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September 9th, 1953
Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:
This is a last-minute letter of URGENCY about the
FESTIVAL OF TABERNACLES.
Letters are pouring in, asking many questions. I will
try to answer every question so far as possible, but first, news
about the building of the Tabernacle and the entire work.
Mr. Roy Hammer, his helpers and the contractor and his
crew are doing all they can to get the Tabernacle far enough along
so we can hold services during the Feast of Tabernacles. The large
auditorium is now TWICE as large as it was for Passover and
Pentecost festivals, and they are now putting up the room to the
rear of the auditorium which will serve as dining room at
festivals, and as school and local church room the rest of the
year. The large lounge room at the front will not be started until
after the fall Festival. The entire building will be totally
unfinished as it was last spring---but there will be enough more of
it to take care of the larger attendance.
But, special offerings for the building of the Tabernacle
have come in so small we have not been able to even start to erect
the housing districts of little booths. We are still going to TRY
to get one or more of these sleeping booths built just to show
those coming what is planned for the future. We will lost some
$12,000 or more, which now will have to be spent by our people at
motels, cabins, and hotels, which could have been paid in to us to
help pay for the building of our own housing districts, IF we had
had funds to finance the building of these districts. The
contractor could have put on a large crew and could have built it
all in time, had we had sufficient funds. As it is, he has had to
work a small crew---but they are doing their very best to at least
get the big Tabernacle far enough along to hold services.
So, as it now is, we shall have to just rough it---make
out the best we can for this Festival, and look forward to having
it completed by another year. "Rome wasn't built in a day," they
say. It will take more TIME to finish God's beautiful Tabernacle
and sleeping booths for His Festivals---but by faith we know it
will be finished in His due time.
Several are coming with house trailers or tents. We are
making frantic efforts to provide electricity for trailer houses,
and toilet and sanitary facilities enough for a limited number---
but if too many try to camp on the grounds, there will not be
enough wash, shower, and toilet facilities. It would cost more
than $50,000 just to provide sanitary plumbing facilities alone,
for all the people we expect at this great Festival in two weeks.
We may be able to provide enough for some 50 or 60 people---so, as
instructed below, GET IN A RESERVATION if you expect to camp in a
tent or bring a trailer-house. DO NOT EXPECT TO CAMP ON THE
GROUNDS UNLESS YOU FIRST GET A RESERVATION. We are doing our level
best to take care of as many as possible.
Now listen, brethren! Mr. Roy Hammer just called me and
told me we absolutely HAVE to raise and send over at least $10,000
more IN THE NEXT WEEK, or the contractor cannot have even the big
Tabernacle building far enough along for this Festival!
The Festival is just TWO WEEKS AWAY---we are UNDER
PRESSURE---it is now the FINAL, URGENT CRISIS---We simply HAVE to
raise this money! I know many of you have done almost more than
you could. But somehow we now simply MUST make one last MIGHTY
SACRIFICE to put this over the top. Some whom I feel sure would
have sent in two or three thousand dollars or more each have had
reverses and had their incomes cut in two this year, and simply
could not do it. IS THERE NOT SOMEONE ELSE WHO COULD PUT IN A
REALLY BIG SUM---one, two, or five thousand dollars? It is now a
dire need. GOD WILL BLESS YOU for your sacrifice and generosity.
And ALL THE REST OF YOU---send in a SHOWER of offerings---if only
one or two dollars, or ten or thirty or a hundred---just whatever
you are able. Every single dollar counts BIG just now. Single
dollars alone would build it IF THERE WERE ENOUGH OF THEM. Don't
think any amount is too small---SEND IT. But if you can send more,
do so!
Many hundreds of GOD'S PEOPLE are now making last-minute
plans to attend this greatest Festival of Tabernacles since the
days of the early Apostles!
Yes, THINK OF IT! This will be the greatest Festival of
Tabernacles since the early Church in the days of the Apostles!
Every real child of God---every member of HIS Church---will want to
be sure to be there! Enthusiasm is already generating for it!
This, too, will be the first one where we will have a number of
ordained ministers---elders who are evangelists and pastors in
God's Church. GOD'S CHURCH IS FAST GROWING IN THESE VERY LAST
DAYS!
Now to try to answer your questions:
First, the DATES: Beginning after sunset, Wednesday
evening, September 23rd, lasting until sunset Thursday evening,
October 1st.
The PLACE: The new Radio Church of God TABERNACLE being
built 8 miles west of Gladewater, Texas, and 2 miles east of Big
Sandy, Texas, and about 105 miles east of Dallas, on Highway #80.
Drive in our own private road, at the sign: "PRIVATE GROUNDS---
RADIO CHURCH OF GOD TABERNACLE," beside "Tuck's Cafe" and cabins at
this point on Highway #80.
