THAT was an amazing read! I want to take ideas off the way you worked this through and see what I get!
PS: reminds me of a time say 3-4 years ago when I was still "IN" more or less, and was reading that book that was just released then. Can't remember the name but it was something like "Proclaimers", but I might be wrong - it had a cover picture of 1st century men kneeling and looking toward the sky, the color scheme was different shades of brown. I suddenly blurted to mum who was sitting across on the other couch saying "Did you know that there were no worshippers of God since the end of the 1st century till the CT Russell came around?"
Mum said: "Of course there were worshippers of God throughout history"
Then I say but I just read this out of the new book.
She says "oh". Pauses for a moment and then says she didn't know.
Mum's a hardcore who's AP'd RP'd and everything P'd forever. She'd give her life for the cong.
If I ever have a situation like that I'd think of probably maneuvering it like the OP. Such good knack he has, bless u!