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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, JUNE 12, 1981
PAGE 2
FROM MINISTERIAL SERVICES
International News
Update From Germany All of the German-language ministers met at Bonn on May
4th and 5th to wrap up Spring Feast analyses, discuss Mr. Armstrong's
upcoming visit to Bonn, plan for the Feast of Tabernacles and discuss our
ministerial operations budget. A special activity for all areas in May
were forums held to discuss how each member planned to get to Bonn for Mr.
Armstrong's August 1st visit. Some churches will travel as a group on
trains: others plan on chartering buses: those living closer will go mostly
by private car. Enthusiasm for the chance to see Mr. Armstrong and hear him
preach is very high!
On Thursday, May 28, twenty-nine members and teen-agers from the Paris,
France church arrived in Bonn for an extended weekend of activities and
sightseeing in Bonn, Cologne and Dusseldorf. Mr. Sam Kneller, Pastor of
the Paris church headed up this first group of French-speaking brethren to
visit the Bonn office. The German office staff accommodated the French
brethren during their visit.
On the Sabbath, May 30th, Mr. Kneller gave us an interesting report on the
French-sneaking area of God's Work, as well as the sermon in Dusseldorf's
Hilton Hotel. Afterwards refreshments were served, enabling the German
brethren to get acquainted with the French visitors.
A walk through a
Dusseldorf park gave us another opportunity to get acquainted. It was a
rewarding experience for everyone involved.
In the month of May our "flyer" advertising program was in full swing.
Flyers distributed in the prestigious daily newspaper DIE WELT have thus
far brought a total of 4,829 responses, or 2.5% of circulation. The flyer
response is also coming in strong from the ads in Austria and Switzerland.
From the Swiss SCHWEIZER BEOBACHTER magazine we have 933 responses already,
and 1,536 responses from the Austraian newspaper DIE PRESSE. The remainder
of the responses should be in by the end of June.
Caribbean News The figures for the spring holy days were quite positive in
that income for the Caribbean region registered a 33.5% increase for the
first holy day and a 41.2% increase for the second holy day. Attendance for
Passover was up 3.6%, and attendance for the two annual Sabbaths was up 21%
and 22% respectively.
The mail count for the months of March and April were up 79% and 36%
respectively from totals a year ago to date.
Income for the Caribbean
during March was up only 3% over the previous year, but the figures for
April showed a 32% increase.
A total of 17,000 of Mr. Armstrong's semi-annual letters were sent out in
the Caribbean area advertising the new edition of THE MISSING DIMENSION IN
SEX, and to date a total of 5,260 responses have been received--a response
percentage of 31%.
We have been working on alternative mailing methods to speed up delivery of
mail in the Caribbean. In some areas, literature mailed from Pasadena
takes up to four months to arrive!