United Church of God has an article up on their Updates page concerning issues in Canada (and the US) about the ageing out of its members and the drop in income that will result. Of course, UCG like any "good" Church of God has solved that issue...preach more sermons on tithing.
Considering there is no New Covenant command for tithing, UCG is going to have a hard sell in getting ageing baby boomers and others to fork over more and more money so the elite can stay in power and live comfortable lives while they struggle in retirement.Included in the financial discussion is retirement of the baby boomers and what affect that might have on the income of the church. The source of our donations is: 70% from members; 20% from donors and 10% from coworkers. It was suggested it would be a good idea to give sermons as to the importance of giving tithes and offerings and what the scriptural basis for doing so is.
UCG never stops to consider that their message no longer has any impact on UCG members or the world around them. Like most COG's it still tries to cling to the "glory days" of the past and still looks at old paradigms to run their current iteration of the church. In Canada, they have lost 1/3 of their responses/viewership due to their message no longer having relevance. Of course, UCG has a quick response to that, change broadcast stations.
Edwin van Pelt presented a PowerPoint showing a breakdown of statistics regarding the Beyond Today television program. This past year responses have dropped about 1/3 from the previous year. However, almost 30 percent of those responding each week are new people. It was asked if we should try a different station or time. This is a possibility, but can be quite costly even if there is a time slot available.If you can't rope them in with cable TV and other video sources, then let's resort to Readers Digest. Does anyone read RD anymore? It is 2017, not 1965 when every article was some syrupy sweet story of cotton candy and warm fuzzies. While warm positive stories certainly are good to read and restore faith in humanity, those kinds of books appeal to the 65 and over crowd who remember the magazine from their youth and wish to wax nostalgic compared to the mad rush of society and the digital age of today.
The issues in UCG extend far beyond ageing baby boomers. According to UCG brass in Canada, current day UCG members have no sense of commitment to the church as people had in the past. You know UCG is having trouble when they cannot get church members to register for the Feast! Add to that the lack of commitment of UCG members to even have their name put forth to be on UCG's Canadian council that runs the church.
UCG Canada is also trying to figure out how to safely navigate rules on spam emails in Canada. UCG now has to have a way for recipients to "opt out" from receiving their mail. Every email list and every church list that I am on has ways to opt out from receiving their mail. It is strange in 2017 that UCG has never given their members and readers that option.A portion of the morning was reserved for brainstorming. Included in the discussion was: media challenges, trends, the Ministerial Newsletter, current challenges facing the church (lack of commitment, not registering for the Feast, the need for succession planning for replacing the Secretary, and the lack of individuals willing to have name on ballot selection for council...
Michael Erickson presented concerns to be aware of regarding Canada’s Anti-Spam legislation. Part of the problem is a lack of definition of terms. The legislation concerns “commercial electronic messages”. It is not clear if some of our emails might fall into that category since they may sometimes advertise an event (socials, feasts, etc.). Much of the definition will be determined in court so the church needs to do what it can to protect itself from potential lawsuits. By July 1 all corporations need to have explicit consent to send the commercial electronic messages. We must also find a way to provide an easy unsubscribe for those who no longer wish to receive messages. The legislation applies to both corporations and individuals and all electronic forms of sending messages. It carries a hefty fine.
Many people I know in UCG say they are only there till their kids grow up and head off to college. They don't want to leave and have their children's friends be lost.
UCG lost its relevance when they kept filling all of the seats on the Council of Elders with aging baby boomers who too often keep looking back at the "glory days" of old and naively thought they could recapture it.
Their model from the past was corrupt and continues to be today. Abusive ministers still abound. Legalistic doctrines still keep members shackled down. Jesus is ignored or at least given a little lip service. The law reigns supreme, grace, not so much.
UCG had a chance and blew it. Twenty years later and it still has not comprehended that fact. Fancy offices, nice homes and steady income for the upper echelon does not make a church make.
48 comments:
The false religion of Armstrongism based on keeping dual covenants is outdated and today more people are aware of that.
Two different contracts cannot be in force at once
and once the other signer of the contract died (Christ) the contract was finished.
The resurrected Christ had a new contract, the New Testament and without belief in Christ, there is no salvation. The law cannot save you in any way.
The reason HWA hated education was that he realized that a smarter and educated congregation would see the errors of his preaching and leave.
There is no relevance in their message at all.
Yep. They've already lost the battle.
Reader's Digest? Another relic from the bag of HWA tricks. I had no idea that publication still existed! Surprised they're not suggesting "Capper's Farmer" or "Prevention". Didn't the old WCG rely on those for generating new members?
