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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, July 18, 1980
Page 4
Also, I want to thank you so very much for giving us backing in
time of need and correction in time of need. We cannot function
without both.
I hope to see you and the rest of the staff after the feast at the
refresher program.
Visiting Tour of Spain and Portugal
Sincerely and respectfully,
Jeff Mc Gowan
Mr. Fernando Barriga of the Work's Spanish Department here, returned
June 3rd from a month-long tour of Spain and Portugal. The tour, which
was Mr. Barriga's seventh since 1975, took him to 19 cities in Spain and
two in Portugal. He visited 21 members, 32 prospective members, and
conducted five group Bible studies. There was one baptism, but since one
member had recently died, our membership total remains at 17 in Spain and
five in Portugal.
The purpose of the tour was twofold: 1) to visit and encourage the mem
bers and prospective members and to baptize those who were ready; and
2) to look into the possibility of keeping the Feast of Tabernacles in
Spain for the first time in the modern era of God's Church.
Mr. Barriga was only able to baptize one prospective member, Mrs. Nelly
D'Arimont Van Geffelen, on this trip. "The principle obstacles preventing
many of the others from taking the plunge," explained Mr. Barriga, "are
the Sabbath and tithing." Mrs. Van Geffelen, who is Belgian, and her hus
band (who is not yet a member) formerly lived in Zaire (Belgian Congo),
where they first came into contact with the Work's publications (in
French.)
"Mrs. Van Geffelen and all the other members were excited to learn of the
possibility of keeping the Feast in Spain," said Mr. Barriga. "They
wish they could get together every Sabbath, but unfortunately they live
too £ar away from each other," he further explained.
Now that plans have been approved, the Feast will be a unique opportunity
to fellowship not only with their brethren from the Iberian peninsula,
but also with brethren from overseas who will be attending. The Feast
will be held at a first-class, four-star 117-room hotel with a private
beach just south of the city of Valencia on Spain's southeast coast.
"Overall," Mr. Barriga concluded, "the whole tour was very positive. All
of the members I visited were encouraged and moved at least a few steps
forward. They pray for the Work and for Mr. Armstrong, and they ask their
brethren around the world to pray for them."
Comments From Monthly Church Reports
CLARKSBURG, WV--DAVID M. JOHNSON: Of all the articles Mr. Armstrong has
written lately, we really enjoyed and appreciated the one in the June 27,
1980 Pastor General's Report on "When I Pastored a Church." I have never
had the opportunity to hear that much about Mr. Armstrong's experiences in
this area and I would like to encourage him to write more along that line