The Philadelphia Church of God has a new article up that regurgitates some stuff Herbert Armstrong wrote decades ago. It is about the "vital" role of members to the church and is from HWA's incredibly boring book, Mystery of the Ages.
Like many things written by church leaders over the decades, it has NOT aged well. It starts right off by making a ludicrous statement:
The individual lay member has his vital part in proclaiming the good news (gospel) to the world. How? Not by going out and himself proclaiming Christ’s message to the neighborhood or to the world. That is done primarily and directly by God’s apostle through radio, television and in print!
There is no better example of Christian values than by the everyday actions of a Christian in his/her everyday life. If they actually believe what they say they believe then they live it and it is apparent to those around them. It doesn't take some globe-trotting "apostle" who has "prepaid" for his visit with world leaders so he can preach about a "strong hand from someplace." Who needs to hear that kind of crap? That message has had zero impact upon the world while the everyday lives of Christians have made such an impact that Christianity has been an active force for 2,000+ years.
The author, Christ’s apostle [Herbert], can say emphatically that the apostles, evangelists, pastors and elders could not carry on the Work of God without the loyal backing and continual encouragement of the lay members.
Neither can the individual lay member develop and build within him God’s holy, righteous and perfect character without the operations of the apostle, evangelists, pastors and elders. All these various members God has set in His Church are interdependent—mutually dependent on one another. They form a team—an organized spiritual organism—utterly different from any secular and worldly organization!
Christianity, and most religions, all operate as "spiritual organisms". Most are mutually dependant upon the interaction of followers with religious/spiritual leaders. This is not something new that Herbert pulled out of his hat.
Then they get to the real reason the church needs members. Money!
In general, the whole operation of the Church costs money. Facilities and methods are available to the Church for performance of its commission that did not exist in the first-century world. Without the tithes and generous freewill offerings of lay members, the Church commission could not be performed in today’s world.
Oh, ye of little faith! No church needs an extravagant campus. No church needs a multi-million dollar concert hall. No church needs private jets. No church needs faculty rows and housing for its elite ministers on the cult compounds in Edmond and Wadsworth. No church needs any of that. It doesn't even need its leaders going to speak to leaders of nations in the world.
Oh, and don't forget, church leaders need the support of the members because of the INTENSE persecution they all suffer.
Without the fervent and prevailing continual prayers of all members, the Work could not be accomplished. Without the continual ENCOURAGEMENT of lay members and those over them locally, those of us operating from headquarters could not bear up under the persecutions, oppositions, trials and frustrations.
Every "persecution" PCG faces and COG's as a whole are because of their own perverse actions. When they run off at the mouth and say dumb things, treat members like crap, and make utterly asinine prophecies, they have no right to claim persecution, opposition, trials, and frustrations. These idiots brought it upon themselves.
Also in reverse, the lay members need just as urgently the encouragement, teaching, counseling and leadership from headquarters and local pastors.
Oh no, they don't! Considering how awful the leadership is in so many of the COG's and the fact that 99.50% of them actually have no training in real counseling presents to church members things they do NOT need.
The “loner”—the “individual Christian,” who wants to climb up into the Kingdom some other way than by Christ and His way through His Church—is not being trained in Christ’s manner of training, to rule and reign with Christ in His Kingdom!
While it is true that Christian is a "communal" faith that creates the need for community in order for the faith to grow it is not a training ground for "proper church government" nor for becoming god as Christ is god.
The Kingdom of God will be the God Family—a superbly and highly trained and organized family of God beings. The Church is God’s special school for training those He has selected and called to be trained in His Church—to be kings and priests, to rule and to teach—for their part in that Kingdom. Only those so trained in the Church will be kings and priests in the Kingdom of God.
Pure bunk. Millions of Christians down through the centuries who have never been part of an Armstrongist COG are immediately cast aside by such flippant remarks. If the soon-coming Kingdom of God is going to be comprised of current COG leadership and certain members then the licking flames of the lake of fire would be more compassionate. Can you imagine 1,000 years being ruled over by the Flurry clan and their followers? Or, Dave Pack and his ministers? Or, even Bob Thiel. Nothing could ever be more frightening!
The sad thing is that over the 80 years existence of this version of the Church of God we have had piss-poor leadership, horrendous abuses dished out on members, hundreds of false prophets, heretical teachings, and morally bankrupt leadership.
Never has the COG NOT been an example of first-century Christianity than it is today.
See The Vital Role of a Church Member