RESERVATIONS: We have been unable to get our housing
districts built in time for this Festival, and therefore we are not
taking reservations this year. Nearly everybody will have to find
their own reservations at cabins, auto courts or motels along the
highway, or at hotels in Longview (20 miles away) or the hotel in
Big Sandy or hotel or cabins at Gilmer, 15 miles north, or at
Tyler, 30 miles south. All of the cabins on the highway at the
entrance to our grounds are already reserved, and all the rooms at
the Resmore Court in Gladewater are already reserved. It may be
very difficult for many to find vacancies, since we expect between
700 and 1,000 people. I would advise that you write, telegraph, or
telephone some motel or auto court between the Tabernacle and Long-
view immediately for reservations, because if you wait until you
arrive on the afternoon of the 23rd, you may have to hunt a long
time and drive many miles before you find a vacancy---but I am
sure that everyone will be able to find a place to stay, provided
you arrive in the early afternoon and keep driving until you find
a place. If you wish to wire or write ahead for reservation, go to
some of the filling stations in your neighborhood and ask for their
motor court directories for Highway $80 in Texas. I am sure many
of the oil companies publish these directories---and if not, they
can tell you where to get one. Do not write to us or the Hammers
for auto court reservations.
THOSE WITHOUT CARS: If you are coming by train or by bus,
and will be afoot without a car after you arrive, BE SURE to write
a letter or post card advising us of this, and telling how many in
your party. Send this letter to The RADIO CHURCH OF GOD, Post
Office Box #453, Gladewater, Texas. We are going to make every
effort to provide some kind of make-shift housing on the Tabernacle
grounds for those who do not have cars. It may be a tent, or a
trailer-house---whatever we are able to get---and I cannot promise
you we will be able to get anything at all, but Mr. Roy Hammer and
his son Buck Hammer are going to try. Even if you are coming with-
out a car, I still advise telephoning long distance or telegraphing
to a motel or a hotel for a reservation, in order to be SURE of a
place to stay at night. We will try to provide regular bus service
of our own between the Tabernacle grounds and Longview, and also
between the Tabernacle grounds and Big Sandy. CAUTION: Do not
depend on finding housing on the Tabernacle grounds---we will do
our best to provide something, but can not promise anything, and at
best will be able to provide housing for ONLY A FEW. We will just
have to rough it the best way we can this year, and without
grumbling.
COST OF TRANSPORTATION: Some have written to ask us this
question. Go to your local bus depot, or railroad depot ticket
office, and ask them to provide you with this information. Or, if
you are driving, you can figure for yourself what it will cost you.
We have no way of figuring this for you. As to cost of motels or
auto courts, we cannot quote figures. There are some very deluxe
motels on both sides of Longview on Highway #80, and two or three
down at Tyler, about 30 miles south. These cost more of course.
Also there are cheaper cabins up and down the highway---not nearly
so nice, of course,---and others in between---all prices, depending
on how modern and nice they are.
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST TO ATTEND? As stated above, we
cannot tell you this. It depends on how good a motel you get. I
might mention that generally I have found that the best and highest
priced motels fill up first, and if you have to take what's left it
is most likely to be the lower priced cabins. We will serve three
meals a day at the tabernacle, on a bare cost basis, the same as
last year---$2 per day per person for adults; children age six to
twelve, $1 per day per person; children under 6, no charge.
WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO CANNOT AFFORD TO COME? Some have
written: "We can get there, but you'll have to give us money to pay
our way back home." THERE IS NO FUND AT PRESENT FOR THIS. All I
can say is, DO NOT COME expecting us to be able to give you money
to get home on. You may have to WALK! If you have not been
obeying God in saving a second tithe of all your income to pay your
own expenses, you should not expect others to pay your expenses in
addition to their own. If you have saved your second tithe and it
is not enough, then do as Rod Meredith directed in his article on
the subject---save this second tithe and stay home this year and
keep on saving it another year and then you can come next year.
There are already a certain number whose cases we are familiar
with, whom we shall try to help this year because they are
deserving, but their need is already far beyond what we have to
help them. In fact, we have nothing so far toward this purchase,
as I shall state below. We do want to help all we can who are
worthy of help---God's true people have always done this---but we
do not feel this help can be given without discretion, or to those
who are not trying to help themselves by saving their second tithe
and faithfully paying God's first tithe into His work, no matter
how small. There are more whom we already KNOW to be worthy of
this help than we are able to help---so I must repeat---nobody
should come with the idea that they will expect return fare home to
be given them. This could lead to an abuse that is injurious to
those who do it and unjust to those who sacrifice to help them.
