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VOL. XXIII, NO. 15AUGUST 1, 1995

Internauts on the Internetnegotiate cyberspace

Update fromAmbassador University

Prison Fellowship OKsChurch participation

Ambassador prepares for '95-96 school year

With love, in Jesus' name,Joseph W. Tkach

Many members have wondered, "How could we have been in doctri­nal error for so long?" And a few have even wondered, "If we were

See Personal, page 6

Preliminaryinjunction denied

-

On July 27 an East Texas dis­trict judge denied a preliminaryinjunction against AmbassadorUniversity requested by a disfel­lowhipped member. Completecoverage of how the injunctionrequest was defeated is sched­uled for the Aug. 15 issue.

Letter to studentsIn June Dr. Duke sent a letter to

new and returning students to reas­sure them about the future of Am­bassador University.

"Surely many of you still havequestions about changes in theChurch and university," he wrote. "Iencourage you to return to school inthe fall to examine those questionsand be a part of the exciting future ofAmbassador University. Our goal isto continue to meet the needs of our

See Ambassador, page 4

done in accordance with the policiesof the university as set forth in thestaff handbook, a copy of which isprovided to all full-time employees.Section 9.14.1 of the handbookincludes the following statement:

"Without limitations on reasonsfor dismissal, disfellowship of a bap­tized member from the Church, orcontinued nonadherence by currentChurch members, or Church mem­bers who are in nonattendance, todoctrines promulgated by the World­wide Church of God, for example,are always a basis for dismissal ordischarge."

On June 27 Dr. Duke conductedanother meeting with employees.During that meeting he announced adecision to allow any employees whowished to leave their jobs with theuniversity to resign with a severancepackage. This was done in a volun­tary effort to provide for employeesduring a potential time of transitionin their lives. About 20 employeesexpressed their intention to resign asa result of the university's offer.

Pastor general slowly recoveringBy Joseph Tkach Jr.

My dad had his second chemotherapy treatment the week of July 17 to21. He is happy to report that he is experiencing less pain and a bit moreenergy. He is not ready to enter the Olympics, but he is happy to movearound on his own. And his appetite has returned and he has gained sixpounds.

In the weeks that followed his surgery, he had lost some weight. He ishappy to be at the same weight (175 pounds) that he was when he was 25years old and married my mom.

He sends his love to all of you and mentioned that he prays for every­one's growth and well-being.

this year of several board membersfrom the Worldwide Church of God.Board member Harold Treybig ofHouston, Texas, resigned from theboard and the ministry of theChurch. He, along with board mem­bers Carl Sable of Big Sandy, DanielSalcedo of Anaheim, California, andJohn Merritt of Laguna Hills, Califor­nia, were eventUally disfellowshippedfor cause from the Church.

In accordance with the bylaws ofthe university's board of regents, allfour were disqualified from servingon the board at the time they weredisfellowshipped. This left the boardwith five members.

In Dr. Merritt's case, he had beendisfellowshipped by his local pastor.He was later reinstated as a memberof the Church, but reinstatement inthe Church does not include auto­matic reinstatement on the board ofregents of the university. Subsequentto his reinstatement he was againdisfellowshipped from the Church.

On June 16 the university boardmet and made a number of impor­tant decisions. They accepted the res­ignation of Donald Ward as presi­dent of Ambassador and approved acompensation package for him. Theydecided to appoint Russell Duke,chair of the Theology Department, aspresident pro tem.

They also approved the nomina­tion of five new members to theboard: Joseph Locke, Pasadena, sec­retary; Thomas H. Grede, West Bend,Wisconsin; Michael P. Harkins,Vineland, New Jersey; Helen Jack­son, Alhambra, California; and JohnPayne, La Puente, California (seeJuly 18 WN).

That afternoon Dr. Duke conduct­ed a meeting with university employ­ees. He emphasized that Ambassadoris a Christian university and that theChurch remains its principal spon­sor. He asked employees to. considertheir commitment to the universityand the Church.

He said that the university was notseeking to eliminate people, but thatthose who decided to join churchesthat are causing division in theWorldwide Church of God might risklosing their jobs with the university.

Any action in that regard would be

before the start of clas es. Last springwe ended the year with about 900 stu­dents, so our enrollment will be slight­ly lower than before. We are project­ing an enrollment of 750 to 800.

While we are saddened by the factthat some students have chosen not toreturn-many because of their own ortheir parents' disagreements withChurch doctrine-we expected a de­cline. Even so, enrollment is holdingup quite well, so we are grateful forthe young men and \ omen whomGod has provided for the coming year.

Changes in the board of regentsThe university's board of regents

was affected by the departure earlier

Thank you again for your love and prayers. My recovery is takinglonger than I would like (I suppose that everyone who is ill wants tobe better right away), and I am still experiencirig soine internal pains.So I appreciate your concern and your prayers.

I ask you to pray for the health of the Church, too. Thing seem tobe stabilizing, and morale is improving in most of our congregations.Income, however, is still less than our operating expenses, so I ask youto pray specifically about that need. Ask Christ to direct us doctrinally,emotionally and as good stewards of the resources he gives u .

Our trials humble us. They reduce our strength. They force us torely more on God's strength, his guidance and wisdom, and his super­vision of our lives. Trials remind us, whether we need it or not, thatwe are nothing of ourselves. We cannot lean on our own understand­ing-we must rely on God's power and wisdom in all situations. Ourown wisdom is often faulty and unreliable.

Our o\-"n understanding can be defective. We know that-and yetit neverthele s surprises us every time we learn something new. Wewonder, "How could we have been \\Tong for so long?"

With this in mind, I ask you to read my son's comments below. Hesurveys the four Gospels, noting bow often the disciples themselvesfailed to understand what Jesus was teaching. This can encoUl ge all ofus, since we are all disciples learning from Jesus Christ. He can use useven if we don't understand every doctrine perfecdy. He looks on the heart.

God has always allowed his people to make mistakes-even seriousmistake that endure for many years. He works in us despite our weak­nesses, because the work is done not by our own power or wisdom, butb the Spirit of God. We can be thankful for that. We can be c nfidentthat our labors have not been in vain.

Thank 'ou, brethren, for your faithful work. The Word of odstands sure forever and ever. it is the tandard we have been gi 'en, andwe look to it for the basis of all belief and behavior. We strive t apply ita best we understand how. Thank you for supporting the gos >] ofJesus Christ throughout these trying times.

Becoming good stewards whileshowing willingness to change

Thomas R. Delamater is director ofInstitutional Advancement for Ambas­sador University.

BIG SANDY-The new semester isalmost upon us at Ambassador, and

'e wanted to update our brethren inthe Church about what has taken placeat the university over the summer.

We are eag~r to see the studentsreturn in August. At presstime we hadalready received more than 700 hous­ing reservations from new and return­ing students, with three weeks to go

By Thomas R. Delamater

2 The Worldwide News--------~~~-~----------------

____________~--~----~-----~------Tuesday, August 1, 1995

AU update: chapel services, religious beliefs

Church's statement regarding theidentity of ancient Israel

Fellowship to train and use the vol­unteers from the Worldwide Churchof God based out of Pasadena, Cali­fornia. We look forward to workingwith you and welcome the participa­tion of your members in sharing thegospel of Jesus Christ with the leastof these."

We already have some members inthe program, and they have beengreatly praised for their work. Partic­ipation in Prison Fellowship is awonderful way for our people to beinvolved firsthand in bringing thegood news to those in desperateneed.

If you want to find out more aboutopportunities in your area, contactthe following address: Prison Fellow­ship, Box 17500, Washington, D.C.,20041-0500, phone 1-703-478-0100,fax 1-703-478-0452.

Following is a paragraph from theSACS Criteria for Accreditation, 1995edition: "Faculty and students mustbe free to examine all pertinent data,question assumptions, be guided bythe evidence of scholarly research,and teach and study the substance ofa given discipline. Institutions mayendorse particular religious or philo­sophical beliefs, or specific socialprinciples as they relate to the insti­tutional statement of purpose. Suchbeliefs and principles may influencethe curriculum and the selection ofstudents, faculty and staff. everthe­less, institutions of higher educationexist to further the pursuit and dis­semination of knowledge."

At Ambassador we strive to educateour students about religious and sec­ular matters to enable them to buildtheir ovm belief system; however, theprincipal sponsor of AmbassadorUniversity is the Worldwide Churchof God. Thus, the "religious beliefs"that the institution endorses, to usethe language of SACS, are those ofthe Church. We endeavor to accom­plish this in an environment of peace.

attend our Saturday worship service.Most Christian universities requireattendance at two to five chapel ser­vices per week. Some limit the church­es they may attend on the weekend.

Some parents who have left ourChurch have asked if their childrenwould be allO\,ved to attend withthem when they are at home. Whenstudents do not live on the Ambas­sador campus during the summer orschool breaks (fall, winter or spring),attendance at any other church is notour concern.

Some have also expressed concernthat this approach might adverselyaffect our accreditation status. Acad­emic freedom in the classroomallows faculty and students to exam­ine multiple facets of any issue, yetthat freedom does not mean thatopposing views can be presented asequally right, nor that personalbeliefs of any faculty member mayhold sway over instruction.

A university may endorse religiousbeliefs, and those beliefs may influ­ence matters regarding selection offaculty, staff and students.

Prison Fellowship OKs volunteersSeveral in our Church have ex-

~ pressed interest in volunteering tohelp in the Prison Fellowship Min­istry, a nondenominational effort ledby Charles Colson. Volunteers in thisministry have helped lead many pris­oners to repentance and belief inJesus Christ. This is an importantpart of their rehabilitation and rein­tegration back into society.

