Roy Holladay, chairman of the United Church of God Council of Elders, has announced that Jim Franks and Doug Horchak will be joining the COE. Franks is taking the place of Richard Thompson who resigned from the Council last week. Horchak was next in line in the May balloting, and will take Clyde Kilough’s place. Both Kilough (president of UCG) and Thompson (a pastor in Florida) will retain their full-time positions, but have announced their resignation from Council seats for personal reasons.
39 comments:
This is going to be interesting. Horchak and Franks are two of the most obnoxious, political, hard-line figures in the UCG. This should accelerate any split if there is going to be one.
Horchak is also married to a Tkach.
How will do you know these two genetlemen. Remember all actions will be held accountable unless one repents.
Yeah, but Franks was a heckuva softball player. That should count for something.
I might be wrong, but I seem to recall that Doug Horchak married Joe Tkach's sister in 1973. Can anybody confirm or deny? If it is true, and they are still together, I wonder if it might lead to anything.
Horchak and Franks are two of the most obnoxious, political, hard-line figures in the UCG.
A lot of people in the UCG could be described as "obnoxious" and "political." And that is putting it mildly. Much stronger words would be needed to describe them even more accurately.
The UCG is composed of far too many people who absolutely refuse to behave properly, yet want to hang out at a "COG" and pollute it with their presence. The UCG was designed to cater to this type of godless person. The results will be very interesting to watch. View it from a safe distance so you don't get any dirt on yourself.
Also, never foolishly use words like "honesty" or "integrity" when talking about UCG people--other than for contrast.
The problem is that "ethics" in UCG-speak (or UCG-doublespeak, or UCG-triplespeak, or whatever it is) has nothing to do with God's laws and ways.
Rather, "ethics" in the UCG means that you keep quiet and let the wicked have their way. Strangely, the wicked (that is, those who transgress God's laws and ways) are allowed to say and do any truly evil thing they please.
UCG "ethics" is a fraud and a scam. It has nothing to do with God's laws or ways. Rather, it is just a matter of the UCG's own dirty, lying, word games.
Notice how Joel Meeker tried to smear Aaron Dean for disobeying the man-made tradition of the elders. Notice how Aaron Dean overcame his weakling image to act more like Herbert Armstrong and do what he thought was right regardless of what other men thought. Regardless of the word-game trap that his mortal enemies in the UCG had laid for him.
I don't know any of these men personally, but it seems like I keep reading the same set of names. Is it just me, or is there a small group of men in top leadership playing "musical chairs"?
The Skeptic
Doug (Tanya) Horchak, Tkach Jr.'s brother in law, pastors the Dallas and Sherman churches. He lives in Allen TX - in a 2 story brick 11 room, 3.5 baths, 3,475 sq ft. fenced $220,000 home.
That's less than a 30 minute drive over to the new UCG headquarters property in Denton.
UCG sez:
In the spring of 1962, Jim Franks began attending the Memphis congregation of the Radio Church of God with his mother, father and sister.
In 1968, he was accepted to Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas.He graduated in 1972 after four years of attending classes, working on the college ranch and later in the business office.
Upon graduation, he was sent to the field ministry in Atlanta, Georgia, as a ministerial assistant. It was there Jim became acquainted with Sharron (they had met briefly at a wedding two years earlier).They were married in 1974 and moved to Athens, Georgia, in 1975.This was their first pastorate.
While in Athens they became involved in the early development of the YOU program.Jim served as the youth district coordinator in 1975 and then later the regional director for the Southeast in 1977.He has been very active in the Church's youth program from that time on.He served again as district coordinator in New England (1981 to 1987), and later as district coordinator in Texas
(1988 to 1993).
In 1979 the Franks were transferred to New England, where Jim pastored the Boston, Massachusetts, and Providence, Rhode Island, congregations for the next eight years.It was while in New England that he began to research the colonial Sabbatarians of Rhode Island.He says, "I found the history of t hese people to be quite fascinating."
