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the time of this loan. If not, we may have lost it.
Now let me MAKE CLEAR what this means.
We had planned to take in a good increase in the number
of men students a year from this coming September--that is,
September next year--1967. But without this dormitory building, we
shall have to admit FEWER. It means that the ENTIRE STUDENT BODY
will have to be drastically REDUCED! Instead of the 500 to 550
students we need to have on campus, the total student body will
have to be reduce to 375 or fewer! Now SEE HOW THAT SETS BACK THE
WHOLE WORK OF GOD!
From 95% to 97% of graduates qualify for some important
and direly needed position in the Work. While only one in seven to
one in ten become ministers, these others are direly needed for
other positions. If we are forced to take in 100 to 150 FEWER men
beginning September 1967, we will have that many FEWER for the work
when they graduate, in June 1970 or 1971. (About half our men
students have had previous university training, and many graduate
in three years.) THAT MEANS THESE MEN WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR
IMPORTANT PLACES IN THE WORK WHEN NEEDED MOST--WHEN WE MAY HAVE
ONLY ONE OR TWO MORE YEARS LEFT TO FINISH THE WORK THE LIVING
CHRIST IS DOING THROUGH HIS CHURCH! Time is running out on us! It
is now FAR later than you think!
There is--even YET!!!--a bare POSSIBILITY we might have
that dormitory building completed in time. It is THIS: We made the
decision, in this conference, that the college building and
maintenance crews will take over the first phase of the work--the
demolition, and preparing and grading of the ground. That will
reduce the cost of the building. It will add little to our own
expenditures. We can proceed with that, and have it done by
December. Then, IF our members will redouble their efforts, even
at personal sacrifice, and between now and then considerably
INCREASE this special Building Fund, so that we may authorize the
contracting firm to proceed in December, by working DOUBLE SHIFTS
(at some additional cost for overtime pay) they could YET have it
completed by mid-August next year. Brethren, THIS we simply HAVE
TO DO!
Now once again, about the special BUILDING FUND. By
the authority of Jesus Christ, I have to call on you brethren--all
who are able (we realize many are not)--to send in a "Statement of
Intention" card, if you have not already done so. THIS IS NOT A
PLEDGE. It is NOT a vow! It is merely a statement of what you
will undertake to do AS LONG AS ABLE. If circumstances render you
unable, you are not bound. We're not going to try to "hold you to
it." We know that some few will not be able to keep it up. But we
know that most will. WE are forced to make definite commitments
before we start construction on a building. We do not ask YOU to
do that. But we do need these Statements of Intention so that we
may know HOW MUCH WE MAY COMMIT OURSELVES TO.
We realize, Brethren, that prices have been going up
somewhat, recently. WHAT I HAVE TO CALL ON GOD'S PEOPLE TO DO, IS
THAT WE BE MORE CAREFUL in our necessary purchasing--such as