A story from Facebook on how a COG minister treated the members in his area.
We had a young family that occasionally arrived a little late...three boys and a newborn baby, who can blame them? Well... The Pastor and elders set up the chairs and podium to face the entrance door to teach them a lesson. That week when the family walked in late they entered next to the speaker who stopped and stared at them, the entire congregation facing them gasping in disgust. HWA would have been proud.
Facebook posting said, "HWA would have been proud".
ReplyDeleteMY COMMENT - Indeed, HWA would have been proud. So would an army of gustopo like ministers underneath the Apostle of God including Meredith, Salyer, Panella, Westby, Williams, Kellers, etc.
Of course, the WCG mentality which we will all remember is "how can this lay member rule over cities in God's Kingdom when he can't even get his family to Sabbath Services on-time".
Richard
PS - My guess is that this lay member who was publicly embarrassed by this church stunt was probably the most humble, loyal, tithe-paying lay member of the entire congregation. And, most importantly, he probably contributed to the all important Building Fund.
That's not just crazy -- that's childish.
ReplyDeleteThis is yet another example of Monsters.
Thanks for the reference.
And by the way, don't put this in past tense: The ACoGs are still actively oppressing and abusing their people in ever more creative ways as the Guards MUST maintain order over the Prisoners. It's hard to keep up.
Aw I got that beat...GTA went ballistic on me during one of his sermons, yelling and staring at me about "If you don't like it here you can GET OUT!" We were all stunned, all 2000 of us..ha. It was only the following Monday when the Dean came to retrieve me from Meredith's bible class and haul me up to GTA's office I learned it was myself he was yelling at. One of my most weird AC experiences on record...
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I know I have told this before :) Just fit the topic
M.T.Seats
Steve Martin was giving a sermon at the Pasadena Imperial Gym church and got into the "If you don't like it you can leave!" rant when a mild-mannered fellow named George (who clearly had not been listening)stood up and began walking up the aisle back toward the entrance (and the restrooms - which was his destination in the first place). Steve said, in a very hurt, anguished tone,"Awww, George!" George, who had no idea of what Steve was talking about at that point, just turned around to Martin and waved both hands in a dismissive gesture and continue walking out. It was stunning theater (theatre?)and made for a most memorable sabbath service. Martin announced the next week that it was all a misunderstanding. For just a moment I though I was seeing a fantasy come true.
ReplyDeleteGlenn Parker
When the "minister"(David Johnson)in this area was being transferred, he told everyone from the pulpit that he would be at the exit after services to shake hands and say goodbye, and if anyone didn't want to say goodbye, just ignore him and keep on walking. I'm the only one who kept on walking. He didn't like it a little bit, and the other dumb sheep who saw what I did(or didn't do)just stood there with their mouths open, totally dumbfounded.
ReplyDeleteIn the Denver church, Arthur Craig lambasted a millionaire member,John Sower, from the pulpit because he was jealous of him. Craig was finally put out of the "ministry", left with his wife and his lover, a single girl from the congregation. Ya gotta luv those assholes!
Check out this story from Exit and Support Network
ReplyDeletehttp://www.exitsupportnetwork.com/recovery/testimony/fruits.htm
I was the victim of one such "minister." His attack was a spiritual and psychological rape! It was a stripped of dignity and false accusation in a high-powered harangue, lasting nearly two hours, designed to destroy self-worth and self-esteem, reducing the victim to virtual worthlessness. The attack was savage!
The power of the minister to cut the person off from the "vine," the "one true Church" means death to the victim--spiritual, final death and destruction in the "lake of fire." First one is taught to hold fast to "his crown," "endure to the end," in order to obtain salvation. Then one is brought under fire in an interrogation that threatens to sever him from "God/the Church/the Vine/the life-line." It all becomes one in the victim's mind.
This minister hissed that as God's representative he was God in the flesh! I could not bare to listen to him. His voice was forceful and evil. He said I was baptized into the "Government of the Church." Somehow, I knew I never would have agreed to that. Later, when I was reminded of the baptismal vows, I recalled that I had agreed to be baptized "not into any sect or denomination, but into the Body of Jesus Christ."
Soon after this attack, I threw myself on the mercy of Joseph Tkach, Jr., the man who was in charge of the USA ministry at the time.3 I believed that if he knew the hideous goings-on of the minister, he would intervene on my behalf as I knew I was innocent of any wrong-doing that I was accused of (taking the side of a wrongfully disfellowshipped person and being told if I was on that person's side I was "against God").
Joseph Tkach, Jr. called me from church headquarters in Pasadena, California.4 In a one hour harangue, similar to that of the minister, Tkach, Jr. sarcastically twisted the truth as I spoke to him and pleaded with him to investigate for himself. There was absolutely no mercy. I told Tkach, Jr. that I took the side of TRUTH, and that if he ever decided to look at the TRUTH, he could call me and apologize. I said I could not go back to services under the current circumstances.
My connection with the Worldwide Church of God was severed at that moment. It was as if I expected a lightning bolt to strike me dead. The phone conversation ended with me asking Joseph Tkach, Jr. to call off the minister as he had earlier offered to do.
He did not honor my request. After a sleepless night, the minister was again calling me the next morning. He wanted to come to my home and bring his assistant. But I had heard what he and his assistant had done to another member in a similar tirade.
I hung up on him, not able to endure listening to the satisfaction dripping in his voice as he knew he had succeeded in slaughtering me for all practical purposes, according to what the WCG teachings. He was attempting to make the final "kill"! I instinctively knew he was out to destroy me.
Fear and panic gripped me as the phone continued to ring and ring. I now feared for my physical safety and that of my children. I drove to the courthouse to obtain a restraining order after an offer of the sheriff's department explained to me how to go about the procedure. I saw in those frightful moments, the evilness of the Worldwide Church of God!
The judge obviously recognized that I was in a state of panic. He granted a restraining order with no reservations. He said I could obtain a permanent order after a hearing if I wished. That day was the beginning of a new life for me. The panic began to subside. I felt strange turning to the American system of government, which the WCG had taught me was part of Satan's system, until I realized that I was greatly blessed to be an American citizen complete with freedoms that I'd lost over the years as part of this subversive organization.
I hope I never have to meet one of those bastards in a dark alley. I'm afraid what I might do!
ReplyDeleteMany "ministers" can act in evil ways.
ReplyDeleteNot just WCG ministers- I'm also including those preachers endlessly parading on crazy networks like Trinity Broadcast Network, JCTV, Daystar, and The Worship Network.
It's a cesspool of crazy, with victims intentionally made and spewed out.