“I don’t know where the world will be by the time you see this,” Mr. Gerald Weston said in his Opening Night message for the Feast of Tabernacles, 2024. He highlighted the fact that “events are happening very rapidly, and major events are taking place.” He admonished us all to be faithful and vigilant—and not grow weary living in a world darkened by corruption, hatred, and violence.
With this encouragement, 9,760 Living Church of God brethren and guests observed the Feast in 2024, at 85 sites in 51 countries worldwide. Another 1,382 joined in via livestream or phone hookup, with another 311 shut-ins at home receiving CD or DVD sermons. From Salima, Lake Malawi, to Langkawi, Malaysia; from Cavan, Ireland, to Imphal, Manipur, India; and from Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, U.S., to Orap Village in Vanuatu, it was a time of celebration and rejoicing. But it was also a time to take things seriously—a time to learn and grow and to take to heart the admonition in the title of Mr. Weston’s Opening Night message: “Know Why You Are Here.”
Indeed, many at the Feast in 2024 clearly took that urgent message to heart. Commenting on the 2024 Feast of Tabernacles in Branson, Missouri, Festival Coordinator Phil West noted, “Many realize the magnitude of the times we are living in. There was an overall sense of urgency.… The messages really were the highlight with many focusing on the uniqueness of our calling and the need to be more focused than ever on that calling.”
The Feast of Tabernacles foretells the time when God’s Kingdom will be established on earth—and many inspiring messages at the Feast reflected that. Sermons given at the Feast focused on God’s plan for humanity, as reflected by such titles as, “Seven Misconceptions About the Millennium,” “God’s Plan for the Nations,” “No More Fear,” “Peace in the Millennium,” and “The Last Great Day: The Future of Billions.” One member at the Kimberley, British Columbia, Canada site, when asked to relate something learned at the Feast, mentioned “the messages about the ways we may be serving in the Millennium.” A Feastgoer in Leamington, Ontario, Canada, commented, “My knowledge of the overall plan of God grows stronger while listening to the messages and through meditation on such topics.”
The many Feast messages drove home the point that the world of the future will be a place of abundance and blessings, specifically because all humanity will be taught to observe God’s laws and seek His ways. The Feast offers such a precious opportunity to be reminded of the awesome future awaiting all mankind!
God’s Protection in a Violent World
That positive message—of celebration and rejoicing despite living in a world of hatred and violence—was especially meaningful for brethren in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, who experienced almost daily reminders of the corruption and anger that fills this age. As Coordinator Wil Pierre reported from communication with Haitian member Gary Blanc, “While we had gathered peacefully in Pétion-Ville, looking forward to the festivities… the city center of what’s left of the capital was going through a hellish day. Heavy automatic gunfire was heard in every corner, all day and all night yesterday.… It continued all day today, preventing many Church members from venturing out into the street to take part in the second-day service in our usual hall.”
Conditions in Haiti are a grim reminder of this evil, violent world—yet God put a hedge around His people as they were able to meet together later in the Feast, enabling them to rejoice despite the circumstances. As Mr. Blanc concluded, “Members were very satisfied with the way the [Feast] went, and very grateful to God for His protection in these troubled times.… It’s remarkable how we can be happy with so little and remain positive when everything seems to be falling apart around us. It was a truly exceptional experience.”
Earlier in 2024, brethren around the world were alarmed to hear that Living Church of God members in Myanmar had to flee their homes as a result of civil war. Others faced possible forced conscription into the army. During the Feast, we were delighted to hear this report from Coordinator Htoowah Laybeh, regarding our Myanmar brethren: “Despite all the challenges and troubles in neighboring Myanmar, 42 brethren who live in Kalaymyo City (Northern Myanmar), another four who live in Sa Khan Gyi village (Delta area), and one from Rangoon, have been able to connect to the Thailand livestream daily.”
God also protected brethren from Colombia on their way home from the Feast. As Mr. Cristian Orrego reported:
While traveling back to their homes, the day after the Last Great Day, several members of the congregation of Sevilla, Colombia, had an accident in the small bus that they were traveling in. To avoid colliding with the garbage truck, they went down a small ravine and crashed into a tree. Seeing the magnitude of what happened, and the damage suffered by the bus… it was a miracle of God that no passenger suffered serious injuries.
