As mentioned in an earlier post, the Church of God's are not growing because of new "worldly" members coming in, but are growing because of church poaching/hopping.
Global COG UK, has lost so many members over the last several years to be able to hold a Feast in the UK.
Even David Hulme's personality cult is losing members. Slick magazines that don't talk about God or Jesus until the last 2 or 3 paragraphs are not getting the message out.
The Global Church of God (aka Church of the Eternal God in the USA and Church of God a Christian Fellowship in Canada) will not be holding a Festival of Tabernacles in the UK for the first time since the church’s inception in 1993.When Roderick Meredith found himself unable to exert full control over the church, he established the Living Church of God, and then left Global in November 1998, together with over 70% of the ministers and members. The remnant splintered, with some re-grouping, but the UK (plus congregations in Belgium and France) remained intact as Global.Global has declined steadily, and now comprises only a nominal congregation in Derby, England. The Living Church of God in Europe has been a mirror image of Global, rising from almost nothing to over 200 attending Sabbath services today – albeit the large majority have been transfers from the Global church and David Hulme’s Church of God an International Community.
People are fickle!
ReplyDeleteLose not loose. Loose is what happens to shoe laces.
Its a really common mistake.
Thanks! Fixed it. I can look at the post several times and my eye sees one thing and the mind another, them my fingers do something different. Keep after me!
ReplyDeleteUsing a smart phone keypad?
ReplyDeleteNo, no, sometimes I like what's written and would not change a thing.
As for losing members... well, the whole thing was doomed from the beginning.
And we still don't get to see that $12 million movie about Jerusalem. Or was it $15 million? I forget.
Stop the presses!!!! I thought everyone who is a true Church of God member will be going with Pack by the end of the month. Maybe, this is just a temporary stop...cause Pack is the real deal!
ReplyDeleteThese must just be members of the fake Church of God.
The only way these splinters have growth is by people church-hopping from another armstrongist splinter.
ReplyDeleteAny other form of growth is negligible at best. The armstrongist COGs have an aging membership and they, overall, are slowly shrinking and dying out.
Very few who already aren't brainwashed into armstrongism will join an armstrongist church.
When the WCG began to splinter, the leaders took membership lists with them, so they could contact members to try and convince them that their splinter was best.
While stealing membership lists was completely unethical and possibly illegal, it was smart from a business standpoint and enabled those leaders to gain tithepayers, by marketing their religious wares to the rubes most likely to fall for their pitch.
What is the infamous shipwreck party you refer to in another place?
ReplyDeleteHow about a story on that.
The growth of any church of Christendom is mostly "church hopping". Of course, there are 'suckers born every minute' too... Well, maybe not "born" but they will be by the time they make it through kindergarten, what with the cultural indoctrination and all...
ReplyDeleteThere's no way I could ever go with any COG ever again, and especially not Pack. I kind of like the Church-Hopping Church of God. That's what I'll name my splinter. Or maybe the Sheep-Stealing Church of God would actually be better. That is what Dave Pack is actually claiming to do. He's claiming that he's going to steal 7,000 sheep this month. How about the Cattle Rustling Church of God? Or maybe that's COGWA already. Basically, when push comes to shove, this is what Vic Kubik is whining about not having been able to do.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think people are desperate for new names for their new splinter groups, but if you are just willing to think outside the box, there's plenty of good names for COGs still, better names in fact than the ones they've chosen.
The only way I would join another COG is if I joined the Lake of Fire Church of God. That's awesome. He doesn't claim to be united, living, or otherwise circumnavigating the earth (all the other words are taken). But he's honest and up front with you. You're going to the lake of fire biaches or your money back, so don't get your hopes up. Sweet. All the other COGs are doing the bait-and-switch thing. We promise you the kingdom of heaven, but whaddawe give you? Lake of fire! Not what you signed up for? So sue us.
The word on the street at one time is that Meredith thought that David Hummmm was one of the two witnesses, he, Meredith, being the other. He even proclaimed he was one of God's witnesses in a telecast.
ReplyDelete