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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, JANUARY 28, 1983
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Our GOOD NEWS circulation is up 9.3%, now going to 4,217 subscribers. This
will increase as we are offering The GOOD NEWS to 6,000 BIBLE CORRESPOND
ENCE COURSE students. And YOUTH 83 is now received by 1,251 avid readers.
During 1982, 206,180 pieces of mail were received whilst outgoing mail was
253,742--a 23.3% increase over 1981.
The income for 1982 showed a very fine 23.4% increase over 1981 in South
Africa. The increase in Zimbabwe was 3.8%. It takes a while to get bank
statements from Mauritius and Zambia, so final figures are not available as
yet. Members contributed about 76% of the Work's income. It is good to see
that our co-workers have increased by 7.4%.
Our members now total 1,431. This is a four percent increase over 1981.
There are 1,084 members in South Africa, 227 in Zimbabwe, 40 in Mauritius,
30 in Zambia, 14 in Transkei, 14 in Botswana, 12 in Lesotho, eight in Swazi
land and two in Namibia. It is very encouraging to see that our baptisms
increased by 16.8% last year. The weekly attendance at Church services is
now just over 2,100.
Mr. Herbert
w.
Armstrong's visit to South Africa November 5-9, 1982 was
certainly the most inspiring event of the year. He spoke in Johannesburg to
1,246 and to 388 in Cape Town. Other members heard him by telephone hook-up
in Durban, Pietermaritzburg, East London and Port Elizabeth, and on tape in
outlying areas. His visit was and. still is, much appreciated by everyone.
We have begun 1983 with a balanced budget. The main purpose will be to be
about our Father's business. Our 1983 budget has 55.78% assigned for ad
vertising and distributing The PLAIN TRUTH magazine. 1983 should be a very
exciting and rewarding year.
Australian Year-end Summary December ended 1982 on a very encouraging and
positive note. We are most grateful to the Living Head of this Work, Jesus
Christ, for providing an excellent 36.9% increase in income for the month.
Members and co-workers have been seriously affected by the depressed econ
omy, high unemployment and a gloomy national outlook. However, in response
to Mr. Armstrong's recent co-worker letters, extra offerings boosted our
income for the month. Final income figures for the year showed a 17.4%
increase over 1981.
At the end of the year The PLAIN TRUTH mailing list for Australia stood at
63,640 subscribers--a 13.6% increase over the same period the year before.
Throughout 1982, new subscribers requesting The PLAIN TRUTH magazine in
response to advertising in T.V. WEEK magazine, the Newsstand Programme, and
the television and radio broadcast totaled 31,937.
This represents a
168.9% increase in new subscribers over 1981. The ongoing renewal pro
gramme throughout the year maintained a viable list of interested readers
with an overall renewal response of 52%.
In Asia The PLAIN TRUTH mailing list at the end of December stood at 41,540
readers--a 30.7% increase over the same period the year before. Primarily
through word of mouth, or seeing a friend's copy, new Asian subscribers re
questing The PLAIN TRUTH throughout the year totaled 10,778--a 57.2% in
crease over 1981. The exceptionally high interest shown by Asian readers