November-December, 1969

November-December, 1969

Published monthly at Pasadena, C.aliforniaiD 1969 Worldwide Church of God

Numbers 11-12

International magazine of

THE CHURCH OF GOD

,\"eGood News

ministering 10 its membersscattered abroad

Volume XVIII

The GOOD NEWS

More About Our Cover...Here is a view of part of the brethren who assembledto keep the Feast in Blyth Arena at Squaw Valley,

California, which was one of the twenty-two Feast sites aroundthe world this year.

This special Feast issue gives you the reports from each ofthose sites showing that the 1969 Feast of Tabernacles was, indeed,the "best ever!"

Ambassador College Photo

What our READERS SAY ...

Donald W.,Sterling, Alaska

CnUlrihul;JJ[-!, Ed itors

BUSINESS MANAGER

Albert J. Portune

Ernest 1. MartinLeslie 1. McCullough

Bill L McDowellRaymond F. McNair

1. Leroy NeffRichard F. PIache

John E. PortunePaul S. Royer

Norman A. SmithLynn E. Torrance

Gerald WaterhouseDean R. WilsonBasil Wolverton

Clint C. Zimmerman

David L AntionDibar K. ApartianFrank BrownC. Wayne ColeRaymond C. ColeWilliam DankenbringRonald 1. DartCharles V. DorothyJack R. ElliottSelmer 1. HegvoldCharles F. HuntingPaul W. KrollRobert KuhnDennis G. Luker

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Garner Ted Armstrong

ADDRESS ALL COMMUNICATIONs to the Editor.P. O. Box 111. Pasadena. California 91109.

Canadian members should address P. O. Box44. Station A. Vancouver 1. B. c., Canada.

Our members in United Kingdom. Europe, andAfric« should address the Editor. P. O. Box 111.St. Albans. Herts.. England.

South Africa: P. O. Box 1060. Johannesburg.Transvaal. R. S. A.

Members in Australia and Southeast Asia shouldaddress the Editor. P. O. Box 345, NorthSydney. NSW 2060. Australia.

In the Philippines. P. O. Box 1111, Makati,Rizal D-708.

BE SURE TO NOTIFY US IMMEDIATELY of anychange in your address. Please include both oldand new address. IMPORTANT!

EDITORHERBERT W. ARMSTRONG

MANAGING EDITOR

David Jon Hill

Editorial and Production AssistnntsRobert 1. Kuhn

John R. Schroeder

Associate EditorsAlbert]. Portune Ronald Kelly

SENIOR EDITORS

Roderick C MeredithHerman 1. Hoeh

"We had a wonderful time here inAlaska at the Feast of Tabernacles. Godwas here to inspire Mr. Brogaard andMr. Bailey to preach such wonderfulsermons. They answered the manyquestions I was prepared to ask butdidn't have to."

pages of stored food to take home andfeast on during the year. The joy therewas in searching all the beautiful faces.I loved them all from Mr. Herbert Arm­strong to the last one I met. The won­derful warm reception by the Mayor ofPenticton, Mr. Stewart. The warmth ofall the Canadians in and not in theChurch, the beautiful choirs and solos,all music and singing. The lovely placesto stay and the miracle (to me) tent!A beautiful trip and back. Deliciousfood, no matter where one ate in thecity. Canadians can cook and had goodfood to start with. Many old acquain­tances, many new, some just new inthe Church. I felt many emotions ­laughing, pondering seriously, worship­ping God, singing with joy, and notbeing able to sing for the lump in mythroat. Sometimes tears ran down myface. Condensed, just a drop in thebucket ! Wonderful eighth feast - not'old hat.'"

Vera C, Doty, Washington

Sermons"I want to thank everyone for sending

in his excess second tithe so that my

(Continued on page 16)

Alaska

Barbados"I learned so much at the Feast in

Barbados. Mr. Hall from Pasadena wasjust wonderful, coming straight-out withthe facts and explaining that even chil­dren can understand and learn. It wasa refreshing sight seeing the youngsterslistening and obeying their parents inGod's Church, all being given thegolden rules of child rearing. The ser­

mons Mr. Bass and Mr. Hall gave werewhat I love to hear and I am sure theyare going to be of great benefit to allof us. I felt away from the outsideworld. I felt very happy and at peace.I had a feeling of speaking one lan­guage. I have been feeling that waysince my baptism."

Violet S., Chaguanas,Trinidad, W. I.

Canada"Money could not pay for the price­

less 'vacation' I had at Penticton, with

Ozark Site"Just home from the Ozark Feast and

how happy it made me to see and hearthe wonderful sermons of you and Mr.Garner Ted, and of course I did enjoyso much hearing the other ministers.What love - everyone was so nice tome. I am 86 and did not miss one ser­mon and I did learn so much. Whata Church - and to think I was in thatMethodist Church from 17 years oldto 80 years old and never learned onething, and I even read the Bil-le overseven times."

