Greetings from Charlotte,
The majority of us have returned from this year’s Feast of Tabernacles, and for some there was added excitement. The Philippines experienced a significant earthquake; some in New Bern, North Carolina found themselves cut off by floodwaters for a day; and members on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe were hit by wind, storms, and rain that caused flooding. Two members saw their cars “drowned.” However, all were safe and the disruptions were short-term. Please see below the positive note on the Feasts held in Thailand and Myanmar. It was also good to see and hear of new members who have recently come along. In Kimberley, British Columbia, there were 47 in the children’s choir—which created a lot of buzz among the members, as we have not seen those numbers at a Canadian site since the days of Worldwide. I have written the Semi-Annual letter, which is sent to all subscribers, advertising a new DVD on the subject of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and I recorded a new program: “2026 and Beyond.” The November-December 2025 Tomorrow’s World magazine is being printed and should be in your hands the first week of November.
—Gerald E. Weston
Church Administration
Tomorrow’s World Presentations
Last week, Dr. Scott Winnail took advantage of his time in South Africa for the Feast of Tabernacles and held a Tomorrow’s World Presentation in Cape Town, South Africa. This event drew a total of 42 guests and was also attended by 112 members. This week, Mr. Stuart Wachowicz will hold one presentation in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support for the Tomorrow’s World Presentations.
Television Department
From the Tomorrow’s World Studio
We are asking for your assistance! While YouTube’s auto-dubbing technology makes it possible to preach our message in multiple languages, it is not flawless. To ensure the translations of our YouTube videos are doctrinally sound, we need volunteers who can help us monitor this content. If you are fluent in any of the following languages and can help review our YouTube videos as they are released, please email [email protected]: Arabic, Bangla, Hebrew, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malayalam, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Swedish, Tamil, Telugu, Ukrainian.
Feast of Tabernacles
Service Appreciated!
From the Festival Office, we wish to thank so many brethren for their service at the Feast. As they say, “Many hands make light work!” The hours put toward assembling flower arrangements, manning Information Tables and Business Offices, arriving at the hall early to set up sound equipment, standing out in the rain or heat to direct traffic in parking lots, serving in special music, and so many other service areas were much appreciated. It all helped us to have a smooth-running Feast that was encouraging and uplifting. Thank you!
Festival Survey
If you have not yet filled out the 2025 Feast Survey Form, please do so by Sunday, November 1. We are asking all Feastgoers ages 13 and up to fill out the survey. Your feedback is important and helps with planning future Festivals. You can access this survey at fotsurvey.lcg.org.
Encouraging News from Myanmar
Mr. Htoowah Laybeh, writing from Thailand, sent a very encouraging report regarding our brethren in Myanmar, who have been dealing with a civil war in their country since February of 2021. This year they were able to stream Feast of Tabernacles services from Thailand. Please be sure to remember our brethren in Myanmar in your prayers. Mr. Laybeh writes:
Across neighbouring Myanmar, amidst ongoing civil war, a beacon of hope and divine mercy shines upon our Chin brethren. Despite the turmoil, God has granted our Chin brethren peace and quiet. This year, 28 faithful brethren gathered joyfully to celebrate another blessed Feast in a small village—Kyar (Jar) Inn village—while another five scattered members held the Feast at their own locations, a testament to resilience and unwavering faith in the face of adversity. So, altogether this year we had 33 brethren keeping the Feast in Chin State, Myanmar. Every day during the Feast, they enjoyed receiving the translated messages we sent all the way from Thailand. Along with the daily services, they also had a wonderful day out by the riverside, adding some extra joy to their celebration of this year’s Feast.
Comments
A Time of Reckoning: Today, many live and act as if there is no God, and few have any real knowledge of the Bible. Our modern generation blames climate change, viruses, and corrupt politicians for our problems and looks to science and medicine for solutions. Few see any connection between our modern problems and biblical laws that are forgotten and broken. However, the Bible reveals that there is a God who is going to judge the world (Psalm 14:1; 1 Chronicles 16:33) and that Jesus Christ is going to return and save the world from destruction (John 4:42; Matthew 24:22–30). Our modern world is going to come to realize that ignoring the laws of God is at the heart of our problems. This time of reckoning is coming. Are we ready for that earth-shaking event?
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy
African Fraud and Corruption: Every year, $88.6 billion leave Africa illegally (VOA Africa, September 18, 2022). International companies sometimes exacerbate the problem. It has been reported that consulting company McKinsey paid bribes to South African officials to get business worth millions of dollars (US Department of Justice, December 5, 2024) and obtained private details about big contracts from Transnet, which runs ports and trains, and Eskom, South Africa’s electric company (Stanford FCPA Database, December 5, 2024; FTI Law, December 10, 2024). Mining and oil companies are frequent offenders—Glencore, for example was found guilty of bribing officials in multiple countries (BH Compliance, May 8, 2023). Large oil industries attract high levels of corruption in many African nations as well (U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre).
Generally, companies obtain valuable contracts by paying bribes through local partners or middlemen who help maintain an appearance of innocence. The result? Money that should go to schools, hospitals, and roads is taken out of the system and put into the pockets of shady executives and brokers, leaving less available to spend on societal needs. To fulfill those needs, governments borrow money. And because investors know that persistent levels of corruption make borrowing a necessity, they charge higher interest rates, making everything more expensive and leading to increased theft. Corruption in African countries understandably makes foreign investors nervous, driving up interest rates on their loans, as well.
This sad circumstance vividly illustrates one of Jesus’ teachings: “Those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant” (Mark 10:42–43). We look forward to the day when the world will be ruled with godly justice and charity. You can come to a broader understanding of this future by reading our study guide The World Ahead: What Will It Be Like?
Ohio Bill Aims to Ban A.I. “Marriages”: Ohio congressman Thaddeus Claggett recently introduced House Bill 469. If it becomes law, this bill will stop people from “marrying” chatbots—artificially intelligent programs designed to imitate human conversation. It will also prohibit A.I. programs from being recognized as legal persons and from being allowed to serve in roles normally reserved for spouses, such as making medical choices for human beings or sharing financial responsibility with them. This bill comes at a time when many are forming emotional “bonds” with chatbots. Research organization Barna found in October 2024 that 38 percent of surveyed adults “feel a sense of connection” when interacting with A.I. assistants—and, according to Forbes, one survey found that “80% of Gen Zers say they would marry” an A.I. chatbot (April 29, 2025). Some people using apps like Replika and Character.ai even claim they have married their A.I. companions (The Guardian, July 12, 2025).
The perceived need for such a bill shows how far modern society has drifted from God’s plan for family. The Bible teaches that marriage is a God-ordained covenant between one man and one woman, picturing the relationship between Jesus Christ and His Church (Ephesians 5:22–32)—and the Bible gives very few valid reasons for breaking a marriage. When people form romantic “relationships” with apps, it reveals a world that has lost sight of God and His purpose. God designed the human family as the foundational unit of civilization and the earliest environment in which we learn to develop His own character through how we interact with our family members (e.g., 1 Timothy 5:1–2). Biblical values such as God’s design of the family are under siege and crumbling in Western civilization, and end-time prophecies indicate that we will continue to see them not only attacked but replaced by the evil and absurd (2 Timothy 3:1–5). Those who hold fast to God’s truths on such matters may have the opportunity to teach these principles when Jesus Christ returns to restore all things. You can learn more by reading or listening to God’s Plan for Happy Marriage. —Richard Franz and Scott Winnail