The Supreme High Command of the United Church of God has laid down the law that church areas are NOT to deviate from the six APPROVED worship format styles for UCG services. Way to go boys! God forbid if anyone tried to do something new and refreshing since your canned sermons are the same thing everyone has heard for over 40 some years now. And they wonder why no one wants to listen to their message! After all, UCG is more concerned about its boring "substance" than it is in making a worship experience meaningful or actually following Jesus.
Now that Kubik has been reelected to a third term as the High Commander of the church, do not expect anything new and exciting happening. "The Council had the assessment of the President. The Council reaffirmed President Kubik for three more years." As usual, it is just the same old boring white men in charge determining that things in 2019 should be just like Uncle Herb did it in the 1950's and 60's.Review of Strategic Plan and Operation Plan—Peter EddingtonPeter Eddington led the discussion to review the updated Strategic Plan and Operation Plan. The Council reviewed all areas of the strategic plan and operation plan. There were various edits that were suggested throughout the document.Approved church formats were brought up in the discussion. There are six approved formats that may be used. Chairman Ward mentioned that we have to be careful to not try to change our church format to try and keep people in the church. Some church areas have tried other formats besides those approved. It was suggested that the current formats would be reviewed and pastors would be reminded of those approved formats by MMS.Rex Sexton said there may be an occasional different format, but agreed with Dr. Ward and read Galatians:1:10, warning that we are not to be seeking to please men. We are to be seeking to please God in our services and that should be our focus.Len Martin mentioned the unity through the years of going to other congregations and knowing the same format is done wherever you go. The importance of substance over form should be considered.
26 comments:
Rex Sexton said there may be an occasional different format, but agreed with Dr. Ward and read Galatians 1:10, warning that we are not to be seeking to please men. We are to be seeking to please God in our services and that should be our focus.
There's a lot to unpack in that statement.
First, Sexton admits that in spite of the ruling, ministers will sometimes violate it and do something different. In other words, the ruling has no teeth and will have no consequences.
Second, if the goal really is to please God, rather than men, can they show from the Bible that these six formats are the only ones that will please God? Or is the idea that when you please the men who made those formats, you please God?
They could look at that forgotten book- the Bible- and read why it has about worshipping God - lots of instruction in Psalms - praise God, raise your voice, clap your hands, be excited, rejoice
Some thoughts. If this were a language, we’d have to use the term “dead” on it (Sardis?), because when a language ceases bending, shaping, adapting to changing conditions, essntially it is dead, and falls into disuse. These services are obviously not a language, but they are a form of expression, which is very similar in concept to a language.
UCG has the opportunity to use the local church areas as a large scale think tank, a place in which to make marketing tests to determine how effectively they are achieving their goals for outreach and effectiveness. Basically, by this edict, they have just frozen the project in favor of preconceived notions from the past.
Good luck with that!
BB
Someone does not like "boring white men" and then people call Herb a racist?
PS: “pleasing men”???? I would submit that customer satisfaction breeds referrals, to say nothing of long term product loyalty. Church membership is a voluntary thing. Fear and punishment are on the low end of the moral scale in terms of motivation. That’s basically last resort technique that is used typically on criminals, not primary everyday motivation as generally used in Armstrongism.
Shame on these people, yes, but more shame on the stricter groups like RCG and PCG.
BB
This sort of thing annoys me so very much. As someone who still occasionally goes to see if anything’s changed, or if I’m missing out on something (or just the good old fashioned guilt trip), and find the same exact thing over and over again...just my butt falling asleep over two hours in which I hear the same tired old men make the same tired old statements.
How is the “format” spiritually important in any way?!
It’s so typical, though. That’s what really infuriates me. That people can’t see that the religion ISN’T about biblical truth, as they all so proudly proclaim. It’s about whatever HWA said back in the day. THAT’S what they’re worshipping.
When I was going LCG, clapping for special music performances was highly frawnwed upon...something about it might go to the person's head and puff them up. They sometimes implemented strict rules that sucked the life out of services. It's almost like they prefer you to be emotionless Zombies just sitting quietly as they stand on the pulpit and deliver their... wait for it... "God inspired Sermons by God's true minister's in God's only true Church."
Maybe we'll soon hear a sermon on why God wants THREE songs before the opening prayer, and not two or four.
There must be Bible for that.... somewhere.
It won't be long when there won't be any congregations large enough to have worship services in the UCG. Even now how many areas just have small living room study groups?
Amongst this everything is awesome council report, lays hints at unforeseen trouble in paradise within United.
You wonder what unusual service formats have been tried on the brethren. For the Council to have to speak about such matters.
It seems to me that a worship service should be judged on its results. Was a spirit of joy, happiness, love and thankfulness present during the service? Did the participant feel spiritually uplifted and renewed at the conclusion of the service? Does the participant feel closer to God and their brothers and sisters in the faith when everything has been said and done? Whatever the format, if there are folks who feel alienated, bored or numb at the conclusion of the service, common sense tells me that that service was a spiritual failure!
Can't be any worse than this!
Revelation 4:8 Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. DAY AND NIGHT THEY NEVER STOP SAYING: "'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD God Almighty,' who was, and is, and is to come."
