shield Ted from criticism
and protect his name and reputation--so that, on repentance (which
I fully expected), he could come back with his name unstained.
Some few days before the Feast of Tabernacles in 1971, Ted