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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, DECEMBER 4, 1981
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Some pastors have invited guest speakers for Y.o.U. events, for church
socials, for tenth, fifteenth, and twentieth anniversaries, or for a Sab
bath when two, three or more churches will be combining for whatever
reason.
A little simple arithmetic will show how hopeless it would be to try to fill
all these requests. With 43 Y.0.U. districts, there are 86 district week
ends per year. There are potentially 43 more track meets and 43 more talent
contests. Additionally, in our 368 u.s. churches there are continually
combined church socials or events of every sort, not counting tenth, fif
teenth, and twentieth anniversaries. You can see that we simply cannot
budget for sending guest speakers to these kinds of activities.
However, we have and will continue to budget for guest speakers for Holy
Days. Holy Days are of course much more special and appropriate times for
visits. It gives our brethren as well as you ministers a special boost to
hear from Pasadena on one of God's Holy Days. We will again this year, as
we have for the past two, send out guest speakers on the first and last days
of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, and the Feast of Trumpets. We will cover as
many churches as possible this year and cover the rest the following year.
From tiroe to time, due to special circumstances we may send a guest on days
other than these Holy Days. Also, Mr. Armstrong makes trips to various U.S.
and Canadian churches. Please do not expect to have a Holy Day guest if
your church has already had Mr. Armstrong or another guest speaker--until
all other U.S. churches have been visited. In this way, all churches will
have a reasonable opportunity to hear from a visiting minister.
One other factor needs to be explained. If you do have a special need or
extenuating circumstances, please feel free to request a guest speaker any
way. But make your request directly to Ministerial Services. Not, as many
have been doing, to the specific person you would like to come to your area.
You should not be inviting anyone to come to your church to speak. All such
requests should be made to Ministerial Services. Here we will consider the
request as well as the budget and other factors. (This does not include the
normal bordering church visits you men work out from time to time among
yourselves in your own local church areas, of course.)
In conclusion, if you do desire a guest speaker for a particular upcoming
Holy Day, feel free to make that known. Often there are many factors that
would make one time better than another. We will, as always, try to send a
Holy Day guest speaker at the time most suitable and convenient to you, and
the other churches with which you may wish to combine. (Although, please
realize, this is not always possible.) Once you have had a guest speaker,
please remember that it could be a year or more before all other U.S.
churches have had a guest speaker and your area has another turn. Thank you
for your continued cooperation, understanding, and prayers.
International News
Report From Australia Over 5,000 Australian and Asian brethren gathered
this year in this area of the world to hear Mr. Armstrong set the theme with
his opening night message. This theme continued throughout the Feast with
ministers and members alike commenting on the greater unity, the warmth,
and the outgoing concern expressed by the brethren at each festival site.