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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, SEPTEMBER 25, 1981
PAGE 5
FROM MINISTERIAL SERVICES
International News
Philippine Report Financially, August has been a good month for God's Work
here despite the dreary news about a beleaguered Philippine economy.
{A
front-page special report filed by Antonio Lopez in the August 31, 1981
national daily TIMES JOURNAL says, "The Philippines is in its most serious
economic slump since 1949. Businessmen say the economy is actually doing
worse than what government technocrats concede.") God is above all these
domestic troubles and gave His Work here a solid 69% increase in income this
month as compared with August 1980, bringing the year-to-date increase to
25%!
We have also received a good number of requests for visits, baptisms and
information on church locations and how to send in donations. We added 850
new Correspondence Course students and 2,900 new PLAIN TRUTH subscribers to
our mailing list this month.
Excitement and enthusiasm, especially among long-time members, greeted the
news from Pasadena headquarters that former Philippine Regional Director
Arthur W. Docken will be sent here as visiting overseas minister this
coming Feast. Plans are to have him speak at all five sites.
In early August Mr. Guy Ames visited the Tacloban City Church for the second
time since he arrived here last January. From there he flew to Cebu City
where he held his first ministerial conference with the church pastors in
the Visayan group of islands and Northern Mindanao. Five full-time pastors
and two local Church elders attended the two-day conference. The meeting
centered around preparations for the second largest feast site in the
Philippines this year--Cebu City. Some 700 are expected to attend there.
At the end of the month Mr. Ames made his first visit to the Naga City and
Legaspi City Churches in the southern part of Luzon island. He has now
visited 20 of the 21 existing Churches in this country.
Spanish-Speaking Area News In recent months there have been several trans
fers in the ministry employed by the Spanish-speaking area of God's Work.
Mr. Mauricio Perez, who attended Ambassador College until May of 1981, has
returned to Colombia as a ministerial trainee. He will be assisting Mr.
Eduardo Hernandez in Bogota. Mr. Pablo Gonzalez, who was also in Colombia,
has now moved to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to serve the Church there. One
other change which will take place just before the Feast is with Mr. Alberto
Sousa and his wife, Elizabeth.
Mr. Sousa, a graduate of Ambassador
College, will be going to Argentina to pastor the Church in Ezeiza.
The Spanish area of God's Work is looking forward to an exciting and profit
able feast season. There will be eight sites this year. The Feast in Spain
will be directed by Mr. Fernando Barriga. He will be assisted by Mr. Reg
Killingley, a ministerial trainee from Pasadena. Mr. Leon Walker, director
of the Spanish Department, and his wife will also begin the Feast in Spain.
From there the Walkers will go to Puerto Rico. Services at this site will
be conducted by Mr. Pablo Gonzalez.
Oaxtepec, Mexico, will have an estimated attendance of 600. Mr. Tom Turk,
office manager in Mexico City, will be the festival coordinator. He will be