I don't understand this Canadian thing and email. Bob Thiel has complained about it before. If I don't want email from certain sources, I just block the sender. Advertisers sometimes have counter measures to be used if one or more of their addresses are blocked, but MSN generally sends much of that into "junk".
UCG ought to retire with the baby boomers. Armstrongism has vastly exceeded its shelf life already.
BB
Readers Digest? Seriously? You are right about UCG living in the old paradigms. That is why they are dead.
Relevance?
In its heyday, before the entire world was on the Internet, WCG employed researchers and writers who made the Plain Truth a serious source of news analysis, providing a credible "front" for the cult. Today, the major ACOGs want to emulate this for their members, but they just come out looking stupid when they try. Today, any potential ACOG member can get more accurate news and better analysis on his or her own, without help from the cult, yet the ACOGs want you to think they are "watching world events" when all they are doing is recycling WorldNetDaily and Breitbart. It may fool sheltered people born into the ACOG cults, but it will never attract intelligent new members.
How can any Armstrong Church of God find any relevance when the Parent Worldwide Church of God broke down into 700+ competing Splinter Churches each claiming the mantle of the Apostle Armstrong? They will never have critical mass again, nor have a worldwide impact. All are low wattage works.
The most honest thing to do would be for all 700 splinters to admit their mistake and disperse their members back to the grand parent Church which has little to no bad baggage - Church of God Seventh Day. It is the only other Church that Herbert Armstrong had to admit was God's Church too. Oh wait, that's right. Splinter members can't re-unite in COG7D as they are the dead Sardis Church according to Armstrong.
Somehow the 700 Splinter Armstrong Churches look more dead and irrelevant to me than COG7D from what I have seen and read.
Richard
Yes, 12:53, I liken it to deaf people watching people tap their feet to music that's playing on the P.A. system simply because they see people who can hear doing it, and they 're trying to relate.
The R/WCG came from the mind of HWA. That's why we call it "Armstrongism". As he aged and passed on, so did the basic Zeitgeist for the movement. It's all a nostalgia game today. HWA was able to adapt and shape and tailor the WCG in a way to relate to a percentage of the population and garner (no pun intended) a respectable return rate. Most of those whom he trained, and those whom they trained are tapping to music that they simply can't hear.
BB
Is Edwin any kin to Lucy & Linus?
Do it and announce it:
When the Tkaches openly turned against everything in January 1995, they wrote it up in the WCG's newspaper. The result was swift. The Tkaches had reportedly been willing to lose up to 50% of the members to force through their doctrinal changes, but they should have planned for losing 90%.
Just do it, but do not announce it:
The Tkach types in the UCG learned a lesson from their WCG experience, and did not openly announce that they are rejecting the law. They just quietly allow everyone to behave as badly as they want to, and kick out those who do not like to be continually stalked and harassed by the bad characters.
From a lot of time in Head Office environments, I’m accustomed to situations where branches and factories have been closed or sold off “to save money”. And of course someone asked the question, How much could we save if we shut them all down?
Then there was the time when it was decided that the Head Office was the biggest unnecessary expense, and it was closed.
From HWA’s stories, one of his first problems he encountered in CG7 was whether members of the Oregon Conference should tithe to Stanberry, or keep the money locally. At that time, CG7 seemed more like a network of small congregations, similar to those started by the Apostles.
“New Covenant” and Mythical True Church arguments aside, you can’t find any reference to the small congregations tithing. But they did support their “ministry” and the “missionary journeys” of Paul.
The idea that the Mythical True Church is entitled to tithes is largely from another case of twisted scriptures, in this case, Hebrews. The COGs are not part of the priesthood of Melchizedek, and not entitled to tithes. Just like all the other churches, the COGs inherited the tithing doctrine from the Catholic Church.
But still, a minister is worthy of his hire…
I think UCG should try running ads in MAD MAGAZINE!
"What Me Worry?" ;-)
I look at it this way. How many of us would have gladly paid the Tkaches to do exactly what they did? Once it became obviously that Hoeh fabricated, that Hyslip was horsecrap, that the doctrines and theories were all bogus, what other honest steps could have been taken?
I would gladly have bought Joe some restored gas pumps at the very least. It's too bad a few good people got caught in the squeeze play, but look at all the hurt that was stopped. Like the Russians who still loved communism and KGB, some members gravitated towards oppressive splinter leaders, but most ACOG members are far better off today than they ever were as WCoG members.
