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PASTOR GENERAL' REPORT, December 5, 1980
TO ALL MINISTERS
by
Herbert W. Armstrong
Page 9
I am reminded, in line with the above, of one problem of the past.
Many of our ministers, from about 1967, apparently began to feel that the
organizational structure in God's Church, from the top down, had a dif
ferent meaning than it does.
In both I Corinthians 12 and Ephesians 4 we find a chain of AUTHORITY
in the Bible. God the Father is HEAD above all. Jesus Christ is next in
line of authority. But GET THIS: UNDERSTAND IT! Although Jesus is the
living HEAD of the Church, He has never CUT US OFF from going direct to
the Father. In teaching us how to pray He did not say, "Don't you DARE
take any matter to the Father. You DON'T DARE go past ME! Although I am
under the Father in authority I am OVER YOU, and if you dare take it over
my head and go to the Father direct, I will CUT YOU OFF!" No, Jesus said,
"When ye pray, say, Our Father," etc.--go direct to the Father, but in
Jesus' name--by His authority. That is, Jesus gave us AUTHORITY to go to
the Father direct.
But many in the ministry FEARED to come direct to me. The chain of
authority is, first God the Father, next Christ, HEAD of the CHURCH, next,
on the human level, Christ's Apostle, then, UNDER, not over the Apostle,
Evangelist, then Pastor, then Elder.
But many FEARED for their jobs if
they came direct about anything to the Apostle. The Evangelist-rank
Executive Vice-Presidential office was considered the TOP and anyone above
was CUT OFF! That really meant, if anyone stopped to consider it, that
all above the office in charge of ministers, or the Executive Vice-Presi
dent were CUT OFF! That means, actually, being CUT OFF from Christ and
from God the Father!
Let me once for all make this CLEAR and PLAIN. NO ONE is CUT OFF
from corning to me. No one is CUT OFF from going abov�my head to Christ,
or above His head to the Father!
Any major problem may be brought directly to me. NO ONE MUST FEAR
to bring any such matter to me direct! NO ONE IS CUT OFF FROM me!
On the other hand I do want you to understand I can't handle every
routine matter, that's what other offices under me are for!
But NO ONE SETS POLICIES BUT THE APOSTLE! And all major problems
may be freely brought to the Apostle. The door is open. But please just
don't come to me with every little minor thing, for there are just not
enough of me to handle so many matters. Use judgment and wisdom. "Nuff
said"!!