Dear friends,

I still cannot believe that yesterday I officiated at the funeral of a truly humble servant of God, Mr Colin Adair. My wife and I have been in Belfast, Northern Ireland for almost a week now.

We have spent many hours in talking to and comforting his grieving widow, Margaret.

As if this trial is not enough, she, with the rest of us, has now to wrestle with a new crisis in the Global Church of God, caused by the departure of presiding evangelist Roderick Meredith in a misguided Samsoneque attempt to bring Global's house down on our heads.

After prayerful consideration, I asked Margaret if she would allow me to share with a wider audience the last words and thoughts of her dead husband in an open attempt to lay the facts before the brethren. This she agreed to without hesitation.

Just three days before his death he dragged himself into the San Diego headquarters to lend his support to efforts by the Board members who were desperately trying to persuade Mr Meredith to see reason. As it turned out he spoke out very forcefully, yet respectfully, in uncharacteristically frank terms, as he had been doing increasingly as he grasped the reality of the situation.

Here are some of his most recent words. May we value them just as much as his widow does:

"This whole thing going on out there has become polarized. It's become polarized. I think everyone of us, from Dr. Meredith all the way down, starting with you, you're the leader, you said you wanted to be the leader and you said: "I'm the leader!", but as the leader, then Sir, it is your responsibility to keep the work moving, it is your responsibility to back up the men who have joined you in this endeavor, it is your responsibility to support everyone, all of us in this room and to smash on the head anybody who tries to get to you in any way shape or form by saying: "They are out to get you. They are out to remove you.", to realize that this is garbage, this is absolute garbage, and not believe it and then go to anyone of us.

So I think if we can move forward, trust won't come overnight. It can't happen overnight. There's a lot of hurt that needs to be smoothed over to be healed. But at least, if we all started to begin that and if Dr. Meredith, as the Presiding evangelist, as the leader takes that initiative and leads because that is your responsibility, it is your responsibility as chairman of the board, as chairman of the church, as presiding evangelist, it is your responsibility to bring us all together. And yet that hasn't been happening this past year, we have been moving in the other direction. So in one sense, you failed as a leader, pardon me for saying it. In that one sense, not in other areas at all, but in that one sense, because the leader of an organization will do everything he can to solve problems, to heal the
hurts, to bring everybody together, to come in and sit down. If I was the leader of that organization and heard all the shuffle-but that's going on, I'd get everybody inside and say: "What's happening?
What's going on? I hear that I'm supposed to have said something.  Let's clear the air." Rather than backing off and taking sides or all that kind of thing.

If people come to you, Dr. Meredith and say: "I hear that Raymond did this or Larry did that". Immediately you go to Larry or Mr. McNair...I don't mean to go on and on like this, but what I'm saying is that it's got to start somewhere.

I think if we are converted people_ as I said yesterday, there are so many lies being told back and forth. People are no longer afraid to tell a lie. It seems there is no fear of God in that respect. If we just try to be Christians as Romans 12, I think, says: "Esteem each other better than themselves", have that humility, true humility, each one of us having true humility. We're nothing. If God has called us to be a part of the work, then we can all work together in true humility and accept whatever job God has given us and not try to exalt ourselves or anybody else. I think that's the bottom line. We've got to begin on the humble and take off from there!"
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As he rests in his grave, I can think of no greater epitaph.

This particular test is not over doctrine, but motivation. My advice to everyone is this:

a.) Avoid knee jerk reactions
b.) Get all of the facts
c.) Try the spirits

Warm regards,

Bob Devine.

Mrs. Margaret Adair gave me explicit permission to use the very last words of her dead husband wherever I thought it would help people to understand. Perhaps you will be willing to consider them, out of respect for Mr & Mrs Adair, and in the light of how he was pictured by those who have now tried their utmost to destroy the Global Church of God. I include it here because I believe that it is information that you will not get from your other sources. After pleading with him to stay home, she helped him to dress when she realised how desperately he needed to add his voice to those who were reasoning with Dr Meredith not to pull the Church down on our heads, as he had threatened to do.

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Colin Adair: