An Open Letter to All COG
Churches, Leaders and Ministers
Twenty –two years have past
since 1990 when the first of the splits occurred with with WCG by PCG leaving. Subsequent splits occurred year after
year. I beg to ask the question, where
has this gotten any of us? In recent
letters from a prominent minister who has joined RCG, he stated that when UCG
was formed, “The idea was to keep our eyes
open --- to watch for fruits of a work that might emerge in or from one of the
“Church of God” organizations. It would reflect the Government of God at work,
and have fruits similar to the WCG when it was on track and being so obviously
blessed by God. THIS would be the signal for all the groups to reunite as
one”! Well then, why even form United
under the guise of a voting democratic state if all you wanted to do was look
for another organization that was exactly the same as WCG was under Mr.
Armstrong? Why not start United, right
off the bat as that organization that was exactly the same as WCG? If
the majority of ministers would have stood up in 1993, you could have ousted
Joe Jr. a long time ago and got control of things. Now you have the “big fish in a little pond”
syndrome. Why didn’t all the ministers
go with Flurry when he split, he holds HWA in high esteem. Or, with Meredith. They tried to keep things close to HWA
too. There were several opportunities to join
forces before further fracturing the church.
But no, split after split
occurred dragging brethren and their spiritual lives through the mud of each
“leader” thinking that they would restore the “true church” just as Mr.
Armstrong had the church on the track. Who’s
to say Mr. Armstrong had everything correct in his day. There are many examples of failed prophecies,
abuse of brethren and sheer avarice on his part. Does that show a church that Jesus Christ
founded? Did the Lord not criticize a
church that was rich and increased with goods? Did he not criticize people who hoard up
earthly treasures unto themselves? Many
members are tired of all this silliness perpetrated by the leadership. Many are opting to stay home. Many of them discuss amongst themselves how
sick and tired they are that the ministry cannot work together, and think that
a churches fruits are how many buildings and riches it has.
As you may remember, HWA taught
that the age would end in 1975. An
observation that a few of us have made is why was he building a college and
auditorium prior to 1975, if we were just going to flee and leave it? The Pasadena Campus was built on the blood,
sweat and tears of the brethren sacrificing their financial future. For what?
The present owners are beginning demolition of part of the campus. If this was God’s campus, wouldn’t He have
done something about it? Hence I cite
the Temple in Jerusalem, a place where God’s presence dwelt. Did He spare that? He saw that it became a monument to a
religious organization and men, not to God.
If we are now in the “last years of the last days” then why is RCG
building a new building, new college?
Why can’t he buy a commercial property and refurb it? Why another monument to nothing paid for
again by the sweat and tears of the brethren.
PCG and Gerald Flurry have just built a $5million debacle (in debt and
ready to go bankrupt) all in the name of preserving God’s government. Is God going to dwell in any of these places
or are they going to become defunct wrecks of human ambition?
Who among any of the leaders and
ministers can say that they are fulfilling the roll of an apostle when Jesus
Christ Himself said that “whoever of you would be great must be a
servant”? That those who exalt
themselves will be abased? That the
greatest will be the least in the Kingdom.
What constitutes the office of Apostle?
One who is sent forth. Not one
who sits in their edifices of glorification to themselves and their
organizations. Or, by merchandising the brethren to pay for
trips abroad and not preaching the name of Jesus Christ does not equate with
being sent forth. The apostle John sat in a cave on an island in
the middle of nowhere. The glory he
received was the Revelation of the coming of the Lord and also a vision of
heaven. John’s writings are in every
Bible that has circled the world. Are
the writings of any of these groups as popular as the Bible? The example of all the apostles were not
that of setting themselves up on pillars, but of poverty, rejection and
sometimes dying as martyrs for their faith.
So what constitutes David Pack claiming to be an apostle?
Is he healing people by the
hundreds? Is he performing
miracles? The way he departed from Global was less then
honorable. The membership is not blind,
they are aware of what happened when Global split. The same with Gerald Flurry. He is not “that Prophet”. Even Jews know that that title is reserved
for the Messiah himself.
I’m not saying that any leader,
organization, or person has to be perfect.
But seriously there is one small word that has been forgotten over the
years. Its HUMILITY. Hey,
I’m not claiming to be perfect. I’m a
poor, broke person who is a sinner just like everyone else. I’m not putting my 2 cents in here because
I think I’m better than anyone else.
The reason for this letter is too many people have been hurt for too
long in the name of “the Church of God”.
Taking God’s name in vain isn’t just cursing. Its usurping God’s name and God’s word to
fulfill your own ambitions, no matter how many scriptures you use to support
your position. If you hurt people by
lying, cheating, stealing, in God’s name you are breaking the commandment of
loving your neighbor. Taking titles
that you don’t deserve is receiving your reward now.
In conclusion, I just ask any
minister or member who reads this to ask themselves what are the fruits God is
looking for? Buildings, magazines,
booklets, or are they, love, peace, mercy, kindness, justice?
Reread the New Testament and for
once, listen to what it really says.
Sincerely,
A Lowly Nobody
9 comments:
A lowly nobody said, “If the majority of ministers would have stood up in 1993, you could have ousted Joe Jr. a long time ago and got control of things”.
MY COMMENT – As an outsider looking in (I left the Church in 1976), I have NEVER understood why certain leadership and the rank and file of the WCG allowed little Joey Tkach to hijack the Church without putting up a HUGE fight. After all, if everyone believed this was “God’s one and only true church”, then why didn’t people initially organize into one large opposition group to fight in the Courts (and in the Court of Public Opinion) for control of God’s Pasadena and Big Sandy real estate assets, and for God’s Ambassador College?
