UCG Calls For "God to Lovingly Intervene" in Zambia Cattle Fiasco

With mounting negative publicity shining a bad light on UCG's "christian charity" it has hit back through Kubik with a letter regarding the Zambia Cattle fiasco.

November 18, 2011

In recent weeks, a number of people have weighed in concerning what they claimed happened or is happening regarding members of the United Church of God in Zambia. This includes one person who directly wrote to a family member of a former UCG COE member, copied to leadership of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association (COGWA), asking that an “open letter” be published on anti-United Church of God websites “and anywhere else it can find a home.”  

As is evident by the now-published material, that request has been carried out, apparently with no one who received that request asking that  it  remain private for determination by the appropriate authorities.   This “open letter” includes a distorted  summary of events, as well as what can only be described as a completely fabricated story about an “apology” that simply never took place. 

What is particularly sad and tragic is that, what started out as a legitimate prayer request for God to intervene and straighten matters out regarding the loss of cattle harming the livelihood of some UCG members, has now become a public campaign to bias the facts.  While we were not interested in a war of words, this public misinformation requires a reply, lest silence be taken for agreement of the false information being broadly circulated.

What we would desire, and what we believe is the position of the United Church of God, would be that a spirit of civility be restored among those who were once dear friends working together, that property be restored in a spirit of honesty to whom they were intended and that all of this be done according to the will of God.

With this, we humbly renew the prayer request, asking that God positively and lovingly intervene and set these matters aright. Since this simple prayer request, which did not include any other factors in Zambia, has been inaccurately portrayed and escalated publicly by others, it is necessary that we provide the following summary of events so members can focus their prayers.


In early January 2011, our now former pastor along with some other members of the United Church of God in Zambia announced that they were no longer going to be affiliated with United Church of God, an International Association and, instead, became affiliated with Church of God, a Worldwide Association (COGWA).   However, these people decided to claim a continuing control of the name United Church of God in Zambia (and with that control and ownership of its physical assets).   Members in United Church of God in Zambia who desired to remain affiliated with United Church of God, an International Association also claimed that they have the right to the name and property of United Church of God in Zambia and dispute the right of this now COGWA affiliated group to that name or assets. 

Last February, United’s former pastor in Zambia, who is now a pastor for COGWA in that country, wrote that they would not relinquish control of the UCG-Zambia name or its assets unless “proof” was produced that they were required to do so by simply claiming that they have the legal right to use the registered name of the United Church of God and declaring in writing that they “had never left this church,” they claim ownership.   The fact that most members of United Church of God in Zambia continue to maintain that they remain, as before, affiliated with United Church of God, an International Association and desire continued use of the United name and its property does not matter to them. 

There is no question that the property they are keeping was overwhelmingly the result of gifts of people still affiliated with United Church of God, IA.   Yet they still refuse to walk away and build their own separate COGWA entity in Zambia.  And to add insult to injury, when announcing their break with us last January, they stated that they “sincerely appreciate the financial support that the United Church of God, an International Association has provided in the past years.”

As a consequence, litigation was initiated about last summer by two United Church of God elders in Zambia to seek a ruling on those issues, which case is slowing proceeding in the Zambian courts.  A judge has indicated that the issues involved are questions that appear to require adjudication in a trial to essentially determine which of the two groups is the “true” (from a legal standpoint) “United Church of God” in Zambia entitled to use of that name and ownership of its assets. 

Similarly, at the same time last January, members of the breakaway COGWA group in Zambia who happened to be directors of the LifeNets (International) local Chapter in Zambia also announced the severance of their affiliation with its International sponsor, but retained the local Chapter name and its assets.  They have rejected LifeNets (International) call on them to relinquish that name and assets to those seeking to maintain an affiliation with LifeNets (International).

Of course  these former members are also well aware that Beverly Kubik, wife of Mr. Kubik, personally assisted in raising  much of the funding that made possible the purchase of the property and erection of buildings and their furnishings for United Church of God activities in Zambia as well as projects (such as the Heifer gifting program) and other assets for LifeNets outreach in Zambia. Many photographs of the Kubiks’ trips to Zambia to help brethren have appeared in several publications. They demonstrate the direct engagement of the Kubiks in helping Zambia members.

Attempts were made to peacefully resolve the cattle taking issue privately but to no avail. Members who had their cattle taken were understandably upset and traumatized by these actions. Thus a worldwide prayer request was issued to ask for God’s direct intervention.

We call on COGWA and its affiliate in Zambia to honor its ethical promise of last January that  “We will respect all property of our former affiliation (tangible, intangible and intellectual) and will promptly return all such items to the local congregational leaders of United Church of God (Hebrews 13:5). This can be done by returning:

1)      The United Church of God property donated for  our Zambian UCGIA affiliated members – a Festival site and youth camp, etc. – and LifeNets gifted property are returned to these rightful owners (those who remain affiliated with UCGIA and LifeNets (International), including vehicles and the $42,000 in the Zambian account that was to be used to finish the buildings on the property. This would honor all donors, and particularly the two UCG members who contributed the vast majority of funds (over $100,000) required to purchase the property and build the facility. It would help restore peace, honor God and give use of the facility to the majority of Zambian brethren  who have chosen to remain affiliated with UCGIA and who, this year, were forced to pay for an alternate Feast site and youth camp elsewhere in Zambia.

2)     The remaining cattle gifted to individual members or to UCG Zambia, but not yet returned to those owners must be returned immediately, as planting season has already begun. It should be noted that no efforts by these COGWA affiliated people have been made to take cattle away from cattle owners who benefited from the LifeNets Heifer gifting, but who are affiliated with the COGWA fellowship—they only took cattle away from members retaining their affiliation with UCGIA.

On a visit to Zambia in about mid-January 2011, Victor Kubik tried to have discussions with the former Zambian senior UCG official who had resigned from UCG when these actions first occurred. Contrary to what has been publically posted, this former senior UCG official wrote that he would not talk to or meet with Victor Kubik.   This was prior to any involvement by any attorneys writing to that former UCG minister objecting to their continued use of the UCG-Zambia name and property in late January and February, 2011. 

It was on a later trip to Zambia in April 2011 following another request by Victor Kubik to meet that Mr. Kubik received the e-mail, now publicly posted, listing that former UCG elder’s pre-conditions  for any meeting.  A meeting could have taken place before any legal action was filed (that occurred sometime later)... 

We also reject the proposition that we are “taking a brother to court.”  The recovery of the exclusive use of the name United Church of God and of that Church’s asset is against people who are former members of United.  They are falsely claiming to be members of United Church of God while belonging to (and attending the Feast site of) another church (COGWA) and who refuse to relinquish Church owned property.  They are not “brothers.” They do not recognize any person in our Church as having the authority to act as arbiter in this matter.  
 
We do not appreciate the posting of selective correspondence that leads to false conclusion that we did not try to resolve this matter face to face   before being forced into a different course of action.

