OUR Co-Workers' BULLETIN =================================================================== Published every little while to keep our Co-Workers informed of the progress, the problems, and the future plans for carrying on God's Work in these closing days of this age;--broadcasting "The WORLD TOMORROW," publishing The PLAIN TRUTH magazine, and other Gospel literature. HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG, Box 111, Eugene Oregon. ------------------------------------------------------------------- VOLUME VII, Number 1. May 17, 1946 ------------------------------------------------------------------- AND NOW! EVERY-NIGHT BROADCASTS TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE SUMMER ! HOLLYWOOD, May 17, 1946: GREETINGS, dear Friends and Co-Workers: I have just completed arrangements for continuing the EVERY- NIGHT broadcasts right thru the summer--now THE YEAR 'ROUND--and also for enlarging The PLAIN TRUTH to twice its present size, on better paper, two colors, and soon to come out EVERY MONTH! That, to all our Co-Workers, I'm sure will be GOOD NEWS! I's so good I have to sit down right here, while still in Hollywood instead of waiting until I return to Eugene, and write you his BULLETIN. It will be printed and mailed in Eugene. Indeed, this is the first BULLETIN this year--it will be the first ever received by many of you co-workers who have come into our small but growing family in active support of God's glorious work since the start of the every-night broadcasts! So to you who have recently joined us, first let me say "WELCOME!" with a great big capital "W". There is no joy in this world quite so great as knowing GOD and being privileged to have active PART in His great program for our day! We are Ambassadors of CHRIST the coming KING! We are His advance-representatives. We are here as strangers in a foreign land, WARNING this world of what lies ahead--admonishing it to REPENT and prepare for His coming--carrying the true and precious GOSPEL MESSAGE to the nations of the North American continent, and to the world! These are the most thrilling, exciting, momentous days of history! WHAT a privilege to live thru them, carrying Christ's vital Message to this chaotic and dying world! Pressure of the work in carrying on the every-night broadcasts has prevented the regular issuance of The BULLETIN since they started last December. Now I hope to resume regular publication of The BULLETIN. I hope you will enjoy it. In it I can tell you things about world conditions--about the conduct and plans for this work, which I can say neither over the air nor in The PLAIN TRUTH. Now later, before closing this BULLETIN, I want to tell you more about this work for the benefit of our newer co-workers. NIGHTLY BROADCASTS THRU SUMMER When we started the every-night program last December, we planned to continue it until April or May, then drop to SUNDAY NIGHT ONLY thru the summer, resuming the nightly broadcasting in October. You see, radio waves do not reach out far thru sun-light. The biggest super-power stations reach out only over a few local counties in day-time. But after sunset stations of 50,000 watts and more reach out over MANY states. The World Tomorrow program is going out every night except Saturday--six nights a week--over the two most powerful stations covering the United States--Mexican border stations--XEG, with 150,000 watts, and XELO with 100,000 watts of power. The strongest stations permitted within the United States are 50,000 watts. These two giant Mexican stations, after dark, and in winter time, reach out over the entire North American continent. Not only do the sun's rays cut radio waves from reaching out, but also even after dark reception is much better in the colder weather of winter than in the summer. This is one reason we had planned to discontinue the week- night broadcasting for the summer. Another reason is that the every-night broadcasting lays a heavy strain on me personally, and in order to be fully fit to carry on again next fall and winter, I felt I needed to lighten the burden for the summer. A third reason is that we had planned a trip for Mrs.Armstrong, our two high- school-age sons, and myself for the summer, visiting scores of listeners scattered all over the country who have been converted thru the broadcasts, or who want to be converted and baptised, or who need my personal help. The past several weeks we have been receiving letters from all parts of the country urging me to keep up the every-night broad- casts. Hundreds and hundreds of letters are pouring in from people who tell us they have been learning more from these broadcasts than they ever learned in all their lives before about the Bible--coming to really UNDERSTAND it for the first time. They have told us how much the broadcasts mean to them and pleaded with us to stay on every night. Well, dear Co-Worker, this is God's work, not mine. I just have my part in it, the same as you have your part. And always I've noticed that God works out all the problems of His work FOR US. He has worked it all out in this case! So let me explain how it has been worked out. Remember, first, one thing we CAN'T help or change is the fact that radio reception won't be as good thru the summer months. Our listening audience won't be as large. Some, farther away from the stations, won't be able to hear the programs at all. Others will have spotty reception, more static, more interference from other stations, yet be able to get most of it. But many others, in other localities, will continue to get GOOD reception. I have contacted both XEG and XELO, and both stations, realizing this poor reception and reduced listening audiences thru the summer, have agreed to reductions in the charge for