That might get old! Dave Pack may soon think that this MUST be referring to himself.
Unknown wrote:
When I was going LCG, clapping for special music performances was highly frawnwed upon...something about it might go to the person's head and puff them up.
At least in LCG, "special" music is rarely very special. In some congregations, there is "special" music every week, and in order to have something new every week this usually means that some of the music is performed by the minister's pets and their families, even if it is awful. Fights over which untalented or semi-talented members get the opportunity to perform "special" music are a standard feature of life in LCG.
Most white men aren’t boring- they just do a good job of picking the boring ones. The point is we have a diversity of ethnic groups in the USA and a church should reflect that in the leadership
yeah maybe a more contemporary worship style would be nice...bring in some christian rock bands, get a few homosexuals to lead...and of course we'd have to adjust doctrine to make everyone feel welcomed...wouldn't want to be seen as non-inclusive.
Len Martin mentioned the unity through the years of going to other congregations and knowing the same format is done wherever you go.
This was the Roman Catholic Church's stated reason for the Latin Mass before Vatican II. Will UCG now go all the way and have all services everywhere in English?
get a few homosexuals to lead
Rod Meredith did this in LCG, and opinions were mixed, to say the least.
I guess "pleasing men" is just as sinful as using "human reasoning".
Just make sure that when you're studying the bible you use "Vulcan reasoning" or "Cardassian reasoning", and for Voyager fans maybe a little "Okampa reasoning".
Kevin McMillen
6:30am Would that be vain repetition?
Kevin
BYKER BOB WROTE: UCG has the opportunity to use the local church areas as a large scale think tank, a place in which to make marketing tests to determine how effectively they are achieving their goals for outreach and effectiveness. Basically, by this edict, they have just frozen the project in favor of preconceived notions from the past. Good luck with that!
>>> Excellent observation Byker. Also your comment about language evolution as well. Surprisingly, they only have SIX format styles. I thought all things COG had to match up with the number SEVEN! (7 points in a sermon, or the like)
Anonymous wrote
"They sometimes implemented strict rules that sucked the life out of services."
In Global/Living COG
Back when Charles Bryce a "minister" was once of Rod's "Boys", he told men on the sermonette list to mention Meredith's name 3 times during their sermonette.
Just one ongoing tragedy in putting men instead/ahead of God. As well as organizations up on a pedestal too.
Seems obvious from the original post and many of the comments that even if there were the desire and motivation, Armstrongism can neither be repaired, nor can it be made to be viable, contemporary, or relevant. Figuratively, they have their auto-correct on, and would not know how to function if shown how to turn it off.
BB
I also wonder, Tonto, if UCG or any of the organizations have even taken a simple anonymous survey to determine when members became part of the organization, what initially attracted their attention, and what was the main factor which motivated their final decision, what they like about the church, and what they dislike. Obviously, a sizeable percentage will have matriculated from WCG, or will be from long term church families. In responding to the survey, many will simply repeat memes, but in the sea of responses, there should be enough good data useful in tuning up their approaches soas to maximize growth.
Of course the sad reality for any of these ACOGs is that while their research and refinement could lead to a growth spurt, that could all be suddenly undone by the next splinter. So, they need to simultaneously work on member retention. That goes directly to redefining how members are treated, and embracing better conflict resolution technique, both of which would run counter to their dna.
BB
BYKER:
As I understand it, UCG has had many member surveys. I once watched one of the (publicly available btw) council meetings, and the results of the member survey were presented by a woman, who was employed by a reputable and legitimate survey/marketing conducting company.
She started off the presentation saying to the Council members, while passing out the results on paper, that "they were not going to like the results of the surveys". In general the membership was less than enthusiastic about the message quality, and overall organizational effectiveness.
General Motors, Chrysler and Ford, got very cocky in the 1960s and 1970s, and believed that the American people would just take any crap product that they came out with BECAUSE THEY DIDNT HAVE A CHOICE. Suddenly when Datsun , VW and Toyota came along, consumers , who now had a choice , did so in droves. The Big 3 auto makers took a long time to wake up to the facts, and improved their product lines and quality to make up lost ground. However, they stagnated for most of the 1970s and even tried to "blame the consumer" for not wanting to have Pintos and Vegas for cars.
I think that UCG is still in the "blame the consumer" mode , both towards its current membership and potential membership via its marketing, as being the problem for their dated and obsolete management styles, culture and lack of innovation.
A case could be made that Armstrongism's success during the "golden era" ran in parallel to the success of the family farming demographic. Right now, in the US, the percentage of the general population involved in farming is less than 2%. Interestingly, I had never met a single farmer until my parents became involved in the Radio Church of God. And then, some of the farmers in our local church area became our best friends. At that time, I believe that HWA advertised heavily in Capper's Farmer and Prevention Magazines. Coincidentally, 97% of US farmers were of the white persuasion. Lots of farms were in the Midwest, and the Southeastern USA.
So, this is another problem. Like the animals who become endangered due to decreased habitat, Armstrong has suffered due to a decrease in its major demographic.
BB
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