Jesus Christ is coming soon. Until then, we can be grateful for the peace and protection God grants, knowing that His government will soon reign on the earth and last forever. As Mr. Richard Ames used to say, quoting Mr. Herbert Armstrong, “The greatest reality in the universe is that God reigns supreme!”
A Reminder of His Power
All over the earth, on almost every continent, God’s people celebrated a foretaste of His coming Millennial reign. This was accentuated by the Behind the Work film, Behind the Work 2024: The Story of the Little Flock in the Spanish-Speaking World—one of the highlights of the Feast for many Feastgoers. As one member said, “The Behind the Work video was excellent, informative, and truly showed the sincerity and love of God’s truth by the brethren in Central and South America.”
The Feast of Tabernacles 2024 was truly a joyful reminder of God’s power, His plan, and His purpose for all mankind. As deacon Adenir Teixeira reported from Moscou Village, Brazil, Feastgoers there were delighted to have “a big open space to walk around and play with children, and feel the wind in our face, birds singing, and sunshine every day.… God gave us a wonderful time to think about His plan that is taking us to a better time in the world that is coming soon.”
Why does the Church seek to find Feast sites away from the busy noise of city life? Because being in God’s unspoiled creation reminds us that He is in charge and that He is ruler over all. In 2024, brethren in Hanmer Springs, New Zealand, were treated to quiet, tranquil garden spaces as well as majestic snow-capped mountains. Feastgoers in Busselton, Western Australia, enjoyed “the fresh ocean air of the beach, with a spacious lawn area with trees outside.” Brethren from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador enjoyed the Feast in the beautiful colonial town of Copán Ruinas, Honduras, surrounded by beautiful mountains, a river, and lush tropical vegetation with flowers everywhere.
Members and guests in Parika, Guyana, enjoyed “the natural setting surrounding the Feast site: trees, the fishpond, and a clear view of the stars in the night sky added to the ambiance at the Feast.” Feastgoers appreciated the charm of the Texas Hill Country in Boerne, Texas, U.S. Members and guests in Montego Bay, Jamaica, were treated to views of the sun setting on the horizon of the Caribbean, while other brethren enjoyed feasting in a village directly on the Mediterranean at Port-Barcarès, France, protected from storms and the flooding of nearby areas. Brethren in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, U.S., also appreciated the “most stable weather conditions that we have had in any of the four years that we have been in this area,” according to Coordinator Raul Colón.
These beautiful scenes at the Feast are not just for indulging in a relaxing and restful vacation. They serve a greater purpose. Many activities at the Feast are planned to take place outdoors, because being outside puts us in the midst of God’s creation—where we can feast our senses on God’s handiwork and be reminded of His preeminence. Coordinator Graeme Hemphill of the Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Feast site related that Feastgoers “visited the Nature Park in Port Moresby, a park centred entirely off flora and fauna unique to Papua New Guinea.” Coordinator Jose Arendain noted that the singles nature hike in Mt. Moriah, Malaybalay, Philippines, “built the spiritual and social connectedness among young adults in the Church.” In Forster, New South Wales, Australia, Coordinator Martin Montgomery said that there were “beautiful beaches with whales and dolphins often sighted.” Canaan Valley, West Virginia, U.S. Coordinator Lenny Bower noted, “The herds of white-tailed deer were so accustomed to people and unafraid that they… acted like their nature had already changed. It made it especially Millennial.”
In Dubuque, Iowa, U.S., as Coordinator Mark Sandor described, “The weather was beautiful. The leaves were still in full fall color and the skies generally clear.… In particular, the Family Day picnic was blessed with perfect weather.” In Glenelg, South Australia, as Assistant Coordinator Warren Burnett reported, “We received a guided tour of Adelaide Botanic Garden’s ‘Garden of Health,’ which highlighted plants from around the world known for their benefits in health and well-being.” Coordinator Htoowah Laybeh noted regarding the Khaem Son, Thailand, Feast site, “This year, we gathered in the picturesque Khaem Son (Camp Sone), Khao Kho District—often referred to as the Switzerland of Thailand.… The site provided the blessings of the cool weather and the scenic mountainous surroundings, which are adding a unique charm to our Feast of Tabernacles.” And in Quimbaya, Colombia, as Mr. Armando Orrego reported, “The Feast was held at a hotel located in the heart of the coffee-growing region in Colombia. The weather during the Feast was ideal—most days were sunny, and some were cloudy with pleasant rains at night and in the early mornings.”
