June 24, 1952 • Herbert W Armstrong • Co-Worker Letter
FOT to be in Seigler Springs, California - $4000 Recieved for "East Texas Project"

 

JUNE 24, 1952


GREETINGS, Friends and Co-Workers:

This month we published an issue of the PLAIN TRUTH. So I send you The GOOD NEWS in the form of a GOOD NEWS LETTER for June.

Things are moving so fast both in prophesied world events, and in the progress of God's great work, it's hard to know what to say first.

Once again I am enroute to east Texas, this time with Mrs. Armstrong by automobile. ** Two baptizing teams left Pasadena today on an nation-wide summer tours. Hundreds await baptism.

Another graduation has passed at Ambassador College. The Commencement exercises were held in the beautiful Garden Theatre in the magnificent lower grounds on the campus. Three more students graduated Raymond Clifford Cole, Roderick Carl Meredith, and our son Richard David Armstrong. Mr. Herman Louie Hoeh (pronounced like "Hay") who graduated a year ago, received the degree of Master of Arts in Theology. He and our son Richard (Dick) sailed today from Quebec abroad the Liner Franconia for England and Europe, where they will spend the summer making plans to open the Gospel work full blast in Europe and Great Britain, and reporting to you direct from Europe by tape recording what they learn there about events fulfilling prophecy.

Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Cole left for Eugene, Oregon, where Mr. Cole will act as pastor of the Church of God until the end of January 1953. Mr. Marion McNair, a senior who will graduate next January, with Mrs. McNair, has gone to Portland, Oregon, where he will be pastor of the church until September 1st. At that time Mr. Roderick Meredith, now on a baptizing tour, will become pastor of the Portland church, allowing Mr. and Mrs. McNair to return to college. Travelling with Rod Meredith this summer is Burk McNair, brother of Marion and Raymond, who will be a junior in Ambassador College next fall. Raymond McNair heads the other baptizing team, accompanied by Owen Smith, a junior in the college.

FEAST OF TABERNACLES SITE: Decision has been finally made on the location of this great fall Festival this coming October. We had wanted to find a suitable site near Pasadena. This has proved impossible until we can purchase land and build our own Festival grounds. With the east Texas project under way, and assuming vastly increased importance, we cannot undertake the project of building our own Festival facilities in Southern California for at least another two years. There are vital reasons why this great fall festival must continue to be held on the West Coast. It must be held at the place GOD CHOOSES. We have had to wait until we were SURE of the place chosen by the Eternal. There is no longer any doubt. I can announce the PLACE for the Festival of Tabernacles definitely.

It will be held at beautiful Seigler Springs, in central California. It is much larger than Belknap Hot Springs in Oregon, where we have gone the past seven years. It is also much nicer, and offers many facilities we never had at Belknap. Seigler Springs is about 475 miles north of Pasadena, in a beautiful mountainous region south of Clear Lake. It will offer accommodations for up to 400 people. Kitchen and dining room facilities are larger and better than Belknap. There is a large assembly hall, a semi-outdoor recreation pavilion for table tennis and other recreations; a large outdoor swimming pool, and an indoor swimming pool, and a children's wading pool. It has one of the finest tennis courts in the nation, and a fine badminton court. There is horse-back riding, and, if those attending desire, the hot mineral baths in very modern facilities. There is a hotel and many cottages of various sizes, some of them very nice. Some of the rooms and cottages are very plain, for those who wish to pay less. Mrs. Armstrong and I visited the Springs recently, and we are sure all who come will be more than enthusiastic. It is a PERFECT place, until we outgrow it as we did Belknap Springs. There is no place as suitable, that we have been able to find, nearer Pasadena. It will take care of us, apparently, until we can build our own grounds and facilities closer to Pasadena. BEGIN NOW to make definite plans to COME. Are you saving that second tithe? God has provided the plan whereby you can be ABLE to come. You are going to be more than enthusiastic over this beautiful mountainous resort. We will have the place EXCLUSIVELY, all to ourselves, shut off from the world for eight wonderful, joyful days. It will be a time such as you have never experienced before. Write me for full information.

I regret to announce to those who attended at Belknap Springs, that Mr. Bigalow, owner of Belknap Springs, died a couple weeks ago of cancer. He said he had never met people like us before, and seeing how we lived, and how happy we were, completely changed his life during his last months.

Now about the East Texas project. This is turning out to be a much more important development than we realized. Since the first letter sent out about it, several families have written that they are planning to move to Gladewater, or to Longview, or near this place we plan to develop.

I had mentioned in that letter the intention to establish an elementary school of our own there, beginning September 1953. So many of God's people have been plagued by persecution, and their children have suffered abuse and discrimination from other children or from teachers because they do not observe Christmas, New Years, Easter, or take part in Valentine or Halloween exercises, and because they are kept out of school during GOD'S festivals.

