Greetings from Charlotte,
Mr. Gerald Weston has been in Canada all week and will be in Kelowna, British Columbia, for the Sabbath. Reports of a positive and meaningful Pentecost have been coming in from all over the world. Dr. Douglas Winnail and Mr. Mario Hernández were in El Salvador with brethren from across Central America. Mr. Peter Nathan was in Cape Town, South Africa, for Pentecost and will be attending a Men’s Training Camp in the Western Cape on June 6. Mr. Htoowah Laybeh reports that Pentecost in Thailand and Myanmar went well, despite the continuing civil war in Myanmar. Your prayers for our brethren there are appreciated. Mr. Bobby Jacques reported that brethren in Jackson and Hattiesburg, Mississippi, had a “Pentecost to remember.” City officials where they were meeting could not find a key to a rented hall, causing everyone to have to move multiple times to find a suitable place to hold services. At one point in the progression, one member had a car accident trying to cross a busy highway, flipping the car in a ditch. Air bags deployed and everyone was okay, with only minor scratches. Truly, we are grateful that God is mindful of His people all over the world and has provided us a peaceful—if eventful—Feast of Pentecost.
—Rod McNair
Church Administration
This week, we will hold three Tomorrow’s World Presentations: Helena, Montana; Great Falls, Montana; and Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. These cities are in relatively remote areas and include very few subscribers—however, we do have congregations in these cities. Holding TWPs in these areas can be a boost to the congregations, even if the expected turnout may be less than more populated areas. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support for the Tomorrow’s World Presentations.
Feast of Tabernacles
Feast Sites Closed for Transfer
The following Feast sites are closed for further transfer:
- Branson, Missouri
- Fernandina, Florida
- Gulf Shores, Alabama
- Pebbles Beach, Barbados
The following Feast sites are nearing capacity:
- New Bern, North Carolina
- South Padre Island, Texas
The following sites have ample space and are accepting more transfers:
- Arroyo Grande, California
- Glens Falls, New York
- Spokane Valley, Washington
- St. George, Utah
- Dubuque, Iowa
Volunteers Needed
A couple of Feast sites need volunteers for specific areas of service. If you can provide help in the following areas, it would be greatly appreciated:
- Arroyo Grande, California – Audio/Visual
- Puerto Rico – Pianist
If you are able and willing to serve in either of these capacities, please contact the appropriate Festival Coordinator.
Living Youth Program
Missouri Pre-Teen Camp Nurse Needed
The Missouri Pre-Teen camp (July 27–August 1) needs a qualified individual who can serve as the camp nurse. If you are able to serve in this capacity, please contact Mr. Gene Hilgenberg at [email protected].
Exciting Music Opportunities at Teen Camp!
Preparations are underway for an amazing Teen Camp in Texas this summer, and we’re looking forward to two weeks filled with fun, fellowship, and music!
If you’re interested in participating musically, please fill out the Music Sign-Up Form: https://bit.ly/LYCMusicSignUp25. Once signed up, you’ll receive rehearsal materials and music updates as camp approaches.
We’re also excited to host the talent show again this year! If you’d like to be considered for a performance, please indicate your interest on the Music Sign-Up Form and upload a personal recording of the piece you’d like to perform at https://bit.ly/LYCTalentShow25.
Please note: No auditions will be held at camp, so be sure to submit your recording soon!
If you have any questions, contact Mr. Chris Pringle at [email protected].
Comments
Watch World News! Jesus told His disciples to watch for the fulfillment of Bible prophecies as we approach the time of His return (Matthew 24:42–44). However, these same prophecies reveal that many will be surprised by the dramatic events that precede Jesus’ return because they have no knowledge or understanding of Bible prophecy. This is why God has given His Church a “more sure word of prophecy” so His Church can function as a watchman to proclaim the real significance of events that are making news today (2 Peter 1:19–20, King James Version). As we see these prophecies coming alive today, we need to watch and draw closer to God so we are not caught by surprise when Jesus Christ comes back to this earth (1 Thessalonians 5:1–6).
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy– June 5, 2025
Pope Leo the Mediator? Recent developments with the Russo-Ukrainian war have created an opportunity for a new mediator of the conflict. “Pope Leo XIV… has signaled that the Vatican might be willing to mediate. This was further reinforced by Italy’s head of government, Giorgia Meloni, who announced on the social media platform X on May 20 that she had ‘spoken by phone with the Holy Father about the next steps that need to be taken to build a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.’” American President Donald Trump and “some European heads of state” had requested that Meloni “assess the Holy See’s willingness” to host peace talks in the Vatican between Russia and Ukraine, and Pope Leo confirmed that he is willing to do so (Deutsche Welle, May 25, 2025).
Russia, however, is not keen on this. “Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticised the idea, saying that it would be ‘a bit inelegant for Orthodox countries to use a Catholic platform’” for such talks (Euro News, May 27, 2025).
Bible prophecy tells us that a church with ties to ancient Rome, depicted in Revelation 17 as a harlot riding a great beast, will be a key diplomatic player in geopolitics as the return of Jesus Christ approaches. It is interesting to note that this year is the 1,700-year anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, held in AD 325 and considered the “First Ecumenical Council.” Pope Leo XIV, head of the Roman Catholic Church, and Bartholomew of Constantinople, head of the Eastern Orthodox Church, plan to meet in Nicaea in November to commemorate the event (Orthodox Observer News, May 19, 2025). Leo’s election has excited many about the possibility of a more unified Catholic Church—which would certainly allow him to play a more powerful role in geopolitical affairs. To learn more, you can watch our telecast “Behold, a White Horse.”
Scientists Search for the Reason the Universe Exists: Almost a mile below the surface of the earth, in the U.S. state of South Dakota, scientists are building a machine that they hope will reveal why the universe exists (BBC, May 20, 2025). The DUNE project (Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment) is a collaboration between 1,400 scientists from 35 countries. So far it has cost over $3 billion, and it will take years for it to start collecting data (Science.org, March 29, 2022).
The project aims to collect subatomic particles known as neutrinos, as well as their counterparts, anti-neutrinos, fired from an underground site 800 miles away in the state of Illinois. Scientists hypothesize that these neutrinos will help them discover how the universe survived the Big Bang. The current understanding is that the matter and antimatter of the early universe should have self-annihilated, instead of leaving the stable universe of mostly “normal” matter we have today. Other scientists working on a similar project in Japan are about four years ahead of the American team and hope to be the first to find answers to the neutrino question.
While scientists spend billions of dollars in search of answers to why the universe exists, a book collecting dust on many university bookshelves—the Bible—contains those answers. While the Bible does not disclose the detailed science behind the existence of matter, it does reveal the reason behind not only the existence of the universe, but also the existence of mankind within it. To discover the answers to these profound questions, you can read or listen to What Is the Meaning of Life? —Scott Winnail, Justin Ridgeway, and Francine Prater