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PASTOR'S REPORli
PUBLISHED BY THE WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD
VOL. 3. NO. 20
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
MAY 29, 1979
FROM PASTORAL ADMINISTRATION
Dear Fellow Ministers:
Greetings in Jesus' name! All of us are fine here in Pasadena, and
looking forward to this Pentecost weekend when we will have the opportunity
to see many of you in the field.
I talked to Mr. Herbert Armstrong Sunday morning, and he and his party
are now off to Tunisia! He feels this area is especially important as it
is going to become quite a c enter for Arab activities in the near future
now that Egypt is being rejected by fellow Arab nations for its peace treaty
with Israel. Please pray for their safety and for the success of this trip!
Mr. McMichael just completed the Seattle campaign last night. In spite
of the obvious difficulties of being on Memorial Day weekend and having to
finish on Monday nig ht because of hall bookings, the team felt the campaign
was a fine success: Total attendance ranged from 290 to 450 and new attend
ance each night was 60, 45, and 50 for the three nights respectively. So
while the numbers are not large, God is giving us good, solid attendances
and g rowth through these campaigns!
Fellow ministers, Mr. Armstrong informed me recently that he is defi
nitely ending the whole concept of the non-career ministry. As he stated,
he didn't know about it until the last few months and had nothing to do with
its inception. He feels it is wrong for a minister to resign from his
calling as a minister and yet at the same time want to retain some of the
benefits, prestige and authority of the ministry. And although I did not
in any way bring this matter to him for a decision, I certainly agree.
Therefore, as finances make possible, we will honor any previous finan
cial commitments made on the 40% base salary per month per number of years
served in the ministry. But, any who have resigned or do resign in the
future from the active ministry will henceforth be regarded as lay members
in God's Church.
�-
If, in particular cases, the local minister in future months and years
--after checking with Headquarters--wishes to use one of these men to help
counsel or visit, he may do so. But they have resigned from the ministry
and will NOT be regarded as elders to anoint, preach, counsel or carry on
any other function of the ministry.
Of course, this does not preclude us letting the occasional minister
have an extended time off--or even reduced duties because of genuine health
problems or other similar problems--or the occasional hiring of someone as
a part-time minister in very special cases. If any of you have questions
regarding this or suggestions about other special"c"ases, please let us
hear from you.
But the "non-career ministry," as such, is NOT a category •ve feel
Christ would want and so God's Apostle is abolishing it.