I think more than a dozen families have expressed the intention of moving to this locality to put their children in this new school of our own, just as a result of that one letter I wrote out Co-Workers. This assures enough to organize a local church--- God's own church---at this place. Also we are now graduating enough qualified, competent, God-called students at the college to be able to supply a permanent pastor for a church at this place, beginning by the Fall of next year. I feel sure now that there will be a minimum of twenty or thirty families---perhaps many more ---who will move there.

This makes the project of far greater importance than when we looked upon it, at first, as merely a place for an annual conclave every Spring at the Passover time and Festival of Unleavened Bread. On my second trip to Gladewater about a month ago I did not close the deal for the two strips of property adjoining the property which Buck Hammer offers to donate. First one owner raised the price $2,000.00 over his original agreement, and then the second owner even after accepting a check, demanded $2,100.00 more. Meanwhile I learned there are several places in this part of the State which are ideally suited to our purpose, and decided to wait until we could thoroughly investigate other possible sites. I do not feel we should let people literally hold us up, because we are God's people---and I did not feel like throwing away an additional $4,000.00 of God's money, after both owners had made an agreement at a fair price. We are now on our way again, with our own car, to look at all possible other sites. We will remain in or near Gladewater long enough to complete the transaction. And I am informed by the Hammers that these people are rather sick of the deal they tried to get away with, and now wish they had closed the deal as they originally agreed---so, it is possible we may yet purchase these properties---but only at the originally agreed-price.

I feel that the response on SPECIAL contributions for the purchase of these properties was very fine, considering I had only sent out the one letter about it. That is, it started off splendidly, the first three weeks. But since it has dropped to a tiny trickle, and we have a third or fourth of what we shall need. I was especially pleased that our Co-workers from all over the United States, even up and down the Pacific Coast who will probably never go to Gladewater or benefit personally from it, put in special contributions for this purpose. Most of this came in small amounts, which showed how much it counts up when a large number of people get back of a thing, even with small offerings. Of course several sent in $100.00 or more but I believe only one as much as $200.00---.

To date, about $4,000.00 has come in for this project. WE MUST RAISE THE REST OF IT WITHIN 60 DAYS. Surely there are at least two or three among all our Co-workers who can put contributions of $1,000.00 or more into this great project. Right now is when it's needed---for CASH MONEY TALKS---and if I have the cash money on hand to deal with, I can manage a far better deal than when I have to ask for time and terms, which puts me on the defensive and allows others to start trying to take advantage. I may still be in this section, making final decision on the site and closing the deal, by the time this letter reaches you. If you are one who can put a large amount into this project as an added and special contribution, PLEASE SEND A TELEGRAM TO THE OFFICE IN PASADENA TELLING WHAT YOU ARE SENDING, and they will forward your telegram to me. Don't wire the money---let it follow by airmail.

However, the regular work must not suffer because of this special project. Don't put any money into it you would have put into the Gospel Work. Be sure that whatever you send for this project is an extra, special, additional contribution, over and above your tithe and regular offerings. But the need is URGENT, and IMMEDIATE! I must raise several thousand dollars more within 60 days. I shall proceed on faith, and if and when I find the right deal and know it is the place God has chosen, I shall close it, and rely on God in faith to move enough of our Co-Workers to meet the balance in time. If you can't send a large sum send what you can---whether only a dollar or two, or thirty, forty, or a hundred. Every bit counts. I do THANK everyone of you, who have contributed so far, from the bottom of my heart, and I know that you co-workers will see that the full amount is sent in, within 60 days.

I verily believe that NOTHING ON EARTH is growing as dynamically and rapidly as GOD'S GREAT WORK, today! But it does take money EVERY SINGLE DAY! It will take money to keep these two baptizing teams going this summer. THIS SUMMER WE ARE REAPING BY FAR THE LARGEST HARVEST OF SOULS FOR GOD'S KINGDOM of any year so far! That's the thing that counts MOST! How wonderful it is! It's difficult to keep the precious work alive through the summers. Radio reception is not good. Not nearly as many hear the broad- cast, and fewer send in money. Yet we are under HEAVY EXPENSES this summer. KEEP GOD'S GREAT WORK ALIVE AND GOING! Try to send in tithes and offerings more frequently and larger offerings if possible. You are having a very important part AND RESPONSIBILITY in the greatest work on earth.

God bless you I know you'll do your very best, and remain faithful to the end. THANK YOU for all you've done for the work before. And try to keep a SPECIAL contribution coming in EVERY MONTH for this big Texas project!

Most sincerely, in Jesus' name,

Herbert W. Armstrong


SPECIAL NOTICE: "The WORLD TOMORROW" program is on the air SUNDAY'S ONLY until September 1st. Off the air week-nights. Tune in EVERY SUNDAY, same time as before, until September 1st.