UCG Names Men Up For Consideration to Be President of Church

Once again it is the old guard still in control.  Those trained at Ambassador seem to always get priority consideration over the lowly man promoted up through the ranks without an Ambassador diploma.

The GCE put forth the names of 27 men—of which 13 allowed their names to go forward and submitted their resumes for the Council of Elders to consider. All of these gentlemen, along with their wives, are wonderful servants of God and are out there every day in your midst sharing their lives with you. We thank them for their desire to serve their brethren.

 

The Council of Elders reviewed the nomination resumes of those 13 men and has each cast one ballot for a nominee, along with why each endorses that individual. The Council of Elders chairman (Robin Webber), the chairman of the Roles and Rules Committee (Gary Antion), and the corporate secretary (Gerald Seelig), reviewed the results and are pleased to announce the final lists of individuals to be considered for president of the United Church of God. They are in alphabetical order: Bill Bradford, Aaron Dean, Roy Holladay, Victor Kubik, Darris McNeely, and Randy Stiver. After prayer and fasting, the Council of Elders will interview them in person on May 6 and deliberate among themselves on May 7. Final selection for a new chief executive will be on May 8. Normally a new president immediately assumes office for a three-year term that can be renewed with Council approval.

Is Gerald Flurry Purging Ministers As PCG Starts Imploding?

The COG's most important man, after Dave Pack of course, is Gerald Flurry.  His angry jowl flapping face rages continually against his members and the world around him.  Flurry has always held always held his lower echelon members in contempt:

So where does Flurry get off saying no one has the right to teach but him? He also told members that other people are "so much dross floating down the river; they don’t matter." If that was true, then why is he trying to get them into his group? In all actuality God died for the whole world. But Flurry cuts off people from their families, no matter how they cry for help. Elderly mothers or fathers, their own children, no matter who. If they're not in the PCG, forget them! But I read that you are to lay down your life for your brother. [I John 3:16]

The Exit and Support site has several letters from former members that have been detailing upheavals in the Trinidad PCG and of various PCG ministers getting canned.  Apparently the Turgeon and Culpepper clans are waging war against those they perceive to be disloyal.

March 15, 2013
Cal Culpepper has been given Aaron Eagle's duties by GF. This means that Culpepper is going to have to move to be more centrally located in his area. Culpepper is more dictatorial than Aaron, and members are dreading him taking over. They are expecting him to "clean house" on the members once he takes over. --Informer

With his rapidly falling income, disgruntled members, and rebellious ministers, Flurry's cult is on a downward spiral.  All is no longer glorious or righteous in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Recent PCG ministers canned/or told to resign have been Aaron Eagle - who "...disfellowshipped members right and left"; Craig Winters, Regional Director Florida and Bryan Weeks, Mail Processing Manager.

Other letter writers talk about the abuse they have been receiving from various COG ministers with one person even detailing how Brian Davis disfellowshipped their 13 year old son.  Brian Davis has a long track record of spiritual abuse towards members.  One write to E&S says:

February 22, 2013
If we are to go strictly by the PCG teachings, Brian Davis thinks he has "taken my crown." (Revelation 3:11) This is how callous they are to let you think you will be thrown in the "lake of fire" if you do not submit and come crawling back to them. I no longer believe this! After a final disfellowship by Brian Davis, I got back my critical thinking skills and came to the conclusion that PCG is a cult that I was part of. I was mentally, verbally, and spiritually abused. They all live a life of luxury at PCG Headquarters in Edmond, Oklahoma. In the meantime, back at the farm in the real world, all those poor cast out members who believed all that bull are trying to pick up the pieces and get what's left of their lives back together. I want to warn others that any group that leaves Christ and His teachings out of the picture as the PCG does is a big fat lie! --Ex PCG

Another writer to E&S has this to say about the PCG layoffs and hierarchy:

April 23, 2013
These recent "layoffs" sound like cost-saving measures; i. e., as the membership drops, you don't need all those paid ministers. Just so long as the Flurry, Turgeon, and Hilliker families (related to GRF by blood or marriage) are financially secure and taken care of with luxury homes at HQs, most of the rest of the ministry are just "expendable." Then they sugar-coat this reality by saying that these ex-ministers are "still a member in good standing." Any minister or paid staff not directly in the Flurry "bloodline" should be nervous! --Former PCG member

E&S has a lot of information about the PCG Trinidad upheavals.  The regional director there is particularly incensed that things happening there are being made public:

April 23, 2013
Samuel Seebran boldly stated on the podium that the husbands in the church are hypocrites and also the wives in the church are hypocrites!!! And that they can solve their own problems instead of getting the ministry involved. Seebran's expression is that of disgust and disdain as matters concerning the Trinidad PCG is being exposed openly for the world to know Via ESN. He is raging mad as he has been exposed as a liar and deceiver as more members begin to question and demand answers about what's really going on in the congregation. Seebran cannot quench the "fires" of problems and insecurity existing in the Trinidad congregation and appears to be distancing himself from brethren's personal Problems (marital) as his faulty and questionable administration is under observation from PCG Headquarters. His failure as a leader to address and handle the situation is escalating as more families are being torn apart--instead of love, peace and unity there is distrust, fear and uncertainty. --Resigned member (Trinidad)

James Malm: There Will Be NO Dissent In My Church - It's My Way Or the Highway

The Church of God's greatest Pharisee is its greatest proponent of the law.  Grace and love are tools of Satan that allow unbridled "sin" to take over a persons life.  Being shackled to the law supposedly stops that wantonness.  In my decades in Pasadena that belief has been proven wrong many times over.  The laws never stopped anyone in the Church, in most cases it caused them to do more things. the more the church prohibited the more people rebelled.

Apostle Malm is setting himself and his splinter cult up for failure.  He is not bringing anyone closer to God.  If anything, he is driving a wedge between them and the God they seek to follow.  Begin shackled to law and being told what to do 24/7 is very comforting to some.  Being allowed freedom is an unknown concept to many.  Freedom brings insecurity and the ability to ask questions.  That in turn can lead to doubt and doubt is a four letter word in Armstrongism.

Apparently one of Malm's acolytes dared to question the teachings of the apostle.  Retribution was swift and public.

The apostle writes:

FEAST DISCLAIMER: 
While Larry assured me that he was of like mind with me when he offered to set up the Facebook site last year, I have been hearing otherwise.  I therefore wrote him yesterday to ask his positions, and he responded by saying that he is not against me, he just does not agree with me.

Larry has taken a stand on the calendar, however he does not agree on the meanings of the Festivals etc, and has said that he will not attend our Feast site because I will not allow dissent  He has chosen to attend the Feast with UCG [Do they allow sermons  dissenting from their teachings?  I expect that this means that Larry wants to attend with UCG because he agrees with their teachings on the Festivals.] and is trying to set up for the true Eighth Day [by the Biblical Calendar]  a few days after UCG holds theirs.

In case some believe that Larry and I are on the same page doctrinally and about the Feasts; I feel c0mpelled to issue this clarification:

Larry does not agree with the teachings on this Blog concerning the Festivals, and is doing whatever he does on his own:  He does not represent me,  nor is he associated with me when he diverges from the teachings and doctrine at TheShiningLight.

Those who want to attend a Feast site for the whole eight days, based on the positions and doctrines presented at this Blog, should write me at jddm3@hotmail.com  for information about our Feast site in Oregon.