How Well Has Servant Leadership Been Working In Your LCG Congregation?

Below are the qualities that ministers of the LCG are SUPPOSED to have when dealing with pastoring a congregation.

Servant Leadership and Building a Growth-Oriented Congregation

pg 2-8 LCG Pastoral Manual

This life is a training ground, preparing us to rule with Christ.  Encourage the brethren to see that God is looking for growth and be focused on it yourself!  Here are some points in this regard: 

1. Explain that mistakes are just opportunities to grow.  Sometimes, Satan can get people so discouraged that they cease to see the growth opportunities in front of them (2 Corinthians 2:7).  Encourage brethren to learn from their mistakes, but not wallow in them.  Be careful not to get overly discouraged about your mistakes as well.  Paul taught in Philippians 3:14 that we are to learn from the things that are behind us, but not overly dwell on them. 

In other words, no matter how mean and vindictive a minister is to you, even though you know it is all a mistake, you must take it as an opportunity to grow.  It's all a test anyway to see how you respond.  As usual though in the COG culture, it is always the MEMBERS mistake and not the ministry or the church.  The church seems to have a photographic memory (it keeps files remember) and will NEVER let you live down any past mistake.  It will be brought up again and again.  If the entire purpose of Passover in the COG culture is to cover the sins of past mistakes and blot them out, then why does the LCG and other COG's keep this mistakes in perpetuity?

2. Admit that you are not perfect! You should not air all your sins before the congregation.  But on the other hand, do not try to put forth an image of yourself that you can never be wrong.  (After all, the brethren do not have a perfect image of you.)  Be willing to admit if someone’s idea might be better, or if you said something that wasn’t exactly accurate in a sermon.  Strive not to offend one of “these little ones” (Matthew 18:6), and apologize if it happens.  Listen—it lets members know they are valued and can express their concerns. 

What?????  "...do not try to put forth an image of yourself that you can never be wrong.'' ????????
Since when has any minister of a splinter Church of God ever stood in the pulpit and asked for forgiveness?  When has Rod Meredith?  He certainly did not after being banished to Hawaii for insubordination.  He did not when he got sued for libel by Leona McNair when he lied about her on stage at a ministerial conference.  He let the church spend hundreds of thousands of dollars defending him and then jumped ship to form LCG, never apologizing for his despicable actions.  Did Meredith ever apologize for his sermon that set Terry Ratzman into a fit of rage that caused the death of LCG members in Milwaukee?

"Strive not to offend the little ones...."  Another joke!  The "little ones" in the church have NEVER been a priority.  The more money you have the better treatment you get.  Does Lil'Jimmy consider the "little ones" who scrimp and struggle to send in commanded tithes, as he gallivants from one luxury hotel resort after another at the members expense?

Do members DARE express their concerns with LCG ministers without fearing repercussions?  Really?

3. Encourage brethren to take initiative—within your overall direction. If someone takes initiative to do something they were not told to do, do not be quick to reprimand them.  If there is a problem, DO take them aside, thank them for their initiative, and explain how in the future they need to check with you first.  Discuss how their initiative can start a new program, with them spearheading it.  Re-direct them if necessary (and certainly deal with attitudes if that is a problem), but do not stifle growth.  Take initiative yourself as well! 

How dare anyone in the LCG dare to take an initiative to do anything without getting a ministers approval!  I know of many who have come up with great thing to help their community and LCG ministers have lashed out in fury stopping them.  Let the unwashed heathens take care of their own because  God will correct it all later.  Don't waste you time and especially the money you could be giving to us on the world.

4. Give people opportunities to grow.  We all must develop our talents (Matthew 25:15).  While not everyone will be a minister, there are still many ways to become involved.  If you have a person who can contribute, look for ways to include him or her—even if you have to come up with a new program to do it!  Service opportunities are not just to keep everyone busy; they instill a strong sense of belonging and fulfillment.  They have a positive impact on the overall mood and morale of the congregation.  (More on delegation in Chapter 8.) 

5. Use correction as an opportunity to encourage growth. When you have to correct someone, do not just take punitive action.  Approach it from a teaching perspective.  Talk it through with him (in private), discuss why it happened, and try to help him see why he got into the situation in the first place.  Do not automatically jerk a responsibility away from him for one mistake.  If possible, give him an opportunity to do it better the next time.  

