September 25
WCG Audit: The October WN features a
comforting report from Ronald Kelly that assures the membership that a recent
audit was passed with flying colors.
Church members should also feel confident that
the financial affairs of the church are handled with integrity and in a
professional manner. To issue an unqualified opinion, PricewaterhouseCoopers
staff spent several weeks in our offices examining the assets, liabilities,
income and expenses of the church and reviewing church accounting procedures
and financial reporting. If they were to find inappropriate record keeping or
that the church financial picture did not meet their high professional
standards, they, of course, would not issue the desired unqualified opinion.
Great news Ron (though, when we separate
substance from hype, we're not sure you've actually said anything). So, when
will the full balance sheets be published?
Because the annual auditor’s report is
lengthy and technical in nature, we do not publish it in the WN. However a
copy can be sent to any Worldwide Church of God member who requests one. If
you need a copy of the audit, send your request to Ronald Kelly, Controller,
Worldwide Church of God, 300 W. Green St., Pasadena, California, 91123. In
your letter, please note the congregation you attend.
We encourage any and all WCG members to take Ron
up on his offer. Ron concludes:
For most of our members, these monthly updates
provide an appropriate overview of the financial affairs of the church.
Appropriate? For a church which has always
treated its members as spiritual mushrooms (kept in the dark and fed on manure)?
Well maybe. Or is this just Ron's way of saying "don't you
dare!"
The Herb Seminar? Also in the latest
WN, Michael Morrison lets off a cheap shot at the Jesus Seminar:
The Jesus Seminar began with a preconceived
idea of what Jesus would have taught. They accepted the sayings that fit this
idea, and rejected the sayings that didn’t, thereby, in effect, creating a
Jesus in their own image. This is not good scholarship, and even many liberal
scholars disagree with the Seminar.
Is Michael inferring that evangelicals like
himself don't have preconceived ideas? Somehow we doubt it as Michael also
writes: The Bible is the inspired and infallible record of what God wants us
to know and do. Has Mike read the procedural methods used by the
Seminar? If he tracks down a copy of The
Jesus Seminar and Its Critics by Robert J. Miller he might be in for a
surprise. The WN article avoids, and in our view misrepresents, the tough
questions.
We do note that Mike stops short of calling the
Gospels eye-witness accounts. Instead he states: Do we have good reason to
trust the biblical reports about Jesus? Certainly—they were written within a
few decades of Jesus’ death, when eyewitnesses were still alive.
Which isn't exactly the same thing.
We also wonder if the slaughter of sacred cows
over the ministry of Herbert Armstrong, something Mike and the Pasadena
leadership have been keenly active in, might be subsumed under the title The
Herb Seminar. The plagiarizing Apostle is an obvious candidate for the
honor.
Sheik Spanky? The poll on God's
complicity in the terrorist attacks has only a couple of days to go. Rod (a.k.a.
Sheik Spanky bin Meredith) has been - well, um - SPANKED by our respondents so
far, with 6% support, and those who are willing to brand his views as sick and
offensive at 64% Grab a paddle and vote while you
can.
Ron's "Good Month": Ron
Kelly has passed on the good news: it was a good month for restocking the WCG's
depleted coffers. Half a million extra bucks came home to roost in August due to
"one fairly substantial estate... coupled with Legacy escrow-extension
payments and other forms of income..." However, "Looking
at the year-to-date, we have received $14.47 million in member donations and
just over $3.9 million from all other revenue sources. That totals some $18.4
million for the first eight months of the year. For the same time frame last
year we received $20.2 million, so we are still running a negative nine percent
for the calendar year." We have to wonder who is the intended
target of his concluding remarks: "I would like all our members to
understand that the board of directors and department managers are committed to
sound financial management. We keep a careful, almost daily, look at income and
expenses. And we certainly do not want to drop below an appropriate reserve
level. Church leaders have shown a strong resolve to make hard decisions when
needed. Members should have confidence that the Worldwide Church of God plans to
maintain proper financial and management principles." How about a
10% pay cut for all the church executives Ron?
September 23
Military Service and War: The dark
possibility of young people being called up for military service must have been
exercising the minds of many recently. Traditionally the Sabbatarian strand of
Christianity has taken a position opposed to involvement in war. A recent
article in the WN, however, could indicate that the WCG may have
"mainstreamed" in this direction as well. The United Church
of God has published a Teen
Bible Study Guide on the subject. The Church of God (Seventh Day)
position is as follows:
Jesus Christ our Lord taught us to love and
forgive our enemies, and to work for the peace and salvation of all peoples.
Wars among nations and violence between persons are not God's perfect will,
but result from greed, lust for power, selfishness, and other sinful motives.
Christians should renounce such carnality and the weapons of human strife, and
should not participate in military combat through the armed forces. Matthew
5:38-48; Luke 6:27-38; Romans 12:17-21; John 18:36; Matthew 26:51, 52; 2
Corinthians 10:3, 4; James 4:1.
Writing Into The Ether? Brian Knowles will
be a name familiar to many MD readers. Brian was once Managing Editor of The
Plain Truth magazine (back in the days when people actually read it). Brian
left the WCG in the 70s and has since written for a variety of publications.
These days his by-line appears at the ACD site,
where his latest "Out of the Box" column, Writing
Into The Ether appears (it's also in the print version of The Journal
and on their web site). We don’t always agree with Brian’s views, but we do
respect the insight that he brings to his journalistic efforts. And we’re sure
his contributions on ACD deserve to get a few more readers than his somewhat
tongue in cheek "optimistic estimate" of ten!
September 21
God’s Punishment? Joe Tkach seems to
be deliberately distancing himself from the apocalyptic self-loathing coming
from some of the splinter groups – notably the Living Church of God –
in the wake of September 11. He writes:
It should go without saying that it is inappropriate to wrench passages
from the Old Testament prophets in an effort to brand last week’s terrorist
attacks as God’s punishment on America… Our preaching should reflect the
gospel message of hope and encouragement, not some attention-grabbing diatribe
about God’s vengeance and judgment and end-time prophecies being fulfilled—again.
God did not crash those jets; hateful humans did. Jesus did not forget or
forsake those victims or those who loved them… The gospel inspires and
encourages; it does not bully, belittle and tear down. Jesus did not come to
condemn the world, but to save it (John 3:17).
MD readers know that we are hardly big fans of Joe’s, but the points he
makes here seem a healthy corrective to the prophetic bull-roaring and
self-flagellation coming from some others.