Franks was the pastor in Houston for the 35th anniversary in 1993 and continued to pastor in Houston until 2006 for a total of 18 ½ years. In March of 2006, the Houston congregations celebrated the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Church in the city of Houston.This was also the year the Franks were transferred to the Home Office for a new assignment.Jim took over as the operation manager for Ministerial Services in January of 2006.
As a result of severe doctrinal disagreement, he resigned from the ministry of the Worldwide Church of God on April 21, 1995.He remained in Houston for the next 11 years, along with his family, serving as the pastor of the Houston North congregation."Having grown up on a farm in northeastern Arkansas believing that the Sabbath is a Holy Day and commanded by God, I found it impossible to forsake my deeply held views," notes Jim.
"Since the Sabbath has never been a burden to me, it was difficult for me to understand the doctrinal decisions that led to my resignation. The rich history of the Sabbatarians in New England had shown me the value of standing up for what you believe."
Franks served on the transitional board of United in 1995.He was subsequently selected to serve on the first council of elders beginning in January of 1996. Due to health problems and a need to reduce his workload, he resigned from the council in March of 1999. During the GCE of 2002 he was selected to serve another three year term on the Council. And in 2005 he was again selected to serve a three year term on the Council. Franks lives in Cincinnati and is working as the operation manager for Ministerial Services.
Yes, Doug Horchak is married to Joe's sister. It's a well known fact.
The couple have been with UCG since the start, and Doug has been on the council several times.
He last stood down in 2005.
What's new?
“"ethics" in the UCG means that you keep quiet and let the wicked have their way. Strangely, the wicked (that is, those who transgress God's laws and ways) are allowed to say and do any truly evil thing they please.”
Yes, in the ‘good ole days’, anyone saying something that HWA disagreed with was out on their ear. That’s the way to treat them, and keep the ‘unity’!!
Below I quote a short extract from a recent Council of Elders meeting. I ask could such statements ever be made in the ‘old WCG’?
“Unity and edification are good and necessary.
At the same time, freedom of choice, thought, speech and action are God-given gifts that allow each individual to grow as a Christian and child of God.
As such, a Christian has the right to speak to whomever he or she chooses and on whatever topic at the time, in the manner and at the place he or she determines, but in a way that is worthy of our high calling—words seasoned with grace.
Therefore, we must be careful not to attempt to legislate or control other people’s speech and actions, which could violate the rights and privileges given to each individual by God Himself.”
Anoynmous wrote: The UCG is composed of far too many people who absolutely refuse to behave properly, yet want to hang out at a "COG" and pollute it with their presence. The UCG was designed to cater to this type of godless person.
What? They haven't been turned into Armstrong-a-bots yet? Resistance to the Herb is futile!
Maybe there's hope for them yet!
Anonymous says:
Franks served on the transitional board of United in 1995.He was subsequently selected to serve on the first council of elders beginning in January of 1996. Due to health problems and a need to reduce his workload, he resigned from the council in March of 1999. During the GCE of 2002 he was selected to serve another three year term on the Council. And in 2005 he was again selected to serve a three year term on the Council. Franks lives in Cincinnati and is working as the operation manager for Ministerial Services.
Did that announcement come straight from PR NewsWire? LOL!!!
Gavin's blog is now the place where UCG PR is dispensed! I never thought I'd see that day!!!
Got to hand it to them, it is clever!
"This should accelerate any split if there is going to be one."
Yay!
"Horchak is also married to a Tkach."
What.
"I seem to recall that Doug Horchak married Joe Tkach's sister in 1973.... If it is true, and they are still together, I wonder if it might lead to anything."
WHAT.
"A lot of people in the UCG could be described as "obnoxious" and "political." And that is putting it mildly. Much stronger words would be needed to describe them even more accurately."
