As the country reopens and restrictions start dropping on groups gathering togehther, LCG has released some well thought out guidlines for church services, masks, and vaccinations.
Dear Brethren,
While COVID-19 rages in parts of the world such as India, it seems to be abating in other nations. New Zealand reports very few cases and here in the United States, Texas reported zero deaths from COVID yesterday for the first time. Nevertheless, one of our members in Texas succumbed to the virus a few days ago and she was in her mid-thirties. We know of others who contracted the disease recently and have had a difficult time with it.
It might be easy to let up entirely if we were only a localized church, but we are an international Church, serving people in many different countries, provinces, territories, and states. (Please read the message from Mr. Paul Shumway below, regarding a visit from the COVID Police in Barbados on Pentecost.) One size does not fit all, and we should not stay locked down where it does not make sense. Sadly, everything about this pandemic has become political in the United States and some other countries, making it nearly impossible to trust any one source. So, what is God’s Church to do?
Attending services in a crowded room with poor ventilation for two or more hours is a high-risk situation for spreading any kind of airborne virus. We also know that we have many members who are vulnerable due to age and underlying conditions. We want them to be safe and feel safe, but we cannot hide out in caves and wear masks until Christ returns. We must get back to some kind of normalcy as there are also risks to isolating ourselves and continually wearing masks for too long.
After consulting with others this past week about the evolving situation, we want to loosen up where we can. For right now, we will continue to require masks while singing, and in fellowship before and after services while inside, but we will not require masks during the speaking portions of services where this is reasonableand allowed by law and the facilities we are using—keeping in mind that the priority is to do what we can to protect the vulnerable among us, particularly in areas where transmission is not low. We were looking forward to this in Charlotte last weekend as the result of a regulation change, but our meeting facility changed our meeting room and some 200 of us were crammed into a smaller room in which social distancing was not possible. It made sense to continue another week with masks for the whole service until this Sabbath, when we will be in our regular, larger room. Many areas are already doing this. We will continue to use social distancing in seating, where possible.
In addition, in areas where there is low to no transmission, where mask mandates are totally lifted, and where we are not putting vulnerable people at risk, we want to go back to our normal practice. This does not mean that one cannot wear a mask or that people should be pressured or shamed to take off their mask. Those who choose to wear a mask are free to do so. Any decision to make a congregation mask-optional for the whole service will be made by the pastor after consulting with his Regional Director or Regional Pastor. Regional Pastors should consult with Church Administration when in doubt.
And please, brethren, let us not judge one another regarding vaccination or non- vaccination, on masking or not masking, or what one congregation does based on its unique circumstances versus another congregation. Whatever we do, let’s show love and outgoing concern for one another.
Sincerely, in Christ’s service,
Gerald E. Weston
33 comments:
How sad it is that LCG leadership lets this information reach Banned several days before they provide it to ordinary LCG attendees. If LCG leaders can't stop their own ministers from sharing the information, why withhold it from members?
Members have never truly mattered to the leadership other than being human ATM machines. You should know that by now.
When was Pentecost by LCG?
So true. Members are viewed as resources to be heartlessly exploited. I know this from personal experience.
Another thing that's bad for your health is believing stupid stuff, like British-Israelism, so better stay away from Weston's kooky splinter cult.
Anon @ 10.17 PM,
British-Israelism ia a fact You cannot deny the rise of Britain in the 19th century and America in the 20th century. No other countries come close to the rich physical resources and wealth bestowed upon these two beautiful lands besides the British Commonwealth countries of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and North Western Europe.
We are talking of the promised, unconditional physical blessings poured out by God Almighty due to Abraham's faithfulness. Do not pick on genetic factors. The migrants share God's blessings too.
America is truly beautiful and God's land. So are British Commonwealth plus some North Western countries.
I am a non American/British citizen and I envy these people who are so richly blessed
by God. Through them, the rest of the world are also blessed in following their modernisation in science, technology, education, medicine, democracy, etc.
British-Israelism proves God exists and His Promise is sure.
I was disappointed to see that LCG did not post a weekly update, yet this week, with a "Have a profitable Sabbath" message from Doug Winnail.
I always criticize Doug for his weekly whippings that provide more discouragement than hope and are characterized by scant or no mention of Jesus.
Since the members of the LCG are starving for the true Good News of Jesus, I post suggestions for how Doug could change what he writes on his given topic to be more Jesus-centered - therefore be more biblically sound and encouraging. I have a silly notion that some of the LCG members may read what I post and be blessed.
Perhaps, Doug was unable to locate a message to recycle and post, which is his documented practice. Therefore, to help Doug, I'm offering the brief piece below.
