UCG Still Struggles To Make Its Self Relevant

The minutes are out of the latest Council of Elder's Report.  Here are some of the highlights.

Chairman Ward welcomed everyone. He commented on the smooth transition from the previous chairman, Robin Webber, to himself as chairman. Mr. Webber has cooperated in every extent of the word and so has Gerald Seelig, the secretary. Transitions can have rough edges, but he thanked them both for helping make it go smoothly.

God forbid if they ever actually elected a newbie to the elite circle of men who keep rotating though this position. It's the good old boys club that never lets in the newbies.

Then they announce how mind-boggling spectacular the Ambassador Bible Center is.  This is almost as superfantabulous of Dave Pack's group!  This is UCG's pathetic attempt at imitating Ambassador College.  The ABC "college" only has 23 students!  Yes, you read that right...23.   Millions of dollars are being dumped into this failure, but no worries, gullible members will continue to support it with their hard earned tithe money.

Ambassador Bible College (ABC) will have 23 students begin classes next week. They are still waiting to hear about the student visa program for approval. New faculty members will include Scott Ashley, Randy Urwiller and Gary Petty.

23....sigh.

Every Church of God needs a piece of fine art in its lobby.  After all, Herbert did it, so why can't they?

The home office has seen improvement with new carpeting and painting and lighting in the entry way, hallways and conference room. There is also some new furniture. Much work went into it with a lot of work by Tim Sipes. Other improvements upstairs were done as well. There will be a glass sculpture designed with the Church’s Mission Statement for the entryway, to be completed soon. Mr. Kubik was thankful for the faithful service of all the home office employees, and he commented on the family atmosphere that is there.

Let us guess...a lion and lamb?  A crystal mosquito net in honor of Vic Kubik? A UCG minister on his knees washing the feet of a member?  Well we all know THAT will not be the subject of the sculpture! A crystal Mystery of the Ages or the US and BC in prophecy?

Next up, make sure you order your very own static cling window decal so you can advertise Beyond Today as you drive around town.  People will be sooooooooo intrigued that they will stop you and ask you questions.  Brethren, it is an evangelistic tool!  Every UCG member must show their loyal support of the rather pathetic TV show and print rag.

Beyond Today window clings: We still have a supply of Beyond Today car window static clings for ministry and members to apply to their car rear windows. They are available to be shipped to any pastor who requests them for his congregation. They are also going to be provided at all U.S. Feast sites at the literature and information table.

Check out this article about how sneaky and deceitful the Beyond Today program and magazine are:  
Beyond Today Magazine, United Church of God and Herbert Armstrong.

Next we come to a rather interesting admission:  UCG members just are not sending in as much money as they used to.  UCG is just as good at spinning numbers as their mother church was.

Fiscal year-end: The Church’s fiscal year ended June 30. For the year, Church income exceeded budget by $250,000; but it fell short of fiscal 2015 income. It was also noted that year-end cash balances and total assets for the Church were higher than they were in the previous year, for the fourth consecutive year.

UCG is buying more church buildings in the hope of making themselves part of the "community."   I hope they do due-diligence in checking out the contributors who will give them a lot of money.  UCG does not need a repeat of the Bluefield Church building that was built and paid for by a woman who embezzled money from the bank she was a manager at.  UCG had to surrender title to the building because the government was auctioning it off in order to recoup some of the outlandish sum that was embezzled.

Assets: The Church completed the purchase of the Portsmouth, Ohio, church building on Aug. 12. The Church also took ownership of a donated parcel of land for the church building in London, Kentucky. A complete listing of all the buildings and land owned by the Church was distributed.

7.4 billion people exist in the world. Millions have been spent on advertising on TV, Cable networks, Apple TV, Roku and other streaming devices and they added 95 new members.  95!

95 baptisms so far in 2016, which is 38 more than at the May meetings

UCG has been stagnating for quit a while.  All of their media campaigns have failed.  Hundreds of thousands of dollars spent to being in one potential new recruit.  There used to be twice that number at certain WCG Feast sites!

Average U.S. Sabbath attendance for June 2016 was 7,459. Attendance remains steady with no upward or downward trends.

Only Jelly can rescue the church, apparently. 

Did You Get Your Wedding Invitation From Church of God In Truth Yet?

One of the many splinter cults to break off of Armstrongism was the Church of God in Truth run by James Russell.  Russell, like all other other splinter cult leaders believes he has the only truth out there and that all other Churches of God are of the Synagogue of Satan.  Poor Elijah Bob Thiel and Pharisee James Malm!  I bet this burns their righteous lazy behinds to know that they are wrong!

James is so adamant that he knows how things should be that he claims that all the COG's are keeping the Feast of Trumpets on the wrong day.  It was actually last night, August 31. Most Church of God's accept October 3 as Trumpets.  Unless you are Pharisee Malm and you may either be October 2 or 4th. 

Russell is also big into the "postponements" malarky.  Those silly Jews set their own calendar and it is wrong!  Only Church of God leaders know the correct calendar!

Russell is also so sure of his message that he has been sending out wedding invitations for the marriage supper with the lamb.

The Church of God, In Truth, has been sending out God’s wedding invitations for the last twenty three years beginning with the first PROVE ALL THINGS NEWS LETTER, dated December 1993. The way things are shaping up this year, it might be the last opportunity to accept God's dated invitation to His wedding . Are you ready? Are you going to be calibrating the wedding on the right date? Or are you going to be like the 5 foolish virgin having to go and buy God's truth [Pro 23:23] after the Bridegroom has come. Many are called, but too many are sitting on a fence waiting for someone else to make a decision for them before jumping to the right side, away from the wrong side! We are told, "Be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Rom.12:2). "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" (I Peter 4:17)

Douglas has this about the COGiT over on the Painful Truth site.

The Church of God in Truth with James Russell? He said himself that “we haven’t learned anything new in 40 years”. He does claim that because the other Churches of God don’t keep the Feast Days at the right time, they will be those described in Revelation 3:9, “Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.” Yes, friends, all the other Armstrongists are the synagogue of Satan saying they are Jews but are not, will suffer in the Millennium while CoGIT members will be God as God is God, lording it over everybody else. With this ‘holier than thou’ attitude, there is no chance that there’s going to be much change: Expect stagnation. If there is an afterlife, someone is in for a BIG surprise! You should all get their flagship magazine, Prove All Things. It’s worth it for the misprints in every issue. For example, a favorite is “Herbert Armstrong Pasture General”. Replete with manure? Watch where you step? They have something every issue. It’s hilarious! They should Proof Read All Things.