Living Church of God continues to be rocked by one scandal after another. Just as things start to calm down another issue pops up causing the LCG bigwigs to jump into damage control.
Recently a woman in LCG approached her minister with information that she thought was vitally important about the calendar and that LCG was no keeping the proper calendar. For the uber-legalists the proper calendar is far more important that anything Jesus ever did, said or accomplished. These people place more weight in being as Jewish as possible than they do in being grace-filled hands of mercy in the world around them.
Rod Meredith reacted swiftly to this woman and disfellowshipping her. He then sent a letter out to everyone in the Southern CA area letting them know that she had been disfellowhsipped.
Hello Members of the Body of Christ,
I am very sorry to
have to address you on this matter. But, yesterday a woman who has been
attending with us sent an email and a document to members of the Living
Church of God claiming that she had a special understanding about the
biblical calendar, and stating that the Church was wrong. She also sent
it to members in another region and has stirred up trouble there. She
was counseled by various of God’s ministers and offered articles
explaining the calendar, but she has refused to accept the long held
Church of God teaching. She told me, and implied in her email, that all
the Church’s of God and all the ministers were wrong—false ministers not
teaching the Bible. Instead she referenced the writing of a man who was disfellowshipped about 40 years ago by Herbert Armstrong, for his heretical beliefs and teachings.
Since she is preaching
heresy, not willing to be shown the truth, damaging some people’s
faith, and therefore causing division, I’ve had to tell her that she is
no longer welcome among us and is disfellowshipped. If you have received
this email you know who she is, and you are warned not to have contact
with her.
Tomorrow’s Bible Study
will cover the subject of God’s Sacred Calendar and the Hebrew Calendar
we use today. In preparation, please read the attached articles.
The Living Church of God is struggling lately on maintaining unity in its church. One issue after another has plagued LCG over the last few years causing the church to be constantly preaching about how "unified" the church is.
Doug Winnail writes:
Beware
of Misguided Ideas: The Apostle Paul warned “in latter times some will
depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines
of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1-4) and that many will not listen to sound
doctrine but will prefer to follow their own ideas (2 Timothy 3:1-6;
4:1-4). The Apostle also warned that critics within and from outside the
Church will try to divide the Church to gain a following (Acts
20:29-31). He pointed out that Satan will try various ways to mislead
well-meaning people (2 Corinthians 2:11)—often new people (1 Timothy
3:6)—by appealing to the human desire to be in the limelight or be
recognized as an authority (3 John 9-10). Numerous issues threatened to
divide the early Church: foods, hair lengths, ideas about the
resurrection, circumcision, etc. (see 1 Corinthians and Galatians).
However, Paul’s consistent advice was to “Guard what was committed to
your trust” (1 Timothy 6:20), to “hold fast” to what you have been
“taught” (Titus 1:9-11) and “avoid foolish disputes” (Titus 3:9; 1
Timothy 6:3-5). When questions do arise over doctrine, the biblical
example is to take the issue to the leaders of the Church for a decision
(Acts 15:1-31). Nowhere do the Scriptures encourage individuals to take
it on themselves to correct or “save” the Church. That is something
that Jesus Christ will take care of in His time as He “builds” His
Church (Matthew 16:18).
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
LCG is having trouble "holding fast" to much of everything any more. One issue after another has plagued the LCG over the last few years. As Rod Meredith approaches his certain death due to old age, the LCG is facing an insurmountable mountain ahead of them. Large factions do not want Jim Meredith to be given any power, others distrust Richard Ames who is the heir-apparent, other see the Charlotte offices as a cesspool of impropriety and corruption and others are tired of suffering under legalistic ministers in the field who are making their lives miserable.