Alice B., Kansas City, Missouri

Conn - Ambassador College

AT t uetrtv-tuo sites in twelve coun­.l1 tries around the world, over

63,000 of God's people assem­bled to REJOICE before Him in keepingthe "best-ever" Feast of Tabernacles inthe Philadelphia Era of God's Church!Over 54,000 brethren congregated atset'eu sites in the continental UnitedStates and Canada while over 9,000met at fifteen other sites around theworld.

For eight joyous, exhilarating days,God's people dwelled together in unityand love and experienced a foretaste ­a kind of preview - of the wonderfulWORLD TOMORROW. It was an inspiring,encouraging, spiritually rejuvenating,spiritllal Feast, as well as a time ofphysical abundance and fine food.

The Feast - A Powerful Witness

Besides helping us to prepare for 0111'

part in the soon-coming rule of God ona breathtakingly beautiful, bountifulearth, the Feast also provided a pow­erful witness to the thousands of people

in the local communities near our Feastsites around the world.

When a group of God's people ­whether 100 or 10,000 - gather for aneight-day period, the blessings - thefruits - of GOD'S way of life areopenly obvious! When a group of uswho are only pinpricks of light individ­ually - gather together, our lights arecombined into a powerful spotlight

which cannot be overlooked by those inthe world! They may not agree with our

religious beliefs, but with one voicethey laud and praise the resnlts of livingthat way!

Appreciate Being Appreciated

This year, as in years past, the localresidents - especially the restaurantowners, waiters, waitresses, motel man­agers and local government officials ­shook their heads in wonderment at theexemplary conduct of our people!Never, many commented, had they everhosted such a fine group of people.Never had they seen such friendly, cour­teous, patient cooperation, such orderli­ness and cleanliness and such well­behaved, well-trained children.

One restaurant owner in the newFeast site at the Lake of the Ozarks was

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so impressed that she sent a $100 contri­bution to the Church on the last GreatDay! A motel manager in that same areawrote to some of the brethren nfter theFeast, "It is a rare privilege for us to bemorally OBLIGED [emphasis hers, notours] to write our guests to acknowl­edge their outstanding care of our unitsand their leaving behind the perfectorder and cleanliness received upontheir arrival!"

One letter expressed the appreciationof the local people "for all your 'goodpeople' who blessed our area with sunnyskies, comfortably warm and coolweather and well-behaved guests for anunprecedented 12 (twelve!) days(Somebody up there loves you!). Itrarely stays 'fair' - no rain - for thatlong a time!"

In a letter to Mr. Herbert Armstrong,the governor of the state of Georgia,Mr. lester Maddox, wrote: "I havebeen told on many occasions about theimpression your Worldwide Church ofGod members have made on the Coastalpeople of Georgia, and again, I want tothank you for selecting Georgia as yourfestival location in 1969."

The attitude of the people in thelocal communities near our Feast sitesaround the world is perhaps best ex­emplified by this letter from Mr. HoraceCaldwell, Director of the Jekyll IslandState Park Authority, to the WorldwideChurch of God:

"To you charming people whom allthe residents of Jekyll Island, the JekyllIsland Authority and we who maintainthe island love so dearly, we welcomeyou back home again.

"Never in the history of Jekyll Islandhas there been such a large and out­standing group as yours and everybodylooks forward to your return to YOURlovely island. We welcome you and begof you to let us know if there is any­thing we can do to make your stay morepleasant than last year. We assure youthat no stone will be left unturned.

"Please drive safely, arrive early andstay late."

These comments arc NOT reproducedto cause wrong pride in ourselves, breth­ren, but to show what the Spirit of theLiving God can do. Let's plan rightNOW to use that matchless Spirit evenmore NEXT YEAR!

The GOOD NEWS

Armstrongs Visit Six Sites

Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong and Mr.Garner Ted Armstrong were able tovisit all six of the major Feast sites inthe United States and Canada this year.Many hundreds of brethren were able tosee them and hear them speak in personfor the first time.

Mr. Herbert Armstrong hopes to beable to attend seven sites next year, be­ginning with the Feast in England. Ournew Gruman Gulfstream II business jetwill be able to cross the Atlantic non­stop, thus making it possible for Mr.Armstrong to attend in England as wellas the six major sites in the UnitedStates and Canada. We know all of thebrethren who keep the Feast in Englandare excited about the prospect of havingMr. Armstrong speak to them there andare eagerly looking forward to this op­portunity!

Ordinations

This year's Feast was especially out­standing because of the unprecedented

number of new Feast sites added thisyear and the record number of ordina­tions which occurred at the Feast.

A total of seuen new sites were addedthis year, several of which enabled thelocal brethren to assemble for the Feastfor the liery first time.'

There were a total of thirty-four ordi­nations during the Festival season thisyear - twenty-six new ordinations tothe office of local Elder in God'sChurch and eight raises in rank to theoffice of Preaching Elder.

