United Church of God continues to struggle to understand why they cannot seem to connect with their members and potential members. They have dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars on failed campaigns and personal appearances that generate 0-1 new attendees. Then, once they start attending, they see no need to get baptized.
So what is UCG to do? Force them into Bible Studies? Ruin a fun Feast by having Bible Studies for the wayward heathens? Apparently so, as many of the people are filled with misunderstandings that UCG seeks to clear up.A spontaneous discussion ensued about baptism. Why are more people who attend with us not baptized? We have people of all ages sitting in our midst who do not feel the compunction to obey the first command given to the Christian church: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).Why don’t more people take “the plunge?” Do they not understand the importance of this most important decision in life? Do we in the ministry not point out how imperative this step is? Are people not wanting to be “held accountable” by being baptized?
Then UCG quotes Matthew 11:28-30 as if it is something that they do on a regular basis. This verse is specifically for those that Christ has seen abused and mistreated by the law keepers and Pharisees. Grace brings that rest that they seek, but yet is always just beyond their reach because they refuse to believe they don't have to constantly be doing something.In the discussion, various pastors commented about how to improve this situation without unnaturally forcing one to act before they are prepared. But, what can we do to make them “ready?” Elders gave various suggestions, including focused Bible studies for those not baptized to allow prospective members to think about this critical decision. This type of special Bible study could even be held at the Feast of Tabernacles. For some of those who are not yet baptized, there may be a misunderstanding about what is required to be baptized and a study of the subject could clear this up.
His yoke is easy and the burden is lightChrist told the public: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). While we sacrifice to be a disciple of Christ, it is an easier road to travel than had we not made the decision to become a Christian.
21 comments:
It seems that UCG believes that people ought to be locked down, married to their church, and not free to see other churches. You know, like back in the good ol' days. Back when HWA was the Way the Truth and the Life.
Acts 4:11-12 11 Herbert Armstrong is the stone which the builders rejected which has become the chief cornerstone. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
Oh, wait...
And then of course, there's all the other competing religions "under heaven" that promise some kind of redemption and salvation in the name of some other competing god. But I digress...
People don't ask for baptism because they know the jack ass minister will deny their request for said baptism. Besides, you can do like ole man Armstrong and get baptized by a Baptist Church or any other protestant church.
People being baptized should not be held under the water for more than two minutes. This should be made an official policy!
Let's have a reality check. Whether their skills were innate, or specially imbued by God, is there any orator within Armstrongism today who can match the effectiveness of HWA or GTA while they were at their peaks, and the movement was growing? Do we all agree that nobody has come along in the intervening years who has equalled, let alone exceeded this standard and taken it to the next level?
What do we know about different skills from different eras? When I was a teenager, there were not a lot of people into the martial arts. Not a heck of a lot of virtuoso guitar players. Fast cars on the street and at the race track had perhaps 1/3 of the capabiities of the common family van or sedan today. Today we have "Xtreme Sports". People on TV regularly do things like multiple flips on BMX bicycles that would have horrified parents in the 1950s, '60s, and '70s. What has happened to our lifestyles as a byproduct of space age technology has been mind-boggling. You'd see two-way wrist radios depicted in futuristic comics by writers who did not survive to witness the proliferation of the iPhone, something that is a common accessory even amongst people on welfare today.
What if a Buddy Holly were to surface on youtube today, with the same guitar skills, the same vocal skills, and singing the same sort of materials as the original? Would he go viral? No. People are accustomed to seeing amateur performers regualrly on "The Voice" who have far surpassed those rudimentary skills. We know that Mariah Carey has a five octave singing range, actually capable of going beyond falsetto and up into whistle range. We have witnessed the guitar skills of Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Bonamassa, and John Mayer. Song lyrics have risen to the level of intense psychological drama.
Armstrongists, otoh, believe that everything pertaining to their apostle is eternal in nature. It never occurs to them that a whole new level would be required to dialogue on a parity with our radically changing times. To reach people. And, they are operating with people not even on the level of Buddy Holly in a John Mayer era. Should anyone really wonder why people who attend their services don't make the ultimate commitment?
BB
My terrible experience with WCG is that when I asked for baptism I had to go through 6 months of red tape and when it was all said and done the minister refused to baptize me. To make a very long story short, after I left GCI back in 2013 I finally got baptized in a 7th Day Baptist Church. The pastor who baptized me asked me what & why it took so long to get baptised. I told him way back in Worldwide church a minister didn't want to do his job!
Could it be the consequence of their "second chance" theology - - their doctrine of the "second resurrection"? People might piddle around with the self-deceiving question of "Am I really being 'called'?" And they might see baptism not as a joyous freedom from sin, but as a heavy burden of responsibility, no longer able to use the "second resurrection" as Plan B if they return to sin.
BB
It should be pointed out that in the days of Buddy Holly, the Beatles and BeachBoys, they had crappy microphones by today's standards. Which is why the recordings are mediocre, and why these same bands and solo artists performed with deeper and richer voices in the 1980s thanks to improved microphones.
The Voice performers and others use a computer program called Autotune which corrects harmonics in peoples voices, artificially improving their sound. The recent Walt Disney movie Moana is a example of the use of this technology. Even the 'Rock' (Dwayne Johnson) sounded respectable in his songs in the movie.
