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OUR CO-WORKERS
BULLETIN
VOL. IV. Number 6 September 3, 1943
Published every little while, by your radio-pastor
editor, Herbert W. Armstrong, Box 111, Eugene, Ore.,
to bring spiritual edification and encouragement to
our little family of co-workers who make possible
The RADIO CHURCH OF GOD and The PLAIN TRUTH.
MORE STATIONS ADDED !
POWERFUL STATIONS AND NETWORKS NOW OPEN TO US
GREETINGS, Co-Workers:
Again I am writing to you on the train, enroute from Des
Moines and San Antonio to Los Angeles. My heart is full. I have
learned things on this trip which surely would OPEN YOUR EYES if
you could see and fully realize what I have seen! I simply must
write and tell all our Co-workers the situation at once.
First, however, on this trip two new stations were added,
starting a new and very important network.
Sunday night, August 22nd, I conducted the first "WORLD
TOMORROW" broadcast over the Iowa broadcasting Company from the
studios of KRNT, Des Moines. We have started off with only two
stations, KRNT, and KMA, Shenandoah, Iowa. Both are 3,000 watts,
very strong and popular stations.
I was fortunate in getting a splendid time--late enough
to come under the low rate (half the cost of earlier evening time)
yet nearly an hour earlier than our time has been in the middle
west over WHO and WOAI, which in this farm-belt, should give us
nearly double the audience within the territory covered. The new
time is 10:15 PM Central War Time.
At that hour KRNT covers central Iowa like a local
station, and can be heard over the entire state; while KMA reaches
out even farther, and gives us the strongest and most effective
listening audience of any station in the western half of Iowa and
Missouri, the eastern populous half of Nebraska, and north-eastern
Kansas. It gets into Omaha, Des Moines, and St. Joseph like a
local station, and has a large farmer audience in this section. It
is the station I had planned to use over a year ago, before going
with WHO. There are other stations on this network, all strong
5,000 watt stations, covering South Dakota, North-eastern Nebraska,
South-western Minnesota, North-western and Eastern Iowa, and
portions of Wisconsin and Illinois. They may be added later.
I have made a thorough survey of the situation all over
the country on this trip, and I want to tell you frankly just what
it is.
A number of super-power stations, and strong sectional
networks are open to us. However, most of the super-power stations
with nationally-clear channels (stations which can be heard over
North America) are now closed to religious broadcasts. On this
trip I contacted personally the sales managers of nearly all these
stations, except a few I had contacted before. Of these great
stations, only five are open for religious programs, and possibly
sixth, WHAS, Louisville, Kentucky, may be opened to us because of
the different type of program. All the others now are definitely
CLOSED to the broadcasting of the true Gospel.
A station I am very anxious to use as soon as possible,
because of its low cost at late night-time, is WRVA, Richmond Va.
It is 50,000 watts, national-cleared channel after sunset.
Philadelphia's great super-power exclusive-channel station WCAU,
is open to us for late night-time, at a very reasonable cost. In
New York City 50,000-watt clear-channel station WHN will give us
a Sunday morning time, but when we are ready for a New York station
we probably shall use a smaller station, WOV, which offered me a
desirable night-time, at one-fourth the cost.
We are fortunate, indeed, that even that number of the
nation's most powerful exclusive-channel stations are still open
to us. In addition, there are a number of other 50,000-watt
stations (not on exclusive channels), open to us which will give
us large regional audiences. Among these are KWKH, Shreveport,
La., WCKY, Cincinnati, and WLAC, Nashville, Tennessee.
Avenues are open to us, still, by which we may send God's
last vital Message out over this country with great power and
intensity into every PART of the country. WE MUST TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF THIS OPPORTUNITY BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE! Because, on the other
hand, the TREND with radio Stations, especially the larger ones,
is to shut all Gospel preaching OFF THE AIR! On this trip I
visited many, many radio stations--I went personally to MOST of
this station's super-power 50,000-watt EXCLUSIVE-channel stations.
And in station after station the door was unalterably CLOSED! The
fact I preached the Gospel--preach out of the BIBLE--in "The WORLD
TOMORROW" program is an absolute BAR on most of the nation's great
super-power stations.
I spent two days in New York City, thoroughly taking up
the matter of this policy with the executives there at Radio City,
Rockefeller Center, who CONTROL the policies in this regard for
these super-power stations owned and managed by NBC. These men
were courteous, willing to talk with me and to hear my side of the
story, and my arguments as to why they should NOT throw God's Truth
off the air "IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST," as they claim to be doing--
but it made no difference. I could see their hands were tied from
somewhere higher up--where, I could not learn. I have my ideas,
and it points to one of the world's vast financial interests.