LifeNets and UCG have gone to great lengths, with personal visits, phone calls, e-mails and meetings to be circumspect and accurate in what has been written above. This response is in answer to posts, asked to be made public, that paint an inaccurate picture of events.  

We bear no animosity, but we do seek equity and God’s intervention in all the related matters in Zambia. It is the fiduciary duty of the leadership of  UCG in Zambia to  protect the integrity of their projects and the assets given to and for use of Zambian members who did not leave our fellowship.

 

Apostle Is Hard Up For Cash

It looks like Apostle Malm has fallen on hard times and now wants people to help bail him out.

Here's a hint.  Stop your incessant end times malarkey and quit posting on your blog posts that take endless hours of "research".  Go back to your contracting job and work.

You have no message that is of value to COG members or humanity at large.

FINANCIAL STATEMENT AND SUPPORT REQUEST: 

I have been working at this outreach since April 07; spending an average of at least eight hours per day in research, study, writing, answering mail and counseling concerning issues sent in to me.  This is an average, as I would spend much less time on Sabbath and more on other days.

Over these four plus years I have received about [this is a close estimate] $50,000.   My expenses for internet access, the first computer and maintenance, extensive internet advertising for the Main and News sites, as well as for web hosting  etc have been about $28,000.  That leaves about  $22,000 in excess of direct expenses for almost 4 1/2 years of hard work.

During this time my workload and expenses have increased exponentially and have greatly interfered with my ability to work and earn a living at my contracting business.  This has resulted in my falling deeply and inextricable into debt [over $60,000].

This has never been a business for me.  I have never been in this for money.  I am not complaining at all, this is a labour of love.  My concern is to be open about my situation to avoid any hint of impropriety or money grubbing.

My computer is now about five years old and has been under extensive use.  I am now experiencing glitches and problems and in need of an upgrade.   I would like to take advantage of any possible December sales to purchase a good lap top.  This will allow me mobility over my present desk based model and will resolve the escalating issues I am having.

Thousands visit and benefit from these efforts, only a very few actually help out.  I am now asking for a little help; not to build grand buildings, but to provided a needed tool to do this job.

This is NOT the time to construct fine buildings and houses; it is the time to be about our Father’s business.

Before he made this request for money he was ripping Dave Pack a new one for using members money to build a new HQ.  It really irritates the Apostle that Pack his building this monstrosity while he (the Apostle) needs help.

Dave Pack demanded that all of his supporters give everything they had including selling off of Real and personal property to give to him for the furtherance of the Gospel.   He is now wasting God’s money on his personal projects at a phenomenal and unsustainable rate; following the same path to economic ruin that brought the HWA WCG into one financial crisis after another from the 70′s onward. Pack does not have a 130,000 member financial base to even begin to sustain this.

All this; not understanding nor seeing the signs of the times.

This is not the time for building grand buildings; it is the time for delivering a warning to the saints, for making well known the end time signs of the scriptures and for preaching loudly the gospel of repentance and salvation!

How dare you peons give money to Pack when the TRUE Apostle needs it now!  Shame on you!

Armstrongite Confirms: War In Heaven Is Going On NOW!

More mind boggling  TRUTH from John Allen, God's Almighty witness to the world in these dangerous end times.

Did you know that the war in heaven is going on right now????  Are you ready for the alien invasion that will be raping the women of the world in order to breed the human species out of existence?

From information I have just received, it looks like the war in Heaven, foretold in Revelation 12, is now in full swing!

Um....who is talking to you John?  I guess we are hearing voices again!

This information was confirmed by a Project Camelot whistleblower, Aaron McCollum, a third generation super solder and the leader of a black ops group who has had his life threatened for telling his story.

Aaron talked at length about the real reason the war mongers are stirring up war in Yemen, the reason for the so called “piracy” in the area, and the reason why warships from all nations are there. It is because there is an underwater stargate in the Gulf of Aden, just off the coast of Yemen, which became active on January 5^th of this year! 

Me thinks someone was smoking a little too much while watching Stargate

Even the evil minions from Blackwater have a ship there, and there is a ship there for “scientific research” that is doing experiments to unite “alien” and human DNA. Of course, these “experiments” have been going on for thousands of years, ever since a contingent of fallen angels came down and mated with human women.

This tells me that it is Satan’s forces that have activated this stargate, not the forces of Yahweh, as such experiments are forbidden to the Holy Angels.

It should also be remembered that it is mostly the higher levels of Satan’s minions who use the stargates, while the lower level ones use ships to come here in. It is possible to assume, then, that their “place in the heavens” is even now being overrun, and the elite in Satan’s kingdom are preparing to flee to the earth, their last hideout.

This earth is about to be INVADED BY “ALIENS” WHO WILL ENACT A REIGN OF TERROR ON MANKIND SUCH AS HAS NEVER BEFORE BEEN EXPERIENCED.

You need to get off the fence and actively involved in Yahweh’s Work and drink in of His truth and build His character in your life while here is still time. 

And Armstrongites wonder why no one takes their message seriously!

HWA Condemns Today's 700+ COG Splinter Groups

Armstrongites love to say they follow everything that HWA taught yet they ignore so much.  Why do they continue to ignore HWA's only "prophetic" words he ever spoke?

"We ought to be ASHAMED of the pitiful, puny, weak, feeble work that has split up and divided brethren, reached but so very FEW with the message, with almost no real conversions! All this, while leaders desiring power to RULE send out misleading, exaggerated, deceiving statements designed to convince tithe-payers that 'the work is progressing.' What a mockery! What a tragedy! What a pity!

Herbert W. Armstrong, "Did Christ Reorganize the Church?" Good News, April 1939 

Stupid Things Armstrongites Write On Yahoo

The Protestant world "stole" from the WWCG the truth about Daniel and Revelation, especially Mr. Armstrong's knowledge about the EU being the 10 nations mentioned.

Even with this "knowledge" they are not part of Gods true church.

I doubt this website is by anyone who is a member in good standing of the Church of God.

If they are a former member, they are way way off track on some important things.

the questions that are being asked is in regards to the authority of God`s Apostle, Mr. Armstrong in regards to D&R. He was under the inspiration and authority of Jesus Christ  in his decisions and to question those decisions is to question Christ Himself!!  It is apparent that the original teachings regarding D&R as well as the day that was being observed in regard to Pentecost were in error and God caused His Apostle to correct them before Mr. Armstrong`s death. There was no one more knowledgeable about the many scriptures than was Mr. Armstrong, and there should be no doubt that with any important decisions that he made regarding doctrine for the Church was after praying for God`s guidance on the matter, realizing that the entire Church would be involved with those decisions!

