SAVE THE INK
Twice now the Adventist Review has made a mistake regarding Harry Truman's name ("A Hero's Story," June 17, 2004). When he was born his parents could not agree on which grandfather to name him after, so they choose the letter "S" as a compromise. The "S" is just a letter with no name attached.

His name is properly written, Harry S Truman (no period); not Harry S. Truman. He was the subject of an English term paper I did in high school.

Barbara Dickey
Columbia, Maryland

CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS
Carlos Medley's editorial, "A Message in Numbers" (June 10, 2004), addressed a subtle reality. For the church to finish its purported God-given mission, "the gospel to all the world," we need to gain more members of the willing-to-give type, so we can financially support the increasing demands of worldwide missions.

Perhaps the Holy Spirit is not actively impressing the members to get the behind the effort and be more faithful in giving tithe and offerings. Demand has overrun supply and souls are lost due to our lack of funds for the various programs needed to reach them. Sorry for the dismal view, but it's true.

Joe Scrannage

Carlos Medley's editorial should stimulate more open and honest communication about the "stagnant" offerings for missions. Due to limited space, I suppose, his comments could only briefly mention conclusions reached by the Mission Offering Committee. Each of the reasons he listed for offering decline has some merit, but they may have the combined effect of avoiding some fundamental issues that may suggest the need for more radical approaches to this and many other issues.

Poor communication was cited as a problem. We have good communicators, but do they openly discuss the relevant facts about the church as an organization? And do they properly address the beliefs many have about relevant issues? Even skilled communication may be ineffective if the focus is merely on asking members to do more of the same; things they are unable or unwilling to do, for whatever reason. It has been said: "If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got."

As I think of Medley's editorial and the issues it raised, it seems the path to better understanding of why members do as they do involves two things. First, looking more objectively at our own "house" and how it is structured, etc. Second, determining comprehensively what members believe about their church house and treating these beliefs as real variables that will not necessarily change via the usual appeals.

The sociologist William I. Thomas long ago developed the idea of the "definition of the situation," essentially saying that if a person defines something as true or real, regardless of whether it is true objectively, consequences to this person's thought and behavior will tend to follow as if his/her definition is objectively true. This doesn't mean that people behave only in response to their subjective beliefs; they have objective knowledge as well. Often they are influenced by a combination of the two.

Dean Riley
Banks, Alabama

An understanding of missions and mission offering is incomplete without considering and adding in the phenomenal growth in numbers and effectiveness of cooperative ministries since 1930. Ministries such as radio and television ministries, Maranatha, Global Mission, frontier missions, evangelistic missions in countries of the former Soviet Union, India, and the Philippines; Internet ministries, lay ministries, boat ministries, etc., are growing the church in ways unimaginable only a few years ago. Could it be that these individual groups are speeding up the evangelization process? Possibly at lower cost per convert, and even, at times, greater sacrifice? With this taken into account the lost 61 percent might just be out there working.

On another subject, thank you for Clifford Goldstein's column, "Where Angels Fear to Tread" (Apr. 22, 2004), again exposing the deification of the human mind in what is called historical criticism. It is one of the other gospels Paul spoke about; exciting in its process but revealing in its results. Like Paul it's best to say, "We refuse . . . to tamper with God's word" (2 Cor. 4:2, ESV).

Gayle R. Wilson MD
Dallas, Oregon

Carlos Medley reports that combined tithe income in 2003 was $72,766,931 for the world church (from context). This is obviously an error. What is the correct figure?

Robert Johnston
Lake Jackson, Texas

This number represents the amount of tithe that comes to the General Conference. The majority of the tithe collected stays in the local conference or mission. --Editors

TIGHTENING OUR BELT
Thank you for the General Conference treasurer's report, "Entering the Lean Years." It's true that the economic situation in the world has changed. In the Zambia Union we have adopted a unified wage factor; all the workers receive the same salary base, which is controlled by the Union Conference. All the institutions contribute to the fund and so far all is going on well. The well-to-do institutions put in more while the poor ones put in less.

We had to take this line in order to reduce the disparity in the wage factor. The well-to-do institutions were paying good salaries, while the poor institutions paid less. As a result, the well-to-do were getting the best workers because they were able to give them better wages. This is a thing of the past.

Bryson M. Katele, Stewardship director
Zambia Union

An e-letter in the most recent online edition relating to "The Mystery of the Waning Windfall" (June, 2004) got my attention, especially as it related to congregations united in districts. I was a member in a church like that until last year. Several traumatic situations arose in which untrained people tried to act (bless them, at least they tried), but it simply wasn't enough. Suffice it to say, the church and membership really struggled and suffered through it.

We support several independent ministries but not at the expense of our local church, so I can relate to those who want more say about where their money goes. When you look at some of the things accomplished by those independent ministries, how can one quarrel with those who support them?

Bettigene D. Reiswig
Port Orford, Oregon

OBSERVATIONS ON THE MARK
In another timely, dynamic article by Roy Adams ("Churches Observed," May 27, 2004), thank you for documenting our faux-pas in a gentle, and at times, humorous manner. I raced through the article looking for anything about offerings and sure enough, something was documented--touché. That scenario happens so often.

My biggest gripe in my own church is the offering call. It's often eloquent and well stated, but it's followed by the collection of the offering with absolutely no prayer of thanks for God's goodness. What is the church coming to when we teach our children to say "please" and "thank you," and then ask for offerings and collect them without so much as a word of thanks to the Giver of all? Talk about ungratefulness.

Tabitha Abel, DrPH, RN

I agree with Dick Renfro's letter 200 percent about reading 100 percent of our beloved Review. It's more valuable than anything except God's Word and our Sabbath school lessons. The one problem a lot of us have is that we don't have to choose between the Adventist Review or TV Guide; we can't afford either.

I can read part of the Review online, but a lot of others don't have that luxury. When I get to read the print issue, I realize that when I read it online I don't get it all. I really miss that.

If I had the resources, one of the things I'd do is to make sure that all of our members who wanted it could get the Review. It's one of the things that helps keep us close to each other and to our church at large.

Betty Gheen

A MAGAZINE AND ITS COVER
Several weeks ago I was somewhat shocked to find a shiny black magazine in my mailbox, its cover illustration obscured with white paint brush markings. Fearing the periodical was occultic, I was ready to trash it.

Then my impaired vision barely made out in thin lettering the letters R-e-v-i-e-w in dark ink on a black background. I claim no expertise in matters of art, I only want you to know how one long time reader of the Adventist Review with failing eyesight perceived the cover of the May 20, 2004 issue. One can't always judge a book--or magazine--by its cover.

I was blessed by Nathan Brown's article, "Suffering's Glorious Unanswer," a study of the book of Job. While God doesn't always answer all our theological questions, He does reveal enough of Himself so that we may know He is a loving God in Whom we may safely put our trust.

Erwin Hodde
Greeneville, Tennessee