time for the summer, making it possible--if you co-workers remain loyal and faithful--to keep on the air nightly the YEAR 'ROUND. As to the need for lightening my personal burden, and taking the summer trip, I think we have that worked out, too. We will, for this reason, have to re-broadcast transcriptions of some of the programs that have been broadcast before. As a matter of fact there have already been several nights when I was unable to send you a live broadcast, and the stations were forced to re-broadcast transcriptions of former programs. I understand one or two of these have been re-broadcast two or three times. I will try to avoid repeating any of those programs again, but there have been dozens of programs which have NOT been re-broadcast, and which contain vital messages you all probably would like to hear again-- and then remember, there are always THOUSANDS listening who never heard it the first time. I will continue to give you live, NEW programs as often as time and circumstances permit thru the summer --and then resume ALL live new programs by Fall. This will permit me the summer trip, lessen my personal burden, and still keep the DAILY programs ON THE AIR the year 'round! ABOUT OUR SUMMER TRIP Scores of letters have come in from all parts of the country from listeners, asking us to see them, and in many cases baptize them, during our proposed summer trip. So let me give you what information I have at this writing, concerning this trip. As you probably can realize, we have to drive our car a great deal, and so we have had a new car on order since the first of the year. We are to take the train to Detroit, and take factory delivery of the car at Detroit. We were promised delivery by June 20th. We had consequently planned to leave Eugene as soon as school is out, which will be June 7th. Incidentally, since I have found hundreds of you co-workers are interested in our family personally, I might add here that we have also two daughters, both married. One, Dorothy, has served actively on the office staff on and off for four or five years, and is again on the staff at present. Her husband, Vern R. Mattson, is now manager of our general office--in charge of the mailing list, and getting literature mailed out to listeners all over North America. For this purpose he has in his office a staff of ten girls. Our eldest daughter, Beverly, and her husband, James A. Gott, have two little children--Larry, age 3, and Sharon Loma, age 2, and (shall I let you in on a private family secret?--I believe "Grandma" and "Grandpa" are more silly over those youngsters than their parents, tho I can't yet get accustomed to being "Grandpa"-- it doesn't seem we are old enough). Our son-in-law, Jimmy, recently had a terrible accident while working in a lumber mill. The whole back of his left hand was gouged out, being caught in the "edger." The tendons were cut, the bones scraped down to thin splinters. The mill management rushed him immediately to a hospital, where the tendons were tied and plastic surgery applied. And thru believing prayer God is healing the hand--the bones are growing back--he will have full use of it, tho he will not be able to continue the heavy labor with his hands. All things work together for good. With plans now laid to soon be publishing The PLAIN TRUTH every month--twice as many pages as at present--with the circulation now 75,000 copies, and growing rapidly, we soon will need a new and complete mailing department just for this, and mailing out certain other literature, and we are planning now to have Jimmy join our office staff, in charge of this new department. Personally, I think you'll understand I feel thankful and pleased at the prospect of having both my fine sons-in-law actively with me in God's work. Jimmy, incidentally, is a deacon in our little local church at Eugene. Now to continue about the summer trip. I have just learned that the coal strike apparently is going to delay delivery of the car I have ordered. At present, it is uncertain, but begins to look as if we may not be able to get delivery before August or September. This may cancel out the summer trip. We will just have to leave it in God's hands. But if I cannot manage to come and see personally the many who want to be baptised, I will try to arrange to have another man who is qualified do it in my place. God will work it out HIS way. His will be done! THE PLAIN TRUTH SOON MONTHLY, LARGER Now I want to take all our Co-workers into my confidence and tell you of a personal ambition--it seems like a life-long dream-- now about to be fulfilled. It was 17 or 18 years ago--not more than a year after I was really converted, and began to realize God was calling me to His work. I had been in the newspaper and magazine field since I was 18. In my early twenties I had charge of the make-up of the country's largest trade magazine. In the business field I had learned the value and added effectiveness of well-designed and attractive literature. When my interest was first turned to religious subjects, I remember I was quite disgusted with the slip- shod, careless, untrained manner in which literature purporting to carry GOD'S MESSAGE was prepared and printed. I knew that such unattractive, cheap-looking, carelessly-designed literature never would sell goods, if used to carry the message of a selfish- motivated BUSINESS. Should GOD's Message be less effectively presented than the world's? Was it right for GOD's literature to have an unprofessional, CHEAP look that carried the connotation of ignorance, and only cheapened the whole message by the psychological effect I knew, as a trained advertising man, it inevitably had on the minds of those who saw it? I knew that such inexpertly-prepared literature did