I will go one step further to state that anyone who sets themselves up to judge God`s Apostle, Mr. Armstrong, is on very serious ground and must *STOP*!!

why do you beat HWA over the head with 1975 in Prophecy? In the first place, everybody wrote about 1975. There was Famine: 1975. We were all supposed to be flying helicopters, walking on moving sidewalks, etc. etc. etc., according to my schoolteachers. 1975 was adopted by the church as a possible date, to their great regret, because for some reason, it was a marker, just like 2012 now is. Over and over, the ministers would give sermons stating 1975, but then they would say, Don't set your heart on the place of safety, and this is not set in stone... A lot of folks left the church because they were certain 1975 was the time to flee, altho it turned out to be the date for something else. :p  

Mr. Armstrong was the end time Elijah.. BUT he was not INFALLIBLE! We follow GOD not man.. HWA was called to do a marvelous work and he did it well.. He gave us truth and God used him to open our eyes to PROVE all thing..We follow him as he followed Christ and this is the whole point...He wasnt perfect, I am not perfect, none of us are but we are to grow in grace and knowledge..Many I believe actaully worship HWA, and follow him totally and with out question. He said "Dont believe me believe the bible and thank God he did because HWA knew he was only a man and capable of error...I believe he did not totally understand all things but gave us the capability to search and he gave us enough about the sabbath to dig in and prove the scripture..He had alot in his head, given by God and he passed it to us but he sinned. Its not a derogatory remark to him at all to say this..but to do away with scripture as those i posted and say they dont exist is dangerous..The sabbath is the only sign that we are HIS people..I pray to God people dont misunderstand what I am saying because I am not suggesting to question everything he taught us but to prove it and I have proven HWA was sent by God to deliver the message of the kingdom of God and to restore truths lost to the world..I did not say anyone would go into tribulation for sabbath breaking and I am not judging anyone.., this could well be the a test for us all to see who will obey God and who will not..Ask yourself about infallibilty, the pope claims he is and the world follows him blindly believing every word he says but HWA knew he was not..think about it

When Santa comes down the chimney singing "Noel, Noel, beware because his mask might fall off, and underneath, there is a roaring lion, which is also spelled leon, noel spelled backwards, Satan, or Santa comes across as a beautiful angel of light, hence the beauty of the beast.

Every year we read about the drunkeness at the xmas parties, we also read in the
newspapers about the fact that xmas and Newyears originates with the old pagan
Roman-Babylonian Saturnalia festivals, also the Festivals of lights of the Germanic Peoples, where they would build great bonfires and seek for the Sungod to return.

Um....what about the drunken orgies at Feast of Tabernacles sites? Sounds pretty pagan to me!  Plus the Feast is a rip off of a pagan harvest Festival......ya know!

Is it a sin to contribute to serving the "least of these" via the Salvation Army kettles?

Questions That We the 99% Sheep Wish To Have Answered By Dave the 1% Pack

Questions That We the 99% Sheep Wish To Have Answered By Dave the 1% Pack

For decades, COG Sheep sat in service after service hearing announcement after announcement about the great breakthroughs, opportunities and projects that the Armstrongs had in mind without accounting for how they would be paid for and by whom.

Those days are over.  

No longer will we just sit quietly and wonder if this is really such a great idea or plan. 

 No longer will we neither nod yes or no as we sit listening to the grand schemes of one man who simply has to use our contributions to achieve his visions and dreams.  

No longer will we pretend to be inspired by God's amazing decisions when we think they might just be the decisions of those who refuse to ask us what to do with our money.

No longer will we believe that once we give our hard earned monies, it is no longer our business what is done with it for or by  God, Christ, Jesus and our small church.

No longer will we be intimidated by your Biblical quotations about keeping our mouths shut and our bank accounts open.  

No longer will we act inspired when we are really skeptical

No longer will we allow you to speak doublespeak about time is short while watching buildings meant to last forever being built at our expense. 

Pack's New Mini-Me Auditorium

Therefore  Dave...we'll call you Mr. Pack when and if we choose, not you, please give us a reasonable answer to the following... 

1.  Knowing that the local Pasadena Community was never all that impressed by the Church and the Church and "the truth" had little effect on them by listening to concerts, why do you think this doesn't work idea will work for out good now?

2.  Please explain how you can pretend to know time is short and yet spend our monies on permanent buildings and only now just start a college that will take years to mean anything to anyone?

3.  Please explain why Herbert Armstrong did, small college in one room, small college in one building,  two dorms, a place to eat, offices and then an auditorium, while you start with a huge Auditorium (for what..just church?), huge office building for a small staff and yourself,  and then a class room for students.   Why are you doing it backwards to your hero HWA?

4.  EXACTLY how much is this going to cost US and over what period of time?

5.  EXACTLY how many baptized members do we actually have in our amazing Church?  It embarrassing to belong to a small church and not be able to answer the questions as to how many of us there really are.

6. Why are so many family members on the Church payroll.  Is this a family venture as seen in both the Armstrongs and Tkaches?   Do you remember the drama and mistake that all seemed to be?

7.  When you die, do we ministers that are alive and remain, have a retirement?

8.  Are we to assume your seriously under trained and untrained family members will lead us all into the kingdom?  Can we decide we'd rather have someone else?

9.  If we stipulate our tithes and offerings are NOT to be used for Time is Short Construction, can we stay in the church?

10. Why do you always tease us with, "....but I can't tell you that now," when what you are up to might be something we'd prefer not to fund or participate in?   Are you like Paul who told us he went to the The Third Heaven and heard stuff no man, but him of course, could hear or see or tell about, so don't ask?   If we think that is a bit of the lame "I know something you don't know," stuff, will you get mad at us/

11. If we snicker when you sermonize about where we are in prophecy and the time left kinda matches the time you might have left, will we have to be the ones that have to bring a watermelon to the picnic?

12. Can we sit in on the meetings you will be having about how this is all going to be paid for with our money?  While we realize "not many wise men now are called," some are,  and may wish to know exactly what you alone are deciding for us and give some input into the wisdom or lack thereof in these plans?

13. Will you shake your jowls at us like HWA did when he got really angry?  Do you have jowls yet?  Can a COG Apostle even be an Apostle without jowls?

14. In time will we have to refer to you as DCP or Mr. DCP as we did to HWA or Mr. HWA?   You just don't have the same ring to your initials.  Sounds more like an illegal drug than an Apostle.  You know like, "Oh man, I'm flyin' high on DCP."

15. Could you consider noting we have "the largest online copied theological website on the Internet?"

16. Once we become a household word throughout all the world of Christianity and all things Pagan, could you put the name "Jesus" in a sermon once in awhile?

17. Would you consider using the New Testament at times in your sermons, studies and to inform us all as to where we are in Bible History?

18. Could you show us some credentials as to where you learned the background, history, language, culture, politic , and origins of the Bible, besides from you know where?

19. Would you get a chuckle out of it all if once in awhile I came up to you and said, "that was the most dumb ass sermon I have ever heard.  I don't think I have heard a sermon quite like that before, and hope to never hear one again"?  