In the past, members of the World­wide Church of God could not partic­ipate in the program because of doc­trinal positions we used to hold.However, Prison Fellowship Ministryhas reviewed our Statement of Beliefsand reversed its stance toward theWorld\vide Church of God.

Bob Brunelle, area director forPrison Fellowship in California,wrote the Church: "I would like toconfirm the willingness of Prison

America descended from two of thelost 10 tribes of Israel. However,while the Church has held certainbeliefs concerning the identity of thelost 10 tribes, it has never embracedall the tenets of what is commonlycalled British-Israelism.

Today, after having carefully re­searched the tenets and history of itsbelief that the United States andBritain are the descendants of theancient Israelite tribes of Manassehand Ephraim, the Worldwide Churchof God no longer teaches this doc­trine. While it may be an interestingtheory, there is simply a lack of cred­ible evidence, either in the biblicalaccount or the historical record, tosupport a conclusion regarding themodem identity of the. lost 10 tribesof Israel. We recognize that therewere hermeneutical and historicalinaccuracies in the Church's pastunderstanding of this issue.

Therefore, in accordance with theChurch's historical position of a will­ingness to change when convictedthat its teachings are bibliqilly inac­curate, the Church no longer attemptsto identify the modern day descen­dants of the lost tribes of Israel.

The Church has withdrawn fromcirculation all editions of its publica­tion The United States and Britain inProphecy.

Church of God. We deem churches asU dissident" that were formed by mem­bers separating themselves from theWorldwide Church of God. Many stu­dents complained about unrest oncampus last year because of pressurefrom those in opposition to the teach­ing of the World\\;ide Church of God.Some tried to persuade other studentsto attend churches that oppose us.

Although we require attendance atchapel on Tuesday, just as we didforum, we do not require attendanceon Saturday. We do expect students to

The following statement was pre­pared to answer media inquiriesabout the Church's doctrine aboutthe modern identities of the lost 10tribes of Israel:

The Worldwide Church of Godteaches that national identity andethnic origin have absolutely nothingto do with the believer's standingbefore God. "There is neither Jewnor Greek, slave nor free, male norfemale, for you are all one in ChristJesus" (Galatians 3:28). Certainly, theknowledge of any proposed biblicalidentity of modern nations does notforgive sin, assure salvation or im­prove human relationships.

For over 50 years, the WorldwideChurch of God taught that GreatBritain and the United States of

Several ha\'e asked about the state­ment that Ambassador students"may not attend churches that wedeem to be dissident to the World­wide Church of God and remain astudent of the University."

This does not refer to the Baptist,Methodist, Church of God (Seventhuay), or other established churches,for they did not get started based ontheir opposition to the Worldwide

By Russell Duke

photo

Finding GodI wanted to say how much I appreciate Jeff

Zhome's articles in the WN. He writes out ofpowerful personal experience, unafraid toshare intimate spiritual insights and weak·nesses. othing is more effecth-e in reachingpeople.

I'm also excited that he liberal!) quotesfrom Larry Crabb's Finding God, one of themost profound books I've ever read. I used tothink I was a mature Christian until I readthat book.

You might be interested to know that Ionce wrote to and received a kind reply fromMr. Crabb. He said his intention in writingthe book was "to trouble and disrupt-whatev­er stands in the way of our knowing Christmore fully."

The changes in our Church have had thesame effect, haven't they? God has graciouslyled Mr. Tkach to rightly set aside manythings that have gotten in the way of ourknqwing Christ more fully.

The congregations here have lost only ahandful of members. Almost everyone isexcited and rejuvenated by the changes thathave taken place.

Kevin StruckWest Bend, Wisconsin

so occupied with making sure we kept theOld Testament Jewish laws that we wereoverlooking the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Thank you again for your article thatexplains how Christians should follow JesusChrist.

Carmen CookColumbia, Louisiana

Saddened by divisive ministersI have read several articles in The World­

wide NelvS over the past few months concern·ing ministers who resigned because theycould not accept the way Christ is leading hisChurch today. It is sad to know that some ofhis ministers have become a divisive elementin the Church by starting their own churchesthereby leading blindly some brethren totheir ways.

Peace and joyDear Mr. Tkach, how beautiful are your

feet upon the mountains! I rejoice in ~veryword you have said and wrillen about thenew covenant. You have brought the peaceand joy God intended us to have-and Ithank you!

Christians follow ChristThank you for the wonderful article "Why

These Changes in Our Church?" in the April25 Worldwide News. In the past we have been

other fellowships, nor was there any intentionto imply that all Christians must belong to theWorldwide Church of God or that sincere be­lievers who have left our fellowship have losttheir salvation.

Debra OwensBethany, Oklahoma

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Tammy GrovakLafayette, Indiana

Letters for this section should beaddressed to "Letters to the Editor." Theeditor reserves the right to use letters soaddressed in whole or in part, and to includeyour name and edit the leller for clarity orspace. We welcome your comments.

The purpose of the article was to encouragemembers of the Worldwide Church of God toremain united under its current leadership,rather than follow various dissident groups.The article was not directed to Christians of

.I am writing in regard to an article by Clay­ton Steep in the July 4 WN. In it he quotesMr. Armstrong: "Your faith must not be inme; it must be in Jesus Christ. He is the Headof the Church, I am not. And if I were nothere there would be another who'd becomethe pastor general. And if that should everhappen, if you want to get into God's king­dom, you will follow that pastor general. Andyour eternity depends on that.n

However, the Bible says that salvation isthrough faith in Christ. This article implies tome that we in the Worldwide Church of Godare the only church with members in Christ'sbody. We know that there are many membersin many different organizations that are apart of Christ's body.

printing

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Notice: The ~ rldwfde News cannot be res Ie 10<the retu n 0 unso 1(, ed art c es and pho ographsSUbscriptions: Subs lPtlOl'lS are sent aU\Olll3l ca tothe menibers Of the Worldwide Church 01 God Addressall commu lClllions to he The WorldwIde N9V1( Box111 Pasadena, Gall. 91129 See The Plan T leraddltiona rna ng offtees Entered as second-class mallat the ManIla Philippines. CentraJ Post Off ce Feb 101964Add,... changes: U.S changes 01 address arehandled aotomatca Iy WIth Plain Truth changes 01address Postmaster Please send Fotrn 3579 TheWorldwide News. Box 111. Pasadena, Cal f •91123

Unless noted otherwise. scriptures are Q1JOled from theHoly BIble. New lnIemationaI Version. Copynghl c 1973,1978, 1984 International Boble Soc etV Used bVpermissIOn of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

PUBUS!iEfl & EDITOR IN CHIEF:Joseph W~ T1<achASSISTANT TO THE PUBUSliEA:J Michae Feaze I,

FOUNDER:Herbert W Armstroog (1892·1986)

The Worldwide News 3

FROM THE PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT

Why does the Statement ofBeliefsuse the word Persons rather thanHypostases when referring to God?

The Statement of Beliefs is meant tobe relatively concise, not a detailedexplanation. Both Persons andH)postases need further explanation,and these words are explained ingreater detail in our booklet God Is. ...

The advantage of Hypostases isthat it is an unfamiliar word andtherefore automatically indicatesthat God's existence is not easy todefine. The disadvantage is thatsome people are discouraged bystrange words and may concludethat God is vague and unknowable.

Moreover, if they look up hypos­tases in an average dictionary, theywill not find it. If they realize thathypostasi i the singular form andthey look that up, they willieam thatit means "Person" when referring toGod. Thus the word Hypostases(without an explanation that wouldbe too long for the Statement ofBeliefs) could annoy and detractrather than illuminate and clarify.

Our booklet notes the problem\\lith the word Persons: It can causepeople to think of three separatebeings (God Is ... , 1994 printing,pages 39-40). However, the StatementofBeliefs clearly says that God is onedivine Being. That in itself helpsreaders understand that God is notthree beings and that the Persons ofthe Godhead are not persons in thesame way that humans are persons.

God Is... also notes the advantageof the word Persons: "One reason theword Person is helpful, if it is under­stood correctly, is that God interactswith us in a personal way. It iswrong, therefore, to say that God isimpersonal. One does not worship arock or plant, or an impersonalpower 'behind the universe: but a'living Person.' God is personal, buthe is not a person in the way humansare persons" (page 43).

The booklet also comments on thelimitations of language: "All wordsthat refer to created things tend tomislead [when used to describe God]by their very context in ordinary lan­guage. Most words, including theword Persons, tend to confuse God'snature with the created order. On theother hand, alI our words are in oneway or another in reference to thecreated order. So it is important toknow what we do mean, and what wedo not mean, when we use any wordin reference to God.... God is infi­nitely more than any human wordcan possibly convey, yet he IS person­al and loves us dearly" (pages 40, 44).

We believe that the word Persons isless objectionable than Hypostases is.If anyone has questions about theterms, of course, the booklet GodIs. .. is readily available.

The ew International Version(NIV) says that the old covenant isobsolete (Hebrews 8:13). The KingJames Version, however, says onlythat it is decaying and growingold, implying that it is still here.Can you prove from the KingJames Version that the oldcovenant is obsolete?

Hebrews 10:9 (KJV) says that JesusChrist, as God in the flesh, came todo the will of God the Father. Hetook away the first covenant so hecould establish the second. Hebrews8:6 (KJV) says that he is the mediatorof a better covenant, and that thebetter covenant has already beenestablished. These two verses show

that the old covenant has ended.When he, established the new

covenant, Christ made the oldcovenant obsolete. The new agree­ment replaces the old. Our relation­ship with God is on the basis of thenew covenant, not the old.