We have, in years past, heen ahle tointroduce you to each man who was or­dained by giving you a brief write-upabout each in The GOOD NEWS. Now,however, because of the number of or­dinations - for which we are liery

thankful - it is just not practical to dothis. So far in 1969 we have had a totalof one bmrdred forty-one ordinations- 99 new ordinations and forty-two

raises in rank! We can certainly rejoicein this much-needed growth which Godis giving while we continue to pray thatthe lord of the harvest will send forthmore laborers into His harvest!

We will give a list of those ordained,along with the area in which each isserving. Here is a list of those who are

November-December, 1969

employed full.time in the Work andwho were ordained as local Elders:

Mr. Richard Aitkins (Los Angeles,CalifornialMr. Gene Bailey (Tacoma andOlympia, Washington)Mr. Larry Bathurst (Anderson, S.Carolina and Asheville, N. Caro­lina)Mr. Steve Botha (Leeds, England)Mr. Fred Davis (Pasadena, Cali­fornia)Mr. Tom Fish (Philadelphia, Penn­sylvania)Mr. Dan Fricke (Seattle, Wash­ington)Mr. Felix Heimberg (Flint & Mid­land, Michigan)Mr. Kyriacos Stavrinides (BricketWood, England)Mr. George Menassas (Kitchener& Toronto, Ontario)Mr. Bob Mitchell (Warrington,England)Mr. Ben Morrison (Bismarck &Fargo, N. Dakota)Mr. James Oakley (Detroit,Michigan)Mr. Bob Peoples (Eugene andSalem, Oregon)Mr. Stuart Powell (Bricket Wood,England)Mr. Richard Rand (Grand Rapids,Michigan and South Bend,Indiana)Mr. Bruce Vance (Findlay andToledo, Ohio)Mr. Lyndel Wornat (Bluefield,W. Virginia and Kingsport, Tenn­essee)

Those ordained as local Elders fromlocal Church areas who are not em­ployed by the Work were as follows:

Mr. Henry Bontrager (South Bend,Indiana)Mr. Scott Erickson, Jr. (Duluth,Minnesota)Mr. James Forrester (Memphis,Tennessee)Mr. George Forsyth (Detroit,Michigan)Mr. Richard Fulks (Charleston,West Virginia)Mr. Charles Jobe (Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania)Mr. Robert Mangum (Memphis,Tennessee)Mr. Don Morehouse (Seattle,Washington)

And those raised to the rank ofPreaching Elder were as follows:

Mr. Wayne Dunlap (Oakland andSan Francisco, California)Mr. William Freeland (RichlandCenter, Wisconsin)

Conn - Ambassador College

November-December, 1969

Mr. George lee (Edmonton andCalgary, Alberta)Mr. Bill Rapp (Pasadena, Cali­fornia)Mr. John Ritenbaugh (long Beach& Anaheim, California)Mr. Mike Swagerty (Findlay andToledo, Ohio)Mr. Tom Williams (Richmond,Virginia)Mr. Ray Wooten (Atlanta andMacon, Georgia)

Congratulations to all of these menon their added responsibilities and addi­tional opportunities for service in God'sGreat Work!

let's take a brief look now at each ofthe sites around the world, as we reviewthis "best-ever" Feast of Tabernacles!

BIG SANDYMr. Herbert W. Armst ronj; ol:gan

the Feast in Big Sandy, where he greetednearly 12,000 happy, smiling brethrenwho kept the Feast for the first time inour new metal "Convention Center"there.

The wr-arhr-r was somewhat warmthroughout the Feast, but this providedideal weather for swimming in lake

Loma and other outdoor activities.Many enjoyed a round of golf on ournew nine-hole golf course right there on

The GOOD NEWS

the grounds. A "first" for the Feast inBig Sandy was a horse show held oneafternoon on the Ambassador CollegeRanch. The performers in this fine,well-executed show were AmbassadorCollege students. The success of theshow this year will perhaps mean that itwill become an annual event!

The friendly, family atmosphere ofthe Feast is especially accentuated at BigSandy where most of the brethren wereable to camp right on the grounds withtheir own Church areas. Over 1900 ofour Negro brethren were able to campand keep the Feast together at BigSandy.

Mr. David Antion was the Fvangdistin charge of the Feast during the firsthalf, and Mr. Leslie McCullough duringthe second half. Mr. Ted Armstrongended his tour of the various Feast sitesat Big Sandy on the Last Great Day.

SQUAW VALLEYOver 8,200 of our "western" breth­

ren from California, Arizona, Utah andNevada assembled to keep the Feast al

Squaw Valley in the magnificent highSierras. The weather was typically beau­tiful for this time of the year, withwarm days and cool nights. Deer seasonopened the first day of the Feast, and

5

severs1 hreth ren took advantage of thisopportune scheduling by getting a deerlater in the week.

Mr. Leslie McCullough took the firsthalf of the Feast and then switched withMr. David Antion, who was in chargefor the second half.

The Feast was highlighted by Mr.Ted Armstrong's visit on the secondday of the Feast, plus an enjoyable,inspiring concert presented by theAmbassador Chorale and the Ambassa­dor Big Band in the middle of theFeast, and also Mr. Herbert Armstrong'svisit on the next to the last day of theFeast.