It’s hard to say sorry: It has not escaped the notice of many that Rod
Meredith’s hasty backtracking on the theme of "God’s Punishment"
followed an almost identical route to that used by Jerry Falwell and Pat
Robertson. God, it now seems, simply withdrew his protection. The
Almighty is no longer to be charged with causing bloody mayhem in a spiteful
hissy-fit with his errant creatures here below… he just permitted it.
Meredith writes:
God did not directly cause these recent
tragedies! Rather, as our personal and national sins have increased, He
has "removed" His protective hand from the United States, Britain
and Canada!
Trouble is, Spanky has opened his mouth long and wide on this matter for
decades. The Meredith tonsils seem to have waggled back and forth on little
else, in fact. God is, according to Rod, going to SPANK us. PUNISH us. CHASTISE
us for our sins (cf. the quote under September 18). Hard to interpret such
direct statements any other way really. To infer, as he does now, that he meant
something else all along, is surprising to say the least. Not that we'd want to
accuse Rod of duplicity, but
wouldn't a simple retraction and apology have been more appropriate?
As a postscript, UCG's Les McCullough seems to be in thrall to the same
revised line as Meredith. This from his latest letter:
We have to ask whether God has removed His protecting hand from our nation
for at least a short time. He didn't bring about the actions of those
terrorists and He doesn't want people to suffer and die. On the other hand, it
was obviously allowed, so let's take it as a bit of a warning and see to our
own spiritual houses.
September 18
Spanky's Second Thoughts: LCG cult
leader Rod Meredith has released a new "commentary"
on the terrorist outrage. This time he actually tries to say something about
"sorrow and compassion for the people and families who are
involved." A case of too little too late. His first such effort
is still online, a piece which might well be entitled "God
Curse America!" In it he actually seems to credit God with the
tragedy:
Yes, God will give us corrective punishment to wake
us up from our sins. We have turned away from God. We are getting into
more and more abortion—the murder of little unborn children. We are getting
into more perverted sex, wild scenes of sex and wretchedness on our television
and in our movies. In every way, we are a degenerate people. More and
more we are turning away from God, and bringing shame on the name of
God, yet we put on our coins and bills "In God We Trust." Shame on
us! God says: "‘But I will correct you in justice, and will not let you
go altogether unpunished’" (Jeremiah 30:11).
Yes, God will have to correct us, my friends,
and wake us up! These terrorist activities—along with coming terrible storms
and earthquakes—are preparatory to a final attack and captivity of our
people, who will be taken away from their land into literal slavery,
where they will finally repent and then come back weeping in repentance
to God. That is prophesied in many places in your Bible...
No, "these things" are not just
carried out by Arab terrorists or other kinds of terrorists. God is going to
use many different people—and many different nations—to wake us up!
Statements worthy of the Taliban.
Lee Clark - Dreams & Visions:
Lee Clark created the colorful "National Eagle" some time ago.
It contained long speculative articles on Armstrong-type prophecy. We
understand Mr. Clark has been in poor health lately, which might explain the
latest content on his site. Lee is claiming personal responsibility
for the "unfathomable suffering, loss of life and property resulting from
the terrorist attacks of September 11". Why? "God, the
Almighty creator, has charged me with the job of being his messenger and a
watchman for our nation and his people, but I have resisted and rebelled, and am
guilty of gross negligence and incompetence - In short, sleeping on my watch. I
am grieved and shaken by this whole situation." God is now
apparently revealing things to Lee, now using the name Ephesian Church of God,
on an almost daily basis via dreams and
visions.
Go Gary! In most other church
communities it would be a bland little article, but when Gary Antion writes a
piece called "Your
Opinion Matters!" we have to pinch ourselves. Writing in the United
Church News Antion seems, between bucketsful of qualifications, to be
tentatively encouraging membership input in matters normally reserved for those
at the top of the sectarian food chain. On the same page of the print
edition is a notice from Roy Holladay concerning "Doctrinal Submissions to
the Council". If the UCG can do this, why not the WCG?
Meanwhile, back in Edmond: Philadelphia
Church of God cult leader Gerald Flurry has reportedly named his son Stephen
as president of Imperial College, a
grandiose attempt to clone the now defunct Ambassador College.
Nepotism has always been a charming distinctive in the Armstrong tradition: Herb
and Ted (till Ted spilt the beans about Dorothy), Joe Sr. and Joe Jr., and now
Gerry and Stevie.
September 16
Sick Hoax Plays on Tragedy:
A cruel hoax, circulated widely on a number of church-related discussion boards
and forwarded as email by many concerned readers was, in fact, a sick hoax.
It was earlier reported on this site that a UCG
member had been a passenger on board one of the ill-fated passenger aircraft to
hit the World Trade Center in New York. Like many others, it appears
we were deliberately misled by the originator of this callous piece of
fiction. Some further details on Victor
Kubik's web site.
September 15
Loss & Consolation: We note that
the Worldwide Church of God has replaced its earlier brief announcement with a
longer, personal statement from Joseph Tkach. It reads:
We were all sobered by the tragic events that
occurred yesterday in the U.S. Most likely, we will all remember where we were
and what we were doing when we first learned of the horrible terrorist attack.
It is impossible to fully comprehend the level of devastation, or to express
the feelings and emotions of those who experienced it.
We express our profound sympathy for the
victims and families of those who were in the hijacked planes, those who were
in and around the buildings that were destroyed and for the firefighters,
police and rescue workers who have given their lives in trying to save
victims. It is indeed inspiring to witness the self-sacrifice and courage of
New Yorkers and others around the nation who are pulling together to offer
assistance in this crisis.
Let us pray for and stand behind the President
and his advisors as they work to meet this challenge, and for the people of
New York as they meet the hours and days ahead. Let us pray for the nation,
for the recovery and comfort of all who are suffering, and for Christians to
demonstrate the kindness and love of Jesus. May we rest our faith in our Lord
God who will see us through our times of trial when we trust in him.
David Hulme and Edwin Stepp have written a
lengthy reflection on the
Vision web site.
The Church of God, International has also
published a brief message on its web site. It reads:
"Tuesday, September 11, 2001 is a day
none of us will ever forget. Words alone do not adequately express our sorrow
for this tragic loss of life. We at the Church of God, International pray for
those who have lost their lives, been injured and for the families who have
lost their love ones. God's grace, love and hope are not ordinary. They are
extraordinary. We must trust in His love, mercy and coming Kingdom to this
earth. "You need not be afraid of disaster or the plots of wicked men,
for the Lord is with you; He protects you." Proverbs 3:25-26"
LCG Priorities: "Spanky"
Meredith is expected to unleash "an urgent and moving letter addressed to
the entire membership" in the next couple of days. We're betting he's
going to use recent tragic events to bolster his shaky credibility in matters of
prophecy, and try to milk extra bucks from the flock. Greenbacks were
definitely on the mind of LCG evangelist Dibar Apartian this week. He
writes: "As expected, mail service to Headquarters has virtually
ceased. We received only 20 donation envelopes on Wednesday and only 13
donation envelopes on Thursday (and some of those were tithes from our own
office staff). We are considering alternative methods for receiving tithes
and offerings in the future when we face similar emergency situations.