20. Could you stop saying "it's not about the numbers," when we all know it exactly is all about the numbers?

21. Have you ever had a personality profile done and would you share it with us?  Would you consider some mental health testing so we can relax a bit at times when you say some of the things you say about yourself in sermons and such?  Could you give just one sermon without the pronoun "I"?   Just askin....

Well, that should be enough for now.  We anxiously await your answers.  What?  What do you mean I'm disfellowshipped!!!   Hey, hey...I was just .....doh!   

Dennis C. Diehl
DenniscDiehl@aol.com

Dave Pack Releases Plans For New World HQ and Auditorium

I thought I had seen everything that an Armstrongite cult could come up with to imitate Herbert Armstrong and his Pasadena campus, but I guess I haven't until now.  Many had always thought that Pack was not happy that Six Pack Flurry preempted him by building a mini-Ambassador Auditorium in the middle of Oklahoma.  The HWA worship in the Edmond campus is appalling, but even Six Pack Flurry's Edmond abomination pales in comparison to this!

Is this not disgusting  or what!!!!!!!!!!!!!  With all the trinkets from the Ambassador now in Edmond, what is Packman going to have on display?  Herbert's underwear?  His gold rimmed glasses or champagne flutes?

The latest Real Truth has this article in it.

The publisher of The Real Truth magazine, The Restored Church of God (RCG), is pleased to announce plans for its magnificent World Headquarters, to be built in Wadsworth, Ohio, USA.

This state-of-the-art complex will echo the magnificence of the Worldwide Church of God’s Pasadena, California, campus (which produced The Plain Truth, the predecessor of this magazine), and will benefit both the Church and the local community. It will provide a beautiful setting for RCG’s rapidly expanding administrative and publishing operations, as well as serve as a conference site and a location to receive visiting dignitaries.
With significant site preparation already underway, construction of six buildings is to begin in early April 2012.
The campus will include:
• An elegant hall of administration.
• A stunning auditorium in the style of the original Ambassador Auditorium.

Read the rest of the articled here:  Coming Soon: World Headquarters Complex

The following blabber is from his main site. This guy has the biggest ego of any cultists I have seen.  Even God Almighty himself who resides in Edmond and Charlotte pales with this:

“After returning to Headquarters, we all ‘hit the ground running’ with the many projects that are underway regarding an entire new Headquarters complex of many buildings (beginning in the spring), the dramatic expansion of Ambassador Center attendance, the imminent arrival of The World to Come program on nationwide television, and all the other inspiring developments in the Work that members in North America heard about in my Update Message at the Feast…Events are developing so rapidly—and in so many different directions at the same time—that regular updates may need to be presented just so the Church can move together—can stay on the same page—regarding these sudden large expansions of the Work.”
“Try to imagine both the number and staggering size of items that have suddenly come to be on our plate just since late summer. We think of them here as 12 ‘trains’ running on parallel tracks that must all move together. (There are two more ‘trains’—both potentially very big!!—that I cannot yet discuss.) Seven separate project management categories (trains) are tied to building the upcoming campus, now to include even more buildings that are all currently scheduled to be built at the same time. We might ask: Who else would even attempt to ‘bite off’ such a vast project in this way? Of course, the sole answer might be the Church of God, which understands that there is not enough time to do it any other way. Long gone are the days when we could take decades in the way that Mr. Armstrong could.”

“We are working with (1) builders, (2) banks, (3) an architectural firm, (4) an engineering firm and (5) the city of Wadsworth all at the same time. (Just think of the meetings, recognizing that we are now working with a number of banks.) A sixth element is that there is an enormous Public Communications factor within this particular project. First think of the local community, and then the general region of communities around us—which will see such a massive project occurring in economic ‘down times’ (250,000 people pass the worksite every day). Next is the world as a whole that will monitor this extraordinary development carefully announced on our websites. This is also true of tens of thousands of people in the splinters and slivers who will see and hear of it in the same way…Finally, the seventh ‘train’ is/are the incredibly complex financial factor(s) in all of this. (On a side note, I can report that our income in the first 10 months of this year was 45.95 percent above the total income for ALL of 2010.)”

“But realize that there are more ‘trains’ that we must drive at the same time: (8) The expansion of Ambassador Center—although the benefits will be wonderful, this is big and complicated, and in a host of ways. Next, (9) we are planning for nationwide television by May, and not merely on little public access stations that virtually no one watches. (Television is now in the budget, as is the cost of the enormous amount of additional literature that we will be distributing as a result.) When this new medium for the Work is launched, we will be able to reach vast numbers of people on top of those we are already reaching via the Internet. The scope of this new development is ABSOLUTELY HUGE for God’s Work. This much should be obvious. We can project that almost 1 in every 25 people ON EARTH will have access to the VERY FIRST World to Come broadcast when we begin on television. Brethren, again, this is staggering to contemplate.

 Restored Church of God News

Dennis: My Annual Christmas Sermon...

Maybe It's Just a Coincidence...Yeah...That's It!

 

 

Those familiar with the Worldwide Church of God know that after many years of observing what most would call "Jewish Holidays" but with Christian significance, the Church has now switched to the more generically acceptable Christian holidays, such as Easter and Christmas. In the past, these Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Fall Equinox and Winter Solstice holidays were replaced by the recognition of Passover over Easter in the Spring and the Festival of Tabernacles in the Fall over Christmas. While no religious holy day springs from a vacuum, and the Jewish Holy Days, also sprang from the pagan agricultural holidays that preceded them, I wonder if the Worldwide Church of God, and all Christians would be intrigued and challenged to realize just exactly which "Son" was being born on Christmas and why?

 

And keeping the Passover doesn't get you off the hook either.  Passover  is the same motif of darkness/slavery and death being overcome by freedom and light as the Sun breaks free of it all and victory goes to the Most High.  The Lamb is slain because the Age of Aries began with Abraham finding the Lamb in the bush to fill in for his son Isaac, and ends with the Lamb of God dying to usher in the Church age of Pices, the fish.

 

 

 What is the symbol of Mithraism found in small temples all over Europe?  Mithras slaying the bull  4000-2000 BC as Taurus which used to be the Easter Constellation is replaced by Aries the Lamb 2000-0 BC, nicely coinciding with the beginning of the Old Testament Lamb motif.  It's the magic of the progress of the Equinoxes and the biggest secret the priests had to keep from the people and the real reason the OT is full of commands NOT to look at the heavens or let it tell you stories.  That's the job of the Priests!  Priestly "knowledge" was often science that had been figured out and kept tight to the chests of the ruling elite.

