Can you trust a COG to help you with mental health and addiction issues? How many ministers have ever had REAL training in counseling, addictions, and mental health issues? The chances are slim to none with most of them. With the inherent disdain in the COG world for "higher education" most ministers in any of the COG's have no degrees outside of Ambassador College, or hours spent pouring over books and booklets about church teachings.
Most ministers in any COG have never had official training on how to counsel or conduct a therapy session. The first issue they all have is that far too many COG leaders and ministers lack empathy. Empathy is a necessary ingredient in therapy, counseling, and work with mental health and addiction issues.
UCG Council of Elders writes:
Chairman Len Martin called the morning session to order at 9 a.m. Eastern and the meeting was opened with prayer. All 12 Council of Elders (Council) members were present. Scott Ashley was online via Zoom.
Chairman Martin introduced the first subject of the day concerning the Council review of the “Light of Hope” program. He then turned the floor over to Steve Myers to lead a presentation about the program. Mr. Myer’s explained the reasons why “Light of Hope” was introduced last January. He then discussed the program’s Goal, Vision, Mission, and Scope statements. Mr. Myers also clarified exactly what this program is all about and what it is not.
Mr. Myer’s added that the Light of Hope’s sole purpose is to support our members who struggle with mental health issues and addiction. He made it clear that this program is for UCGIA members only. It’s not a public program or open to other COG organizations. Light of Hope is not just providing counseling services, it’s a support system, as well as assisting the membership with locating and connecting with the available Christian-based mental health and addiction services in their local areas.
Mr. Myers ended his presentation with a question and answer session as well as taking feedback to improve the Disclaimer, Confidentiality, and Hold Harmless Statement. Dr. Roy Fouch, a member of the consultant volunteers for Light of Hope, joined Mr. Myers during this portion of the presentation.
When has confidentiality EVER been used in the COG? Ministers and ministers' wives routinely gossip about other members' problems. Toss in addictions and mental health issues and UCG is going to have major issues if they can't keep their mouths shut.
Chairman Martin then asked the Council if this new Light of Hope program needs a resolution or was the presentation and a simple acknowledgment that the Council has been made aware of this new program enough. It was determined that a resolution was needed and would be drafted and then presented at the Zoom council meeting sometime in January. It was also decided that the program can move forward without the resolution.
There is one thing that never seems to be addressed when it comes to “church counseling “ when someone wants to find fault with a particular church or churches. For ex:
ReplyDeleteDecades ago when I first went to AC I wanted to be a minister. Sometime later I was assigned to be the “second man” for counseling members at the FoT. An event that totally changed my mind about being a minister.
Even later, I began teaching classes for a local community college, then a health institute, plus private classes. These had absolutely nothing to do with a, or any church. What did I find? The very same situation!
No one seems to pick up on this, that much of the fault for failure in counseling is the “patient.” Here’s what moved me to decide to not pursue a ministry.
At the FoT I ran into this. The person asking for help and guidance did NOT want that. What they wanted was someone to sit forever, shut up, not respond and just listen, listen, listen. They did not want to hear advice, suggestions, or be told what to do. They just wanted an ear to cry oh woe is me, to. And, then be told when they decided to stop talking: Oh, it’s ok mr/mrs so and so. God understands, He will help you get through it. Just keep doing what you’re doing, there’s no need to worry or make changes, or do anything to improve. It will all work out for you. I’m so sorry for what you are going through. Believe me, I feel your pain.
That was with members in a church.
At the educational facilities I taught for nothing changed because they were not religious organizations. Same for my own classes. Everyone said they wanted help and advice, but they just wanted a listener and an enabler.
Until secular and/or religious counselors tackle that problem and overcome it, Gary will have continual fodder to throw at us here. A bottomless pit, if you will.
Nothing changes. Nothing new under the sun, someone once said.
In the western world, people typically need to be licenced by the government to practice psychology. Laws vary. In my country of Australia, there seems to be an exemption for religious based counseling. On several occasions, I've experienced what can only be described as ministers playing psychiatrist with me. They threw in some unrelated scriptures to give a fig leaf pretence of acting as ministers of religion. What a joke. Both these ministers quit high school at age 15 or 16. Hillbillies getting their jollies playing psychiatrist.
