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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, FEBRUARY 1, 1985
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local organization with this facility. The WATS number is now being adver
tised on "The WORLD TOMORROW" telecast across the nation, and we expect
1985 to be a very productive year as more and more people make direct
contact with God's Church by phone.
A major effort by our members in Australia throughout 1984 dramatically in
creased our library/waiting room subscription list. At the beginning of
the year we had only 376 libraries and waiting rooms on file. By the end of
December over 9,900 new outlets had been added to the list, many of which
also requested a subscription to the YOUTH magazine.
In addition, two of our Church members were successful in placing The PLAIN
TRUTH, Mr. Armstrong's books, and a number of relevant booklets into the
library of every prison and corrective institution in Queensland, New South
Wales, Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory. The number of
prisons and corrective institutions which are now the recipients of the
Church's publications is 66.
Other encouraging increases have occurred in The GOOD NEWS and YOUTH circu
lations. In Australia The GOOD NEWS mailing list rose by 86.6%, and in Asia
by 78.4%. Australian YOUTH circulation climbed by 61.0%, and in Asia it
rose by 63.3%.
These fine increases in our magazine subscription lists have brought in
many additional requests from our readers. In 1984 we received and pro
cessed 302,355 items of mail--a 47.4% increase over the previous year. In
addition, outgoing mail passed the� million mark for the first time in
the history of God's Church here in this area of the world: 1,025,051 pieces
of mail were posted--a 25.3% increase over 1983.
Mr. Armstrong's visit to Japan, China, Hong Kong, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri
Lanka and Thailand in November and December greatly enhanced God's work in
these Asian countries. As a result of Mr. Armstrong's visit with leading
officials in Sri Lanka, "The WORLD TOMORROW" telecast was accepted for air
ing over Colombo TV station, ITNll. The first telecasts aired in early De
cember, and resulted in 526 responses.
A special system has now been
organized so that the literature requested by viewers in Sri Lanka can be
placed in their hands with a minimum of delay.
Currently 38 full-time ministers serve the brethren in 50 congregations
throughout Australia and Asia, and 27 full-time employees serve in the Aus
tralian regional office.
This past twelve months 152 members were added to God's Church in Austra
lia, bringing our total membership to 3,222--a 3.1% increase over 1983. In
1984, 25 Asian members were added to God's Church, bringing the membership
in the Asian area to 389--a 7.2% increase over the previous year.
Attendance in 1984 at the six festival sites in Australia increased by 5.2%
to 5,702, and the brethren continued to wholeheartedly support God's Church
through their holy day offerings--up 25.4% over 1983. In Asia 702 brethren
gathered to observe the Feast of Tabernacles at four festival sites--Sri
Lanka, Malaysia, Burma and the Solomon Islands. This was a 13.4% increase
in attendance over 1983.
SEP camp at Lake Moogerah began December 27, 1984, with a jam-packed pro
gramme of activities, education, challenge, fellowship and fun scheduled