Please pray that full mail service will resume soon. And please pray that
God will bless the Holy Day Offering for the Feast of Trumpets [coming up this
week, September 18]. Remember to use your pre-labeled green envelopes for
the offering." Forget the faith, hope and charity: y'all
send in the mammon!
September 14
|
Through the Brandenburg
Gate: Cincinnati East UCG member and aspiring columnist Michael
Brandenburg is all of a dither as the witch-hunt begins to determine who
leaked John Elliot's email to The Missing Dimension (September 12).
Brandenburg has apparently fessed up to posting the epistle on an AOL
message board, presumably without seeking Elliot's permission to do
so. Enquiries today reveal that Mr. Brandenburg has felt free to use
the resources available on this site in his past columns (without, we may
add, giving credit): fair enough. But why, we wonder, does Michael
regularly visit - let alone make repeated use of - what he describes as "a certain website (I won't give any
more details on it here) that has established an unsavory reputation for
ridiculing happenings in various organized bodies of the Church of
God"? |
Statements on Terrorist Attack: A joint
letter from UCG's Roy Holladay and Les McCullough has been posted. There are
two pages on the Church of God (Seventh Day) site, one concerning disaster
relief, the other a
letter from Whaid Rose, the Conference president. The WCG has merely posted
a brief, unsigned paragraph on its main page which reads:
We were shocked and saddened by the recent
tragedies in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington DC. We give our
condolences to the families involved. We pray for peace and look to God as the
only source of meaning in life. At times like this, many people ask, Why
does God allow evil? -- Click here for some thoughts on this theme.
September 13
The Ultimate Accolade?
Perhaps it was due to a sudden rush of blood to the head. Perhaps too much TV
coverage of the terrorist outrage in New York and Washington was causing him to
hallucinate. Whatever the explanation, WCG Pastor General Joe Jr. took a
direct swipe at none other than The Missing Dimension this week.
The following report comes from our Dateline: Pasadena correspondent.
Today, at the employee meeting/chapel, Joe
Jr. labeled The Missing Dimension as a vehicle for 'spiritual terrorism'. (Now
there's proof that they monitor the web site!) This and all other web sites
that criticize the WCG are spiritual terrorists leading people away from
God. He particularly did not like the label "Bloody Thursday"
(see September 1). He made fun of the title saying that a few employees being
laid off was not 'bloody'... The employees refer to it as 'bloody' not from
the fact that they were being laid off, but from the way that they and all
employees continue to be treated.
Spiritual terrorism? Leading people away
from God? Get a grip Joe! We'll be responding in due course.
Meantime we'd like to thank Joe for taking time out from his busy schedule to
drop by and check us out.
Hell No Joe! The final results on
the latest poll (also see Hell Freezes Over September 9)
| Joe Jr. has
put the issue of a traditional hellfire back on the WCG agenda. Which
position do you feel is closest to the truth? |
The fundamentalist hell
The Lake of Fire
Universal Reconciliation
No afterlife
Something else |
07.5%
50.94%
15.09%
11.32%
15.09% |
| There were 53 responses to this
poll |
September 12
Unthinkable Terrorism:
It has been a terrible day for the United States and the world. The graphic
images from the World Trade Center in New York have left us all stunned. In our
increasingly interconnected world, which one of us doesn't have someone -
friend, relative, colleague or even email correspondent - who we feared might be
caught up in this twisted madness. The human dimensions are cheapened and
trivialized by those who would manipulate such a tragedy in the cause of
"prophetic" speculation. Unfortunately that process seems to have
already begun, as this commentary from UCG Pastor John Elliot indicates.
On our minds today is "What does attempted
killing of as many U.S. citizens as died in the entire Vietnam War portend for
this nation?" And, "How does this all correlate to biblical
prophecy?"
This nation has been busy gloating in its immorality, godlessness and
insistence on a separation of church and state, all to extremes in the past
decades. Now the nation lost in greed and materialism has been stung in its
hallmarks... A perusal of the major prophets illuminates the modern
descendents of ancient Israel adrift in their own pursuits. These will
ultimately be taken down by outside powers. Stripped and humbled first, God
will finally bring their remnant back to Palestine once His Kingdom is
established at the return of Jesus Christ.
Many national humblings such as we witnessed today are to expected as preludes
to the total collapse and enslavement of the Israelitish nations that long ago
lost their link with God.
Passing on this sad email, a regular MD
contributor labeled it with some passion as "disgusting" and
"sickening". We concur. Rather than leaping to glib moralizing, we
believe Mr. Elliot might well take time to simply express his compassion for the
many victims and his admiration for the many brave people who have responded so
magnificently in the face of adversity.
Roderick C. Meredith has also wasted no time in
hitting the Internet with his
"analysis". A chance to push his particular sectarian
barrow. And like Elliot, not one word of comfort or human sympathy.
September 11
The Other Gerry: Think of a minister named
Gerry these days, and you're likely to picture the forbidding jaw line of Gerald
Flurry, Darth Vader of the Deathstar PCG. But a generation ago another
Gerald trotted the globe at tithe-payer expense, making ludicrous claims about
church leader Herbert W. Armstrong. Gerald Waterhouse, "the mad prophet of
Petra", held the record for the longest, dumbest sermons in WCG history
(and let's be frank, it was a competitive field!) Evangelist Gerry could
preach for hours and hours on end; long rambling monologs about the Apostle's
virtues and the deep scriptural significance of the name Armstrong. These
days Gerry is no longer in the best of health. This
recent update comes from his brother Don, UCG pastor in Tampa, Florida.
Due to some increased difficulty he has been
experiencing with balance and other health-related issues, my brother Gerald
has recently moved to live closer to me. Your prayers for him would be
appreciated on a continual basis. He is hoping to attend the Feast of
Tabernacles with my family in Jekyll Island.
An earlier update stated that Waterhouse was
suffering complications from a collapsed bladder, had to wear a catheter and
suffered severe pain and spasms.
We wish Mr. Waterhouse, now also with the UCG,
well. Despite those amazing record-setting sermons (or more likely because of
them) he stands out as one of the truly memorable characters from the Armstrong
era. (For a more, um, effusive tribute, check out this photo
montage from the Nashville UCG... eeek!)