UCG NEWS BRIEF
The treasurer has reported to me that income is down, brethren. I've been in consultation with the holy spirit, with the doctrinal committee, with the president, and with the rest of the board, and we're proud to announce a new tithing doctrine. Effective immediately, tithing rates are going up to 15%. Please budget accordingly. If this happens to be a hardship, fnↄk you.
With all of Christ's love and in Jesus' name,
Donald Ward
Ironically HWA and Readers Digest was a perfect match. RD started out as a good idea, but later the magazine became known as a front for its mail order business. “You may have already won…” would entice people to order more things. At one stage, RD was going to be charged with mail order fraud unless they revealed more information about their incessant sweepstakes.
One victim of RD I knew was an Addiction Counselor (Drugs, Alcohol and Gambling) who ordered so many things on the false hope of winning she ended up owing them thousands of dollars. Fits perfectly with HWA’s corporation.
An in depth study of the New Testament would quickly prove the ACOG to be teaching completely false doctrines! If anything it is The Church Of God (7th Day) that is more theologically close to the New Testament.
Connie - how about What, me worthy?
The problem cannot be the minister or the message, it has to be something else.
How about changing the font in their booklets? Maybe that will get people to come it. Or change the pictures on the covers. Or change the color? Or make the print larger so old people can read it easier. Or make it smaller so young people don't feel that religion is just for old folks. Or switch to 8.5" x 11" booklets. Or change the presenter's tie? Or change the color of his suit? Or, maybe the message would resonate more with folks today if the presenter wore blue jeans. Or maybe a tuxedo would be the ticket.
If Tkach wanted to free us, why didn't Tkach just honestly show where HWA was wrong? No, he had to lie and lie and lie and lie and lie about the changes. He didn't go about it honestly. He was as crooked as HWA.
...the COGs inherited the tithing doctrine from the Catholic Church.
I was raised a Catholic and I never heard of tithing until I heard HWA speak.
I've read of CG7 being abusive as well, though I'm not sure to what extent.
Before I left Herbs church, I was stalked by 5 different people including one super stalker, a married woman with children. I still feel it 30 years later. These people deserve to be whipped (ah, the good old days, then forgiven), and I'd morally be within my rights to sue the church.
This post pretty much says it all.
WCG glory days = gone.
The old guard just can't fathom why the old Model T doesn't cut it in today's world of hybrids and Teslas.
And apparently there isn't much of a new guard. Armstrongism is on it's way out. (One down, many more to go)
Anon 740 – simple changes could work I remember when WCG experimented with electronically “typed” letters mixed with duplicated ones, and found the typed letters got a better response rate.
When I worked with Digital [DEC, now part of HP] they used light blue logos (and suffered with being called “Little Blue”) they apparently paid a marketing firm $2 million in fees for a “better image”. The recommendation was to change their color from blue to maroon.
Anon 748 – So was I until I was 12 years old. I still remember the “Preparation for First Communion class” I attended when we learned about tithing. I was so surprised I asked the nun and several other people, You mean if you make $500 a week you have to give the Church $50? [$500 a week seemed a lot to me then.] The answers I got were yes, no and “nobody makes that much”.
The Council of Macon in the Sixth Century is said to have enforced tithing, but apparently it took Charlemagne, 200 years later, to make sure people obeyed.
But we never used to say “tithing” it was always called “collection”. I used to joke that besides “Long Mass” and “Short Mass” there was “Really Short Mass” that consisted only of collection.
A lot of the american tycoons tithed. Tithing can be found in the bible, therefore tithing can be found in catholic doctrine also ignoramus.
Just like the catholicrecognition that saturday sabbath is the original day of worship for the church.
Catholics are far more acceptant to "armstrongist tenets" than the "wronged"since at least they know what the bible say.
Yes they might have evolved different traditions over time.
Nck
Tithing was only required for the Isrealites of the old covenant era. Also tithes where paid in the form of cattle, produce and crops. Tithes where paid to the Levites only, because they did not have an inheritance of land. So if you are an Isrealite living in old covenant days,and are a farmer, you are required to tithe. Also you are required to tithe to the levites exclusively. I don't think any of those conditions apply to anyone living today. So it is clear that there is no requirement for anyone to tithe. Save your money! Use it to take care of your families needs.
Back in the late 80's & early 90's a lot of the WCG ministers were giving their "sermons"
based upon Reader's Digest articles. This was one of their ways around preaching the "new" truth that was emanating from Pasadena.
The WCG is totally dead!!! The rest of the ACOG are dying a slow death because they refuse to change and of course Grace Communion International has grown in knowledge and so the "great falling away" actually did take place. Armstrong has proven to be false!
Anon said: "Grace Communion International has grown in knowledge ..."
