Basic HTML Version
PAGE 6
PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, JUNE 15, 1984
PUBLISHING SERVICES UPDATE
Newsstand Program Bears Fruit
The PLAIN TRUTH Newsstand Distribution Program is now in its eighth year in
the United States, and we are beginning to see more and more results of its
impact and success. As you are already aware, the prime purpose of the
program is to promote The PLAIN TRUTH magazine which proclaims the Gospel
as a witness to the world {Matt. 24:14); but we also know that "many are
called but few are chosen." We are happy to report that the "few" who are
being called and chosen by God are on the increase due in part to the
newsstand program.
In 1982, 130 prospective members were baptized whose first contact with
God's Church came through the newsstand program. In 1983, we saw an in
crease of 60% as 208 people who listed newsstands as the source of their
first contact with God's Church became members. Because of the nature of
the newsstand program, we have expected people to become involved more
slowly.
The percentage of newsstand readers who become regular subscribers contin
ues to rise. For 1984, response from the February newsstand issue was 2.3%;
the response for March's issue so far is 2.5%; and the April issue's re
sponse is currently running at 2.8%. Responses from all three issues are
still coming in.
This increase in response is extremely exciting and represents a consider
able rise from the low of 1.2% last year. This continued rise in response
is a direct result of the efforts of the coordinators in the field in ob
taining new outlets. We have found the percentage of responses to be higher
when new outlets are obtained and new people have exposure to the magazine
for the first time.
In May, we received 346,864 requests for books and booklets. PT circula
tion programs accounted for 60% of these requests.
The largest single
source for people requesting literature continues to be the PT literature
insert envelope, with 54,466 people responding by using this vehicle. The
largest sources for book and booklet requests are listed below.
Source
PT Lit Envelopes
Intro Issue
TV/WATS
Booklet Inserts
Unknown
PT Magazine
Newsstands
TV Mail
Correspondence Course
# Books and Booklets
107,005
51,317
45,003
33,597
20,226
17,852
13,840
11,464
9,890
A well-deserved note of thanks goes to all pastors, newsstand coordinators
and our brethren who give of their time to help the work of God's Church in
the Newsstand Distribution Program.
--Ray Wright, Publishing Services