Hard-liner conservative Armstrongists? A heavy dosage of That Old Time Religion? World News and Prophecy Come to Life?
Ugh I made myself queasy with that last one.....
"The UCG is composed of far too many people who absolutely refuse to behave properly, yet want to hang out at a "COG" and pollute it with their presence."
Clearly, this anonymous is someone under either Six-Pack Gerry or the Packatollah's dominion.
"Also, never foolishly use words like "honesty" or "integrity" when talking about UCG people--other than for contrast."
You mean contrast with the outside world, Anonymous 12:44, not contrast with any of the other CoGs, because none of them have any honesty or integrity either.
"Rather, "ethics" in the UCG means that you keep quiet and let the wicked have their way."
And this makes them different from any other Church of God splinter group how, exactly? Oh, wait, it doesn't.
"UCG "ethics" is a fraud and a scam. It has nothing to do with God's laws or ways. Rather, it is just a matter of the UCG's own dirty, lying, word games."
As opposed to LCG "ethics" (The elder's wife with the New Year's Party Hat on, obviously drunk, and slathered in makeup?) or PCG "ethics" (Flurry & Son wasting the sheeples' tithe money on full-page newspaper ads because one reporter asked if they were related to the Branch Davidians.) or RCG "ethics" (the Give Every Dollar sermon from the Packatollah, from a few years back).
Yeah, no, you still haven't distinguished UCG from the pack here, Anons.
"Notice how Aaron Dean overcame his weakling image to act more like Herbert Armstrong"
"to act more like Herbert Armstrong"
"to act more like Herbert Armstrong"
I'm sorry, UCG is supposed to be "moderate" and "different" and "learned from the church's mistakes" and somehow more liberal than the old-style WCG, how, exactly?
I read those six words, and the only thing I can think is RUN FORREST RUN.....Is it just me?!
Questeruk asks:"What's new?"
Apparently, nothing under the sun, my friend. Nothing under the sun at all.
"Below I quote a short extract from a recent Council of Elders meeting. I ask could such statements ever be made in the ‘old WCG’?"
...
"As such, a Christian has the right to speak to whomever he or she chooses and on whatever topic at the time, in the manner and at the place he or she determines, but in a way that is worthy of our high calling"
Still on the "we are the only true Christians/special chosen elect of gawd" kick, I see. Yes, this is quite typical of promises made in the old WCG, that we had open freedom of speech.
Woe betide anyone who tries to test it, however, as a ministry visit will quickly disabuse them of how true this notion actually is. (It isn't.) Which Aaron Dean rapidly found out.
"Therefore, we must be careful not to attempt to legislate or control other people’s speech and actions, which could violate the rights and privileges given to each individual by God Himself."
So why the kerfuffle over Aaron Dean then? If they really believed in their rhetoric of freedom of speech, there would never have been an issue with Dean evangelizing (Gasp!) to the worldly. (Double gasp, toil and trouble!)
I don't know about all these apparent undesirables in United. I have nothing to do with any churches now, but know some of those men and women from bygone years, and the ones I occasionally see are ok.
I might know some of the rotten apples too. It's virtually impossible to build a noble enterprise without picking up some cranky souls. We all know this, so why paint so many with the same bad brush? It just ain't so.
As for Aaron Dean, he always was a decent, unassuming, sociable kind of guy. But his closeness to HWA had to inspire some envy, which I would suppose still colors his relationships. He got so much of his savvy about HWAfirsthand.
One good thing about the UCG: Its ministers still make $60,000 per year. Compare this with struggling WCG where ministers subsist on $20,000 per year (after Tkach takes his skim from their meager collections.
Ministers who switched to UCG in the 90's now live high on the hog in big houses in good neighborhoods just like the WCG bloodsuckers did before TSHTF.
I would recommend everyone to view the last 5 to 7 posts on the the subject hearding "There Gone but what does that mean" on AW listed Sunday August 2, 2009.