PENTICTONThe Mayor of Penticton was on hand

for the opening night of the Feastthere. He gave a short speech of wel­come to the brethren, and stayed to hearan inspired sermon by Mr. Ted Arm­strong on current world conditions andthe urgent need for God's Kingdom tobe set up on this earth.

The natural friendliness and warmthof the 6,642 Canadian and North-

A huge tent was erected at thenew Penticton Feast site to seatthe 6,642 brethren attendingthere.

FEASTOF TABERNACLESMany brethren ul SquawVat~ey enjoyed a ride onthe new ski lift.

•HAWAII

ALGARROBO

C/otk - Ambassador College

western brethren assembled to keep theFeast there, more than made up for thecool, rainy weather. Since the rain wasnot heavy, and since it seemed to stopwhenever services were over and thebrethren had to leave the tent, it did notreally dampen the brethren's spirits to

any degree.From the opening sermon by Mr.

Ted Armstrong to the closing sermonby Mr. Herbert Armstrong, with ser­mons by Mr. Ronald Dart and Mr. Al­bert Portune during the first and secondhalves respectively, the brethren enjoyeda real spiritual [east!

Many of the brethren in Penticton

had the pleasure of witnessing one ofthe most unusual sports activities thathas ever been held at a Feast site - amock ice hockey game between theUnited States ministers and the Cana­dian ministers. It was played on ice, butwith regular shoes rather than ice skates,and cut-down brooms were used to swata large ball through the opponents'goal.

The winners? The United States min­isters squeaked by with a 4 to 3 victoryin a hilarious, nip-and-tuck contest.

Another fun-filled activity was thefamily night. The dry humor of Mr.George Lee as the Master of Ceremonies

and the "homespun" entertainment bysome of the brethren from various localChurch areas provided a very entertain­ing evening.

LAKE OF THE OZARKS

Over 7,600 brethren kept the [us!

Feast to be held in the scenic Lake ofthe Ozarks area. The weather W.1S un­usually beautiful for this time of year inMissouri, and everything went verywell. It was evident that the experienceof past years - especially in the begin­ning of a similar site in the Poconos ­had really paid off.

Mr. Albert Portune was the Evangc-

\

Conn - Ambassador Coflege

ABOVE, Mr. Herbert Armstrong greetsthe brethren as he arrives at one ofthe six Festival sites he visited thisyear.

"_ . .1 1

PERTH

BLACKHEA

TONGA-

RIGHT, Mr. Pat Giunta directsthe Ozarks Feast Choir.

... :.':.

Smyda - Ambassador Coflege

list in charge of the first half of theFeast, Mr. Roderick Meredith the sec­

ond half.

Many enjoyed fishing on the lake,while others took advantage of the op­

portunity for a cruise on the lake. An­

other popular outing was a trip to oneof thp \1nUSU'11 Clves in the vicinity. Spe­cial performances of the well-known"Ozark Opry" were also scheduled for

the brethren. Family night featured Mr.Bill McDowell as the Master of Cere­monies and the Ozarks' Feast Choirunder the direction of Mr. Pat Giuntain a balanced program of musical per­formance and comedy acts.

JEKYLL ISLANDLovely, picturesque Jekyll Island host­

ed 7,600 of our Southeastern brethrenfor the Feast again this year. This wasthe seremh year we have met in thisarea, and the local community has

learned, over the years, to deeply clppre­crate our people.

Although a "hurricane watch" wasnot necessary this year as in some yearsin the past, it did rain after a few daysof lovely weather. The rain did notcause the cancellation of any services,however. The worst downpour occurredon a free afternoon when the huge, spe­cially erected tent was unoccupied.

Mr. Jon Hill was in charge of the:first half of the Feast in Jekyll Island,

and Mr. Ronald Dart crossed the nationfrom the opposite corner in journeyingfrom Penticton to Jekyll Island for thesecond half.

Mr. Darryl Henson was the Master ofCeremonies for rhf' '1nn\1'11 F'1milyNight entertainment which, like that ofPenticton and Lake of the Ozarks, con­

sisted of a variety of acts by a numberof brethren from local Church areas.

POCONOS

"Gorgeous" is the word to describe

the brilliant fall foliage in the Pocono

Duncan - Ambassador Colfege

ABOVE, RIGHT - The beautifulfall foliage at the Anchorage,Alaska, Feast site provided aninspiring setting for the Feast.

ABOVE, LEFT - Some of the1900 Negro brethren who keptthe Feast at Big Sandy as theyparticipate in the song service.

LEFT - A group of the brethrenwho assembled to keep the Feastat Baguio City, the Philippines.A mbassador College Photo

AmbassadorCollege Photo

mountains at this time of year. Mt. Po­cono this year became the largest Feastsite in the world with 12,250 brethrenkeeping the Feast in this resort area!

Mr. Roderick Meredith began theFeast there and Mr. Jon Hill was therefor the second half. Mr. Herbert Arm­strong arrived on the second day of theFeast but cut his visit short because ofhoarseness.

