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As I look out the window of my office, I behold an
inspiring sight I have been waiting TEN YEARS to see -- a great
hole in the ground, with about 26 round concrete caissons, sunk
some twenty-plus feet into the ground, on which the 72-foot-high
pillars for God's House will rest -- other concrete footings, and
the full basement under the superbly fine edifice to honor God.
Work is well under way!
Brethren, because of our record, and high credit standing,
we were able to obtain 80% long-term financing -- and the
accumulated building fund special offerings made up the balance --
but we are obligated to pay off this long-term financing at the
rate of $200,000 per month, for the next few years. And not only
this, but we must continue the amount of construction, from year to
year, required to maintain our college campuses. And, further,
we are now more hopeful than ever of starting -- hopefully before
the end of this year -- the construction of local church buildings
-- probably three, six, or ten at a time, increasing the number
under construction each year.
As I wrote you on December tb, after my letter sent in
January, just over a year ago, the special building fund offerings
did equal $200,000 per month for several months -- but now, with
several thousand additional members baptized since January last
year, we are falling off by some 20% under last year. We ought
to be able to increase this special fund by at least 12% to 15%
-- because our membership has increased by that much. But instead,
now that the magnificent structure to honor OUR GOD is ACTUALLY
UNDER CONSTRUCTION, we are giving less!
Brethren, the Work is now OBLIGATED to this fund, and we
must PAY IT, even if we have to take the money from the proclaiming
of the Gospel to the world!
THAT SIMPLY MUST NOT HAPPEN!
God is now honoring and blessing His Work and stepping it
forward bigger than ever! But WE have OUR part to do -- and we
MUST NOT FALL DOWN ON THE JOB!
We ARE getting the job DONE! Let us, therefore, take
courage, and inspiration, from what God is doing for us, and go
forward with OUR part MORE THAN EVER BEFORE! If you have not yet
sent in your statement of intention card, please do so by return
mail -- even if unable to help in this special fund, or if only
by small amounts. Let us be generous according as God has made
possible!
This is the time when EVERY MEMBER of God's Church needs
to feel the URGENCY of rededicating our lives to God and to His
Work! God is WITH US! We must be with HIM!
With much love, in Jesus' name,
Herbert W. Armstrong