Saturday, July 13, 2019

Living Church of God Still Trying To Control What Members Say

Wyatt Ciesielka


For many Living Church of God members, there is no love lost when it comes to Wyatt Ciesielka. He is intensely disliked by many in LCG.

LCG has had a horrendous time keeping their members under control. They are not like those in the old days in the church that when a minister spoke it was as if God was speaking and people submitted. Today, in 2019, that no longer applies and no one cares what some ministers have to say. The internet has changed the way that COG members look at the ministry. People freely share their opinions about church issues, ministers and leaders. People no longer toe the line and LCG is NOT happy!
HWA took the OT pattern and reinvented it as a justification for tight ministerial control over church members. That pattern continues to this day. Just look at LCG's latest online sermon:  The Lips of the Righteous: Conversation Acceptable to God.
If you are a Christian, you have God's Holy Spirit dwelling within you. How arrogant and insulting it is for some minister to dare to tell you whether or not God finds your conversation acceptable. Especially when we know that ministers are some of the ones with the worst conversations tearing each other down behind each other's backs. In an ACOG, it's unacceptable for brethren to warn one another about a wolf-minister in the fold, but it is acceptable for a minister to spread falsehoods about members in order to divide and control them.
Fifty years ago, new members were willing to come under such control, back before HWA's prophecies were proven false. Today, old-timers will listen to these sermons and roll their eyes, knowing from experience that when a minister says "be careful what you talk about" there is indeed something rotten that members need to warn each other about. Prospective new members, however, will move on to a healthier church that doesn't so readily blaspheme the Holy Spirit at work in the hearts of the brethren. 

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Over an hour sermon? Unless you are Rodney Dangerfield, Robin Williams, George Carlin or Jim Gaffigan, you are not going to hold my attention for this long. I could only tolerate about three minutes of this guy. And the leaders wonder why their membership rolls are not growing.

Anonymous said...

I have had the distinct curse of having to sit through some of Ciesielkai's sermons. I have never been so bored in my entire life...well, maybe when Super Mario preaches. They both are pompous jackasses who strut around like they deserve to adored and worshipped.

The speaking roster of the LCG is pathetic. Weston for some idiotic reason believes that McNair is a dynamic speaker. He acts like some prepubescent Jr. High bully when he speaks. They wonder why attendance is down and people stop attending. Look at the idiots you have in charge and you will discover your problem.

TLA said...

Even the good speakers are losing it. Steady spiral downwards. If you are bored, then leave. Find some place interesting - they do exist.
You may have to leave your old COG doctrines behind, but do you really want to see so many former members end up in the lake of fire? Do you really think that is God's will?
Time for a new set of doctrines that follows the Bible - the more loving doctrines like loving your fellow man, not the less loving ones like stoning.

Anonymous said...

I'm at a loss to figure out how the OT can be used to justify tight minister control. God condemned Israel for asking for a king. Prior to that, all Israel had was a Judge and elders to decide legal disputes. Reading about king David, internally, he only got involved in legal disputes. No tight control mentioned. When his son Absalom tried to usurp the thrown, he stole Israels heart by offering speedy legal trials. No control or lessening of control mentioned. The only scriptures that can be (mis)used to justify tight control is Moses delegating leaders over 10 and 100s etc, but again the context is legal disputes with others. This was not Big Brother 1984 in Moses time.

Interesting how by contrast, Hitler continually courted both his general population and military. King David likewise put out effort to please his countrymen. But no, not Gawds ministers. They behave like arrogant pricks who can do whatever they want, offend whom ever they please, and their victims can go eat cake.

Anonymous said...

Several years ago, Ciesielka earned a degree from Jerry Falwell's Liberty University, which is even more shockingly inappropriate than WCG sending its men to Azusa Pacific. Does anyone here know whether Ciesielka paid his own tuition or whether LCG paid to slide Ciesielka closer to Protestantism? No, he's not a great speaker or a great intellect, but if LCG (Doug Winnail?) told him to get more Protestant education in order to get ahead in LCG, Ciesielka is himself a victim, not just an oppressor.

Tonto said...

TV and radio have ratings. Yelp provides ratings on virtually everything. Amazon has user product ratings.

Too bad the COGS are not brave enough to have "ratings" on their ministers for public view. It might "up the game" and improve the product and also give serious consderation to dismiss those ministers so that they might get into a career field that might excel in.

Anonymous said...

There is a website called, "Rate my Professor" where students can read reviews of college instructors done by students. There should be one called "Rate my Pastor."

Anonymous said...

I commented too soon. There is such a website called Rate My Pastor. I wonder how many in the churches of God know about this and have provided some input.

Anonymous said...

6:18pm Exactly, even Ron Dart, one of the better speakers in the cog once said that he can only hold peoples attention for about 45 minutes.

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