WCG, UCG, COG-AIC and now LCG. Over in Dear Old Blighty the much uprooted John Meakin has done it again; he's the latest elder to cross the tracks into Spanky's domain. Given John's current high profile at Vision, wouldn't you love to know the damage control measures David Hulme will lay on? Here's the report from Friday's Weekly Update.Mr. Rod King reports: Recently we reported that Mr. and Mrs. Syd Hull had returned to the Living Church of God in South Africa. We are also happy to report that Mr. John Meakin has joined us. Mr. Meakin is a minister of thirty-three years’ experience in the United Kingdom and will be serving as Area Pastor in the south of England, including London. He has experience in editorial work and we look forward to receiving his help in this area.
There can't be too many flavor options left to John now... And given that the Titanic is the subject of several of John's fine articles (here's a particularly apt example) you have to wonder at his eagerness to leap aboard a rust bucket adrift among the icebergs. Quick John, paddle away while you can!
Meanwhile, the Lord's Anointed may be sidelined, but he's not going to let anyone forget who's the Big Cheese.
It is very encouraging to report that Mr. Meredith is doing much better after the mild stroke he experienced last weekend. He spent two days in the hospital undergoing some tests, but was released on Monday. He is now at home and has started daily rehabilitation exercises. We at Headquarters (Mr. Ames, Mr. Apartian, Mr. Crockett and I) had a 30-minute phone meeting with him on Tuesday and again today, Thursday. His voice is clear and his mind is sharp. He is diligently working through his rehabilitation program and is looking to God for strength and healing.
Stripped of the reassuring "hospital bulletin" tone, it would seem Rod's stroke wasn't so mild after all.
19 comments:
Might it be that Mr Meaken has awaken to see something that you and others are just blind to.The article he wrote on the titanic is something everyone should take seriously.
Why is COGAIC so secretive ? There is no information on congregations, just a member login box ! What kind B/S is this ?
My guess is the membership is embarrassing low to the point that it's a joke. Thus the secrecy. So all they have is the pompous Vision which begs for donations. this would be the only source of money for FatCat leader's salaries including for Hulme & his no doubt expensive new young trophy wife.
Their "secrecy" is more a gnostic approach--we have special knowledge that "the world" can't understand Bible is a closed book type of thing. At least last I heard...
Here's a point to consider. aic may be secretive, but unless it's changed greatly over the last year or so, it's not a hard-liner org.
I would consider LCG pretty hard-line, and I know people who've jumped from LCG to PCG because LCG isn't hard-line enough (and started in UCG). Let's hope Meakin doesn't take that step.
I attended Hulme's COG-AIA group for several years, and can tell you that it is pretty much composed of rapidly-aging WCGer's in great denial and self-delusion (many of them who can't even understand much of the pseudo-scholarly rhetoric of Vision magazine, yet eagerly support it with those ever-important tithes and offerings) - who in most cases can be likened to people standing on the deck of the Titanic AFTER it hit the iceberg, saying "Iceberg? What iceberg? This ship is not sinking? Everything is fine! Captain Smith [Hulme] is at the helm, and all is well!"
So many of these well-meaning folks are just walking around in a state of blissful ignorance, always ready to stand in awe of "King David" and agree with anything he says, as long as he's able to keep projecting the false image that his diminishing little group constitues a "worldwide work powerfully preaching the gospel to all nations."
The collective ability of unthinking human minds to delude themselves, especially when in the stranglehold of fundamentalist religion, is a frightening thing indeed.
But at least in terms of its graphic presentation "Vision-Journal for a New World" is a cut above the many other Plain Truth clones being produced out there in COGland - though I'd really be interested in knowing exactly how many issues are sent out quarterly. I would imagine this significant little stat is known by only a very few of those at the top.
HQ SAID:
"It is very encouraging to report that Mr. Meredith is doing much better after the mild stroke he experienced last weekend. He spent two days in the hospital undergoing some tests,..."
This is the beginning of the classic end of life wind down that comes to everyone who is lucky enough to get old.
Health issues begin to accumlate and overlap. Bulletins are issued if the person is a celeb, CEO or important person of some sort and they are always encouraging even up to the day before they die.
In the COG , those in this position tend to be in denial of their mortality so don't often address in any practical way the questions of succession and such. The second, third and fourt in charge types want to press for a plan but tip toe around asking because it might be usurping what God is doing..you know..great things, miracles and healings.
It was all the same as HWA wound down and with Joe Tkach SR.
I asked Gerald Waterhouse what he would do when HWA died and all he could come up with was "Well, I'll beleive it after three days and three nights." And, no, I am not kidding. He said that to my face.
He was in denial and shoring it up with misapplications of out of date scriptures...until the fourth day.
After telling the churches how it all would be in the "shortly" times, the Apostle Paul had to rethink his many positions on how does one act in the obvious end times which did not end. Paul affected the lives of real people with his end time advice, just as all COG types do, and then he died. Paul's death is unrecorded. I expect it contained some embarassing elements in it that writers did not wish to include in the story.
Actually the 12 also seemed to have gotten legendary endings when their mortality snuck up on them too. Leadership death in the COG is either lost to the mists of time, or like none other on the planet. It's religious hooey.
