As the ASK movement grew in New England in the late 1960s, a steady stream of interested Bible students was generated. Many brothers and sisters wanted to teach the new contacts but were not sure how to go about it.
A Procedure for Teaching the Truth grew out of Bro. Albert Pride’s desire to equip these brothers and sisters with the teaching tools that they needed. Capably assisted by Bro. Cyril Webb, Bro. Pride spent long hours working out the details of a 20-lesson course. What our brethren produced was both a course and a strategy for teaching the truth.
The 20-Lesson ASK Course covered first principles of Bible truth, starting in the Old Testament and proceeding into the New Testament. It was designed to prepare learners for a baptismal interview. The course also provided teachers with Bible marking notes that equipped them to teach the first principles to their students.
The first lesson was a well-designed ground breaker. It introduced God’s purpose for creating man on earth and developed the theme of Numbers 14:21 — “As truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.” At the end of the lesson, the teacher introduced a chart depicting God’s 7,000-year plan for mankind and asked permission to come again to elaborate the details of God’s plan. The chart gave the student an incentive to continue his or her studies.
The procedure booklet for the ASK Course was prepared at Pride Offset Color Service in Rhode Island and printed by Wilson Graphics in Massachusetts, owned and operated by Bro. Donald Wilson. The finished product was widely distributed throughout the brotherhood in the United States and Canada.
Many brothers and sisters learned the truth through the ASK Course in the 1960s and 70s. The impact on the Cranston, RI, Ecclesia was dramatic. The ecclesia quickly doubled in size! Several contacts during those years were from the Westerly, Rhode Island, area, about 45 miles from Cranston. After baptism, the Westerly brothers and sisters became active members of the Cranston Ecclesia. It was their introduction to ecclesial life. Then, in 1973, they formed the nucleus of what is now the well-established Westerly, RI, Ecclesia. One of the original ASK goals of seeing ecclesias established in new places became a reality.
The ASK Course continues to be used in Cranston. It is also effectively used as a program of study in the Cranston CYC.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One