There are powerful interests at work to put all true
gospel preaching OFF THE AIR--that much I know. Our great
opportunity lies in the fact it will take them yet some little time
before they can eliminate Gospel broadcasts that tell the TRUTH
from the independent stations, and all the smaller stations, which
can be used by many sectional networks all over the country. We
STILL CAN GET THE TRUTH TO THE PEOPLE--but we must HURRY--there's
NO TIME TO LOSE--and OUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED!
OUR NEW POLICY
In view of what I have learned on this trip, I have
decided upon a radical change of policy. Incidentally, I heard in
New York, though I have not yet had opportunity to verify it from
Hollywood, that the local network is now closed to any more
religious programs, and even that network, heretofore open to
religious programs, is now falling in line with the policy of the
other networks and larger stations. Too bad, isn't it, that these
stations will consider half-crazy slap-stick, wise-cracking, slang
programs designed to induce more millions of our young boys and
GIRLS to smoke cigarettes as "IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST," while they
claim that is "IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST" they are eliminating Gospel
programs! Can God Almighty bless such a nation?
The new policy is this: FIRST, above all, heretofore I
have been stressing the broadcasts and adding of more stations at
the expense of The PLAIN TRUTH, and consequently have had to some
what neglect The PLAIN TRUTH. We have been unable to get it out
often as I wish. It has never been a monthly magazine, but I do
feel that it should come out at least bi-monthly now, and, as soon
as possible, EVERY MONTH.
I want our co-workers to understand it is utterly
IMPOSSIBLE to get out the PLAIN TRUTH every month at present. We
have never yet had the funds for this. It is now costing over
$1,000 per issue. The present number is consuming A TON AND A HALF
of paper! The postage alone, on our special permit rate, will cost
$330.00. It is a huge task.
I'm sure not one in a hundred of our co-workers even
DREAMS how MUCH we have been accomplishing with HOW LITTLE. We
have had to make a little money go a long ways--reach a lot of
people--do a great amount of good. Mrs. Armstrong and I have had
to work almost day and night without let-up for ten years. I'm
sure we'd have much more money with which to conduct this work if
I would only consent to COMMERCIALIZE this work by ASKING FOR MONEY
over the air--and ASKING for it in The PLAIN TRUTH. I never do
either and I never shall, because it is not God's way. When I make
the needs of God's work known to you in the BULLETIN, and impress
upon you your solemn DUTY before God to sacrifice to the utmost
for His work, I am addressing that appeal ONLY to those who have
voluntarily of their own accord and free will, started having a
part in this work by sending voluntary offerings, or tithes. You
are among the limited and precious number, or you would not be
receiving and now reading this BULLETIN.
No one can know how disappointed I have been not to have
been able to get out The PLAIN TRUTH more often. I have just done
the best I could. I have done my utmost. I have tried to do a LOT
with a LITTLE.
God has now provided for this work two men, specially
trained, fully prepared in ability, in experience, and in under-
standing of the TRUTH and in true Spirit-led Christian experience.
I need these two men badly, to devote full time in the office in
this work. The work MUST have them if The PLAIN TRUTH is to come
out monthly, as it should. But we simply do not as yet have
sufficient income to add these valuable men to the staff.
Point number 1 in our new policy is that regardless of
all handicaps, The PLAIN TRUTH must, from now on, come out oftener
--at least every 60 days. I intend with God's help to see that the
material is prepared, the articles written--that all my part of it
is done. It's going to take the greatest, most determined effort
of my life, because it will be a TASK. I am trying to carry a far
heavier load than our Co-workers have realized. But with God all
things are possible, and I shall look to Him for added strength and
He will not fail me--He never has!
The rest of it depends upon YOU--our co-workers. It
means The PLAIN TRUTH expense, alone, will now run about $600 a
month--and it is rapidly GROWING all the time--in addition to the
very heavy cost of broadcasting over nine powerful stations, and
the necessary office expense (which, as I mentioned, is about a
third of what any commercial business magazine would spend for
publishing the magazine alone). I intend to devote myself more
than ever before to The PLAIN TRUTH.
Point number 2 in our new policy: Since the trend seems
to be to discontinue broadcasting religious programs on the larger
stations and networks, it follows that even if we were able to put
the program on more super-power stations now, it is only a matter
of time until they would cancel or refuse to renew a contract. I
shall now work toward adding a larger number of medium-powered
stations--stations of from 1,000 to 5,000 watts of power, in the
proper population centers--and to do this through a system of
sectional networks, as described above. There is one exception to
this policy. In developing the work to greater national power, I
feel we should add, just as quickly as possible, more of the 50,000
watt clear-channel stations now open to us, and then from there to
fill in with the more intense local coverage of a larger number of
regional network stations.