September 9
Alas Poor Les: The UCG leadership
issue continues to bubble away. Stung by the debacle with its first president,
David Hulme, the UCG "curia" was never going to make second president
Les McCullough’s life easy. A teleconference held September 6 seems to
demonstrate that the group is more than likely to dump McCullough. Minutes
from the meeting indicate that the pretenders may already be well into
pre-campaign mode. On the positive side, its good to see a splinter group that
does plan for orderly change, and a church leadership system that veers away
from the typical "one-man rule". Unfortunately grass roots members
will have little or no say in who wears the UCG crown next.
Hell Freezes Over: Pastor General Tkach isn’t having a lot of luck
convincing the troops that a traditional hellfire doctrine has much credibility.
Our polling so far reveals that the Lake of Fire is
still the "hot choice" as destination for the salvation-impaired. Nor
does hell come in second: that place is reserved for the belief in Universal
Reconciliation. The bronze looks likely to go to other beliefs like
reincarnation. Hell languishes at the bottom of the heap alongside the view that
there is no afterlife so, presumably, why worry. Perhaps Joe should consider a
career change, though based on his performance so far, we don’t recommend one
in sales and marketing.
The Bible & Brinsmead: Australian theologian Robert
Brinsmead, a former Seventh-day Adventist whose writings encouraged the WCG to
abandon its Sabbatarian past, has recently written on the subject of "Lying
for Jesus". He says:
… for centuries it was said by the church that in the NT [New
Testament] documents we have the testimony of eyewitnesses such as
Matthew, Peter and John. But a scientific investigation of the documents has
clearly established that Matthew did not write Matthew, Peter did not write
1st and 2nd Peter, and John did not write the books attributed to him... It
is doubtful that Paul wrote Ephesians and Colossians, but in the matter of
the so-called Pastoral Epistles, it is clear now that they could not have
come from the pen of Paul. The Timothy letters represent a stage of early
Catholicism that is post-Paul… Paul would not have recognized a bishop as
spoken of in Timothy if he fell over one. And most of the dreadful misogyny
that is attributed to Paul comes from Timothy.
He goes on to say:
Christian scholars will often beat around the bush and use cleverly
invented euphemisms for what amounted to just plain forgery. There is now no
doubt at all that the church (for the church wrote the NT and later canonized
it) forged documents and created legends to give to certain documents
"apostolic" authority which was really giving authority to
themselves. As Robert Funk points out, the NT documents were forged in the
context of a power struggle and religious politics.
Our article on the canon raises other issues in this
regard.
September 5
Obituary - Sherwin McMichael: Les
McCullough, president of the UCG, writes in his September
5 letter to members:
I have a sad announcement I want to make. Many
of you will remember Sherwin McMichael. He last ministered I believe in the
Washington, D.C., area back in the 1970s. Paul Suckling called me last night
to let me know that Sherwin died. I believe it was on Labor Day. He had been
bedfast with a degenerative muscular disease for the past three or four years
and was only able apparently to use one arm. His wife, Beverly, has been by
his side through it all... They were not active members with any
particular group, but I know they still considered themselves members of God's
Church.
Spanky's Prophecies Milk Cash: "My
friends, prophecy is on the march! Over the next five to fifteen years, we will
be living through the most exciting, yet traumatic and gut wrenching period in
human history." So says Rod Meredith in an August 23 co-worker
letter. Uh, sure Rod. The Presiding Evangelist soon gets to the nub
of the matter. "As prophetic events gain momentum, as the power of
God’s Work increases, I hope all of us can be inspired to "go all
out" in preparation for the Kingdom of God. [MD translation: send in more
money!] As Jesus Christ commanded us in Matt. 6:33, "But seek first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to
you." [MD translation: send in much more money!] If you zealously
prepare for God’s Kingdom above all else, you will never be
sorry! [MD translation: consider cashing in your insurance policies!]
Hopefully, the "summer doldrums" are about over. [MD translation: we
have a cash flow problem and it's all your fault!] The Work needs your
prayers [and your money], your help [your money!] and your support [money,
money, money!] now."
And what does Spanky DO with all this sacrificial
giving? We couldn't be sure, but we have a good idea that Rod and the LCG's
"leading ministers" are doing very nicely, thank you, if information
from Global days still pertains. Isn't prophecy marvelous!
September 2
Advance Australia Fair! The Christian
Churches of God, a "dinky-di" offshoot led by Wade Cox, knows
something Ted, Spanky, Joe, Les, Gerry and all the other splitters don't. The
Millennium will dawn in 2028. Yes, the Wonderful World Tomorrow is only 27
years away. And if you're in any doubt, you can check the inspiring (and
doubtless inspired as well) timeline
on the CCG site. And there is even
more detail available online. Aren't we lucky! Mark Tabladillo's
comment on his JLF message board about sums it up for us too: "I hope I
don't get seriously ill before then..."
Meantime, another miniscule group from the land
of Oz, Zion Ministries, seems to have
completely hijacked the WCG usenet group. Headed by someone called Neville V.
Stevens, it proclaims some truly bizarre stuff. The sourpuss ZM posters have
specialized in baiting other contributors to the extent that there is little
else under discussion than the pros and cons of Nev's nutty rantings.
If these guys are any indication, the boat people
on MV Tampa might be fortunate in not getting into The Lucky
Country.
September 1
Bloody Thursday: Dateline Pasadena:
"Here is what transpired on Bloody Thursday (as the employees are calling
it). Every department manager was told he had to call in each person
individually and tell them what was happening to them job wise. (The managers
have known for the last couple of weeks who was getting the axe). Then
once everyone was told, the department managers were to report back to the
Facilities Manager on how people reacted to the situation. They seem to be
worried big time on how people are handling this. Many were terminated
today. They were told they could work and get paid for two more weeks and
then quit or leave immediately and get paid for the next two weeks. A few
had their hours cut back and three were placed on retirement. Those
remaining will be staying and given more jobs to do. The plant maintenance
department had to lay of 7 people. That left them with three or four
people to take care of the entire campus. Custodial laid off 3, Landscape
laid off 2 and cut back all the hours for employees. Security retired one
person, the Physical Ed guy was retired.
"These are the reasons they said this had to happen this way: the church is
dishing out 700,000 a month in salaries and maintenance of the property.
300,00 was going just to the facilities maintenance area. Bernie [Schnippert]
and the Board of Directors made the decision that the budget for Facilities had
to be cut 35%.
"Escrow is now being negotiated to close in March of 2002 (if even
then). The escrow process is closely approaching the three year length
now. It is coming up for public comment and criticism on Sept 27 or
earlier depending on the City of Pasadena Council. There will then be
three public meetings for the public to comment and criticize what is going to
happen to the property. This is an unknown for WCG and Legacy.
