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PASTOR'S REPORT, May 7, 1979
Page 13
the stories would have ended up being too complimentary of Mr. Armstrong
and the Church because they would have had to report exactly what Mr.
Armstrong accomplished and who he met.
Stepping Up Our Projects In Japan
Mr. Rader told the employees that Mr. Armstrong affirmed all of our old
programs and will be taking on new projects, stepping up our activities
in Japan. When Mr. Armstrong returns to Japan en route to China he plans
to have a public Bible study with Plain Truth subscribers. Further, we
are going to step up distribution of the Plain Truth in Japan and reinsti
tute the newsstand program there. Looking down the road, it is hoped
that this will bring forth a Japanese language work over the next decade.
Commenting about the extraordinary favor God has granted the Work in
Japan, Mr. Rader said that "these people have a great veneration for Mr.
Armstrong as an individual and as a unique human being. They have a
great feeling about his spirituality an� look upon him as someone of
great help to them. They like to i_als�/ be of help to us."
He noted that Mr. Armstrong's "Japanese sons" have been great friends and
that there is much they can do for the Work. They give a lift in some
places and they have helped knock down barriers in others that would other
wise be there.
"They have, as Mr. Armstrong would say, opened some doors
for us. Maybe doors that would open up anyway, but they do give us an
assist."
"Doors" On Western Shores, Too
Answering inquiries about the European Work, Mr. Rader said that we have
a strong branch office operation in Europe. He said that we are going
to do our best to "beef up those operations over the next few years."
Last fall Mr. Ray Wright had done a complete study of ways to develop
the Work in Europe. We were ready to implement much of that this winter
and spring, but we had to put that on the back burner because of the
crisis.
"As far as the leaders are concerned, there is no great effort that we'll
have to make to meet them," remarked Mr. Rader. "We could do so at any
time. But they are the developed countries and I think that we have to
be prepared in those countries in order to do more than just meet the
leaders. We are going to have to be able to spend money in those countries
as we do here, in order to compete with all the other things that are
trying to attract the public's attention with goods and services."
Mr. Rader observed that our offices in those countries have only so much
indigenous income and that we can only give them so much support, whereas
it will take more money from the United States to get that particular
effort moving in some vertical curve. He said that since the recent
events have come about states side, the European Work will require a
fresh look so as to determine what we will be able to do on a country
to-country basi�. Meanwhile, he said "we are holding our own and, more
than that, we ha.ve good dedicated people" in the European Work.
Much Potential In "The Incredible Human Potential"
Mr. Armstrong's book, The Incredible Human Potential, is behind schedule
about 6 to 8 weeks in reaching the bookstores, but there is another way