Greetings everyone,
Mr. Charles Bryce is on his way to Salem, Arkansas—via Joplin where he will be preaching this Sabbath—to attend Mr. Carl McNair's funeral that will take place on Sunday, April 25, at 11:00 a.m. The Merediths, the Ames, a few others and I will be leaving tomorrow to also pay our deepest respect to a friend and a minister who will be greatly missed in the Church.
EXECUTIVE OFFICE
The next shipment of sermons from Charlotte will contain a special video (bearing a yellow "Must Play" label) by Evangelist Charles Bryce, titled Life and Death—A Godly Perspective. The subject matter is especially meaningful in light of the recent tragic deaths of Evangelist Carl McNair and of Mr. James Sena, a 44 year-old LCG member.
If you receive the tapes in time, please show Mr. Bryce's "Must Play" on the Sabbath of April 24. Since Mr. McNair's funeral is on Sunday, this sermon is a fitting memorial. If the shipment does not reach you until the following week, please schedule the tape sermon for the Sabbath of May 1, or as soon thereafter as possible.
CHURCH ADMINISTRATION
From Mr. Rod McNair
Many of us will be gathered this weekend in northern Arkansas to attend the funeral of my Dad, and give encouragement and support to my mother. My family and I, as well as my brothers and sisters and their families, have been spending time up in Montana this past week to help our mother. Your continued prayers for her comfort and encouragement would be greatly appreciated.
Please also remember Mrs. de Guia, Mrs. Benitez, and others who have lost their loved ones in recent weeks and months. God is certainly in charge and accomplishing His will. We have faith that He knows what is for our ultimate good and will do everything to accomplish that.
North American Ministerial Festival Assignments
The US and Canadian ministers were recently sent a site choice form that stated each minister's assigned site, and asked for any requests for transfer. CAD and the Festival Office want to be sure that each minister has a firm assignment before the Festival Brochure is sent out, so they will have an equal opportunity to reserve their housing. Please don't wait until the last minute to return the form. Thank you for your help.
Living 4 Tomorrow – A Time 4 Young Singles (Hillman, Michigan 2004)
Living Church of God young adults are invited to attend Living 4 Tomorrow – A Time 4 Young Singles at beautiful Thunder Bay Resort near Hillman, Michigan. The format will be similar to the ones held last year in Michigan and Missouri, but new classes are planned on subjects covering Christian Leadership, Family Matters, Creating a Culture of Purity, and Doctrines of the Church. Recreational activities will include a dance, team activities, and plenty of "Fellowship Time." The fee of US $155 covers the cost of all lodging, food and activities. Space is limited. Please get your application in early.
L4T is open to ALL singles between the ages of 18 and 30. Arrival day is Wednesday, July 14, with a get acquainted barbeque scheduled for that evening. Departure date is Sunday morning, July 18. Applications can be found at the following unofficial church-member sponsored Web site: www.youth-web.org or you may request an application from Gerald Weston by calling 905 814-1103 or by e-mail at: [email protected]. Apply soon, as openings are expected to fill up quickly and airline tickets can be expensive if you wait too long.
Living Youth Camp
Mr. Gerald Weston writes: Living Youth Camp applications are now available for Pre-teen camps in Missouri and Texas and the teen camp in Michigan. Because we were late in getting them out, the April 15 deadline is extended, but we ask that you fill out and send in your applications as soon as possible. You can acquire an application at the following unofficial church member-sponsored Web site: www.youth-web.org. You may also get an application by calling Sue Ruddlesden at: 704-844-1970, Ext 235.
COMMENTS
Last Sabbath, in his sermon at the Headquarters' church, Mr. Charles Bryce spoke of the meaning of Life and of the meaning of Death. We all know that it is "appointed for men to die once," but death is NOT the end. It leads to a new beginning. Even though we in God's Church know His plan on earth, it is normal and natural that we should feel a deep sorrow when death strikes a close friend of ours, or a member of our family. On the other hand, we must NEVER become discouraged NOR feel abandoned as if God had rejected us or His Church. Mr. Carl McNair and I had been close friends for more than forty years. I know that he would have been the first one to shake us strongly if he saw us mourning his death in a negative way. He would have told us, in his calm of way speaking, to lift up our eyes and move on, to leave the past behind and to walk forward with faith. Doubts and fear are negative. FAITH IS POSITIVE.
I first met Carl when he was a student at Ambassador College. He took a few of my classes, especially French. Actually, upon his graduation, he had acquired such a grasp of the language that he could have been used in the French ministry had he opted for it. During our long relationship, first as a teacher and student, then as fellow ministers, then as a team at the CAD when I became his assistant, our friendship grew steadily. As did our mutual respect. Both of us experienced ups and downs, like everyone else, but I always appreciated his firm outlook on life. Christ is the Head of the Church, he would say time and again. And he lived with that conviction. Carl was a balanced individual—an essential quality needed in the ministry.
In this Weekly Update, my purpose is not to make the eulogy of a friend—who certainly deserves the best of all eulogies—but to pay tribute to a student who, unknowingly perhaps, played a major role in my French ministry. Let me explain. Early in 1959, Mr. Herbert W Armstrong asked me to make 6 French audition tapes for Radio Luxembourg in Europe. Taken aback, I used some of his booklets which I had translated before and read them very solemnly, articulating each syllable in front of the microphone. I was well aware that my style was not what Mr. Armstrong had in mind, but Radio Luxembourg accepted them. A few months later, Carl and some other students in my French class expressed a desire to listen to my tapes. Upon their insistence, I gave in reluctantly. After listening to one of the tapes, their faces betrayed their disappointment. Embarrassed, I called Carl and said, "You didn't like it, did you?" His answer was direct, "No, sir." When I asked him why, he replied, "You sounded like a priest!" His remark shook me very hard. I knew I had to completely change my way of speaking on the radio. Undoubtedly, my audition tapes would have been rejected had I started with my "new" style, but the fact remains that for over 35 years Radio Luxembourg tolerated the new style and it did produce fruit. As you can see, in some ways, my friend Carl McNair was instrumental in the proclamation of the gospel on the radio in the French language. That same honesty and candor endured throughout his life.
Y'all have a wonderful Sabbath.
Dibar Apartian