The cool, rainy weather could havespoiled a convention being held by"conventional" groups, but as the localnewspaper, The POCOIlO Record, noted"... it was miserable weather, but therewere no complaints. The WorldwideChurch of God members don't com­plain."

That is certainly true! God's peoplerealize that a positive, big-minded ap­proach can override minor inconve­niences and that a Feast can be inspiring,

joyful and happy In any kind ofweather.

The record number of brethren inMt. Pocono had a wonderful Feast inspite of the weather - which was notreally miserable. It was miserable onlyto those not in a genuine "Feast ofTabernacles" attitude!

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA

The opportunity for the Alaskanbrethren to meet together to keep theFeast was a real blessing to these "scat­tered" brethren who still do not haveeven a local Church to attend on theSabbath. Mr. Fred Brogaard, from theTacoma and Olympia, Washington area,went up to conduct the Feast in Anchor­age, assisted by Mr. Gene Bailey, whowas ordained as a Local Elder just be­fore the Feast. Mr. Brogaard reports:

"The Feast of Tabernacles, 1969, in

Anchorage, Alaska, was a truly won­derful experience. Being one of thesmallest groups to observe the Feast thisyear, we had a real family atmosphere inevery respect. Our largest attendancewas 120.

"The weather, for the most part, wasbeautiful - no snow and very littlerain. We had three 'family nights' whenwe had games for the adults, as well asfor the children, a sing-along, some veryinteresting Walt Disney nature films,and a 'talent' show.

"The meals were prepared by theladies at the Feast, and they were abso­lutely scmmptuous. We had such thingsas fried chicken, steak, goat, moose,fresh salmon, and fresh halibut! All thefood was of excellent quality, includingthe homemade whole wheat bread andjam.

"The experience of sharing every-

10

thing - plus God's Spirit - created areal bond among aU in attendance.And by the time 'God Be With YouTill We Meet Again' was sung, therewere very few dry eyes."

HAWAII

Mr. Al Carrozza flew out to Hawaiito conduct the Feast for 127 of God'speople assembled in Laie, on the islandof Oahu. Here is Mr. Carrozza's report:

"To say we had the 'greatest Feastever' might sound trite, but it is an ab­solute fact! From the time of our depar­ture from Los Angeles InternationalAirport until we returned to the sameairport, we enjoyed an experience of alifetime which we will never forget. Wefound the people to be the most warm,friendly, wide-eyed and childlike peoplewe have ever met.

"The Feast of Tabernacles was heldin a tent behind the Lani Loa LodgeMotor Hotel where we, and all thebrethren, stayed for the full eight daysduring the Feast of Tabernacles. Theaccommodations were quite nice and in­cluded a very fine swimming pool in thecenter of the lodge which was used agreat deal of the time. A buffet stylemeal was provided by the Lani Loa InnJust across the street from the lodge.The food was quite nice and plentiful.

"The Feast of Tabernacles was prob­ably the smoothest I have ever had theprivilege of attending. I am sure the

The GOOD NEWS

reason for the tranquility and smoothoperation of the feast was the fact thatit was quite small (127 total) and wewere, therefore, able to control every­thing quite nicely. We didn't have tomake one sour announcement duringthe whole feast. Everything went verysmoothly and everyone seemed to enjoythe feast very much."

MINEHEAD, BRITAIN

Mr. Raymond McNair reports fromBritain: "This year we had the mostglorious Feast of Tabernacles ever heldin Britain. The weather was, by far, thebest ever. The food and chalets werevery good and the sermons were trulyinspired.

"This was undoubtedly the most cos­mopolitan Feast of Tabernacles everheld by God's people. The 2,530 whoattended the Festival came from 68countries.

"Again we had approximately 200

German-speaking brethren attending theFeast. The auditorium is set up so theycan see all of the speakers at the sametime they have a translation of each ser­mon and sermonette given.

"It was a healthy as well as a happytime partly due to the nice weather andpartly due, undoubtedly, to the abun­dance of fresh fruits of all types whichwere made available to all the peopleattending the Feast.

"All of us were very happy to have

November-December, 1969

Kilburn - Ambassador College

ABOVEr "Look rna, no hands!"

BELOW, Mr. AI Carrozzo leadssinging in the "mini-tabernacle"at our Hawaiian Feast site.

Gillen - Ambassador College

Robert - Ambassador College

Pavilions at Praz-sur-Arly where our French-speaking brethren have beenkeeping the Feast of Tabernacles for the last three years.

November-December, 1969

Mr. Gerald Waterhouse with us. His in­spiring sermons on the theme of God'soverall plan helped all of us to get abetter glimpse of the soon-comingWorld Tomorrow and of life as it willbe in the New Earth and the New Je­rusalem."