The character of Judas, to me, was a symbol of Judaism which is why his demise is so played up even in very contradictory and badly drawn on OT texts. From poor Judas has sprung all things anti-semetic for the past 2000 years.
Anyway, back to the present. I would suggest that RCM be sympathetic and open to the concerns about the future leadership and not be in denial. Age is age and time runs out.
HWA never addressed it and we tend to suspect JTK may have been less than truthful in just how chosen HWA found him to be. Seems Hank Hanagraff pulled the same kind of stunt when he made himself the Bible Answer man and stole the organization he worked for from the man he worked for. Mrs. Martin denies Hank was every chosen to replace her husband. Maybe that's why Joe Tkach Sr. liked Hank so much.
Of course, we have the tried and true way just handing it over to sons which then tells us the prophetic future of that church.
The First generation founds it. The second generalion maintains it. The Third generation loses it.
When you hear that fathers are grooming sons for leadership, know you that the end is near.
A word to those few loons that, pop up in the COG and interprete old age health problems as sent by God to make a currently healthy critic look downright prophetic and correct in their mis-judgements.
You're a fool.
Any questions?
Dennis
Talk about a blast from the past! That "Titanic" wisdom has been circulating in WCG since at LEAST the late 70s/early 80s. I can remember hearing it as early as '79-80.
As for Hulme's sect, watch out $wiss, you're going to have to contend with a slew of "We're not secretive! You have no idea what you're talking about!" comments now.
But yeah they're basically under everyone's radar, so only Hulme knows what lines he's feeding the sheeple to get them to cough up the money. Don't forget the $65 "Misery" of the Ages ripoff; they try to pass it off as his university thesis, but come on! That's the same kind of rhetoric we heard about MoA, only they said MoA was being sold in bookstores.
Is this the "rope-a-dope" move by Spanky?
Anonymous 3:04 wrote:
"Their 'secrecy' is more a gnostic approach--we have special knowledge that "the world" can't understand Bible is a closed book type of thing. At least last I heard..."
That's very true, but of course Hulme's group is not the only COG that believes that - and the various COG splinter groups interpret and live out that doctrine very differently.
As I mentioned once before in a previous blog, one fellow I know who has stayed with the WCG (citing his loyalty to "God's Government") even though he disagrees with virtually ALL the doctrinal changes that took place back in the '90's, in an outbreak of frustration because he just couldn't articulate his view about why he stayed with WCG in a way that anybody could remotely comprehend, said "Look, I don't have to prove anything to anybody!"
To which I replied, "Well, it's good you believe that, because it appears you are quite incapable of proving anything to anybody!"
The idea that only a select few can truly understand the Bible (i.e., HWA's version of it) gives such believers the excuse to evade the responsibility to "...always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you..." (I Peter 3:15)
Also, this doctrine provides a handy excuse they frequently use to explain away why the many splinter COG's are not growing in numbers, and in many cases actually shrinking. I know Hulme's group essentially approaches it this way: "Hey, we put the information out there via Vision, and then God calls people and provides the growth."
Well, apparently the Almighty doesn't seem to be all that impressed with the efforts (or more likely, the underlying attitudes and motives) of MOST if not ALL of these groups, because there really is no significant growth to speak of in ANY of them. If there were, we can be assured that such progress would be proclaimed quiet loudly so the rest of us could hear it!
"It is very encouraging to report that Mr. Meredith is doing much better after the mild stroke he experienced last weekend. He spent two days in the hospital undergoing some tests, but was released on Monday. He is now at home and has started daily rehabilitation exercises. We at Headquarters (Mr. Ames, Mr. Apartian, Mr. Crockett and I) had a 30-minute phone meeting with him on Tuesday and again today, Thursday. His voice is clear and his mind is sharp."
If the above LCG blurb is true, at least Rod can walk and talk and feed himself after his stroke.
Rod Meredith developed diabetes and has had vision and memory problems for years.
Overall, the health risk of cardiovascular disease (including stroke) is two-and-a-half times higher in men and women with diabetes compared to people without diabetes.
Diabetes patients have the same risk for heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death as non-diabetics who have already had a heart attack.
Another option can be carotid endarterectomy, or surgical removal of the plaque from inside the carotid artery (the artery that supplies much of the blood to the brain, plaque causing strokes).
A less invasive treatment is a carotid angioplasty and stenting procedure, which may be appropriate for some patients who have blockages within the carotid arteries. This involves inserting a deflated balloon into the artery, inflating it to expand the artery walls and then inserting a mesh structure (stent) to hold the artery open.
Angioplasty of the cerebral arteries further up from the heart can also be performed.
So Rod's carotid arteries could be clogging up, or maybe his cerebral arteries are plugged up with emboli, causing an ischemic lack of oxygen to Rod's brain.
Armstrongism also can cause plaques in the brain, effects memory, and tends to lower I.Q.
"Armstrongism also can cause plaques in the brain, effects memory, and tends to lower I.Q."
That's a great generic definition of Evangelicals and Fundamentalists.
