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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, AUGUST 7, 1981
PAGE 4
Evelyn and I took great interest in what Roy had to say. Dit gaan goed !
(It's going well!) Highlights will be given after we return to Pasadena. The
South Africans brought a beautifully crocheted tablecloth for Mrs. Arm
strong. It contained 777 large, round medallions and 720 small ones. There
were 12.5 MILES of No. 60 thread in the cloth and it took 1,200 hours to
make!
During the presentation Roy asked about the "open door" policy in the
Church. Mr. HWA said he did not want the closed door to be too exclusive.
But our services are not public meetings. It is not a place for the general
public, especially those who are hostile. If people are curious and ask to
attend it is difficult to say no. If he knows such people are attending, the
pastor may decide to alter the sermon a bit. It is best if such people only
attend for one week--if that is possible.
He reminded Roy that we are not hostile to the public--as God is not hostile
to them. He gave His Son for all mankind. We must use wisdom in how we
handle these situations. He said that God is not calling the world at this
time. God "closed the door" to the Holy Spirit to Adam and all his children,
except those He would specifically call out of the world. Mr. Armstrong said
he wondered how many of our members really understand that the natural human
mind can only comprehend physical knowledge. The world has NO spiritual
knowledg� since the Garden of Eden! He said the Church must see that the
human mind without God's Spirit is only half there!
Do you?
Does the
congregation you serve?
Thursday was spent packing for the flight to the Continent. Mr. Armstrong
had an appointment at 10 a.m. with Mr. Walter Nelson who requested to see him
while he was in London. Mr. Nelson has been involved in one or two projects
with the Church in England. At 11 a.m. Mr. Brown stopped by to show HWA
prospective sites for relocating the British office once the press is sold.
At 12:15 we were travelling to Luton Airport for the flight to Bonn, West
Germany.
Herr Schnee and his wife were there to meet us, as were the Karlsons. Herr
Hennig had arranged for the smoothest border formalities we have had so far
this trip. We were treated like a domestic flight--no passports or customs.
On Friday morning Mr. Bram De Bree gave Mr. Armstrong and me an overview of
God's Work in the Dutch language. Bram and his wife were in Bonn to attend
the special Sabbath service for German and Dutch brethren the next day. Bram
explained that Holland's population is 14 million and that Holland is only
1/13 the size of California. You can put 134 Hollands into the United
States. One-half of the population lives in one large urban area that in
cludes Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. In all, 22 million Europeans
speak Dutch. Like Britain there is no commercial radio or television avail
able. More details will come later.
Friday afternoon Mr. Armstrong and the rest of the party drove to the office
in Bonn for a tour and the German presentation. The office is located on a
beautiful tree-lined avenue in a prestige area of Bonn. It has four levels
so we had to go up and down stairs to see everything--and Mr. Armstrong
wanted to see everything! On the top floor Herr Schnee presented a report on
the German-speaking area of God's Work. There are 90 million German-speak
ing people in Europe. They live in an area about the same size as Oregon.
At present there are 14 churches and seven ministers. Interestingly, the
next day, August 1, was EXACTLY 20 years since the first German PLAIN TRUTH