Everything is addressed in those last 7 post from both points of view.
What a tempest.
Here's a picture of the two new goons. That's Franks on the left, Horchak (Sr. Tkach's son-in-law) on the right.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41202417@N02/3795530044/
I'm taking suggestions for a caption title! :)
Anonymous said "A lot of people in the UCG could be described as "obnoxious" and "political."
Absolutely true. The ones I know pick and choose their beliefs and still manage to be extremist zealots ready to call down God on whoever tries to disagree with them. They remind me of Muslim extremists.
For example:
UCG member loses job because he won't compromise and stay gone for merely a week for the Feast last year. Could come home and save his job, still taking off for the Last Great Day. Won't do it.
5 or 6 months later, member is still without a job. Is being financially supported by unconverted former WCG members. (Converted UCG members contribute toilet paper to his cause but little else.)
Yet another unconverted former WCG family member puts job on line to get him on at her company. Bends for him on the Sabbath issue, even though he has no problem showing up and sitting for an hour(to get his check), watching family member have to run a store all alone because other employees have called in sick.
Long story short, UCG guy has to be let go because he isn't cutting it. Unconverted pagans continue supporting him.
UCG guy stumbles into a seasonal job for which there were 2,000 applicants because unconverted never-a-member-of-a-COG family member got him on there.
Seasonal full time job that has a possibility of becoming permanent. Feast falls during this seasonal job. UCG guy refuses requests to stay home and keep sabbaths while working the other days. Frustrated family members who have supported him plead to no avail.
Unconverted family members are confronted by converted UCG family members that UCG guy WILL go to the feast, and how dare the demon influenced family try to keep him from keeping feast. We didn't get him his job, so we have no say. They have a say, for unclear reasons. They didn't get him the job either, and neither did they help support him
due to his UCG induced firing.
These converted people are shacking up together, but that is not evil. Nevermind whatever UCG teaches on this subject. Family trying to help an awkward, middle aged UCG member keep a job is EVIL.
Thank you.
Isn't this kind of like doing a post mortem on the various remaining groups of workers who had been responsible for the ancient construction project known as the Tower of Babel? Does anyone seriously believe that these "Babelonians" could have overcome the division and confusion caused by God, and could then have completed the project?
If there ever were a mantle, or a God-given mandate to Armstrongism to preach the end time gospel, it has been removed, and has been given to others. In fact, the gospel has been being preached for some time now, very powerfully and systematically, by others. Current splinter members, who have bought into HWA's redefining of the gospel, might try to suggest that the gospel being preached is not the real one. But, they should read in Acts 20, (iirc, it's verse 24 or 25) where one of the real apostles defines the gospel as being the gospel of grace. The new messengers, who have the mandate, know and preach the parable of the fig tree, as well as the identity of Daniel's beast power. They just don't preach that Jesus is going to return to establish Armstrongism as the new government for the millennium.
I am not an ACOG member, but if I were, and were witnessing the puny and ineffective ACOG effort to preach the gospel, I believe I'd probably want to do some soul searching and praying to see if maybe I should support people who are really doing God's work!
BB
"I'm taking suggestions for a caption title! :)"
1:
The One True Mafia of God
2:
Franks: "Don't you know how ungodly it is to be taking pictures at a church social? What are you doing with that camera?"
3:
Franks: "I'm watching you. I know what you're doing, you can't hide your sins from me! I'll be dropping by with the white gloves and looking through your cupboards as soon as this tedious mingling with the common tithe slaves is finished."
4:
Horchak: "Teach me all of your ministerial ways, Don Corleone."
5:
Franks: "See, kid? This is the stare that strikes fear into the hearts of the unconverted."
6:
"They call me MISTER Franks!"
7:
Horchak: "Thaaaaat's the way to do it. Watch the sheeple quiver in fear. A true work of art, the glare of a Master."
hmmm, i always pictured Horchak as a skinny guy with a funny accent.
oh, no......that's a different Horchak.
http://tvland.classictvhits.com/WelcomeBackKotter/Pics/WBK15.JPG
Byker Bob said...
