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at this central district center for the Passover and spring
Festival of Unleavened Bread. The Portland Church will meet in
this location every Sabbath. For the school, we will have a school
bus which will pick up children at certain established points.
Their parents will have to get them to these waiting points,
established at locations most convenient for parents and students.
Then later, one at a time, we hope to establish similar
centers at Denver, Chicago, and Pittsburgh. We plan the same kind
of program for New York City, but it may be more practical there to
rent halls or existing buildings. Thus, in a few years, we hope to
be conducting full eight-day spring festivals not only at Big
Sandy, Texas, but at Pasadena, Portland, Denver, Chicago,
Pittsburgh, New York--and, later, perhaps St. Louis, Atlanta, and
other district centers as God's Church grows. The full eight-day
attendance at the spring Festival is not made compulsory in the
Scriptures, but it is a most enjoyable and profitable thing for
those who are able. At the big Tabernacle at Big Sandy, Texas,
about half of those who come for the Passover and first Feast day
are able to remain for the eight days. This makes the Festival
highly worth while.
Just three or four days ago our New York overseas advertising
agency called me long distance. At Elizabethville, Belgian Congo,
in the very heart of Africa, we are broadcasting three nights a
week--Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, at 10:00 P.M. There had never
been any religious broadcasting in that very heart of deepest
Africa before. Very few missionaries have ever gone in there. In
effect, so far as most of the population is concerned, THE
CHRISTIAN RELIGION HAD NEVER BEEN HEARD BEFORE--either Catholic or
Protestant. When this was offered to us, about a year ago, I saw
it was an opportunity to reach people with the TRUTH in a land
where they had never been deceived or mixed up with counterfeit or
perverted "Christianity".
The object of this telephone call was this: The big radio
station there has decided to open up just three more half-hours a
week to religious broadcasting--Sunday, Thursday and Friday--at the
same time, 10:00 P.M. That is every night except Saturday. Billy
Graham has gone there in person to try to get the Sunday night
time. Theodore Epp, of the "Back to the Bible" broadcast, has gone
there to try to get all three additional half hours. But the
station was giving us first refusal, since we already are on three
times a week. It is not too expensive--AND IT HAS BEEN VERY
RESULTFUL, SO FAR! I took full advantage of the opportunity, and
tied up the time--now SIX NIGHTS A WEEK--the ONLY program even
purporting to preach the gospel in that whole vast area of central
darkest Africa!!
Brethren, God is surely not only WITH us--He is doing great
things through us, and with us. We are merely His instruments. It
is not us--it is GOD who is doing it! How we should praise Him!!
Surely, dear Brethren, I should not have to remind you, or
prod you on, every month, about the SPECIAL added offerings for the
Building Fund. Our business office has to send out a check for
$18,000 every month for the Tabernacle in Texas. About four more