 

Plainly put, the story of Jesus' one year ministry as described in Mark, Matthew and Luke, is an astrological allegory of the journey the literal SUN takes through the twelve signs of the Zodiac in one year.  God is not called a "consuming fire," for nothing nor does Malachi note in vain that the "sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in his wings," (i.e. rays)

 

 

 

 The journey of the SON/SUN starts at the birth of the SUN and SON in December, brought forth by a virgin of all things, and ends just before Christmas on December 22-24, the time the SUN appears to be "in the grave" prior to being born again on the 25th by moving ever so slightly north again and heading towards spring. Jesus also spent his three days in the grave as we recall.

 

First of all why would I say that the Virgin brings forth the SUN and the Virgin bringing forth the literal SON of God later in print was not the original story? Because the older phenomenon is the sky story noticed long before it was made literal for the masses.

 

On Christmas day, in particular 2000 years ago when during Jesus time, the Sign of Aries the Lamb was coming to an end,, due to the progression of the equinoxes and signified by the crucifixion of the Lamb in the Spring, the sky on Christmas morning showed an interesting sight. Just before sunrise, the SUN sits on the horizon about to be "born." At the zenith, the high point in the sky, at that moment, is the zodiacal constellation of Virgo, the Virgin who is MOST High, MOST Blessed, at that moment the SUN is born. Her open legs pointing to the sunrise to give birth.

 

 Truly, and anciently, "and the virgin shall bring for the SUN." The prophecy says that "they shall call his (THE SON) name, Immanuel, which means "God with us."   (Actually it means "God IS with us).

 

But the literal SON Jesus was never called Immanuel. However, the real SUN, as SUN of GOD is always Immanuel, always with us. The Bible even says of "God" that His power is from the rising of the sun until the going down there of." No one thinks this through. God's power is only good during the day is what this is saying. God's power ends at sundown according to this scripture. Evidently this SUN GOD has not power after sunset, which of course is the real SUN and not the literalized GOD or SON of GOD.

 

 Malachi tells us that the Messiah, but calling him the SUN, "shall arise with healing in his wings." The wings of the sun are the rays that appear to jet out due to the way humans see the sun when they try to look at it. One of the great symbols of Egypt is the sun disc with great bird wings coming out left and right. It's an old symbol of how the sun looks to humans. The crown of thorns on Jesus at his death are actually sun ray symbols much like the crown on the Statue of Liberty.

 

Let's move on a bit past the birth of the SUN/Son on Christmas morning. The Gospels say that Jesus was "about 30 years old" when he began his ministry. The SUN/SON was born in December in the sign of Capricorn back then which is the Goat, and may account for some of the Nativity scene animals that were later made literally true in the story. Each House of the Zodiac takes up approximately 30 degrees of the sky (30x12=360). So the SUN also is about 30 when it enters the next sign of the Zodiac in January, which just happens to be the same PERSON Jesus the SON visited when he began his ministry! This would be Aquarius, the Waterman for the SUN but John the Baptizer for Jesus the SON. Same story. One in the sky, one made literal on earth. Same Story! Both SUN and SON are baptized by the Waterman during this month and both increase, that is keep moving towards Spring for the SUN or into his ministry for the SON. Aquarius and John, the Watermen on the other hand, must decrease and while one sets, the other is decapitated on the horizon. It is no coincidence that when Aquarius appears to rise again six months later at dawn instead of sink at sunset, the head comes up first opposite Leo the Lion, sign of Herod who had him murdered literally. Aquarius, in the morning sunrise looks beheaded by Leo who is going down. Could this be why later in Jesus ministry Herod thinks that John the Baptist is coming back from the dead or had risen, because Aquarius is rising again after going down six months earlier? Is this a heavenly astro-theological tale made literally true?

 

 

 

Also, at sunrise and prior to Christmas day, the three stars in the belt of Orion the Hunter rose vertically and followed the sun across the sky all day, only to loose it in sunset.  Every winter morning this scene would progress with the three "Magi" rising higher and earlier each day chasing the SUN/SON. When the story was literalized, it lost it's common sense. In the literal story we find the Magi saying, "We have seen his star in the east ...." They then proceed to follow it West with it ending up turning south and hovering right over the place where Jesus was. It would be a dumb thing to see a star looking east, watch it go over head in time and then turn west to follow it to Jerusalem. You'd play this game ever night for awhile. First head east, then look up, then turn and head west. I doubt this was the plan of the Magi who could not have been that stupid. However, when not taken literally we have the three stars, neatly aligned in Orion,s Belt rising like hikers in the east and heading west following the SUN or SON that has to be in the West to find. Great astro-theology but a bit funky when made literally true. It might explain why Herod could not see the same Star and had to ask for the Magi to find Jesus for him. It was taking place in the sky, not the palace. A good Gnostic would say "of course, this is where the story comes from."

 

Well shortly after Aquarius and John slip off the scene and Jesus goes on his way, he goes immediately into the wilderness to be tempted not to be all he can be by Satan. This would be the SUN, rising from Winter and heading to Spring and then being the Most High at the Summer Solstice, but still weak as it is early in the game. Jesus might still be too young, too weak to continue, so Satan, i.e. Darkness tempts him to be not be Jesus the SON or SUN. The darkness of Winter does not want to go and wants to prevent the SUN/SON from en-lightening the world, or as we might say, Satan does not wish Jesus the SON to take away the sins (darkness) of the world. Darkness in the human psyche is the world of evil and fear...the world of Satan. Jesus as the SON, just like the SUN might just overcome the darkness of winter and Satan if he can't be dissuaded at this weak time of his cycle.

 

But alas, you can't stop the seasons, so Jesus and the SUN go to Spring and Easter, which is the time when the SUN has the same strength as the dark, when day and night are Equi-nox or Equal Nights. It's Easter because the SUN rises due east and gives SON worshipers a direction in which to pray on Easter morning. Satan is well on the way to being defeated with the SUN/SON being crucified literally in Aries the Lamb, (April-Easter) which Jesus was also called and the SUN in Aries the Lamb as sign of the Zodiac. For the SUN the crucifixion takes place where the Celestial Equator crosses the Ecliptic and the Sun sits right on the intersection of it at Easter, and for Jesus it happens, same time in Jerusalem, literally.

 

 

 

Interestingly enough, the Egyptian Obelisk centered in the courtyard of the Vatican and viewed from above is simply a huge sun-dial. Markings on the pavement seen as "decorations" in the stone point out ever Solstice, Equinox and astro-theological event in the sky that is the origin of the literalised Jesus story. The Vatican knows this. The laity generally do not.  On "Easter" morning, the sun rises exactly 90 East and exactly lines up with the Vatican and the Balconey the Pope is used to speaking from to bring his message on the risen Sun...errrr  Son.  Every symbol he wears and ever utensil he raises to the sky is a SUN symbol.