If, this week Doug is experiencing writer's block, or recycler's block, maybe my topic of Redemption, will spark his imagination. The word redemption is in the Bible, yet the GOGs avoid mention of it.
On their day of rest and reflection, I encourage all LCG members to do a Bible search for the word redemption and mediate on the rich meaning of these verses. In one day, you can become more knowledgeable than your leaders on this very important biblical topic.
Please Doug, share the Good News of Jesus with your people; publish something like the piece below:
____________________________________
JESUS, YOUR ETERNAL REDEMPTION: Today, as we give thanks to the Father, let us contemplate Colossians 1:12–14, which assures us that God has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the light of the kingdom of the Son he loves. We are qualified by Jesus, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
1 Corinthians 1:30 tells us Jesus is our us wisdom from God, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
We can both rejoice and rest in the truth that redemption by Jesus is for our eternity, as stated in Hebrews 9:12: Jesus entered the Most Holy Place, once, for all - by his own blood, he obtained eternal redemption.
Today, as we rejoice in our redemption, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Corinthians 13:14
Have a profitable Sabbath (by embracing Jesus as the Sabbath Rest),
{Note to Doug: feel free to insert your name and recycle this to refresh your people. Furthermore, please remember that a minister of Jesus Christ does not neglect to teach his people about the gifts of Jesus, such as they are already qualified and redeemed.}
B.I. is a hoax. Research in genetics has proven time and time again the DNA of the British and other European people is completely different from the Semitic people if the Middle East. And no reliable historical ancient history sources show any mass migration of any Semitic people from the Middle East around or after the Assyrian conquest of Israel. To read a good refutation of the B.I. fantasy, go to imninalu.net The author of the article is a well educated Jew who's very well versed in ancient history.
Gerald's handling of Covid in LCG seems as reasonable and practical as one can be with groups. He also handles the fact that the COGs are prone to not going with recommendations for whatever reasons they can come up, quite well. At least he seems to understand the concept of loving neighbors as oneself. Certainly better than the mocking and scorn that Dave Pack heaped on other feast sites that he said he'd love to go next door to a rival splinter and cough on them. Of course he spent two months out of his loop after his feast with Covid. But then Dave Pack is a foolish shepherd and ringmaster complete with clown car full of his go along to get along board of elders or whatever he calls them. Dave has failed in about as many ways possible for a religious cult leader. But there's time...
www.imninalu.net
Anon 4:21 concluded: British-Israelism proves God exists and His Promise is sure.
BI is not the Gospel message. "Proving" God through prophecy is not the Gospel message. Church Eras is not the Gospel message. These are only hooks to get attention, which turn into sidetracks from the Gospel message.
This also provides good arguements https://youtu.be/2EkkVmu88Lc
Just because Weston handled it better than Pack doesnt make it reasonable. He effectively changed a doctrine, albeit temporarily, and then said to many hundreds of members, follow me or get out- then claimed he was doing it for unity.
To think:
being an LCG member means signing on to high-school-dropout-Huckster-Herbert's claim that he 'miraculously received his teachings - including British-Israelism [LOL] - directly from the ascended Jesus'...the stuff Huckster-Herbert would have you believe!
I'm struck by the revelation here that LCG has to rent a meeting hall in its headquarters city of Charlotte.
Most of the other COGs have their own "worship center" (or "sanctuary") now. Can't LCG afford one? (COGWA is another notable exception.)
And talk about a cliffhanger. What happened in Barbados?
"but we cannot hide out in caves and wear masks until Christ returns"
Isn't that what the promise is for the LCG believer in the end time concerning Petra?
Pack is an arrogant, unqualified jerk. He is unfit for any position of leadership in any capacity whatsoever. A false prophet & a false minister. He & Flurry run neck and neck as the worst of the worst of the ACOG leaders
BI was the official doctrine of the Anglican church at the time of Herbs birth.
This is Gerald E. Weston
When I wrote "let's show love and outgoing concern for one another." I should have pointed out that "one another" means a two way rather than a one way street. The words "one another" such as "forgive one another," "have compassion on one another" etc, appear over 50 times in the New Testament. So relationships are definitely two way, and those brethren with an entitlement mentally who need to repent. And a reminder that the Lord Jesus told His followers to beware of such people, and commands that those who insist on only taking from others are to be shunned and treated as heathen.
Have a profitable Sabbath.
Yes and all around the world. It was openly written about and mentioned in British newspapers in connection with Royal family even in the 1950s.
"BI was the official doctrine of the Anglican church..
..openly written about and mentioned in British newspapers.."
Fallacy of 'Argumentum ad Verecundiam'.
Modern HWA bootlickers really need to come up with some evidence to support this kooky 19th-century nonsense. Why are they hiding this "essential" Armstrong doctrine deep in their websites and away from their broadcasts?
