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PASTOR GENERAL'S
REPORT,
DECEMBER
30,
1986
*
of the trip. I was able to meet with all the elders and deacons after
services for about an hour, and then spend another two and a half hours
with the full-time ministers.
As
always I was much encouraged by the
many brethren
I
was able to meet and by the conversations with the
ministry
.
One subject
I
brought up in the deacons and elders meeting was a
special building fund being established
for
purchase of the Office
Facilities building. To explain it fully to you, I am going to include
here an advance text of my "Personala to appear in the next issue of "The
Worldwide News." Please read every word carefully.
"Personal" from December 29, 1986 "Worldwide News"
Dear Brethren,
What a year of growth this has been1
In fact, the growth has been
so
rapid that our field
ministem, along with the rest of the Work, are at the point
that they are hard pressed to support it all.
To make sure that we don't outstrip our resources, I've had
to make several decisions that involve the Church's
publications. But before I tell you about these changes, which
those of us here feel are very positive ones, let me bring an
extremely pressing matter to your attention.
As
I
mentioned in the October member/co-worker letter, the
option to buy the Office Facilities building is coming up, and
brethren, we simply cannot afford
NOT
to buy it.
This building houses the multifaceted editorial operations
of "The Plain Truth," "The Good News," "Youth" magazine, "The
Worldwide News,' the Bible Correspondence Course, Youth Bible
Lessons and the scores of books, booklets, reprints and
television brochures produced by God's Church.
Also located in that building are the entire Mail
Processing Department, with its massive WATS operation, and the
Spanish Department and the studios and offices of the Radio
Department.
It could cost God's Church, when all factors are
considered, up
to
$2
million to move all of these departments to
another building and could bring untold disruption in the Work.
We estimate the cost of purchasing the Office Facilities
building to be about
$5
million. (After final appraisals we
will know the exact figure.) That's money we don't have in the