September 15, 2011 Member Letter

September 15, 2011

Dear Brethren,

Here in central Texas, where the sky is huge and there are few obstructions, it is an impressive and inspiring sight to go outside in the evening and see how full the moon is. It is also a reminder that another Feast of Tabernacles will be here in less than a month. In fact, four weeks from today is the first day of the Feast. How exciting is that!

I remember driving to the Feast last year and wondering what was about to happen to the organization we were all a part of. We could see that circumstances had not improved since the spring of the year and a potential crisis seemed to be coming our way. Within three months the unthinkable had occurred and we found ourselves starting all over again. And here we are at the Feast of Tabernacles a year later. A lot has been accomplished and much has changed since the Feast of Tabernacles 2010.

But, as the song goes, “that was then and this is now.” Here we are approaching the last festival season of the year, focusing on the return of Jesus Christ and the unfolding of God’s plan of salvation for all humanity! It reminds us that more important than anything that has happened in the past year is where we are now spiritually.

I have mentioned to numerous people that if the events of the past year cause us to lose sight of God then we have truly lost everything. World conditions point to harsher times ahead, which should cause us to draw closer to God. And if that is true, then we should be closer to God this year than we were last year. I certainly hope that is the case.

We passed another milestone this week when the Ministerial Board of Directors (MBOD) approved two men to serve in administrative positions: Doug Horchak as operation manager for Ministerial Services and Clyde Kilough as operation manager for Media. I sought input from the elders, and both of these men were highly recommended. It is clearly evident that the elders have great respect for them both. I feel the same and am thrilled to have them in the new administration, joining Jason Lovelady, who was appointed last week as the treasurer.

I believe we have a great team and are now positioned to move forward with hope and confidence. Of course, we must always trust God for His direction and guidance. Without God’s presence in everything we do, nothing will really matter in the end. I trust that we all know how important it is that we get this part right from the beginning.

I am also pleased to announce that on Wednesday the board, by unanimous approval appointed a permanent Doctrine Committee as required in our governing documents. The men approved by the Ministerial Board of Directors as members of the Doctrine Committee are:

• John Foster
• Bruce Gore
• Don Henson
• David Johnson
• Ralph Levy

These men are all known for their personal integrity and knowledge of God’s Word, including the fundamental beliefs of the Church. It should also be noted that other men worked very hard in this capacity during the interim period for the past nine months to protect the integrity of our beliefs, and we very much appreciate their service during that time.

As a result of three members of the MBOD having now been selected for the administration, we have three vacancies to fill (a person who serves in the administration is ineligible for the board). This will be done by a special election of the elders that is scheduled to begin on Monday, Sept. 19, and conclude on Monday, Oct. 3. (All elders will soon receive instructions for this process.) We are on schedule to have the administration appointed, a full board selected and the members of the Doctrine Committee in place all before the Feast of Tabernacles. Once the board is complete, we will name the members of the Moral and Ethics Assessment Committee (MEAC), but that probably won’t happen until after the Feast.

Our next major task is to approve a location for our primary office. The board and administration are in complete agreement that having a central place to conduct the principal work of the organization is essential for our development. A task force of four men (Clyde Kilough, Dave Evans, Dave Johnson and Jason Lovelady) is studying the options and will submit their findings and recommendations within the next couple of months.

According to our documents, the president is the one who proposes the office location to the MBOD for approval. My desire is to work closely with the task force, gather as much information as I can about different locations and then make the final decision for my proposal to the MBOD in December. Once the board approves the city, we will begin the work of identifying a specific location. As a new organization, we will lease office space to begin with. Given the dynamics of our organization and the number of people who work remotely, our goal will be to establish a small office for eight to 12 people. We hope to get this done by the spring of 2012 and no later than the summer of 2012.

As a group, we are convinced that we need a central office to be efficient and good stewards of God’s tithes. We have had to function so far by working remotely; and while some things have gone well during this start-up phase, other things have proven more challenging. We will obviously have to continue in our current state for the next few months, but we look forward to the efficiency that having a central office will provide.

As you can see, a lot of “organizational” activity has occurred in the past few days; but none of this should distract us from our preparation for the Feast and our mission to preach the gospel and care for the people of God. Last Sabbath I spoke in Louisville, Kentucky, videotaping a sermon to be played at Festival sites around the world. We only had a week to work on this, but the volunteers in Louisville were outstanding, and I expect a good quality product. I simply pray that everyone will find the message helpful and encouraging.

In the sermon I focused on the two aspects of our mission—preaching the gospel and caring for the brethren (Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20). I approached it by asking a number of questions, in the context of the Feast of Tabernacles. Many of you will remember the important “why” questions that Mr. Armstrong always asked—why were you born and why are you here? As we begin anew, it is still important that we ask the “why” questions about everything. And once we know “why” we do things, we can determine the “how” and the “what.”

This has been a historic summer in Texas with historic drought, historic heat and historic wildfires. But it isn’t just in Texas—the entire United States has suffered record-setting weather disasters. But far worse are the deteriorating spiritual conditions in the entire world! As we watch the world worsening around us, let’s remember that God expects us to focus our attention on preaching the gospel. In 1 Corinthians 9:16 Paul wrote: “For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” With the world in a tailspin and historic events happening almost daily, I believe we can all echo the apostle Paul’s words: “Woe is [us] if [we] do not preach the gospel!”

The Feast of Tabernacles is upon us! It is a time when we will hear much about the “good news” (gospel) of the Kingdom of God. When you see the moon tonight, I hope that you will be excited about the Feast and that you will take the time to reflect on what it all means for God’s people around the world.

Sincerely, in Christ’s service,

Jim Franks