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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, JANUARY 7, 1983
PAGE 2
FROM MINISTERIAL SERVICES
International News
French Department Report
During the period December 16th to 19th, Mr.
Dibar Apartian was in Montreal where he conducted meetings with all Cana
dian French-speaking ministers, deacons and wives in which important deci
sions were made for the 1983 Feast of Tabernacles. On the Sabbath, Mr.
Apartian preached during both the morning and the afternoon services to a
total of 601 persons.
A week later, accompanied by Mr. John Halford, Mr. Apartian visited the
island of Haiti for two days. While there he spoke at length with the mem
bership. God's Church in Haiti is on solid ground. As for conditions in
the country itself, things are not so positive as inflation and joblessness
are at an all-time high.
Geneva office manager Mr. Bernard Andrist's recent tour of Africa went
well. He conducted a number of Bible studies in French-speaking areas,
which greatly encouraged our scattered brethren. Two more people were bap
tized in Zaire where there are 45 presently attending services.
Mr. Olivier Carion recently toured the regions of Metz, Thionville and St.
Avold in northern France, where we have experienced the greatest growth
since the beginning of 1982.
The major reason for this growth is that
people there are able to receive "The World Tomorrow" telecast from Luxem
bourg, just to the north.
.
Ten people have become very interested as a result of Mr. Jean Carion's last
two visiting tours in the Liege, Belgium area. Some of them are now going
to the expense of traveling to Brussels each week for Sabbath services. Mr.
Carion wrote, "On Friday, December 17th we had an additional 20 new people
at Liege for Bible study, including a Catholic priest, who got his money's
worth. My subject was the soul and heaven. During the question period he
cited the passage in Luke 20:38 without directly referring to it and it gave
me great pleasure to answer him."-
Mr. Frank Schnee visited the Brussels Church last month and gave an excel
lent sermon together with much news of the German phase of God's Work. The
members were very encouraged to see that God's Church and His ministry
around the world all "speak the same thing."
App reciation for the Second Ministerial Refreshing Program
Dear Mr. Armstrong:
My wife and I would like to thank you and the Headquarters minis
ters and staff for the opportunity of attending the twelft� ses
sion of the Ministerial Refreshing Program. We feel that as a
recently ordained minister and wife we are especially blessed to
be able to come to Headquarters and be taught and directed by
God's Apostle and many longtime ministers who were themselves
trained directly by you. What a blessing to be able to draw upon
that wealth of wisdom and experience!