Public opinion in Pasadena concerning building, traffic and historical
preservation has tremendous clout. There will then be a meeting every 2
weeks until the situation is taken care of -- they said this could last at least
three meetings, or more if needed.
"SEP Orr is being sold to a redevelopment group that will subdivide the
property and place housing and vacation homes on it. Escrow may close on
it towards the end of October. They will then terminate the 4 people that
work at the camp.
"Some of the employees took the events today in stride, since they knew it
was going to happen sooner or later. (Employees are given one week of severance
for every year they have worked for the church and one month of medical
insurance) Others were very angry on how they were treated and how the employees
have been lied to by the administration. For the last couple of years,
Bernie and others have stood up in front of the employees and said that the
church intended to take care of and reward those who stayed to the end with
either a bonus or maybe doubling the severance package. Those laid off
today get none of that. Indications are that they do not intend to keep
their word with any of the remaining employees either. Retirement is not
guaranteed since they have no money to fund the program. The longer escrow goes,
and until Legacy gets 100% compliance in the sale of the property, the price can
and will fluctuate (downwards as some insiders are alleging). Bernie
[previously] told employees that even if a person was laid off the church would
pick the person back up and include them in the retirement program. They
gave every indication today that this would not happen either.
"As the employees were struggling with what happened today, the Plain
Truth Ministries employees scheduled their employee outing for the day and
left at noon, walking by many that had been terminated. That did not go
over well. They were losing their jobs while PTM was spending a large
amount of money to party with.
"Another person asked a department manger within the Facilities departments
whether the department heads were going to take a pay cut also. One of the
managers laughed in the woman's face and said , "You've got to be kidding!,
of course not!"
Tea-Tephi tossed: The Stone of Scone,
Jeremiah's mysterious commission, sea gates and Scythians. Herbert
Armstrong's historical reconstruction of racial origins had all the dramatic
pull of an Agatha Christie novel. Despite the fact that he brazenly plagiarized
an earlier author, and that scholars regard an Israelite origin for Anglo-Saxon
people to be a curiously anachronistic joke, many WCG and former WCG members
have been slow to disabuse themselves of the theory. Even so, our latest poll
result shows that most of us regard it as complete nonsense.
| The British Israel teaching
of Herbert Armstrong is |
Correct
Partly Correct
Nonsense |
36.62%
11.27%
52.11% |
| There were 71 responses to this
poll |
August 31
When the roll is called up yonder: For
anyone who was still under the impression that Joe Jr., pontifex maximus
of the Worldwide Church of God, was a literate, thinking, caring kind of guy,
his latest WN column must have come as something of a shock.
Joe has moved hellfire up from the back burner.
Indeed, it seems to be the burning issue of the moment with a recent cover
article also appearing in the Plain Truth. Now, according to Joe, "The
Old Testament penalty for rejecting Moses was death, but anyone who deliberately
rejects Jesus deserves a greater punishment......those who refuse such wonderful
grace will suffer." Hell is a bad place, according to the Pastor
General. "...no matter how you look at hell, it is ghastly."
The agonies of traditional fundamentalist eternal
torment are, it seems, at least a 50/50 possibility at this time. Give it 12
months, we suspect, and it'll be the standard WCG teaching.
There are a few qualifications, but the bottom
line is starkly clear. Any suggestion of a simple, merciful annihilation is out
of step with Herr Doktor Tkach's increasingly fundamentalist doctrinal
agenda. God wants to torture errant humans with eternal pain. All of this is a
far cry from the past theology which rejected the idea that God was some kind of
divine sadist who permitted the existence of a never ending concentration camp
into which the non-elect would be tossed. Joe's God, it seems, is quite
comfortable collaborating in "crimes against humanity" in the Great
Beyond. Somebody should tell Slobodan Milosevic; he will be pleased.
While Joe might be unfazed by the possibility of
a sociopathic Deity, we're not exactly convinced. But if indeed a fiery
fundamentalist hell awaits the evildoers, we suspect that the Lord has reserved
a special place for smug cult leaders - and we're sure a nice warm spot could be
found for Joe, perhaps in-between Herb and Spanky.
August 28
Fat Cats dump Sprats: Dateline:
Pasadena: "The facilities employees (those that take care of the
physical plant of the Pasadena campus) are in a turmoil concerning Bernie
Schnippert's latest escapade. On Thursday, the Facilities employees are
expected to be called into a meeting and given notice that they are going to be
terminated, or have their hours reduced. (This is not something that they wanted
them to find out about, but a couple of department managers have let the cat out
of the bag.) This is happening because the escrow has not closed and the church
is running out of money to support the upkeep of the property. So
naturally, the first to get the axe will be those that maintain the physical
property and not those that work directly for the church. While the
employees are being treated like dirt, some church administrators are bragging
of recent raises. Do you think that Bernie will take a pay cut, or Joe, or Mike
or Dan, or, God forbid, Greg? WCG is still sinking millions into Plain
Truth Ministries and a worthless magazine that the members do not read any more
and most employees also admit they do not read.
"So while people's lives get shattered, the Pasadena Big Wigs continue to
spend lavishly, get paid vacations around the world, get paid to go to Feast
sites (for a festival that the WCG does not even recognize anymore), all at
member's expenses. The fourth floor crowd show up to work now 3 days out
of the week (while Bernie shows up 1 day a week). This is having a
demoralizing effect upon the Pasadena employees, who ask "Why should
we care about this organization when those in charge don't?" While
people will soon be laid off, Bernie still maintains 3 full time employees in an
office that he only visits once a week. Most employees recognize now that the
administrators have taken care of themselves financially and have nothing to
worry about when the church fails. For an organization that claims to be
Christian, it has a long standing record of treating it's employees in some VERY
un-Christian ways."
13% Drop in Income: According to Ronald
Kelly, writing in the September WN, "As we compare all sources of income
from January through July, we have received $15.9 million this year vs. $17.9
million last year. Consequently we are still running a negative 13 percent... At
one time, more than 1,000 full-time employees worked in Pasadena and Big Sandy.
We are down to about 100 and anticipate that the headquarters church staff will
be about 40 employees after we relocate."
