August 2023 Member Letter

August 10, 2023

Dear Brethren,

Without a doubt, this past year has produced some amazing results from our efforts to “preach the gospel.” In that period of time (beginning in September 2022), our Facebook ads have resulted in more than 200,000 downloads for two of our booklets. But there is more! After the Feast this year, we will launch our first-ever regular video program, titled Life, Hope & Truth Presents. This past week we recorded programs with two of the four presenters—Phil Sandilands and Joel Meeker. The other two—Gary Black and James Capo—will be recording in the studio in the next couple of weeks. There has been so much anticipation for this new program that the actual start of recording has sent a wave of excitement throughout the office.

As I step back and look at what has been accomplished by our small Media staff, I am truly amazed. We have made substantial progress in our mission to preach the gospel to the world, and we can’t wait to see the results from the new program, which will begin airing on all our platforms the middle of October, about two weeks after the Feast. I am also excited to announce that Media is preparing a short 10-minute clip from the recent recordings to show at all U.S. Feast sites this year. The actual date for the showing will vary from Feast site to Feast site. The coordinator for each Feast site will select a day when the clip can be shown during the announcements portion of services. So, be on the lookout for this preview of our new project!

This past Sabbath, sadly, we had to make an announcement about our Branson Feast site, which has over 700 people registered, making it our second most popular site. On Monday evening, July 31, a storm swept through Branson and destroyed the roof of the Yakov Smirnoff Theatre, our location for services during the Feast. There was considerable damage done to the inside of the theater—the seats and sound system were destroyed. Mike Blackwell, our Branson Feast coordinator, has been in contact with the theater, and they are skeptical that they will be able to repair all the damage in the eight weeks between now and the Feast. However, Mr. Blackwell has been in contact with two other theaters that look promising.

This is quite different from the storm that hit Fort Myers last year just days before the Feast. With eight weeks to either repair the Yakov Smirnoff Theater or obtain another location, we are very optimistic that the Feast will continue as planned in Branson, either in the original theater or in a new location. We will send an announcement updating everyone as soon as we have a backup facility secured. We are saddened that we have to make such an announcement again, but having eight weeks will give us a major advantage in securing a location when compared to what happened last year with Fort Myers.

The other piece of news that was announced this past Sabbath was the appointment of a new operation manager for Ministerial Services. As you know from previous announcements, I have asked Doug Horchak to take the newly created position of operation manager for the International Work of the Church. I have now asked David Myers to move to McKinney and replace Mr. Horchak as the new operation manager for Ministerial Services. Both men were unanimously approved for their new jobs by the Ministerial Board of Directors.

Because of the timing of this change, we don’t expect that everyone will be in his new assignment until later this year, most likely after the Feast of Tabernacles. We also have a plan for replacing Mr. Myers in his current assignment and will be announcing the new pastor for Cincinnati-Dayton and Indianapolis in the next couple of weeks. So, while there are a lot of moving parts to these changes, we anticipate having everything concluded and announced before the Feast of Tabernacles, which begins Friday evening, Sept. 29.

Sharron and I have continued our travels this summer. This past weekend (Aug. 5) we were in Mexico City for the retirement of Pablo Dimakis. I believe this is our first Latin American minister to retire since COGWA began in 2010. Mr. Dimakis began working for the Church in the Mexico City office in 1969. He was ordained into the ministry in 1978 and was later assigned as a Church pastor, serving congregations throughout Mexico. All the ministers from the region attended a special dinner for Pablo on Friday night, Aug. 4. This was followed by a special service and another dinner with the members on Sabbath, Aug. 5. Britt and Donna Taylor traveled with us. On the Sabbath Mr. Taylor delivered the first message, giving Mr. Dimakis’ record of service, and I gave the second message, based on the theme of service. Mr. Dimakis had worked for the Church for 54 years when he officially retired earlier this year. He is highly respected and much loved by the members and ministry throughout Mexico.

Just prior to our visit to Mexico City, Sharron and I traveled to Williamsburg, Virginia, on the weekend of July 22. Our specific purpose for the trip was to visit one of our retired pastors, Larry Greider and his wife Bonnie. While in Virginia, we were also happy to participate in a family celebration for the Greiders’ 50th wedding anniversary. Although this wasn’t the actual date for their anniversary, it was a good time for some of their family to be together, and we were happy to be included.

We deeply respect and love all our pastors who have retired and those who will be retiring in the future. There was a time when retirement was really not an option for anyone who worked for the Church, but that is not true today. We are happy to see our men retire after investing a lifetime in service to God’s people. In the case of the Greiders, they began working for the Church after graduating from Ambassador College in the early ’70s. In their career they served congregations from coast to coast in the United States, as well as in Canada. During his time working for the Church, Mr. Greider was instrumental in developing the national youth program in Canada. He was also involved in the development of our regional youth camp program in the United States, which is still going strong today. We owe him and our other retirees many thanks for their sacrifice and service over many years.

When I give the sermon during a ministerial retirement, I quote Hebrews 6:10: “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” I am honored to have served side by side with so many fine men and women during my 50 years in the ministry.

August is already looking like a blur, and it has only just begun! With the Feast only a few weeks away, we are currently recording sermons in the studio to be used where needed at our 47 Feast sites around the world. God willing, Sharron and I will be in Lima, Peru, for Trumpets and then Orange Beach, Alabama, for the first half of the Feast of Tabernacles and Greenville for the second half, where we hope to see many of you.

Sincerely, your brother in Christ,

Jim Franks