When has "correction" in the LCG ever been used as an opportunity for growth?  99% of the time the person is kicked out and shunned.  The problem with so many ministers, Meredith included, is that they used "correction" while in fits of anger and respond in negative ways that certainly do NOT encourage growth.  Punitive actions has always been the hallmark of the church.

Most of those who have been publicly humiliated, disfellowshipped and marked over the last several decades by Rod Meredith, have all pointed out how he and the LCG would NOT talk with them.

 

Have You Seen the File that Living Church of God Keeps on You and Your Family?

It was a long  standing policy of the Worldwide Church of God to keep files on church members.  Every letter you ever wrote to HQ was copied into your file.  Every counseling session and many conversations you had with your minister were also recorded into these files, especially if he found anything you said to be going against or questioning church teaching or polices. Your attendance records were kept. You tithing records were routinely accessed to determine who was in "good standing" with the church.  Slackers were reported to the field ministers and soon the guilty ones were chastised or kicked out.

This policy has carried over into all of the larger controlling groups like Living Church of God, Restored Church of God, United Church of God and Philadelphia Church of God, just to name a few.  The more legalistic the group is the more that is kept in your files.

Living Church of God has had a long record of doing that and using it against members.  A reader here wrote this comment on another thread:

I know that some ministers (not all) keep files on members. I had the pleasure of running afoul of a LCG minister a number of years ago. After a lengthy debate back and forth via email, this minister accidentally sent me an email that was addressed to my minister back home. In the email, he warned my minister of our conversation and forwarded all my emails of the conversation to him. He said to keep this in my file, should anything ever happen with me when I return home.

My FILE?!

Thankfully when asking for forgiveness from God, He says he forgives. Ask for forgiveness from some ministers and they just keep it in a file so that someday that can use it against you. HA

Ask your local minister if he keeps a file on you and your family.  If he is man of ethics and integrity he will say if he does or not.  If he does not, then thank him for being a man of integrity.  He he says he does then ask to see it.  An ethical and transparent minister who is a true servant would be willing to share it.

Why Have LCG Pastors Failed To Be Agents "Pioneering a Way of Peace?"

Living Church of God: The only agents of peace in the world.

Living Church of God has always considered everything about it's organizational structure to be designed by God and therefore CANNOT be wrong.  Everything the leadership says and implements is God ordained. Let see how that all really works.

Here is an excerpt from the LCG Pastoral Manual for pastors and elders.

There are serious issues in the very first paragraph.  While it certainly is a lofty goal that a REAL pastor would be practicing, it certainly is NOT something that LCG pastors, evangelists and leaders currently practice.  They most certainly are NOT "pioneering a way of peace" in the LCG.  When conflicts arise LCG ministers/leaders lash out in anger swiftly and harshly.  All of the recent disfellowshipments attest to that.  LCG has NEVER diffused conflict.  If anything it has created more conflict and disruption in members lives over its short life span than most other churches.

Rod Meredith and LCG ministers ability to lead in times of crisis as peacemakers is a huge joke!

As a servant leader, you must be working on your own relationships at home, and in your personal life.  We are called to pioneer a way of peace not known by the world (Romans 3:17).  When conflicts do arise, that is perhaps the biggest test of our ability to be peacemaking Pastors.  Brethren take note of how we handle conflict situations.  Our ability to lead as peacemakers, especially in crises, depends on our ability to defuse conflict and controversy.  How we deal with conflict is often just as important as the initial problem itself.  A Pastor can cause a conflict to spread and multiply, or he can minimize it.  Here are some principles for minimizing conflict: 

LCG ministers have never been known to keep issues within a small group of people.  Either the minister or his wife immediately hits the gossip chain and he entire church are will now within a few hours.  Bellowing from the pulpit the "supposed sins" of others is a common.

1. Use as little authority as necessary to effectively deal with a problem.  Do not use a hammer when a flyswatter will do!  If one or two people have a problem, address it in private, not from the pulpit.  If you address it from the pulpit when it is not warranted, it will only make others curious and unsettled about a problem about which they may not have been aware.  If a problem is spreading or is known by multiple individuals, it may be necessary to address it at some level with the group at large.  But strive to keep the circle of people involved as small as possible.  (For further on the exercise of Church discipline, see Chapter 3.) 

