Gone are the days of 10-15,000 COG members in one location.
The eight
COG's below will be lucky if they have 1,500 total between them all!
screen shot
Who could have ever imagined years ago that there would be EIGHT different Church of God's meeting in the same city with each one telling their members to NOT attend the other group's site.
Church of God in Truth
Church of God Ministries International
Church of God a Worldwide Association
Eternal Church of God
International Congregation of Yahweh
Providence of God Outreach
United Church of God
United Church of God and Church of God Worldwide Association will both be there together in the same city. Two splinter personality cult both claiming they are the ULTIMATE authority on God's word and truth. Both are just as heretical as the other.
Then there is Living Church of God and Church of God Worldwide Association in Park City Utah. Can one little town handle two of most self-righteous COG's ever in the same city? The Mormons look half way sane in the face of these two splinter personalty cults!
From: Feastgoer.org: Bringing Feastgoers Together (This list is only a partial list of COG sites. Most do not publicly post their locations.)
Part of the Armstrong methodology from the 1950s and 1960s involved HWA defining what the true church would look like today, ie how one could recognize it. And, of course, he wrote the "specs" so that only his Radio Church of God was in full conformity.
ReplyDeleteIf you were to take those original specs seriously, considering them to be real criteria, probably the vast majority of the splinter groups would in fact be in compliance, even today. And, yet, we have reached a situation in which believers in Armstrongism are not permitted to speak or associate with their fellow believers from other splinters! They will speak with a Catholic neighbor if they see him at the local Piggley Wiggley, but will cross the street to avoid even passing by a member of a competing splinter who used to be a friend!
This sort of behavior has its root in extreme Phariseeism, and the supreme ego of the authority figures who preside over the groups. I do not want to see a resurgence in Armstrongism, because I am convinced that it was a false church right from the get-go. But the members of these splinter groups are going to have to realize that the only way in which they are going to see any unity ever again is to practice civil disobedience. Reunification is never going to come from the top down. There is way too much ego and authoritarianism for that. But, unity could well come if there were a grass roots movement from the bottom up.
BB
BREAKING NEWS!...
ReplyDeleteEight COG Groups to REUNITE at the Branson Feast Site!
Where: The Welk Resort
Host : Tony Orlando and Dawn
All the attending churches will begin their potential reuniting ceremony with a singing of "Tie a Yellow Ribbon" , and led in doing so by the immortal BRANSON FAVORITES ...Tony Orlando and Dawn....
"Pin A Tithe Envelope On The Ole Oak Tree"
We're coming home we've done our time,
Now we've got to know what is and isn't mine,
If you receive my letter tellin' you we'd be at the
F-O-T,
Then you'll know just what to do, if you still want "WE", ...if you still want "WE".
Pin a tithe envelope`on the ole oak tree,
It's been 25 long years, do ya still want "WE"?
If WE don't see an envelope ,pinned on the ole oak tree,
We'll stay on the bus, forget about us, put the blame on THEE...
If We don't see an envelope `pinned on the ole oak tree....
Now the whole damn bus is jeering and I can't believe I see...
Not a single envelope`pinned on the ole oak tree.!
Members of all the COG's who will meet in Branson should get together for a service in the middle of the feast and take up an offering that will go to help the local charities. I really don't think this will happen but wouldn't that be a good idea?
ReplyDeleteDeclining attendance is what you get when your members die off and you are aren't replacing them. Just think what it will look like in twenty or more years.
ReplyDeleteOf course the practice of current members abandoning ship and not coming back happens as well. Some of them may latch on to another group for a time or two and then decide it just isn't worth it. It's remarkable how your perspective changes when you get access to information at your fingertips.
It is pretty common for several of the larger groups to have Feasts at the same sites. A lot of members still have mates or other extended family & friends in the "other" group.
ReplyDeleteI know that they also hope that they will get members from the other group to come with their organization. The spirit of competition prevails.
I can't find anything showing that COGWA will be in Utah. Is this a last minute added site or is this an error on Feastgoer's page?
ReplyDeleteYou stole my thunder Connie! I was going to put in a plug for Lawrence Welk's Champagne Theatre in Branson and you beat me to it!
ReplyDeleteRonco
And I was thinking about the song Tie a Yellow Ribbon earlier today... That's just weird.
