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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, JANUARY 13, 1984
from 2,320 to 11,808 by the end of the year! Growth in the number of co
workers and donors has been strong since 1980 and has continued in 1983,
with donors up by six percent and co-workers by 30%.
Church and Bible study attendance averaged 1,503 in 21 churches and five
outlying Bible studies in 10 countries. Total membership now numbers 972
and represents a 6.2% increase over 1982. During the year 64 baptisms were
conducted in 13 countries. Currently 20 ministers serve the Spanish- and
Portuguese-speaking areas.
During the past year, four new CC lessons, four new reprint articles, five
booklets and two books were translated by the Spanish Department editorial
area in addition to the regular issues of the magazines.
Also, three
booklets and two reprint articles were translated into Portuguese. At this
time, there are 14 pieces of literature available in Portuguese.
End-of-year Repert From Germany
The activities of God's Church in the
German-speaking area experienced record growth during the year just ended.
At the beginning of 1983, the German PLAIN TRUTH (KLAR & WAHR) list stood at
106,000 subscribers. At the end of December it had reached 200,000. During
1983, a total of 143,000 new requests for subscriptions arrived at the Bonn
office, 121,317 of which were for the German PLAIN TRUTH and the rest for
other languages.
Most of the requests for subscriptions came as a result of advertising. One
ad with a reply postcard in the November German and Swiss READER'S DIGEST
(total circulation of 1.5 million) brought in 28,790 requests.
Another ad, with only a reply coupon, appeared on the back cover of the
German Automobile Club's January 1984 issue of their magazine, ADAC
MOTORWELT (circulation seven million). Published in the closing days of
1983, this has already brought in over 20,000 responses. In past years the
record for responses from one ad was 24,000 from DER SPIEGEL. The new ad in
ADAC MOTORWELT may possibly double that!
It is the largest piece of
advertising ever placed by the German office and will reach one quarter of
all West German households.
The increase in income for 1983 stands at about 20.7% over 1982. Thirteen
hundred new donors and 550 new co-workers were added last year, so this
looks favorable for 1984. Holy day offerings were up 45% in 1983. The
German GOOD NEWS list reached 10,764 by the end of the year--a 100% increase
over 1982.
In 1983, the Bonn office installed a.Datapoint 8600 series computer, which
will help process all the added work. A fine piece of property with a
building where the booklets are stored was purchased and plans are to move
the postal services department to that area.
--Joe Tkach, Ministerial Services
Y.O.U. UPDATE
1984 S.E.P. Applications Available
S.E.P. applications for Orr and Big Sandy have been mailed to all United
States Church pastors for distribution. Two types of applications will . be
made available--CAMPER, which applies to campers only, and CAMPER II, which