PRAZ-SUR-ARLY,FRANCE

Mr. Dibar Apartian, the Director ofthe French Work, was in charge of theFeast at Praz-sur-Arly, France. He re­ports as follows:

"The picturesque French alpine vil­lage of Praz-snr-Arly once again was thelocation to which the French-speakingbrethren of Europe came to rejoice atthe Feast. The towering slopes of MontBlanc were covered with cold, glisten­ing snow, but down in the valley weenjoyed the sunshine and an ideal cli­mate. As a matter of fact, the weatherwas so lIIl/IS1Ial for the time of year thatsome of the local townsfolk were heardto remark: 'We always have such beau­tiful weather when you people arehere!'

"This year there were 386 brethren atthe Feast - compared to 260 last year.That is an increase of over 48%!Messrs. Carn Catherwood, Colin Wil­kins and Etienne Bourdin assisted me inbringing them sermons and sermonettesabout Christian liVing and preparing forthe Kingdom.

"A variety of activities, includingscenic excursions, movies, the Fun Show(thanks to a few French-speaking stu­dents who were sent from BricketWood), and a Single People'S outingassured that nobody would have troublefinding something to do between ser­vices.

"And here is more good news for re­joicing: we had 24 baptisms; further­more, two deacons, and the first Frenchdeaconess in this Church age, were or­dained. It may not be original to say it;nevertheless, this was truly the 'BEST

Feast yet' in this area!"

THE POTSDAMCONFERENCE

Mr. Frank Schnee and Mr. JohnKarlson conducted the first-ever j;east of

Tabernacles to be held behind the IronCurtain / Mr. Schnee conducted the first

The GOOD NEWS

two days of the Feast in Potsdam, EastGermany - which is near East Berlin- and tu.eloe were present, plus thefour Schnees. Mr. John Karlson con­ducted the services on the last two days.

Here is a report from Mr. Karlson,who assists Mr. Schnee:

"Both Mr. Schnee and I immenselyenjoyed the Feast near Potsdam, in asmall lake-strewn resort area just outsideBerlin. The twelve who were able tokeep it with us, however, enjoyed it evenmore! In spite of the fact that we werebehind the Iron Curtain, God inter­vened so that everything went extremelywell. We had rented two bungalows,plus three large camping trailers. Onebungalow had a room large enough forall of us to sit comfortably for BibleStudies and preaching services.

We were able to sing too, withoutfear of being disturbed. Mr. and Mrs.Schnee and their boys went for the firsttwo days to start the Feast off. Mr.Schnee held three services and was able

to give everyone personal counselling. Ithen went over for the last day of theFeast of Tabernacles and the Last GreatDay. We also had three services, pluspersonal counselling. It was a real joyfor all of these brethren, as well as for

us, to be able to keep the Feast together.We saw God's help and intervention inmany ways."

11

GEORGE, SOUTH AFRICA

Down on the southern tip of Africain the city of George, South Africa, 525(more than the total number worldwidewho kept the Feast in 1952) of ourbrethren gathered to keep the Feast inthe sprillg of the year. (Their seasons

are the opposite of ours in the NorthernHemisphere.) The minister in chargewas Mr. Robert Fahey, the Office Man­

ager of our regional office in Johannes­burg. From South Africa comes this re­port:

"God really blessed us in SouthAfrica! Everything seemed to go right!The speaking was obviously inspired.

We all could see that God wanted us totake advantage of the rare calling givenus, to learn to serve now, preparing forthe job ahead. Also by fixing our mindson the Work, we can avoid present dis­couragements.

"The free time was blessed tooby perfect weather. Many first-timers

learned to water-ski at the lagoon besideWilderness township. All age groupshad activities so no one was left out.

"The people of George, where weheld the Feast, were a little suspiciousof us as a group at first. They have hadso many bad experiences with con­ventions yOll can hardly blame them.But as the Feast progressed, you could

The GOOD NEWS

see a change in their greeting, serviceand willingness to make us at home intheir city. One shopkeeper, demonstrat­ing to his staff 'what nice people theseare' DELIBERATELY gave some too muchchange - knowing it would always bereturned! And it was.' They are lookingforward to us next year. No mare suspi­cions !"

BLACKHEATH,AUSTRALIA

Mr. Wayne Cole, the Regional Direc­tor of the Work in Australia and NewZealand, sent the following report onthe Feast in that area of the world:

"This year, fur the first time, theFeast of Tabernacles was observed atthree separate locations in Australia andNew Zealand, with a total attendance ofnearly 3,000.

"In Blackheath, New South Wales,Australia a very inspiring - 'best-ever'- festival was observed with 2,376 inattendance.

"Dr. Clint Zimmerman, the ministerin charge of the Personal Correspond­ence Department at Headquarters inPasadena, California, with his wife auddaughter spent the first six days of theFeast with us in Blackheath. His pow­erful, graphic and inspiring sermonsadded tremendously to the Festival. TheZimmermans spent the last two days ofthe Feast with our brethren in Taupo,New Zealand.

"Sermon after sermon for the breth­ren in Blackheath hammered home thepoint of 'setting our spiritual house inorder' with the aid of God's Holy Spiritand then with conviction and concernbeing lights and witnesses to a sick anddying generation.