August 24
Joe wants your dough:
One-man denomination and sectarian supremo Joe Jr. has launched a seasonal
appeal for bucks. In his letter, available on the WCG
web site, Tkach says
Brothers and sisters, we share a unique
history...If
it were not for the collective generosity and financial support of every one of
us, this church would never have survived to this point!...Financially, I don’t
have to tell you that our church has been going through a painfully long,
critical period. I have explained before we are planning to launch a new
denominational financial system in which each congregation will have the
flexibility and bear the responsible [sic] to determine locally how donations
above local expenses will be used. In order to make that transition in an
orderly and responsible way that will preserve the financial integrity of our
worldwide denomination, we must await the close of escrow on our Pasadena
property. At that point, the money now being used to maintain unused property
will no longer encumber our cash flow... After the headquarters property closes
escrow, we plan to adjust our financial system so that congregations can assume
locally the responsibility of determining how to use local donations in excess
of their local expenses... Dear brothers and sisters, in the meantime, I have to
tell you that it remains crucial for the whole denomination that every
congregation continue to give generously... P.S. If you do not attend worship
services on days the special offerings are collected, would you consider using
the enclosed envelopes to mail your offering to our Pasadena address?
Would
somebody please tell Joe that "dear brothers and sisters" have a right
to be fully involved in family decisions. By analogy, if Joe wants members to
bail his church out he's going to have to hand over the reins of power to an
elected representative body. Time for Joe to resign as PG and the church to
choose leaders who are answerable to the community they serve (see the editorial).
No representation? No donation!
August 22
Worthy of double honor: October is a
strange month. A local rock station promotes it as "Rocktober", and
now the Worldwide Church of God has joined hands with Focus on the Family
to declare it "Clergy Appreciation Month". This is the time of year to
"honor your pastor", and presumably, by extension, your Pastor
General. It’s so easy to get all misty-eyed over the way these men have
prostituted – ooops, we mean offered themselves up - for our sakes. First to
Herb, then to Ted, then to Herb and Rod and Stan, then to Joe Sr., and now to
Joe Jr. Could you find more dedicated servants of the Word? And the
"word" in question seems to be... "paycheck". And
talk about versatile! WCG clergy can be Sabbatarian, Trinitarian,
Charismatic, Evangelical… you name it. They’ll dance to almost any tune as
long as you keep tossing pieces of silver in their direction. Way to go guys!
August 20
"Flexifest" falters:
This year the WCG introduced a new concept into its increasingly flexible
festival tradition. According to Craig Bacheller, conference coordinator, Summer
Festival 2001 was intended to build "on the positive qualities of the
traditions we have all enjoyed, but at [a] time when the entire family may
participate without penalty due to school absence. Moreover, the Festival will
provide many more educational opportunities than in times past."
The new "Summerfest" was launched as a
"five day, four night Festival focusing on developing and enhancing our
walk with our Lord and Savior Jesus", running August 15–19 in Athens,
Ohio. Featuring Joe Jr. and the cream of Pasadena’s "A-team", it was
"designed to be a time of spiritual renewal and worship", with a
younger more contemporary feel.
"It might be", says the advance PR, "that
your mind associates the term Summer Festival 2001 with other fall
festivals sponsored by the WCG. This festival hopes to blend the wonderful
fellowship of the past with the more convenient time of year and conference like
educational opportunities." Yes, gone are the old eight-day FOT sites
(except in Myrtle Beach, CA.). In their place this year are shortened
"weekend fall festival sites" and, of course, the newest stable-mate, Summerfest.
Sounds good. And no wonder - church HQ pushed very hard to
make it a success. So how many people actually turned up, on fire with this
wonderful new opportunity? Our Dateline: Pasadena correspondent reports:
Only a little over 200 people showed up [earlier figures
suggested 400 registrations]. Pretty bad turnout for a site that was supposed
to cover the entire country. That amount also includes the countless numbers
that flew from Pasadena to be there. The Christian singer [Rebecca St. James]
backed out, and the conference people had to stay in dorms that were in pretty
bad shape. But the WN will give it the most glorious review that you will have
ever seen, just watch!
Tithing? Herbert Armstrong wrote a booklet called Ending
Your Financial Worries. In reality it marked the beginning of financial
concerns for the tithe-paying membership of the WCG. These days most of our
readers (nearly 60%) are happy to tell the tithe-farmers where to get off,
judging from this latest poll.
| Is Tithing a commandment for
today? |
Yes
Uncertain
No |
39.29%
3.75%
57.14% |
| There were 56 responses to this
poll |
August 14
Unanswered Prayer: From the local
Pasadena press: "For more than a year, in financial bulletins in its
monthly "Worldwide News," the Worldwide Church of God has been
exhorting followers to pray for "a successful close of escrow" on the
sale of its former Ambassador College campus in west Pasadena. "Hardly
a day goes by when we are not praying specifically for God's blessing and
direction in the sale and relocation process," church official Ronald Kelly
wrote -- back in July 2000.
"Their prayers, however fervent, have yet to
be answered. The financially strained empire
continues to spend reserves to keep afloat while the entitlement process for the
Legacy Partners project drags on... The sale
price is confidential and won't be available to the public until after the sale
closes...
"[Bernie] Schnippert, director of finance
and planning, said the church will use "well beyond $4 million" of its
reserves this year alone, in part because it continues to own the Ambassador
property. Kelly wrote in the church's August update that the church has spent
$3.6 million in reserves as of the end of June. The
church Web site doesn't disclose what the total reserves are, and Schnippert
would not say."
Feazell book released: The
Liberation of the Worldwide Church of God by Mike Feazell is now on the
bookstore shelves. Check out our earlier comments.
We'll be updating the page once we've had a chance to get and digest a
copy.
Meredith Mystery? LCG "Presiding
Evangelist" Rod Meredith failed to front up for the recent "Living
Youth Camp", pleading a heavy workload. And not so long ago Meredith
announced that the bulk of Tomorrow's World telecasts would now be
fronted by Dick Ames (the latest Meredith program - Is This The Last
Generation? - is a repeat from one we quoted from on May 19). Then there was
the "Bastille Day Fast" which caught even seasoned insiders by
surprise. Among the things Meredith called the fast for was to restore the
"Apostolic" gifts of casting out demons and healing. What gives?
How's the health Rod?
August 13
UCG Assimilates Six: Another chapter in
the convoluted saga of the Global Church of God has been brought to a
close with the credentialing of six former CGCF ministers by the United Church
of God (UCG). Roy
Holladay's announcement has been posted on the UCG site. There are early
indications that the Church of the Eternal God, the "escape
pod" for those opposing UCG integration, is already fizzling out with the
tithe dollars failing to materialize. According to their newsletter "Income
is presently beneath hopes and expectations... Right now, it would be
critical... to receive [member's] contributions at this time... Also, now is the
time to send in your 'tithe of the tithe' contributions. Please remember that
tithing IS a commandment of God and not to be taken lightly." No New
Covenant for the CEGers! Lower the shields guys, "resistance is
futile!"