Point number 3 in our policy will be to issue, just as
soon as I can find time to write the material, seven series of
special Bible-study articles, consisting of seven lessons, or
articles, to each series. These will carry those interested
through a complete course of Bible study and understanding. They
will bring you the TRUTH on most of the important subjects of the
Bible. Rather than prepare these lessons in the usual dry STUDY-
form, I wish to write them in an interesting, plain and simple
article form, like articles in The PLAIN TRUTH. These will not be
announced over the air, but only in The PLAIN TRUTH.
Now may I have your fullest co-operation in this great
new program? The Devil is working feverishly to close the doors to
God's Truth, and is succeeding in some directions. But God is
still keeping OTHER doors open. His work must go marching ON! We
cannot lay down and quit--the work must grow and multiply by leaps
and bounds from here on! Our time is SHORT!
I am telling you--and I have reason to KNOW, both by
conditions I have SEEN are shaping and partly already exist, and
prophecy--that in a short time any MONEY you may have will be
utterly WORTHLESS to you. In the terrible times that lie ahead of
us now, MONEY will be no security. Your only security will be the
protection of GOD. That can't be bought with money, but certainly
God will reward the FAITHFUL STEWARD, and the unfaithful surely
will be CUT OFF from God! This is not my work--it isn't even OUR
work--it is GOD'S precious work. It must not fail! It's in DIRE
NEED--and it is YOUR responsibility, before God, to SUPPLY THAT
NEED, by ANY SACRIFICE POSSIBLE! Please PRAY over it! I'm doing
my very utmost. Are you doing YOURS?
PERSONAL EXPERIENCES ON THE TRIP
May I now tell you of just a few personal experiences of
this trip.
When I arrived in Minneapolis, on the way East among the
letters forwarded from our office in Eugene was one from a young
man in a city I was scheduled to pass through. He wants above
all else to be a real Spirit-led Christian. He was so determined
to have my help he had planned to come clear to the Coast, to
Eugene if necessary, to see me. I believe we found the source of
his trouble, and the cure. What a privilege and blessing to be of
any service.
In Providence, Rhode Island, is a little group of God's
sincere people with whom we have had contact for several years.
Learning I would be in the East, they invited me by mail to stop
and have a service with them, saying they longed to see and have
fellowship with one for whom they have prayed daily for so long.
We had a wonderful meeting and fellowship together, starting at
lunch and lasting through the afternoon. It was a very great
privilege, and proved inspiration to me. God bless the "little
flock" scattered abroad!
Among the many letters received recently from listeners
asking help in finding the way to Christ and becoming Christians,
was one from a man near Hutchinson, Kansas. His letter showed he
had given his heart not only, but his life, over to God--that he
was one of the truly CALLED, and wanted to be baptized. I only
wish it were possible to visit personally EVERYONE who writes such
a letter. Ordinarily it is simply impossible, but in this case I
happened to be passing very close to Hutchinson, at a time when I
could spare a half-day on my schedule. So I wrote that I would
come and when. I was met at the train late in the afternoon, and
driven out to the farm home of this brother. We opened our Bibles,
and I answered his and his wife's questions, and explained many
subjects until near midnight. Next morning early we found a spot
in the rather shallow Arkansas river deep enough for baptism, and
both of them were baptized, after which they drove me to Wichita in
time to catch the streamliner for San Antonio and Los Angeles.
These experiences have enriched this trip. I wish I
could meet, and see, and visit, and study the Bible with ALL of our
co-workers and interested listeners. Most of us, perhaps, can
never meet in this world and this life. But we can have fellowship
together through Christ, just the same as we can WORK TOGETHER,
and PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER.
The PLAIN TRUTH UNAVOIDABLY DELAYED
The PLAIN TRUTH was almost ready for the press when I had
to leave on this trip. Before leaving I made arrangements for
having this number and all others from now on, mailed by
professional mailers from Portland--so the entire edition can be
mailed within three or four days after delivery IF we have the
$330.00 on hand to pay Uncle Sam for postage.
I'll simply have to ask all our Co-workers to UNDERSTAND
and to bear with me, and uphold my hands, and to respond
IMMEDIATELY again, and GENEROUSLY, with the largest offerings you
can possibly sacrifice to send, to keep this great and growing work
GOING, and insure this PLAIN TRUTH being mailed promptly as soon
as the printer can deliver the finished copies. With God's
blessing, and your help you ought to receive your copy within about
two weeks from the time you receive this BULLETIN.
The big order of paper is all paid for, and delivered, a
full ton and a half of paper. We saved $85.00 by using a slightly
thinner paper this time, and by paying spot cash in advance for a
special deal offered us. BUT THERE WILL BE TWO PAGES MORE in
this issue than the last.
