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PASTOR GENERAL'S
REPORT
TO THE MINISTRY OF THE
WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOO
VOL.5, N0.8
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
FROM MINISTERIAL SERVICES
Guidelines for the Night to Be Much Observed
FEBRUARY 25, 1983
As a reminder, the "Night to Be Much Observed" should be held in family
groups in private homes. Proper planning and preparation should be made to
see to it that everyone, including all elderly and singles, will have a
place to go to be with the brethren on this very important occasion. We
reprint once again the following quote from a pastoral letter of April 8,
1970 giving Mr. Armstrong's last official statement on the subject:
Mr. Herbert Armstrong had intended to write you all a note re
garding how to conduct the "Night to Be Much Observed." However
•••he has been extremely busy and unable to.•.•So he told me to
go ahead and tell you that he has now decided that there should
not be any type of service or Bible study on that evening with the
new format we will now be using.
He said to simply tell the brethren to have two or three families
eat and fellowship together on that evening in an attitude of
thankfulness and rejoicing for the deliverance from ·sin which we
as New Testament Christians experience. The host or leading man
should ask God
I
s blessing on the meal and the occasion but no
further "sermonizing" will be necessary or helpful since the
brethren will be meeting, for the most part, without an ordained
minister present.
You ministers be sure to explain carefully the Sabbath before the
meaning of this night of rejoicing and then tell the brethren to
bear that in mind as the background and focus of the spiritual
fellowship through that particular evening. But we feel it is
better NOT to give them an outline of some kind of service•••they
will all get to hear from God's ministers twice on the very next
day, the Holy Day, anyway. So, no Bible study or sermonizing is
necessary on the previous evening. It will merely be your re
sponsibility to appoint elders and deacons to check with the
brethren and be sure that the widows and other single people�
included in the dinner and fellowship with one or more families
so that no one is left out of the fine feast and fellowship on
this night which pictures Israel's thankfulness and rejoicing in
coming out of Egypt and our deliverance from sin.
In addition, be sure to remind the brethren to plan well in advance for this
entire Holy Day season so that they won't have last-minute hardships due to
unforeseen meal needs on the first Holy Day. There should be two services
on that day as on all Holy Days except Atonement.
Caribbean Feast Transfers Announcement (North America Only)
Last year we experienced some difficulties with Caribbean transfers that
could be minimized this year if ministers will carefully check to see that