not win a reading from a very high percentage of those who saw it--was less convincing, actually often a REPROACH upon God's work. The desire, and ambition--the DREAM,if you please--of some day producing a magazine containing GOD'S TRUTH that would be as attractive, as interesting, as expertly and professionally-done in every respect as commercial and worldly magazines, took firm root in my mind. That dream became a fixed PURPOSE. Well, Mrs. Armstrong and I have had to WORK HARD, and over LONG YEARS in order to be able to realize that dream. It hasn't come easy! But now, at last, the way appears open so it may be realized this present year! Way back when I first was given the vision of The PLAIN TRUTH --and it seemed the NAME of the magazine was given me, almost as in a vision by God, it came to my mind so forcibly and distinctly--I began immediately to design the front cover, the mast-head, and, in fact, an entire "dummy" magazine. A little later--and this was about 1928 or 29--I had a professional letter-artist design a front cover for The PLAIN TRUTH. But it had to remain just a dream for years. It was in January 1934, the month the radio broadcasting started, that at long last Mrs. Armstrong and I began to actually write and print the first copy of The PLAIN TRUTH--Volume I, Number 1, dated February, 1934. That first issue was printed on a borrowed mimeograph, and the stencils cut with a borrowed typewriter! We personally did all the work--not only on that first issue, but for several years! That first issue consisted of about 250 copies, and the entire cost of paper, printing, and postage was $5! Now we are printing 75,000 copies, with a national circulation, at a cost in excess of $2,000 per issue! (including $750 postage). For years we had to work in a little cramped inside office, with no outside windows--no sun-light, no ventilation, except thru a transom into a hall. I would write the articles, design the headlines, cut the stencils. Hour after hour, day after day, Mrs. Armstrong faithfully ground away at the old-fashioned mimeograph we were able to buy (very much second-handed, of course) a few months after the first issue. She folded, addressed, stamped and mailed the copies, steadily increasing in circulation month by month. After some four years we were able to begin to have The PLAIN TRUTH printed. But we could not turn out, yet, the attractive up- to-date magazine of my dreams. We had to economize every penny. We had to print it on the least expensive paper, and at lowest possible printing cost. Even so, we always tried to make The PLAIN TRUTH as attractive, as readable, legible, as possible with the money we had to use. Up to now we still had to follow this policy. But now the circulation has grown until it has become a large publication. Soon it will be requiring THREE TONS OF PAPER for a single issue! In a magazine of this large circulation, the cost of more attractive and effective design--illustrations, maps, etc., --more attractive headings and typography--becomes a very small fraction of the total cost. Consequently, plans are now being made to print The PLAIN TRUTH on a better grade of paper, fully illustrated, 16 pages, two colors, and soon to come out EVERY MONTH. This could not be done during war-time because of paper shortage and other restrictions. These shortages and restrictions are STILL in effect, but we expect them soon now to be lifted. And when they are, I have faith that at last a dream of many years will be realized! And I believe you'll be as enthusiastic over the NEW Plain Truth, when you see it, as I know I shall be. The May-June number is now in process of preparation, and will have to appear just as before. I hope to have it off the press in three or four weeks. But, SOON, now, we hope to be sending you a larger, more attractive, more interesting PLAIN TRUTH. Yes, I'm sure you'll like it! A NEW EMERGENCY! U R G E N T ! Now before closing, I have to tell you the receipt of money to carry on his great work has been falling off alarmingly the last two weeks. Again it has brought the work into a CRISIS--a very serious emergency! Frankly, I know of no other work anywhere like this. It is altogether GOD'S WORK, proclaiming GOD'S Message, conducted and financed GOD'S way, as we find it revealed in His Word, the Bible. The NEW Testament commission to all Christians--who, combined, form the true Church of God--is, "GO YE into all the world and PREACH THE GOSPEL." The sad truth is too few even KNOW the true Gospel today! God's way is for the Gospel to be GIVEN, free, without any price or any charge. For that reason, I cannot beg for money over the air. For that reason, there is no subscription price on the PLAIN TRUTH. For that reason, we send out by the tens of thousands attractive booklets containing God's true vital Message, free of any charge whatsoever. God's PLAN for financing His Work is thru the tithes and offerings of His people. This is THEIR sacrifice---their happy, joyful way of GIVING, in order that thru this great work God has raised up, the GOSPEL may be GIVEN to millions. And God loves the CHEERFUL GIVER. The most effective and far-reaching means of going into all the world and preaching the Gospel today is by utilizing the facilities of RADIO and the PRINTING PRESS. These modern facilities, however, can be wastefully employed, or efficiently and effectively used. We believe God has given us understanding and wisdom--and the EXPERIENCE--to be able to use these facilities with the greatest power and effectiveness, at the least possible cost--the greatest maximum efficiency in the handling of God's business. Some radio stations, for example, while the charge for time is not in itself large, yet are tremendously expensive and