The old covenant included both thetabernacle and the sacrificial system(Hebrews 9:1). These are now obso­lete, indicating that the law requiringthem is also obsolete. We do not haveto offer both physical and spiritualacrifices; we do not keep alI the old

laws and simply add the Holy Spiritto help us keep them in their spiritualintent as well as in the letter. Instead,such commandments are set aside,disannulled, no longer required,made obsolete (7:18).

For example, the old covenantrequired sabbatical years, jubileeyears, tree-branch booths, phylacter­ies and the destruction of mildew­infested homes. The reason that wedo not have to obey these laws isbecause the covenant itself is obso­lete. (Some old covenant laws, how­ever, such as the law forbiddingadultery, are continued into the newcovenant. But their validity rests ontheir affirmation and restatementsunder the new covenant.)

Second Corinthians 3 also discuss­es the old and new covenants. Verse3 refers to the tables of stone onwhich the old covenant was written,and the writing of the Holy Spirit onthe heart, which is the new covenant.Paul notes that the new covenant isalready being administered (verse 6).The old covenant was glorious, Paulsaid (verse 7), but he also refers tothat covenant as "that which is doneaway" (verse 11).

Galatians 3 also makes it clear.Verse 17 mentions the Abrahamiccovenant and a law that was added430 years later. What law was given430 years after a covenant was madewith Abraham? The law at Sinai,including the covenant and all itssacrifices-both commandments andpenciIties.

This law was added long after thecovenant of promise through faith thatwas made with Abraham. Thecovenant at Sinai was made with Abra­ham's descendants in Moses' day"because of transgressions, till the seed[Christ] should come to whom thepromise was made" (verse 19, KJV).

The laws and penalties weredesigned to be a "schoolmaster"(KJV) to bring us to Christ (verse 24).Before we were brought to faith inChrist, we were "held prisoners bythe law, locked up until faith shouldbe revealed" (verse 23, NIV), butafter faith has come, we are nolonger under a "schoolmaster" (verse25). It is clear that Galatians is talk­ing about an added law that hasbecome obsolete.

Is it true that this additional lawwas only the law of sacrifices? Werethe sacrifices temporarily added tothe Ten Commandments, which are(according to this interpretation) apermanent covenant? If so, verse 17would then need to be understood inthis way: "The law, which was addedtwo months after the covenant wasmade, cannot disannul the covenant."But this is not what verse 17 says.

The covenant mentioned in verse17 is the promise given to Abraham,and "the law" is the covenant madeat Sinai 430 years later. Galatians isnot arguing about sacrifices at all.Sacrifices could not be performed inGalatia, and they were not part of the

controversy Paul was addressing.Galatians 4 makes it clear that

Paul is contrasting the covenantgiven to Abraham with the covenantgiven to Moses. Abraham had twosons, and in an allegory they arecompared to two covenants (verse22-24).

The son of the bondwoman corre­sponds to Sinai and the temple inJerusalem (verses 24-25). But Chris­tians are children of the promi e­we are under the Abrahamic cove­nant, not the Sinai tic covenant(verses 28, 31). "Cast out the bond­woman and her son," Paul quoteswith approval (verse 30). Do not putyourself under the old covenant, butunder the new.

You say that the Fourth Com­mandment, at least in its physicalrequirements, was temporary, andthe other nine are eternal. Whatmakes you think that this oneparagraph is different from all theothers around it?

First, in strictly literal and physicalterms, it would not make sense tounderstand the Sabbath as an eternalcommandment. The Sabbath did notexist before humans were created,and it will not exist in the new heav­ens and new earth, since the day­night cycle will cease. It is not eter­nal in the past nor eternal in thefuture.

Second, God does not keep theSabbath; it is not part of his charac­ter. He does not have a work-restcycle every week. The work of theHoly Spirit in us, for example, con­tinues seven days a week. God doesnot "dwell" within time or space.

Third, physical and literal portionsof the other commandments also donot apply to us. Gentile Christianscannot say that the Lord has literallybrought either them or their ances­tors out of Egypt (Exodus 20:2). Andwe do not consider verse 12 to be a

You might also ask, whydid God give anytemporary laws at all?The reason is that hewas fonning a largegroup of slaves into anation. They neededdetailed guidance fortheir specific locationand time. We should notexpect all these laws toapply in every cultureand climate.

universal promise that everyone whohonors his or her parents will have along life. Even within the other ninecommandments, we see indicationsthat this set of laws was given to aspecific people at a specific geo­graphic location at a specific seg­ment of history.

Fourth, we are not alone in treat­ing the Fourth Commandment in adifferent way because the ew Testa­ment treats the Sabbath in a differ­ent manner from the other nine com­mandments. Although it mentionsthe Sabbath many times, it nevercommands anyone to keep it-unlikeother commandments, which areoften quoted in the New Testament.

The New Testament is not afraidof repeating the obvious, but itdoesn't command the Sabbath. Thisfact drives those who would requirethe Sabbath to be observed as holy

time to the subjectively applied"argument from silence."

Fifth, the ew Testament directlysays that we should not let anyonejudge us regarding the Sabbath(Colossians 2:16). It does not criti­cize or judge anyone for breaking theSabbath. In contrast, the ew Testa­ment does make judgments regard­ing idolatry, murder, adultery, lying,coveting, etc. The Tew Testamenttakes a different approach to daysthan the Old Testament doe.

Both reason and Scripture indicatethat the Sabbath is different. On theother hand, we might ask, Why doyou think the Ten Commandmentsare a permanent group of laws? Thenext three questions and answersaddress this topic.

God spoke the Ten Command­ments. Wouldn't this indicate per­manence? Would God ever takeback a commandment he himselfgave?

In the books of Moses, God gavehundreds of commands. Mo es didnot create these laws. God spokeevery one of them. f.le would havespoken to the people directly if theyhad been willing. He spoke privatelyto Moses not because those otherlaws were temporary, but becausethe people were afraid. ,

God spoke alI these laws, includinginstructions on how to build altars,offer sacrifices, wear tassels, cele­brate festivals, destroy mildew, dealwith slaves, divorce and remarry, etc.God has given many laws that arenow obsolete. The fact that he oncespoke them does not prove their per­manence.

Throughout the law of Moses, thepermanent laws are intermingledwith the temporary. For example,Leviticus 19 is a collection of lawscontaining the second-greatest com­mandment (verse 18). This chapterhas good laws about honoring par­ents, honesty, fair treatment of thehandicapped and foreigners. But thischapter also contains laws about sac­rifices, wool and linen garments, har­vesting fields, harvesting fruit trees,punishing bondwomen who forni­cate and other matters that are obso­lete or that we would administer indifferent ways today.

Because different types of laws arefrequently mixed together, it iswrong to assume in advance that anyparticular group of old covenant lawsis of permanent validity. Each lawmust be examined on its own merits,as judged by the new covenant writ­ings and the standard of Jesus Christ.

Why, you might ask, did God mixtemporary laws among the perma­nent? Why didn't he clearly separatethem and label them? The Bibledoesn't tell us why he did it that way,but we see clearly that he did.

You might also ask, why did Godgive any temporary laws at alI? Thereason is that he was forming a largegroup of slaves into a nation. Theyneeded detailed guidance for theirspecific location and time. Weshould not expect all these laws toapply in every culture and climate.And many of the religious laws weredesigned to lead us to Christ. Theycontain symbolism of spiritual facts,and they foreshadow things thatJesus fulfilled.

We may not understand exactlyhow he fulfilled all the details, butwe read that the old covenant led toChrist and is no longer authoritativeover us. Pennanence of old covenantlaws should not be determined onthe basis that God spoke them. Ourcriteria for judging the validity of oldcovenant laws is the life, death, bur­ial and resurrection of God in theflesh.

See Q&A, page 4

4 The Worldwide News Tuesday, Mugusl 1, 1995

Ambassador endeavors to meet students' needs

..: - ¥,~ '~ - ~. ~ < ~ ~ :. - ~ ¥ - ,-, - - ~ , •

~ "1...' ~ ~ - .y,:.'~' ~ ...

Good News Grapevine spreads word

SACS committee to visit AU in fall

for the continued success of ourfund-raising efforts.

We are moving forward with plansto go on the air 'with our 1O,OOO-wattcampus radio station, KBAU-FM,later this fall. The radio station willrepresent an outstanding public ser­vice to the East Texas community.

Site preparation is being complet­ed for construction of the first build­ing in a new men's residential com­plex on the east side of the campus.We hope to have students move intothe building upon completion laterthis year.

Plans are proceeding on schedule forthe beginning of the fall semester atAmbassador, and we are confident thata successful academic year lies aheadof us. Thank you for your concern,support and prayers for Ambassador.

ation if there is sufficient time to doso between the appraisal visit andSACS' annual December meeting.Otherwise, university administratorscan respond to the report in personat that meeting.

AU's governing body, the board ofregents, has been notified of thecoming visit and is aware of theneeds of the university. Ambassadorcontinues to enjoy th~ commitmentand financial support of the World­wide Church of God.

In an accompanying article on. page 2, Dr. Duke emphasizes that the

religious beliefs the institutionendorses are those of the Church andthat this position is supported by theSouthern Association.

On the subject of Church doctrineand academic freedom, SACS' Crite­ria for Accreditation states: "Institu­tions may endorse particular reli­gious or philosophical beliefs, orspecific social principles as theyrelate to the institutional statementof purpose. Such beliefs and princi­ples may influence the curriculumand the selection of students, facultyand staff."

By Reginald Killingley

BIG SANDY-James T. Rogers,executive director of the Commissionon Colleges of the Southern Associa­tion of Colleges and Schools (SACS),wrote to Russell Duke, AU presidentpro tem, July 11, to inform him thatthe university's progress report hadbeen accepted at the commission'sJune meeting. This means thatAmbassador maintains its status asan accredited institution.

