This was sent in by a reader this morning. Check out the astounding growth the UCG is experiencing. This is the exact same thing that is happening in all the other splinter groups. They are replacing those who die with new members who are usually disgruntled refugee's from other splinter group.
Actually, UCG is having some growth...at least replacing those who die. Not all congregations are getting smaller. Holding your own or some small growth is more than any other group I know of. We are in the time of the end. There are "wise" and "foolish" virgins.UCG is also the only group who has successfully merged with another group (CGCF). They even had a member on the UCG board within two years and another a few years later. Where else could that happen but in UCG's structure. Sadly, some of them with COGWA in the split, but one is still on our board.As to merging, there is a process, and it is difficult, mostly because of the personalities involved and lack of humility. While one may have a great relationship with an individual congregation, that does not go across the board. For example Living and UCG had a joint activity in Alaska at the feast. An elder at that event who went to New Zealand the following year tried to do it there, but the living elder said "Living doesn't do that". It is a real mix out there so be careful not to label all by a personal (perhaps correct), but limited experience. There may be a history and reasons why, but each situation seems different with most making judgments based on incomplete information.
Having worked directly with HWA in the final years, it is hard for me not to feel like Haggai and Zerubbabel and the '2nd temple' being so much less...but it is not by our power, but by God's. He controls the size of his army and where they are. I pray not to get in his way.
Aaron Dean
10 comments:
UGC publications are so flat, flat, flat. They are deliberately toned down to make members comfortable. Refugees choosing to come to their asleep church is hardly surprising.
The United Asleep Church of God.
Bring a pillow to church services.
Disgruntled refugees that's spot on. I'm a disgruntled refugee and its on the same level as being a modern day leper. They want you bumping up their numbers but don't let you get too cosy. Your really not one of them and dont ever fool yourself that you are equal in anyway to them.
Aaron Dean sounds like he's 10 years behind the times. When did UCG merge with CFGC ? wasn't recent by any means.
It was this same Aaron Dean that the couple appealed to help them because the wife was being stalked by another member in the UCG. They sent him a registered letter. They may still have the receipt that he received it. You know, the Bible makes it clear that an immoral man in the church doing such things is supposed to be disfellowshipped until he repents. What did the Council of Elders do? They sent two elders, two deacons and a deaconess to court to help defend the stalker. Fortunately, the judge was having none of it and granted the decree that he could no longer approach the couple and if he wanted to attend church, it would have to be in another location.
However, the damage was done and eventually, the couple left for the CoGWA, just like a lot of United refugees. There are other refuges where UCG members went, like the Pacific Church of God with Rick Railston as the pastor. Mr. Railston often mentions his experience in the WCG when he was newly ordained as an elder sitting across from a woman at a table where they were waiting for GTA to speak to them at a feast site where she asked him when he had attended Ambassador College. He told her he had never attended. She then turned up her nose into the air, turned away from him and never spoke to him again. If you haven't attended A.C. you aren't... [at this point people are requested to make up their own descriptive four letter word which can't be used in polite public conversation].
We wonder if Aaron Dean is working with Victor Kubic to temp a CoG7D congregation in the Portland, Oregon area to defect to UCG. It turns out that the congregation is separated in roughly thirds, with the Hispanics, an Eastern European contingent and a third mixed group mostly traditional Americans. The Eastern European contingent is somewhat more strict and legalistic in nature and apparently Victor Kubic sees an opportunity for sheep stealing, since he's been making overtures concerning the Feasts (the details are a bit sketchy, but I believe I've captured the essentials).
So when Roderick Meredith dies, you can be sure that United hopes that LCG members will bolt into their waiting arms, rather than, say, going nowhere and becoming atheists and agnostics like a lot of other reasonable people who are finally freed from Meredith oppression. Given reception abroad, certainly those in such places as Africa aren't going to go for it as Dean has already found. Associations will only be successful if it happens that the people in an area between the cult sects know each other well and would like to get together socially. And that's it, really. It's a social solution, not any great 'spiritual' one.
And by the way, FYI, it's pretty clear God isn't having anything to do with either UCG or the LCG except to let His Law of entropy apply.
Yawn! Wake me up if any of the splinters becomes visible.
BB
"They even had a member on the UCG board within two years and another a few years later. Where else could that happen but in UCG's structure. Sadly, some of them with COGWA in the split, but one is still on our board."
Who is CFCG? Who are these board members? I was in UCG for a long time, but I've never heard of it. And having seen what I've seen of Cincinnati politics, I have a hard time believing any of this, unless CFCG accepted total and abject capitulation. Cincinnati is just like WCG in Pasadena was, or any other Armstrongist splinter cult's headquarters: ministurds survive there only by being as ruthless as the next ministurd.
I believe that United has done some overtures to the CGI, Teds old group. It was reported that Vic Kubik spoke to one of their congregations, and that they had a joint FOT site.
I hope that a merger can happen. The new organization can be called...
YOU AND I AND TED CHURCH OF GOD
Keeping the phonetic sound of United but including a nod to the founder of CGI!
The LCG group I regularly attend with has 45-50 attendees each week. Of that number, around HALF have ZERO background or any history with WCG or another COG. They came with us because of their interest and response to our television and internet works. I find this to be the norm for many LCG congregations. As for LCG, the claim that we "are replacing those who die with new members who are usually disgruntled refugee's from other splinter group" is simply not true. But I'm not surprised that supporters of this blog make those kind of statements. You will say anything to convince yourselves that what you think or "must" be true is true, when the great majority of the time what you state is mostly made up or highly exaggerated.
The LCG group I regularly attend with has 45-50 attendees each week. Of that number, around HALF have ZERO background or any history with WCG or another COG. They came with us because of their interest and response to our television and internet works.
How many of those have come with you in the last five years? LCG started with a big media push, but has cut far back in the last few years.
Those new people are LCG's future, of course, the more LCG drifts away from what HWA taught and replaces it with evangelical nonsense like the new "falling away" and the marriage supper in heaven. People who remember or care about what HWA taught won't buy that. This is even more true of UCG, which in many ways has drifted much more severely away from what HWA taught. Only new attendees will be drawn to that.
Anon 11:12 - All of those new people I mentioned came with us in my congregation in the last 2-7 years. And everyone in my congregation (mentioned up at 9:59) is onboard with the "traditional" teachings as well as the "newer" ones. And we're not drifting away from what HWA taught. And we're also gaining back people who left WCG 30-40 years ago (for whatever their reasons) - and they too are onboard with all what we do and teach. You presume much, and your ignorance of what actually takes place within our congregations is telling.
Anon 1:11, it's good to see that an ordained LCG apologist is visiting this board. You'll be that much better prepared when you see the same reality that hundreds have seen before you, and you feel that you must separate from the corruption you denied for so long. Best wishes in your journey!
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