Does anyone seriously believe that these "Babelonians" could have overcome the division and confusion caused by God, and could then have completed the project?
Maybe we should call them "Sabbalonians"?
Coming Soon: UCG-1 and UCG-2
I think I'll stick with door #3...
"But, they should read in Acts 20, (iirc, it's verse 24 or 25) where one of the real apostles defines the gospel as being the gospel of grace."
So true! It's amazing, and scary, that you had to learn to HATE grace in order to be a follower of Armstrong. You had to HATE the gospel as taught by Jesus and confirmed by the apostles. I will take the grace as it is written in the new testament over the back-breaking, law filled gospel of no-hope that the UCG preaches. Sure, according to the COGs, everybody gets a free ride in the end, EXCEPT for those who are "called" to a life of imprisonment now. How unfair is it that God would "call" a few thousand people now who must live in obedience to the law and then give everyone else a free ride in the end? Poor saps! I'd much rather be one of the gentiles not yet called than be part of a few thousand "chosen few". And the ultimate slap in the face? If you believe their doctrines now, and then turn away, you will lose out eternally. What a pair of golden handcuffs! Tribulation? Who cares? Everyone dies anyway!
Maybe we should call them "Sabbalonians"?
How about baloney-ans.
jack635 said...
Maybe we should call them "Sabbalonians"?
How about baloney-ans.
HWA's ideas sure smell like summer sausage!
He did kind of take the scraps of other religions and run them through a grinder, and then extrude them in a casing of OT Laws.
Herbal mystery meat!
Mark quotes and comments, "'But, they should read in Acts 20, (iirc, it's verse 24 or 25) where one of the real apostles defines the gospel as being the gospel of grace.'
"So true! It's amazing, and scary, that you had to learn to HATE grace in order to be a follower of Armstrong. You had to HATE the gospel as taught by Jesus and confirmed by the apostles. I will take the grace as it is written in the new testament over the back-breaking, law filled gospel of no-hope that the UCG preaches."
Not so fast, Mark. You're overlooking most of the picture.
Paul wrote, "And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed" (Gal. 3:8).
Now, you may choose to ignore the blessings that reached humanity through Abraham during his lifetime -- his vast influence, scientific knowledge, wealth and power. That he was able to assemble a small army of 318 trained servants, born in his house, to rescue his nephew says much of his genius, charisma and persuasiveness. The later influence of Isaac, Jacob and Joseph cannot be overlooked; see what Josephus has to say of them all. The 12 princes of Ishmael and their eventual wealth-sharing, even in our times, powers the world.
Can we even count the contributions of the Jewish remnant of Abraham's seed in our time? Of Jonas Salk, Albert Einstein, Edward Teller, Sigmund Freud, Richard Rogers, Oscar Hammerstein, Marvin Hamlisch? Dare, if you will, to look at jinfo.org.
I know the first thought in Christianity is that grace entered the world through Jesus, but there isn't a scintilla of truth in that; the whole universe is a product of grace -- of the creative energies of The Compassionate One, the God of Israel. And it was through His wisdom that Abraham was called to produce a Kingdom of Priests to keep knowledge of God alive in the world. Yes, much that family has been derelict, and in our time is so completely assimilated that we no longer know who they are -- but we can be sure that their contributions are more blessing than curse.
Jesus was a magnificent Jew, and died heroically for the furtherance of Abraham's mission. This clearly added to the ever-burgeoning record of blessing to enter the world through Abraham. But to categorize the immensity of that blessing under the Christian-defined heading of "Grace," is to ignore the record, which is a tragic and misleading, false account of what Gospel really means.