Personally I don't think Herbs voice and speaking style impressive. GTA by contrast had a genius level speaking ability. What a waste of a gift.
I was told back in Worldwide not to worry about baptism because I would be in the second resurrection and be allowed in the Kingdom anyway.
4:48
Interesting information on technicalities.
What might sound pompuous and arrogant to a contemporary audience might have sound interesting and authoritative to a 1950's audience.
It is not hard to grasp that HWA'speaking style was contemporary to "Roosevelt's Firseside chats".
nck
It is the most obvious of reasons: When you are baptized, you are held to the constraints of having to tithe. As in the old WCG, all of the COG's keep data on each of its members, how much they tithe and give "free will" offerings on the 8 holy days. If a member does not faithfully tithe, the church cannot project a budget for the following year. Then you are visited by your local Pastor and grilled about your occupation and spending habits. Every single COG is in it for the money. Every single one.
“United Church of God Struggles To Understand Why People Who Attend With Them Choose Not To Be Baptized.”
I won't even bother to try to list all the cases that I know about, but the UCG gets many attendees who actually believe in other groups and individuals, such as GTA's ICG, the apostate Tkaches' GCI, various independent kooks, as well as bad people who got kicked out of other groups, etc. With GTA not having a congregation in town, and the apostate's GCI shrinking, and Independent individuals amounting to nothing, and leadership prospects gone for the abusers who got kicked out of other groups, all these assorted nuts show up at the UCG to hang out there and spout off their own pet theories.
Since practically everybody in the UCG acts unconverted anyway, why be the only converted person around and get harassed and slandered and put out by all the unrepentant, unconverted weirdos who hang out at the UCG?
9.44 anon
Your comments are amusing and bizarrely brutally true.
This has sadly been my experience in UCG. I have repeatedly wondered about there being anyone converted left in UCG. Anyone left who does actually believe in what their supposed to. Using the word unconverted is being kind considering what goes on and covering a multitude of horrendous behaviour.
The point about the microphones is well taken, 4:48, although everyone still wants the vintage Fender pick-ups and Fender Twin tube amps from that era for their guitars. Marshall amps didn't come into their own until Pete Townshend started consulting with Marshall.
I've always loved Buddy Holly's music. But I was blown away when I saw La Bamba years ago and witnessed Marshall Crenshaw's rendition of "Crying, Waiting, Hoping". As you might remember, Buddy recorded the basic vocals while he was living in the New York apartment with Maria Elena. The studio dubbed in the guitars after Buddy died and released it. The Marshall Crenshaw version from the film is on youtube, and a video of the band doing Peggy Sue when Niki Sullivan (Buddy's cousin) was still in the band has been overdubbed with Crying, Waiting, Hoping, and is present on youtube as well. You can tell its an overdub because after the song has been completed, Niki does the final rhythm strums that end Peggy Sue.
So far as the Beatles go, my opinion is that nobody ever really got to hear one of their concerts during the time that they were on top of the charts. The technology evolved so that after they broke up, their solo efforts were state of the art, but not before. If they'd hung in there like the Stones, it would be interesting to see what they might have done.
BB
BB
That was a common complain about the Beatle concerts. The amps and speakers were low power in that era, so the audience could barely hear them over the screaming women.
Not me, BB, I play an old Mosrite. ;)
Anonymous on November 5, 2017 at 2:44 PM said...“Using the word unconverted is being kind considering what goes on and covering a multitude of horrendous behaviour.”
Yes, I know that. I was probably being too kind, considering what goes on in the UCG.
Sure you're the converted one?
RSK on November 6, 2017 at 8:22 PM said...“Sure you're the converted one?”
I'm pretty sure you're not.
It also depends on if you have a good paying job. Having money seems to help in getting baptized.
Never claimed it, unlike you.
Sure you're the converted one in that UCG porridge?
I think the main reason is that most people do not want to commit to a three tithe system, plus offerings.
The cogs, like the pharisees before them, got too greedy. They expect everyone to lower their living standards so that the ministry can live like kings. They promise an abundant life but anyone can figure out that with taxation, house rental/mortgage, and other living expenses, belonging to a church that enforces a three tithe system, is financial suicide, unless you are fortunate enough to have government subsidized housing. Even with government help, one cannot provide properly for their family in these low wage jobs that are becoming more and more common.
For those that want to know, tithing was meant to be the support for the priesthood and the temple. There was never three tithes. No matter how they try to hoodwink you, there was only one tithe (10%) of food products given three times over the year when males were expected to go to Jerusalem to observe the feasts. In addition, the people paying the tithe were expected to eat and rejoice using the tithe. What was left over at the end of the feasts was given to the Levites.
In NT times, no tithes were paid by the followers of Yahshua, instead we read of offerings being given to help the apostles on their journey to preach the gospel. There was no system in place that would enrich an elite ministry. Even Peter once said that he had no gold nor silver, when he was asked for alms.
Church organizations today are all businesses. They are on the getting side and the rest of us are expected to pay their way. HWA would never have succeeded had he started his organization in this internet age. The information out there would have stopped him in his tracks. And this is why, my dear friends, that the cogs today are all spinning their wheels and getting no where fast.
Zechariah is an interesting book. It speaks plainly of what Yahweh is doing today with these organizations. He is plainly removing His people from their abusive greedy hands.
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