For two weeks this past July, the office was buzzing with the approximately 70 students who were here for the Foundation Institute Continuing Education classes. We had a full house for both of the two weeks, approximately 35 students each week.
Gone are the visions of 2-year/4-year colleges that actually teach degrees. Now the COG's depend upon nothing more than seminars for other educational needs. Unable to draw in their younger members, most of these seminar attendees are on the "mature" side of the age range.
All ages were represented, although most were in the “mature” range and retired from work, so they could easily schedule a week away from home. The fact that these two classes filled up with students within minutes after the registration was posted says something about our members’ desire to learn.
In the 1940s Herbert Armstrong wrote about the need for a good biblical education for the membership. The following is taken from a coworker letter that he wrote in advance of the founding of Ambassador College in 1947:
“In other words, real conversion and salvation is EDUCATION—not the kind of purely mental, purely materialistic, and mostly faulty and erroneous education of this world— but REAL education, which is the enlightening of the mind, feeding of the mind and soul, thru that faculty of mind we call the HEART, the development of self-discipline and character in the true spiritual values.“God intended man to become EDUCATED. We never glorify God by ignorance, nor by neglecting to train and educate the mind! What is the principle thing that elevates a man above a dumb animal? It is his MIND! That mind, then, to glorify God and fulfill His purpose, ought to be developed, used, rightly cultivated and trained.”
What does COGWA consider "good biblical education"? Two weeks of propaganda material written by Herbert Armstrong or actually using real college textbooks to study the Bible, that thing they claim to follow meticulously and yet ignore so many parts of it.
When we began Foundation Institute in the fall of 2012, we had two purposes in mind. One was to pass on biblical knowledge to the next generation, but the second was to emphasize the importance of building righteous character. Can Foundation Institute build character? No! But it can provide an atmosphere of godliness where one can study and interact with others who are like-minded. And from that, character can be developed-good study habits, a good knowledge of God’s Word and interaction with people who are there to help you learn and grow.
For over 80 years now church members have been told they are building character by being members. The more they suffer under abusive ministers and ungodly rules, the more character they build - IF they do not question and obey completely. God is constantly testing them to weed out the chafe. The unclean Laodiceans are being sifted out.
Over the past decade, Foundation Institute has not only provided on-site biblical education for more than 100 students, but also hosted a series of continuing education classes with approximately 70 students each summer (with the exception of the two years of COVID, 2020 and 2021). And, of course, there are the online classes, which have more than 2,000 student subscribers.
In my view, every member of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, has benefited directly or indirectly from the education programs coming out of Foundation Institute. I believe it is correct to say that we are providing more biblical education than at any time in our history, and that is a good thing!
Every year that goes by the COG's brag this same nonsense. Even Bob Thiel claims this silliness. The COG's claim their members are more educated than they ever have been in over 80 years, yet the COG's struggle to survive. None of them are making any impact, particularly here in the Los Angeles basin. Ask anyone on the street who COGWA, LCG, UCG, PCG, RCG, and improperly named "continuing" Church of God is and no one will know.
One of the most basic principles, and one of the guiding principles for Foundation Institute, is found in Psalm 111:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.” Combining a biblical education with obedience to God is the foundation of the Christian journey. I am very pleased with the work and progress of Foundation Institute over its decade of existence!
Wouldn't it be nice to hear COGWA has started following Christ as their goal instead of bowing down to the law? But, after all, this is a Church of God.
11 comments:
I know this blog is about bashing the Armstrong movement at all costs, but personally I think Psalms 111:10 is good advice for anyone. I think Christ would give that advice Himself. After all, it is the word of God!
They have no mature students.
Mature range? Actually that would most accurately describe people in their 40s. The longevity of, and preservation of the power amongst the Baby Boomers constantly amazes me. But, I guess the thinking is that if Mick and Keith and Donald and Joe can keep on keepin' on, so can COG leaders. The saying back in the '60s was "Don't trust anyone over 30!" That would even rule out Dave Grohl if it were still a thing today!
Mature???....
Thats a nice way to put it. The article added "retired from work". So we are talking for the most part then of people 65+ in age.
The more accurate term should be ELDERLY , rather than "mature".
Does your ""biblical"" education include Ex 23:14 which does not read ...three seasons of seven feasts...? Or: For the priesthood being transferred, there is made of necessity a removal also of the law. - Heb 7:12? Or: a sabbath, not a feast, a memorial of clamor…..Lev 23:24? Or: ...even these are My fixed times, which are 3 feasts and annual and weekly sabbaths - Lev 23:2?
At least these mature students can enjoy a week of listening to lectures and socializing with their peers. The unfortunate kids who spend a year at the Home Office are made to work 20+ hours per week doing labor that is either too menial or too specialized to be done by the full-time Home Office employees.
The July classes actually took place during "summer break" from the two-semester Foundation Institute instruction, which happens from August-May.
Trouble is, last time I heard a number on In Accord, the new term only has about 10 students.
The cogs are so troubling. They all live in their own little world where they do not venture into friendships and social groups outside their little group. It is very sad. Regarding COGWA, almost everyone "of stature" in the church is a minister or is related to a minister or, if over 42, attended or have a spouse that attended Ambassador College. Now most of the "of stature" younger people either attended ABC or Foundation Institute.
I would suggest that they teach on the basic rules of Bible interpretation so they would stop taking passages out of context, twisting the scriptures, etc. I my doctor interpreted my blood test results as carelessly as HWA did the Bible, who knows what my doctor would have come up with.
Cogwa is weird. Their doctrine doesn't make sense, but they have enough financial means to sustain themselves and the ministry in a very respectable way.
At all costs? As if for nothing they do so. I just wish they didn’t give them a reason to. I wonder what the next blog posts here would be if the churches of God indeed began to reconcile preaching Christ and the things in His name such as mercy, grace and love. But in the chance grace is spoken of in the Churches of God, it is almost always followed by an asterisk-like attachment in the sentences that follow their talk of grace such as, “only if you keep the law & meet these checklists can you access this grace”.
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