VS'S & NAS'S!    DFO1209  11/2/82
--What's the difference?

         1. WE NEED TO EXPLAIN TO THE KIDS, TO DEFINE THE OFFICES & THE DIFFERENCE IN THE SPHERES OF AUTHORITY.--The difference between the World Services-appointed VSs & the Family-elected Area Shepherds. It's somewhat the difference between the office of Apostles & Deacons, or should be, with the Apostles tending to the spiritual oversight & supervision of the area, which compares favourably to the job of the VSs.
         2. THE VSs ARE SORT OF WORLD SERVICES' EYES ON THE WORLD to report directly to World Services what's going on in their particular area, the condition of the Homes & the various Servants of the Homes & the various areas, & any needs or problems that they see or help that they see is needed & to generally encourage the Local Area Shepherds & to work very closely particularly with the National Area Shepherds, all of whom are elected by the people directly from the bottom on up.
         3. THESE SHEPHERDS, FROM LOCAL HOME SHEPHERDS ON UP, COMPARE SOMEWHAT TO THE DEACONS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT who were in charge of the physical & practical needs of the people such as what is called the "tending of tables" (Ac.6:2), making sure that their Homes are provided for, the people are provided for & their Fellowships are provided for. The National Area Shepherds in particular are supposed to be primarily concerned with the Fellowships of their various areas.
         4. THEY ARE TO TAKE CARE OF THE NATIONAL AREA FELLOWSHIP MEETINGS WHICH ARE ONCE OR TWICE A YEAR & are supposed to be anything from weekend meetings to an entire week or more of a sort of Camp Meeting or Hotel Meeting, whatever they can afford. The National Area Shepherds are to be the ones who organise these meetings, who MC them or appoint someone Programme Director to plan them, & a Housing & Feeding Committee to house & feed them, & organise a programme & MC it & supervise the entire Fellowship Meeting or Meetings of that particular occasion. The National Area Shepherds are also supposed to supervise the other Area Shepherds to make sure that everyone is having Fellowships & Fellowship Meetings at the proper times & in the right places, etc.
         5. THE VISITING SERVANTS & THE NATIONAL AREA SHEPHERDS PARTICULARLY WORK VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER in the supervision of the people in both of these areas, both spiritual & material & to cooperate together & help each other & encourage each other, & you might say more or less report to each other & to discuss & point out to each other the various needs in these various areas, both material & spiritual, & work together on ministering to them & solving any problems regarding them.
         6. THIS WAY WE HOPE TO HAVE A BALANCE BETWEEN LEADERSHIP & THE PEOPLE which will give a well-rounded care & responsibility for all of the needs of both the people & leadership in both spiritual & physical spheres & material necessities. We trust, of course, they will work well together to minister in all areas, both spiritual & material, both in local organisation & logistics, personnel, meetings & various needs of the people.
         7. THEREFORE, THERE SHOULD BE NO OVERLAPPING OF AUTHORITY HERE nor interference with each other's particular tasks & responsibilities, but a linking of responsibilities & a linkage of cooperation so that all of the needs of the people are cared for. Neither should there be interference between these various spheres of authority unless there should be some gross misconduct on either side which should be reported by the other side.
         8. THE VISITING SERVANTS ARE MORE OR LESS THE DIRECT REPRESENTATIVES OF WORLD SERVICES & possibly not even nationals of the countries where they minister, but keeping an eye on the nationals & their officers & their events & activities of the Area. Whereas, the Area Shepherds should be as much as possible either nationals of the Area who are very familiar with the people & the language & the local situation, or we might say longtime missionaries & ministers to the Area who are also very familiar with the language & local situation.
         9. THE VISITING SERVANT IS NOT TO HORN IN & RUN THE AREA FELLOWSHIP MEETINGS. He is welcome to sit in on them & observe them & even perhaps to speak at them occasionally if he is a good inspirationalist or speaker or teacher, particularly from the standpoint of spiritual guidance & spiritual counsel & advice to the people & their leaders, & to speak to them regarding our feelings as your World leaders in World Services & to pass on to you directly any messages from us.
         10. THE VSs GO ABOUT VISITING THE VARIOUS AREA FELLOWSHIPS, INSPIRING THEM & ENCOURAGING THEM & SHOWING THEM VIDEOS of other parts of the World & leading & guiding them spiritually, particularly inspiring them in their service for the Lord & filling them with the accomplishments of other brethren & sisters around the World in every Area, bringing together a World Fellowship through Visiting Via Video!--Not necessarily leading all the meetings of the Area Fellowships, but being perhaps the inspirational speaker at some of these meetings, not necessarily all of them by any means.
         11. THE AREA SHEPHERDS ARE TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE LOCAL AREA LEADERSHIP & needs & the details of the administration of the local people's needs regarding the Area Fellowships--lit needs, personnel needs, material needs, financial needs & all of these things--& of course, to counsel with the Visiting Servants, & share together these needs & problems & situations & plans, programmes etc. & to try to agree together on how they should be handled & what they are & who should do what, etc.
         12. WHEREAS, THE VISITING SERVANTS ARE MERELY TO EXPRESS OUR OPINIONS & REMIND YOU OF THE WORD & THE LETTERS & THE LAWS OF GOD already set down in Love & to lovingly guide & counsel you from the direction of your World leadership & the Lord's, the Letter's leadership, our leadership. They are merely to be our eyes on you to keep an eye on you to see that things are going as they should & if they feel that you need any help, counsel, advice, guidance, direction & perhaps even any correction.
         13. SO FOR GOD'S SAKE, FOLKS, LET'S WORK TOGETHER & NOT WORK AGAINST EACH OTHER! Let's work in cooperation, helping each other & not hurting each other. Let's work together in hurdling some of these problems & situations & not hurting & hindering each other in our difficulties.
         14. FOR GOD'S SAKE & YOUR OWN SAKE & YOUR LEADERS' SAKE, GET TOGETHER FIRST OF ALL IN PRAYER in every meeting that you have & praise the Lord & get in the Spirit & pray desperately that God will use you & help you to be melted together in Love!
         15. SO FOR GOD'S SAKE, LET'S WORK TOGETHER & NOT WORK AGAINST EACH OTHER, not interfere with each other but work together in unity, in cooperation of one mind, one heart, one soul, one effort & one body so that we might accomplish the purpose whereunto He hath sent us. Amen?!--And that's the evangelisation of the whole World that they might all hear the Gospel & everyone have their opportunity & their chance to know His Love & to receive it before He comes.
         16. SO PLEASE, VISITING SERVANTS, DO NOT BE DICTATORIAL BOSSES, but be counsellors, advisors, inspirationalists, teachers, ministers of the Word in great prayer & great wisdom & great love, not the type of leadership of the former Chain. And you Local Area Shepherds & Area Shepherds of all levels, please be sure that you do express the will of the people & the needs & voice of the people & minister to their local needs & material needs & Fellowships in cooperation with them & not be mere tools in the hands of some higher authority as the local Leaders became under the Chain.
         17. SO GOD BLESS YOU ALL! WLY & ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO GREAT DAYS AHEAD as we unite more & more in fellowship & unity, the power of His Spirit & the Work of the Lord! Amen? For the evangelisation of the whole Earth, for the winning of multitudes of souls who are now in the Valley of Decision, to lead the poor people of this Earth into the knowledge & the Love & the Freedom of the Lord! Amen?--And the enjoyment of His Kingdom on Earth! PG! GBAKYA & CTMYAB to each other & His Work & the whole World, the whole wide World! TYJ! In Jesus' name we ask it. Amen.

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family