Doug Winnail had this up for the LCG member update for August 8. It is about what motivates you, particularly for those seeking a position and to be noticed. This is pretty rich coming from LCG when far too many of the leaders were motivated by position, recognition, and power.
Rest assured brethren, NO ONE and I mean NO ONE in the power structure of the Living Church of God, past and present was EVER motivated by selfish motivations! Never! Oh, and they have all served with genuine humility!
What Motivates You? In today’s world, many are motivated by a desire for a position, power, prestige—and a bigger paycheck. Even in the Church, these same desires can motivate individuals to seek a position and be noticed. While Jesus saw these attitudes in religious leaders of His day (Matthew 23:1–11), He told His disciples, “whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant” (Matthew 20:20–28). Jesus also set us an example in that He “did not come to be served, but to serve.” The Apostles Peter and Paul urged Christians to avoid selfish motivations and be examples to others by serving with genuine humility (1 Timothy 6:3–5; 1 Peter 5:1–6). As we strive to come out of this self-centered world, let’s look for ways that we can serve others—so God can use us more effectively as instruments in His hands (Philippians 2:3–12).
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
12 comments:
To be fair, let's acknowledge that Doug is mostly motivated by laziness, as proven by his having published that same comment less than three years ago.
Weren't they motivated to motivate the guy (whose daughter perished @ water skiing) into being leadership-motivated?
Say whattttt? These are the very people who believe that their sole purpose in life is to keep the law so that they can qualify to become kings and priests and to rule with rods of iron for all eternity!!!
What a politician Doug is!
Yo! Winnail! Call the Heritage Foundation! They need talent like you to write additional materials for Project 2025!
Doug's article is demonic swivel. Don't believe this man. Desiring power, position, prestige, recognition are natural human drives. Society would stagnate if people didn't want more. The Bible teaches theki exact opposite of Doug. For instance: the ask, seek and knock in Matthew 7:7-8. God gives us the desires of our heart in Psalm 37:4.
In Matthew 19:27 Peter tells Christ "...lWe have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?” And Christ answered "Peter, you are being so selfish. Think about others rather than yourself. Seek to give, help, serve instead".No, He gave no such bull answer as Doug (and Time will tell John) would have his members believe. Rather He answered in Matthew 29:8 "Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Christ honored self interest and self profit. In dysfunctional narcissistic family systems, family members are groomed to be caregivers to the narc, while the caregivers needs are completely ignored. Doug and the splinters are playing this same sick game of the unjust steward. The words "one another" appears over 50 times in the bible, meaning that relationship are two way rather than one way. Which is why Christ served and seats of power have to be payed for by service to others. This article is the fox breeding chickens and the wolf breeding lambs. No wonder God is not blessing these splinter victim factories.
Wasn't it Roderick Meredith who claimed that he was "third in line" in the leadership structure? Didn't he believe that he was the rightful heir to the position of Pastor General when HWA died? The organizational structure of the WCG encouraged some people to seek power, prestige, position, etc. It would oftentimes bring out the worse traits in people.
NO2HWA wrote, “…far too many of the leaders were motivated by position, recognition, and power.”
This LCG preacher has a serious problem. The denominational leaders have not been trained at Ambassador College to be servant leaders. The British say, “The Battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton”. The point is that the British military leaders learned combat strategy and leadership in something that seemed to be mere college athletics. The same was true of Ambassador College (AC). The organizational and pastoral strategies of WCG ministers were learned, not in the classroom, but in the mere working conditions found in the daily operations of AC.
And those operations were carried out by a rigidly hierarchical organization. Authority was everything and it was “top-down”. There was a caste system sustained by that authoritarian structure. If you were a senior at AC and still working on the custodial crew or the gardening crew, you knew you were not going to be a minister. You needed to land a position, say, in the business office about the time you were a sophomore to enter the ministry. And an AC education was about negotiating the hierarchy rather than classroom instruction. Negotiating the hierarchy (climbing the organizational ladder, skillfully socializing yourself and effectively networking, for example) was where all the rewards and incentives were located. The street-wise, ministry-bound students understood this. The others probably still don’t.
