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PASTOR GENERAL
1
S REPORT, August 21, 1979
Page 10
following year. An alternate to
attend. In this way, important
the Festival may be brought home
out entirely--yet, without great
this plan is for the husband only to
·ssons, announcements and the spirit of
to the family so that they might not miss
expense.
Another point to remember is thAt if a familv has not been blessed with
adequate Festival Tithe, perhaps this reflects a problem of some sort:
questionab
attitude, lack of steadfast obedience or proper approach in
other areas of their lives. When this is the case, it would be wrong to
override God's lack of blessing with Festival assistance.
Also, we cannot grant assistance to anyone requesting� transfer to a more
distant site unless there is a unique situation or an emergency involved.
This may sound like a hard or unsympathetic position, but we must be sure
the Festival assistance goes to: (1) Those who fall within the spirit and
intent of the Scriptures and (2) Those considered eligible in light of the
needs of their brethren nationwide.
This can best be done in respect of needs nationally and internationally
from a central office in Pasadena! But, from time to time, there has been
a tendency to retain Festival funds in the local�· However, when this
occ
1
1rs, deserving individuals within the nationwide and international scope
of the policy may be unnecessarily denied assistance.
Please help us in this matter. Encourage the members to send ALL of their
Tithe of the Tithe and excess Festival Tithe to Tucson for equitable dis
tribution on a nationwide basis.
Also, in some instances, local pastors do not face the issue with needy
people at home and end up encouraging some to attend the Festival who can
not afford it! As there are numerous such cases nationwide, this additional,
unbudgeted assistance could amount to tens of thousands of dollars. So,
please note and announce that NO ONE should go to the Festival expecting
to receive assistance once there. All legitimate requests within the
limit of monies available will have been approved and provided for by the
Festival Office before the Feast.
Certainly, it is never too late for� emergency! We want to help ALL who
rightly qualify
assistance. However, we have found many requests
r
assistance do not lie within our policies or sound judgment. Therefore,
families making such requests at the Festival sites will be advised to
return home and not stay for the balance of the Feast. Assistance given at
the Festival sites must be reserved for legitimate emergency cases.
Again, PLEASE do not view this as an unnecessarily harsh or strict approach,
but try to see it in the light of a vast nationwide program. With so many
hundreds of families involved, circumventi�g the assistance program could
produce a serious deficit of funds before all Festival expenses are met.
Thank you for your cooperation in this delicate and most important respon
sibility. Again, if you have any suggestions, please do not hesitate to
write.
--Sherwin McMichael, Festival Office