Protect that Magazine at all cost but tactfully.
"Should You Welcome Visitors at Church?"
"...First of all, it is better if you do nothing to advertise the fact that you keep God's Sabbath. I do not mean that you should ever deny it. But, for example, if you women make Sunday your wash day and hang out clothes for neighbors to see—or, if you men do work around the house on Sunday, mowing the lawn, or pounding nails or sawing or something that makes noise. Whether this really causes your neighbors any discomfort or not, some of them may claim you are annoying them --creating a NUISANCE on their Sunday. That only shouts loudly at them that you are a hated "Sabbath-keeper." "
"You who meet a visitor at church service, just be friendly, smile, but do not start a conversation about the sermon, about religion, or about the Bible."
"Never do this!!! To the one who does this, let me say candidly, this is one strong reason why YOU are not the minister! It is the minister's place to do any explaining. He has been trained to know how. God has called him, and therefore the Holy Spirit leads and guides him. DON'T TRY TO MAKE YOURSELF THE MINISTER, or the minister may rebuke you very strongly!"
"If the visitor asks about such things, call the minister or assistant or a deacon at once, with a smile, introduce him and mention the question—then let him take over, and excuse yourself to go meet and shake hands with others. And when introduced to—or introducing yourself to—a visitor, NEVER—and I mean NEVER take it on yourself to either say "Don't you ever come again!"—or, the opposite extreme, "I want to invite you to come again.""
"REMEMBER—it is not your place—but the minister's—to invite visitors either to come again, or to forbid them to come. Don't try to be a self-appointed minister when God has never called you! God may deal with you through the minister, if you do!"
"Try to prevent non-members from seeing, or knowing about, The Good News. But NEVER do as one member untactfully did. This woman had read in The Good News that this paper is for Church members ONLY. The paper was left out in plain sight in her living room. A neighbor picked it up, started reading it. She grabbed the copy out of her neighbor's hand, saying—"Oh, we've been told not to let outsiders read this. You're not converted. You're not allowed to read this." Naturally the friend was insulted, offended, and decided she didn't want any of OUR religion!
If a non-member accidentally does see a copy of this paper, DON'T offend by telling them non-members are not allowed to read it. It is then too late for that. Let them go on reading it, but if they want on the list, tell them they can write and ask, but it is just our own Church paper for members, and not generally sent to non-members. But NEVER cause offense. Better just keep it out of sight in the first place...."
Source: Good News Magazine September, 1962
Source: Good News Magazine September, 1962
submitted by Mogen David
20 comments:
As kids (“unconverted”), we knew about the Good News, but were not allowed to read it. We were told to treat the Plain Truth and booklets with the same respect as if they were rare, irreplaceable archives.
Later, during the time when I and my crew were addressing the Plain Truth and Tomorrow’s World, and preparing the run to be taken to the US Post Office, there was another separate department in another building that mailed the Good News, member and coworker letters, and all of the more sensitive materials. There were tours, often involving outsiders and dignitaries, who came through and observed our work at AC Press, but the tours did not go through the other mailing department. This is how serious they were about certain materials being for members, eyes only!
BB
We were so stupid to think that the Good News was some secret mag for the elite. Like most of the other literature, it was a pack of lies used as a tool to keep members in line. God's Word has never been secret or hidden, so for the church, Thiel, Pack, Malm and all the other stinking turds who claim to have an inside track on God's word, they ar nothing more than liars.
PCG still handles its publications that way. The Trumpet is for the masses. Royal Vision is for people who have been "hooked" by the public materials. The Philadelphian is for members in good standing.
The bible says to live by EVERY word of God. By contrast, church literature like The Good News had a narrow focus. This becomes obvious if one reads self help books.
Which is why members who have attended services for decades are still morally confused and often socially backward.
Watching protestant Tele Evangelists, it's becomes obvious that there's a informal conspiracy between the different denominations to keep their subject matter within narrow bounds. They all want their sheep ignorant and dependent. Considering the financial and intellectual resources at their disposal, there's no other explanation.