wasteful of God's precious money because they give but very small listening audiences. The important thing is the LARGE NUMBER REACHED with the Gospel, and the COST PER THOUSAND PEOPLE REACHED. We have learned how to avoid WASTE of radio money in reaching the world with God's Message. Personally, I know of no program reaching any- where near so vast an audience with so small a sum of money. In addition to the powerful West-Coast stations, we use, every night except Saturday, at the BEST hour when MOST people listen, the two MOST POWERFUL RADIO STATIONS in North America--two and three times as powerful as is permitted within the United States! Our daily mail received indicates an average weekly listening audience of around FIVE MILLION LISTENERS! Think of it! That's a truly vast, tremendous listening audience! And here's the most amazing thing of all! God has blessed us in so efficiently working out the program that EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR put into this work actually reaches TWO THOUSAND PEOPLE with the precious Gospel! THINK OF IT! Is there anything else you can do with a single dollar that is as important, or doing as much good, or making it spread so far, as carrying God's vital last-minute Gospel Message to TWO THOUSAND PEOPLE? Many of them reached, not only by radio, but by print as well! Before we started the campaign of every-night broadcasting, we were reaching an average of one thousand people with every dollar put into the work. The every-night program has so increased the interest and size of the audience that now our daily mail-count indicates TWO THOUSAND precious souls actually reached with every dollar. Yet, to keep on reaching a weekly total of five million, it does take a good many of these dollars every week. Friends, Co-Workers, OUR TIME IS SHORT! It is LATER THAN WE THINK! This lull in between World War II, and the final great ATOMIC WAR now acknowledged by leading observers in Washington as a definite possibility within FIVE YEARS, is the most dangerous time of our history! AMERICA IS ASLEEP! AMERICA HAS FORGOTTEN GOD! America is now hell-bent on an orgy of amusement and entertainment--of eating and drinking and making merry--of marriage and divorce and re-marriage --of mad money-making and materialism! Mrs. Armstrong and I have certainly had that fact shockingly impressed upon us these past few days we have had to be here in Hollywood--the world's amusement and entertainment capital, as well as the radio capital. Mrs. Armstrong was just remarking how REAL is the fulfillment of the prophecy for the LAST DAYS--EATING AND DRINKING, marrying and giving in marriage--as in the days of Noah! Why, not only here in Hollywood, but EVERYWHERE! It seems all people think of is money making, eating, drinking, being amused and entertained! Yes, AMERICA HAS DRIFTED FAR FROM GOD! AMERICA IS SOUND ASLEEP, WITH DOOM HURTLING DOWN UPON HER! God has called us to WARN America before it is too late! To WARN THE WORLD! Friends and Co-Workers, Mrs. Armstrong and I, and our staff, are working will all the zeal, the enthusiasm, the determination, and the power that God gives us--almost night and day--to carry out this vital mission on a constantly larger and more powerful scale, WHILE IT IS DAY! Remember, God has warned us in His prophecies THE NIGHT is drawing near, when no man can work! (That is, in God's work). Soon it is prophesied, THERE WILL BE A FAMINE OF EVEN HEARING THE WORD OF GOD PREACHED! We cannot delay. We dare not let down! This is by far the most important business in this world. WHAT an opportunity, NOW! Soon that opportunity will be GONE--TOO LATE! Think of it! TWO THOUSAND precious souls reached with every dollar you put into this vital, glorious work! HOW MANY of those dollars are you able to send, now, in this present emergency? Some of you just don't have enough to send in more than one--and sometimes you apologize for you "widow's mite!" Oh, dear co-workers, don't apologize for doing the best you can do! God knows your heart--He doesn't expect you to give what you have not got. If one single dollar is all you are able to give to this glorious cause, just remember that single dollar will reach TWO THOUSAND precious souls! It isn't little--IT'S MUCH! God bless you for it! BUT, most of you are ABLE to send much more! And if those who are ABLE would do proportionately anywhere NEAR as much in God's work as those so poor in his world's goods--many of whom actually live on a monthly income of $16 to $50, and still spare two to five dollars of it for God's work--then we would be able to shake this whole world to its foundations with the power at our disposal! For some of you,one to several thousand dollars would not be as great a sacrifice as the "widow's mite" given by many of our precious co-workers! Just now God's work sorely NEEDS many of the larger, more generous offerings which many are able to give, if they will let God make their hearts willing--offerings of $25, $50, $100, a thousand or several thousand dollars. "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for GOD LOVETH A CHEERFUL GIVER." (II Cor. 9:7) Please pray over it earnestly, won't you, and then use the enclosed reply-envelope in sending what you feel God would have you send. And please continue to pray diligently for me, for all our staff, and for God's Work! This work needs your prayers! God bless you! Sincerely, in Jesus' name, HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG Box 111, Eugene, Ore. FREE, on request, Special booklets: If you have not already received them, why not write in for one or two of the following: "The UNITED STATES IN PROPHECY." "The KEY to the Book of REVELATION." "What KIND of FAITH for SALVATION?" "Does God HEAL Today?"