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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, JULY 5, 1985
PAGE 5
International News
From Mr. Leon Walker Circulation of La PURA VERDAD remained well above
200,000 until the June issue, when it declined to 174,307. This sudden drop
was due to the accumulated effects of the lumping-together of several
groups of subscribers as a result of the 13-issue subscription term. Since
then, PV circulation has stabilized, and is expected to rise to 200,000 by
the end of 1985. Circulation of the Spanish GOOD NEWS has remained in the 9
to 10,000 range after peaking at 13,098 with the January issue, after which
renewals reduced circulation by 3,500.
1985 is proving to be a big year for PV lectures, much more so than 1984. A
total of nine lectures have been conducted in six countries, with a total of
1,926 new people in attendance. This is already nearly the total new at
tendance registered for all of last year, when 2,569 new people attended
ten lectures in seven countries.
More lectures are scheduled after the Feast of Tabernacles for La Paz,
Bolivia; Panama City, Panama; and San Juan, Puerto Rico, as well as six
cities throughout Mexico. Other lectures may be scheduled later in the
year in Central America, Colombia and Argentina. Total new attendance is
expected to be near 4,000, which would surpass the 3,707 who attended PV
lectures in 1983. Reports from ministers indicate that over 200 people are
now attending Sabbath services or Bible studies as a result of lectures
held since 1982.
Two Ambassador College graduates are returning to Mexico to serve as minis
terial trainees. Saul Langarica will go to northern Mexico to work with Mr.
Gilberto Marin, pastor of the Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua churches. Felipe
Neri will work with Mr. Pablo Dimakis, pastor of the Guadalajara and Tepic
churches. Mr. Francisco Hui will move from Tepic to the Monterrey area,
where he will assist Mr. Alfredo Mercado.
Mr. Fernando Barriga, pastor of the Tijuana and Mexicali, Mexico churches,
was raised to the rank of preaching elder in January during the Ministerial
Refreshing Program. Mr. Carlos Espinoza, formerly a local church elder,
was employed full time in April to assist Mr. Alberto Sousa, who has been in
desperate need of help. Mr. Sousa pastors the Ezeiza, Argentina, and Sal
to, Uruguay churches, and conducts Bible studies in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Also, Mr. Mario Seiglie, pastor of the Santiago, Chile church, ordained Mr.
Fermin Nain a deacon on April 20. Mr. Nain is currently the only deacon in
any of the Spanish-language churches outside of Mexico and Puerto Rico.
There are currently 1,955 co-workers and 3,998 donors on the Spanish mail
ing list, both of which are all-time highs! Since the beginning of the
year, co-workers have increased by 12.6% and donors by 10.7%. Some of the
greatest growth in these categories has been seen in Mexico, where co
workers and donors have increased by 42% and 11% respectively.
Year-to-date figures show 1,104 members in the Spanish- and Portuguese
speaking countries, a 4.4% increase, with 60 baptisms (29 in Mexico).
The Bible correspondence course, which peaked at 15,000 last year, declined
to 8,000 earlier this year due to the enactment of the testing system. The
number of active students has been steadily rising since then, and cur
rently stands at 10,806.