What most Church Members had in their personal library:
1. Assortment of Envoys (whether or not they went to Ambassador.)
2. All Plain Truth Magazines (or most, depending on when they joined.)
3. All Good News Magazines (or most.)
4. Youth Magazines (Later, in the 80s.)
5. Collections of Worldwide News.
6. Collections of Feast Planners.
7. Collections of AC Press Booklets (assorted Colors and Styles!)
8. All "We Gratefully Accept Your Contributions. Thank You" Receipts.
9. Local Church Bulletins
10. Notebooks full of Local Church and Festival Sermons.
11. Collection of "The Bible Story" Volumes
12. Taped Sermons (When multi-dubbing was possible)
13. Co-Worker Letters from HWA
14. The Bible Hymnal Personal Copy
15. Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Courses and Test Results
16. Personal Correspondence Letters from Headquarters
17. Young Ambassadors Music Records or Tape Collections
Aren't you glad the Church didn't get into marketing and selling actual PRODUCTS?
Just another hallmark of a cult.
10. Notebooks full of Local Church and Festival Sermons.
I'm glad I kept those, because in 2006 it let me confirm with my own eyes that in 1995 I heard Rod Meredith preach about events that would happen in "the next 5 to 10" years. Simple math told me the 2006 - 1995 = 11, and that Rod Meredith was thus a false teacher who should not be supported. Without my notebooks, it might have been harder to leave the cult.
Contrast the uptight Armstrong neo-fundamentalist/Restorationist sect with its more easygoing competition: JW's, Christadelphians...(no paid ministry, no constant financial shakedown, lower psychological damage, superior reconstructions of early-Christianity...)
"Personal evangelism" was certainly not encouraged...
I remember in the early 1970s getting a letter from GTA offering The Good News to co-workers. This was after the Plain Truth/Tomorrow's World experiment.
Since when are the JW’s and Christadellhians “easy going”cults? They are just as spiritually damaging as Armstrongism is. You cans find scores of websites and blogs by former cult members telling how sick these two groups are!
@6:08
You don't know the Christadelphians - you can't even spell their name correctly!
The Christadelphians are very easy going, more democratic, no constant financial shakedown, show lower psychological damage, and have superior reconstructions of early-Christianity (like the JW's, Recognizing the early adoption of Sunday by Pauline Roman Empire Christians)
What's in a phrase, a name?
The former WCG, and more lately United Ass., did away with that name/title: The Good News. Why? Shame? Ashamed of it? They found some much better news beyond today?
We're all probably better off, especially if what they, perhaps driven by another spirit, had to say was not really "The Good News," but simply just about another Jesus and another gospel, which weren't what Bible/God or Bible/Jesus had in mind.
Time will tell...
John
John
There could be copyright issues with using the name The Good News.
I’m sure some of the copyrights still do apply. All of the alleged leaders have used elements from Armstrongism to prove that “I’ve got the conch!” They are, of course, following followers. HWA was their defacto messiah.
BB
John said: “The former WCG, and more lately United Ass., did away with that name/title: The Good News. Why? Shame? Ashamed of it? They found some much better news beyond today?”
My take on the change is 1) Criticism that the magazine was filled with “bad news”; 2) The title carried too much baggage from HWA/WCG days; 3) They wanted to target to a younger demographic.
I was disappointed years ago, when I finally got my hands on the secretive and private "Deacons and Elders Report" that was published for the exclusive ordained audience.
I imagined that is was chock full of such deep and profound stuff that it would make my head spin! Certainly, much above the level of any understanding that me, a non ordained nobody could comprehend.
A libertine elder gave me a number of back copies, and told me not to tell anyone that he had done so.
I cannot tell you what a DISAPPOINTMENT they were, and frankly, the stuff was just more rehashed fundamental stuff, and nothing that was "way above the laity" in its nature.
Even church literature and publications had a "hierarchy" surrounding them, with the Plain Truth at the bottom, moving up to the Good News, Pastor Generals Report, Deacons and Elders Report, etc. Your status with the church , "unlocked the doors" to the privileged knowledge!
I thought the Bible was against "Mystery Religions"!
As I recall, UCG got rid of the "Good News" because it was not distinctive enough. There were several other "Good News" publications. UCG decided instead, to invest in their "Beyond Today" theme.
Who was the Arthur?
Wrong article my bad.
I didn't know Arthur was an Author. 😁
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