August 11
Reinventing the Wheel: Norman Edwards,
publisher of Servant's News, is involved in a project to produce a
revision of the King James Bible that suits the tastes of the Church of God
community (The Holy Scriptures Version). The new "translation"
is the brainchild of Rabon Vincent of Avilla, Indiana. Mr. Vincent is understood
to have no qualifications for the task other than boundless enthusiasm. "I
am", he writes, "not a linguist". Presumably Norman is well aware
that this is hardly an original move. The American Standard Version, Revised
Standard Version, New King James Bible and a host of other translations
attempted the same thing (minus the sectarian bias), some more successfully than
others. Several in the WCG tradition have also walked this path. Dallas James of
the Association for Biblical Christianity produces and markets his "Urim-Thummim
Version", Fred Coulter "translated" the Gospels for his Harmony
of the Gospels published in the 80s, and Dr. James Tabor, who is a
legitimate scholar, heads up the Original
Bible Project. While we greatly respect his work in helping former WCG
members, we believe this venture would have limited credibility. How many people
today remember Joseph Smith's "Inspired Version" of the Bible, a
rehash of the KJV by the Mormon prophet that failed to achieve acceptance even
among the Latter-day Saint community?
United's Battle Croak: Robert Dick, a
member of the UCG Council of Elders and pastor of the Portland East and Hood
River, Oregon, congregations, has contributed the following thoughts to the
August United News in an article called "The Battle for the Human
Mind".
...let's consider one element of our spiritual
battle - secular humanism... Below are the 10 tenets and an editorial summary
of the points relevant to our battle.
1. Free Inquiry. It is considered tyranny over the mind of man for any
ecclesiastical institution to shackle free thought. Religion should not
interfere in man's right to think for himself.
2. Separation of Church and State. Religious oaths or prayers in public
institutions, whether political or educational, should not be allowed.
3. The Ideal of Freedom. The document expresses that true freedom
includes freedom from religious control.
4. Ethics Based on Critical Intelligence. This tenet shows a deep
sensitivity toward God's interference in life. There are several battle lines
drawn within this tenet. First, that the Greeks originated the field of moral
ethics before religion entered this domain. Second, that people can be moral
without God. Third, that we can live meaningful, wholesome lives without
religious commandments.
5. Moral Education. Children should not be indoctrinated in a religious
faith before they are mature enough to evaluate its merits.
6. Religious Skepticism. Traditional views of the existence of God are
meaningless. The idea that God has miraculously intervened in human life is
rejected. The literal interpretation of the Old and New Testament is rejected.
7. Reason. The document displays dislike for nonsecularists disagreeing
with "reason" and "science."
8. Science and Technology. Adherents believe that science and
technology are the most reliable ways to understand the world.
9. Evolution. This document deplores fundamentalist invasion of the
classroom requiring that creationism be taught. The belief is that
creationism, if allowed in the classroom, may seriously undermine the
credibility of science.
10. Education. The document expresses concern that religious teachers
go largely unchallenged in the media...
Whether you consider it or not, whether you sensed it or not, whether you
understand it or not, these philosophies lay siege to your mind, building up
battlements from all directions-radio talk programs, TV programming, movies,
television, even the daily newspaper.
Commenting on this piece, one person
posted these remarks on a message board.
... it looks like the old cult
mentality is still alive and well. Check your brains at the door and come
inside. Have "faith" in us and our religion, well take care of you!
... The article then goes on to say that a Christian should "arm"
himself with a thorough understanding of "God's Word to destroy every
argument and proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge of God!" I
wonder how many are armed with the knowledge of Herbie's doctrinal plagiarism,
alcoholism, incest, adultery, and corruption?... How sad that using your God
given reasoning and freedom to think is [considered to be] against God's will.
We agree. Whether or not any or all
of the 10 points accurately outline humanism, many of them are freedom enhancing
and life affirming (in stark contrast to HWA's manipulative control system).
Robert Dick's bizarre call places the UCG even closer to the mentality of the
control freaks in the Meredith and Flurry sects.
End Times - Yeah, right!: Most
respondents to our poll were unconvinced that the End is nigh. 40% felt it was
either unlikely or out of the question. A further 26% were non-committal. Only
20% were willing to openly agree with Rod Meredith (see May 19 entry) and others
that the world is heading into the Great Tribulation in the next twenty
years.
| Are we living
in the End Times, the last decade or two before the return of Christ? |
Yes definitely
Quite possibly
Maybe, maybe not
Not likely
Definitely not |
20.00%
14.00%
26.00%
22.00%
18.00% |
| There were 50 responses to this
poll |
August 6
Spanky grips his baton: The latest issue
of Living Church News features a lead article by Roderick C. Meredith in
which the once exiled protégé of Herbert W. Armstrong makes bold claims to be
the only legitimate leader of Armstrongism. He writes:
The UN-inspired actions of hundreds of self-appointed
"teachers" have resulted in MASSIVE division among God's people! ...
Throughout the Bible, God makes it clear that He chooses or
"appoints" His ministers. Yet these self-appointed teachers have, in
effect, appointed themselves as MINISTERS - for that is exactly how
they are functioning!
The tone gets shriller as the article continues:
Many of these self-appointed teachers
consistently displayed "self-will" in our former association. They
were not usually "good team players." Some were PUT OUT of the
Church by God's Apostle himself.
Meredith doesn't mention his own exile to Hawaii
and the
"Apostle's" letter calling his repentance into doubt. Reading that
letter leaves little doubt that Herbert Armstrong regarded Rod as anything but a
team player.
"So," some will challenge, "what
makes YOU any different from these independent teachers?"
Good question Rod. Tell us all.
There is an ENORMOUS difference... Unlike so
many self appointed teachers, I was directly taught and trained for decades
under God's end-time Apostle, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong. I was NOT just
"one of his students."
Can't you just feel the humility dripping from
every pore?
... after the death of his first son, Richard
David Armstrong, he appointed me as Second Vice President of the Church and
Ambassador College for a period of some 12 years. Mr. Armstrong told me a
number of times: "Rod, if anything should happen to me and Ted, you
would be in charge of this entire Work!"
Rod fails to mention that Herb also demoted and
fired him.
After Mr. Armstrong's death and the beginning
of the most awful apostasy in God's Church in modern times, I finally came to
realize that - with all the training I had been given - I HAD to stand for the
Truth and "revive" the Work of God... The rest is history.
History like the complete mess Rod made in his
first splinter cult, the now defunct Global Church of God.