 

It is not coincidence that the Age of Aries the Lamb, which ended with the SUN moving into PICES due to the progression of the equinox every 2190 years or so, around the time of Jesus coincides with the death of the Lamb of God, the Son, Jesus. It is a symbol. "Behold, I am with you, even unto the end of the age," said Jesus. This was not the end of the world as some think, but the Lamb Jesus would be with them until the end of the astrological age of Aries and then Pices the Fish would begin. It is also no coincidence that the symbol for the SON/SUN's Church is the fish, nor that in the age of Pices Christians were to be "fishers of men." The fishing motif in the Gospels is all about the age of Aries ending around the time of Jesus and the Age of Pices, the Fishes, beginning. It is no coincidence that right after Jesus overcame Satan, he went to Galilee, which means "circuit" as in circuit of the SON, or SUN depending on which location you are seeing the story in, he meets TWO FISHERMEN, Peter and Andrew and makes them Disciples. Jesus making his circuit all around Galilee, which means "circuit," with his 12 disciples surround him, is no different than the SUN making it's circuit (Galilee) surrounded by it's 12 zodiacal disciples. The Sign of Pices is that of two fish. It is not coincidence that in the feeding of the multitudes, there were TWO Fish and five loaves symbolizing the five known planets of the time, Mars, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn.

 

Just for fun.  In the Old Testament, the Cherubim with the face of a man (Aquarius-Winter) the face of a Bull (Taurus-Spring) , the face of a lion (Leo-Summer) and the face of an Eagle (Aguila) is merely another astrotheological beast concocted from the zodiacal signs of the four seasons.  If each of the four had six wings..well that makes 24 and I expect you know what that symbolizes.  The 24 Elders around the Throne of the Sun/Son in Revelation originate as well in the 24 hours of the day.

 

 

 

Well there is much more. When Jesus as SON stood on the mount of transfiguration in the summer of his one year ministry, his face shone like the SUN at noon. This is because this earthly event is the literal fact in the cosmos that in June, the summer Solstice finds the SUN at its highest, being the MOST HIGH for the year and brilliant light. Jesus, standing on that "high mountain" in summer, face shining like the sun was doing what the SUN was doing as well as MOST HIGH right over his head. This is not coincidence either. From June, it is all down hill for the SUN and for Jesus the SON. Cancer the crab, which moves backwards and is for July and August symbolizes that the SON and SUN were going backwards now to their fate. Jesus is betrayed in the Fall by Judas, that scorpion, just as the SUN is stung and betrayed by Scorpio in its dive to oblivion in December. The Archer then takes over as Sagittarius, just as the mob does and both SUN and SON are pierced. They die in late December appearing to be gone and as the SUN lies for three days in the southern hemisphere, considered the grave and appears to neither go further south, nor come back north, so Jesus lies three days as the SON of GOD in the grave. This is December 22-24, the Winter Solstice, But it's all good. One December 25th the SUN and SON are born and brought forth by the Virgin Mary or the Virgin Virgo overhead and the cycle starts again.

 

 

 

Pretty cool huh? Ever hear that in Church? You won't. Actually, it is still a bit disconcerting to me. What a cover-up!   But realize, the SUN that rises and sets everyday around the planet, while holding little attention of modern busy men and women today, was THE source of all religion on the planet. Because the greatest fear men have and have had in history is fear of the dark. Dark was evil and so became "The Evil" or "De-evil or Devil. Just as the SUN of GOD overcomes the darkness as it makes it's one year rise and fall from birth to death, so Jesus as the literalized SON of GOd, overcomes the Devil and delivers us from darkness too. The story that is literally true happens in the cosmos, over your head every minute of every day, month and year. The more suspect one, made literally true, is what you hear in Sunday school....Hey! SUN DAY School!!!!!!!

At any rate, Merry Osirmas, Mithras and Christmas.   It's all the same story. 

Dennis C. Diehl
DenniscDiehl@aol.com

Growing up in a Faith-Healing Cult

From the Friendly Atheist Blog

When I was ten years old, my younger sister became increasingly ill. She had always been frail; pale, thin, and lethargic — even her hair was thin and dull. This time my sister Missy (not her real name) was much worse. My older sister (who was then a teenager) tells me that my younger sister was too weak to walk to the bathroom and my father would carry her there frequently. My older sister would barrage my father with demands that Missy be taken to the doctor. My little sister was too weak to even attend Saturday church services where she might have been anointed by a minister in a ritual called the “laying on of hands.” The minister would take the sick person, and the parents if the person was a child, and go into a coat closet and close the door. There, everyone would kneel and the minister would take a small bottle of olive oil out of a pocket and place a dot of oil on the sick person’s forehead. He would hold his hand on the spot where the oil was placed and begin to pray. Everyone would bow their heads as the minister beseeched God to forgive this sick person of the sins for which she was being punished. When a person was too ill to attend services (which for us were an hour drive away from our hometown) the minister would send home an anointed cloth. It was a piece of gauze with a drop of oil on it that the minister had prayed over. The small square of guaze was ceremoniously placed in a small manilla envelope for safe keeping. At home, our parents would take us into their bedroom where we would all get down on our knees and one would hold the oiled cloth to our forehead and all heads bowed, praying that God would heal us. Some people take a spoonful of medicine. Not us. We got down on our knees and put oil on our foreheads and prayed. Sometimes we got better. Sometimes we did not.

Prayer and anointing were not working for my little sister. In her six years of life we couldn’t imagine what horrible sins she had committed to be so drastically ill. Armstrong explained, however, that “you might not have been guilty of any wrong, yet nature’s laws were violated or you wouldn’t be sick!” How’s that for double speak? Sickness and injury are the result of sin. Unless they’re not. But, hey, something caused it!

So my mom searched herself for what sin she must have committed to cause her daughter to be so deathly ill. I heard her murmered prayers from her room (Armstrongists go behind closed doors to pray in private) asking God to forgive whatever she has done to make my little sister sick. She always emerged from those sessions wiping tears from her face having sobbed the entire time.

Read the entire story here:  Growing up in a Faith-Healing Cult

Make sure you read the comments section about the WCG member who was hit by a falling tree and what happened.

Dennis On "And try to use a 'yes' or a 'no' in your answer!"

"And try to use a 'yes' or a 'no' in your answer!"

 

I was sitting in the Ambassador Auditorium, in Pasadena, California at a Bible Study, in the early 80's, on the Nature of God given by the then resident Greek scholar and thinker. He really was a very intelligent teacher and I always enjoyed, to a point, hearing from him. At times, it was an exercise in going around and around but never quite landing anywhere.

 

The fact that I have yet to understand the true nature of the true God and how He/She/Him/Them relate is irrelevant. It was all pretty heady stuff for my denomination's ministry. I'm sure I was not privy to the half of all the drama being played out behind the scenes between those that were teaching and those that thought THEY should be teaching, but I suspect it would have been much like the Council of Nicea back in 325 where being on the wrong side could have serious consequences.