GCI has grown in belief. Tkach reinvented the wheel and re-adopted the beliefs of others equally lost in theological speculation on what they think it all means.
Tkach switched from Grimm's Fairy Tales to that of The Three Bears.
The realities of genuine knowledge intimidates them and has escaped them and they have not grown in it in the least
4.04 AM
The last time I looked at the GCI web site, the material was as simple as could be. Your 'growth in knowledge' just wasn't there. I'm not surprised at reports of congregations disbanding due to dwindling numbers.
So being a good person and treating others with kindness is wrong? It doesn't matter what a person's personal belief is on IF there's a god or not, all people should learn to live in peace & harmony with others.
"Considering there is no New Covenant command for tithing,..."
man, I don't know what bible you're reading, but in my good ole KJV it's as clear as a bell...
Jesus made it perfectly clear that we are to tithe, and not just the physical act, but to do it with gladness, keeping the spirit of the law.
C.O.G. is hyper capitalism at its finest. The top few get all the benefits and the masses are financially suppressed or distressed. What would you expect from an American religion?
Jesus told the Pharisees to tithe pre-new covenant while the temple still stood and there was a priesthood to receive tithes. Once Christ died, the old testament methods died as well. The contract was done because one of the participants of the covenant or contract was dead.
His resuurection was the beginning of a new contract.
The destruction of the temple and Israel in 70AD symbolized that.
The priesthood is gone, removed forever. The temple is gone replaced with one built without hands, the people of God.
There is no tithing for there are no Levites and no temple to support.
No, the ministry is NOT a priesthood though they love to pretend they are. No one stands between you and Christ. No one.
The UCG isn't relevant because it isn't a real church.
God isn't blessing any of the so-called churches of "God".
"He who doesn't gather with me scatters," said Christ and aren't they scattering?
Grace Communion Inter. was built on the back of a liar. Whether right or not, Joseph Tkach lied to the people from start to finish. "nothing changed'.
No liar will inherit the kingdom. A church built on lies is a false one.
Anonymous 8:51 AM
He is reading the new testament where tithing was canceled along with the priesthood upon the death of Jesus Christ.
God even put the stamp on it by destroying the temple and destroying all records of the Levitical priesthood in 70AD.
Tithing was in force as long as the temple stood and its ordinances but not after.
Anon 7:52AM wrote:
The last time I looked at the GCI web site, the material was as simple as could be.
Anon 7:52AM seems not to know the Bible very well. Has he considered 2 Corinthians 11:3?
"But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ."
WCG attracted Gnostic believers who refused to believe in the simplicity of the Gospel, preferring instead a peculiar mess of false prophecies and a complex maze of do's and don'ts.
There is no Levitical priesthood or temple, so who are you going to tithe to to support the temple?
8:51 Jesus was a good Jew, wore tassels, etc. He observed all the OT holy days. But, we are the CHURCH. Church members voluntarily give money; OT Jews were required by law to tithe . . . to the Levites. Even Jews do not tithe anymore because there is no temple or levites to pay their tithes to.Jesus was not talking to Gentiles when he spoke of tithing. Not all laws are for all people for all times. When I go to Tanzania to teach I have to obey THEIR laws, not the U.S. laws.
The basic problem for UCG is they lost their brethrens own trust in their Dennis luker cogwa divorce. They fooled themselves that the cogwa brethren didn't matter, kept declaring how happy they all are now happily getting along with each other. but the loss of the cogwa regular tithing affluent brethren is a hole that has not been plugged. No trust means no money.
"Anonymous senior citizen said...
Jesus told the Pharisees to tithe pre-new covenant while the temple still stood and there was a priesthood to receive tithes. Once Christ died, the old testament methods died as well. The contract was done because one of the participants of the covenant or contract was dead.
His resurrection was the beginning of a new contract."
So you are saying that God got it wrong in the OT for these hundreds and hundreds of years, and millions of people. He then cancelled that idea, and started over in the NT, with new rules?
9.30 AM
Your simplicity in Christ is nice spin, but your left out that Christ was the wisest man who ever lived. Churches have a responsibility to feed their members spiritual meat rather than baby food. This is a trait of all dictatorships. The sheep must be kept ignorant and dumbed down for the benefit of the privileged ruling elite.
9.17 AM (the first post)
The history of man is those at the top exploiting those at the bottom. Something the bible condemns over and over. This has been true with all social systems, including monarchy, the feudal system, and even communism.
James - Yes, the Temple is gone and the Levites disbanded. And we're not farmers living in Eretz Israel.
Questeruk - Yes, the only "terms" of the New Covenant are in Jer 31, with the House of Israel and the House of Judah - not with the Mythical True Church.