"The organization of all aspects ofthe Feast in Blackheath was so welldone this year that a noticeably morerelaxed and enjoyable atmosphere pre­vailed. The willingness to serve and thelove shown to others was truly a creditto all those who attended the Feast toportray happy and harmonious livingconditions that will be seen everywherein 'the World Tomorrow.'''

Ambassador College Photo

Inside Blyth Arena, Squaw Valley- wall-to-wall people.

13

PERTH, WESTERNAUSTRALIA

The Pastor of the Perth Church, Mr.\X!illiam Winner, reports on the firstFeast to be held in Perth:

"After months of eager anticipation,the very first Feast of Tabernacles wasobserved in Perth, Western Australia.And it was a success in every way!God's inspiration was ohviouslv presentas 260 gathered together to worshiptheir Creator. Inspiring sermons, beau­tiful weather, tasty and wholesome foodwere the order of the day every day.

"For the first half of the Feast wewere privileged to have Mr. and Mrs.Keith Crouch with us. Messrs. LeroyCole and Ted Tupper, along with theirfamilies, joined the fellowship through­out the whole of the Feast. The in­spiring messages given by God's min­isters were most helpful to all.

"Being small in number we had theadvantage of a family atmosphere ­one could get around to chat with justabout everyone.

"The Festival site itself was anotheroutstanding feature. While we were vir­tually sitting in the midst of the city, wewere secluded by beautiful gardens,lively fountains, streams of water andlandscaped lawns. A beautiful setting atany time, but particularly during thisseason - springtime in Australia.

"As usual, at the end of a wonderfulFestival one could hear over and overthe so familiar words: 'This was thebest Feast ever.'''

TAUPO, NEW ZEALAND

The following is a report from Mr.Graemme Marshall, the Office Managerof our office in Auckland, New Zea­land:

"Eight days of glorious sunshinewere experienced in the scenic setting ofLake Taupo by the 333 brethren keep­ing the first ever Festival of Tabernaclesto be observed in New Zealand. Overhalf of the brethren were accom­modated in a luxury tourist hotel lo­cated just five miles down a new, fasthighway from the meeting hall inTaupo. Modern rooms, top-flight ser­vice, beautiful grounds - these wereMILLENNIAL surroundings!

"The hotel prepared in trepidation

14 The GOOD NEWS November-December, 1969

for what was to be their biggest confer­ence ever - and for eight wholedays! Remarkable cooperation was ex­perienced from them and they had solittle to do throughout the period thatthe Manager expressed to me, 'Al­though worried at first, we actually hadso little to do that we were able to getour end of year balance done instead!'Such was the favour and cooperation weexperienced this year with this hotel.Other moteliers, townspeople and meet­ing hall attendants were also friendlyand especially helpful.

"We were privileged to receive atwo-day visit from the Regional Direc­tor in Australasia, Mr. C. Wayne Cole.Dr. Clint Zimmerman, his wife anddaughter from Headquarters in Pasa­dena were present for the latter part ofthe Feast. The opening words in thefirst service set the theme for the Festi­val: 'Rejoice by forgetting self andserving mankind both now and in thefuture -title 11011' the way which theworld will live Tomorrow.'

"Because of the fine facilities and ex­cellent accommodations - along withthe friendly cooperation of the hotelstaff - God's people were able to re­joice in an atmosphere they normallywould never have known. This wastruly a FORETASTE of the WonderfulWORLD TOMORROW!"

KINGDOM OF TONGA

On the South Pacific island Kingdomof Tonga, 41 of our brethren assembledto observe a UNIQUE Feast of Taber­nacles! The brethren met in a tabernaclewhich they themselves had constructedto hear Me. Isileli Ha'angana and otherleading men in the Church of God inTonga translate articles from The GOODNEWS and The PLAIN TRUTH, as wellas a selection of important booklets,during services.

Around the tabernacle building itselfthey had constructed small single­roomed booths from coconut leaves andpalms. Mr. Ha'angana reported that thebrethren were simply (J1!Pt"j{)),pd to be

Duncan - Ambassador College

"Family Night" at Big Sandyfeatured a round-the-world tourby the Big Sandy students.

Gruzewski - AmbassadorCollege

A group of our brethren at Blackheath, Australia on an outing during the Feast.

together in this natural setting, away

from the evils of the villages in whichthey usually live. So much did theyenjoy this peaceful harmony that they

wanted to stay on living together thatway for a while after the Feast!

THREE SITES INPHILIPPINES

Our brethren met at three differentsites in The Philippines this year. AtBaguio City on the island of Luzon, 522

were in attendance, while the sites atKiara and Manikling on the island ofMindanao had attendances of 700 and

190 respectively, for a total of 1412

keeping the Feast in The Philippines.

Reporting on the Feast in BaguioCity, Mr. Arthur Docken, the OfficeManager of the Manila office, summed

up the Feast in this way:

"It was the 'best Feast ever!' in the

Philippines this year - which was ofcourse expected. We knew it would bebecause they always are. But there were

reasons for it being the best yet. Moreplanning and organization went into

this year's Feast and it paid off in athrilling and inspiring Festival for 522

that gathered in the cool mountain reo

sort area of Baguio City. Forty percent

more people were here this year buteverything went smoothly.

