Is Your XYZ Church of God Spiritually Abusive?

 From Wicked Shepherds web site

The following is a questionnaire to see just how healthy your church really is. To determine how well it ranks, answer "yes" or "no" to the following questions:

•Does your church tightly control the flow of information within its ranks?

•Does the head of your church, along with the other “leaders”, use public shaming as a method to gain the compliance of followers? 

•Does the head of your church and his “fellow elders” appear to be intolerant or consider it evil persecution when criticized or questioned?

•Are you discouraged to associate with former members, being warned that they are "evil" or "defiling"; a “danger to your spiritual welfare”?

•Is leaving your church to join another church that “is not approved by your elders” equal to leaving God? 

•Do you fear being rebuked, shunned, or ignored for expressing a different opinion?

•At church, is there a sense of control, rather than support?

•Is there a relentless obsession of reminding the sheep of “who’s in authority”?

•Are you told not to ask questions as to why others have left?  Are you told to accept the statements that “your elders” give you?

•Are books, tapes and CD’s, speakers, music, etc., carefully controlled to keep only          the belief structure of your church before your mind?

•Is there is a relentless campaign to keep you around the activities of your church,   expecting you to be at all the stated meetings, except if providentially hindered?  And if you are absent, is  your spirituality and dedication sometimes questioned?

•Is the concept ever so subtly present that, “when you please the 'pastor', God is pleased and when your 'pastor' is not pleased with you, God is not pleased with you?"

•Is there present, the breaking of even the closest family ties, to “guard” the flock?

•Is there the constant using of guilt and shame as tools of control?

•Is there present at your church the encouragement of the members to spy and report on each other, lest sin be found in the midst?

•Is there present at your church the dominant climate of fear in the group – fear of failing to keep one of the rules, and fear of being held up to public humiliation and rejection?

•At church, are the normal lines between what is private and what is public knowledge broken, and members confess the most personal, and the most minor sins, as the conscience is being surrendered to the “leadership”?

•Are many (if not all) of the results from voting at "congregational business meetings"

announced as..... "it is unanimous!"?

•Is questioning condemned as "whispering, back- biting, vicious slander, gossip, nit   picking, signs of a proud rebellious spirit, being disaffected and divisive?"

•Are those who dissent publicly punished?  Are their  reputations murdered by veiled, or not so veiled “revelations” of “sins”; past and present, as confidentiality is broken for the benefit of the leaders? 

•Is there a misplaced loyalty from Jesus and God onto the leadership, which is idolatry?

•Is there harsh preaching and full of condemnation for your failures and are you              deliberately being kept wounded and off balance by the haranguing and condemnation from the pulpit?

•Is “Persevere or be damned” and “listen to YOUR elders; obey YOUR elders”; "submit to YOUR elders" preached over and over again?

•Is paranoia the “very air you breathe”?  Paranoia of falling from grace; thinking for yourselves; breaking the many unspoken rules as well as the clearly spelled out expectations of the leader?

•Are you becoming paranoid – carefully watching your every word and even gesture, lest someone report your faults?

•Does a code of silence reign at your church?  Is no one to divulge the business of the church, or the faults of the leadership?

●      Do the spiritual leaders at your church seem to give you the impression that either covertly or overtly, they have the right to tell you how you should manage your own family; presuming that they know your own family better than you know yourself?


                                                               RESULTS

If you answered "no" to all of the above questions, your church is relatively

healthy. If you answered "yes" to a quarter or more, your church is showing

signs of being unhealthy. If you answered "yes" to half or more, your church

is very, very unhealthy. If you answered "yes" to three-quarters or more,

your church is an authoritarian cult.  If you answered “yes” to all of the above

questions, click here.

UCG Sacramento and Reno Pastor Resigns

Dear Brethren and Friends,

Today, Thursday, November 4, 2010, I officially tendered my resignation as an employee of the United Church of God. I can no longer in good conscience support the current administration or the overall direction of the council majority. Since much of my concern has to do with administrative and employee issues, I prefer that the details of my departure remain confidential so as not to cause further trauma, stress and embarrassment to the individuals involved, their family members or our local congregations (Reno, NV and Sacramento, CA), which have already been through several years of trial and adversity. My wife and I, as well as the members of these congregations, would appreciate your prayers as we face the challenges that lie ahead. I respectfully request that you avoid rumors or public speculation about my resignation, these two congregations or other individuals involved. It will serve no good purpose. Please exercise patience and restraint as we all try to deal with
these trying and turbulent times. Should it become necessary for me to provide additional information about my situation, I will do so. Thank you for your care, your concern and your cooperation.

Sincerely,
Ken and Kathy Giese

November 3, 2010

Dear Brethren,

I am writing to offer you a brief update on the events of last weekend. In a meeting with Messrs. Luker and Kubik on Sunday evening, October 31st, they informed us that, from their perspective, the Reno and Sacramento congregations were divided over my perceived lack of support for the Council of Elders. Consequently, they offered to transfer us out of the area. After praying and fasting about this situation, my wife and I regret to inform you that I have resigned from employment with the United Church of God, effective immediately. I simply can no longer in good conscience remain a part of this organization.

Although our future plans are uncertain, we will remain here for the time being. We have appreciated the many friendships we have formed over the past two years and have counted it a privilege to serve the brethren in this beautiful part of the country.
We are both deeply saddened by the events unfolding in the United Church of God. May God guide you and sustain you in these difficult and challenging times.