In his letter, Dr. Rogers alsoinformed Dr. Duke that the commis­sion had authorized a special com­mittee to visit the university in thefall to evaluate AU's continuing com­pliance with the Criteria for Accredi­tation.

The committee will look at variousgovernance, academic freedom andfinancial issues and will report itsfindings in December. The decisionto send a special committee wastaken because of several inquiriesabout the university.

Ambassador can respond in writ­ing to the committee's written evalu-

Private contributions increaseIn addition, private donations to

the university are on the rise. During1994 we processed more than $1.2million in direct contributions to theuniversity. Our projection for thisyear is that we will receive more than$2 million in direct contributions.Your prayers would be appreciated

Our financial situation at Ambas­sador is stable. We are completelydebt-free, which is a rare thing for anycollege or university to be able to say.

Our annual operating budget isabout $13.5 million, and nearly halfthat, more than $6 million a year,comes from a generous subsidy pro­vided by the Church. The Church'scommitment to the university hasnot wavered.

.Carlos E. Perkinsretired pastor

These positive comments can havea positive effect such as the leavenspoken of by Christ in Matthew13:33.

When the dust settles, I'm surewe're all going to give thanks for theleadership over the Body of Christ­and for the caliber of leadership hehas set over the churches of Godworldwide.

Let's all keep growing in God'sgrace and in the knowledge of hisSon while remembering our brethrenwho have not as yet c{)me to under­stand nor experience the newfoundfreedom extended to us under thenew covenant.

I meeting violated the bylaws of theboard and sought to have the decisionsand results of that meeting overturned.He named as defendants the Church,the university board and Dr. Duke.

Included in his allegations werestatements to the effect that Dr. Dukehas engaged in "purging" and "harass­ment, intimidation and harsh treat­ment of AU faculty, staff and stu­dents."

Dr. Merritt alleged that his removalfrom the board of regents was in vio­lation of the bylaws of the board. Hesaid that he had filed a formal com­plaint with the Southern Associationof Colleges and Schools (SACS), ofwhich Ambassador is a member.

He also predicted a "sudden drop"in enrollment at the university, whichhe believed would cause "irreparableharm" to the institution and put atrisk its membership with SACS.

Because of the restraining orderthe university was temporarily pre­vented from carrying out certainadministrative functions, and Dr.Duke was temporarily preventedfrom functioning as president protern. Attorneys for the universityappeared in court July 27 to respondto Dr. Merritt's lawsuit (see page 1).

Having read so many of the posi­tive comments submitted by somany, it is obvious that God's Spiritis doing a great work in the Body ofhis Son. These are exciting timeswe're living in.

As events unfold in the world andin the Church, we can see the verac­ity of God's Word coming intofocus. It is sad, indeed, to see somany opting for darkness while oth­ers are rejoicing in the newly re­vealed light.

Our hope and prayers are that ulti­mately all will be enlightened and ofaccord. God is full of grace, which iswhat the new covenant is all about,and one day we'll all look back in ret­rospect and realize how true that is.

Legal action against universityIn July the university was served

with a temporary restraining orderbecause of legal action taken againstthe university by Dr. Merritt. Theorder was signed by Judge TommyWallace of the 294th District of theState of Texas.

In a lawsuit filed against the univer­sity, Dr. Merritt contended that actionstaken at the June 16 university board

students as we prepare for the twen­ty-first century. Your involvement isneeded. We welcome commentsfrom your perspective so we can bet­ter serve you, and look forward toseeing you in the fall."

In the letter Dr. Duke also reiterat­ed the long-standing position of theuniversity, that students "may notattend churches that we deem to bedissident to the Worldwfde Churchof God and remain a student of theUniversity." This is not a new prac­tice, but rather one that has been ineffect for decades.

(Please see article on page 2 for Dr.Duke's clarification of this position.)

Continued from page 1

Q&A: Jesus Christ fulfills spiritual symbolism of the SabbathContinued from page 3

God wrote the Ten Command­ments on tables of stone, therebydesignating them as a separateand more important group oflaws. Doesn't this indicate perma­nence?

This is an assumption man) peoplehave x:nade, but there is no proof forit. The Ten Commandments are adistinct group, but there is no reasonthat the group can't contain bothtemporary and permanent laws. Thatgroup is called the old covenant(Exodus 34:28), and the old covenantis called obsolete. It's not just theadded statutes and judgments thatare called obsolete-the old covenantas a whole is declared obsolete.

The old covenant was glorious,Paul said-and he is clearly referringto the Ten Commandments on tablesof stone (2 Corinthians 3:7). But theTen Commandments as spoken atSinai are a fundamental part of theministry that was designed to bringdeath and condemnation (verses 7,

9). That ministry has now passedaway, and only the new covenantremains (verse 11).

The commandments written ontablets were good, but they havebeen superseded by a covenant thathas more glory. There is not just achange within the law-there is achange of the law. A more basic lawhas been given. Although some of thebehavioral standards are the same,the law now has a different founda­tion, and that foundation is JesusChrist.

Various Christian scholars saythat Christians should keep theTen Commandments. Althoughthey themselves usually do notkeep the Fourth Commandment,their conclusions indicate that theSabbath should be kept. Why doyou reject these scholars?

We are basing our doctrine onScripture, not on scholars. When theBible says that the old covenant isobsolete and that gentiles do nothave to obey the law of Moses, itdoes not make or imply an exception

for the Ten Commandments as agroup. It reaffirms the validity of var­ious old covenant commands (someare in the Ten and some are not), butit indicates that the Sabbath is not arequirement for Christians.

Calvinist scholars tend to advocatethe Ten Commandments and say thatthe Sabbath has been changed to thefirst day. Their proof for the latter isinadequate, as is any proof that theTen Commandments as given underthe old covenant are required forChristians. Christians look to the newcovenant for their standards ofbehavior and conduct. Much of thenew is based on the old, but our stan­dard remains "Jesus Christ and himcrucified" (l Corinthians 2:2).

Historically, it was convenient forchurches to teach the Ten Com­mandments. It was convenient forthem to require a day on which noone could do anything except go tochurch. Also, many of the membersof these churches were Christian inname only. They were not convertedand did not have the Holy Spirit. Itwas therefore convenient for the

churches to give rules to control andlimit the people. It was convenient,but not scripturally accurate.

Scripture says that the Sabbath isa shadow of things to come (Colos­sians 2: 16-17). Since it is not a basisfor judging a Christian brother (verse16), we conclude that Christ has ful­filled the spiritual symbolism of theSabbath. We see additional evidenceof this in Hebrews 4, which indicatesthat the Sabbath pictures our salva­tion-rest, which we enter by faith inChrist. We have come to Christ andhe has given us divine rest (Matthew11:28).

Faith in Christ is the spiritual ful­fillment of the Sabbath command,and it is in that sense that theFourth Commandment applies toChristians today. Some scholarsagree with that, and some do not,but the question has to be answeredby Scripture-and Scripture saysthat the Ten Commandments arethe old covenant, and it does not saythat all 10 points of the old covenantare valid for the same length of

I time.

Tuesday, Augu~s~t-..:.1-,-,-.:.:19:::.:9:::5::.- --::-_--__--::------:----T:..:.h.;.:e:....W:..:...:::o.:.;.rfd;::.w:.:..:.::ld:::e-..:.N..:.:e:..:w.:.:s::.- ~~---- __---~_----_~---....:5?,

cyberspace. It is sad, but individualsmisuse this new form of communica­tion. Time estimates that more than 80percent of the visual images transmit­ted on-line are pornographic. Thou­sands of computer bulletin board ser­vices attempt to lure customer toX-rated material. So one always needsto be aware of the hazards of the newtechnology. Use, but use "visely.

The Internet and the world ofcyberspace are already with us. Theywill play a larger role in our live inthe future. The important thing is, asalways, to sort out the good from thebad and remember that a rumor trav­eling at cyberspeed is still a rumor.

The World of Cybers~kBecause the Worldwide Church of God has already set sail on the seas of

cyberspace, we wanted to share a basil'; glossary of terms needed to under­stand the new media tools, tools that could mightily enhance the spreading ofthe Gospel.

On-line: Being hooked into the system, whether it be the Internet, a printeror your own personal computer (PC).

Software: The series of instructions that gets a computer to perform a par­ticular task such as word-processing, desktop publishing or surfing the Internet.

Download: The process of transferring information from one computersource to another.

Modem: The device that allows a computer to transmit information over aphone line.

Hacker: A serious and skilled user of the system or a user with a mischie­vous bent.

Posting: Writing your message to the many programs, bulletin boards andon-line services of the Internet.

BBS: Bulletin board system, a reference to formal or informal groups-polit­ical, commercial or social-that share common interests along the electronicnet.

CD-ROM: Compact disc-read only memory, a system that can store vastamounts of information.

Userid: short form of user identification, the unique signature of each Inter­net user that precedes the @ (at) sign in an e-mail address. For example:"Bobby Scotland Yard.gov.UK"

problems we've been able to fixovernight--especially where there aresignificant time difference ."

Here comes the futureSo welcome to cyberspace, a term

invented by a science fiction writer illthe 1980s to describe an imaginarynetwork where people and computerswork together. That world is here.

The Church is exploring manypositive uses of the Internet, includ­ing giving some form of acce s to ThePlain Truth and our other publica­tions. We see the possibilities and areexploring them.

But there can be a downside in

Snail mail to e-mailThe Church has not been slow to

use electronic mail. If I want to reachAub Warren, our Plain Truth regionaleditor in Australia, about an articlehe is writing, I don't need to tele­phone long distance. I simply switchmy computer to e-mail; type in hisname and leave my message.

