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PA STOR GENERAL'S REPORT, MAY 24, 1985
PAGE 3
International News
From Dr. Roy McCarthy The work of God's Church in Southern Africa is grow
ing by leaps and bounds! We thought 1984 would be difficult to emulate be
cause last year we added 169,000 � PLAIN TRUTH subscribers to our mailing
list. But God has again richly blessed our promotional efforts. During the
first three months of 1985, we have already added 56,900 new subscribers!
Our present circulation figures are: Republic of South Africa--261,341,
iimbabwe--18,643, Mauritius--6,227 and zambia--6,657, for a total of
292,868.
The advertisement in the February 1985 READER'S DIGEST gave us a response
of 18,201. Another READER'S DIGEST advertisement in April has thus far re
sulted in 9,869 responses.
A selection of direct mail packages will be tested here soon. These pack
ages are similar to those used recently in Canada.
Our Feast of Tabernacles arrangements are progressing very well. Instead
of the previously announced five sites, we will now have six. The majority
of our coloured brethren will now attend at Sonesta near Hermanus, about
one and one-half hours by car from Cape Town. This will greatly relieve the
economic stress of more distant travel. We are very happy that Mr. and Mrs.
Les McCullough will be visiting us for the Feast and we look forward to hav
ing them with us. It is hoped they will be able to visit three sites during
their stay.
Mr. Peter McLean, presently pastoring the Burleigh Heads church in Austra
lia, will be transferred to South Africa, where he will pastor the Johan
nesburg Central church.
Reflecting the heavy volume of mail being received in the office, the num
ber of letters requiring attention by the Personal Correspondence Depart
ment has been considerable. It is interesting that there have been 35 visit
requests in the last six weeks. A number of these expressed a desire to at
tend Church services or be baptised.
Two of our ministers will have the opportunity to attend the Camp Direc
tors' Conference at SEP Orr, Minnesota. This conference is scheduled for
July 1 through 8. Mr. Robert Klynsmith, pastor of the Harare, Zimbabwe con
gregation, will attend prior to going on to Pasadena for the Ministerial
Refreshing Programme. Mr. John Bartholomew, pastor of the Durban, South
Africa congregation, will fly over specially for the conference. He has
been camp director for our local Summer Educational Programme for the past
ten ·years.
_Both men will observe the closing of the first session of SEP at Orr and the
transition, orientation and beginning activities of session 2; attend vari
ous lectures and activities; and be addressed by Mr. Armstrong during his
visit to Orr. It is Mr. Armstrong's desire that we become more united in
our overall camp philosophies and activities.
The i � come has given rise to some concern. Southern Africa is still very
much 1n the throes of an economic downturn, involving many factors: much
unemployment, smaller salary increases in the face of the general sales tax
increase from 10% to 12%, a fuel increase of 40%, an inflation rate of about