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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, October 31, 1980
Page 2
In the past, as I recall, we used to recommend that local ministers in
the field go rather slowly in baptizing students. When and where possi
ble it was considered advisable to have the students wait until they
returned to Ambassador for the next year so they could counsel with one
of the ministers
in
the College.
This
was because the ministers
in
the
College would normally know the students better and could verify what
their "fruits" actually were -- could more readily determine if the
students had "brought forth fruits of repentance" than could a minister
who might have much shorter contact with the student during the summer
break.
Normally, if a prospective member is passing through another church area,
he should not counsel with the local minister concerning baptism, but
should counsel with his own local minister who ought to know him better-
his background, his fruits, etc. This is similar to the situation with
College students who are prospective members. Normally, the ministers
in the College will know them better, understand their backgrounds, their
fruits, etc. than can a local minister who may have very limited contact
with that student as a prospective member.
This does not mean that you local ministers aren't qualified to counsel
with and/or baptize students. Sut when possible it might be wiser either
to have the student wait (unless he or she is definitely, clearly ready
for baptism) until he returns to Ambassador in the fall so he can be
counselled thoroughly by a minister here who knows him.
If a local
minister feels he ought to go ahead and baptize a student during the
summer break, then he should call the Dean of Students office in Pasadena
to discuss his/her baptism with one of the ministers.
International News
Violence in Central America Some weeks ago, Mr. Leon Walker, Regional
Director for the Spanish-speaking areas of God's Work, received a sober
ing letter from our elder in El Salvador, Mr. Herbert Cisneros. Here
are excerpts from that letter:
Greetings from the tiny and violence-racked nation of El Salvador.
With respect to the violence in El Salvador, I must inform you that
on Saturday, August 2nd, at 7:30 in the evening, the mother of Mrs.
Maria Scarlet de Pinto, a Church member, was assassinated by Leftist
Guerrillas. Her (the Church member's) father had to leave El
Salvador since it is really he they wish to kill, just because he
had been in the army several years ago.
Mrs. Patricia Arguello, another Church member, was assaulted as she
was leaving the gynecologist's office after giving birth to a baby
boy. The object of the assault was to steal her husband's automo
bile, but when the attackers saw that Mrs. Arguello was carrying a
newborn baby, they let the couple go free. Auto theft has become
a real plague among the Salvadorians; it is estimated that about 50
cars are stolen every day.
In spite of the incidents I have just related, I can say that we
have no major problems.
The war that is being waged here is largely
a psychological one which produces a very tense situation. It is so
tense, in fact, that I have had to annoint several members lately for
stress-related problems.
The tense atmosphere in which we live is
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