Both cheaper and more convenientthan a telephone, it makes tradition­al mail so slow that "internauts"-aphrase adapted from astronaut todescribe users of the Internet-referto regular postage as snail mail.

David Smith, director of ComputerInformation Services in Pasadena,estimates the Church daily receivestens of thousands of messages. Theconvenience of electronic mail is partof its attraction-you answer the mes­sage according to its priority level.

Smith said: "The Church's internale-mail has revolutionized the way we

. communicate as an organization. Forexample, here at CIS we work withour international offices on technical

Internauts of the Internet navigate cyberspaceBy 1990 ARPA had dropped out of

the business, and agencies such asthe ational Science Foundationstarted maintaining the net. Com­mercial users soon got involved, untiltoday one million computers hookup 20 million people on every inhab­ited continent. The Internet is grow­ing 10 percent each month and isalready in 100 countries. The Inter­net represents the cutting edge of atechnology that is changing our lives.

It is easy to see why. The March­April edition of Urne Reader docu­ments a case of parents receivingmedical help for their child over theInternet quicker than. the phone callback from the pediatrician's office.

Neil Earle is international editor forThe Plain Truth.

Imagine living in a world whereyou could order flowers for mom onMother's Day half a world awaythrough an electronic hopping mall.You simply crank up your computer,transfer to a menu that brings up acolorful graphic image of those redroses your mother loves, order themby computer form and pay for it allby typing in your credit card number.

All without leaving home. Orimagine planning a trip on the ParisMetro from Saskatoon, Saskatch­ewan, by hooking up to an interna­tional computer network that showsyou times, prices and routes from theEiffel Tower to Napoleon's Tomb.

Well, imagine no more. Thanks tothe marvels of a powerful tool calledthe Internet, such things are beingaccomplished.

The Internet is a collection of com­puter networks connected on local,national and international levels.Whereas a computer network is agroup of computers linked togetherto communicate and share informa­tion, the Internet refers to a nenvorkof networks.

Like so many technological marvels,it traces to a military origin. In the late1960s, a branch of the United StatesDepartment of Defense-the Ad­vanced Research Projects Agency(ARPA)-connected four computers inCalifornia and Utah to ensure commu­nication flow in case of nuclear attack.Other research centers soon came on-line to speed information. •

By Neil Earle

Steering clear of potholes on the information highwayBy Neil Earle

Oct. 30, 1938, Hollywood's boygenius, Orson Welles, took a script­ed-for-radio version of H.G.'s classicWar of the Worlds on the air live at 8p.m. over the Columbia BroadcastingSystem.

With the help of music and soundeffects, Welles sent a war-jitteryAmerican public into one of its mostfamous mass panics.

Despite the announcer's clearwarnings that this was only a radioplay, residents of 1 ewark, rew Jer­sey, swarmed into the streets, facescovered with wet towels and hand­kerchiefs to protect themselves fromthe poison gas of alien invaders.Traffic was jammed, patients checkedinto hospitals reporting hock.

The Orson Welles' incident hasbeen described as "one of the firstmodern happenings ... the absurdexaggeration of impact stemmingfrom the special relationship be­tween the media and the people,"wrote David Thomson in America inthe Dark.

Todav we hear about the informa­tion superhighway, Internet, cyber­space, virtual reality. The opportunityto use fast-spreading technology tohelp spread the gospel of Jesus Christkeeps pace with the potential formore mass panic and confusion thanOrson Welles ever imagined. That isbecause of the ever-widening reach ofglobal telecommunications.

The Worldv.ride Church of God hasused electronic media from the

I"beginning. We went from being a

radio force from the 1930s throughthe 1960s, to a television presence inthe 1970s and 1980s.

In the 1990s, headquarters in Pasa­dena receives thousands of electronicmail messages from our ministers,regional offices and business part­ners around the globe.

With our worldwide AS/400 (theChurch's central computer system),de ktop publishing capabilities andpersonal computer networks, we area major u er of electronic technolo­gy. In 1984 Publishing and Editorialbegan the use of digital technology,which ha advanced enough to allowmore regionalized editions of ThePlain Truth, booklets and reprints.Our regional offices in Sydney, Aus­tralia, and Manila, Philippines, aremaking rapid strides in this area.

All of this helps make preadingthe gospel more efficient and effec­tive. But for every benefit of newtechnology often comes a corre­sponding negative. Computer sys­tems can be betrayed. Preliminary,unedited Plain Truth articles havebeen stolen and downloaded to beread worldwide. Rumors fly alongthe Internet at the flick of a cursor.

ever has it become more imperativefor the membership and ministry ofthe Church to be wary of misinfor­mation and false rumon..

Rumors in Paul's dayIn discussing misinformation

about a doctrinal position then beingexaggerated, the apostle Paul warnedmembers:

"We ask you, brothers, not to be­come easily unsettled or alarmed bysome prophecy, report or letter sup­posed to have come from us.... Don'tlet anyone deceive you in any way" (2Thessalonians 2:1-3).

The context is describing rumorsrelating to Jesus Christ's second com­ing. But the principle is applicabletoday: Don't be a victim of someoneelse's misinformation campaign;don't slip and fall along the informa­tion highway.

Paul was often a target of slanderand misinformation (Acts 24:5-6). Hewas dogged by hardliners who couldnot accept the liberating, nonexclu­sive decrees of the Jerusalem confer­ence (described in Acts 15), whichoffered full incorporation of the gen­tiles (Galatians 1:6-9).

To them, Paul was a liberal. Be­cause he exalted new life in JesusChrist against the constraints of theTorah, he was often painted as ateacher of lawlessness (Romans 6:1­2). Some slandered him as a leaderwho taught '1et us do evil that goodmay result" (Romans 3:5-8).

Jude spoke against subversion andmisinformation plaguing the church­es near the end of the first century.He warned about those who "havesecretly slipped in among you" (Jude4). The touchstone of their slanderand faultfinding, according to Jude,was a denial of the supreme sover­eignty of Jesus Christ in all things todo with salvation.

Warned Jude: "Yet these men speakabusively against whatever they donot understand; and what things they

do understand by instinct, like unrea­soning animals-these are the verythings that destroy them" (verse 10).

Strong words! Yet an old sayinggoes that gossip is five times aroundthe world before the truth can get itsboots on. The Internet proves thetruth of this saying every day.

Many new technologies are oftenwild and unpredictable when firstintroduced. It takes a while for a newcommunications craze to settle intostable patterns and structure . This isthe wav it was with television in the1950s and the personal computer inthe 1980s. Exciting new technologiesare often subject t9 abuses and mis­handling, as the famous War of theWorlds panic reminds us.

Exercising good judgmentIn the meantime, as the global com­

munity prepares to venture forth intothis Brave ew World of cyberspaceand virtual technology, let us be guid­ed by the ancient wisdom of Isaiah.His inspired description of certainintellectual attributes of Jesus Christthe Mes iab are always relevant:

"He will not judge by what he sees\.\'ith his eyes, or decide by what hehears with his ears; but with righ­teousness he will judge the needy,with ju tice he will give decisions forthe poor of the earth" (Isaiah 11 :3-4).

Righteousness and good judg­ment-the spiritual imperatives­these will stand us in good stead nomatter what the future will bring.Let's not be deceived; let's not be vic­timized by the potholes along theinformation highway.

6 The Worldwide News

Persona: Becoming earning disciples of Christas to who would be the greatest. Jesusknew their thoughts and asked themabout it, but they were too ashamedto answer (Mark 9:33-34). They hadbeen acting like unconverted men.

A little later, the disciples wereagain amazed at what Jesus said(Mark 10:24). Jesus explained what hemeant, and the disciples were evenmore amazed (verse 26). And soonthe\' were astonished, and some wereafuud (verse 32). How long had theybeen with their Teacher, and yet con­tinued to be surprised by what hetaught! They understood only a frac­tion of what he said, and yet they con­tinued to follow him, because he hadthe words of eternal life. Their faith, 'as not perfect, but it was enough tokeep them going.

Jesus predicted that a disciplewould betray him, but the disciplesdid not understand this seeminglyplain statement. They just stared atone another (John 13:21-22). He pre­dicted his death, and they did notunderstand (verses 36-37). They werefilled with grief, but did not ask himwhat he meant (John 16:5-6). Theyasked each other, but none of themknew what he was talking about (vers­es 17-18).

They expressed their faith, butJesus predicted that they would for­sake him (verses 30-32). Peter boldlyproclaimed his allegiance, and theother disciples, equally ignorant, saidthe same (Mark. 14:31). But when leftto their own strength, they fell asleep,and they did not know what to say(verse 40). They all deserted him(verse 50). Even when eyewitnessestold them that Jesus had been resur­rected, still they did not believe (Mark.16:13; John 20:9).

The disciples didn't understand.They argued. They did things theyshouldn't have. They didn't ask ques­tions they should have. They wereordinary people. God uses people likethat. He can use people like us, too, ifour hearts and attitudes are right.

Even after Jesus' resurrection, hechided his disciples for being foolishand slow of heart to believe (Luke24:25). "Why are you troubled, andwhy do doubts rise in your minds?"(verse 38). They were full of joy andamazement, but still did not believe(verse 41). They even worshiped him,but some still doubted (Matthew28:17).

The Gospel of John gives a summaryof many such situations: "At first hisdisciples did not understand all this.Only after Jesus was glorified did theyreaIize that these things had been writ­ten about him and that they had donethese things to him" (John 12:16).

