Tomorrow’s World Special Presentations have given thousands of Tomorrow’s World magazine subscribers the opportunity to learn more about the Living Church of God, and in many cases to hear directly from Tomorrow’s World telecast presenters or magazine writers. These presentations serve as a powerful introduction to the Living Church of God, relating the prophetic themes of the Tomorrow’s World telecast and magazine to the Work being done by the Church.
Although presentations have been going on for several years, the formalized Tomorrow’s World Special Presentation (TWSP) program was given new emphasis in 2009 by Presiding Evangelist Dr. Roderick C. Meredith, and the number of presentations has increased greatly since then. More subscribers were invited to TWSPs in just the first half of 2010 than in 2006–2008 combined. Since January 2010, more than 2,100 non-member subscribers have attended one or more presentations.
Despite the lingering effects of the stroke he suffered in September 2008, Dr. Meredith has been able to give three TWSPs in 2010. On April 3 he spoke to about 234 guests in Joplin, Missouri—including more than 130 non-member Tomorrow’s World subscribers. On May 29 he spoke in London, England, to a crowd of 290, nearly 200 of whom were nonmember subscribers. In Dallas, Texas, on July 10, he spoke to more than 280, of whom more than half were non-member subscribers.
Dr. Douglas S. Winnail, Director of Church Administration and regular Tomorrow’s World magazine writer, has been the busiest Headquarters evangelist in presenting TWSPs, having held 18 presentations from his November 2007 presentation in Boone, North Carolina to his August 2010 presentation scheduled for Memphis, Tennessee. Evangelist Richard F. Ames, following on the success of his Barbados TWSP in February 2008, has given two more Caribbean TWSPs in 2010—in Kingston, Jamaica and in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. Across the United States, this year, Mr. Ames has also given presentations in Atlanta, Georgia; Brooklyn, New York and Los Angeles, California.
The Canadian Work is participating very actively in the TWSP program. Evangelist Gerald Weston, Regional Director for Canada, gave 32 TWSPs from June 2009 through June 2010, with another 11 currently scheduled between August and October 2010. Mr. Ames gave a presentation in Toronto, Ontario in September 2009, and Canadian ministers Mr. Norm Aitchison and Mr. Michael Elertson have also given presentations.
In Europe and Africa, Regional Director Mr. Rod King has since August 2009 given presentations in Ireland and South Africa, as well as in the United Kingdom.
Typically, after each presentation, a handful of subscribers will inquire about attending Sabbath services. Since 2006, more than 360 prospective members have begun attending Church services after attending a TWSP, and at least two new Church congregations have been established to accommodate the growth.
When Dr. Winnail or another visiting evangelist gives a TWSP, there is usually a followup presentation a week or two later by a local pastor—and several pastors have given standalone TWSPs without a visiting evangelist. The Church Administration Department is looking forward to more area pastors giving TWSPs even without the involvement of a visiting evangelist.
Although these presentations are of special benefit to our Tomorrow’s World subscribers, another benefit is that they help to involve the local congregation and its members in preaching the Gospel to the world as a witness. As stated in the “Planning Handbook” released by the Church Administration Department, TWSPs “provide local brethren with an energizing opportunity to be on the front lines of preaching the gospel. Local brethren are a crucial part of the success of these local presentations, as ‘ambassadors for Christ’ (2 Corinthians 5:20).”
If a Tomorrow’s World Special Presentation comes to your area, be sure to become involved. And even if there is not, please continue to pray fervently for the continuing success of these important vehicles for preaching the true gospel as a witness, and feeding those new brethren whom God may call.