Almost, but not arrested Elijah Bob Thiel has been giddily proclaiming he has over 3,000 members now, of which 2, 996 live in Africa. That all might sound impressive, if one had not paid any attention to the countless stories posted here and on other COG related sites on how many African Sabbath keeping groups have allegiances to many different parent organizations, all done in an effort to draw in as much money from gullible white Americans. Thiel is such a narcissist that since God directly spoke to him in a dream, then his god would never allow people to take advantage of him. This seems to be a major issue in the Sabbatarian groups, from SDA, COG7 to the Armstrongite off shoots, including Thiel's.
Church of God News had this up about from Bill Goff who runs Voice in the Wilderness. Bill has one of the few groups that actually seem to be doing some good in the world. Ironically, most all of the other Church of Gods will not financially assist him in caring for others.
Voice in the Wilderness Church of God
Update from Bill Goff, April 21:
“Last week we were contacted by a church group in Canada. They were asking if we had any information concerning a church organization in Bungoma, Kenya, that they have been supporting the past few years. We offered to travel to Bungoma (located on the Uganda border) to investigate for them. Nehemiah and I traveled there on Thursday, and our trip was a success. We found the church group to be totally legitimate and caring for quite a number of orphans.
Over the past few years we have investigated quite a number of “churches” here in Kenya that numerous churches of God in the States had been supporting financially. The majority of them turned out to be “cons”.
So, we thank our Heavenly Father for enabling us to work together and help one another whenever possible. We may be of different administrations, but there are no barriers between us, because we are of the same mind and same spirit. And much can be accomplished when we work together in unity and strive for humility. Praise God for that!
This is also a busy day today. We are having combined Sabbath services in Ikenye. There will also be a number of baptisms. (There are 20 being baptized, most are from the border group next to the Maasai tribe). We have been counseling with them for some time now.”
Tried watching one of his videos on youtube, I got sidetracked watching Black Sabbath videos.
ReplyDeleteBill Goff is one of the most genuine people I ever had the privilege to know.
ReplyDeleteHe was finally made a deacon at one point, but had served and lived the part most of his church life.
These churches endlessly talk of 'helping one another' as if people are helpless children. It drives me up the wall. It's like some alternate reality.
ReplyDeletePS, I don't need other peoples stinking help, thank you.
To be fair to Bob, he must have more than 4 non-African members. After all, he's got a few guys in Europe, in Canada, and NZ - which includes a member who had a dream about Bob - and at least one in China. So let's say at least 10.
ReplyDeleteEven so, the demography still appears a bit skewed, considering this represents what Bob claims is the most Philadelphian of Philadelphia COGs, and the final end-time, short, work.
NO2HWA asks, "Is Bob Thiel Getting Conned By Some Of His African "Members"?"
ReplyDeleteMY COMMENT - Isn't that assumed until proven otherwise. After all, Almost arrested Doubly Blessed Dr. Bitter Bob Thiel doesn't strike me as someone who has a lot of street smarts. Book smarts maybe, but definitely not street smarts.
As advertised on his COGwriter website, why was Bitter Bob cited by MSNBC and the Washington Post? Is this real or is this fake like the rest of him?
Richard
Does Bob provide any money to any of the African churches?
ReplyDeleteMost likely Bob is as deep in self-delusion and denial over his ministry as he is over his so-called credentials. You could almost say he is harmless except for the fact that he is actively promoting Armstrongism, even if his efforts are being met with negligible results.
ReplyDeleteBB
Hoss: My snarky comment about 4 US members refers to Thiel and his immediate family.
ReplyDeleteRichard: According to Thiel he gives laptops, seeds and some money to his African "brethren"and LOTS of his literature. His literature is more important than feeding them. After all, knowing about the Catholic Church and proper westernized dating techniques is more important than filling an empty stomach.
People like Bob are only big in their own minds. That's it. It's a delusion.
ReplyDeleteHe does not see what everyone else sees.
He sees himself (I believe) as a spiritual giant of immense worldwide significance where he is conducting a universal-significance mission of him alone bringing the Gospel to all the world, directly under God and Christ. He sees himself as a being the only one to lead an end-time work to the billions and billions of people on the Earth. He sees himself in the beginning stages of reviving a work like Armstrong did. He bases this on the false belief that Meredith and Armstrong were actually somehow significant in the "true church" theology of Armstrongism. In his mind, I believe, he is a very important, but very unrecognized, head-of-state diplomat person, who is doing the job without the recognition.
