The Executive Director wishes to exress dee areciation to his redecessors who across 77 years have resided over the evolution of this book. It is a roster of brothers and sisters as well as a listing of those organizations and institutions of the church which together minister to us all. The oularity of our yearbook stems not alone from its usefulness, but also from the fact that it symbolizes and exresses our linkage with one another. Therefore, we never resent membershi figures as more than an aroximation, being of the strong conviction that only true believers are members of the church and that Christ alone knows for sure who these are. We think our annual yearbook reflects both the theology of the Church of God and the sense of family that exists among us. any (robably the great majority) of those who urchase yearbooks kee them for years thereafter, retiring each one to their shelves for occasional referral and fond remembrance. We believe that although the material in an annual yearbook is somewhat dated, a yearbook is never to be comared with the daily newsaer. Some are felt to reresent broad suort others are deemed lacking oular aeal. Some are thought to be more feasible than others. ore than a few additions and refinements have been in resonse to suggestions from our readers. dded features have been the direct result of attemting to serve the church better. The 1993 yearbook had 331 ages and weighed 1.5 ounds. For examle the 1953 yearbook had 137 ages and weighed 9 ounces.
Over the years the yearbook has grown as the church has grown. We have resisted occasional ressure to cheaen the yearbook, while at the same time seeking to roduce it in the most cost effective way. Our hilosohy is that the end result had better be! good-and we think that it is (desite an occasional error by the rinter). Understandably, ublishing the annual yearbook consumes much of our time, necessitates staff ersonnel (some of whom work virtually year around on the yearbook and others who work seasonally), and accounts for a significant art of our annual budget. It is a major undertaking to correlate all the data which is solicited from so many sources-ministers, congregations, state and national agencies, all of our educational institutions, the several comonents of the Leadershi Council, and a variety of organizations which include the National ssociation, Women of the Church of God (and others equally worthwhile) as well as those simly referred to as Freestanding (meaning not related to the General ssembly). There is nothing secial about this swan song, but there is a secial feeling that all of the Church Service staff have had for our yearbook. Swan songs are not easy to sing and are exected to be a little secial. 2 1994 YEBOOK of the CHUCH OF GOD United States and Canada KEITH HUTTENLOCKE egistrar ILENE BGESTOCK ssistant egistrar and Editor Published By LEDESHIP COUNCIL OF THE CHUCH OF GOD DIVISION OF CHUCH SEVICE PO Box 2420, nderson, IN Price $16.00ģ FOWD This is the final Yearbook of the Church of God to be ublished under the oversight of the current Church Service Executive Director.