The pillars of the Church had someshaky beginnings. Things improvedafter Pentecost, of course, but still theyweren't perfect. There were adminis­trative problems in the Jerusalemchurch. There were differences ofopinion about gentiles and laws. Therewere controversies about the mission­ary work of Paul. There were problemsin his churches and tension among theChristians in Rome.

God's Church has never had com­plete doctrinal perfection. Through­out history, Christians have wrestledwith different doctrines and practices.Doctrinal errors are nothing new.That's why it's important that wealways remain willing to re-examinethe issues, admit our fallibility and bewilling to change and grow in thegrace and knowledge of our Savior.

It may be difficult at times tochange our ways, but that's what wehave been called to do. We are disci­ples, and thankfully, we are learning.

With confidence in Christ Jesus,Joseph Tkach Jr.

When concepts are incorrectOne of the most dramatic stories of

misunderstanding begins with Je usasking his disciples, "Who do peoplesay I am?" (Mark 8:27). And Petersaid, "You are the Christ" (verse 29).Peter understood this much correct­ly-not because he was extra clever,but because God had revealed it tohim. Even so, he understood onl ' partof what he needed to.

Peter had the right word-Me iahor Christ-but he had a woefullyincorrect idea of what a Messiahwould do. Peter wanted a conqueringhero, but Jesus talked about sufferingand death (verse 31). Peter, with zealgreater than wisdom, began to rebukehis own Teacher, as if he could teachthe Messiah a thing or two. Jesusrebuked him sharply because he wasthinking like a human (verse 33).

All of us, being human, naturallythink the things of men. And becauseof that, we do not always understandthe things of God. That should notsurprise us or aIarm us. When it hap­pens, we need to patiently wait forGod to reveal more to us. Of course,we need to do our part, searching theScriptures and asking God for under­standing. We should also take advan­tage of the tools that God provides--­reading The Worldwide News andother material about the subject, andattentively listening to sermons.

We are all disciples or learners. Asfollowers of Jesus, we have to contin­ue learning. The Holy Spirit leads usinto all truth, but this doesn't happeninstantly. Quite the contrary: We willdie before we know it all. That's whyit is reassuring to know that Godlooks on the heart. Salvation is notsome sort of intelligence contest.God's power is made perfect in weak­ness.

Peter wasn't ready to accept a suf­fering Messiah, but he wasn't ready toaccept a glorious Messiah, either.Mark 9 tells us that when Peter sawJesus in glory, he was so frightenedthat he didn't know what to say (verse6). Jesus told his disciples to keep theTransfiguration secret until he hadrisen from the dead-and right awaythe disciples began discussing what"rising from the dead" meant (verses9-10). It seems quite plain to us today,but it was a mystery to these men.They could have asked Jesus what hemeant, but they did not. Instead, theydiscussed it among themselves, shar­ing their ignorance instead of learningfrom the Master. Sometimes modemdisciples do that, too.

In verse 31, Jesus again predictedhis ovm death and resurrection, andthe disciples still didn't understand.

ot only that, they were afraid to askhim! Jesus was the perfect embodi­ment of love and truth, but his disci­ples were afraid to ask him what hemeant (verse 32). Perhaps they wereafraid of the truth. That continues tohappen to people today.

Jesus not only predicted his owndeath, he also said that his followersmust take up their crosses and for­sake all (Mark 8:34). evertheless, itwas not long before his followers,probably thinking of a physical king­dom again, argued among themselves

duIl?" (verses 15-16). This doesn'tseem like a very nice response, butJesus said it, and one of the discipleswrote this down because it can helpus. I find it encouraging to learn thatJesus doesn't require us to be extra­brilliant scholars. When it takes meyears to learn things from the Bible, Itake comfort in the fact that it alsotook years for the disciples to learnthings even when Jesus was \ iththem in the fle h.

were. He chided them for not under­standing something that they shouldhave been able to understand. Theycould remember facts (verses 19-20),but the - didn't draw right conclu­sions. Jesus could make bread mirac­ulously. The disciples didn't need toworry about bread or yeast.

Actually, Mark doesn't inform hisreaders what Je us really did mean.He simply end the story with "Doyou still not understand?" (verse 21).Thankfully, Matthew helps us out bytelling us what Jesus was talkingabout. The miracle of the loaves wasnot just a way to ave money-it alsohad a meaning that the disciplesshould have understood (Mark. 6:52).

It was figurative, symbolizing thefact that Jesus is our source of life.His teachings are what we need to liveforever. When he warned his disciplesabout the yeast of the Pharisees, hewas talking about their doctrines(Matthew 16:12). The disciples wereto live on the teachings of Jesus, notthe teachings of the Pharisees.

We learn a similar lesson in theGospel of John. Soon after a miracleof physical bread, Jesus proclaimedhimself the bread of life (John 6:32­35). He then said that people must eathis flesh and drink his blood if theywant to have eternal life (verse 54).This was much too strange for manypeople. His di ciples called it "a hardteaching," and they grumbled about it(verses 60-61). They did not under­stand it, and many left him (verse 66).But the Twelve remained hecauseJesus had the teachings of eternal life(verse 68).

They didn't understand, but thatwasn't a reason to leave. They set agood example of faith and patiencefor us today. The disciples eventuallylearned what Jesus was talking about.The people who left him, however,remained in ignorance. Although thehuman desire is to understand every­thing right away, we need patiencewhen dealing with the teachings ofJesus Christ.

ow let's look at an incident in theGospel of Luke. The 12-year-old Jesuswas in the temple, amazing everyonewith his understanding (Luke 2:47).But his parents were astonished thathe had done such a thing. They didnot understand (verses 48-50). Hismother treasured these things in herheart (verse 51), but she didn't under­stand her Son until many years later,probably after his resurrection morethan 20 years later.

Waiting for understandingWe need to ask God for patience

like that-if there are things we don'tunderstand, questions that haven'tbeen resolved to our satisfaction,then we can treasure them in ourhearts for a while. In time, Christ willreveal to us whatever we need toknow-if our hearts are right, if weare trusting in him.

Early in Jesus' ministry, the disci­ples were amazed when Jesus calmeda storm, and they asked one another,"What kind of man is this?" (Matthew8:27). It was a very good question,and Matthew gives us the answer onlytwo verses later. He is the Son of God.A few chapters later, there was anoth­er storm at sea, and after Jesuswalked on the water and calmed thestorm, the disciples correctly conclud­ed, "Truly you are the Son of God"(Matthew 14:24-33). But they still hadmuch to learn (Mark 6:51-52).

A short while later, Jesus offendedthe Pharisees by criticizing theirobsession with ritual cleanness(Matthew 15:2, 11). When the disci­ples asked Jesus to explain what hemeant, he asked, "Are you stilI so

Why our calling now?Why did God call us to this fellow­

ship and not to some other? Why didhe call us at the time he did and notsome other? The answer may beslightly different for each person, andfor some of us we may never know.The important point is that God hascalled us, and he wants us to go for­ward without fretting about mistakesof the past.

Christianity has never been doctri­nally perfect. Even the apostolicchurches were not perfect. In fact,much of the ew Testament was v;Tit­ten to correct various wrong ideas. InCorinth, for example, Christians weretolerating incest, suing one another incourt, eating in pagan temples andmisbehaving at the Lord's Supper.

Some thought they should be celi­bate, and some thought they shoulddivorce their non-Christian spouses.Paul had to correct all these ideas,and history tells us that he had onlylimited success. But the people wereChristian despite their mistakes andcarnaI mindedness.

Paul told us what was most impor­tant: the death, burial and·re urrec­tion of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians15:1-4) and the importance of love (ICorinthians 12:31-13:8). Our knowl­edge, he says, is only partial (verse 9).It wiII be completed after Christreturns, but for now, love is moreimportant than knowledge (verses 13,2). In saying this, I don't mean toimply that doctrinal correctness is notimportant. We strive for correctness,but admit that we are not infallible.

It encourages me to know that Jesus'own disciples, both before and afterPentecost, frequently didn't under­stand what the Master was doing.Although they had a perfect Teacher,they often failed to understand himcorrectly. Nevertheless, Jesus usedthem. This demonstrated that the dis­ciples' success was a result of God'swork, not human achievement.

For example, after Jesus miracu­lously fed thousands of people, he andthe disciples got into a boat, and Jesuswarned them, "Watch out for theyeast of the Pharisees and that ofHerod" (Mark 8:14). The disciplesconcluded that Jesus meant that,since they hadn't brought an ' breadand would have to buy some on theother shore, they shouldn't buy anybread from a Pharisee or Herodianbecause something was incorrectabout the yeast they used.

Why didn't they simply ask Jesuswhat he meant? The Bible doesn't tellus why, but it was probably becausethey were afraid of looking foolish.(That happens today, too.) But Jesusknew quite well how foolish they

Continued from page 1

\ Tong on a point we thought 0 vital,v;cre we Christians at all?"

Let me answer the second questionfirst: Yes. We were Christians, and westill are Christians. Thankfully, Chris­tianity is a matter of the heart. ·God cansuppiy information as accurately andas often as he wants to, but he can'tforce us to have a repentant attitude.

That' \\"hy attitude is so impor­tant-and our collective attitude wasright in the past. We have alwayswanted to please God, and that iswhat God wants most. We obeyed\ -hat we thought \ 'e had to obey, andthat i good. We misunderstood a fewthings about which laws we had toobey, but that didn't thwart our salva­tion. Our hearts have been in the rightplace all along (generally speaking, ofcourse, since some of "us" still don'thave a ood attitude).

,."