And we'll always have the poor, a minister is worthy of his hire, and where your treasure is, your heart is...
A stunning sign of $$ troubles in UCG right now is the request at one Feast site for all choir members to print out the sheet music, and carry it with them to the Feast.
Is there not enough "Tithe of the Tithe" to purchase songs?
I hope some reports UCG for photocopying sheet music. It is illegal!
@ 3:25PM
Law & Penalties for Violating Copyright of Sheet Music
If UCG sent out an e-mail requesting that people violate copyright, the statutory penalty is $500 - $20,000 per violation, but rises to $100,000 if the violation can be shown to be willful.
@Byker Bob, Canada's anti spam law prevents individuals and businesses from sending out spam e-mail. The fines are very hefty up to $1,000,000 for an individual and up to $10,000,000 for a business. A $10,000,000 fine could put the Canadian branch of the UCG out of business and have a very nasty ripple effect that could cripple or bankrupt the UCG in the States if they have to help pay the fine.
http://fightspam.gc.ca/eic/site/030.nsf/eng/00303.html#ic-subnav-2
Craig
Wow, Craig! Let's hope and pray that the ACOGs all somehow violate Canada's anti-spam laws.
BB
How many COGs send out spam mail? Surely emails are sent because the receiver has first made contact?
Concluding post comments written said:
"...UCG lost its relevance when they kept filling all of the seats on the Council of Elders with aging baby boomers who too often keep looking back at the "glory days" of old and naively thought they could recapture it.
Their model from the past was corrupt and continues to be today. Abusive ministers still abound. Legalistic doctrines still keep members shackled down. Jesus is ignored or at least given a little lip service. The law reigns supreme, grace, not so much.
UCG had a chance and blew it. Twenty years later and it still has not comprehended that fact. Fancy offices, nice homes and steady income for the upper echelon does not make a church make..."
Following is the memo sent to Victor Kubik in 1995 (22 years ago!!!) by a minister regarding any hope for Indianapolis. It was read by Vic Kubik on May 2, 1995, the last day of the Indianapolis Conference that established the United Ass., to all attending (included about 150 “elders,” mates, “etc. including moi)…and Vic sent it to me via letter dated May 7, 1995 after I had requested a copy.
******
CAN IT EVER BE? That cohesive, Christ-led entity that we all want so dearly? Or does Indy seal our fate to factions and factions? The hopes are high, the stakes are critical. Indy will be either a dawning of a New World Tomorrow, or the proof of our folly.
PIE IN THE SKY is what the detractors say. Some of them are us, you know. Our “leaders” have already laid foundations and are even laying superstructure. The meek words of just a few weeks ago… “We’ve just started this in case it’s of any help, but we’ll gladly dissolve it” are seemingly replaced with corporate structure lauding the wisdom of “follow me.” Has “unity” already slipped to a cliché, a buzzword of egotists? I’ve seen that once people invest time, money and gain supporters they “have God’s blessing.” After all, they prayed about it.
Dissolution of their structure for a greater cause becomes too great a defeat. The show must go on.
WHAT IS INDY? It’s a chance for a ground up, New Testament organized body of believers.
WHAT WILL INDY BE? I know what you and I want it to be. But do you know what many see it as? Separate leaders of several pre-formed groups pushing their system at each other, followed by the winner selling it to the ministry. The ministry is invited to view the outcome and cast in their lot, depending on who "wins" and if they like the smell of it.
WHO LOOSES IF INDY FALTERS? The churches back home. The little flocks who are staking their faith in Indy. The loyal pastors who have forfeited everything to wait on Christ and to come learn his will for their next step. I hope He’s there. He resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.
Just some concerns and fears…I don’t know what it WILL be, I know what it MIGHT be and what it CAN be. I’ll be there in support. Be careful who gets control. Make sure it’s God.
******
One bottom line, among many:
God has never been in control of the faithless men, hirelings who left their ministerial credentials behind in Pasadena, who picked up their "baton and ball" and created their man-made United Ass. and/or the "latter dream" of some Cogwa (just another Ass.).
So, UCG had a chance and blew it???? Absolutely, but God wasn't in it.
Did time tell? Yes! The writing is still on the "hand-wall" for all to see. For those who still can't believe that UCG blew it, well, then, for you...
Time will tell...
John
Stepping back and observing theses ACOGs, the evidence is that God neither formed nor directs any of them.
But it's what's to be expected since the whole point of character and free moral agency is to chose and implement ones own goals.
A big contrast to the church culture of the ministers treating members like children.
Post a Comment