ReplyDeleteBtw, it takes many years of hard study to be a competent counselor. This will never happen with the ACOG ministers since most are not book readers. Rather they'll do some Mickey Mouse church course and then insist that everyone regard them as another Dr Phil of king Solomon This sort of fakery is the church norm.
Rather than pay $250 an hour to a licensed and trained person, church folks of all denominations try to go the "cheap route" and use ministers instead.
ReplyDeleteWhy not just cut out all the middle men, and buy 4 or 5 books on your "issue" and watch a couple of dozen videos at YOU TUBE that surely are addressing your issue, and when all else fails , just ask SIRI on your cell phone!
"Both these ministers quit high school at age 15 or 16"
ReplyDeleteJust like High-School-Dropout Herbert Armstrong!
(he was a high school dropout y'know!)
Most people who believe in British-Israelism are, like HWA, High School dropouts.
I'm not addictive, and have never needed rehab. In my twenties and thirties, I liked to party and get high, but the pleasures inherent in that faded. I discovered that I really enjoy having my wits about me, and taking life straight up. However, in the course of partying and having fun, I encountered a number of people who were out of control, and the stuff they did while high wasn't funny. It was embarrassing just to watch them.
ReplyDeleteNow, some took steps to resolve their problems, and others did not. The ones who succeeded and actually changed their lives were committed. If one program did not work for them, they sought out another. If one 12 step meeting place did not address their issues or sit well with them, they found another. The problem with being restricted to an ACOG's program is that the choice to seek a program which actually works is taken away from members. Obviously, if a member is financing his or her own treatment and recovery, the Armstrong churches do not approve of members spending their money in that way. They also don't want outsider professionals putting ideas in members' heads which counter church teachings. These factors greatly diminish the possibility of success in recovery. In other words, you cannot count on your church to successfully lead you into recovery. I don't know how things are in the splinters these days, but back in the golden era, members were encouraged to drink. People who had never imbibed, but whose genetics predisposed them towards alcoholism, took up drinking after becoming members of Armstrongism, and ended up being full blown alkies! It was a church-caused problem in their lives.
My first advice to an ACOG member who has recognized that they have a problem with alcohol is to leave the church as soon as possible, However, if you can't find it within yourself to do that, then find a program that works for you from experts outside of the church, and don't tell anyone in the church that you have a problem, or that you are in treatment. It's none of their damned business anyway! It's not that these churches are only incompetent in handling addiction and mental problems. They have very little tolerance for anyone who has any sort of problem which disrupts the selfish and nonempathic practice of their religion. Don't believe me? How many members even "waste" their time attempting to meet their children's emotional needs? Unless of course you believe that that's what blanket-training is all about! Child rearing in an ACOG is based on punishing kids any time their behavior disrupts parents' fanatical practice of Armstrongism. Since parents are a type of God in childrens' minds, just imagine how Armstrongist parenting distorts childrens' concept of their heavenly Father!
2023 wrote:
ReplyDeleteJust like High-School-Dropout Herbert Armstrong!
(he was a high school dropout y'know!)
So what, and who cares? Why do I say that? Simple. Many millionaires during his time, and before and after his time, were NOT high school graduates. In fact, several wrote that high school and college kept many from becoming millionaires.
A high school dropout just worked harder than those who just stand on their laurels.
HWA had his faults, so I would suggest one pick on the faults that really mean something.
Just sayin. Whether many like to complain today about his results, ask yourself how many people you got to begin a study of the Scriptures. Or, how many have you turned from the Scriptures?
Ever ask why the “WOKE” crowd attacked the worldwide so harshly? At least those who are called that today. And, don’t give me the same old gossip that keeps missing the mark.
Happy days are here again…
2023 also wrote:
ReplyDeleteMost people who believe in British-Israelism are, like HWA, High School dropouts.
I guess you are including some of the royalty of England, etc. right?
