COGNews has an entry up from Bill Goff today about an issue he has faced due to a meddlesome COG member stirring up a stink between Goff and the Christian Biblical Church of God. CBCG is run by Fred Coulter.
Bill Goff has been running a successful organization in Kenya for many years now that feeds impoverished children and others, Kenya Hands of Hope.
Thank you for your quick response in helping to bring food to our impoverished Brethren. May God bless each and every one of you! As many of you know, another young girl from the Rongo congregation died from starvation. But thanks to your quick action, the hunger situation was eased. We distributed Maze and Beans to the starving groups. We also distributed Wheat, Cassava, Millet and Sugar to the widows and remote orphans so they could continue making nutritional porridge. Your Brethren are so Very Very thankful to you for helping them during their dire need. The children were also very thankful (and happy) to have food to eat as you will see in the pictures below — See August 12, 2022
Goff goes on to write about what transpired between Goff's organization and Fred Coulter's Christian Biblical Church of God:
Now I have something sad to report on and bring to your attention. I’m hoping that you will pray about it, because it’s a very serious matter. A while back I reported that Fred Coulter stepped in and joined hands with us in helping our impoverished brethren, and it was a wonderful thing, we were able to assist more of our suffering brethren by working together. Sad to say, that help came to an abrupt end yesterday. Apparently someone informed Fred that my beliefs differ from some of what he teaches. There are a number of doctrines that not only I, but other members of the Body of Christ differ on, but that shouldn’t stop us from helping our brethren who are suffering and literally starving to death at this time.
Too many pulpits in the church of God are too quick to terminate all relation, and sever ties because of differences in beliefs. Now there are Scriptural instructions concerning this matter, and times when some do need to be dealt with, like in Romans 16:17 where we are told to “Mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrines which ye have learned; and avoid them”.
Let us be sure we understand what the Scripture is saying here: that word “divisions” means disunion, dissension, division, sedition. Sedition means to conduct or speech exciting people to rebel against the authority or a state or monarch, and division means disagreement between two or more groups producing tension or hostility.
Brethren, I don’t think I fit into that category. We had no hostility or tension, and there was no rebellion against any authority. On the contrary, we were working together quite well. Fred was even sending me all of the contacts he receives from people in various countries on the continent of Africa, and I was checking them out. Even that was working out quite well.
As I said, there was no problem between Fred and I, things were going on quite well. There was no contention or hostility between us, fact is there was much good fruit being produced, especially in assisting our impoverished widows and orphans who have been suffering significantly.
Christian Biblical Church of God joining hands with us in assisting our suffering brethren was a wonderful thing, it was answered prayer. We have been praying for more to join hands with us to help our suffering and starving brethren. Whoever approached Fred, and caused him to stop assisting our suffering brethren should be ashamed of themselves. The sad part is that now more of our brethren will continue to suffer. Please pray that Fred will continue to assist them. Those funds go directly to our starving widows and orphans, no doctrinal issues should come between us in helping our brethren who are literally starving to death at this time. (This attempt to divide us is the work of our arch deceiver.)
Nothing would surprise me that this was a follower of Bob Thiel, bitter over another COG stepping into Africa. Plus, Thiel is very vocal with his hatred of cooperation between churches, whether they be "worldly" or Armstrongite Churches of Glod. When his group is the only right church then this creates an issue with cooperation with others.
Plus, I can guarantee this person was an entitled American who has zero concerns about the plight of those in Africa, and most certainly a person who has never given financially to such organizations. After all, the official COG mantra has always been - Don't worry about them now, God will help them in the millennium to live properly like we do in America.
How can anyone look at the COG today as an example of Godly love? A love that is supposedly unsurpassed since the 1st Century Christians gathered together. A love that exemplifies the coming Kingdom of God. The Church of God today has very few groups that exemplify true love for others.
Who would want to be part of a kingdom where these kinds of people will supposedly be teachers and right-hand assistants to Christ?
22 comments:
By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:35).
How do the ACOGs handle this verse? They explain that Jesus wanted "My disciples" to have love for one another. It has nothing to do with loving the unconverted. So, how do the ACOGs define love?
If you love Me, keep My commandments. (John 14:15).
Don't you see? In the ACOGs, you are to help your brother. And your brother is one who keeps the commandments as you keep them. So, the best way you can help your brother is to help him keep the commandments.
Simple, isn't it?
"Simple, isn't it?"
It is not simple for the COG because they do not keep the commandments due to their rejection of the New Covenant over law-based worship.
Wow. That's all I got
When has the COG as a whole ever had compassion for others? Only Goff and Kubik dared to reach out to others while being round condemned by the broader church. Herbert Armstrong did some with the Thailand and Jordan projects, but even then many in the church condemned him for caring for nonbelievers.