ReplyDeleteRonco
Not all of the coordinator families at Season of our Joy are ex WCG. There are numerous differences between that organization and the old WCG and the coordinators who were in the WCG know about the problems it had and caused. They are in no way trying to recreate HWA's organization.
ReplyDeleteThere is a good bit of leeway given to speakers and there is a wide range of beliefs from attendees. In most of the sessions, speakers are required to answer questions from the audience. Also, they can expect questions outside of scheduled question and answer periods. That is because it is expected that if speakers believe something, they need to be able to show why they do. If they cannot convince their audience, they cannot expect to be believed.
There is no doctrine of required tithing and no pressure to give is applied. In fact, a main session presentation topic a few years ago taught about the correct system of tithing and taught that organizations which teach that the tithe is owed to the organization are not teaching from scripture. If one goes to the site and searches the archives, that presentation is available.
Voluntary offerings are mentioned a few times during the entire feast. There is a marketplace where the SOOJ organization has a table and proceeds are used to pay for the feast. Others are allowed to register for spots in the marketplace to use for themselves and keep the funds that they bring in. The expected number of attendees is around 750 this year.
As can be expected, there are some that believe they are more knowledgeable than others. Some of these people are ex WCG (NONE !!! of the coordinators who are ex WCG are being described here!) who seem to feel that their years of experience have brought great knowledge that others just do not have. They can be identified if someone knows what to look for.
I sometimes wonder how the members who were around in 1970 can even stand the reduction of their numbers. It has to be depressing, you know, looking back at the hey day of Armstrongism.
ReplyDeleteWhere'd everybody go? Well, idiots, they wised up and left.
Corky: The church has always had a good excuse for the membership dropping off.
ReplyDelete"God is cleaning out the chaff" "They were never really converted"
These two sayings make the remaining members feel extremely special and set apart by God as the "elite" who are holding fast to the truth. Their reward will be to become come god's ruling over their own planets.
From The Wanderer
ReplyDeleteHi all...NEVER knew so many different segments existed that celebrated Feast...getting more confused by the moment..just doesn't add up. Are these recent photos? Some sites look famil too. Are these all bretheren? When mention going to a Feast site not on the docket..yep..cogwa...you would think I stole something from my mother..or..just going for high days ..same. wow..I get to go by myself too and always feel like a third wheel and out of place. Hey..wheres YOUR family..duh..they are happy believing God just outright loves them and go on with life..wait a minute.
Since reading posts have been...wandeting..as you can guess
Hey, is that a picture of the Mt. Pocono 'tabernacle' building?
ReplyDeleteIt looks rather familiar.
BTW, the Pocono tabernacle building was torn down years ago after partially collapsing, and weeds now grow where it once was.
And, to think of the glory days! I remember GTA arriving, buzzing over it in the G-III jet and wiggling the wings for all the adoring fans looking skyward as if the Son of God was returning. I also remember, in that building, shaking HWA's buttery soft hand after a long wait in line to do so. Apparently, all of that lectern pounding hadn't produced any callouses.
I actually liked the old tent more, though, and have fond memories of Satan inspiring me to cop a feel of the young Canadian lady I met and sat next to while HWA spoke.
But, about those ever-dwindling numbers in the ACOGs...
For some, they'd rather have the ego boost of being a a big fish in a small pond. I know some men who would never have amounted to shit in the big pond of the old WCG, but now have positions of power in the 'small pond' splinters they are now in.
If you really want to see how cult is part of the culture, you need only look to the Church of God in Truth with James Russell who claims that all the other Armstrongist churches of God will be worshipping at the feet of CoGIT members BECAUSE... the rest of the ACoGs don't have the right calendar! Talk about holier than thou.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course, people in the CoGWA will be wandering over to the UCG and back during the week.
Branson? Why?
Oh, it's the entertainment, of course. Take a riverboat ride. Is there gambling? That's one of the favorite pastimes of senior ACoG members. See the live shows. And, oh, go to services once in awhile.
If you Olde Testament Christian Pharisees REALLY think you are keeping the Feast of Tabernacles, think again: It was given to the ancient Israelites and not to New Testament Christians. It was not a part of the Commandments existing way back before Moses. It's part of Moses' Law and it involves animal sacrifices. It had a lot of bull.