 

But the most hilarious moment came from a simple question in which the questioner, after trying to frame an intelligent question for this very astute teacher on this profound question, said... "please try to use the word 'yes' or 'no' in your answer."

It was a moment of sheer enlightenment. "Please try to use the word 'yes' or 'no' in your answer." I laughed to tears in that way that is much deeper than the comment warranted because it struck at the heart of what many who repeat the mantra, "God said, I believe it, that settles it for me." are incapable of doing---using a yes or no in an answer to a sincere question about obvious contradictions, impossibilities and inconsistencies of scripture.

 

So let's take play Yes or No. Take your time but you MUST pick a yes or no for the answer. No yeah-buts. While we are well aware that the Bible speaks of three kinds of leaders in the NT (the Pharisees, the Sadducees and the But-u-sees) try to leave them out of it.

 

From Matthew 1 and 2

 

Yes or No: It is interesting that Matthew includes a victim of incest (Tamar), a prostitute (Rahab), a foreigner (Ruth) and an adulteress (Bathsheba) leading up to Mary's birth of Jesus, rather than four upstanding women of Israel in Jesus' lineage.

 

Yes or No: With Matthew and Luke showing that Jesus' REAL father is not literally Joseph, but rather literally God himself through the Holy Spirit, the idea of Jesus being related through Joseph back to David and Abraham is broken and irrelevant.

 

Yes or No: If the Holy Spirit is a entity of himself, the Holy Spirit is Jesus father.

 

Yes or No: If God did not wed Mary as the father of Jesus, Jesus was born of  divine fornication?

 

Yes or No: While in the context, Isaiah 7:14 predicted the child would literally be named Immanuel, Jesus was never literally called Immanuel.

 

Yes or No:  Isaiah 7:14ff  indicates the child to be born would not know the difference between right and wrong until taught it.

 

Yes or No: Following a star from Iraq/Persia that rises in the East to a specific home West, five miles south of Jerusalem is not literally possible.

 

Yes or No:  Stars,comets and meteorites and planets in the sky can stand over a specific home on earth until you get there.

 

Yes or No: It is odd that Herod and his astrologers could not see the star and could not follow it themselves.

 

Yes or No: When the Magi arrived, (perhaps up to a year after Jesus birth) Mary and Joseph lived in a house with no mention of a home in Nazareth or a need to go back to another home in Nazareth where they had just come from.

 

Yes or No: According to Matthew, lots of children in Bethlehem and the region paid for Jesus birth with their lives so that Jesus as an adult could die for their sins.

 

Yes or No: The angel told Joseph it was safe to go back to Israel but then changed his mind and told him "oops I forgot about Herod's evil son", so Joseph returned to live for the first time in Nazareth.

 

Yes or No: All gift shop angels are female and all Bible angels are male.

 

Yes or No: I can't find any place in the Old Testament where it says a Nazarene is a person who lives in Nazareth and foretells Jesus would be from there. In fact, I can't find Nazareth mentioned as a city in the OT.

 

Yes or No: Quoting a verse in the OT about Israel exiting Egypt is not much of prophecy of Jesus going home from exile in Egypt.

 

Yes or No: Matthew knows nothing of homes in Nazareth, taxes, mangers, shepherds, staying in Jerusalem 40 days for Mary to be purified according to Moses, turtle doves (offerings of poor people) and the long quiet trip home to Nazareth.

 

From Luke 2

 

Yes or No: Making everyone return to their city of birth to be taxed sounds like a formula for empire wide chaos.

 

Yes or No: If Jerusalem was able to care for the tens of thousands who came each year to the three great Festivals, one might think there would be more than a few places to stay comfortably especially if one was a young pregnant girl.

 

Yes or No: Mary having to give birth in a stable indicates the people of Jerusalem at Feast Time were inhospitable.

 

Yes or No: It seems odd that Joseph would take a nine-month pregnant Mary on the dangerous trip to Bethlehem when it was not necessary for her to go.

 

Yes or No: It seems odd that if Zechariah was a Priest in the area of Jerusalem, they might not have thought to let Mary and Joseph stay with them. Mary had just been to see them three months earlier when finding Elizabeth to be six months pregnant.

 

Yes or No: It is interesting that angels and the heavenly host went out into the fields to sing and witness to a few shepherds who then had to find Jesus and tell everyone else themselves what had happened.

 

Yes or No: Heavenly Hosts can't sing for the whole town.

 

Yes or No: The Shepherds seemed to know just where to find Jesus without the star.

 

Yes or No: Eight days after his birth, Jesus was circumcised in Jerusalem.

 

Yes or No: After 40 days, a time of ritual purification for Mary, they walked peacefully back to Nazareth, to their home, with no mention of fleeing to Egypt.

 

Yes or No: Living in Bethlehem in your own home, having Magi bring expensive gifts including gold and causing you to have to flee to Egypt for your lives as Herod slaughters all your neighbors children, is not the same story as trekking to Bethlehem to be taxed, giving birth as if no one knew you, and hangin' out for 40 days to safely return home to Nazareth.

 

Yes or No: If Nazareth was a safe haven, fleeing all the way to Egypt seems unnecessary save for Matthew's need to find more OT prophecies about Jesus.

 

OK, OK, enough! This "yes" or "no" game can be played with many many Biblical references. Just a few more outside of the Birth Narratives to illustrate.

 

Yes or No: If in the beginning, there was only Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel, (Seth was called the third child of Adam and Eve after he was born after Abel's murder), it seems strange that Cain was worried about those that would kill him if God banished him to wander the earth. There was no one else. Was he waiting for Seth to grow up, marry an as yet unborn sister, and hunt him down with his kids? Did God forget there were no others out there to hunt him?

 

Yes or No: Jesus overturned the money changers early in his career as John said. (Jn 2:13).

 

Yes or No: Jesus overturned the money changers just prior to his arrest and crucifixion as Matthew said. (Matt 21:12).

 

Yes or No: John names turning water to wine as Jesus first miracle.

 

Yes or No: Matthew, Mark and Luke never heard of it.

 

Yes or No: Paul seems to know nothing of the Gospel accounts of Jesus real life, and says he was simply born of a woman like everyone else.

 

Yes or No: Paul was converted, wrote all the meaning of Jesus and died before the Gospels, which seem never to have heard of him, though he was "a Pharisee of the Pharisees" and "above all my fellows,", were ever written.

 

I would like to think that had I been asked these questions when pastoring, I would have at least said, "That's a great question."  I have sat in on nerve wracking sessions with some HQ type coming to my area to straighten out some member who asked the wrong questions or came up with different answers from those given.  Seems both were wrong when it is all said and done!

 

Sometimes, most simply don't even know what questions to ask.  It never dawns on someone to even wonder how you can flee to Egypt for two years AND simply leave town and go home to Nazareth after 40 days. 

