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PASTOR GENERAL'S
REPORT
TO THE MINISTRY OF THE
WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD
VOL.7, N0.34
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
FROM MINISTERIAL SERVICES
AUGUST 23, 1985
The 20th and final session of the third Ministerial Refreshing Program
began this past Wednesday, August 21. We have been very encouraged by the
tremendous response from the ministry to this program. Many have expressed
appreciation for the opportunity to come to Headquarters for these ses
sions. The fruits of the MRP have been obvious in the renewed growth and
spiritual vitality in congregations of God's people around the world, as
each minister returns to hi-
s local area with a deepened commitment to
"teach as we have been taught" the marvelous truth God has revealed to us
through His apostle, Mr. Herbert Armstrong. We are now looking forward to
seeing each of you again in Refresher 4, scheduled to begin early next year.
I'd like to address certain questions regarding when to begin counting for
one's third tithe year. We have normally recommended that members count
from the Passover or Feast of Tabernacles closest to the date of their bap
tism. For example, if one is baptized in August or November, he would begin
counting from the Feast of Tabernacles of that year. If he is baptized ·in
February, he would begin counting from Passover of that year.
God's Church does not have an ironclad policy as to when a person should
begin his third tithe year. · A person may begin counting from before his
baptism (in the case of teenagers); from his date of baptism; or, as already
stated, from either the Passover or Feast of Tabernacles closest to his
date of baptism. We normally recommend the latter method for ease of calcu
lation and for the sake of memory. (We might be surprised at the number of
members who forget the date of their baptism.) Also, self-employed members
sometimes have difficulty determining their actual income until a formal
accounting is made.
They may find it more convenient to choose a date
around the time they determine their income for tax purposes.
Whatever starting point the individual chooses, he should continue that
cycle from then on, the only exception being a woman who marries. We recom
mend that she use her husband's cycle. If she has just finished a third
tithe year when she marries, and her husband's third tithe year is about ·to
begin, then she need not pay third tithe on her income (if she is working)
until the next third tithe year of her husband. This could result in the
wife not paying third tithe for about four years. Nevertheless, such mat
ters should be decided by the couples themselves.
I would like to ask each of you to pray for Mr. Elijah Chukwudi, one of our
ministers in Nigeria. He has developed a critical abdominal problem, and
we would appreciate your prayers for his healing.
Please also continue to pray faithfully for Mr. Armstrong. It is truly re
markable how productive he is, and how hard he continues to push himself.
As he has said so many times, all the credit truly goes to the great God.
Let's be sure we are doing our part in supporting Mr. Armstrong through our
prayers to our great God on his behalf, not only for his strength, safety
and health, but also that God would continue to keep the doors open for him
to proclaim the Gospel around the world.
C 1986Wortdwid• Church of God