In short, the 2024 Feast of Tabernacles provided a special opportunity to be surrounded by God’s creation, which had a profound impact on us as we worshipped Him together.
Doing Our Part
While God grants us protection, He also expects us to be watchful and vigilant—to be “wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16). He expects us to be prudent (Proverbs 22:3) and to watch out for one another (Philippians 2:4). If we are parents, that obviously includes being responsible for our children. It means we monitor our children, not letting them engage in disruptive activity. Children running and weaving around elderly brethren during fellowship can cause a fall and a serious injury.
Truly, everyone plays a part in keeping each other safe. One Feastgoer in Rockport-Fulton, Texas, U.S., who had trouble walking, was particularly grateful on Opening Night when “a lady offered her walker so I could get to my seat without falling. Then another one of the brethren returned her walker to her. Very loving, kind brethren.” Each site coordinator also reviewed safety and security procedures with ushering, greeting, and parking crews to keep brethren safe. In Arroyo Grande, California, U.S., Coordinator Chet Carpenter instituted a “car to seat” program, echoing a similar system put in place in 2023 in New Bern, North Carolina, U.S., by then-Coordinator Wyatt Ciesielka. This system assigns parking attendants, greeters, and ushers to assist those who need extra help from the parking lot all the way to their seat in the meeting room.
Assistant Coordinator Donald Stevens continued the “car to seat” program in New Bern in 2024 as well, and also recruited young people to help assist brethren with mobility issues as they were going through the lines at buffet luncheons. Similarly, one Feastgoer in Stillbaai, South Africa, noted, “What I enjoyed the most was the little children standing ready to help with carrying our bags and briefcases into the hall every day.” In San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Mr. Cristian Orrego also established a program to help and monitor people with disabilities, the elderly, and other vulnerable Feastgoers.
In St. George, Utah, U.S., Coordinator Stephen Elliott had special name tags produced for Feastgoers and asked brethren to wear them each day. That way, greeters could easily distinguish Feastgoers from others, enhancing a sense of security for all attendees. Brethren who forgot name tags on any given day were given temporary stick-on tags.
Staying safe requires everyone’s vigilance, and brethren were reminded of this by a special Festival Office brochure created and distributed for 2024, entitled “Staying Safe at the Feast of Tabernacles.” There are things we can be aware of to keep one another safe in cases of emergency—but, most of all, we depend on God daily for our protection. And it was no different at this year’s Feast. As David wrote, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped” (Psalm 28:7).
When We Are Sick
Some brethren were not able to attend the Feast this year because of physical ailments. For them, memories of the 2024 Feast of Tabernacles may be from their living room or a hospital bed. Nevertheless, being able to connect to a live service or watch a recorded sermon from Headquarters gave them courage and hope. As one member wrote, “Although I didn’t get to attend, I was very inspired by the sermons. They are helpful to me, as I love to understand the word of God. I felt like I was there.”
Of course, the live streaming doesn’t happen by itself! The sound crews served extra hard, often arriving early and staying late—not only to provide audio-visual services in the hall itself, but also to project the services through phone lines and online streaming. We all are most grateful for their diligent service.
Some Feast sites prepared cards for shut-ins, available for all brethren to sign. One member who could not attend was encouraged to see the service and sacrifice of other brethren in the form of “cards and gifts I received as I couldn’t attend in person.” A Feastgoer in Great Malvern, United Kingdom, noted that it was inspiring to see the example of “the lady who hand-made cards for those who weren’t able to attend, and who herself was not present.” We thank everyone who made or prepared the cards, as well as those who took the time to sign them! It’s often hard to appreciate the value of just being at the Feast—until we ourselves are homebound. Cards or phone calls go a long way. As one member in Gulf Shores, Alabama, U.S., noted, “I’m always inspired by those that take the time to sign the cards for brethren that couldn’t make it. It may be us one day.”
