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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, APRIL 18, 1986
Number Added
(Jan. to Mar.)
Members
Co-Workers
Donors
1985
1,384
9,856
15,028
1986
1,490
11,903
15,889
Increase
7.7%
20.8%
5.7%
PAGE 11
Current worldwide totals for these groups are as follows:
Members
Co-Workers
Donors
81,401
91,937
148,328
As a note of interest, members of God's Church live in 115 of the 202
countries and territories around the world.
Local churches meet in 55
different countries.
u.s.
Baptisms We are happy to report that baptisms are quite high for the
first quarter of this year! A total of 1,032 people were baptized in the
United States from January through March. This represents a 15.2 percent
increase over the same period last year, when 896 were baptized. These
counts have not been this high for the first quarter of any year since
1975.
We would also like to mention that visit requests are continuing to be
made in record numbers. Last month we reported a 40 percent increase in
visit requests. This month the increase has jumped to 64.8 percent. The
year-to-date count is 5,461.
Telephone responses in the Caribbean islands have also increased
dramatically.
Trinidad, which has three lines, received 1,491 calls in
January and 1,998 in February.
Comments We are now receiving a number of questions about Passover and
the Days of Unleavened Bread. One reader said that the knowledge of these
days is "like a burst of sunshine after a lifetime of darkness." Many are
convinced that they should start keeping God's Holy Days and have asked
how to properly observe them. Here are some of the letters:
"I have been receiving 'The Plain Truth' for several years along with
numerous booklets. Now I am disturbed and troubled because we do not keep
God's Sabbaths and Holy Days.
I have a burning desire to expose my
children to the true Church and its teachings because I want them to be
happy--not lost, desolate, and confused.
"We currently attend a Methodist church on Sunday. The people there are
very nice, the preacher is thought-provoking--but we're keeping the wrong
day and the wrong 'holy' days! What a dilemma!"
Kernersville, North Carolina