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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, May 23, 1980
Page 6
After profitable visits in Ghana, Nigeria, the Cameroons and Kenya, Mr.
Nathan went on to the Mediterranean area. Here the problems faced by the
members are very different.
In Beirut, Lebanon the political tension is still very evident, and the
potential for a sudden resumption of widespread violence is ever present.
Nevertheless, even in this hostile environment, God's Word has borne
fruit and the wife of a member in Beirut was baptized.
In Greece the problems are again entirely different. To be eligible
for school, the children there must be "registered." However, the cere
mony is not a civil one, but performed by the Greek Orthodox Church as a
formal christening into that religion. Obviously, to promise to bring
up a child in an alien faith would be wrong, but what should parents do
about the child's schooling when to abstain from such a ceremony means
the child remains unregistered? The one family currently facing this
problem would certainly appreciate our prayers.
After brief visits to Sicily and Malta, Mr. Nathan returned home to his
family in England. Though exhausting at times, the trip was a success.
In all the areas he visited, though differing widely in customs, politics,
social strata and scenery, the people God is calling possess the same
overall goals and dreams, and all appreciate the need of the soon-coming
return of Christ.
Scandinavian Ad Results Very Good
Advertising an English magazine in a primarily non-English speaking
country is not easy. Advertising in English in a Finnish or Swedish news
paper instantly limits your audience to people who have a good grasp of
both languages--the Scandinavian language in order to buy the newspaper,
and English to read your ad (and The PLAIN TRUTH).
Understandably, results in previous years have lagged behind those
achieved in the U.K. where there was no language barrier to overcome.
But this year, using a more direct approach, the results have changed.
In spite of the obvious drawback of being in a different language, the
ad appears to be pulling as well as in the U.K.
And the only change from the U.K. ad is in the one word--"free."
If the heading "this magazine is 'free'" had been used, to many people in
Scandinavia it would have meant "this magazine is 'morally loose,'" which
wasn't the intended message! So the ad became "this magazine--Gratis"
and everyone understood, as the word "Gratis" is similar to a word in the
Scandinavian languages that means "without charge."
Though no one can be sure of all the reasons for the good results, it
looks as if this formula of a direct approach together with the word
"Gratis" is well worth continuing.
Spanish Area News
April 20, 1980, marked an exciting day in Spanish media history. The
former "El Mundo de Manana" broadcast made its debut on Radio Oro in San
Juan, Puerto Rico!