Why did no one fight for God's Church?
Instead, it appears everybody in the WCG ran in several hundred different directions – accomplishing nothing while little Joey Tkach “cashed in” on hundreds of millions of dollars bought and paid for by the tithes, offerings, special offerings, Holiday Day offerings, Emergency Fund and don’t forget the all important Building Fund offerings of God’s people (i.e. our parents) throughout the years.
“It was like stealing candy from a baby” said multi-millionaire little Joey Tkach, Jr. while smoking a cigar following cashing in on his inherited WCG assets. “God really does call the weak and base things” he added with a smile as he blew cigar smoke on a remaining portrait of founder Herbert W. Armstrong.
Richard
There are no "Lowly nobodies" It is you and those like you that change minds from the bottom up so that those who want you to function from the top down reconsider their ways.
One can always vote with their feet.
Nice letter
M.T.Hall
A Lowly Nobody got the news way late, didn't he? Many of us realized much of what he outlined way back in 1975. There were plenty of splinters back then, too, both on the liberal side and the conservative.
God was never with WCG or HWA in the first place. That was all an illusion.
BB
"God was never with WCG or HWA in the first place. That was all an illusion."
And that "god" is the biggest illusion of all. Just aint no such thing out there anywhere.
I usually just ignore these comments, but once in awhile, I have to challenge and speak out out about the BS.
Leaders and ministers of the churches of God have their minds made up that their way is best and no one can disuade them.
Scientific proof has no effect on them -- in fact, there is no proof of any kind that they will accept.
Fortunately there are forces in the real world which catch up to such delusional people and eventually they die without making the world one whit better and end up having made the world worse by their mere worthless existence.
"Many members are tired of all this silliness perpetrated by the leadership...Many of them discuss amongst themselves how sick and tired they are that the ministry cannot work together..."
Right on. Everybody knows this. Once in a while they will even admit it. Then they put it carefully back away again. If they decided that this was an important truth that demands action, they know they would have to leave. And they don't want to do that.
"Taking God’s name in vain isn’t just cursing. Its usurping God’s name and God’s word to fulfill your own ambitions...If you hurt people by lying, cheating, stealing, in God’s name you are breaking the commandment of loving your neighbor. Taking titles that you don’t deserve is receiving your reward now."
Too true. By their own words, they declare themselves to be unfit for the salvation they pretend they can lead you to, and thus condemn themselves. If you think they're going to help prepare you for an eternal afterlife, you have to realize that this is only going to lead to your own disappointment.
Ditto M.T. Hall's comment. The only person in whose eyes you're a lowly nobody is those full of $#@% ministers.
Even Christ himself had to correct the Samaritan woman, whose questioning reflected the same narrow minded mentality many tend to exhibit today, that we must worship God at Jerusalem (Jews) or Rome (Catholics) or Mecca (Muslims) or, by extension, fleece the flock to sponsor "feast" sites or build extravagant and expensive mini-"temples" like Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena (WCG) or Armstrong Auditorium in Edmond (PCG) or the proposed World Headquarters Complex in Wadsworth (RCG) or expand the present facilities of the home office in Milford (UCG) etc., when He said: "Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father...But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him" (John 4:21-23).
The Jerusalem Temple was destroyed nearly two thousand years ago, but under the guise of doing the "Work" of God and the threat of sanction for "forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" (Heb 10:25) they program the people to think they have to congregate here or there as "if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not" (Mat 24:23).
Yet, the truth is the temple is no longer a building, but the body of the believer (1Cor 6:19; 1 Pet 2:5). And, in fact, the "churches" of God, during the NT era, met in homes, not fancy buildings (Acts 2:46; 5:42; 20:20; Rom 16:5; 2 Tim 3:6; Tit 1:11) whereas today the vast majority of money given by believers has gone to pay for imposing edifaces or line the pockets of sanctimonious sycophants rather than to help the poor and needy.
These so-called "ministers" of God and Christ better be wary of what He warns will happen even to them in Jeremiah 2:19 for the "evil, bitter thing" done to "abandon" Him and their failure to "fear" Him. Their "wickedness will bring its own punishment" and their "turning" from Him will "shame" them. Truly, Proverbs 14:12 will prove correct even for them in due time: "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."
Hey All,
Lowly Nobody here. Thanks for your support. Thought I'd take the title of L.N. rather than a High Exalted Prince of Mt. Wanna-Hocka-Loogie. Its easier to fall off your pedastal if its not very high. Yea, I realize all that stuff was going on in the 70's, but I was a kid then. Not interested in too much other than sneaking out of services to go smoke with my friends.
I often wonder too if there is some way to start a class action suit against these guys. Accepting dontations under false pretenses and all. Would need a lot of lawyers and a lot of money to do that. I hope I win Powerball this weekend !
Perhaps just by speaking out on this blog and others like it our small voices together will crescendo and drive these agents of evil out into the light and save some from losing their souls to the dark side.
Speaking of the dark side,check out this link... Scary !
http://totallylookslike.icanhascheezburger.com/2008/07/21/pope-benedict-xvi/
A class action you say LN?
I've always wondered if only the so-called "disgruntled" ex-members back in the late 70s and early 80s who brought about the CA lawsuit against WCG back then had succeeded so many people who got sucked in and duped since would have been spared so much heartache and turmoil. Che sera sera I guess.
But hey if someone has the balls to go ahead with it I'm sure lots of disillusioned exmembers would be in and hopefully it'd wake others up who are still in these cults.
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