Let's not forget the secrecy of the Apostle Paul who made a leap through the Portal into the third heaven and said:
2 Corinthians 12:2-4
2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows.
3And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell."
Humble Paul could not admit it was himself as I bet if it was somone else, he'd have nothing to do with the telling of it. Also, he had to tell us that what he saw was inexpressible (so why go and see it or be shown it?) and he yet he was not permitted to tell about it.
What a classic crock of control. I had a vision. Paul was good at this and no one else could question him on this. Oldest religious trick in the book.
"I have a secret and I can't tell you. But because I have this secret, respect me and trust me for God has made me an Apostle."
Why is it when it happens two thousand years ago, we all go, "wow...amazing," but if it happens today in your work place, we'd all go "yeah right, you're fired."
The "secrecy" of the world's priesthood tended to revolve around what we call science today. Faith tends to be what you practice before facts wipe it out.
Just like the titanic, the COG’s are also going down to the abyss.
Fortunately there are just enough lifeboats for those passenger who made the mistake of purchasing a ticket in the first place.
"Their "secrecy" is more a gnostic approach--we have special knowledge that "the world" can't understand Bible is a closed book type of thing."
That's the polar opposite of "a gnostic approach", anon; gnostics (and even some of the religious Gnostics) say that there is NO (let me repeat that NO) "special elect of gawd"; rather, every human has the divine spark within them. Regardless of religion or creed or other outward (material) differences.
Yeah yeah yeah I know the religious Gnostics are bad for spouting that "be not conformed to this world" crap too. But they aren't (from what I understand) saying to pull out of the world, go live in a commune, or to separate themselves in the same way WCG did, and the way AiC (and all the other splinters) do:
Rather, gnosticism appears to reject that kind of isolationism, as being the source of the problem of evil. If you think you're somehow superior to the rest of the human beings on this godforsaken dustball third rock from the sun, well then you're trapped in materialism, because you think your mind/brain/body/thoughts/etc., are better than everybody else's, when everyone has the potential to be equal to each other.
Besides, I daresay Hulme would have conniptions if he discovered his members were treating his literal fundamentalist view of the wooooooord of gaaaaawwwwd as a series of myths and allegorical fables!
"The collective ability of unthinking human minds to delude themselves, especially when in the stranglehold of fundamentalist religion, is a frightening thing indeed."
They are only sleeping. But what will it take for them to be rousted into waking?
"Armstrongism also can cause plaques in the brain, effects memory, and tends to lower I.Q."
Aaargh! Don't say that! OK so it might be true......
wow...a 7.3!
did you feel anything Gavin?
Gavin,
There's plenty of valid things to comment upon in the happenings of the COG.
You, however, always seem to default to the snottiest, most negative & cynical ways of saying viewing everything.
I pity you & all like you.
Get a life -- try a POSITIVE one. Thank God reality is not your viewpoint & approach!
Anon (on the earthquake): the Kermadec island group is 1000 kilometres northeast of Auckland - didn't feel a thing.
Anon (on general snottiness): if you can't be bothered to put a name to your comments I can't be bothered replying - and I mean that, with apologies to Dame Edna, in a kind and POSITIVE way.
Anonymous 8:05 wrote:
"I pity you & all like you."
I've heard this line many times before - it's the religious fanatic's polite way of saying "I hate your guts, you miserable mother f_ _ _ _ r!"
Just like the many ministers during the WCG meltdown in the mid '90's who wrote their resignation letters filled with all sorts of bizarre accusations, then had the audacity to end such letters with the pious "In Christian Love."
What and how a person writes reveals a lot about their underlying character.
Do they carefully and effectively, on a fairly consistent basis, convey thought-provoking ideas worth reading? Or do they just impulsively throw together glib, incoherent reactions loaded with spelling errors, unintelligible sentences, incorrect grammar, or hard-to-be-understood ideas?
Are one’s thoughts and sentiments expressions of clarity — or of rant and confusion? Do they prompt deep reflection in the reader — or worthy of little more than a quick scan only to be sent off to alphabet heaven with a push of the delete button?
Let's face it, Anonymous 8:05, your little attack speech above clearly shows that you are too mentally lazy and inarticulate to write out your points in anything but the lame style of apoplectic rant.
I was reading about a guy who has a "pirate ministry"
Arrrrrr, matey!
In fact, for every gift of $75 or more, they will send you your choice of either volume of Captain Patch's Treasure Chest (a collection of 8 Patch the Pirate tapes—an $88 value)!
Reminds me of how so many in the cog's have been forced to 'walk the plank'.
And the mutinies...oh, the mutinies!
There be a Bounty of em, sailerrr!
And there's no shortage of parrots in the cog's, either.
It's so sad that all these posts, seem as though they were posted by a bunch of "chatty women" that have nothing better to do than gossip. By the writing, I would dare to say that the majority of the people posting are "well" educated. Yet, you have been exposed to the truth about God that many yet do not possess. However, rather than using it for good you just gossip and criticize. Let God be Judge and do the judging. In your folly you are no better than those you criticize. I am guilty of this because I am judging you as a "pack of hens". I hope I shed some light to your darkened hearts. How about suggesting good things? Hey, that's a thought!
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