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MEMBER is asked to send one in now.
In the former letters, I gave you the Scriptural examples
of how God had His ministers and leaders call on His people for
such funds for needed BUILDING for Church use, in Bible days, and
how joyfully and spontaneously and generously the people then
responded.
Now, in these latter days, CHRIST the Head of this Church
HAS NEED of another big, generous outpouring of special offerings
for HIS Building Fund. SURELY IT CANNOT BE, BRETHREN, THAT NINE
OUT OF TEN OF US ARE STRAYING AWAY FROM OUR LORD! If we do only
our own part--what is expected of us--God's Word brands us as
UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS. And the unprofitable servants are to be
cast into the lake of FIRE!
Already I have had to suspend for this year the work of
completing the big Tabernacle in Texas. We had planned to double
the number of steel Booths this summer for housing our Brethren at
the Feast of Tabernacles this fall--but we had to give that up
because nine out of ten of you Brethren failed to respond. We
shall have to get along at this year's Festival with the same
facilities we had last year--and yet we expect 1200 to 1500 MORE
than last year to be in attendance. New buildings are DIRELY
needed on the college campus in Pasadena, and we are being FORCED
to make certain building alterations and additions on the new
college property here in England, so that the new college may open,
and also that we may hold the Feast of Tabernacles here this fall.
We expect about 7,000 to be in attendance at the Festival
this fall in Texas. It will fill the gigantic new Tabernacle to
capacity. But what of NEXT year? We have to think ahead! Next
year we expect around 9,000 at the Festival. We cannot have TWO
THOUSAND Brethren standing outside, unable to get in! This means
that before the fall of next year we shall HAVE to enlarge the
giant Texas Tabernacle still more. REMEMBER, after we so quickly
outgrew the original Tabernacle (now our Dining Hall), we planned
this one so that we may keep adding on to it as Christ adds to His
Church. A year ago, we made it half-again-longer, increasing the
seating capacity 50%. It is now 376 feet long--longer than a
football field--probably the largest church auditorium in Texas.
We cannot make it any longer--but we can increase it in DEPTH,
almost without limit--and later, add a balcony.
We had thought our next enlargement made it necessary to
DOUBLE the present area, from 121 feet in depth to 242 feet, and
the same 376 feet in length. This will--when done--require a
tremendous steel trussed arch like a giant suspension bridge,
overhead to replace the structural support of the present rear
wall, so as to avoid posts or pillars. However, the builders tell
us now that we can build part of this at a time, so as not to have
to double the present area all at once. This Tabernacle is
designed so that ultimately we can seat 25,000 people under the one
roof, with only a very few slender steel posts near the sides and
rear to support the balcony.
WE MUST REALIZE, NOW, that we have to start NOW building