Notes and quotes

Notes and quotes

TYLER, Texas--Garner Ted Armstrong of the Church of God International, based here, has announced the publication of Prophetic Newsflash!, a newsletter devoted to prophecy.

Summarizing many events listed in Matthew 24 as pointing to the end of the age and many world trends today, Mr. Armstrong said in a recent coworker letter that "for an overview of these and other events in the light of Bible prophecy, be sure to read Prophecy Newsflash!"

For a free copy write to the Church of God International at P.O. Box 2525, Tyler, Texas 75710.

Affiliation prepares for conference

HAWKINS, Texas--The Churches of God (TCG), an independent affiliation of Sabbatarian congregations with offices here and in Tulsa, Okla., plans a conference for May.

"We are currently taking a survey of the ministry to determine preferences as to what weekend and where it should be held," said Ian Hufton of the TCG Information Center here.

He said the TCG now has about 45 ministers, including several who have been ordained since the group formed a year ago.

Mr. Hufton also said that Bible Basics, a new study course, will be inserted in monthly issues of the group's newsletter.

For more information, write the TCG Information Center, Rt. 2, Box 114, Hawkins, Texas 75765, or call (800) 611-8080.

Mr. Tkach, Mr. Albrecht on Bible Answer Man again

Joseph Tkach Jr., pastor general of the Worldwide Church of God, and Greg Albrecht, editor of The Plain Truth, were guests on the internationally broadcast The Bible Answer Man radio program Feb. 7.

Those with RealAudio software running on their personal computers can listen to it at the www.icrn.com/cr/cr_archive.html on the World Wide Web of the Internet.

PCG to reprint Mystery of the Ages

EDMOND, Okla.--In his editorial in the February issue of The Philadelphia Trumpet, the PCG's Pastor General Gerald Flurry announced that the church will reprint Mystery of the Ages, the book by the late Worldwide Church of God founder and pastor general, Herbert W. Armstrong.

"The first seven years of our Work was concentrated primarily on warning God's own Laodicean churches," Mr. Flurry wrote. Malachi's Message "was the centerpiece of our Work. That meant the emphasis was on reaching God's own people. Now that emphasis has shifted to the whole world and only secondarily to God's Laodiceans. We have entered a new phase in God's Work. We are now printing and giving away free Herbert W. Armstrong's book, Mystery of the Ages."

Mr. Flurry noted that Mr. Armstrong had asked the WCG ministry in the late 1980s to encourage each prospective member read that book before baptism.

"Malachi's Message was mainly revealed for church members and those familiar with what Mr. Armstrong taught," Mr. Flurry wrote. "So you can see how, suddenly, we now have a message for billions of people, not a message for a few hundred thousand."

PTM welcomed at NRB convention

ANAHEIM, Calif.--Plain Truth Ministries played host to a breakfast at the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) annual convention Jan. 27 at the Anaheim Hilton Hotel.

According to an article in the Feb. 18 edition of The Worldwide News, published by PTM sponsor Worldwide Church of God, Dr. David Clark, a member of the NRB executive committee, introduced the WCG's pastor general, Joseph Tkach Jr.

"During the breakfast, [Mr.] Tkach recounted the church's and his own spiritual journey over the past several years," the article stated.

Richard C. Dean, president of WFMZ radio and television in Allentown, Pa., wrote an article titled "Open Arms: Welcoming the Worldwide Church of God" for the convention issue of Religious Broadcasting, the article stated.

"Never in my 60 years had I witnessed such a wholesome and positive reawakening within any group or denomination," Mr. Dean stated. "This was a dramatic move in the right direction."

He asked others to support the Worldwide Church of God and PTM and said that he looks forward to the church rejoining the world of religious broadcasting.

WCG joins American Bible Society and NAE

Mr. Tkach announced in the Feb. 18 issue of The Worldwide News that the WCG is now a partner denomination of the American Bible Society and Mission America and has been invited to join the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE).

The NAE, founded in 1942, is a voluntary fellowship of theologically conservative denominations, churches, organizations, institutions and individuals. It is made up of about 42,500 congregations in America from 47 member denominations, individual congregations from 30 other denominations and fellowships and several hundred independent churches, Mr. Tkach said.

The membership includes more than 250 "parachurch" ministries and educational institutions, representing a range of theological traditions, including those as diverse as Calvinist, Arminian, Wesleyan, Anabaptist and charismatic, Mr. Tkach said.

Frank Brown resigns as head of WCG Canadian office

Frank Brown, regional director of the Worldwide Church of God for Canada, is stepping down effective March 31.

Gary Moore, a pastor in Edmonton, Alta., will take over as regional director.

Servants' News mailing list reaches 1,900

The mailing list of Servants' News, a publication described by founder Norm Edwards as "helping people serve God whether they are in an organization or not," has reached 1,900.

Mr. Edwards said he has a new policy of sending only one issue to someone whose subscription is requested by someone else.

"We wait to hear back from them before adding them to the mailing list," he said.

However, those who request subscriptions for themselves are still added to the regular mailing list.

Servants' News address is: P.O. Box 220, Charlotte, Mich. 48813, and Mr. Edwards is on E-mail at 75260.1603@compuserve.com. His office phone is (517) 543-5544.

Giving & Sharing reports record year

The nonprofit service organization Giving & Sharing had a record year in 1996, according to director Richard Nickels.

"We had twice as many orders as in any previous year," he said.

The organization, which produces reprinted articles, a newsletter, and other publications and products for Sabbatarians, was founded in 1978.

In addition, the Bible Sabbath Association, of which Mr. Nickels is executive director, is distributing several books of interest to Sabbatarians.

These include:

• Truth Triumphant: The Church in the Wilderness, by B.G. Wilkinson. This book presents evidence that the Waldensians kept the Sabbath. The book is available for a donation to BSA of $12.95, plus $2 postage.
• Facts of Faith, by Christian Edwardson, presents a compilation of quotes from original sources about early Christian Sabbath-keepers. It is $12 postage paid.
• The Celtic Church in Britain, by Leslie Hardinge, which seeks to prove that the early church in the British Isles was Sabbatarian. Contact the BSA for price.

Contact Giving & Sharing at P.O. Box 100, Neck City, Mo. 64849. The Bible Sabbath Association is at 3316 Alberta Dr., Gillette, Wyo. 82718.