Vol. 7, No. 5, 1990

Articles on Other Religious Topics

Rick Branch

Since its beginning, and even before its official organization, Watchman Fellowship has seen as one of its primary objectives being an outreach to those still lost in the darkness of the cults.

The following information is just a brief overview of some of the mission trips in which our organization has participated. Due to space limitations it is impossible to provide an exhaustive list.

It must also be acknowledged at the outset that at nearly every event listed below, either other ministries or numerous lay-people also participated along side Watchman Fellowship.

While we believe Watchman Fellowship to be a very effective ministry to the cults, we never wish to forget those who went before us or who were side-by-side with us.

Mormon Temple Openings

Over the years, Watchman missionaries have traveled to the openings of several Mormon Temples. These would include Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, Denver and as recent as last December, the Las Vegas, Nevada Temple.

At these Temple openings the Mormon Church allows the curious to tour the new Temple. Hundreds of thousands tour these Temples and receive literature from the Mormon Church explaining why the "Mormon Church is Christian" and why you, too, should join.

It is the objective of Watchman Fellowship to give the alternative view. Watchman missionaries stand outside the gates of the newly opened LDS Temple, distributing Christian tracts that explain the unChristian doctrines of the Mormon Church and the many false prophecies of the LDS Prophets.

To the new Christian, the uneducated Christian or the unchurched, this is sometimes (according to letters Watchman Fellowship has received from those who have gone through the Temple) the only thing that kept them from joining the LDS Church.

Because the temples are only open an average of three weeks prior to their dedication, and because this is the only time non-LDS and over 90 percent of the Mormons can gain entrance to the temples, Watchman missionaries always pray for terrible weather!

If the weather is awful, the crowds will stay home and fewer will be effected by the Mormon Church. While this is bad for the Christians who stand outside the Temple gates in a driving rain storm, it is a fair trade. We will take a case of the "sniffles" any day to keep a few more people out of the LDS Church.

Jehovah's Witness District Assemblies

Unlike the Mormons who will often take a tract, the Jehovah's Witnesses will virtually never take a tract. For this reason, a new strategy is needed.

Watchman Fellowship missionaries travel to a District Assembly taking with them signs with brief messages such as "Why was Jesus called God (Heb. 1:8)?" along with a dial-a-message number they can call for more information.

In this type of approach, the Jehovah's Witness who has been told to avoid us does not have to take any materials from the Evil Slave Class and can make a discreet phone call if they want to know more.

Days of '47

This parade is held yearly in commemoration of the Mormon pioneers who arrived in Utah in 1847. The streets of Salt Lake City are jammed with LDS youth who spend the night before on the streets "staking-out" a prime spot for the rest of the family to watch the parade the next day.

The teen-agers cannot move from their posts unless they want to take a chance on losing their chosen vantage point. Thus for the evening we have a "captive audience" while we spend the night talking to them and giving them Christian literature.

The next day, during the hours before the parade, the streets are crowded with spectators. They have nothing to do, so Watchman missionaries provide them with some Christian reading material.

Thousands of Special Watchman Expositors have been distributed in this manner.

New Age Centers

As Watchman Fellowship travels back and forth across the United States, many opportunities are made by simply taking a different highway. As the Watchman missionaries are always looking for people with whom to share the gospel, New Age gatherings are a great place to find such people.

Though the New Age can be found in every state, it seems to be more prevalent in the West.

Thus, while in Flagstaff, Arizona holding a Cult Awareness Impact Crusade, a team traveled south a few miles to one of the New Age capitals and had an opportunity to share with several workers at The New Age Center.

Nauvoo's: City Of Joseph Pageant

The Mormons are simply more active in promoting their church by way of public gatherings than are most other cults.

Every year, many of the Watchman missionaries travel to Nauvoo, Illinois to distribute tracts to the thousands of pageant goers each night. The material discusses specific historical events that the Mormons "inadvertently" fail to mention in their program.

This helps the innocent onlooker to better understand the deceptive nature of this large and powerful cult.

Because Nauvoo is so important in Mormon history, and because of its yearly City of Joseph pageant, Watchman Fellowship's Colleen Ralson directs the Nauvoo Christian Visitor's Center on a year-round basis. This provides a constant outreach in this strategic area.

Other Cult Outreaches

Aside from those mentioned above, Watchman Fellowship has also participated in organized outreach to the Hare Krishnas, the Unification Church and the Mormons at the New York, Hill Cumorah pageant.

In addition to these, Watchman missionaries have witnesses to nearly every conceivable group (and some that are beyond belief!) in America.

Final Word of THANKS

Over the last several years, Watchman Fellowship has traveled around the country sharing the true Gospel with those lost in the darkness of the cults.

While we are on the field planting the gospel seeds and while we are "behind enemy lines" our faithful readers of the Watchman Expositor have held us up in prayer. It is a genuine comfort to know that thousands of people are praying for us.

We also wish to express our heartfelt thanks to all those who financially support us. It is because of each and every one of you that these mission trips are possible.

Because of your generous help during these past years, Watchman missionaries have given away literally hundreds of thousands of pieces of Christian material. This material has exposed the errors of Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, the New Age, the Unification Church and many other groups.

As a result of these mass tracting campaigns, we have seen many leave the clutches of the cults and accept the true Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Each victory is a victory we share with you and to God we give the glory.

Remember the words of the Apostle Paul, "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase," (1 Cor. 3:6).