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PASTOR GENERAL'S
REPORT
TO THE MINISTRY OF THE
WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD
VOL.5, N0.46
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
FROM MINISTERIAL SERVICES
International News
DECEMBER 16, 1983
Update From the Netherlands
November was a difficult month for the
Netherlands and for the Church of God there. For a month the Dutch public
service workers disrupted public transportation, postal and garbage
collection.
The work disruptions started when the government, their
employer, introduced wage cuts to cope with severe economic problems. As
one Dutch manager here in Utrecht said, "People dependent upon state
spending have been sheltered from changes in the world economy, and over
the past few months what we have witnessed is social shock therapy."
God's people here are very much aware of what is happening in their country
and the world they live in and are more than ever aware of being part of an
end-time commission, looking forward to the Kingdom of God. Enduring till
the end extends beyond physical comfort and things.
Compared to other
parts of the world, this country is still very much blessed. The attitude
of the Dutch-language brethren is very positive, directed towards God and
His apostle Mr. Armstrong. They are presently reminded of Mr. Armstrong's
warning in his article in the January 1980 issue of The PLAIN TRUTH,
"Prepare to Greatly Reduce Your Standard of Living!"
In spite of the three-week postal strike that caused incoming mail for
November to be down by 66.4%, God's Church in this area of the world has
been blessed with an increase in income, with the year-to-date figure at
the end of November standing at a plus 2.9%.
Many Dutch brethren depend on public transportation to be able to attend
services. Somehow public services were only slightly disrupted during the
weekends so that regular Church services could be held in all four loca
tions. Although unemployment in the Netherlands is still at an all-time
high, God is providing for His own household. The rate of unemployment in
the Church is 2.9% compared to the national rate of 17.7%.
From Spanish-speaking Areas The final Bible lectures in 1983 for La PURA
VERDAD subscribers were conducted in New York City, Lima, Peru and Temuco,
Chile in November with excellent results.
Mr. Larry Hinkle, a local elder serving in the Queens and Brooklyn, New York
area, conducted PURA VERDAD Bible lectures in downtown Manhattan on
November 5th and 6th, where 183 new people attended. The response level of
five percent was the highest for any Spanish-language lecture conducted in
the United States. Although there were a number of vociferous religionists
present, the meetings went off well. Some 62 people indicated an interest
in attending special Bible studies, and ten requested personal visits.
In Lima, Peru, a record-breaking response of 582 new people attended one or
more of four lectures presented in the Hotel Crillon on November 19, 20, 26
and 27. The response level of over 25% of all PURA VERDAD readers invited