Warm greetings from Charlotte!
Headquarters has now relocated from San Diego, CA to Charlotte, NC—lock, stock and barrel! Mr. and Mrs. Meredith have moved into their home, and Dr. Meredith is on the job leading the Work from our new location. The office personnel are still unpacking, sorting and settling in, both at home and in their offices, but good progress is being made by all concerned. The key operations of the Work are getting done. The "Living Church of God" sign was installed yesterday out in front of our building. A local TV station has already run a short segment about the Church and the move here.
Mail is arriving and being processed, and literature requests are being fulfilled and sent out. Please note: letters, phone calls, e-mails and faxes should be directed to the following:
Physical address: Living Church of God
2301 Crown Centre Dr
Charlotte, NC 28227-7705
P. O. Box: P.O. Box 3810
Charlotte, NC 28227-8010
Telephone numbers:
Main number: 704-844-1970
Main Fax: 704-841-2244
C.A.D. E-mail: Dibar Apartian – [email protected]
Deborah Lincoln-Strange – [email protected]
Charles E. Bryce – [email protected]
Please begin to send all hall vouchers, the usual H.Q. reports and tithes and offerings, etc. to Charlotte rather than San Diego. While much work remains to be done in the moving-in process, we are up and running and doing business. For example, the Mail Processing Department reports that since arriving in Charlotte, it has already mailed 8,043 booklets as of Thursday, March 13, even though not all of the office systems are yet in place.
Mr. Wayne Pyle reports that, in the last three weeks, the Tomorrow's World telecast has set a record for telephone responses. More than 9,000 calls have been received in response to the three programs airing during the (Thursday to Wednesday) weeks of February 20, February 27 and March 6. We do not yet know which week will turn out to be the "all-time-record" week, but we know that one of these weeks is the telecast's "best week ever."
The March-April 2003 issue of the Living Church News is scheduled to arrive from the printer next Wednesday, and to be mailed from Charlotte by next Friday, to ensure that brethren will receive it before the Passover.
CHURCH ADMINISTRATION
International
Bruce Tyler – "We're all anxiously awaiting to hear how the new office facilities are working out…Next Wednesday, (19 March) I am off to Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand to visit our brethren… I will be back home Tuesday, 1 April."
Syd Hull – "We left Johannesburg on Thursday morning the 6th of March for Port Alfred in Eastern Cape to check on the housing for FOT 2003. On the Sabbath of March 8, we took the service in Port Elizabeth 150 km from Port Alfred. The visit to our Feast site was very necessary and needful. It ironed out a serious problem regarding the housing matter.
"We left Port Elizabeth on Saturday evening and stayed over in George, where we had a new visit from our Mailing List in Hartenbos, close to George…We are here to visit the Cape Town Church on the Sabbath of 15 March. Also to discuss matters with our Cape Town pastor, Pieter van der Byl."
Gerald Weston – "This has been an exceptionally cold and stormy winter in most of Canada, and it has definitely affected attendance the last two months. We are still seeing a good number of church inquiries, but very few actually come along…Overall, things are going well in Canada. Barrie is seeing some growth (averaged 17 this month) and Vancouver is up about 5 over last year."
Jonathan McNair – "I just returned last night from Trinidad…we were able to finally nail down our Feast site – which seems to be a regular trial in Trinidad/Tobago. I spent a good bit of time with Fitzroy Greeman… We had a leadership meeting for the St. Augustine church, as well as the San Fernando church… We also had a Spokesman's Club activity – a day trip – which was very successful."
ACTIVITIES
Mr. Carl Ponder sent the following announcement:
Atlanta Congregation Spring Holy Days Singles (and Family) Weekend
Greetings from the Atlanta brethren! Spring Holy Days are only weeks away. To kick off the spring Holy Day season, the Atlanta congregation is hosting an exciting Singles/Family Weekend! Everyone is invited! Since we are few and far between, this is an excellent opportunity to see old friends and make new acquaintances.
The weekend will consist of the Night To Be Much Observed meal Wednesday night (April 16th), First Day of Unleavened Bread services Thursday, Activities Night Thursday night, Family Day in Atlanta Friday, Friday Night Bible study, Sabbath services Saturday afternoon and semi-formal dinner/dance Saturday night. Most activities will be held in the beautiful Wyndham Hotel in the heart of Atlanta. Return home Sunday, April 20th after having a spiritually uplifting and fun-filled extended weekend!
Those wishing to travel by air may fly to the Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport. Shuttle service from the Airport will be provided. Many of the Atlanta brethren have opened their homes to those who do not wish to stay in a hotel.
NOTE: WE WILL REQUIRE REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT AND A $60 PER PERSON FEE TO COVER COSTS of the catered meal on the Holy Day, the lunch in the park Thursday, and the Dinner/Dance Saturday night ($30 FOR THOSE UNDER 12 YEARS OLD). PLEASE FILL OUT AND MAIL REGISTRATION FORM NO LATER THAN MARCH 17TH, 2003. If enough people do not register right away the event may have to be canceled.
For forms and more information go to our Web site: www.lcgatl.com
Or contact:
Mr. Art Andrews
2524 Barndale Dr.
Lawrenceville, GA 30044
Phone: (770) 962-6285
E-mail: [email protected]
COMMENTS
As newcomers to Headquarters, Sharon and I have been impressed with the camaraderie and zeal of the whole team here. Human behavior researchers tell us that one of the most stressful things people have to cope with is relocation. The Headquarters staff have not only moved their homes clear across the country but their office work areas as well and all at the same time. Yet they are cheerfully and diligently finding creative and innovative ways around the inevitable glitches and setbacks that occur with such a sweeping undertaking as this move has been. The overriding and most important thing is to press on with God's Work no matter what—and they are all doing just that. The same attitude and determination is clearly evident in the ministry and the churches—pressing on and doing God's Work in spite of what is happening in the society around us and in the world at large. This kind of attitude and dedication coalesce into a team that can't be stopped by anything or anyone because God will bless it and Jesus Christ will be at the very heart of the mission. Romans 8:31 assures us, "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" Matthew 16:18 reminds us, "And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
In closing I want to personally thank Mr. and Mrs. Carl McNair for their constant help and service to God's Work and Church and to my family and me. Like all of you, we can cite many examples where they were instrumental in helping us all along the way since we were first led to this end-time Work.
I especially appreciated Mr. McNair's help and guidance in the transition that has now taken place in C.A.D. I could have not asked for better cooperation and support than he has given every step of the way. You can be sure that I will freely seek his counsel on an ongoing basis. It is all about unity and teamwork, guided by God through His Holy Spirit. Ephesians 4:1-3 says it just right: "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."
Winter is putting up quite a last-ditch stand in many parts of the country, but we can all take heart. Spring is on the way, the Passover season is just around the corner and God's Work and Church are moving forward on all fronts.
Have a wonderful Sabbath!
Charles E. Bryce
P.S. Please remember that it is important that you send your tithes and offerings to the office here in Charlotte. The mail and income are down considerably right now, and we think the reason is probably the delay of mail still being sent to San Diego and then forwarded over here. It will help immensely if the mail is sent directly to Charlotte at: Living Church of God, PO Box 3810, Charlotte, NC 28227-8010. Thanks for your help!