... the self-appointed "leaders" of
these groups will certainly have to ANSWER to the living Christ for the
disorientation, the confusion and the DIVISION they have caused in the Body of
Christ.
Meredith shows absolutely no awareness that he
himself might be called to account for his own actions, which have certainly led
to disorientation, confusion and division. Rod has always been good at
"spanking" others, but as his idol Herbert Armstrong wrote, he was
never able to take what he dished out. This latest diatribe clearly demonstrates
that his ego is still in fine fettle. Along with HWA we ask: "Rod, in a
candor, HAVE YOU EVER REALLY REPENTED?"
August 4
Kiwi Penmanship: Kinnear Penman, ubergrupenfuhrer
for the New Zealand branch of the "Living Church of Rod", has always
seemed one of Meredith's most ingratiatingly loyal helpers. At the time of the
Global split he wrote a famous missive to a church family which had dared ask if
the GCG Board's correspondence to members would be passed on to local brethren.
Now Penman is tightening the screws to ensure only the "right" type of
people attend the cult's services. Here's what he wrote recently in response to
an enquiry.
In recent months we have been formulating a
policy regarding attendance at our services. Mr. [Bruce] Tyler [Australian LCG
boss] and I have discussed this at length and I phoned him again after
receiving your letter. We want to be consistent and fair.
Mr. Meredith has said on more than one occasion, "We must not play
church"...
We welcome to our fellowship those of God's people who have total commitment
to the Work (in the fullest sense of the word) ie. doctrine, practices,
governance of the Living Church of God. There is ample scriptural instruction
that we should only fellowship with those who are of one mind with us.
Those people who will not make that commitment, or who want to fuss over one
thing or another have the choice of many (over 300 apparently) other groups
with which they can fellowship. But we do not need or want double-minded,
unstable folk to come amongst us and unsettle the new babes in Christ whom
God has graciously given into our care.
In the latest Living Church News Mr. Meredith has written that our members are
expected to attend our feast sites and not go and attend with others who are
not similarly committed. That principle of loyalty needs to extend to regular
Sabbath services. If a person wants to fellowship with us then he should
not visit elsewhere to spend Sabbath time with friends or family in other
groups. If their friends or family truly share a common commitment then
they will soon be with us in the Living Church of God...
I think I have belabored the point enough. If
you do have that commitment to the Living Church of God's Work then you will
be welcome to attend. But if you still think there is worth in
fellowshipping with a disparate group of "independents" who, as Paul
said, "..have itching ears... and heap up teachers for
themselves..", who are doing Satan's work by scattering the strength of
God's people, then it be best you not attend.
I urge and encourage you to make the necessary commitment.
Anyone still under the illusion that Spanky's
church isn't a cult?
August 1
The Good Life: Dateline: Pasadena.
"This entire week, the WCG hierarchy are living it up in Palm Springs, CA
at a supposed Ministerial Conference. It is an ALL EXPENSES paid out for
all those attending. The Regional Directors from around the world were
flown there for this week. All the hotels, food, transportation, golf,
food and alcohol are being paid for by the church. This is all coming at a
time when the finances are in VERY bad shape. While they are there the
budget will be discussed. This includes figuring out who and what areas
they want to lay employees off from. As they are sitting there eating
their prime rib dinners and drinking they will be discussing who to fire from
their jobs. Life is SOOOOOOOOO tuff! God forbid if the church pulled
its financial support for Plain Truth Ministries (the baby of Greg
Albrecht). These are the same people who are supposed to be counting the
money sent to the church, but they can't because they are supposedly
understaffed. So people's donations from June are still sitting there
unaccounted for. Plain Truth Ministries cannot survive on it's
own. WCG pays for all the salaries of PTM's employees, pays all their
benefits, etc. Australia shut down it's version of the Plain Truth last
month because they could not fund it, why doesn't Pasadena close down the
PT?"
Treasurer Finds It's Tough at the Top: Dateline: Pasadena. "Schnippert
recently pissed the employees off when he told everyone at an employee meeting
in the Auditorium how he ran out of gas coming to work one day. HE was too
cheap to buy gas in Big Bear (where he recently bought a large home which he now
considers to be entirely his office - therefore it is all tax deductible) so he
told how he drove his clunker of a car all the way down to Pasadena where he ran
out of gas just outside of town here. Employees were expected to have
sympathy for his stupidity, especially considering the fact that all his gas
money and his car is covered by a car allowance that he receives from the
church. While the Pasadena employees have not had a raise in years, and
struggle by, poor little Bernie can't afford a tank of gas."
Tkach twists the knife: "Has our
policy on worship days changed? Are we now favoring one day over another?"
asks Pastor Generalissimo Joe in the August Worldwide News. "Yes,
and no." The denomination's proprietor (no voting allowed!) goes on to warn
that "members have no business agitating in other congregations". Then
a few lines later adds "We do not want members to agitate in their own
congregation, either." Agitation apparently means means discussion. Kind of
makes intelligent debate difficult.
Joey goes on to make his own views crystal clear.
"However, I would like to say a word to people who feel that they should
keep the Sabbath in the way it was originally commanded. The old covenant focus
is on rest, not on worship... Likewise today, people who keep the Sabbath can
also worship on Sunday, and people who prefer Sunday can also worship on
Saturday."
After rubbishing the traditional WCG holy days
Tkach concludes: "In summary, we [i.e. "I"] prefer the annual
observances that people typically associate with Jesus: Christmas, Easter and
others. But we ["I"] allow members to meet on other days too, as long
as Christ is the center of the worship."
Very generous of you Joe. How nice to have a
denominational leader who does all the thinking for his flock.
Our favorite line from Joe's epistle states:
"It would be inconsistent to preach grace and freedom while forbidding
worship on days that have origins we don’t like." Would somebody please
tell Joe that it is inconsistent to preach grace and freedom while forbidding
involvement in the selection of the church's leadership.
Rod's
"Spear Point": The Presiding Evangelist of the Living Church
of God, Roderick C. Meredith, addressing members and co-workers in an
October 23 letter, says "... it is important to know that this
Work is the "spear point" of God in warning our peoples
specifically about what lies just ahead... we have been—almost alone—telling
you brethren and co-workers exactly what was going to happen! ... Right
now, the British-descended and American peoples are surely "stumbling
to the slaughter"—the greatest national tribulation in the history
of humanity!"
Plane
Truths. New Zealand WCG members and ex's may do a double take when they
browse in bookshops and supermarkets this week. One of the country's leading
magazines, The Listener, features a cover with a play on words that
focuses on the declining fortunes of the nation's airline. Just for one
terrible, fleeting moment we thought that the PT news-stand program was back up
and running!