Im sure the debate was over something trivial, like whether or not Adam had a belly button or some other type of non consequential doctrinal issue.
I highly doubt that it was over any type of high morality difference.
Issues in the COG are always trivial and end up being blown out of proportion. If people just minded their own business the membership could get along. No one cares what the leaders think anymore.
Anon 10:53 am
Typical self centered cog member. Sure your keeping the commandments. Self righteous attitude. Walk by the hungry, step over the injured, and tell the homeless they need to get a job. Go to church and pray to God and thank him your not like those poor wretched people out in the world. Shake hands with all your commandment keeping church friends. Make sure you say grace before eating lunch.
I am depressed because I could never be good enough to be in your church.
Jim-AZ
This is a very sad story.
I wonder if they would accept donations from readers of Banned by HWA?
If you can post a link, I will donate.
The professed trivial issues isn't the real reason for church splits. Rather people become fed up with being abused by some privileged in group. A church split solves the problem.
Curious. What are their differences? Wondering what doctrine caused the issue.
I've pointed out Biblical examples in the past where God has deliberately used confusion to confound and thwart His enemies. Workmen at the Tower of Babel. Superior armies that were going to annihilate Israel. Saul as he lived out his life having disobeyed God, now without God's blessings. And here we have another example of confusion amongst the ACOGs. We've seen the confusion in RCG, in the very group in which the leader proclaimed that the ACOGs would unite under him, and now we see it again amongst other groups, caused by a member of a group whose leader also makes the same claim.
Over the years, others have remarked that the splintering of Armstrongism appeared as if God Himself had spewed these splintered from His mouth. Now we have confusion introduced amongst those who would unite these splinters under themselves. They claim to be the gatekeepers, and now they are being brought to nothingness. This is a whole new stage of destruction, a stage of which members should take heed, and flee to avoid personal destruction for themselves.
Trooisto said...
This is a very sad story.
I wonder if they would accept donations from readers of Banned by HWA?
If you can post a link, I will donate.
There is a donate button on the main page: https://khofh.org
Banned followers have donated to him before.
Sad situation. Fred Coulter should have put the starving people first and concentrated on that. It's not as if they had a joint evangelical project but a joint emergency one.
But equally this blog is self righteous as how many times do 'they' love to mock and call stupid anyone who wants to observe the Holy days.
Change ? You pursue change through vile bullying, hard faced defiance and godless mockery and gossip about others behind their backs. How's that behaviour from Jesus ?
"But equally this blog is self righteous as how many times do 'they' love to mock and call stupid anyone who wants to observe the Holy days."
Oh, dear! Someone is upset!!!!! Whatever shall of us do???????? The only people I see begin called stupid are those of us that know that the law keeping is not commanded in the New Covenant and that the Holy Days, such as what the church teaches, are NOT in force under the New Covnanet.
Done - Thanks!
I have nothing to do with Armstrongism anymore but I do send him money occasionally.
Why do you always assume any comment that disagree with this blog is 'upset' ?
Then anon 12:05 your comment reads not as an individual but as a group.
Then the BIG question for you all remains: if that's what you all believe then why do you all CONTINUE to live a DOUBLE LIFE?????
Why hide these beliefs in the closet??? No one respects or believes the pretence. No one. None are fooled.
You're going to have to explain this "double life" conclusion.
“Counterfeit Jesus!” Yells the man,
With widows’ pensions in his hands.
“Don’t heed the words of this maniac!”
While pleas for help slide off his back.
“I have the truth! He has but lies!
Don’t study his claims, avert your eyes!”
“He’s after power, he’ll steal your crown”
He says to the poor as their roofs fall down.
While many scrimp and scrounge and save,
He spurns the freewill gifts they gave.
“For God will bless, and relief deliver,
But He only helps the Cheerful Giver.”
“But these men…” He says, “that give and mend,
Are causing division and do great sins.”
“They go about to do ‘great deeds’,
But their teaching is not but twigs and weeds.”
“For if they loved the proper LORD,
They’d be in their seats and obedience afford;”
“To care for this world is to worship The Dragon,
but the righteous are blessed for their pious abandon.”
“Be warmed and filled, and go on your way,
And don’t show up empty on the next Holy Day.”
Seth Forrestier - 8-20-22
What are you trying to say, 10:53, that love means withholding yourself from doing a good work to a believer in Christ simply because they don't share the same doctrines as you do?
Did the good Samaritan in the parable check out the doctrines of the person he assisted before giving him aid? (Luke 10) This in itself was a fulfilling of the commandment in v27.
Did Christ say, "You folks don't obey Me and are not my disciples so I can't help you"?
You don't have to fellowship with someone who carries false doctrines but when they ask you for help, there is your opportunity to let your light shine.
Who says fake name ?
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