"Two or three storms hit the Philip­pines during the Feast In Manila treeswere uprooted and other damage wascaused by the high winds. But in BaguioCity there was hardly a breeze I We didhave some rain but not enough todampen the spirits and enthusiasm of

God's people - just enough to keep it

comfortably cool.

"Visitors from Vietnam, Malaysia,

Singapore, Guam, Japan and the United

States added spark and interest to theFestival. In all, nine nationalities were

represented.

"A formal concert presented by theManila Church Choir added a fittingcultural touch to the Feast. Sacred, pop­ular and folk numbers comprised thefirst half followed by selections from

'The Messiah' as a finale. Colorful cos­tumes added to the mood of the music.

Many expressed their appreciation for

this opportunity to enjoy fine inspiringmusic. Some had never attended such anevent before.

"The sermons covered a wide rangeof subjects but the overall theme wasour preparation for the truly fantasticwork God has waiting for us in theWorld Tomorrow and beyond. We

Flores - Ambassador College

A group of our brethren at Aigarrobor Chile, wait for a bus after the Feast.

16

were all left with a challenge to strive toback up this Work and at the same timeimprove ourselves in the year ahead. Asan expression of the fine attitude of thebrethren, our Holy Day offerings wereone hundred percent greater than lastyear!

"It was more with a thrill of anticipa­tion than any sadness that we sang thefinal hymn, Go Ye Into All the World,and everyone was determined to returnnext year for the next 'BEST FEAST

EVER!' "

ALGARROBO, CHILE

Another new Feast site this year waslocated in Algarrobo, Chile - which isjust a few miles outside of the capital,Santiago. Mr. Robert Flores, our resi­dent Elder in Santiago, conducted theFeast. He was assisted by his son, BobFlores, who is presently a sophomorestudent at Ambassador College in Pasa­dena.

Mr. Flores reported that the Feast inAlgarrobo was a tremendous success,overall. The Feast began with 75 in at­tendance but the attendance rose to 89on the Last Great Day. The brethren inSouth America are very receptive and re­sponsive, and we expect many more willbe called in that area of the worldwithin the next few months. The sub­scription list of the Spanish edition ofThe PLAIN TRUTH - La PURA VERDAD

- has already passed the 65,000 mark!

MARTINIQUE,WEST INDIES

Mr. Louis ]ubert, our Local Elder, re­ports from Martinique:

"On the tropical French island colonyof Martinique, 153 persons happily cel­ebrated the Feast. For the seventhstraight year, the brethren in this areahave been able to assemble together en­joying the fellowship, activities andspiritual instructions - not to mentionthe deliciously prepared homemadefood and the tropical fruits and vege­tables.

"Three persons were baptized - twofrom Guadeloupe and one from Marti­nique.

"After the Last Great Day, as peoplestarted back to their homes, there were

The GOOD NEWS

the usual feelings of sadness that theFeast was over - mixed with feelingsof renewed courage, determination andlooking forward to the next Feast."

BARBADOS,WEST INDIES

To complete our round-the-worldtour of the Feast sites, here is an excerptof a report by Mr. Tom Hall, an Elderfrom Headquarters who joined Mr.Clarence Bass in conducting the Feast inBarbados:

"The Feast site in Barbados offered abreathtaking view of the deep blue andemerald Caribbean Sea. People in thecongregation came from such exotic­sounding places as Antigua, Jamaica,Bermuda, Tobago, St. Lucia, Trinidad,British Guiana - and, of course, Bar­bados and the U.S.A. The attendanceswelled to 260 the Last Great Day, therest of the week it varied between 230and 250.

"The weather stayed quite humidwith frequent showers occurring, butthe sea breezes intervened time andagain to modify the swelter.

"Everyone seemed to have a grandtime fellowshipping, attending services,touring the island, enjoying the water,playing cricket and table tennis, romp­ing at the beach party, and viewing as­pects of God's Work on movie night.

November-December, 1969

The Feast of Tabernacles, 1969, is nowpast, but it will certainly be rememberedas one of the best ever!"

That's the way it was - around theworld at twenty-two sites - the Feastof Tabernacles 1969 - the best ever!

Reader's Say ...(Continued from page 2)

sons and I could go to the Feast again.The sermons were most inspiring. Itseemed they were all meant for me,especially the one Mr. Antion gaveabout God being a Father to the father­less. I have two sons that I have broughtup without a father. They are 15 and11 years old. The youngest one hasnever known his father, so you can seehow much we appreciated that sermon."

Lucille S.,Muskogee, Okla.

Light Appreciated"I am a waitress and served some

of your people at their conventionat the Lake of the Ozarks. I have neverwaited on such polite people who hadsuch well-behaved children. I believethere is some hope for the future ofreligion in this country. It was such apleasure to meet these people."

Mrs. Claude c.,Lee's Summit, Mo.