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PASTOR GENERAL'S
REPoRT
TO THE MINISTRY OF THE
WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD
VOL.5, N0.12
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
FROM MINISTERIAL SERVICES
International News
MARCH 25, 1983
Report From Bonn, West Germany In this month's report, we would like to
give an overview of the work God is doing in the German-speaking part of
Switzerland and Southwest Germany. This year we have planned the largest
PLAIN TRUTH advertising campaign in the history of God's Work in this area.
This spring, flyers will be placed in two Swiss magazines, WIR ELTERN and
SCHWEIZER BEOBACHTER, with a total circulation of 500,000 for both maga
zines. Then in the fall, we are planning to place flyers in four different
Swiss newspapers, which altogether have a total circulation of 564,000.
Based on past response, we expect an additional 26,600 new subscribers from
Switzerland by the end of 1983.
In 1980, Mr. Tom Lapacka and his family were assigned to the German-speak
ing area of God's Work in Switzerland. Mr. Lapacka is the pastor of the
local Churches in Zurich and Basel, Switzerland and Stuttgart, West Ger
many.
Services are conducted in Basel and Zurich one week, and Stuttgart the
next. Services in Basel begin at 10:00 a.m., after which Mr. Lapacka drives
an hour to Zurich for the 3:00 p.m. service. The next week services are
conducted in Stuttgart at 2:30 p.m. Stuttgart is located about 240 kilo
meters (two and one-half to three hour drive) north of Zurich, where Mr.
Lapacka and his family reside.
The fact that the Lapackas reside in Switzerland is a miracle in itself.
Since 1976 we have been trying to move a representative to the German
speaking area of Switzerland to pastor the churches as well as represent
the Work's interests there. Switzerland allows residence to roughly only
3,000 foreigners per year (this does not include temporary guest workers)
and has very stringent entrance laws. After assistance from the Geneva
office, we made a residence application and went through 13 months of red
tape, a lot of legal correspondence and denials at two levels. Finally,
approval was granted for the Lapackas to move into Switzerland in April of
1982.
Mr. Lapacka also conducts monthly Bible studies in Bern, has a Spokesman
Club in Stuttgart, a graduate club in Switzerland, and is the festival
coordinator for the Feast of Tabernacles in Bonndorf, West Germany.
The total incoming mail for this month showed a 15% decrease from February,
1982� This is due to the fact that our main nationwide advertising campaign
for 1983 has not yet started.
However, we did place 83,000 "leftover"
flyers from previous printings in a local south German newspaper, the SUD
KURIER on February 23. In February we received 1,351 responses from this
insert. We added a total of 2,550 new subscribers this month. Solicited
mail increased 19% and donation mail increased 11%. This was reflected in a