Hello everybody,
We are having "Chamber of Commerce" weather around here right now. Spring has sprung in Charlotte and it is truly a beautiful sight.
The special dedication service at Headquarters last Sabbath went exceedingly well. Dr. Meredith spoke to a full house, with people attending from far and near. The meal and fellowship that followed were so good no one wanted to leave!
Afterward, about 100 brethren from out of town were given guided tours of the new H.Q. facility and were treated to a work in progress since we are not fully settled in yet. However, that is changing fast! The fire marshal approved the new alarm system on Tuesday and gave us the "all clear" to move into our offices. Now we can hit our stride in carrying out our responsibilities in God's Work. This is a blessing and an answer to many prayers, and we thank you very much for yours!
INTERNATIONAL
Bruce Tyler sends good news from his recent Asia trip:
I just returned (Tuesday morning, April 1) from our successful thirteen day visiting trip to some of our Asian brethren. This of course was during the commencement of hostilities in the Middle East, as well as the feared SARS outbreak that has all Asia, especially, on the alert. I was able to visit with new people in Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand and was accompanied throughout most of the trip by Rajan Moses, our elder in Islamic Malaysia. In the Asian and Australasian Region we now have over 575 people in attendance at our weekly services. (This includes 96 people in India who consider themselves members of the Living Church of God).
We spent several days in Sri Lanka and kept the Sabbath (March 22) in Colombo with the 55 people who attend there regularly. I was able to visit with ten new people who are seeking baptism and although we did not baptise anyone this time, I believe most will be baptised during our next trip. We also visited a new potential Feast site up in a secluded area in the mountains near Kandy. This promises to be a wonderful spot for our members and any visitors. On the following Wednesday morning, for some reason, our midnight flight out of Colombo was cancelled and so we had an extra seven hours in Sri Lanka we didn't anticipate. These airline schedules are not always conducive to good sleep habits.
The following Sabbath we kept in Mae Sot, Thailand, in the west, up on the Burma border. Like Sri Lanka, Thailand is mostly Buddhist. Our attendance in Mae Sot is now 35. The people, though, are all from Myanmar and are Burmese speaking. Mehm Pho Saw, our deacon here, is doing a wonderful job of guiding all these people in the Truth. Mehm has just finished translating his first booklet into Burmese, "Restoring Apostolic Christianity". Mehm is a well educated man, trained as a lawyer, but now, because of political circumstances, is a refugee in Thailand. Once again, several people are seeking baptism and will most likely be baptized on our next visit. We also organized the 2003 Feast site for the Thailand members while we were in Mae Sot—another quite secluded "resort" run by a German and his Thai wife.
I began my return home last Monday, leaving Rajan Moses in Thailand to visit the rest of our members who live in Chomthong.
It was encouraging to witness the enthusiasm of all these people for God's Truth and to see their zeal to help proclaim the gospel. We do no commercial advertising in these areas yet almost all who attend are the result of the example our members have set in their respective communities. These people truly appreciate every crumb of Truth and are anxiously awaiting God's Kingdom.
Gerald Weston writes about a serious concern in Canada:
You asked about whether the SARS outbreak has affected any of the brethren. So far as we know the answer is, no. The outbreak is mostly affecting the central and east side of Toronto, where a number of members live, but the incidence is still very low, although growing daily. So far most, if not all cases, have been through direct contact, making it possible to track the spread. However, so little is known about it that there is great concern on the news and among some health officials. Others say there is little to worry about for the general public.
This reminds me of what was being reported about the West Nile virus. At first, there was little to worry about for the general public — only the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. Now health officials are reporting this illness is much more dangerous than originally reported. There have been far more cases than first thought, the disease is affecting people of all ages, and the illness can have long-term implications for those affected. The greatest problem with West Nile virus appears, according to news reports, to be on the west side of town — Mississauga, Oakville, Burlington. With a wet winter and spring we should have a bumper crop of mosquitoes this year, and this is certainly a concern.
Doug Winnail sent this report about Europe:
Events in Europe continue to develop on a daily basis. One of the most significant events is the deterioration of Britain's on again-off again relationship with Europe as this article from the London Sunday Times (March 30, 2003) illustrates:
"Winds of war are blowing Britain away from Europe – What this war is doing is forging a post-cold war alliance between Britain and America…For Britain, the consequences of this war effect are perhaps more profound. The old dilemma of whether to be a European or an Atlantic power is being resolved not entirely by political choice but by political events. The notion of an Anglo-French military force to balance the United States is now inconceivable. Ditto the notion of becoming embedded in the euro or in an alliance with 'old Europe.' Suddenly, membership of the North American Free Trade Agreement seems less implausible. And a role between America and Eastern Europe, bypassing Paris and Berlin, seems likely."
COMMENTS
Undoubtedly everyone is now fully engaged in preparation for the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread. With that in mind, I thought it would be helpful to cover a few Passover matters discussed at our last Council of Elders conference. It was reiterated, and all agreed, that only baptized members should participate in the Passover service, including the foot-washing. The foot-washing, the bread and the wine all go together and are all connected to the deep meaning of the Passover. Therefore, only baptized members of the church, who have examined themselves and are prepared, should take part.
The question of unbaptized members attending the Passover, just to observe, was discussed as well. The conclusion was that this should not be done except for the rare exception. In such cases, it is left up to the Church pastor's discretion to make that decision, keeping in mind the quietness and privacy of this most important occasion.
Two other points discussed with Dr. Meredith recently are:
- Only ministers should conduct the Passover service. We have many fine deacons and leaders who can coordinate the service, if need be, and play the H.Q. Passover tape if the minister is unable to be there.
- All Passover services should follow the format and cover the material in the official ceremony from Headquarters. Please be diligent in starting on time and ending on time. We have had reports that some Passover services are running too long, which must be avoided. We don't want to rush through it, but we don't want to drag it out either. If we all follow the Passover ceremony closely, we will achieve the best results.
Have a pleasant and restful Sabbath.
Charles E. Bryce