SEND IN YOUR SURPLUS SECOND TITHE: As the original Church
of God did, those who have more than they need do turn in this
surplus from their second tithe into a special fund for helping
those who do not have enough. PLEASE RUSH all these special
offerings, as we already have the largest list of any previous year
of those needing, and deserving of, this help. Those who have more
than they need thus share with those who lack. As stated above, we
cannot promise to help more than those already known and approved
for this help. But the need is really great this year---we need
many hundred dollars in this fund. Heretofore Mrs. Armstrong has
handled this fund. We have not had other ordained ministers beside
myself in former years. Now, however, since we do have ordained
ministers, and since the early disciples gave their surplus funds
to the apostles for distribution, I have appointed Elder Rod
Meredith to handle this fund. Address him at 182 So. Orange Grove
Avenue, Pasadena, Calif., and he will handle it honestly and in
business-like manner, but those receiving it will not know who gave
it, and those giving it will not know the names of those receiving
it.
ABOUT BRINGING TENTS OR TRAILER HOUSES: We will try to
set up arrangements so that you may pitch your own tent on the
grounds, or bring your trailer house. We will try to provide
electricity for trailer houses, and limited toilet and shower bath
facilities, but only enough for a small portion of these attending.
If you expect to bring a trailer house or tent, write ahead
immediately for RESERVATION---address Radio Church of God, Box 453,
Gladewater, Texas. DO NOT send this reservation to Pasadena. In
this case, bring along everything you shall need for camping or
living in your trailer.
ATTENDANCE OF NON-MEMBERS: First, DO NOT bring visitors
whom you HOPE to get interested or hope to get converted. This is
NOT an evangelistic service preaching the Gospel to THE WORLD---it
is a Festival God commands for HIS PEOPLE,---already converted, and
already HIS people---to GO AWAY from the world, and live together
for eight days as a foretaste of the JOYS of the Kingdom of God,
which it pictures to us. In the Kingdom of God there will be ONLY
the children of God, then immortal and divine. In this Festival
there should be ONLY those who are begotten children of God. Of
course repentant believers, not yet baptized, but coming to be
baptized during the festival, should by all means come. MANY will
be baptized at this Festival. If there is some other member of
your own family who is NOT converted or in sympathy with this
festival or God's truth as it is proclaimed on the WORLD TOMORROW
or in The PLAIN TRUTH, that member should not be brought to this
festival---and harm has come, and reflection been cast of God's
Church in past years because this very condition was not observed.
This should not hurt anyone's feelings, and will not of any
converted person---it is GOD'S way, not ours---and we must follow
the ways of GOD. Some have written to ask, what about people who
send their tithe money regularly to the Radio Church of God, who
support this work, and yet are members of other churches? Surely
the HEARTS of such people must be in God's work and in His true
Church, even though they have not yet taken their membership out of
a sectarian denomination of this world, or else their TREASURE
would not be in this work. If their HEARTS are truly in this work
of GOD, and God has opened their minds to see that they should keep
His holydays, and they are in accord with THE TRUTH as God
proclaims it thru us, then certainly they ought to COME, and are
most welcome. But, on the other hand, we should all realize, of
course, that tithes paid or offerings given into God's work does
not buy either one's salvation, or his rights or privileges of
fellowship with God's people. These are FREE, to those whose
hearts are right with God and with His Church and His work.
EATING AT RESTAURANTS: As stated above, all meals will
be served, three times a day, at the Tabernacle. Yet some may eat
an occasional meal or snack in a restaurant. At the spring
Festival, some restaurant owners complained to us that some of our
people came in and told them what they ought to eat and serve, and
expected them to provide special whole wheat bread and other
things. This only caused restaurant owners to ask, "What kind of
a strange crack-pot religion do you have, anyway---going around
telling everyone what they ought to eat!" This only casts a
stumbling block in the way of others. OUR PEOPLE SHOULD USE MORE
WISDOM. We know, of course, that restaurants do not serve real
health food---but it is not our calling to reform them. If you do
go to a restaurant, order the best you can from what you find on
the menu, and say nothing. We want FRIENDS, not enemies. We will
be persecuted enough without asking for it.
FINALLY: Remember, now, the URGENT CRISIS upon us. We
must raise $10,000 in seven days, two or three of which will pass
before you receive this letter. SEND ALL YOU CAN---nothing too
small, nothing too large---IN ENCLOSED ENVELOPE BY RETURN AIR-MAIL.
Let EVERYONE rally to this great cause. We can do it if EVERYONE
will do the best he can.
AND KEEP REGULAR TITHES AND OFFERINGS COMING! As I write
this, it is hanging in the balance whether we shall be on XEG at
all this fall and winter. PRAY FOR IT, earnestly, everybody!
Depending upon acceptance at New York, the AMERICAN BROADCASTING
COMPANY has opened to us a half hour, 5 to 5:30 Sunday evenings for
the entire 16 stations of the California net-work on ABC---that's
California only. Time has been cleared on KVOD, Denver, and KGER,
Los Angeles. Broadcast times to be announced later. TWO broad-
casts now on Radio LUXEMBOURG to all Europe and Britain. PRAY for
GOD'S WORK AS NEVER BEFORE. RUSH THE OFFERING!
Sincerely, in Jesus' name,
Herbert W. Armstrong
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