UCG Members Asked To Reflect Upon Their Church Name And Its Meaning

 

United Church of God members—brace yourselves for the profound spiritual exercise of the century: deeply reflect on your organization's name. Yes, that's right, folks. Pause your adoration of Jelly for a moment and ponder the cosmic significance of these immortal words: "United Church of God, an International Association." How well do you really understand what it means? How urgently do you need to figure out how to "support" that precious brand? Because clearly, that's the hill to die on.

Who needs soul-searching reflection on Jesus—the guy they supposedly follow—and all those pesky "implications" like love, humility, sacrifice, you know, the boring stuff? Nah. The real priority is navel-gazing over a corporate logo. The COG's ongoing plunge into ever-deeper levels of sheer absurdity is honestly breathtaking. Truly inspiring work.

If someone is actually following Christ (as they loudly claim), the church name should be about as relevant as the color of the carpet in the office building. People would just see living examples of Jesus walking among them. Except... yeah, that has literally never happened. And "united"? Please. They've never managed to stay united longer than it takes for the next power struggle to brew.

But hey, apparently slapping "Church of God" on your splinter group's letterhead instantly makes it the One True Church™. Never mind the hundreds (thousands?) of other splinters who've proudly worn that label over the decades—95% of whom never actually represented Jesus or followed Him in any meaningful way. They all just end up as fertilizer after passing through the Big Sandy "digester." Poof—gone, forgotten, irrelevant. All those tithes? Down the memory hole. What a legacy.

And let's not forget the word "united" in their fancy title. When, pray tell, has the UCG ever been united? Oh right—that massive, glorious split where the church got torn to shreds, a huge chunk of the ministry and members stormed off to form COGWA, and everyone involved practiced peak brotherly love by stabbing each other in the back with gusto. Truly the pinnacle of Christian unity. Bravo. Keep reflecting on that name, though—I'm sure it'll fix everything.

From the President...

What’s in Our Name?

Our organization’s name, United Church of God, an International Association, (UCGIA) was developed by those who assembled at Indianapolis, Indiana in May of 1995. The components of our Church’s name have important aspects.

“Church of God”

This is the core of the name because it is the Bible’s most frequent designation for the New Testament body of believers. An example is an instruction to the elders whom Jesus appointed as shepherds of His sheep: “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). It conveys God’s direction for unity in belief, mission and purpose for which Jesus prayed, “Holy Father, keep through Your namethose whom You have given Me” (John 17:11, emphasis added).

“United”

“That they may be one as We are” (John 17:11). This word signifies that we are striving for oneness with God and each other in our commitment to faithfully follow the way of life established by God and His Son, Jesus Christ, in the Holy Scriptures. Adding “United” to the “Church of God” also helps distinguish our organization’s name from many others and underscores our identity.

“an International Association” 

This was added to appropriately reflect the worldwide scope of the Church and its activities as Jesus instructed: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). The founding elders recognized it as an association of global, national councils working in unity with the Council of Elders with support from the U.S. home office. Paul’s writings reflect the broad work of God’s Church throughout the world: “Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God” (1 Corinthians 10:32).

The full name with “an International Association” italicized also serves the practical purpose of differentiating the U.S.-registered entity from our international entities registered as UGC-Canada, UCG-Australia, UCG-East Africa, etc.

So, the name United Church of God reflects both theological grounding (Church of God from Scripture), practical distinctiveness (United), and an International Association (IA) reflects the collaborative nature of the work around the world.

The recognition of God as supreme Head, His Spirit and Word as our catalysts of unity in doctrine and love, and His calling of saints from every nation, tribe and tongue all combine in our name. These elements He has provided to us at this time.

A good question for each of us is, “How closely am I aligned with the meanings of my church, the United Church of God, an International Association?” Now is a great time to consider how these elements are reflected in our personal lives. Only by truly aligning with what each term represents does the Church’s name genuinly reflect that I am a part of it. One tool I have found helpful is our booklet, “This is the United Church of God.” Let's take time to deeply understand our individual responsibility to live out these terms as true members in Christ’s body.

Jesus never said to reflect upon the name of the church you are in and see how well everyone is aligned with the name of your church. What garbage!

Jesus laid out some very clear (and often challenging) expectations for those who want to truly follow Him as His disciples. These come directly from His teachings in the Gospels, particularly in passages like the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), the call to discipleship, and the Great Commission.

Here are the core expectations Jesus repeatedly emphasized:

Supremacy of Love for God: Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, prioritizing Him above all earthly relationships, even family and self.

Sacrificial Love for Others: Love your neighbors and enemies, forgive those who wrong you, and serve the poor and downtrodden.

Radical Transformation: Live a life mirroring Christ's example, becoming an agent of change, goodness, and truth in the world, not just a believer.

Follow and Obey: Follow Jesus' commands and teachings, making Him the center of your life and allowing Him to lead.

Bearing the Cross: Be willing to suffer and carry your own cross, embracing sacrifice and self-denial for His sake. 

Practical Implications:

Mission & Witness: Go and make disciples, teaching others to obey Jesus' commands, and be His light in darkness.

Spiritual Discipline: Engage in prayer and fasting, relying on God, not self.

Living Sacrifice: Offer your whole life as a "living sacrifice" to God, demonstrating devotion.

Perseverance: Expect persecution and hardship, but find reward in God's grace and eternal life.

In essence, Jesus asks for a complete reorientation of life around Him, demanding total commitment, transformation, and active love for God and humanity, lived out publicly and privately.