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eye" to your fellow ministers and to your brethren in your congre-
gations.
I have heard of
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criticism directed against the leadership
in the Church, even o
taking sides." I've heard of divisive
comments made. to deacons and elders that can only hurt and confuse
our brethren. Mo minister has the right to do or say anything to the
brethren in his area that would serve to disorient, confuse or cause
loss Of stability to those he· pastors. If any such questions or
attitudes exist in the mind of any of you ministers, please contact
us and let us help you work it out.
We have written you before that this is the time for strength,
for being cloaked with the armor of God, to stand in the gap as a
strong warrior. But rather than this, �ome are showing weakness, lack
of integrity, lack of loyalty to the Work they represent and are dis
qualifying themselves as servants of God.
Fellows; I don't know how many more problems we may have and how
grave they may be as we weather these current storms, but one thing
I do know. This Work of God is going to go on! Battered, beaten
ancr-weary as we may sometimes feel, we will still plough through
"rough seas." This Work which has the message of HOPE, and of the
true DESTINY for all mankind, is GOING ON with God's help and with
God's blessing.
Now, for some specifics, I am asking that each of you carefully
evaluate the condition of your church area and be absolutely sure you
are not leaving your churches at a criticial time of need before you
carry through with vacation plans (if you have vacations planned
soon). Anyone who has accepted God's call to the ministry must be
prepared to put his work ahead of personal plans. Vacations can be
rescheduled if necessary. All ministers are to stay in close contact
with their Area Coordinators and keep them fully informed about the
state of the church, trends, potential problems, etc.
The Area Coordinators are asked to be in regular contact with
ministers in their area and be as sure as possible about the record,
service and loyalty o
°
f each. Wherever we have ministers who are; !llaking
statements in meetings which polarize, cause confusion, or in any way
create a potentially divisive condition, the respective Area Coordinator
is to take necessary steps to correct the matter.
Our sincere intentiofi is to faithfully defend the ministry. But
as part of this, the converse is to take quick and decisive measures
to correct situations that are not worthy of that support.
I have recently heard that a few ministers may be planning
to follow Mr. Ted Armstrong if he pursues some kind of active evangelism
or work. It is hard for me to believe that any would actually do so,
but with all that has happened I guess I can believe anything! If
Ted does set up another work, (and I don't mean to imply that he intends
to, although some newspaper articles have indicated �hat he might) he
will be doing what he has said
many,
many times he would never do.
Many, if not all of us, have heard him say that..if he left the Work,
he would go off and not ask ·or seek -� 'person to follow him.
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