It is well know that certain wives of leading ministers/evangelists CANNOT keep their mouths shut when problems arise. Some of them actively look for problems having created a little network of spies who report back on every minuscule circumstance or problem.

2. Discourage gossip—by others and by yourself.  Unfortunately, sometimes gossip comes from the minister himself—but that should never happen.  Nothing tears down the morale of a group and limits its potential growth like gossip (Proverbs 16:28; Proverbs 17:9).  Weave principles of avoiding gossip into sermons—and do not indulge in it yourself (Psalm 15:3). 

Confidentiality in the Church of God?????  When?????  It is well known how employees with access to member files routinely looked at friends files to see if they were tithing, what they had counsel with a minister about and for other issues.  Ministers in the Church Offices in Pasadena would stand in the hallway joking about recently counseling sessions mocking the person who came seeking advice. Some of these same men are parked on their butts in Charlotte.  LCG employees currently routinely look at other emp0loyees files and members.

3. Keep confidentiality.  As the saying goes, “Loose lips sink ships.”  Always—but especially in a conflict—keep confidential what is said in private.  There are few things that will destroy the relationship of a congregation with its Pastor as quickly as his inability to keep private things private.  You, as a Pastor, will distance yourself from your brethren and undermine the health of the group if you (and/or your wife) cannot keep things confidential. 

Siege mentality is the mode LCG operates in on a daily basis.  Its slash and burn most of the time.  LCG members are sick of sitting in church listening to ministers proclaim, "Brethren, as much as it pains us and causes us great sadness, it is our sad duty to tell you that we have kicked Susan and Bill's sorry asses to the curb!  Do not speak to them or associate with these vile vermin lest you be tainted."

4. Avoid the “siege mentality.”  This can happen when there is an attack on the Church or the minister.  Deal with the problem, but resist the temptation of seeing everyone as “either for me or against me.”  If we’re not careful, we can start seeing negative innuendos and hidden meanings behind every word, glance, or look.  We can be a polarizing factor in the congregation, instead of being a force for reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). 

So what is LCG focused upon?  It is not bringing in new members.  Its only common goal is making it to Petra over the bodies of those they destroy on the way there.  LCG members are getting tired of all the hypocrisy of the leadership and a gearing up for a huge split with Meredith dies.  Ames and crew will not be able to hold the sinking ship together, particularly if Lil'Jimmy makes a run for it.

5. Keep the brethren—and yourself—focused on the big picture.  As captain of your local “ship,” keep focused on what is ahead.  Talk about the Work.  Talk about the telecast, new TV stations, and developments at Headquarters.  Talk about the Kingdom.  Talk about new people coming along, about the good news that is happening in your local areas.  Continue speaking from the pulpit and in person about a wide spectrum of topics and issues—not just the present problem.  People need to grieve when there is a problem, but the goal is to put their eyes back on the horizon ahead as quickly as possible.  

When has the COG, particularly the LCG, EVER erred on the side of "assuming the best?"  Decades of lashing out at members have proven this to be something that the church does NOT practice!  "Do Not Impute Motives??????"  Are they really serious?  Every time ministers ash out at members they are imputing a motive, usually a "bad attitude."

6. Err on the side of assuming the best. When confronted with a problem, err on the side of assuming that a member or members is/are trying hard, and may not be aware of the problem they are causing.  Do not impute motives.  James 4:11-12 warns against speaking evil and judging another.  Give people the benefit of the doubt—while at the same time explaining the need to correct the problem. 

The list closes with the following.  I have never known an LCG minister or leader who has NOT responded to personal attacks.  Their reactions are usually swift and deadly holding no prisoners.

7. Ignore personal attacks. Ecclesiastes says not to take to heart everything everyone says, especially about you (Ecclesiastes 7:21). Though Jesus defended others, He did not defend and justify Himself (1 Peter 2:23).  Defend others, and defend the office of the ministry, but do not allow your emotions to cause you to focus on defending yourself from personal attacks.