In March of this year, COGWA posted that they are looking at building a new auditorium/learning center, something every true Church of God MUST have! Herbert had one and Flurry has one, so why can't we?
They posted this:
Before I conclude this letter, I wanted to give you a brief update on where we are with the potential building of an auditorium on our property here in McKinney, Texas. We are currently in the process of negotiating with three contractors (we began with five) to see if this project will be viable. We were surprised that from the time we began our planning for this potential auditorium, building costs have gone up exponentially, by 50 percent according to some. To be perfectly clear, our goal from the beginning was to pay cash for any new building, or possibly pay mostly cash with a small, short-term loan that could be paid off in two or three years. If we can’t arrive at a price that we can afford, then we will put the project on hold until we have the cash to complete what we started. This should be determined in the next few weeks. At that time, I will meet with the Ministerial Board of Directors, and a decision will be made as to whether we: (1) put the project on hold for possibly another year, (2) cancel the project or (3) go forward with building. The determining factor will be the cost. I will keep everyone informed when a decision is made.
Now three months later, they have decided to delay the builing yet again. They plan on looking at it in January after the elections and to see whether or not we are in the midst of WWIII. Plus, the average age of COGWA members is getting old and money slows down at that point.
One of our options for this project has always been to delay. With that in mind, during a recent meeting of the administration and the Ministerial Board of Directors, a unanimous decision was reached to delay any building until at least January 2025. Here are the reasons that were discussed for such a delay:
- Economic conditions. There is uncertainty about the future of the U.S. economy. We should have more clarity by waiting until the end of this fiscal year (December 2024).
- Contentious U.S. presidential election. While one can say that this happens every four years, I don’t believe this year’s election will be typical of the past. This won’t be a normal election and could further divide our nation, creating more economic uncertainty.
- Building costs. The cost of construction rose by more than 50 percent in 2023, but the general consensus is that the overall cost of construction (labor and materials) will drop by the end of 2024. We have already seen a decrease in some prices this year, but there are certainly no guarantees that this will be true at the end of this year.
- New budget year. In December of 2024, the MBOD will approve a budget for the fiscal year 2025. Some important facts will be known by that time that are not known at the present time. What will our budget priorities be for 2025? What will our total income be in 2024? (Currently our income is ahead of last year and above budget projections.)
It isn’t because of a lack of funds that we are making the decision to delay. The Church is in an excellent financial position with the capacity to build an education center with cash, and without affecting the annual operation of the Church or our efforts to preach the gospel. The reality, of course, is that once funds are expended, they are gone and no longer available for other projects. During this recent MBOD meeting, we asked ourselves if we are willing to spend funds at the present time or if we should wait an additional seven months in order to analyze economic conditions and the future needs of the Church. The administration and MBOD unanimously concluded that it would be better to wait until January 2025 to make that decision.
In addition to the points mentioned above, there is another consideration that cannot be ignored. Because of the inevitable factor of age, it is obvious to all of us that within the next five to 10 years we will be losing some of our best teachers and pastors to retirement. How we will replace them is on my mind continuously. An education center may not be absolutely essential at this time, but I believe it would benefit our current education and leadership development programs and any new ones we choose to develop for the future. These programs will be essential for the future of the Church and must be given high priority.
Thank you for your support and patience as we work through all these details. Please continue to pray for this important decision for the future of the Church. We are a work of faith and we depend on God to take care of us, but we want to do our part in gathering facts and making the best decisions for the future based on those facts.
25 comments:
I thought in the next 5 to 10 years we were going to flee to Petra?
Would you believe the OT tithing laws, none on money income, ceased in 33 AD?
I was a UCG member since its inception after they left WCG. The constant begging for money got to be too much, and that was one of the reasons I left.
Anon 7:01:00 PM PDT
Out of interest where did you go?
Are you still with the COG movement?
Your comment about the constant begging for money touches Armstrongism at its core.
Without the funds this movement literally collapses.
What were the other reasons for you leaving?
He left out that in the next five to ten years, the church will have shrunk due to the advanced age of a large part of their members. This is the case with most ACOG splinters. They should be planning on closing shop.
Does the entirety total of all spending during an FOT contain funds for a bldg. like that?
Did Paul & the others need a bldg. like this COGWA project? Does a bldg. really show witness to the common Joe of what God is up to currently?
This doesn't take the need for an auditorium or the people to put in it.
Matthew 28:19-20 KJV
[19] Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: [20] teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Ronald Dart one of the Ambassador College Big Sandy Principles openly warned, approx 25-30 years ago, that the Church of God movement, as it's been organised & run since WW2 can ONLY survive in capitalist 'good times' and COULD NOT survive in a great depression era.
But the current leaders across all COG groups planned for potential 'great depression times' surely? Of course they did, look how well organised they were over a Worldwide Pandemic...no panicking or anger at brethren who discerned the danger and prepared accordingly...oh no ...they are men of scripture.....don't panic!! dont panic!! International jet setters they've got it all covered.....God speaks to them, he inspires them, moves them, knows them, overlooks their lies.......just like the High Priests.......on temple mount ......at Passover.........in 70AD.
Don't panic !!!!
If God was guiding the UCG, why didn't He tell them to put up their proposed building before costs had risen 50%?
