by Herbert W. Armstrong

The system that has led to competitive power blocks within God’s Church, from the Director of the Ministry on down, is now a thing of the past. There is no room for special power blocks seeking competitive political power in God’s Church.

We in the Church of God are ONE BODY, under Jesus Christ as our Head.

Through His chosen Apostle, the living Christ, as HEAD of God’s Church has continued moving swiftly to restore PEACE, and HARMONY and UNITY within this specially called Body of Christ. I am reminded of my mother’s favorite passage in the Bible, “Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” (Psalm 133:1).

At a meeting yesterday in Tucson, with the four Regional Assistants, Messrs. Dean Blackwell, Dennis Luker, Burk McNair and Leroy Neff, together with Mr. Raymond McNair and my personal assistants Joseph Tkach and Kevin Dean, the offices of “Area Coordinators” were abolished.

For the present, Mr. Burk McNair will be my Regional Assistant in the far east Atlantic Coast states, from New England to Florida. Mr. Leroy Neff will serve in the same capacity from eastern Great Lakes states on the north to New Orleans on the south. Mr. Dean Blackwell will represent me in a general area from Milwaukee to Texas on the south, and Mr. Dennis Luker the Pacific area from Washington to San Diego.

A map outlining the territory served by each Regional Assistant is enclosed with this Pastor General’s Report.

This, for the present, will replace the “Area Coordinator structure,” which seemed to lead to competitive areas of power and authority.

The following former Area Coordinators will come to Pasadena for a Sabbatical period: Messrs. Elbert Atlas, Tony Hammer, Paul Flatt and Edward Smith.

Mr. Norman Smith will become Senior Pastor at Nashville. Mr. Ron Kelly will remain at Denver as Senior Pastor. Mr. Ken Swisher will be Senior Pastor at Dallas. Mr. Ray Wooten will remain at Kansas City as Senior Pastor. Carl McNair will remain at Milwaukee as Senior Pastor. Guy Englbart will remain at Cleveland as Senior Pastor, and Larry Salyer will be Senior Pastor at Washington, D.C.

There will be no line authority under Senior Pastors.

As I stated in the most recent Pastor’s Report, this entire system of Pastoral Administration has brought only disharmony, a competitive spirit, and a coveting of power within the Church of God.

God teaches us that we must have UNITY! We must all SPEAK THE SAME THING, and be of ONE MIND – the mind of CHRIST and God’s Holy Spirit. Self-seeking has no place in the Church of God, and the Church has been full of it. As Christ leads, we are trying to eliminate all that, and restore humility, the attitude of “GIVE” instead of “GET,” and eliminate power struggles for dominant authority in the Church of the living GOD!

I ask you all to PRAY fervently and earnestly for PEACE, HARMONY, and UNITY and a self-sacrificing spirit within God’s Church.

Jesus Christ GAVE HIMSELF for the church that it might be holy, without spot or wrinkle or blemish. We must confess we have been full of spots, wrinkles and blemishes. Christ is coming very soon. TIME IS SHORT. Revelation 19 says the Church will have made herself READY when Christ comes. WE ARE NOT YET READY!

PLEASE HELP ME, dear Ministers of the living GOD, to make God’s Church READY!