By and large, brethren complied with the admonition to stay home if we are sick. Many Feast sites saw virtually no illnesses at all. Others who got sick while attending the Feast correctly stayed back from services and asked for anointing. As one Feastgoer in Florence, Oregon, said, “I asked for anointing at the beginning of the Feast. [The anointing elder and his wife] came over to our residence within the hour. It encouraged both my wife and me!”
From Great Malvern, United Kingdom, coordinator Hugh Stewart commented on several anointings and healings at the Feast: “There were three… healings where members suffering with pain and one with a neurological condition were healed overnight and came back the next day rejoicing. One who was in a minor car accident and suffering a headache attested that her headache stopped immediately after she was anointed.” Coordinator Brent Mitchell, of the Tannersville, Pennsylvania, U.S., site, received an anointed cloth request for the husband of a member on the phone hookup: “I sent an anointing cloth, asked the brethren for their prayers, and the next day received a message saying God intervened and healed him in this moment of pain and suffering.”
One little girl had to have an open-heart surgery while attending the Feast in Branson, Missouri, U.S., according to Coordinator Phil West. “Everyone rallied around this little girl, and thankfully the surgery was a huge success and she has since been able to return home from the hospital.”
A few Feast sites experienced a great deal of sickness. In some cases, it may have been because some sick brethren didn’t heed the warning to stay away from services. Especially in close quarters, a few brethren with a virus can infect many others very quickly. It’s vitally important that we heed warnings to stay home when we are sick. Our actions can have profound consequences on our fellow brethren.
One Feastgoer from Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan, Canada, noted, reinforcing the Church’s advice every year before the Feast begins, “As I learned the hard way, it is essential to prepare myself before coming to the Feast, especially concerning my physical health, in order to avoid getting sick during the event. Preparation is vital because it allows us to enjoy the Feast and take full advantage of the opportunity to learn and serve throughout the full eight days.” Good advice!
Unexpected Challenges
Despite God’s protection, He does allow His people to face some challenges so we can learn and grow from those experiences—and the 2024 Feast of Tabernacles reinforced this truth. Within a period of about two weeks, the southeast United States was hit by Hurricane Helene on September 24 and Hurricane Milton on October 9. While devastation was widespread, and many brethren suffered downed trees and loss of power, we received no reports of significant damage to homes or any injuries brethren sustained during the storms.
Both storms impacted the Church’s Feast site in Palmetto, Florida, U.S. Just about a week before the Feast was to begin, the Palmetto site had to be canceled. But God protected His people and provided for them in unusual ways. Coordinator Ryan Dawson, in response to the impending storm, began looking for other options a couple of weeks before the Feast. Within a week—a remarkable period of time in which to find an entirely new Feast site—an alternative was selected, negotiations were made, and a contract was signed. The site was Fernandina Beach, Florida, U.S.
Mr. Dawson noted that the staff of the new hotel went out of their way to provide for the Church’s and the brethren’s needs, knowing the vulnerable situation the Church and Feastgoers were in. Here is Mr. Dawson’s summary of the whole experience:
After Hurricane Milton hit, God opened door after door to direct us to Fernandina Beach. The hotel in Fernandina Beach provided several benefits to us this year at the Feast. The hotel offered 60 courtesy block rooms, only charged us for the meeting space for a few of the days we were there, provided special room rates for our members… included a smaller board room each day at no charge and without us even asking, and waived the daily parking fee (which I would estimate saved the brethren $14,000 total). The hotel staff were outstanding and accommodating at every step.
And Mr. Dawson observed that the last-minute switch to Fernandina Beach had a marked effect on the perspective and attitude of many Feastgoers:
Just about everyone’s perspective at Fernandina this year was adjusted due to the circumstances—adjusted in the best way, to focus on why we keep the Feast. The shared experience highlighted the lesson that the Feast is not about the activities (even though they are fun) or the place (even though Fernandina was quite Millennial) but the spiritual food and fellowship, and to learn to fear the Lord our God always.
When we attend the Feast of Tabernacles, we are picturing the coming time when God’s Kingdom will reign on earth. And though that time will be filled with joy, it will not be a “magical fairyland” with no day-to-day challenges. Similarly, while we are at the Feast, we must work together to overcome minor inconveniences and difficulties. God protects us and guides us, but He also allows challenges to arise so we can learn and grow. Sometimes that growth takes place in developing what Mr. Herbert Armstrong once described as the fifth law of success, resourcefulness.
