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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, July 11, 1980
Page 20
"The strength of God's Church lies in the power of the Living God, in the
dynamic power of the true gospel message God sent to the world by Jesus
Christ and in the Church people. We are not anchored to buildings or
other assets you have tried to seize. You, Mr. Attorney General, cannot
seize or control our Living God...." Mr. Armstrong continues, "Our
strength does not lie in our numbers.... Jesus Christ said of us, 'I know
that you have but little power and yet you have kept my word and have not
denied my name. I have set before you an open door which no one is able
to shut.'"
Growing stronger in its content, Mr. Armstrong's ad continues, "But our
God has used your [the Attorney General's] politically motivated persecu
tion to strengthen His Church, to draw our devoted members closer to Him
and to be more united and more welded together...." At the conclusion
of this ad (which will be reproduced in the Pastor General's Report after
its initial public appearance) the booklet JUST WHAT DO YOU MEAN--THE
KINGDOM OF GOD? is offered to the public.
After giving the brethren (many of whom don't often get to hear Mr. Rader
speak in person) a preview of one of our soon-coming ads, he noted that it
deals with the subject matter that has brought us to the eye of the nation
for the past 18 months. He observed that "Mr. Armstrong is speaking out
now very plainly, very boldly, and with much power." It is becoming
increasingly plain that God has given His Church an attention-getting
means of focusing public attention on the Church and its vital message-
even while it stands staunchly against the political forces that would
crush it!
Mr. Rader went on to reflect on the way God's people, led by one man, Mr.
Herbert Armstrong, remaining "resolute and confident," have struggled to
gether to resist state tyranny and how God took care of all the crucial
strategic aspects of the Work, such as moving Mr. Armstrong to Tucson,
knowing the needs of His Church in advance.
"Against the Gates of Hell" Distributed
In his book, Against the Gates of Hell, which was distributed free of
charge to each head of household early in the day, Mr. Rader comments on
his feelings of admiration for God's people. He expressed the hope that
every nonmember who reads the book will note the paragraph on page 121 in
praise of the brethren. "It just barely does you all justice," said Mr.
Rader,"but it certainly does tell the truth. And that's something the
Attorney General didn't know when he began this lawsuit. And that's what
most of our detractors did not know. And that's what the newspapers, and
the magazines, and the telecasters did not know.
"But as time has passed they have learned," continued Mr. Rader. "And I
think you can see today, for example, the attitude of the cameramen from
Channel 11, those who saw their appearance here. They're much different
than they were before and even they are catching on when they see your
faces."
(Channel 11 news showed scenes from the picnic and some comments
by Mr. Rader on their newscast later that evening.)
Mr. Rader also hoped that all the brethren would read his book. He said
it is "designed to pull all the events of the last 18 months together in
one place. It's a bit like a primer for those people who have never