The ACoGs thinking they are keeping the Feast are not -- it's the wrong kind of bull.
Oh, yeah, and how do you sit still listening to the lies of British Israelism for your doomsday false prophecies during the sermons? I couldn't stomach it. You people are daft kooks.
Will PCG be having a Feast there? Several months ago ESN leaked the following cities as being the location for PCG's feast sites.
ReplyDeleteEdmond, OK (headquarters)
Columbus, OH
Indian Wells, CA
Nashua, NH
Stone Mountain, GA
Osoyoos, BC, Canada
St. George's, Grenada
Enfield, Ireland
Hunter Valley (NSW), Australia
Clark, Philippines
Tshipise, South Africa
Absolutely right, Black Ops Mikey.
ReplyDeleteThere is also another fact that deserves mention: The Armstrongites, all of them, are observing the Feast of Tabernacles incorrectly.
There is no Scriptural reason for them to meet up in some huge assembly. The Jews celebrated the Feast in their homes. They make a little booth (sukkah) in their own home. And because they lived in a nation in which many observed the Mosaic law they celebrated it together as a joyous celebration. They did not go someplace far away in some well constructed auditorium in order to listen to sermon after sermon for eight days in a bizarre week of indoctrination. And they did not wait all year saving the second tithe in order to splurge it all in those eight days. Not at all.
Frankly the Armstrongites should not even call it the Feast of Tabernacles. It is a new, man made tradition all of their own making.
"Feast"...yea the whole time you're there you have to worry about whether you will have your job when you return home from the "Feast",and how much money you didn't make to pay your bills while you were at the "Feast", and getting caught up on the kids school work and all the repercussions on your child when they return to school and so on and so on.
ReplyDeleteOf course this is all just a test from God. This is why the PCg clan at >headquarters< didn't want to go through any more testing from God and built their own little school and college and concert hall and homes and jobs there in Edmond,OK...their own little utopia community...and too bad for the rest of you still having to live outside of the compound under God's testing. What's the big deal? Got a bad attitude or something?
"OK, you're disfellowshipped!" (Brian Davis, favorite words!)
Redfox, I am reminded of the ad on TV that is all about layaway for non Christmas -- they claim it's not about Christmas at all: Happy non Christmas birthday.
ReplyDeleteAnd so it is with the Feast of Tabernacles: It's really a non Feast Feast. It's xmas and vacation all wrapped up in one and, for many, it's a shopping trip and entertainment expedition, held in a Corporate Convention Center which may have just had an Apple, Linux or IBM Convention just the week before. Heck, they might even have it the same week if the center is big enough (convenient for those who work for Apple or IBM -- they can do it partly on company expense). And for the life of me, it's hard to tell one from the other, although the past HP celebrations were far better than watching a Festival Movie or going to a fun show during the Feast (and the vendor paid for it, not the employees).
So we have Cult Church Corporate maintaining the addiction of members by claiming some sort of vague connection to the Old Testament which never existed in the first place.
And the bottom line is that no matter what, the Feasts were only for the Old Testament times Israelites who were unconverted. Claiming that the Feast has some deep spiritual meaning at the business Convention Centers is really creating a delusional fantasy.
Not good at all for mental health.
LOL! It seems that the "Season of our Joy" fan has slipped in a little advertisement for his particular (peculiar?) 'feast' here.
ReplyDeleteUndoubtedly, it will be the BEST. FEAST. EVER.
Oops, I should have said-
BEST. SUKKOTH. EVER.
But would the "BEST. SUKKOTH. EVER." begin to truly sucketh if the attendees realized that the Hebraic names thing was just built on an agenda- rather than any real evidence that 'Yeshua' is what he was called?
I suppose there's a draw in thinking of one's self as having "secret knowledge"- apparently so secret that there's not a shred of historical evidence to support it.
Anon wrote:
ReplyDelete"I actually liked the old tent more, though, and have fond memories of Satan inspiring me to cop a feel of the young Canadian lady I met and sat next to while HWA spoke."
Hilarious!
Why did the whole family attend the FOT? I thought Deut 16:16 read, "Three times a year all your men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he will choose....." Imagine, only men with 10% of their annual income to spend.
ReplyDelete