TROY HANKS

HANKS, Troy Da t4. of BaytownTexas. d ed June 24 He s SUrvIVedby pis father and stepmother Boband Linda, mother and stepfatnerStella and Celestloo Cervantes' andmany uncles, aunts and cous'ns

8-95

BARBARA ABATIELL

ABATIEll. Barbara Ann, 57, of Rut­land. Vermont died July 4, She ISs MVed by her usband, James adaughter. Sara A. Baer a sonGarth a orother Daniel Gaudet anda granddaughter She was preced­ed n death by two sons. Aaron andE,no and a Sisler, Paul ne Drou n

BOB ROBINSON

ROBINSON. Bob W 69 of MIS­soula, Montana, died March 23 ofcancer He is survived by his Wife.Phyilis, two sons. a daughter, agrandson and h's mother

health problems. He is survived byhis wfe. Mildred; a son, George; adaughter. Mar Iyn Masters; and twograndc Idren.

Birth Announcement---

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Number of children you have Boys: Girls: 10 Check-Including newborn box it hrst

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We'd like to let readersknow about your newbaby as soon as itarrives. Just fill out thiscoupon and send it to theaddress given as soon aspossible after the baby isborn. Baby announce-ments should be no morethan six months old.

Obituaries

AIRSMAN, Vivan M , 76, of BoswellPennsylvania. died June 9 of can­cer She is Surv ved by a son Daleh's WIle Lynora Jo and a grandsonAugust She was preceded ,n deathby her husband. Carl and a son, Ken

WADE, Major H. 75, of Ciarksvi IeLou siana, d'ed June 12 of mull pie

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KNAPP, Joseph AI red, 93. ofAlexandfla. lou'siana died June 13.He IS surv,ved by four sisters. LenaJones, Eunice Burnum, Jewel Bur­num and Myrtis Taylor; and se_anieces and nephews He was pre­ceded ,n death by h's w'fe

EMMA BURGE

BURGE Emma l.. 89, of Odessa.M ssour, ded June 18. Shes sur­VIVed by a daughter. Dorothy Frieda son, Charles. eight grandchldren21 great-gcandch'ldren and eightgreat-great-grandch Idren. She waspreceded ,n death by her husband.Otmer

r Ottawa to celebrate Its 30th !

onAWA, Ontario-The Ottawa church will cele­brate its 30th anniversary Sept. 9, the weekend afterLabor Day. Services will be held at 2 p.m. at SirRobert Borden High School in Nepean, The potluckmeal following services will feature an all-chocolatedessert table. The Ottawa church will cap off theevening with a variety show highlighting the congre­gation's history from the past 30 years. Memberswho have attended the congregation are invited toattend. For more information, call Edmond Hum at1-613-738-1440, extension 3182 (day or night), andleave a detailed message.

BIRlll ANNOUNCEMENTTHE WORLDWIDE NEWSBOX 111PASADENA, CAUF., 91129, U.SA

FI CH Ellen Luc e 81 of Pueblo.Colorado died July 4, She IS sur­v ved by two daugh ers. BarbaraShaffer and Luellen Armstrong' eghtgrandCh'ldren 12 great-grandchil­dren two greal-greal-grandchlidrenthree brothers, three s sters andnumerous nIeCes and nephews Shewas preceded n death by two hus­banos and a daughter

FLOYD George W., 93, of Hull.Georgia died Aprit 10, He is sur­vived by his wile. Annie. four daugh­ters. two sons. 17 grandch Idren, 30great-grandchildren, two sisters andseveral n eces and nephews

Herbert and Daisy Green of IowaC,ty. Iowa. celebrated the r 50thanniversary June 25 They havethree children, John, Jennifer V 11­hauer and Susan Barkalow; sixgrandchildren' and lhree great­grandChildren.

Greent,eld, Missouri, celebratedthelf 62nd anniversary July 20, Theyhave six children, Clitis. CleoVaughn, Christine Dickerson, Car­olyn Sue, Gertie Lou Miller andCathy McWilliams; 10 grandchildren;and 15 great-grandchildren,

AnniversariesMade of Gold

BOB & GLADA DEARBORN

Bob and Glada Dearborn of Delphi,Ind ana, celebrated their 25tharwversary Aug, 2. They have onedaughter, Carmen Rutl' Bob andGlada serve as deacon and dea­coness in the Lafayette, Indiana,church.

MR. & MRS, CLYDE MOTTlN

Mr. and Mrs, Clyde Mott,n of Raven­na Nebraska celebrated ther 40thanniversary July 1. They have twosons, Kenneth and D'ck; two daJgh­ters-n-Iaw, Pally and Kay' and twograndsons, Brandon and TraVls, TheMoltins serve as deacon and dea­coness in the Grand Island. Nebras­ka, church.

CLINTON & DOROTHYMcCONNELL

Clinton and Dorothy McConnell of

GEORGE & POppyEFTHYVOULOS

George and Poppy Efthyvoulos ofPietersburg South Africa celebratedthe r 40th ann versary July 23 Theyhave two sons. Oily and Nick, twodaughlers- n-law. Karen and Uz. andlive grandchl dren. George, StephenCha(ssa. Poppy and Jonathan. MrEfthyvoulos pastors the Pietersburg,South AfTlca. church,

AL & VIRGINIA L1BURD

AI and Virginia Uburd of San D,ego,California. c!llebrated their 25thann,versary Apnl 29. They have twodaughters. Tasha Satterwhite andCh n ta; a son, Allredo; a son-in-law,Randell Satterwhite; and four grand­children, DUlaun, Rahmand, Dom-Inique ~'-Aa-=-li'-'h"-ya=_. _

Terry and Mary Mat,e of Buffalo,New York, celebrated their 25thanniversary July 18. They have twodaughters, Marla Hadley andRachael, and a son-tn-Iaw, LarryHadley.

MIKE & PAM FUCINSKI

MIke and Pam FIctnski of RoundRock Texas, celebrated thelf 30thann versary June 21, They have twodaughters and sons-in-law, Marcyand AI Schoepko. and Michelle andJoel V,ce' and two grandch Idren.Stacy SchOepko and Meghan Vice

Robert E. Roulds of Peoria. llinos.and Frieda J Young-Hodge ofChicago IIrno,s. were united in mar­nage Aug, 26. The ceremony wasperformed by Jell McGowan pastorof the Peoria and McComb, lIIioos.churches, The matron of honor wasYvonne Trpp. and the best man wasJohn Knuckle The couple live inPeon..;3:... _

DANIEL &TARA MILLER

Tara Edmonston, daughter ofGeorge and Wanda Edmonston ofWest Platns. Missouri, and DallJelMil er, son of Clark and Linda Millerof Pasadena, were untted in mar­riage May 16, The ceremony wasperformed by Arthur Sucld ng. a fac­ulty member at Ambassador UnIver­sity. Laura Moody was matron ofhonor, and Kev n Burchett was bestman. The couple live ,n Big Sandy

GARVIN & SANDEE GREENE

Garv'n and Sandee Greene 01Knoxville, Tennessee, celebratedtheir 25th ann versary June 20. Theyhave three children, Michelle,Mered'th and Andrew; and a grand­daughter, Katherine. Mr Greenepastors the Knoxville, Morristownand Harrogate, Tennessee, church­es.

Bob and B I e Wa eman of Rose­lano Nebraska, celebrated lheir30th ann versary July 24 They havethree cr' dren Rhonda McCallJen fer Elaldrey and Matthew. a son­,n-Iaw, 1chael a daughter- n-Ia....Veron ca' and a granddaug er jor­dan

Anniversaries

L,sa Jane Koutsoufs and RichardJames larrabee ere united m mar­(age Dec 24 In Waltham. Massa­chusetts The ceremony was per­formed by Will am Ford, pastor ofthe Worcester and SpringfieldMassachusetts, churches Thematron of honor was Anne Morrealeand the best man was Gary Wilson.The couple live In Chelmsford,Massachusetts.

•

Weddings

ALFRED & MARSHA ROBICHEAU

Marsha Ann Dixon daughter ofDonna and Clark Dixon of WoodsHarbour, Nova Scotia, and AllredLou's Robcheau, son of Em Ie andthe late Agnus Robicheau of SI.Bernard. Nova Scotia. were unted inmarrjage Aug. 28. The ceremonywas performed by Steven Goreassoc,a e pastor of the 0'gby andHahfax Nova Scotia churches jen­nifer Rose was ma d of honof, andStuart Melarson was best man, Thecouple live ,n New Edinburgh NovaScota.

SIMPSON, Euan and Veronica(Allen) of Johannesburg, SouthAfflca, girl Kendra Leigh, July 4,now 2 girls,

Catherine Maree Womersley daugh­ter of Norm and Norma Womersleyof Warrnambool, Australia, andStephen Robert Pope. son 01Howard and Jan Pope of Melton,Australia, were united in marriageMay 6. The ceremony was per­formed by Orest Solyma, pastor ofthe Melbourne West churchJeanette Womersley, sister of thebride. was maid 01 honor, and PhilipHocking was best man.

STAPlETON Mark and Anne (Cady)of Pasadena gill. Megan Mar;eNallssa Jean June 10, first child

Engagements

Along with the r family and fflends.Helen Lobpreis of Southern Califor­nia, and Libor Koudelka. of Prague.Czech Republic, are happy toannounce the r engagement A Sept22 wedding at Knvoklat Caslle m theCzech Republic 's planned,

Angerque Rutn Summersel, daugh­ter of Robert and Erma Summersetof Char eston, South Carol na. andBob Shannon, son of ElizabethShannon of Tampa, Florida, arepleased to anno nce thell engage­ment A January weddngn Tampa's planned

....VICENTE & CORAZON CO

Corazon Espegadera, daughter ofMr and Mrs, Juan Espegadera ofBonfacio Misamis OCCidentalPI' pp'nes and Vicente Co, son oftne lale Mr & Mrs, Kue Co o·Bacolod C ty Ph I ppines, were unit­ed ,n marnage May 28 The ceremo­ny was performed by GeorgeEscara pastor of the 110110 City,Ph lipp,nes Church A ma Espe­gadera was maid of honor, andGodfrey Ser no was best..,an Thecouple Ive m Bacolod City

REMPEL, Damel and Barbara(Swanson) of Edmonton, Alberta,grl, Kalr na Marie, May 30, now 1boy, 1 g'rL

Timothy Hedley Gordon, May 11,first child.

