LC: 20. MAKE-UP OF WORLD SERVICES
A. World Services consists of:
1. WS leadership: Maria and Peter and their personal teamwork.
2. WS Homes: Those responsible for the creation and production of WS publications and outreach tools, and related administrational matters.
3. Continental officers: officers appointed by WS leadership to administer a continental area.
This is a simple explanation of who makes up "World Services." Those who fall into one of the above categories are members of WS.
At times there have been questions raised by Family members about WS personnel. Some people seem to have the impression that those in WS are an elite group of perfect, problem-free people, which could not be further from the truth. WS personnel are people basically just like you. They have certain gifts and talents just like you do. They also have problems just like you do! They are just normal Family members who happen to be particularly good at various ministries and/or behind-the-scenes work. Those who work in publications are usually good writers, editors, layout artists, typists or secretaries. There are also cooks, childcare helpers, teachers, drivers, handymen, etc.
And like you, WS personnel have NWOs that need to be worked on. They sometimes get lonely and even get tired of working behind the scenes, and miss the excitement of witnessing on the front lines. You'd find that World Service personnel are basically just normal Family members who have given up a great deal of their personal freedom in order to serve the Lord and the Family in this fashion.
A WS Home is similar to your Home, with the exception that their main ministry is working on publications or tools behind the scenes. WS Homes have a daily schedule, including devotions, get-out, etc. If with their children, they fellowship with them at parent time, and basically do most of the things that you do. Similar to Service Homes, those in WS Homes relinquish some of the rights granted in the Charter. WS informs its members and potential members what those rights are.
At times some WS members have gone from living in a WS Home to living in a field Home. In such instances, often these field Homes have expected the people coming from WS to be perfect role models, not realizing that WS personnel are just normal, imperfect Family members. So if at any time you meet a member of WS, or someone who at one time was a part of WS, please keep in mind that they are basically just like you. Please don't expect them to be perfect, any more than you would want someone to expect you to be perfect!
The same holds true for WS-sponsored Service Homes, such as LIMs and the IVM, as well as other local, non-WS behind-the-scenes Homes in your area, such as local music studios, Lit-Pics, etc.; they are made up of normal Family members just like you.
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B. In the event of death or incapacitation or any other reason that would render their leadership impossible, and in the absence of more current instructions from Maria or Peter, the transfer of Family leadership authority will be as follows:
1. Maria: Peter would become the official head of the Family.
2. Maria and Peter: An interim leadership council, consisting of Maria and Peter's personal teamwork and one delegate from the officers of each continental office and WS unit will be convened at the earliest possible opportunity. The officers of each continental area and WS unit will choose their delegate by a simple majority.
3. Maria, Peter and their personal teamwork: An interim leadership council, consisting of one delegate from the officers of each continental office and WS unit will be convened at the earliest possible opportunity. The officers of each continental area and WS unit will choose their delegate by a simple majority.
a) This interim leadership council will decide, by a two-thirds majority, any WS leadership decisions until such time as a new WS leadership structure is in place.
b) The interim leadership council will, within 30 days of convening, through counseling and seeking the Lord formulate a proposed top WS leadership structure, which will then be presented to all of the continental and WS officers. After prayer and counsel, these officers will vote on the proposal.
(1) If a two-thirds majority agree to the proposed leadership structure, the proposal will then go to the Charter Homes worldwide for ratification. Each voting member will vote, and if a two-thirds majority agree, this top leadership structure will govern the Family.
(2) If a two-thirds majority do not agree, the interim leadership council will continue to handle any WS leadership decisions and a new proposal will be set forth in the same manner within 30 days.
4. Once a new WS leadership structure is determined, each member of the WS leadership teamwork must be confirmed annually, before February 1st, by a two-thirds majority of the WS leadership and the continental officers.
a) If a member is not confirmed for another term, the WS leadership and continental officers must nominate, and second, new candidates and vote by secret ballot. The nominee receiving the most votes will become part of the WS leadership teamwork.
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Our beloved father in the Lord, David, for many years prepared each of us for his Homegoing by faithfully feeding and strengthening us with the Word. The Lord also prepared us all by making it very clear over the years, through revelation and otherwise, that Maria would take Dad's place as Prophetess and head of the Family, and that Peter would serve beside her as king. Having this specific direction, guidance and assurance has made Dad's passing easier for us all. As Dad said: "Who is the most logical instrument that God is going to use when I am gone?--Maria, of course!... The Lord has even said so several times, that she was going to become a great Prophetess of the Lord!" (ML #706:35.)
It is our sincere belief that nothing untoward will happen to Maria or Peter and that they will continue to be God's mouthpieces to the Family and the world until the Lord's return. If, for some reason, the Lord has other plans, we believe that He will reveal this to Maria and Peter and that He will also reveal to them who should succeed them in leading the Family.
If, however, Maria and Peter were to become incapacitated or otherwise unable to continue to lead the Family, even temporarily, and they had not set forth in a written statement who should govern the Family, the above procedures would be put into effect.
The interim leadership council referred to in the above clauses would at the earliest possible opportunity gather together for prayer and counsel. They would unitedly make the decisions that WS leadership normally makes, and they would formulate a proposed plan for the structure and personnel that would then constitute WS leadership.
We pray that this will never have to be put into effect, but we felt it was necessary to include these clauses in the Charter in order to have a contingency plan in place.
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family