According to the Wikipedia article "British Israelism." this doctrine has roots in the sixteenth century. This article states that British Israelism societies existed during the late 1800s and implies that it was a doctrine of the Church of England.
It was a doctrine of the Church Of England.
I have a reprint of an 1950s newspaper mentioning Btitish Israelisim several times. Would you like a copy ?
"British Israelism."..has roots in the sixteenth century.
But, but, High-School-Dropout & Failed-Aluminum-Pot-Salesman, Herbert, insisted that he "received this 'truth' directly from Christ, and not from humans"..in order to warn the world of Jesus' 2nd-Coming in the 1940s(whoops), 1970s(whoops)...
I have never read that in WWCG literature. Can you point to any article where he claimed that BI was given to him directly from Christ?
Anti-Science/Anti-Intellectual/Proven-Plagiarist/High-School-Dropout/Failed-Aluminum-Pot-Salesman HWA would often apply the Pauline confession of Galatians 1:11-12 to himself - which in itself is outrageously audacious
BI is part of the Armstrong Gospel, but is not such "Good News" if you don't happen to be White.
Can you point to any article where he claimed that BI was given to him directly from Christ?
The strongest claim, I believe, is when HWA said a teaching was revealed to him. Of course, revealed to him assumes he meant "by God", though revealed can mean from any source. I remember an account by John Kiesz saying that HWA could read an article written by someone, plagiarize the article, and claim it was revealed to him. The implication is that God revealed it to him, but through JH Allen, GG Rupert, an Advocate writer, an SDA writer,...
Does anyone know how the PCG and both its Edmond headquarters congregation and many field congregations handled the COVID issue when it came to meeting for the Sabbath, mask wearing, etc.? I know they won't have endorsed the vaccine, but I'm more curious about the logistical stuff. Especially because missing one or even two services in a row could yield a call from a Regional Director, or even a suspension if they thought it was warranted.
-Curious
HWA wrote about the "Mystery of Israel" in his book, The Mystery of the Ages. In that same book he claims that these "mysteries" were revealed to him.
A few quotes from the 'How the seven mysteries were revealed" chapter:
"Such basic TRUTHS are revealed, not thought out in any human mind. They come from God, not man! And in all biblically recorded cases the initiative was God's!"
"Similarly, I wanted to be an advertising man, but God brought me by circumstances not to my choosing to the mission he had in store for me. I repeat, at this point, this is the crux of the whole matter: the initiative is God's...The TRUTH is REVEALED from GOD! So I give you, now, a brief synopsis of the experience by which Jesus Christ struck me down, so to speak, and revealed ASTOUNDING TRUTHS! Biblical truths not believed or taught by the churches!"
"How, then, did I come to understand the precious knowledge of the TRUTH? Certainly not on my own, or because I sought it or because of any virtues of my own. But Jesus Christ struck me down in a manner quite different from the apostle Paul's experience, yet nonetheless painfully and effectively. Such basic TRUTHS are revealed, not thought out in any human mind. They come from God, not man!"
He also made humble claims such as,
"Time may prove this to be the most important book written in almost 1,900 years. Not because of literary excellence or flowery language of scholarship that it has purposely avoided, but because of its plainness of speech in clarifying the most important knowledge ever revealed from the supreme source of understanding of that which has mystified all humans since man first appeared on earth."
If HWA didn't DIRECTLY claim that he had a special and unique relationship with God as a revelator--he certainly implied it over and over and over again. And he certainly wanted people to believe it.
...so when Huckster-Herbert paraphrases Gal 1:11-12, applying it to himself, it presents the modern Armstrongist with a dilemma: Of the 18-'Restored Truths' revealed directly to the former Great-Depression-pots'n'pans-Salesman, #13 is 'The Identity of Israel'. If contemporary Armstrongists wish to sideline this 'truth' by hiding it from newbies deep in their websites, then they risk being Liberals like GTA who tried to kick this 'vital-restored-truth' to the curb in the late 1970s.
Ironic that HWA would use Galatians for this while avoiding chapter 4 which contradicts another 'vital-restored-truth'!
The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) affirm continuing revelation through the Inner light or the light within, which is the presence of God which provides illumination and guidance to the individual and through individuals to the group.
nck
Regarding HWA's stance on the STP
"Because Friends believe that revelation is ongoing, they have no set creed or dogmas. However, as early Friends listened to the Inner light and endeavored to live accordingly, a common set of beliefs gradually emerged, which became known as testimonies. Although rooted in the immediate experience of the community of Friends, these Testimonies are based on what Friends believe are verified in the Bible, especially as described in the Gospels regarding the life and teachings of Jesus."
nck
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