God Willing, the Tidings will grow in October to incorporate the Caribbean Pioneer. Following is a notice appearing in the Pioneer explaining some of the details.
“Despite receiving many generous donations, financial limitations necessitate a change in arrangements for publishing The Caribbean Pioneer. In this, the forty-second year of publication, the forthcoming July/August special issue of The Caribbean Pioneer will be the last issue that is published independently.
“God willing, commencing with the October, 2000, issue, The Caribbean Pioneer will continue as an eight-page section of the magazine called The Christadelphian Tidings of the Kingdom of God, which is in its sixty-third year of publication in the United States of America.
“The Caribbean Pioneer section of the combined magazine will continue to be edited by Bro. Alan Eyre (Cayman Islands) and Sis. Gerzel Gordon (May Pen). This section will have the exhortations, poems, puzzles and other features by Caribbean brothers and sisters which we value so highly. Please note that news items from the Caribbean will be included in the “News and Notices” section of the Tidings along with news from other ecclesias, and should be sent to the editor, Bro. Don Styles, P.O. Box 87371, Canton, MI 48187, USA, email donstyles@msn.com.
“All Caribbean ecclesias and individual recipients of The Caribbean Pioneer throughout the world will receive the combined Tidings and Caribbean Pioneer until the end of this year 2000 (October, November and December issues). In the July-August issue a fuller announcement will be made regarding subscriptions and distribution in 2001.
“The editors and other members of the publishing committee thank God for the generous spirit of The Christadelphian Tidings in providing for continuation of the support given by the Pioneer to the 30 or so ecclesias and the 600 Christadelphian brothers and sisters in the Caribbean.”
The Tidings will therefore be adding eight pages, probably on colored paper in the center of the magazine. The Pioneer currently mails 965 copies (many going throughout the world to those interested in the Caribbean ecclesias), but some recipients already receive the Tidings, thus the net increase in new addresses for us will be more like 500. The total cost increase for the extra pages and additional copies will be about $700 per issue or $8,400 per year. While this is much less than maintaining the Pioneer as a stand-alone publication, it represents an amount we had not budgeted. Accordingly, ecclesial and personal donations are needed more than ever.
Most brethren in the Caribbean ecclesias are familiar with the Tidings as, several years ago, the Pioneer editors requested we send some copies to every ecclesia in the Caribbean. These tend to be circulated throughout an ecclesia from one family to another. Now, of course, the objective would be for nearly every family to have its own copy.
Good timing
While the primary reason for making the move is economic, the change comes at an appropriate time as the CBMA has taken over support responsibility for the Caribbean ecclesias effective January 1, of this year. This is already having a marked impact on many Canadian and American brethren as we are asked for financial and prayer support as well as travelling to the area for campaigns, youth camps and Bible schools. As we were writing these comments, the phone rang with Bro. Russ Dawes seeking an emergency replacement for a Bible School speaker in Trinidad/Tobago. Last year that would not have happened.
As expenses for work in the Caribbean are paid by the CBMA, this new arrangement gives a glorious opportunity for extending pastoral service to our brethren and preaching the gospel in areas far more receptive to Bible instruction than our own home towns Further, the visits are frequently to warm and balmy areas with accommodations much like home — a far cry from what our brethren encounter in visiting some other emerging nations
If you are willing and able to help, contact one of the following link people
Bahamas — Bro Ken Curry, (416)431-7069 krcurry@sympatico ca
Barbados— Bro George Jackson (416)494-7082 george jackson@sympatico.ca
Antigua, Caymans, St. Lucia, Trinidad/Togago — Bro Russ Dawes, (416)755-9110 rsldawes@pathcom com
Jamaica — Bro Ken Sommerville (818)341-3932 kennethbon@aol.com
Guyana — Bro Ted Sleeper (650)341-0379 tsleeeper@home com
Speaking from personal experience, visits to the brothers and sisters in the Caribbean ecclesias can be a life-altering experience In many cases, their living circumstances are humbler than our own and put in sharp perspective Just what are the true values and necessities of life Our materialistic cultures tend to confuse wants with needs and inevitably they have a spiritually harmful effect on our attitudes and goals Seeing the Truth alive and well in less developed surroundings helps us see what’s really important and directs our attention to the great need this world has for the saving Gospel.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One