The original "World Countdown" logo featured a picture of the planet Earth, standing behind a Bible. The Bible was open to Isaiah chapter 2. Clock hands on the Earth showed the time to be five minutes before midnight.
The logo was designed by Russel Dixon. Russ was a brother in Christ (a Christadelphian) for most of his long life. He fell asleep in the Lord in 1996, and is waiting for the resurrection of the dead.
Brother Russ worked in advertising; he used that experience to design the logo. For a while, it was the official logo of the Christadelphian outreach organization A.S.K., or "Advancement of Scriptural Knowledge". He also used the logo in the Christadelphian booth at the Eastern States Exposition.
Thanks to Brother Russ, I found the gospel through that booth. My family was attending the fair, watching a blender demonstration (My parents did that every year. It's a fancy blender called a Vita-Mix, which has a motor which could power a small car. They liked to watch it liquify things). After what seemed like forever, they were ready to leave. On the way out, we passed the Christadelphian booth. Russ greeted us pleasantly, and we stopped to check out his exhibit.
My Dad chatted with Russ, while I collected all of the pamphlets at the booth. Their conversation was fascinating, though a little disturbing. Russ had a folksy way of talking about the Bible, and he asked my Dad over and over, "Does that make any sense?" Most of it went over my head, but I could see that Russ had a very unusual take on many of my Catholic beliefs. That bothered me, but I agreed with his main point: your religion should make sense, and your beliefs should come from the Bible--not from any human authority.
That meeting started a process that took about a year. I read the things that Russ offerred me; I listened to his Bible classes with my parents; I read the Bible for myself--something I'd never done before. What I read convinced me that most "Christian" denominations are based on tradition more than on God's word.
After a year of study, I requested permission to be baptised. Russ, and the other elders of his meeting, examined me for about two hours. Satisfied that I gave a "good confession", they approved my request. Brother Wally Scott (also sleeping in the Lord) immersed me the following Sunday, May 25, 1981.
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