HEART TO HEART TALK
Never before did I realize so fully how the prophesied
general conditions of the end-time, just prior to Christ's return,
are being fulfilled. More than ever I have been impressed that
whatever work we are to do for Christ and the Kingdom of God must
be done quickly--which means WE MUST TAKE GOD'S WORK SERIOUSLY--
must make greater sacrifices for it--must redouble our efforts.
This whole world--including our country, and the very community
in which YOU, and each of us lives, is in far more grave and
serious condition than we have had any conception.
If you could just see the trend, as I've come to see it
over the entire country, Coast to Coast, and could thus, with the
certain knowledge of prophecy applied to this present trend look
from two to five or ten years into the future, I'm quite sure
you'd be FRIGHTENED! Few realize where we are headed! We are
putting everything else FIRST in our lives, most of us--people
are making more money then ever before, and trying to enjoy the
spending of it, and seeking pleasure and luxury in this time of
war and world chaos. But if you could really SEE what is going
on--where we are headed--what will happen to us these next two
to five years--you'd certainly put THE KINGDOM OF GOD, and His
Righteousness, FIRST above all else in your life from this minute
on. If only ALL our co-workers could realize this serious solemn
truth, God's work surely would not have to struggle along, crippled
by insufficient funds to carry it forth in great power. Instead,
it would LEAP ahead, with ample of everything it might need!
Dear Co-workers, have we been asleep? Have we been
thinking of OURSELVES too much? Have we been begrudging God what
little has been trickling into His work--feeling that God's work
ought not to need our "charity" all the time? God doesn't need
your money, but you certainly NEED HIM, and we can't have His
blessings and His protection in the hard and perilous days just
ahead if we are unfaithful toward Him in the stewardship of
material things He has placed in our hands! It's certainly time
we took this very seriously.
I have found that powerful forces are at work, far more
than I realized before, bent on destroying God's TRUTH so far as
facilities for proclaiming it by radio and in print are concerned.
They are engineered, without realizing it, by Satan the Devil. He
is not asleep! HE is not indifferent! HE knows full well that he
has but a SHORT TIME--and he is multiplying HIS efforts furiously
to STOP the preaching of TRUTH which God says shall be preached,
NOW!
Yet, we shall not be shut off until we have had full
opportunity to accomplish God's mission and purpose commissioned
to us to perform! Satan is ruler of his world--he directs powerful
forces. BUT, God still reigns in high Heaven, and rules the
universe and what God wants done Satan shall be restrained from
preventing! He cannot stop us until God's mission through us is
completed! But there is no time to lose! The time has come for us
to WAKE UP, fully. To take this more seriously than we ever took
anything in our lives. It's more important than our very lives.
U R G E N T
Again, I find that money is slacking off, and far less
coming in daily again now, than our daily expense for this work.
And while we already have advanced a few hundred dollars toward the
printing bill, the printing and mailing will take nearly another
thousand.
Radio station bills must be paid every week. The members
of our staff in the office work hard, and must be paid their salary every week. The servant is worthy of his hire. It costs money to
conduct so large a work, carrying the Gospel to nearly a million
people every week! This has become a GREAT work--a work of
national and international influence and power.
WE DARE NO LET DOWN--even for one week. The situation is
again critically SERIOUS. Let us not become weary with well-doing.
If we stop the work stops. WE CANNOT STOP!
I feel sure that many of our co-workers can sacrifice a
great deal more than has been done--if only we realize how SERIOUS
is this time and this situation--how URGENT is the need--how VITAL
that we do not fail God in this most critical hour of all earth's
history.
Think of the thousands and millions who sacrifice their
LIVES, their HOMES, their ALL--for their government in this world
and its greatest war. HOW MUCH MORE ought WE, who knows God's
precious TRUTH, who are privileged to carry on HIS WORK, to
sacrifice generously and without stint, for HIS GREAT CAUSE, and
for the COMING KINGDOM OF GOD--for the salvation of PRECIOUS SOULS
for the COMING KINGDOM OF GOD--for the salvation of PRECIOUS SOULS
for ALL ETERNITY?
Let us not grumble about it. Let us not criticize and
complain. Let us just DO OUR UTMOST! Some of you have money or
property you do not really need, which you are keeping as an
investment. Soon it will be worth NOTHING to you. But God's
Kingdom is for ETERNITY! How much MORE important to put ALL YOU
CAN into God's work now, while there's time and opportunity! There
are among those who will read these lines some who could put in
$1,000 or even $10,000 or more, that God's Message might go in
mighty power to many thousands of souls who will never hear it if
you hang onto that money or property for yourself.
Some of you have already been doing your very UTMOST, and
God knows all about it, and will BLESS YOU. He doesn't expect any
to give beyond their means. But I feel that MANY of our co-workers
could easily double what they have been doing--and some could send
really large amounts. Will you take it to God in serious, solemn
prayer? God help, and bless you.
With Christian love,
Herbert W. Armstrong
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