With deep love and respect,

Ken and Kathy Giese
ken_giese@surewest.net

UCG Members Now Must Fast Because of Their Satanic Rebellion!

The Big Boss is NOT happy!  You rebellious sinful people  in UCG, shame on you!  How dare you read web sites and bogs!  There are wolves in your midst.  Dark satanic agents of rebellion and death!  Beware!

It's all your fault, once again.  Talk about a broken record!

Nov. 4 Letter from President Luker United Church of God | November 4, 2010 at 6:53 pm | Tags: president dennis luker letter rebellion |

November 4, 2010

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Out of love and respect for each of you, and because of what Christ has in store for all of us, I write this very important letter to you. Our potential to be in God's family depends on each of us making Christ's nature our very own. Having the mind of Christ in us leads us to yield to Him and serve Him with proper respect and reverence in true humility. His way produces peace and harmony. God has given us His Scriptures to teach us the godly way in which to conduct ourselves.

Sadly, I must state that there is a spirit of rebellion that has been brewing in the United Church of God for some time—but which is now rising to the surface. Some ministers and members have taken it upon themselves to hold meetings to undermine the authority in the governing structure of United, that all of them once endorsed. They are disseminating false information designed to discredit those in authority, and favor others that they desire to have as leaders instead.

Some pastors and elders are defying direct orders, withholding letters, videos and other communications sent from the home office. Instead, they are proliferating information on Web sites where they claim members and ministers can “get the facts.” Please know and understand, these dissident sites have no direct relationship with UCGIA, and have no oversight as to doctrinal review or integrity of information. It has been noted that people who try to give factual information in favor of our Church, are barred from posting the facts or are blocked from these sites. It should be obvious from this that they have an agenda and are not seeking the truth. It is my duty before God and Jesus Christ to inform you of this rebellion with the fervent hope that you do not fall into its trap. Please pray that God will give you His wisdom and discernment.

I hope and pray that discontent has not been sown in your area, and that your congregation and ministry are at peace. However, because it is so easy to spread rumor and accusation, I am writing to the entire Church to warn you in case you hear things that are not supportive of the United Church of God and its duly appointed leadership. The United Church of God was formed to protect the biblical doctrines of the Church, to care for God's people, and to provide peaceful places for us to meet on the Sabbath and God's feasts. We will continue to do this while we preach the gospel, the truly good news of His Kingdom.
I also want to remind you of the official links and Web sites where accurate and uplifting information can be found. These sites are designed to update you on the progress of the work of the Church with the good news of God's blessings in the work He has given us to do. Below are listed just four of the opportunities currently available for information. I encourage everyone to be connected and inspired in support of the work God has given us to do. By entering your e-mail address on these sites you can receive fast notification of late-breaking news and immediate updates on the work of preaching the gospel.
Therefore, in an effort to improve our communications with you, I would appreciate it if you would please share this message with other brethren, especially those who do not have Internet access.

Some brethren may not be aware of the helpful, regular updates they can receive from the Church and the resources available to them online. We encourage everyone to sign up. Here is the information:

The UCG Member's Web site gives you updates and resources on everything to do with the United Church of God. To visit click on: http://members.ucg.org and enter your e-mail address in the box in the lower right hand column. This will give you weekly updates on what’s new on the member’s Web site. We currently have more than 14,000 members and others using this alert service.

Inside United: Realtime is a blog that provides you with late-breaking and up-to-date information from senior management personnel. We are already approaching a quarter of a million visitors to the blog, and it was only started in April of this year! This is an excellent way to keep up with the work of the Church, especially on our efforts to preach the gospel of God’s Kingdom.

Almost 1,000 users have already entered their e-mail address to get an alert as soon as a new post is uploaded. Often, new items are posted three or four times a week. To sign up click on: http://realtimeunited.wordpress.com and enter your e-mail address in the box in the right-hand column.

The Good News e-Newsletter is a twice-monthly update containing relevant information to all Good News magazine readers. You will hear from the managing editor, senior writers and the president of the United Church of God. To sign up click on: http://www.gnmagazine.org/gnupdate and you’ll receive a notification when new items are posted about our flagship publication. At present we have more than 32,000 people subscribed!

World News and Prophecy eNews is a monthly e-mail newsletter designed to help you put today's world events in biblical context by providing you with useful and accurate information, analysis and commentary. To sign up, please click on: http://www.wnponline.org/newsletter . So far, we have 21,500 active subscribers to this service. We believe all of our members should stay aware of the events shaping our world.

Brethren, spiritual wolves are in our midst, and this now-open rebellion on the part of some demonstrates this fact. But even in the midst of a crisis created by some, we know with surety that our Elder Brother, Jesus Christ, is firmly at the Head of His Church. He knows our hearts, and He knows more about this situation than any of us could as human beings.

In His final prayer before His crucifixion, Jesus Himself prayed not once, but twice for protection that God would shield His Church “from the evil one” (John 17:15). Brethren, as a long-time minister and brother to you in the faith, I ask that you now urgently join with us in prayer and fasting to claim that promise of divine protection for the Church of God.

We have the confidence that God and Christ will protect and deliver us! Through faith, let us exercise that confidence and place this matter in God's hands as we all move forward.
Sincerely, in Christ’s service,
Dennis Luker