Don’t you know that England has genealogy records of their royals that claim to go back through David and beyond?
Oh, of course, HWA must have snuck into the palace before he was born and left a fake record.
And the records were there before the first BI books of modern times were written. So, blaming the right people would be nice.
It’s a wonderful day in the neighborhood…
Reporting on Queen Elizabeth's coronation many newspapers around the world at the time openly wrote about British Israelisim.
DeleteI can assure you cog pastors lack training. My best friend counciled with our ministry because od gay tendencies. He was told to get married and the pastor never followed up or met again. Sad!
ReplyDeleteIt's not staffed by ministers.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.ucg.org/members/news/light-of-hope-helpline
"Light of Hope is a helpline supported by Church members who are licensed social workers, counselors and other clinical professionals."
"These specialists will also assist in connecting people in need with appropriate resources in their communities while keeping all information confidential."
while keeping all information confidential
ReplyDeleteIf UCG is lucky, this new project will be a failure, because if they are unlucky and it succeeds there will be many complaints about violations of confidentiality. I hope UCG lawyers have worked out a defense for the inevitable breaches of confidence (or thorough consent forms that must be signed).
There are confidentiality laws for psychologists and psychiatrists. They can even lose their licence if they betray confidentiality. But I'm not aware of such laws covering ministers of religion.
ReplyDeleteMy point is that ministers can violate confidentiality, then blame the victim by claiming that the victims wrongly assumed that there was confidentiality. Considering the context, this is deceit. In my country, such political ploys are typically denounced as "misleading parliament."
Well, I know where you're going with that, 1:13, and I dont particularly disagree, but I know plenty of college grads who dont seem to have been paying attention in school as well. Went back to school a second time for fun recently and Im amazed at how many braindead idiots are getting passed through the system.
ReplyDeleteA poster above made the claim about the British Monarchy having records of genealogy going back to David.
ReplyDeleteWhat the poster may not realize, is that virtually EVERYONE with a European background and other continents as well, can make that claim. When you start studying genealogy, you realize that within just a few hundred years, you will find a common ancestor with virtually everyone.
This is why all United States Presidents are all related as well. (Even Barrack Obama). When each generation results in a doubling of ancestors. After just 1000 years , with a generation being 30 years, you have more than 2 Billion ancestors! There were only 390 million people on the whole planet, thus you likely share 6-10 ancestors with every human.
Going back 2000 years the numbers go crazy. 3000 years to David and the idea that you are descended from David is funny, as virtually EVERY SINGLE human on Earth would easily make that claim many many times over. In my own genealogy, I am descended from King John and also William the Conqueror, as is over 75% of all other Americans.
My wife and I were amused to discover that we are 6th cousins, even though we grew up in way different regions of the country, and our common ancestor was as recent as 1812.
Some geneticists estimate that the most recent common ancestor for all humanity probably only goes back to about 300 BC.
So WHOOPEE--- we are all royal blue bloods, and we are all descendants of David!
Rubbish Tonto.
DeleteMembers problems NO2HWA?? Any person who's been around long enough knows full well the ones with mental health and addiction issues are amongst the ministry and their wives and families.
ReplyDeleteFunny how YOU never mention ministerial problems Funny that.
Tonto, it appears you have been reading “Traced” from AIG.
ReplyDeleteAs to the records I mentioned? Well, on a tour thru one of the mansions in England we were shown an old scroll with the genealogy printed in it. It was housed in what looked like an old grandfather’s clock(?) in a very long hallway. The guide stopped and opened it to show us the long scroll inside that could be rolled up or down to read it. And, she explained what it was and that it was quite old.
Brits are quite proud of their old possessions that go back hundreds of years and consider us Americans as silly to keep destroying our old things because we have to always have the NEW STUFF. I was told Americans don’t respect their history and are always tearing it down to build something NEW. Sad to say, that’s too true.
At least I got to see the scroll with my own eyes. So, I know for a fact BI was believed long before HWA came along, and the modern books that he was “supposed “ to have plagiarized.
History stands for itself over personal biased claim.