Brethren were challenged to be resourceful in Branson, Missouri, U.S, when a hotel elevator stopped working. Coordinator Phil West said, “So many came together to assist those who needed it.… It was an example of spiritual ‘action’—love being exemplified in a very direct way at the Feast.… It was actually a very serious situation as many of the brethren attending were quite elderly and required help up and down the stairs, with some being on the third and fourth floors.”
At the Feast site in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, U.S., one member relayed how helpful it was when a new member “spent a whole day in helping us replace our car’s alternator, which broke halfway through the Feast, which saved us a great deal of money and time.” And Dubuque, Iowa, U.S., Coordinator Mark Sandor noted, “The hotel mixed up the reservations of some brethren who needed wheelchair-accessible rooms. When their situation became known, some brethren who had a wheelchair-accessible room, but did not need it, were able to get their rooms switched. This was the largest of many acts of service the brethren undertook for each other.”
The plans of ten Venezuelan members to attend the Feast in Colombia could not be carried out due to a decision made eight days earlier by the regime of dictator Nicolás Maduro to restrict the entry and exit of those without a valid passport, a document very few Venezuelans currently have. This prevented the Venezuelan brethren from attending the Feast in Quimbaya, Colombia, but they managed to connect to the online streaming of services during the Feast.
In 2024, a new Living Church of God Feast site was held in Nadi, Fiji. Forty-two new members attended—many of whom had been in the Worldwide Church of God and had just recently started attending with LCG as a result of Tomorrow’s World Presentations in the country. As Coordinator Paul Kearns explained, it was exciting to be “celebrating the first LCG Feast of Tabernacles in Fiji, seeing local members who have roots back to WCG get emotional during the Feast due to joy that they were once again keeping God’s Feasts.” He also reported that, during the Feast, the training and quick thinking of a member prevented a bad situation from turning tragic: “A child not associated with our group was using the venue’s swimming pool and was not being watched and was found floating in the pool. One of our members (a local Fijian) performed CPR and saved the child’s life.”
In Canaan, Tobago, as reported by Coordinator Damian Weekes, “We experienced some power outages during the Feast, but it did not impact the brethren’s attitude in an overly negative manner.” In Baguio City, Philippines, Coordinator Daniel Osillos reported, “On the eighth day it was raining but we didn’t need to go outside for our lunch because the hotel gave all of us a free lunch!” In Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Canada, brethren “turned lemons into lemonade” regarding noise and hassle from ongoing construction near the site that could have been a source of frustration. Instead, as reported by Coordinator Shane Kruse, “Some even thought that the construction going on near the site might be something we can consider as relating to the renewal and rebuilding happening in the Millennium preparing for the Last Great Day.” That’s looking for the positive!
Why We Go to the Feast
We go to the Feast to learn. We learn by worshipping God and hearing from His ministers. We learn how to function as a group, loving and serving one another. We even learn from the problems and challenges and develop a deeper understanding of “why we are here.” In Pebbles Beach, Barbados, Coordinator Alvin Cumberbatch concluded that the 2024 Feast of Tabernacles “will be remembered for the love, unity and selflessness evident amongst the brethren.” Coordinator Firman Bramantyo, of the site in Batu City, East Java, Indonesia, observed, “We are happier, more united in harmony, and all the members feel the reward of obedience to God.”
Coordinator Marc Arseneault, of the site in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, commented, “People with little means were invited and were taken care of by others. It was a wonderful thing to see brethren coming with comments like, ‘I was so blessed this year.’” Mr. Humberto Barraza, Coordinator in Olmué, Chile, mentioned, “We have had without a doubt the best Feast of our lives, a Feast in unity and love.” And Coordinator Simon Muthama wrote of the Tororo, Uganda site, where 29 adults, teens, and children attended, “By the end of the Last Great Day in the afternoon service, we experienced a heavy downpour that depicted blessings to the Tororo congregation members who cherished the opportunity to host the Feast, because it was where God had chosen to make his name abide.”
Let’s thank God for His protection at this past Feast and the blessings He showered upon all of us around the globe. And let’s be grateful for the awesome plan He is working out for all of us. Jesus Christ is about to bring His Kingdom to reign on this earth, and we have the profound privilege to learn about it ahead of time—and to prepare now for His return.