 

Instead of "apologizing" which I know is a sincere defense of scripture as presented, the ability to think for oneself and come up with a yes or no is also an excellent exercise in being honest with a presentation. 'Nuff said....the birth narrative realities are my way of asking us to think about what we have always been told by others and honor your own observations about the Bible, without fear what your minister or organizations might think or do.

 

Dennis C. Diehl
DenniscDiehl@aol.com

Zambia Cattle Rustling Saga Paints Kubik and UCG In Bad Light

Poor Victor Kubik keeps getting raked through the coals and looks worse every day in regards to the Zambia cattle rusting situation.

First he made false public allegations against Zambia COGWA members stealing cows he had given to UCG brethren (this was prior to the split) through his "charity" Lifenets.  COGWA hit back denying the allegations just prior to the Feast.  They essentially called him a lair and took the UCG members who stole the cattle to court and won.  The cattle had to be returned.

Kubik hits back at them again and COGWA quickly responds calling him a lair again.

Today, Apostle Malm has a behind the scenes background on UCG and Kubik which gets into how UCG was formed when they jumped ship in 1994/5.

Kubik and a large group of cronies met for months while on WCG's payroll in the 360-390 apartments on the Pasadena campus.  They plotted and schemed on how they could form a new splinter group, take a lot of money along with them, and to ensure that their standards of living would be maintained.  For many of these in this group it was more about maintaining their living standards that they were used to than it was about leaving over doctrines.  Remember that almost all of these men had never held a normal civilian job in their lives.  They had no work ethic to fall back on to.

Malm correctly points out that many of these men (who were still employed by WCG) actively kicked out WCG members during this time because they were not agreeing with the changes.  Yet while they were doing this they were secretly plotting to form a new church where some of these disfellowshipped people would join after it was formed.

You would think that once they been abused by these abusive men that they would steer clear of the new organization, but no, they jumped right over and started getting abused again.  Many in the COG are just like battered women.  They hate the abuse, but find safety in the presence of the abuser because they think they have no where else to go.  A beating now and then pales in having a "home" to come back to all the time.

Malm lists several things that these men were concerned about as they were sitting in the apartments plotting their new group:

Finally in Dec 1994-Jan 1995 both shoes fell. The new doctrines were presented to the brethren, shocking those who had insisted on keeping their eyes tightly shut and denying the reality around them. Then the shock treatment was applied to the ministry.

• The Jan 95 Pastor General Report indicated that the Pastors could not be guaranteed their jobs in the future and should now start evaluating their marketable skills.
• Over 40 ministers were handed “last chance” retirement packages.
• 30 more ministers were scheduled for lay-off with a 150 additional lay-offs projected by the end of 1995
• Contracts for the entire fleet of ministerial rental cars were canceled.
• Many local churches throughout the US merged for services.
• All subsidies to the International work have been discontinued.

This was BEFORE most of the brethren had left; and was PLANNED well before the announcement in the PGR. This was a very carefully prepared corporate move to divest of potential dissidents and financial burdens.
In additional news:

• The WCG airplane was put up for sale.
• Hundreds of regular employees were laid off.
• Imperial School closed as of July 1st.
• 1/2 of the editorial staff was dismissed.
• Major cuts abound at the Festival Office, and the Feast of Tabernacles `95 (now known as the celebration of Jesus Christ) looks questionable.
• Seven evangelists were offered healthy severance packages [only if they agree to never preach again and to keep quiet about their WCG experience] including Debar Appertain, David Hulme, Dean Wilson, Leroy Neff and the famous Gerald Waterhouse.

Some elders left because of doctrine!  Others left to get and hold a job!  Still others left to continue the effort to apostatize the brethren!  In most cases they did NOT leave of their own will, but were FORCED OUT!

These men were FORCED out; and the later meeting led by Denny Luker, to form a new entity was done with the knowledge and tacit approval of Joseph Tkach!  Most of these men did not leave voluntarily; they were forced out by Tkach for economic reasons, or as a part of the stripping away of any potential dissidents to his new doctrine.

 Very many in the vanguard of the Tkach doctrinal changes, also left WCG to have a job and the adulation of the people;  These folks wanted to follow the Charismatic mega church success model and to eventually bring the Tkach changes into the new organization called UCG.  Others were indeed followers of the HWA success model and wanted to maintain the HWA focus and his traditional teachings and style.

From the very beginning UCG was a deeply divided organization with these two internal founding groups battling for power and control.  That made a further split inevitable which ultimately came in Dec 2010.
The HWA based folks left to form the COGWA and those who wanted the Evangelical mold remained and now control UCG.

Malm is pointing all of this out because he says this is the background story of the Zambia cattle situation.  It's the HWA men (COGWA) vs the liberals in UCG who want to maintained their power positions.

The present situation in Zambia developed when the majority of the Zambia board  chose to terminate Association with UCG and instead Associate with COGWA.  COGWA being much more Armstrong loyalists.  The church in Zambia was registered as an independent legal entity in accordance with the UCGaia Rules of Association. All Zambian church assets were vested in this legal entity and not in individuals, and certainly not solely in Mr. Banda.  The legal entity in Zambia is managed by 5 Trustees of which Banda is one.

The situation in Zambia came to a crisis point when a person was unwilling to subscribe to the terms of the loan program of the cattle revolving fund. The animals in question were NOT the personal property of these particular individual. This person, angry over losing the animals (which were all voluntarily returned), and angry over the split of the congregation fabricated the  “rustling” story.

Then Malm says that Kubik sued the COGWA for  the return of the cattle and lost the lawsuit.

Vic Kubik sued Banda as an individual, demanding that he (as an individual) hand over assets to himself [to Kubik], which belonged to the Zambian church entity mentioned above. It would be illegal (and theft) for Mr. Banda to take assets registered in the name of this entity, and hand them over to Mr. Kubik. Mr. Banda has no authority to do this.

After the above was explained to the court, the injunction that was obtained against Banda at the behest of Mr. Kubik was discharged, and Mr. Kubik was stricken from the proceedings. It seems that Banda was involuntarily dragged to the courts of this world by Vic Kubik.

UCG is ripe with corruption  and greedy men.  This was well known by many when they formed their group back in the mid 90's.  That is why so many who disagreed with the changes did not go with UCG and stopped attending.

UCG had a chance when they formed their church to start a new and revitalized organization. Instead they brought the same corrupt men over, put them into the same power positions where corruption reigns to this day.  Their homes, cars, and salaries are their first priority, power is second, and for a select few, caring for the brethren is then taken into consideration. Others couldn't give a rat's ass what happens to the members.  They have made this quit obvious in their actions.

If UCG had truly believed in their core doctrines they would have stepped out in faith and might had done amazing things.  But greed and power was the model for the day and remains to this day.  It is no wonder that UCG is losing members rapidly and is NOT the glorious beacon of Truth that they let on.

Read the rest of Malm's blog entry here:  The Zambian situation explained