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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, JUNE 10, 1986
PAGE 5
Other activity this month in Mr. Lapacka • s area was a combined Sabbath
service of the Swiss churches (both French- and German-speaking) in
Egerkingen, north of Bern, on Sabbath, April 26. This was a very special
opportunity for our brethren because the French Regional Director, Mr.
Dibar Apartian, spoke to some 262 Swiss brethren from the German and
French congregations.
Mr. Lapacka said that the brethren were visibly
enthusiastic and happy that Mr. Apartian took the time to speak to them at
this special Sabbath service.
Mail income for the month of April was up 11.4 percent over April of last
year and the year-to-date mail income stood at +10.3 percent.
(Submitted by Frank Schnee, Regional Director)
From the British Office
Newsstand distribution of
n
The Plain Truth,
11
previously running at 110,000 per month, is to be stepped up to 115,000
copies monthly, starting with the June cover date. The extra magazines
will allow us to open several new outlets and make the magazine available
to a still wider audience.
By the end of 1986 it is planned to boost
newsstand circulation even higher up to 130,000 copies per issue.
Mail income for April this year was 7.2 percent higher than last year.
However, last year's April figure was very high in comparison to the
previous year.
Holy Day offerings during the Days of Unleavened Bread
were approximately 10 percent up on 1985.
Mail income year-to-date is
running at 11.9 percent, so we are almost 2 percent over budget.
For the first time, Ambassador Press, based in Radlett, has begun printing
the French-language edition of
n
The Good News
n
nLa Bonne Nouvelle
n
. Over
37,000 copies of the May issue will be mailed out from here to subscribers
in France, Belgium, the Middle East, Canada, Haiti and many other parts of
the globe. Ambassador Press now handles five editions of "The Good News
n
each month, including South African and Caribbean editions.
Europe/Middle East Much is happening on the tiny Mediterranean island of
Malta (known as Melita to the Romans and the apostle Paul--Acts 28:1).
Despite a strongly Roman Catholic environment, the Maltese congregation
has flourished.
Church attendance for the Days of Unleavened Bread was
50-strong, which is up 15 on last year.
Offerings were also up by an
impressive 50 percent. As well as receiving the
n
world Tomorrow" program
on the Italian TV station RETEQUATTRO, the Maltese will be able to pick up
copies of "The Plain Truth
n
via their newsstands. The newsstand program
is continuing here with 1,300 copies of the June issue. Coming up shortly
is a four-night campaign, to be held in the island's capital, Valletta,
over the Pentecost period.
Invitations have been sent to 1,200 "Good
News" readers and up to 300 are expected to attend.
For Passover and the first day of Unleavened Bread, the Maltese brethren
were able to hear from Mr. Paul Suckling, Director of Church
Administration in the U.K., who has been one of several ministers
traveling abroad during this Holy Day season. Mr. Suckling traveled on to
Athens, Amman, Oman, Dubai (United Arab Emirates) and Cairo. His final
port of call was Yugoslavia before returning to England on Monday, May 12.
Meetings with 14 prospective members in these several countries had been
arranged and reports indicate that all went very much according to plan.