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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, February 6, 1981
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into evolution as a basic approach to all knowledge, and of the Bible
which to me proved to be that approach and God's revealed knowledge, I
wondered, "Where is the true Church?" They were so impotent spiritually
(Rev. 3:1), and even in Biblical knowledge, yet what they did have was
more Biblical TRUTH than any church my researches revealed. They had "the
Commandments of God and the Testimony of Jesus," and the right name--and
no other church had. But they were so small--so pitifully weak. They
were not proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, but "the third
angel's Message."
But of what did their "Work" consist, and how organized? They were
organized on congregational (democratic) government as a nBiannual
General Conference." To the best of my knowledge they had less than a
thousand members -and an uneducated ministry--that is, not college-educat
ed. The editor of their church organ, "The Bible Advocate," seemed their
leader. Five members could form a local church, and each church had one
vote. Their ministers, who knew the Bible well so far as their limited
doctrines extended, went out holding meetings in members' homes, in tiny
tents and such means. I inquired of older members, but none knew of a
single conversion resulting from the preaching of any minister.
In 1931 the Oregon members split. The half my wife and I had
fellowshipped with (never joining) formed a new church corporation as
"The Oregon Conference of the Church of God." I was ordained by this
"Oregon Conference." I preached for them from ordination, June 1931
through November, 1931, tmen again from February 1933 to August 1933.
The "Philadelphia Era" Born
In July, 1933, I started a six-nights-a-week series of meetings for
six weeks in a 36-seat count�y school house--the Jeans school--eight miles
west of Eugene, Oregon. Result: 11 new baptized members plus eight of us
already baptized--total: 19. It was just over 100 19-year time cycles
after the very first Church was founded by Jesus Christ. I had been
ordained precisely, to the month, 100 time cycles after the first apostles
were ordained, June, 1931.
On forming of the new little parent Church, I ceased working under
jurisdiction of the Oregon Conference, although I continued voluntarily
as their pastor. The Worldwide Church of God was a newborn fledgling,
which Christ, the HEAD of the Church, was conducting solely by me, known
beginning 1934 as the Radio Church of God. It became the Worldwide Church
of God in 1968.
What I S the Work, and How
Organized TODAY?
As stated above, the WORK of proclaiming the Gospel Jesus brought
from GOD was suppressed beginning about A.O. 53, and not proclaimed to
the world after 70 A.O., for 100 time cycles.
In our day, 20th century, the churches of "Christianity" pro
claim merely their message about Jesus. They proclaim that Jesus was
the Christ. But they say "the Law of GOD is done away," and there
fore preach no real repentance. The "Kingdom" has become "the Church,"
or some ethereal nothingness "set up in men's hearts." The Gospel
of the KINGDOM OF GOD was not preached. It was not proclaimed by