We (at least I, as I believe) see him for what the reality is. A very small storefront natural remedies store owner who, after being rebuffed by Meredith, got butt-hurt, decided to go rogue and start his own church. After several horrible trying WAY-too-hard videos in front of old curtains and crooked bookcases, and very little US traction, he found what he thinks is fertile ground in Africa - but it may not be as fertile as he thinks. Though he boasts of his credentials and calling, and his "double blessing", his very "ordination" cannot be verified, and he is left trying to convince people that something happened that did not happen. He spends so much of his time trying to convince people, when if he actually is who he says he is, we would need no convincing. He also sees his prophecies as so inspired, when they are not prophecies at all, just really pathetic predictions that always have an "out".
But hey. A for effort?
Bill Goff does a tireless great work in Africa amongst some very desperate situations and deserves a Hat Tip.
ReplyDeleteMost of these African groups are cons. And the few that aren't are probably just better at hiding it. If they are far away, nobody can keep proper tabs on them. People can't even recognize all the con artists right under their noses.
ReplyDeleteThe only people more deluded that Bob are the mainstream media.
ReplyDelete“The only people more deluded that (sic) Bob are the mainstream media.
ReplyDeleteWhassup with all these commercials? Got a bug up your ass about the media?
Once I travelled along Lake Victoria from Kenya to Tanzania to spot some big five.
ReplyDeleteI was amazed at the huge number of SDA. I shouldn't have been since that religion is firmly rooted in its agricultural past. (Just like OT Judaism) In whatever circumstance I prefer to know where the SDA hospitals are and their compounds are neatly trimmed and kept worldwide.
Somewhere along the Kenyan - Tanzanian border I actually saw a small humble COG7 church building. About the size of the original Eugene wooden church. It moved me to see that building.
I'm sure there are many con men in Africa. There are also many sincere hard working folk out there. Sometimes it bothers me to see poorly equipped schools on remote islands while the coca cola delivery truck is spot on in time to supply the local cafe shack. I am a great advocate of having the know how of companies (like logistics, housing, financial inclusion) working for the good also. But hey lets return to bwana bob whose nickname takes me back at that hallowed period when I had time to wath Johnny Weismuller movies, each time I see it.
nck
NO2HWA wrote 4 US members refers to Thiel and his immediate family
ReplyDeleteSo that makes 14 non-African members!
Although, while Bob mentions members Africa, Europe, Canada and New Zealand, and Spanish language literature, there is almost nothing in the way of US members. I don't recall any mention of Australia either.
And yes, priorities - bounty vs booklets, Kindle vs kindling...
nck @12:40am
ReplyDeleteKenya is predominantly Christian. Regardless of whatever past (agricultural, pastoral, fishing) each community had, there was a huge influence on the early missionaries who visited the communities and established themselves there. Different Christian branches landed in different communities and brought their own blend of Christianity. The SDAs made Western Kenya one of their stronghold and converted majority of entire communities/tribes/families into being SDA. Along they way, they built and ran hospitals and schools. The Presbyterians did the same in Central Kenya while others like the Anglicans conquered other areas.
Due to the similarities of COGs and SDA (cut from the same cloth), you are more likely to encounter COG members amongst the SDA areas in Western Kenya especially Kisii.
I am Kenyan and was a COG member for most of my life. I no longer live in Kenya and no longer a COG member.
11:57
ReplyDeleteThank you for the addition. Good to have this little ordinary chat among the usual shelling and bombardment of cog remnant folly. I thought I'd say something nice about African people, lest we forget reality in shelling bwana bob as he has been rebaptized here.
I hope you are doing well outside of your beautiful country.
Friends of mine are assisting in setting up local cooperative agricultural projects as side projects for the international banks they work for. Others are educating managers in the Kisumu area.
I saw the Chinese working on infrastructure and asked our Ambassador in East Africa to make some real effort to prevent the chinese from getting too many strategic concessions. But Africa is soo huge, there are many priorities, oil and fishery in east, refugees in north, insurgents in timbuctuu. We think of Africa as a small continent but the Mercator projections on maps are incredibly distorted and make it appear smaller than it is. It is huge.
Mzungu Nck out
I Wonder how many "doctors" there are in the Church of God groups compared to those on the outside?
ReplyDeleteMoronic! How about treating and caring about everyone in the world you live in “now”? How about not pathetically dreaming yourself to a place that is theoretical, because you are so miserable where you are placed at this point? In your terms, I would say you were placed here by God? How about you don’t question your God?
ReplyDelete