Rod Meredith has taken a swipe at James Malm's blog, the Shining Light, in a letter to the ministry justifying the recent disfellowshipment and marking of Tom Baca. You know things are getting desperate at LCG HQ when they have to publicly pick at blogs and web sites that are a thorn in their side.
Meredith also lashes out at Tom Baca in the letter. I don't know the full reasons behind Baca's public marking, but I do know from several sources that this is certainly a power play meant to silence anyone who disagrees with some of LCG's methods of operations.
Armstrongism has always been obsessed with power. That power structure is firmly in place with the top down leadership of the COG's. When leaders place God and Jesus at the top of the power structure, then it makes any questioning, doubt, or dissent into rebellion against God. Just because a person questions or holds the upper echelon accountable for something, does not imply dissension.
What is happening with Baca right now is a power play and a visible threat to anyone else in the church to not do the same thing.
Meredith wants everyone to know that it is still all rainbows and lollipops in Charlotte. The church has never been more unified, members love Jim Meredith more than they ever have, and the telecast are better than ever after kicking out Baca. The sticky sweet syrup is running down my computer screen right now.
Doesn't Meredith realize how stupid he looks when he writes this stuff?
Overall,
the brethren here at Headquarters seem to be positive and happy and
unified. We have had a few problems come up but they are certainly being
taken care of and will be taken care of. But God is certainly blessing
the Work—our income the last few days has been up, the responses to the
telecasts have been great, and the growth in the Internet and our impact
on the Internet is certainly proceeding. I just had a long meeting with
some of our leading ministers here this morning, and I am very grateful
for their advice and support.
We truly
are unified, fellow ministers, and some of the “weird” comments from
people calling themselves “Shining Light” and others trying to imply
there is some kind of big “power struggle” going on is frankly
ridiculous. Mr. Ames, Dr. Winnail and I deeply love and respect each
other and are working together very closely as well as Dexter Wakefield,
Wyatt Ciesielka, Rod McNair, Bob League, Jim Meredith and others.
You will be
hearing about the growth in the Work in the next few weeks, and
specific statistics, but I just wanted to send this cover memo with the
very much needed “marking” of Tom Baca. Many of you have heard or seen
his comments on Facebook and elsewhere, and will understand the need to
deal with this individual. Please read this “marking” notice to all the
brethren in your area so that they can understand the need to avoid this
individual and his attacks on the Church.
As we obey
God and do all we can to move the Work forward, protect the brethren
from wolves, and truly concentrate on getting out Christ’s message with
greater power, I know that God will certainly be with us. So let’s keep
at it, try not to listen to often wildly speculative gossip, and help
the brethren grow “unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of
Christ.”
27 comments:
Meredith and his ministers are sickening! They are no representative of God. Their church is not the true body of believers but nothing more than a bunch of neurotic cases, the birds of the same feather flocking together.
Rod says Bacca is causing division at LCG HQ.
Rod says LCG HQ is unified.
One of Rod's statements has to be a lie.
In the summer of 1998, just before Rod Meredith left the Global Church of God, he gave sermons insisting that Global was unified, that he had no conflicts with the other Global leaders, and they had no conflicts with him.
Six months later, when Global was facing bankruptcy, Meredith left Global and started Living Church of God, now telling brethren that there had been divisions at GCG HQ for a couple of years.
Today, LCG's income is way down, as confirmed by Meredith's recent begging letters. What will Meredith call his new church next year when he leaves the bankrupt LCG?
Meredith is a liar. And that's the plain truth.
RCM and especially his staff, son and "board" are making the same huge mistake HWA made. No one has the guts or compassionate approach to sit RCM down and tell him it is time to pass the torch, whatever that means. RCM is probably convinced Jesus will still come in his lifetime. Of course, he won't, but that's another story. Doug Winnail and RCM's son have the responsibility to sit down with the man and ask him to be reasonable and step aside in an advisory position if need be but , on to the next generation. Not doing this will shatter LCG . Eventually Dave Pack will have the same problem when time catches up. Only Dave has no "appropriate males" to succeed him. It will just fall apart
Same old story...same old ending
... and in 25 years....his property will be sold to the Mormons lol
So let’s keep at it, try not to listen to often wildly speculative gossip
Like false prophecies?
As I read RCM's first sentence, this is how I couldn't help but read it:
"Overall, the brethren here at Headquarters seem to be positive and happy and unified [They better be, or else!]. We have had a few problems come up but they are certainly being taken care of [deep in the bowels of the LCG dungeon] and will be taken care of [yes, this is a threat].
"But God is certainly blessing the Work—our income the last few days has been up, the responses to the telecasts have been great, and the growth in the Internet and our impact on the Internet is certainly proceeding...You will be hearing about the growth in the Work in the next few weeks..."
TRANSLATION: "Let me tell you more about specific areas such as "the internet" where I can claim growth by some metric, and ignore how I told you a few days ago that we've just had to cancel our program on 2 different stations because our cash flow (except for the last few days) has been significantly down...I'll be harping on this little blip of hope for at least the next few weeks. No matter what happens, I can always come up with some way to spin things to support the idea that 'God is certainly blessing the Work'
Anonymous 3:23 wrote: "In the summer of 1998, just before Rod Meredith left the Global Church of God, he gave sermons insisting that Global was unified, that he had no conflicts with the other Global leaders, and they had no conflicts with him. Six months later, when Global was facing bankruptcy, Meredith left Global and started Living Church of God, now telling brethren that there had been divisions at GCG HQ for a couple of years."