The problem is that traditionally, Armstrongism has built buildings, but then shrouded them in secrecy and put policies into play which prevent outsiders from having access to them, or even knowing what they were all about. This what prevents the buildings from being used as an evangelistic tool in the way that most mainstream churches are able to use their buildings. One might call that "selfish". Or "cultic".
A typical Catholic or Protestant church is known to be part of the community in which it is located. It is open, and anyone in the community is welcome. It serves the communities by administering to the poor and assisting those in trouble. Notice a pattern here? These are things that cost money. Armstrongism eschews such activities and shrouds itself in secrecy, even teaching that members should not participate in "worldly" (other Christian's) charity, but single source all donations to Armstrongism. It does not roll out the welcome
mat, but rather hides and conceals, making outsiders very suspicious. Even the quality of new members is carefully controlled. Much of this is all about (wait for it), MONEY!
One would hope that the COGwa would show themselves as being open and welcoming to members of their community with this new building, and would extend their friendship to all. But, nobody in COGdom ever repents of the old man's
sins. They just keep wallowing in them.
12.12 am I recall Dave Pack claiming that the purpose of his main building was to greet world dignitaries. What dignitary has ever set foot on his compound?
Rather it's all about validating his inflated sense of importance.
COGWA HQ building is surrounded by busy freeway.
Why did they not build a two storey HQ that could be adapted to different requirements in the first place? What about their discernment ?
Once again, the mocking and scorning, lacking any understanding crowd tries to undermine anything that would suggest that they themselves are not the wisest gods. Does Scripture not say that the builder should count the cost (and not just $$$)? And exactly WHERE does Jim Franks ask for money for a building? Hypocrisy by commenters is not admirable.
Ronald Dart one of the Ambassador College Big Sandy Principles openly warned, approx 25-30 years ago, that the Church of God movement, as it's been organised & run since WW2 can ONLY survive in capitalist 'good times' and COULD NOT survive in a great depression era.
Yet didn't the Radio Church of God have its roots in the Great Depression of the 1930s?
As for the main topic: It doesn't look good for COGWA to have its headquarters congregation meeting in a rented "Unity" church (ironic as that is). That's one reason why officials want this new building - and to that extent, it's understandable.
5.28 AM
So you're hankering for the good ol' days when gawds ministers were viewed as junior gods and were above criticism. The Internet and the maturing of the flock means those days are long gone.
The only dignitary ever to set foot on Dave's wacko/Waco compound, is the local Wadsworth Sanitary Sewer code inspector, there to make sure RCG baños flush properly.
W.A. @ 8:28 said...
It doesn't look good for COGWA to have its headquarters congregation meeting in a rented "Unity" church (ironic as that is). That's one reason why officials want this new building - and to that extent, it's understandable.
They did have a building for their HQ and for their congregation to meet. It's in Cincinnati.
I've taught at a local university for over a decade. As I enter the classroom building there is classroom after classroom empty of students. Why not rent the use of some classrooms in the community to teach your up-and-coming pastors?
God's JPM ?
What you call mocking and scorning can also be described as common sense.
Surely the original architect could have designed a multi functional adaptable space. The entrance hall alone is a double height space.
Too many COG's since Mr Armstrong's death have wrapped themselves up in building a Qasi Temple headquarter buildings that is outgrown as soon as they dedicate it. These buildings are more like modern day versions of the administration offices of the Second Temple.. without the space to worship God himself on the Sabbath..and scripture tells us what God thought of that.
The church built buildings, the campuses, the lifestyle, the travelling ONLY emerged after WW2. During the 1930s the Radio church of God Oregon congregation with Herbert Armstrong as Pastor was very different from Pasedena 1950s.
Just imagine, you wouldn’t need any such building being built NOW had Worldwide not imploded. It’s too late, the boomers boomed everything away.
"Shepherd" Jim Franks wrote: "...An education center may not be absolutely essential at this time..."
If a new building complex is not constructed, perhaps Jim may return money that came from the people (sheep) for that particular $building fund$ and maybe return it to the people who gave it, who are experiencing a worsening economy.
Or, will Jim Franks use the money to feed themselves, like as was indicated by God to Ezekiel many many years ago:
Ezekiel 34:2, 6-8 Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.
Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;
As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;
Time will tell...
John
Correct 10:13 After WWII, it was a post war economy. America was an industrious nation. Things were made in America. Men came back from the war, and things were set up better for people to have families.
Looks like HWA was then capable of molding and changing with the times at that junction. I wonder if now, with the extended life expectancies and rabid overpopulation, if he would see clearly enough into the future to preach an era of limitations, reproducing responsibly as opposed to continuing to be fruitful and multiply in spite of what we see that doing to our planet?
Of course every action has its consequences. As the birth rate amongst white women fell, the gap was filled by bringing in workers from other nations around the world. The powers that be were not going to allow birth control to throttle growth even if their solution was destined to alter the makeup and culture of nations. With straight faces, they actually blame such changes on liberals.
Yea 1:50 , every time in every situation, they blame liberals for the problems of western society. What I liked about Christ is that He was/is fair and just. He could see both sides of the equation or problem. Like the woman that was caught in adultery and they were only getting ready to stone her. But Christ was drew on the ground and was mostly like (what about the men she slept with/names). And they just walked away.
John is correct, where does that money go that that was used to build this new learning center? It goes in the hands of the ministers. And another question, can anybody else in other ACOGs use the center (if it ever gets complete), aren't they christian too?
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