United Church of God

Roy Holladay Leslie L. McCullough
Chairman President

Greetings to everyone from the Council of Elders,

We trust that the Feast of Tabernacles was as uplifting for you as it was for us. We are all pleased with the growth in attendance and offerings that will help us be better equipped to fulfill our commission.

Five of our Council members traveled overseas for the Feast, besides Mario Seiglie and John Jewell who live outside the United States. Gary Antion was invited to go to Australia where he and Barbara visited the Australian Church Office before traveling to the first site in Noosa, Queensland, where 268 were in attendance. There he conducted an Ambassador Bible Center mini-sampler before departing for Hobart, Tasmania, where he spoke and taught another mini-sampler to 45 enthusiastic brethren. The Antions then traveled to their third site in Merimbula, New South Wales, where again there was a lot of interest in ABC by young people. Finally, they spent the Sabbath after the Feast in New Zealand with about 40 brethren.

Aaron Dean, his wife, Michelle, and their two children spent the Feast in Thailand to be able to meet with Lazum Brang of Burma and M.R. Hubert of India. These two men have been in contact with UCG and the Council is seeking more information about the groups they represent. There were 45 in attendance including 35 Karen brethren who cannot leave Thailand since they have no legal status. The Karens, who are very strong in their desire for truth, had to go through nine checkpoints inside Thailand on their drive to Chiang Mai, where the Feast was held. The Council was previously shown the first publication translated into the Karen language, the Holy Day booklet. Since Aaron had to go early, he was able to conduct Atonement services in Singapore with God’s people there. Both the Singapore and Thai members appreciated having Western children at the site, since the children often see it as an "adult" church with only grown-up visitors.

Victor and Beverly Kubik traveled to Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In Malawi they met with 20 in Lilongwe at the newly completed Malakia Birthing Center and clinic operated by Gladstone and Alice Chonde. The Chondes built the reception room purposefully larger to accommodate a small congregation. With about 15 brethren coming over to the United Church of God in Blantyre, the number attending services in Malawi is reaching nearly 30.

In Zambia Victor conducted Feast meetings with 86 in attendance. In the Mumbwa region of Zambia we are helping our brethren in one of the poorest areas of the world. This week (October 28 to November 3) our brethren are participating in a seminar conducted by UCG member Gibbson Simalyata about calf care and feeding. We are providing 24 heifers and a bull to people who lost all of their cattle about four years ago due to disease carried by wild buffalo. With special precautions and veterinary support, disasters like this one can be prevented. The cattle provided to our brethren will supply draft power, milk protein and reproduction of the new herd. The rainy season is approaching in mid-November and we wanted to get the cattle in place before it’s impossible to travel to this region during the rainy season months. A few months ago Dale Schurter provided two teams of oxen to help with the planting season. For the last few years plowing was done by draft power from the women and children in the village.

We have also provided a year’s supply of medicine for the treatment of malaria, pneumonia and diarrhea. Last year a 4-year-old child died of cerebral malaria. This was the third child of this family to die. When André van Belkum visited the Mumbwa area this past June, 40 percent of the settlement was sick with malaria and other diseases.

The Kubiks concluded the Feast in Harare, Zimbabwe, with 29 in attendance. Our brethren in Zimbabwe are living in siege-like conditions with health, economic and political problems. The people in Zimbabwe are requesting brethren around the world to pray for them. They live in a country that is quickly headed for poverty as other African countries have.

Clyde and Dee Kilough traveled to the Philippines, spending Atonement and the following Sabbath with the Manila congregation before traveling to Baguio City for the first half of the Feast with more than 100 brethren. They spent the last half of the Feast in Davao, with more than 200, including around 20 former members of the Jerusalem Church of God who began attending with United a few months ago.

Leon and Reba Walker traveled to Uvongo, South Africa, for the Feast this year. They were accompanied by their youngest daughter and husband, Catherine and Kenton Zlab, and by two of their granddaughters, Michelle and Charlene Rothwell. Their parents, Natalie (the Walker’s oldest daughter) and Greg were unable to go to South Africa and attended the Jekyll Island Feast site.

There were about 220 members in attendance at Uvongo, enjoying beautiful weather and the warm atmosphere of a small group. The messages were uplifting and timely, not only for the Feast, but also considering the times in which we are living.

Our next series of Council meetings, to be held in Clearwater, Florida, is fast approaching. Committee meetings are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, December 3 and 4. Our actual Council meetings will start on Wednesday, December 5 and run until Wednesday noon, December 12.

We already have a number of agenda items proposed:

• Credentialing elders —we will have a large number from Ghana and the former Church of God, a Christian Fellowship.
• Interview of presidential candidates.
• Defining the expectations for the president.
• A presentation on counseling homosexuals.
• Recommendations for the Ambassador Bible Center.
• Further discussion about establishing a Pastoral Committee.
• Doctrinal issues.
• Changes in the French Association.
• Review of Council reporting.
• Planning for the 2002 and 2003 Annual Meeting of the General Conference of Elders.
• The member assistance program.
• Review of budget in preparation for the new budget year.
• Setting aside funds for Church buildings.
• An overall Internet strategy using Church resources.

Our process for the Council’s selection of the Church’s next president is moving well. The General Conference of Elders put 23 names forward for consideration as nominees. Of that number, nine nominees have indicated that they are willing to serve as president if appointed by the Council.

Their names are:

The list of nominees and their resumes has been submitted to the Council. November 9 is the deadline for stage one of Council nominations. Each Council member will nominate a maximum of two people from the list with a written statement supporting each choice. Anyone not nominated at this time is deleted from the list. Let us seek God’s guidance and direction in this process.

In other news of note, Howard Davis, an elder in Portland, Oregon, and Media and Communications Services employee, left for South Africa Saturday night to help film a PBS special for Indianapolis, Indiana, WFYI television, which is paying his expenses. In exchange for Howard’s services, the UCG home office and WFYI will jointly own 20 hours of video documenting South Africa today, its culture, the AIDS crisis and social challenges. Howard will be part of the official U.S. People to People Ambassador Program led by Indiana First Lady Judy O’Bannon. He traveled to Indianapolis from October 22 to 24 and conferred at length with producers at WFYI and with Mrs. O’Bannon at the governor’s residence.

On this journey to South Africa, André van Belkum spoke in Johannesburg to the 36 Indiana community leaders who are accompanying Mrs. O’Bannon, including Purdue and Indiana University officials, major philanthropists, government leaders and state representatives. The United Church of God will be acknowledged in the PBS special on the credits as a major contributor. Video footage will be available for use in a growing home office library of stock footage for UCG productions.

Please continue to pray for our brethren around the world. Many face daily trials and difficulties and need God’s strength and our encouragement.

We plan to continue giving reports of Council activities through these letters, and hope you find them helpful.