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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, JUNE 11, 1982
PAGE 3
Although brethren ao feel that having tapes of local sermons and
Feast sermons will help them review and learn even more about
God's truth, years of experience has shown the opposite to be
true.
Members who are relying on tape recordings for further
review tend to be less attentive than they otherwise would be
during the sermon.
God's ministers are commanded to give meat in due season.
Too
often, those who need to hear the instruction, correction, admon
ition, doctrine or reproof at the time it is given are only
partially attentive because they know they can hear it later on
tape. Many do not even place the real value on attendance that
they should because they intend to listen to the tape later, at a
time they choose, instead of at the time God chooses--on the
Sabbath with the brethren, paying full attention and taking
notes.
We should also understand human nature well enough to realize how
easy it is to convince yourself that you're going to faithfully
study the tape later--and then keep putting it off until it is
forgotten. Meanwhile, the actual inspired delivery of the mes
sage was missed.
Some brethren use tapes as a substitute for ministerial counsel
ing.
Instead of going to the ministry to seek needed personal
counsel, they simply find a tape on the subject they feel they
have a problem with, avoiding perhaps the embarrassment, but true
value of, face-to-face ministerial counsel.
Heads of households who rely on tapes to bring messages home to
family members who were unable to attend miss out on the oppor
tunity to grow in their responsibility to teach their families
God's truth from their own notes.
There is also the obvious distraction to both the speaker and the
brethren of recorders shutting off, tapes being turned over and
machines being handled.
Besides the distraction to others, the
people operating recorders tend to become more concerned with
getting a good quality recording than with concentrating intently
on the sermon God is inspiring as it is given.
God intends that we follow His instruction to meet together on
His Sabbaths and hear His inspired words. In cases of emergency
or illness, members may request of their local pastor a loaner
tape of the sermon they had to miss. But even these should not be
circulated or distributed to others before being returned.
For these and other reasons, personal tape recording of services
and distributing tapes among brethren is contrary to Church
policy as established by Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong.
Further Instructions Regarding Sermon Tapes
As you are aware, in the last few years the distribution and circulation of
taped local sermons and Bible studies have become rampant. Several tapes
have circulated all over the United States, which were sermons given by
local pastors who intended the message only for their local congregations.