GCI in the United States has been undergoing major restructuring throughout 2023 and 2024. These changes have occurred for several reasons. The main reason is a shortage of pastors and key leaders to replace our ranks. For the past 12 years, our regional system has served us well. We started with six regions. With the retirement of Ted Johnston, it went to five regions. In January 2024, Anthony Mullins left the role of Southeast regional director (RD) to plant a GCI congregation in Durham, North Carolina. Then in January 2025, Rick Shallenberger, North Central RD, and Tim Sitterley, Western RD, will both be retiring. This means Dr. Jeff Broadnax, Pam Morgan, and I will be sharing the responsibilities of overseeing the United States. I also have the responsibility of overseeing the Canadian and the Caribbean regions. We hope you can understand that we clearly needed to make some changes to manage this vast area with fewer people.
One option was to move our more experienced pastors from their current congregations to the role of RD, but this would put these large, healthy congregations at risk. Robbing Peter to pay Paul is never a good strategy for growth nor sustainable health. So, the Holy Spirit has been leading us to think differently and guiding us to implement a new strategy. However, this new strategy has required incredibly challenging and painful decisions and even more difficult conversations with our pastors and facilitators.
Many of their smaller churches and Zoom groups will no longer have a "charter" or support from HQ.
We changed our chartering guidelines in 2023 and revised them in 2024. Groups who meet via Zoom but do not meet face-to-face weekly, no longer have a charter. We also are transitioning groups of less than ten in weekly face-to-face attendance to closed status, and they will no longer have a charter. Of course, most will continue to gather and fellowship as small groups as they are able, but it is not wise stewardship of limited resources for the denomination to continue to insure them nor support their charter. None of these decisions has been easy for the facilitators, members, RDs, or the home office staff. We all grieve and lament with those our decisions have affected. I have struggled with bouts of depression due to these transitions and closures. This is, however, necessary if we are to oversee and properly lead our groups who have a weekly attendance of more than ten people.
Apparently income is also down.
The members and leaders affected by the restructuring are our brothers and sisters, our fathers and mothers, and our grandmothers and grandfathers, and we love and appreciate them very much! And it is also true that we cannot continue to provide support for the number of groups we previously supported and still provide training and the necessary accountability to help turn the corner to be a growing and thriving denomination. We do not want to leave anyone behind, so we have created the Home Church US. Pam Morgan has written an article to help explain what this is and how it works. Read it here.
I want to remind us that the “church” is not buildings or specific meetings — it is the people. Along with all Christians around the world, it is you and I, together, who make up the church, the body of Christ, the bride of Jesus. No one can remove you from God’s church. It is a covenantal relationship we each have with our God, as Father, Son, and Spirit, because of what Jesus did on our behalf. We belong to him, and no one can snatch us out of his hand. (John 10:28-29) Remember, he will never leave us nor forsake us! (Deuteronomy 31:6)
They remind members that all churches have a life cycle and most die off. Well, that pretty much describes the Worldwide Church of God and Armstrongism!
I also want to remind us that everything living has a life cycle and that includes congregations and fellowship groups. The apostle Paul planted congregations, yet they no longer exist today. Did Paul fail? Did those congregations fail? No, we are all here, in part, because of the work the Holy Spirit did through Paul and those congregations. Jesus tells us that he will build his church and even the gates of hell and death will not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18) Jesus never said a congregation or group of people will always exist in their current form until he returns.
I thank each one of you and am grateful for your love for God, love for his children, and your years (and even decades) of support and prayers. I apologize to those hurt by these transitions. To cause hurt has never been our intent, nor what is in our hearts. Like me, I know you love this denomination and want to see it thrive. I covet your continued prayers for God’s provisions and direction, as we try our best to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Love you all!
Mike Rasmussen, Superintendent of North America & the Caribbean