Servant Leadership does not fit in the AC model anywhere. There were acts of service. But it was about showing up to be seen with the right people. Perhaps, this is cynical on my part and my assessments are overstated. But you need to look at the behavior of some ministers and consider whether such an education might lead to what they are today. If my theory is not the right one, some other similar theory will be valid.
So, the challenge to the LCG preacher is that he must systematically overcome the AC education that his leaders have received. A paragraph on motivation isn’t going to do it. The Holy Spirit can do it but it is an open question whether the Holy Spirit is working within the COG denominations at all.
Scout
Hmm - Garner Ted Armstrong said HE was the proper successor, too.
Doug wrote: "...In today’s world, many are motivated by a desire for a position, power, prestige—and a bigger paycheck. Even in the Church, these same desires can motivate individuals to seek a position and be noticed...."
******
And Doug leads the way with his “fear religion” attitude/example of: "Follow ME, follow SELF, be like ME!"
How so? What motivated Doug? I’m motivated to say something.
Doug currently has the position, power, prestige and that BIGGER $paycheck$, especially since he, as the hireling he then was, fled from the former WCG, and left his ministerial credentials behind in Pasadena (Both HWA and Joe Tkach Sr. taught that departing ministers don't automatically retain their credentials), became associated with a man-made United Ass. (for a short time), then fled to Global Org (which imploded), and then associated with the "ashes" of another man-made group called "Living."
All former WCG hirelings, driven/snared by another spirit (James 4:5; 2 Cor 11:13-15; 2 Tim 2:26; I John 3:8, etc.) focused on position, power, prestige, that $PAYCHECK$, and SELF. Why?
To impress others, but then what was left to do for any who think/believe like Doug does?
Well, that was it: to be NOTICED! Doug, effective “instrument” that he thinks he is, is so perceptive.
But, to be noticed by who/whom?
Splinter victims (Anon Sunday, August 18, 2024 at 9:32:48 PM PDT wrote of splinter victim factories)? Jesus Christ? Jesus' God, the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob?
Could the former WCG hirelings (John 10:12-13) be referred to as "splinter victim hirelings?"
How may we know that Jesus' God will not be impressed by “instrument” Doug, and any like him?
Many scriptures could be cited, but here's one that comes to mind from the inspired Apostle Paul.
"That no flesh should glory in His presence." 1 Cor 1:29
So, Doug continues to "Pete and Repeat" his messages, as though he had somehow "arrived," and had no need to strive to be a more effective instrument in God's hands. He has arrived! Anything new under the sun? Just repeat!
Doug writes as though he has "already arrived," taking all glory to himSELF, and he encourages us to strive to be like him and come out of this self-centered world, but Jesus Christ told us:
" I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil." John 17:15
And yes, that world, this world today, is still self-centered, but that evil? Or, that evil one, some spirit that so easily drives/snares so many to think they are “some great one (s)?”
Well, Doug, aren’t we supposed to learn to hate evil?
When will Doug motivated to realize that no hireling, no flesh, should glory in God’s presence, and it really makes no sense to steal any glory to/for self? When will Doug Winnail stop inflicting his followers with his brand of “fear religion,” focus on self, and learn to see how God, that God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob, by His Spirit, grants repentance/change into people’s lives?
Time will tell…
John
No he didn't. Might have assumed but never SAID that. Get your facts correct.
There is a systematic paradigm that is the enigma within the concept of being a "servant leader" for those who were programed under the Ambassador College Worldwide model. James, Peter, John and many of the other disciples didn't go to some college or taught by some theological school. The evidence over the years points to several men leaving this group, leaving that group and starting their own work here and there. It's because of the attitude or spirit of self over others. It's a spirit of lording over others. It never left WCG.
To piggyback on Scout 707, many may remember when GTA started over the first time, he was always very careful to say all the right things. He would say, 'we (the church) have to leave room for God to call a Phillip', meaning, if God chooses to call some farmer out in left field to the ministry, we have to accept it. As far as I know, it never happened.
There was however a case in my local congregation where a retired gentleman with a diverse background (farmer, mechanical engineer) was encouraged to give sermonettes, even though he had only been attending a short time.
His credentials? He was a multi millionaire!!!
Was his credentials being a millionaire or the traits of character, wisdom and skills that enabled him to acquire millions of dollars?
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