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-PASTOR GENERAL'S
REPORT
TO THE MINISTRY OF THE
WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD
VOL.7, N0.9
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
FROM MINISTERIAL SERVICES
MARCH 1, 1985
Last Sunday, February 24, we completed a very successful series of U.S.
Festival Coordinators meetings in Pasadena. The theme was the same as that
of the recent Regional Directors Conference: unity. In attendance were co
ordinators from all 22 U.S. Feast sites, as well as Mr. Richard Frankel and
Mr. John Halford, coordinators of the Jerusalem and China sites respective
ly. Also attending were business managers and other assigned personnel who
will be serving at the sites, as well as Mr. Dibar Apartian, Regional Direc
tor for the French-speaking areas, and Mr. George Patrickson, assistant to
Canadian Regional Director Mr. Colin Adair.
The two-day conference began on Friday, February 22. Mr. Ellis La Ravia,
Mr. Leroy Neff, and I addressed the group about matters pertinent to our
respective areas. On the Sabbath, each congregation in Southern California
had the opportunity to hear from one of the Festival Coordinators. Mr.
Larry Neff, coordinator of the Sacramento site, gave the sermon in the Au
ditorium morning service, and Mr. Burk McNair, coordinator of the Big Sandy
site, spoke to the afternoon congregation.
Meetings resumed Sunday morning with presentations by Mr. Mark McCulley of
the Festival Office, Mr. Larry Omasta, Director of Media Services, and Mr.
John Prohs, Manager of Technical Operations and Engineering. A question
and-answer session followed. The coordinators then enjoyed a fine luncheon
of Mexican food, Southern California style, before preparing to return
home. We are looking forward once again to another wonderful Feast of Tab
ernacles this fall.
Unity is a subject that affects not only Festival Coordinators and Regional
Directors, but each of us as ministers of Jesus Christ. We are all under
authority: Jesus Christ is under the authority of God the Father; Mr. Arm
strong is under the authority of the Head of the Church, Jesus Christ; and
the ministry is under the authority of Mr. Armstrong. Unity is maintained
and preserved through submission to authority. That is how God's Church is
able to follow God's instruction to "all speak the same thing." As minis
ters, we must always strive to maintain a spirit of cooperation and submis
sion to the authority God has placed in His Church here at Headquarters.
But it is not natural for human nature to be responsive to Headquarters. It
is quite easy to allow an attitude of self-will and independence to de
velop. However, that kind of attitude will eventually cause one to fall
away! We must remember the instruction Paul gave Timothy in II Timothy 1:6.
We must stir BE God's Spirit. Unity cannot be maintained without our own
effort and the spiritual help of God!
What do you do when you find yourself out of step with Headquarters policy?
Do you get back in step immediately? Or do you have a tendency to resist?
Don't allow yourself to fall into that trap!
God holds the ministry responsible to point the congregations in their care
toward Headquarters. God demands unity. A spirit of resistance is con-
� 1985 Worldwide Chu,ch of God