REDDINGTO Edward and Sonya(Bruner) 01 Rochester, New York,boy Mchael Anthony, Feb 3, now 1boy. 1 girl

PIKE Ian and Anna (Prior) ofWe I ng on New Zealand boy ElliotIsaac, May 29, now 2 boys,

MITCHELL Glenn and Connie(O'Bryan) 01 Stanford, Caldorn'a. grl,Taylor Lindsey, July 1, now 2 grls

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MANINGAS. Chns and Tina (Ha th)of Blackfoot. Idaho, boy, Kev," GUIn­to, June 23, first child.

McLAUGHLIN, Gordon and Michele(Flack) of Bendigo, Australia, boy,

HOWELL, Rick and Kelly (Schoem­er) of West Bend W scons n, g rlJazmyn Dorothy June 23 now 3grls

JAMBOR, Jonathan And Jacque(Hos nson)<)f WiC Kansas OO~,

Isaac Alexander May 3. first child

MATHIU, Abraham and Esther(Wanjllu) of Meru, Kenya, gill,Wendlee Kathure, May 14. now 1boy,l girl,

KARNES, Randy and Tma (Jarvis) ofAtlanta' Georg a. boy, Willam Amho­ny Kent, Sept 2, f rst child

JOHNSON John R and Anna(Gallup) of W Iton North Dakota,boy COr! Lefor, June 29 now 3boys.

Births

LaBELLE, Michael and Rhonda(pease) of Dallas, Texas, gill, ChevsCaryn, June 25. now 3 grls,

HORNE Andrew and Cindy( elsen) of Pa mdale Cal forn ag rI Kanna E zabeth, May 6 now 1boy, 1 grl

GALLAGHER, Brendan and Debbe(Villiers) of Melbourne Austraha. gillsead'n Daire, Jan 11 Irst child

ARMSTRONG, Kevin and Sh,rley(Cheperdak) of Montreal, Quebec,g rl, Chelsea Janel, June 19. now 1boy, 1 grt

BAILEY Edde and Debby (Hall) ofPikeville. Kentucky. boy, MaxEdward. Feb, 19, first child.

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Master weavercelebrates hercentennial

SYRACUSE, ew York­Warena Grime celebratedher 100th birthday July 4.

Mrs. Grime, born in Caze­novia, Tew York, has five

Warena Grime

children, 18 grandchildren,51 great-grandchildren andthree great-great-grandchil­dren.

She taught herself how toweave on a loom, and whatbegan as a hobby became herlife work. She has wonawards and was listed as amaster weaver in Handwovenmagazine. Mrs. Grime hasbeen a Church member since1985. Marilynn A. Denny.

International Congresson the Family

DENVER, Colorado-Some4,000 Christians from manydenominations gatheredhere July 5 to 9 for the firstInternational Congress onthe Family.

At the congress, a team offamily experts including pro­fessional counselors, pastorsand educators gave semi­nars, workshops and plan­ning sessions.

Attending the conferencefrom headquarters wereSheila Graham, Plain Truthmanaging editor; ormanShoaf, booklet editor; andWade Fransson, assistantdirector of Family Ministry.Jim Kissee, a faculty mem­ber at Ambassador Universi­ty; and Ted Johnson, pastorof the Grand Junction andCraig, Colorado, churches,were also there.

"This was one of the mostvaluable conferences thatI've attended," Mrs. Grahamsaid. "More than 100 topicson the family were present­ed, addressing issues such asthe family as an agent ofcharacter development, sin­gle parenting and successfulstep-parenting."

Exhibitors were also at theconference. Christian univer­sities and seminaries wererepresented, as were Chris­tian book publishers, musi­cians, singers and artists.

"At the next congress, I

would hope the Churchcould be represented with abooth for The Plain Truth,the Youth magazine and Am­bassador University," Mrs.Graham added.

"What impressed me," Mr.Shoaf recalled, "was how themany different denomina­tions there came togetherand stressed points of agree­ment rather than disagree­ment. They all agreed thatthe gospel of Jesus Christneeded to be preached, andthat the family needs to bestrengthened in whateverway possible."

Mr. Fransson said he wasinspired by the millions ofpeople in this nation andaround the world who aredoing all they can to reversethe trends against the family.

Christians can be fatalisticabout what human govern­ment can do, "but we can beoptimistic about what Godand Jesus Christ can dothrough us," he said.

After the conference, Mrs.Graham and Mr. Shoaf visit­ed the headquarters of Focuson the Family in ColoradoSprings, Colorado.

Focus on the Family wasfounded by James Dobson,who holds a Ph.D. in childdevelopment and worked onthe staff of Los Angeles Chil­dren's Hospital. He was alsoclinical professor of pedi­atrics at the University ofSouthern California Schoolof Medicine.

"In the late 1970s," Mr.Shoaf said, "Dr. Dobson sawall the forces working to­gether to tear the familyapart and decided to foundFocus on the Family."

The organization publish­es several magazines forparents, children and youthsand provides professional

I family counseling and fami­ly ministries.

Facilities directordefends dissertation

Rick van Pelt, facilitiesdirector, successfully defend­ed his doctoral dissertationMay 9, completing the re­quirements for a doctor ofphilosophy degree in man­agement-administration,with an emphasis in crisismanagement, from WaldenUniversity, Minneapolis,Minnesota.

The dissertation is titled,CO/ltingency Planning andCrisis Management: An Eval­uation of the Continge~lcy

Planning for the 1994 WorldCup at Pasadena, California.

The education has alreadyproven valuable in his dutiesas the Church's facilities

Rick van Pelt

director, where he overseesthe many physical aspects ofthe headquarters property.

Dr. van Pelt earned hismaster of science degree inbusiness organizational man­agement in 1988, and hismaster of business adminis­tration in 1990.

Dr. van Pelt and his wife,Carol, have one daughter,Brittany, 12.

Youth elected studentbody president

ORA, ebraska-David J.Bargen was elected presidentof the student body at the Uni­versity of Nebraska, Feb. 16.The university has an enroll­ment of 10,000 students.

As president, David, whois a junior, \\iill serve a one­year term on the Universityof ebraska board of re-

David J. Bargen

gents. David, the son of Lyn­dall and Bonnie Bargen,attends the Grand Island,

ebraska, church.

L.A. church's 35thLOS ANGELES-The con­

gregation here celebrates its35th anniver ary Aug. 26.Church services will begin at3 p.m. at the LAX Double­tree Inn near the Los AngelesInternational Airport.

Cost of the dinner is 35,and rooms begin at about 79a night. Checks for the dinnershould be made payable to"Los Angeles Church 036"and mailed to John Graham,Box 2791, Gardena, Califor­nia,90247-0791.

For more information callJack or Gail Kessler at1-310-474-1709 immediately.

Thousands order gift subscriptions to Youth 95 magazine

o Youth 95, Box 92463, Pasadena, CA 91109

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your subscription, or note that it isfor an outreach subscription."

100% recycled paper

"My friend began to see a gradualchange in her daughter's previousbelligerent beha 'or and no the'are getting along better than theyever did before.... I really would liketo see Youth 95 continue on way pastYouth 2000. It is a big help for thoseyoung people who are looking foranswers."

A Canadian member who was ini­tially offended by what she saw as"marketing hype" in the magazineoffer, later \\Tote: "I can appreciatethat at times you mu t find yourselfbetween a rock and a hard place.Enclosed please find a cheque forour subscription and one for some­one who can't afford one."

Youth 95 is being et up as a self­supporting magazine to reduce theChurch's budget. A a eparate orga­nization. under U.S. tax codes, Youth95 sub 'cription and subscriptiondonations are not ta.· deductible. Butgift subscription are till welcome,and needed.

"As response' come III from inter­national sub cribers, the \ aiting listfor outreach ub criptions \ illgrO\ ," aid Bennett. "It's not too lateto provide an outreach sub cription.or to subscribe )our elf. Just make aseparate check out to Youth 95 for

9.95 in the United State. or 14.75for an international ubscription.Include your name and address for

dreds of young readers around theworld who just can't afford the sub­scription price," sa'd lknnett.

A member who donated five sub­scriptions explained how her son'sback issues had helped a woman sheworked with. This friend, a singlemother who was having a difficulttime with her teenaged daughter,left the magazines on her coffeetable.

"She was afraid that anything sheopenly recommended to her daugh­ter would be rejected outright," saidthe member. The magazines disap­peared from the coffee table, andsoon the daughter and several of herfriends became subscribers.

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~): e ,I want to help someone 'ho cannot afford toub cribe 0 Youth 95 but \\ ould benefit from recehing an

outr ach gift ubscription. (Please pril t clearly)

So far more than 65,000 peoplehave ordered subscription to Youth95, and the magazine staff is workingto process tho e requests as quicklyas possible.

"We appreciate the patience ofthose who haven't recei\'ed theirmagazine or their bill yet," said MikeBennett, Youth 95 editor. He said theremaining magazines and billsshould be arriving soon.

Included in that 65,000 are about2,500 outreach subscriptions donat­ed by Church member and othersfor those who want the magazine,but can't afford it.

"We are thankful for the members'generosity, because there are hun-