April 2024 Member Letter

April 4, 2024

Dear Brethren,

This past weekend (March 28-31) we hosted the first Pastoral Development Program (PDP) of 2024 here at the office. We have scheduled an international conference for the ministry every two years, and currently we are using the odd-numbered years (2021, 2023, with the next one in 2025). These conferences are primarily for reporting to and updating the ministry, and occasionally offering a few educational classes for the ministers and wives. In 2022, Ministerial Services began a new program for further educating the Church’s pastors, which we named the Pastoral Development Program, or PDP. As currently structured, it consists of three full days of classes on a Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Then everyone returns home on Monday. Since our classroom isn’t large enough to accommodate all our pastors at one time, we divide the U.S. ministry into three groups, each of which is hosted in the office over a selected weekend.

During the course of the three days, we have about 15 hours of classroom instruction, along with lunches and evening meals together and a day off on the Sabbath. One of the most interesting classes for this year was given by Clyde Kilough on the general subject of technology, but focused on the rapidly expanding field of artificial intelligence (AI). The presentation demonstrated the good things that AI can perform for the Church, but then it also covered the potential for destructive outcomes. On the positive side, AI has the potential of revolutionizing the way we do translation work. We produce most of our literature and videos in three languages—English, Spanish and French. With an AI-driven program you can take someone’s speech in English and have it perfectly synced with the same speaker’s voice in French and Spanish. It is incredible to watch and was shocking to all the pastors to see what can be accomplished in a matter of moments—one can be speaking in English, then suddenly switch to Spanish or French with the same voice and all mouth movements perfectly synced to the language.

Then, of course, there is the downside. People can use the same AI program to have a person appear to be saying anything they want without any regard to whether the person actually said that or not. This is already being used to deceive; for example, scamming individuals into believing a relative is in trouble and needs financial help. Thousands of dollars are being stolen from individuals by this deception.

One author that I have been reading lately on the subject of AI is John Lennox, who wrote the book 2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity in which he refers to this deception as the “deep fake.” He also reminds us that artificial intelligence is just that—“artificial.” It isn’t “real” intelligence and does not equate to the human mind and its ability to think, reason and to respond to morality.

I thought Mr. Lennox used an especially powerful metaphor to explain how AI can be used for good and for bad. He compared AI to a sharp knife, which can be used to perform life-saving surgery or to murder someone. We will be keeping a watchful eye on the value that AI can bring to our preaching of the gospel and making sure that we do not fall prey to the wrong use of this technology. In general, we have faced this same discussion with the Internet for a number of years. We all know that the Internet gives us the ability to spread the gospel far and wide, while simultaneously providing access to information that is deceptive. Due to its vast reach, content carried on the Internet has the greatest ability to influence human thinking and action in the history of mankind. As we look ahead to the potential for spreading the gospel, we must be diligent to make sure we use technology appropriately for good.

In Genesis 3 we have the story of the first man and woman choosing the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and thereby rejecting the tree of life. Of course, these trees were symbolic (we believe they really existed, but their symbolism went far beyond the fruit on a tree). Their selection of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was preceded by the influence and deception of the serpent, Satan the devil, who was also in the garden.

Within a few generations of the Garden of Eden, man had become so evil that God chose to destroy all human life with the exception of eight individuals. This story is found in four chapters in Genesis, chapters 6 through 9. Notice how this time is described in Genesis 6:5: “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

In Matthew 24:37, Christ warned that “as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” We should expect that the moral environment in the last days will be like Noah’s time where “every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” What does that mean? I believe it means exactly what is stated, that as we get closer to the date of Christ’s return, man will descend further into the evil side of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, turning good into bad. We must expect that even with the greatest scientific developments man will reach, that evil will be lurking just around the corner. The question that was proposed by Clyde Kilough to the ministry is a very important one: How can we use technology to further the gospel—whether it be the Internet, YouTube videos, social media or artificial intelligence?

This is just a short snippet from our recently completed educational course for our pastors. We have two more groups scheduled to come in during the month of June. We accomplished a great deal during these three days of classes, and it was most encouraging to get together with the U.S. pastors and wives for these few days. They are truly a dedicated group of men and women serving our brethren throughout the U.S.

This will be my last member letter prior to the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread. God willing, Sharron and I will be in Calgary for the Passover, the Night to Be Much Observed and the first holy day. We will return home for a day and then head for the Dominican Republic for the Sabbath and the Last Day of Unleavened Bread. We are looking forward to seeing our brethren in both of these areas. Please pray for the safety of all those who will be traveling during this festival season. Please pray that the Passover and the holy days this year will be inspirational and encouraging for the brethren around the world. This has been a very difficult year for many of our brethren, and they need our prayers and encouragement.

From all of us here in the office, please have a wonderful, meaningful Passover, Night to Be Much Observed and Feast of Unleavened Bread!

Sincerely, your brother in Christ,

Jim Franks