I wish to extend a big “thank you” to all who have sent letters, cards and
e-mail messages, or have called to let me know that, during my recent illness,
you are remembering me in your prayers. Over 400 brethren from various
“Churches of God” have written assuring me that you are praying for God
Almighty to restore me to health—so I can continue serving Him and His people.
I appreciate your loving concern.
Some have asked that I update them concerning the state of my health. I am
happy to report that my health has greatly improved. I am now able to keep a
fairly normal work schedule—writing letters and articles, answering my
e-mails, and spending many hours on the phone encouraging and guiding those
who ask for my assistance. I am pleased to assist some of the churches leaders
in this regard.
I would very much appreciate your continued prayers that God will restore me
to full health, so I can continue to serve Him and His people. I am very
grateful that God has graciously allowed me to continue serving in His work
for 55 years—and continues to use me in preaching His Gospel and strengthening
God’s people! I intend to continue to encourage, uplift and guide as many of
God’s people as I can.
A PERSONAL NOTE. Here is a brief note regarding my varied experiences
in the Work of God during the past 55 years. Most of you will have become
familiar with my articles in various Church publications (the Good News, Plain
Truth, Tomorrow’s World, etc), and more recently in articles which were
published in other “Church of God” publications. I have served for nearly 50
years as a writer and editor.
Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong ordained me as an Evangelist—over 51 years ago.
During those 51 eventful years I served as the pastor of 14 churches in the
U.S., Britain and New Zealand, and in 1954-1955, I founded the Chicago Church
of God, the first WCG Church east of the Mississippi River. I also served as
Director of the Work of God in Britain (1958-1973).
In 1960, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong appointed me Deputy Chancellor of Ambassador
College, near London.
Mr. Armstrong appointed me to serve under him over the Headquarters Doctrinal
Team in 1974, knowing that I would not introduce “liberal” doctrines into
God’s Church.
In 1978, Mr. Armstrong asked me to serve as Deputy Chancellor of Ambassador
College in Pasadena, California—in order to help him put Ambassador College
back on track. I continued serving God’s Work in that position for nearly ten
years—until 2 years after Mr. Armstrong’s death in 1986. I was gratified to
hear him say, before his decease, that he was very pleased to see Ambassador
College back on track. I always counted it a great honor and a fantastic
privilege to work with God’s end-time Apostle for over 36 years, from the time
I entered Ambassador College in 1948, until his death in 1986—approximately 36
years.
I was privileged to conduct many baptismal tours while serving in the
Worldwide Church of God. In the summer of 1949, Mr. Armstrong sent Raymond
Cole and me on the first student-led, nation-wide baptismal tour, during which
time we baptized about 125 brethren. In the following years, I conducted seven
more baptismal tours in the U.S. and Canada before being sent to London,
England in 1958 to take charge of God’s Work in Britain, where I continued to
serve the Work of Jesus Christ during the next 15 years. After arriving in
London, England, I conducted several baptismal tours in the British Isles, and
was later sent to Southern Africa with another minister to baptize a number of
people in Northern and Southern Rhodesia, and in South Africa.
After Mr. Armstrong’s decease, the Pastor General who succeeded him appointed
me to be over the Doctrinal Team in Pasadena; but shortly afterward, my wife
and I were sent to the South Pacific to head the Work of God in New Zealand,
Fiji, Tonga, etc. Since I would not endorse the strange doctrines then being
seriously considered at our Pasadena Headquarters, my continued presence would
have been a big obstacle in the eyes of those who planned to make sweeping
doctrinal changes in the WCG.
Once again, brethren, I would very much appreciate your continued prayers that
God will restore me to full health, so I can continue to serve Him and His
people. I am very grateful that God has graciously allowed me to continue
serving in His work for 55 years—and continues to use me in preaching His
Gospel and strengthening God’s people! I intend to continue to encourage,
uplift and guide as many of God’s people as I can.
God is well-pleased when we have genuine love and respect for our brethren,
never looking upon ourselves as spiritually superior, while considering others
in the “Churches of God” fellowships to be spiritually inferior. May the Great
God continue to give all of us a sincere, unfeigned “love of the brethren”!
Sincerely, in Christ’s name,
Raymond F. McNair
