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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, AUGUST 21, 1981
PAGE 7
Regional Office) requesting approval before doing so. As you can easily
imagine, the impact on the budget would be immense if everyone increased
their hall rent in order to provide classrooms. (For example: a $10 weekly
increase for every church in the U.S. would cost $183,000 in a year's time.)
Where extra hall rental is needed we will give approval this year if the
budget permits. If more is needed than the budget can allow, we will try to
obtain sufficient budget for it in the 1982 fiscal year.
International News
From Manila, Philippines
This month completed the 19th year since the
office of God's Work in the Philippines was established by Mr. Gerald Water
house in July 1962. While there was no official celebration of the event, it
was inspiring to realize that God's Work here is beginning another 19-year
cycle. It looks like an auspicious start as July presented a 34% increase in
income compared with the same month last year. The year-to-date increase is
a healthy 20.5%.
Another highlight of this month was the visit to Manila by Mr. William Sid
ney, the Financial Services officer of the Australian office of God's Work.
He spent over a week here helping the local office in setting up a more
effective office and financial system.
So far nine Filipino ministers, with their wives, have attended the Minis
terial Refresher Program in Pasadena since March. The Philippine ministry
and the brethren appreciate the Pasadena office's help in financing the
travel and accommodations of the ministers and their wives on the refresher
program.
From the Dutch Office The most important event at the end of July and August
1st this year was the opportunity for the Dutch-speaking brethren to see and
hear Mr. Herbert
w.
Armstrong in person when he visited Bonn, West Germany.
For most of them this was the first opportunity ever.
Needless to say,
enthusiasm was at an all-time high! Except for a few widows and some of the
smaller children, all three of the Dutch-speaking congregations from Belgium
and Holland came by bus and car to Bonn.
On July 31st (the day Mr. Armstrong entered his 90th year) Mr. Bram de Bree
presented to Mr. Armstrong an overview of the history, present status and
future plans of the Dutch language area of God's Work.
As the Dutch language PLAIN TRUTH circulation keeps increasing (current sub
scription 26,659), God has also blessed His Work financially this month.
July shows a year-to-date increase of 43.57% in income. Church attendance
increased 32% in July.
From Australia This month saw a significant surge forward in carrying out
the Great Commission in Australia. Following Mr. Armstrong's decision while
he was here in May, our advertising agents contracted with 15 radio stations
to air the half-hour World Tomorrow radio program daily! This is a substan
tial increase in radio power and coverage, reaching people who usually do
not listen to radio on Sundays, but who are more inclined to tune in week
days. The additional 15 stations currently airing the program weekly will
go daily as time becomes available.