This was sent to me today. Reading this you have to wonder what is the purpose of leaving the doors open any longer for GCI? While many people had high hopes it would morph into something bigger and better, it just seems to be shrinking smaller and smaller.
To think that over the 70 some years of it's existence close to half a million members were on the WCG church membership list. The chruch area I grew up[ in (Dayton Ohio) had over 700 members by the time I left to come to Pasadena in 1975. It was common in many areas to have church memberships in the 300+ range. Sure, there were lots of smaller one, but many were large in number. Now to see that average attendance for GCI in late 2011 is 26 is appalling.
...the following statistics which I obtained on October 31, 2011 in a phone conversation with Nancy Akers, who is the executive secretary to the Superintendent of Ministers in America. 1) Our weekly attendance in America is 7,832. This is 9% of what it used to be. 2) We have 300 congregations. While this number has only declined by approximately a third, the decline in average attendance per congregation is shocking. In 1989 it was 191; by October of 2011, it was only 26.
You can't do what the Tkaches and their theological groupies did and expect any other result than the one you got. Reckless and naive or maybe not so naive change at the direction of the Tkaches is responsible for all that has transpired.
ReplyDeleteThe polite thing would have been to leave if they had a problem with the WCG. I don't believe in history of religion any sect or denomination ever pulled such a stunt on its membership. What they called a miracle was simply stupidity wrapped in Jesus. They got the goldmine while the sincere members got the shaft.
I've said for years, they should have disbanded the church. The minute they knew the truth, it should have been obvious that others had far more knowledge and experience in practicing and teaching it. They should have sought out as many of the tithepayers as possible, and included them in a distribution of the assets, then done all they could to destroy heretical materials, and to set up ironclad legal protection so that nobody would ever be able to reproduce or publish them. They should have done some research and recommended good mainstream, Bible-based churches for any members looking for a new church.
ReplyDeleteBut, sadly, none of these folks apparently ever read Irenaeus!
BB
The only real good news to come from the COGs is their retreat into oblivion.
ReplyDeleteIf such a great miracle has happened in the WCG/GCI then why isn't there a stampede of new members braking down the doors to get into that church?
ReplyDeletePeople want to go where they feel safe. And being with self proclaimed former abusers isn't going to be your first choice for making yourself vulnerable
ReplyDelete