If you want to see how "loving" COG ministers are, take a look at Jon Bisby's response to a former COGE member who made a request of him. One of the duties of any pastor who was a follower of Jesus was that they were to be agents of reconciliation and to always seek the "wayward" out and bring them back into the fold.
That is one of the interesting things that the church did through the ages with catechumens, who spent a year working with the minister and were then welcomed back into the church with great joy during the Great Vigil of Easter. Of course, those are just vile pagans who don't know better. COG ministers have a better! Totally cut them off! According to COG history, it is better to mark and destroy lives than it is to ever maintain some contact and continue to show love. The example of Jesus as the "good shepherd" is apparently lost on most if not all COG leaders anymore.
April 30, 2018I wrote to you last time about two weeks ago. I have received a response from Jon Brisby of "Church Of God, The Eternal." Although I told him I would like to stay in touch every now and then (because I thought he and his family were kind people), he told me that his time is reserved only for those who believe in the teachings of COGE. He said that someday if and only if I return and fully embrace every doctrine and have complete belief in COGE and Herbert Armstrong's teachings, then he would befriend me again but until or unless that happens, then no, absolutely not! This is a tactic of mind control groups. Oh well, it is what it is. I will never go back. --Kandice Cunning (Former member of COGE) Exit and Support
This is a companion post to:
Church of God, The Eternal's Jon Brisby Sinks To A New Vile Low
I wanted to write and thank you for helping people who have left or will leave the "Armstrong cult groups." I was born into the WWCG. It helped to destroy my whole family--my parents, my siblings, and up until this year, even me. We all made some mistakes and bad choices on our own but Herbert Armstrong and his ministers, splinters, and even some members, helped destroy my family emotionally, just with the judgmental attitudes, being made to feel we were in "hot water" with God, telling us that outsiders were of the world, etc. My most recent minister Jon W. Brisby (Church of God, the Eternal) has even told me that my lack of financial comfort is the result of my "not living in a pleasing enough way for God." I was also told that my family is the "church" now and no longer my kids, since they are not members. Luckily, my kids grew up against the Armstrong teachings and have their own beliefs. As for me, I am finally what I consider to be "out of the dark" of these Armstrong worshippers. I emailed my minister two weeks ago and explained my decision to leave. He has yet to respond.
9 comments:
Another minister from the ACOG cults that nobody has ever heard of.
It doesn't matter if nobody has heard of him - Kandice's life was severely impacted. Therefore, this is a very relevant story, especially to all child survivors born into Armstrongism. Her story happens more often than is reported. I'm glad that Gary is shining a spotlight on this smaller COG group.
Those who grew up in the WCG - child survivors - are impacted in a far greater manner because of indoctrination from birth, from parents, from the church, with nothing to compare it to. It's a much harsher, much stronger indoctrination, and effects the child survivors in a much more blunt impact then those who entered Amrstrongism by choice. Kandice's experience is no different than if it was someone from one of the bigger COG's. Her story deserves to be heard as much as anyone else's. I personally am very glad Kandice can see through the smoke and is making her way out of her lifelong journey through Armstrongism's dungeons.
If Kandice is reading this, I wish her the best in her journey of recovery.
ANAGRAMS FOR "COGE JON BISBY"
(An anagram is a word or phrase formed by rearranging all the letters of another word or phrase)
* Ye Job -- Big Cons
* Joy be-- Icy Song!
Yes, 6:01, but isn’t interesting that even the obscure ministers of Armstrongism of whom few people have heard actually turn out to be shitty, arrogant people?
BB
Well, if you tell them in no uncertain terms you are leaving, they don't make much of an effort to save you, especially if they don't know you. That's what happened to me when I left the WCG after all their "changes, what changes?" bull-crap.
Multiple choice: Which scripture applies?
a) It is not fit to take the children's meat and give it to the dogs.
b) Leave the 99 and go after the one who has left.
c) Leave the dead to bury the dead.
d) The truth shall set you free.
Telling members that their family is now the church is the psychopathic trait of separating victims from their support group. This is also found in nature among predatory animals.
The separation from outside friends and family results in a power shift, enabling the church leader to make extortionistic demands, including lording it over members faith.
Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!" declares the LORD. Therefore thus says the LORD God of Israel concerning the shepherds who are tending My people: "You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds," declares the LORD.… Jeremiah
It is much easier for ones who have not been in any organization for a long period of time to see through the smoke. For those who have spent 10, 20, 30 or more years in one, will as the Bible says "see through a glass darkly" unless they are severely shaken up.
I have commented regarding COGTE posts myself in the past, and for those who read my comments here, will probably quick like figure out who I am. I grew up in this organization from the time of its inception in the 70's and one principle I took away from it when I had to leave over blatant error that crept in after 2001, was not to throw the baby out with the bath water. I absolutely believe what I was baptized into and accepted because I can go to my Bible and prove it. That being said, there were some concepts and ideas along the way that I became indoctrinated with (which they call doctrine), and once I dug deeper into the Word of God, more so after leaving, had to divorce myself of those things because they just simply did not match with what is written in the Bible. Of course I am speaking as one who believes that the Bible is the inspired Word of God.
That being said, kudos to Kandice and others like her, but a word of caution; if you believe as I do, do not throw away that which is honest and good. My biggest concern is for those who are longtime members of this group as I was. There is an extra layer of blindness that they wear. I know, because I too had that layer of blindness. There is nothing in the Bible that tells us to stay in an organization if we see any level of error or abuses by the ministry. The founding minister of COGTE (Raymond Cole) had a great quote in one of his sermons. He said this: "God does not reveal error to test our loyalty to a man or an organization, but he does reveal it to test our loyalty to him". That is a pretty profound statement that rings true through all time.
Similar to Kandice, I was told that if I ever wanted to return to this organization, that he (Jon Brisby) would gladly help me pave the road back. What was interesting about this, is that he was the one who absolutely obliterated the road, to begin with, and led everyone else to believe it was me. I guess that is the privilege one gets when he has the power of the podium. It is truly sad when longtime friends and brethren choose not to go to the accused persons and ask questions to be able to make a decision based on logic, reason, and wisdom. Instead, as most do, they make decisions based on emotion. In short, I still get on my knees every night and pray not only for those there that I still call brethren but for the very man who separated me from them as well.
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