Greetings everybody,
Many have been asking about how we all fared during Hurricane Isabel, which recently struck the northeastern coast of the United States. All of the reports we have received here at HQ have been good. We have heard of no injuries or damaged property involving any of God's people. Thankfully, this powerful storm went to the north of Headquarters and all operations here were unaffected. We deeply appreciate your prayers, love and brotherly concern.
FEAST OF TABERNACLES
Panama City, FL
Volunteers are needed for stage crew, ushering, and parking at the Feast in Panama City. There will be a meeting for all volunteers in an upstairs room above the lobby of the Marina Civic Center at 3:00 PM on Friday, October 10th. All volunteers who can should be there. Also anyone who can play trumpet or trombone should contact Mr. Dave Hilton, Panama City Feast Choir Director, at: 334-263-6716. – Mr. Carl Ponder
Kauai, HI
For those attending the Hawaii Feast site. Please bring a copy of the hymnal (new blue one) to the Feast for your own use. There will be no additional hymnals available at this Feast site. —Dr. Jeff Fall
Site Greetings
One of the joys of the Feast is to hear the Festival greetings from other sites around the world. To help this process go as smoothly as possible, each Site Coordinator is asked to make sure that he or his designate will send his site's greeting no later than Monday evening, October 13.
If possible, please send your greeting by email to the [email protected] address. If you must use a fax machine, please fax your greeting to (843) 497-7469.
Those using a fax machine should make sure to write the return fax number in the body of your message, including any international dialing codes that may be required. If you already know the fax number to which greetings should be sent at your site, please let Festival staff know before the Feast, either by sending email to [email protected] with the number, or by sending a fax with the number to the main HQ fax.
If you plan to send your site's greeting via email, you may wish to send a message to [email protected] in advance, so that Festival staff will know to be expecting your email during the Feast .
Myrtle Beach, SC
Here is the opening night and first day schedule of services at Myrtle Beach, SC: Opening night, Friday, October 10, 2003 will be a full, 2 hour service beginning at 7:00 pm. On the next day, Sabbath, October 11, there will be only an afternoon service, beginning at 2:00 pm. The offering will be taken up at this service. This unusual arrangement is due to a hall booking conflict.
The Kingston Plantation is a gated complex and a vehicle pass is required to enter the property. Those staying at another facility off the grounds should drive over to the Festival site after they arrive and ask the gate attendant for a pass. Just say; "I need a day pass to attend the LCG convention." The pass will allow you to enter the grounds each day during the Feast for services and activities, without having to stop at the gate each time.
The opening night and Holy Day services will be held in the ballroom of the Embassy Suites Hotel. Please follow the directions of the men wearing green vests; they will assist you in finding parking and the hall.
Leave home early, so you can get settled in your housing before the Sabbath begins. Drive carefully and arrive at the Feast safely. See you there! —Mr. Don Davis
INTERNATIONAL
Philippines Update—Mr. Rod McNair:
We had a good week for responses to the Tomorrow's World telecast and requests for the Tomorrow's World magazine last week. According to the Mail Processing Department's weekly report, between September 15 and 19 we received 21 requests for the literature (including radio, TV, Internet, and personal contacts). Eight were through personal contacts, eight were from the Tomorrow's World website, and 17 were brand-new, first-time contacts. Little by little, God continues to sow the seed of His Gospel—through the efforts of this Work, which all of you are a part of.
NEW STATIONS—ROUGH SEAS
Sunday, September 21 was the first airing of the Tomorrow's World television program on Camiguin Island Cable TV, a station just recently contacted by Mr. Gideon Benitez, our minister in Iligan City. The weekly air-time is 8:00 am Sunday mornings, on Channel 21 on Camiguin. Apparently, Mr. Benitez had to go through a real ordeal on the boat-trip there. Here are some excerpts from his report: "..While on the way we noticed the strong winds and rough seas. I thought it was just passing winds but it became strong and stronger till the passengers were all shouting for splashes of the waves had reached to our faces and loose cargoes kept on moving. As I looked at the boat [I perceived that it] will not survive due to strong and boisterous winds and waves. I prayed and cried aloud to God that these winds and waves will subside and we will be able to reach Camiguin safely. I went up to the top of the boat to secure the life raft and jackets, but there were 11 jackets only while there were 26 [of us]…Most of us vomited." This was quite a harrowing journey! Thanks to God, after his prayer, the winds subsided and they were able to make the rest of their way. (Although, perhaps in the future we will just mail the videotapes!)
Sri Lanka Update
A serious situation has developed in Sri Lanka for anyone calling themselves "Christian;" conditions there are deteriorating rapidly. About 1% of the population is "Christian." Two damaging legal events in August have gone hand-in-hand with an unusual increase in violence against churches. A huge escalation of Buddhist nationalism is causing "evangelical" Christians (with whom we would be lumped due to our publishing and broadcasting efforts) to suffer violence and destruction at the hands of militant Buddhist monks who wreak havoc with impunity--and without government intervention.
Legal Situation
A ranking member of the cabinet stated that he would promote a very restrictive "Anti-Conversion Bill." The bill is designed to make it very difficult for Sri Lankan citizens to exercise the basic freedom of religion.
The Sri Lanka Supreme Court has ruled that, although it is permissible under Article 10 and 14(1)e of the Constitution for a person to manifest, observe and practice his or her religion, such does NOT guarantee a fundamental right to propagate religion. The religious organization that was the subject of the suit listed as one of its purposes the spread of knowledge of their [professing Christian] religion and to impart religious, educational and vocational training to youth." The Supreme Court ruled that, as Buddhism is the state religion, such purpose violates Sri Lanka's constitutional duty to protect and foster Buddhism, and the court set aside the organization's incorporated status. The court also ruled that the parts of the Incorporation Act which allowed religious groups to hold or receive money or property were unconstitutional because they opened the door to "unethical conversion." Charges of "unethical conversion" were among the false accusations leveled at Living Church of God by the Buddhist organizations who opposed our original incorporation in Sri Lanka.
Violence
It has been reported that at least five churches were attacked by mobs of Buddhist monks over the weekend of August 2-3, 2003, in what appeared to be a planned campaign of violence directed specifically at Christian churches. Leaders from Methodist and Assemblies of God churches were physically assaulted and some had to be hospitalized. Mobs of up to 50 monks attacked churches and church workers and warned them to stop their work or face death. Another church was attacked on August 14, also apparently by a mob of Buddhist monks. Anti-Christian advertisements have been spotted in various areas of the country.
Living Church of God "followed the rules" in complying with the Sri Lankan government's registration and incorporation requirements. We have over 40 people over there. Please pray that God's people will be protected from the violence occurring there (of particular concern since they will be assembling in Kandy, a Buddhist stronghold, for the Feast this year), and that His Work in that beautiful island nation will not be hindered. —Mr. Tom Turner
COMMENTS
We are sending the update out a day early because several of the ministers at HQ are traveling to various locations for the Feast of Trumpets. Everything is moving forward in the Work. Eagerness and excitement are running high, to say the least, about all of the fall Festivals. It appears that everyone is anticipating a Feast of Tabernacles this year that is going to involve a lot of happiness, joy and rejoicing. If we ask God to bless all of His Feast sites in that way, He will surely do so, since He Himself commands us to keep the Feast with that attitude. Notice Deut. 14: 24-26 "And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it; or if the place be too far from thee, which the Lord thy God shall choose to set his name there, when the Lord thy God hath blessed thee: Then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the Lord thy God shall choose: And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after [rightly desires], for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household."
Have a delightful Feast of Trumpets!
Charles E. Bryce