This is probably the weakest link of all the COG's - their actual history. If only LCG members would take this historical approach to what Meredith has said and done before, then perhaps that would give them some pause for thought. But I think it just shows how mesmerized people can be by the "we here at HQ are united as never before" rhetoric that so frequently emanates out from COG gurus. And such talk usually is then followed by some kind of crisis or split.
There's nothing like a civil war.
Of course, anything involving Meredith isn't likely to be that civil given his history.
Why in the heck do people put up with this COG nepotism?
Gerald Flurry will pass the torch to Stephen Flurry.
Rod Meredith to Jim Meredith.
John Rittenbaugh to Richard Rittenbaugh.
Joe Tkach Sr. to Joe Tkach Jr.
GTA to his Son.
... and the original plan was for HWA to pass it on to his son GTA.
This is BULL PUCKY and it stinks. Is the church some kind of MONARCHY with the rights of Kings, Lands and Titles??
Call me a UCG cheerleader if you like, but at least it has a succession system that relies on voting, and has local church councils that also has voting. There is at least some nominal "checks and balances" on this nepotism and "mafia family businesses".
Joe Moeller
Cody, WY
Well, Joe, UCG may indeed have a different governmental structure than most other COG's, that's true, but it has proven to have had its own unique set of problems - and United is probably one of the most incorrectly named of COG's, for it's FAR from united.
I love the picture at the top of this blog post!
Apparently, a couple of normal-looking cows were enough to split the UCG wide open when they ended up in the wrong pasture.
Maybe Jesus forgot to paint the cows pink (and with rainbows and hearts on them), so the idiot leaders of UCG could recognize how "UNITED" they ostensibly are. LOL!
It is obvious that United from the beginning had interlopers there who did not ascribe to its foundational documents as laid out at Indianapolis in 1995.
These were, instead, closet hierarchists or oligarchists who imagined that UCG would evolve eventually into the "one man rule" gig that all the other COGs have. UCG as a democratic collective was viewed only as a temporary evil until "THEY' could take it over.
This included David Hulme, Jim Franks and his COGWA gang, and others.
UCG is not perfect. However, anyone not willing to ascribe to some type of accountable and democratic practice will not be happy at UCG. There needs to be a continued progress in this at UCG, but I believe that it is growing in this process. It will be the COG that survives and prospers into the future for this very reason.
Joe Moeller
Cody, WY
Holy cow! Joe tells us there's a Jim Franks gang!
Joe, you should probably brush up on your early UCG history before making statements like these. If you really want to know about UCG, you should talk to Ray Wooten, the ORIGINAL founder of United, before everyone else like Denny Luker, Vic Kubik, and Jim Franks came along, took over his church and then kicked him out. Also, be aware that the COGWA contingent including Jim Franks had a hand in writing the governing documents, which is why they got so upset that those who are now running United were making decisions that violated them. They knew what the governing documents said because they were party to their writing.
Sorry if this does violence to the squeaky clean picture of UCG that the leader's propaganda suggests and that you've swallowed and now cherish. UCG is just as dirty a shop as COGWA or any of the other splinters.
"I shit skittles, package them up and sell them," said every COG minister ever.
Joe, you stated "Why in the heck do people put up with this COG nepotism?"
Then you go on to say how the COG leaders will pass on the "banner" to their sons or whatever. Well, you forgot one thing. They all preach theirs is the only true COG and all the rest are fakes and/or evil. Sorry, but that's smack of worse then hypocrisy. It's pure evil.
Hey now, Rod's right about one thing: The Shining Light is weird.
I have talked with Ray Wooten in person many times, most recently just 2 years ago.
Wooten realized early on that guys like Hulme and others on the council were working against the Indianapolis accord.
This is why he left in December of 1995, just a scant few months after Indianapolis. What Wooten predicted DID come about, and there was a mass movement within UCG to do away with local tithe collection, local ownership of buildings, and local councils, as well as a movement towards to much power being concentrated in either the Chairman or Presidents positions.
There are only two council members who go back to 1995, UCG/s beginning, Gary Antion and Donald Ward. There has been a complete remake in the council composition, especially since the COGWA split , and there is a definite change in tenor towards both local and individual empowerment. Also to the principles of Indianapolis.
I call em as I see em.
Joe Moeller
Cody, WY
I suspect that Meredith is failing to see the boogers in his proverbial punchbowl!
"We have had a few problems come up but they are certainly being taken care of and will be taken care of."
Translation: "The enemies of the state will be sent for rehabilitation and re-education until they are no longer a threat to the regime."
Wow, Joe, I've got no dog in the hunt re: any of the splinter groups, but your comments about Franks & Co are uncharitable, to say the least. Needs more splinter and less beam, I would say.
Velvet wrote, "Wow, Joe, I've got no dog in the hunt re: any of the splinter groups, but your comments about Franks & Co are uncharitable, to say the least. Needs more splinter and less beam, I would say."
NAY!, I say!
What the UCG needs is MORE COWBELL!!!
OOPS!!!
Maybe not, since "cow-bell problems" recently made half of the membership leave the UCG for "better pastures"!!!
Maybe the UCG needs "LESS cow-bell"?
LOL OK no I take that back, you're definitely right, Joe. :-)
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