If HWA's perception of Torah can rightly be described as "back-breaking, law filled gospel," then he completely missed the grace that IS the Torah, or Law, as it is so often mistranslated in the NT. In the LXX, Jewish translators used nomos (Greek for law) to translate Torah (Instruction) from Hebrew, but in the Jewish world Torah is understood, so calling it Law (because it contains many laws) doesn't warp its meaning. That translation became a major OT source for early Christianity.
In the Jewish world, the "Law" is loved as the central gift of GRACE from God to humanity. We are honored to be its custodians, although we have not handled it nearly as well as we should have -- and partially for that reason it is misperceived in the Christian world.
Come to a synagogue on Simchas Torah (Joy of Torah). Get in line to dance with it, holding it in your own arms with observant Jews. This is not a "back breaking" exercise unless you have a bad back. This magnificent scroll of Teaching IS grace, hand-written on parchment with biodegradable ink. This is the same grace that Jesus, with every other serious Jew, is entrusted to bring into the world through its love, compassion, wisdom, righteousness and justice. If Armstrong misunderstood the grace of Torah, that was his error -- but it was not the error of the Law (Torah) itself. If you've gotten a wrong impression, perhaps you, and others like you, should give it another go.
"I know the first thought in Christianity is that grace entered the world through Jesus, but there isn't a scintilla of truth in that;"
John 1:17 - "For the law was given through Moses. grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."
Not a scintilla, eh? At least we know what you think of the NT scripture, Jack.
Anon 2:55, you might look a little deeper into the Greek and the original intent behind your quote from John. I would also adjure you to carefully consider Isa. 8:20 and Deuteronomy 13. Nothing contrary to Torah can supercede its perfection. Both David and Jesus acknowledged and lived in full awareness of that. Anyone who understands grace should know that it is more than amply presented in Torah.
"...the "Law" is loved as the central gift of GRACE from God to humanity."
not just in the Jewish world, but in the Christian world as well. (the True Christ Followers, that is)
and i for one would not want to live in a lawless place.
SmilinJackSprat said...
"Anon 2:55, you might look a little deeper into the Greek and the original intent behind your quote from John."
The English words give a pretty fair rendering of the Greek words in that particular verse.
And so what would be the "original intent" of John 1:17, that isn't being conveyed by the English words used there.
Whoa -- now Christians and a Jew are getting into theological arguments on AW!
....is this really progress.... ?
"Anyone who understands grace should know that it is more than amply presented in Torah."
You need to read Galatians 3. If you don't have a New Testament, then you can pick one up at any Half-Price bookstore in the United States, or you can get one at Barnes and Noble.
Just some snippets to whet your appetite before you get it:
"But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith."
"Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator."
"Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law." (no righteousness by the law, thank you very much)
"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
"But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."
So, keep on smilin' with your Torah-wielding self-righteousness. Just remember that you are under a curse. "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us."
The Torah discussion is way off topic. No more comments on that matter on this thread.
I heard a UCG Pastor say today the current "divergent opinions" on the Council of Elders appear to boil down to money.
(Pause while you pick up stunned jaw from floor.)
The Pastor said "based on what I'm hearing," some COE members want more money in the budget allocated for "the preaching of the gospel," while others do not.
What does that mean, exactly? This Pastor was a bit vague, but indicated there might be less money for local congregations -- as in the field ministry. He raised the specter of many congregations becoming "video groups," instead of having a minister to personally shepherd them.
I should add this Pastor "has heard" about the resignations of Elders Kilough and Thompson -- as if UCG somehow hasn't announced it yet.
He asked the congregation to pray for the upcoming COE meeting, as "a critical week in the United Church of God."
"Here's a picture of the two new goons. That's Franks on the left, Horchak (Sr. Tkach's son-in-law) on the right.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41202417@N02/3795530044/
I'm taking suggestions for a caption title! :)"
Wow, haven't seen Doug in 35 years, would never have recognized him!
Suggested caption: "I could gaze into his eyes all night long!"
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