I was sent this by a person today inquiring if the Churches of God were actually a "fellowship"?
This is in response to a newsletter that Craig White sends out:
Notice that Vic Kubik uses the term “Church of God fellowship” in the 8th paragraph. This is similar to the term “Church of God community” that some use (including me).
What it means is that many of the Church of God groups are recognised as part of the Body of Christ and it is well and truly fine for us to visit and network with the other groups. It is against UCG policy to work against that or prevent it. We are not a cult nor do we believe we are the only true Church.
The other day Victor Kubik posted a letter where he talked about fake news and how UCG was the source of real truth since they have the Logos as their ultimate source and he referred to
This is in response to this comment by Kubik.
For the first time since the research has been conducted, the quantitative results from the report
showed that media was viewed as both “incompetent” and “unethical.” A majority (59 percent)
believe that journalists are “purposely trying to mislead people by saying things they know are
false.”
The outcome? “This is the era of information bankruptcy,” declares the report. “The global
infodemic has driven trust in all news sources to record lows.”
It’s important to note that these numbers represent journalists and media on both ends of the
spectrum—liberal and conservative. And government doesn’t fare any better.
What is disturbing about this for us in the Church of God fellowship? Follow-up research
conducted a few weeks ago found that a majority (57 percent) of Americans interviewed noted
that divisiveness is so extreme that they believe the United States “is in the midst of a cold civil
war.”
No wonder that President Joe Biden delivered an inaugural message on Jan. 20 that called for
calmness, unity and a lowering of political temperatures. Sadly, in the weeks that have followed,
fresh rancor and divisiveness have reared up again on both sides.
How should we in the Church of God respond?
Most people I have spoken to said this is not the case that COG groups form a fellowship. While there may be a few that do let ministers from other groups speak on occasion, they are not bound in bonds of fellowship in belief or governance.
There particularly are no bonds of fellowship with personality cults led by men such as Dave Pack, Gerald Flurry, Bob Thiel, or Ron Weinland. These charlatans are at enmity with other COG's due to their narcissistic arrogance, their dreams, outlandish visions, absurd prophecies, and perverted visions of governance. None of these men allow their ministers to speak in other groups and most certainly will NOT allow any minister from another COG's speak. Can you imagine crackpot Bob Thiel allowing Gerald Weston to speak in his group?
Even those that share ministers on occasion are NOT in bonds of fellowship. They all have different doctrines and beliefs that prevent true unity and true bonds of fellowship.
Certain Churches of God love to mock other Christians and make fun of how many groups there are, but they are just as broken and fractured as the ones they mock.
