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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, MARCH 18, 1983
PAGE 8
we are now categorizing visit requests into three broad types:
1. Requests from brand new people with little or no knowledge
about the Church or Work
These requests will no longer be sent to you, nor will we
give out your name and phone number.
Instead, we will
kindly suggest that they first read and study certain recom
mended literature to become better acquainted with the
Church and its teachings.
If they request a visit after
reading the literature, it will be handled as described in
the following category.
2. Requests from those who show promise of becoming prospective
members
These people have some knowledge about the Work and the
Church. They have been reading The PLAIN TRUTH as well as
our booklets for some time.
To ensure that they are
seriously interested in a visit, we will send them your name
and phone number so they can call you. We will also notify
you of their request. If they don't call, you are not ex
pected to make contact unless you for some reason deem it
advisable.
3. Requests from those apparently being led to conversion and
baptism
These people have made a direct request for a visit and
appear to be good PMs who want to be baptized or have con
tact with a minister. We will inform them that their re
quest has been forwarded to you, and that you will contact
them for an appointment as soon as possible. We will also
send your card should they need to call you.
Emergency Situations Occasionally, we receive urgent requests from new
people for ministerial counsel--often involving serious marital problems,
child abuse, alcohol or drug abuse, suicide threats, etc.
In these
critical situations, Personal Correspondence or WATS will call you immed
iately and relay the information.
We would also like to mention that both WATS and PC personnel do endeavor to
sort out potential problems--"kooks," detractors,
disfellowshipped
members, etc. We never knowingly give out your name and phone number to
such individuals. However, we do not always have adequate information to
make a proper judgment. If you find that certain people are "timewasters"
please let us know. This will help us in evaluating future requests from
them.
How Some Ministers of Other Churches Use Our Literature
We frequently receive letters and phone calls of appreciation from
ministers of other churches. Interestingly, some incorporate what they've
learned from us into their sermons and counseling. One pastor even changed
his _Sunday services to Saturday after reading our Sabbath booklet!
Following are some of the comments we have received.