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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, December 27, 1979
Page 5
NEVER did I delegate authority to set policies--only authority to
ADMINISTER policies set by me and the Board.
But this has become a big, worldwide multiple million-dollar enter
prise. It is an utter impossibility for any one man Christ has chosen to
manage every department and every detail within every department. I have
had to delegate limited responsibilities.
Years ago Jon Hill started pressuring me to establish our own enlarged
printing plant to print The PLAIN TRUTH and all our publications. There
were two main arguments:
1) the work would be much improved, because
Church members would put their whole hearts into it and be more conscien
tious, and 2)
it was going to save us 10% or more. I did believe the
first argument, but I insisted it would cost us 10% more--not save us 10%.
I was WRONG on the 1st argument, and right on the 2n�
To my great sorrow I learned a costly lesson. Some have merely
"joined" the Church--not being really converted as I had supposed. Human
nature was still with them. They still were on the "GETTING" way of life-
not Christ's "GIVING" way. To my great sorrow, I had to learn that, even
in the Church, many who are GETTING their living on salary from the Church,
still live by the "GETTING" standard, not God's way of "GIVING." The more
they GET the more they want--and when they get it they are never satisfied,
but want more.
A Vice-President for Financial and Business Affairs installed a local
commissary store so our brethren could save on store purchases. He brought
his own son, then an ordained minister "in the field" with his own church,
in to run it. First, it served only that small part of our membership that
lived in the Pasadena area. Second, they did not really save. Third,
they felt much more free to complain, gripe and grouch than they would at
a worldly commercial store. It became a real headache. I closed it!
We employed many men in the printing plant in Pasadena, beside others
in plants in England and in Australia. And was that a headache--especially
in Pasadena. I tried one manager after another. � -
I-
had to put another top
man full time on the job as "trouble-shooter" at the printing plant, to
keep peace among men supposed to be brethren in Christ.
I have found that nearly all the TROUBLES among our membership have
come from those employed--those GETTING their salaries from God's Church.
We have had little trouble and very few problems with lay brethren who GIVE
offerings and PAY tithes to God's Church.
� �
More and more, as I advance in years (of experience) I learn that the
BIG dividing line between the TRUE people of God--the truly converted--and
those who profess a conversion they do not really live, is the dividing
line between "GIVE" and "GET." The "GIVE" way of life is GOD'S WAY--that
of God's LAW of outflowing LOVE. The "GET" way is that of Satan--GET, be
lustful and greedy, cultivate vanity and pride of SELF, be jealous and
envious, turn to resentment and bitterness, be COMPETITIVE, always trying
to GET--and in the case of too many employees, GET more from God's Church.
For years I maintained a policy of never checking records to see who
tithed faithfully and who didn't. Then through other avenues word came to
me that even certain ministers on payroll--GETTING from the Church--were
not paying tithes or GIVING offerings. Jesus Christ KNOWS who is cheating