anne1

Days Don’t Matter But Christian Ethics Do

by Anne Hanna

When I sat in church this Sunday, I couldn’t help but think about all that is happening in my former church home. As part of my healing process, I have counseled with my pastor about where I have been on my Christian journey and related just some of the experiences my friends and I have had in the new WCG. I would describe his reaction as dumbfounded. Surely the end does not justify the means.

Joseph Tkach has stated that other denominations also have troubles. That is certainly true, but this approach can be used to deflect Christian responsibility.

The September Worldwide News contains yet another "personal" from the Worldwide Church of God Pastor General concerning the issue of “days”. In this most recent article entitled “Days Don’t Matter” Joseph Tkach appears to be trying to justify himself and smooth over some of the unrest caused by his July personal “Peace at any Price?”

Tkach’s article was problematic both for the membership and the ministry. As many have observed it is Tkach’s style to “suggest”. But those in the WCG culture know that a suggestion from the top is more than just that. It is a directive to the ministry and yet another policy decision.

The difficulty for the ministry is that some of them will be cutting their own throats to carry out this directive. Some ministers realize that to push days will inevitably cause losses both in income and membership. A very difficult situation for those whose congregations are barely making ends meet. It could come to the point of a choice between pleasing their employer and saving their job.

In Canada the July US WN "personal" has yet to even be published and pastors had to make copies of the article and hand them out to the members at services. This gives an indication of how strong a “suggestion” from the Pastor General is.

The problem for the membership is that some of them, like conservative [WCG churches in] Canada and England which largely worship on Saturday, were probably saddened to see forms that they have celebrated being so negatively portrayed once again by their own Pastor General. Customs like eating matzos during Unleavened Bread, choosing to partake of the symbols once a year, holding the Festival on the exact date and taking children out of school for the Festival were positioned as hindrances to evangelism. In Canada most of the festivals are still on the exact days.

Members had been told that they had freedom in these matters and no one should have to violate their conscience. Dr. Tkach talks about people modeling freedom but this is discouragement of the expression of that freedom.

One accusation leveled against Tkach is that he has changed his policy about days. Yes, this is true, he does appear to be saying something different, but this has been the unofficial policy for some time. The change is that for some reason Tkach feels comfortable enough now to be more transparent.

In official statements in 1999 Tkach was very conciliatory about days. In 2001 he had no preference regarding Saturday and Sunday, but he was clearer about how he felt regarding the festivals, saying mainstream [ones] were preferred. Now in 2003 the Pastor General is making the strong “suggestion” that members are to move to Sunday, etc.

This “suggestion” is not the result of a growing revelation that developed over time despite all the previous official articles. There are plenty of indications (even admissions) that the desire to move to Sunday and mainstream observances has been firmly in place since at least 1998.

Dr. Tkach has used a variety of approaches to sway members over those years but his intentions now are just more out in the open. One move made this year was to quietly take the traditional WCG festivals off the official church calendar, and now this series of "personal" articles.

Another contentious matter is members’ complaints that Tkach is forcing them to go to Sunday even against their wishes, thus breaking his word.

Tkach’s defense is: “The essence of Christianity is not in the days we meet, but in the message of grace. And as I have written before, it is self-contradictory to preach grace while forcing people to keep one particular day, no matter whether it’s Saturday or whether it is Sunday. We are not forcing anybody to do anything.” (Sept 03 WN)

But isn’t undue influence force? Especially when he issues an ultimatum to the pastors:

Joseph Tkach inherited a denomination with a unique culture; one whose worship forms he has admitted are not spiritually inferior. Where was/is Tkach’s responsibility? It is to those sheep given into his care. They needed reassurance, healing and a place to be safe, but the majority of the church is gone because the new WCG was not allowed to be that place for them.

Tkach: “At some point, a pastor must model freedom in Christ, not laws that are no longer valid. … a decision must be made ….” (July 03 WN)

He then actually tells the membership what they are to prefer.

Tkach: “But for most congregations there is a practical reason for meeting on Sundays and if circumstances permit, we should prefer that day, not because it is spiritually better for us ..” (Sept 03 WN)

In other words unless you have an exception you should be meeting on Sunday. In 2001 Tkach warned people to not interfere in a congregation’s right to make a choice, but as soon as he wrote these words that is precisely what he [began] doing. Not only is this giving instruction to what they should choose, it essentially removes their right of choice altogether.

Dr. Tkach tries to use two reasons to justify his actions.

First, he uses the example of Paul. Here he comes to the conclusion that “a pastor cannot seek peace at any price, cannot forever make accommodations to people who are weak in the faith.” (July 03 WN)

But how does this compare with Paul’s writings that aren’t about tolerating a weaker brother or sister but rather accepting them? Paul even goes one step further when he states, “Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat lest I make my brother stumble.” (I Cor 8: 13) That brother was not a stranger but a member of that Christian community. This is similar to his instruction in Romans 14 and 15.

Tkach is now placing a very narrow interpretation on Paul’s ministry and ignoring the overall and challenging idea of inclusion especially in the face of diversity. If he chastises his own membership because they may not like other ways of ministering (songs and drama) because these are different, why does he have an objection with festivals that “are different”? Is this balanced and fair?

The world is filled with differences. Paul would not have asked the Jewish Christians of his time to abandon their culture, neither do I believe would he have forced the traditionalists to abandon theirs. Even more so in this day and age where the culture we live in is so multifaceted and changing in our less rigid society.

If Tkach is serious about trying to fit the Worldwide Church of God into the culture that is around them then the major change that needs to be made is not in worship forms but in government.

To be “seeker friendly” means you must have loving acceptance for all members. After all if people come into a church where there is division and such animosity towards longtime members then why on earth would they believe they would be treated any different.

If Tkach is serious about trying to fit the Worldwide Church of God into the culture that is around them then the major change that needs to be made is not in worship forms but in government. In the USA, especially in these times, the virtues of freedom and democracy are precious indeed. Evangelical churches are not totalitarian. Their members have rights in their organization and their leaders are accountable to those they serve.

Tkach’s second excuse is that despite days not mattering, this is a good strategic decision.

Here I question Joseph Tkach’s qualifications as a strategist. Overall his policies have reduced the church to a mere shadow of itself. His timing on this latest push alone comes when the WCG is suffering financial hardship with “extremely difficult” cuts being announced in the next few months. As well Tkach is fully aware that after eight or nine years many members still meet on Saturday and in areas like Canada and the UK the vast majority have chosen to retain Saturday.

Yet given all these factors he still wants to push a controversial issue. This is bad strategy. It will probably mean more income drops and ministerial layoffs. Traditionalists can’t help but know their days are numbered in this fellowship, so they have a decision before them. They can stay and submit, meet in segregated groups in someone’s home or leave altogether.

Many denominations like the Lutherans, Baptists, Catholics, Methodists, etc. have heard the story of the transformation of the Worldwide Church of God. But as more and more of us leave for those mainstream churches, these fellow Christians are hearing another much different story and that is a shame. God had given the WCG such a wonderful opportunity.