UCG Sydney AU is so dysfunctional that UCG members won't even attend when visiting the city.

UCG has always been known to be dysfunctional, but a comment on a Yahoo group proves that further.  UCG members are avoiding their own church like the plague.  On top of that, UCG is being out preached by the Seventh Day Adventists and Church of God 7th Day.  Unlike UCG, Adventists  and COG7 make no excuses for what they believe, UCG and most other COG's are embarrassed about themselves and are constantly making excuses for hiding what they claim to believe.

Church of God 7th Day and the Adventists are putting the regular Churches of God to shame.  Both preach what they believe and are active in their communities and around the world.  The Church of God is not.

UCG pays thousands of dollars to hold campaigns around the country.  One of their latest attempts they are bragging about had around 145 in attendance.  Of that number only 25 some "new" people showed up.  The rest of the audience was padded with 120 UCG members.  The COG message is shallow out out of touch with 21st century life and issues.  The Adventists and COG7 get it, the Church of God does not.

Even till today I know UCG people who if they have to visit Sydney on business. They will not attend the Sydney UCG. On the Sabbath. 

Which is voting will your feet. 

One other thing that I have noticed. Back in the 1970s HWA had a great interesting broadcast. 

Where now days hardly any of the cogs stand out. 

He in NZ the SDAs have there own Full time TV station plus one part time Station. 

As for preaching Gods laws they are spot on. 

Regarding prophecy and Gods laws they are now very close to what HWA taught.

 Those who preach on the SDAs TV stations have an excellent grasp on gods laws. They all preach the same. 

There is  a new big boy on the block. 

Aaron Dean: Due to Brexit/Trump/UN resolution on Israel...etc....Time is very close!

What will the church be saying 20, 30, 40 years from now when they are still sitting in their homes claiming "the end is nigh?"

I don't necessarily disagree with what you observe, but a quick reading of Rev 2 and 3 show the church has often been in bad shape. :-(

Also Gideon's army shows numbers don't matter, and HWA's last comment was that the purification of the bride comes next.  That sorting has been happening since he died. 

Rev 14:3-4 indicate there are 144,000 "first-fruits". Perhaps God has about reached the number he wants in the 1st resurrection.  HWA and I discussed this before he died.

Prophecy is now taking place with Brexit/Trump/UN resolution on Israel...etc. Time is very close.  God can pull the chord at any time.

We simply need to make sure we are "Working out our own salvation with fear and trembling".  You can't make others do anything, you can only try to inspire them to change themselves.

Aaron

UCG and its astounding growth...NOT

This was sent in by a reader this morning.  Check out the astounding growth the UCG is experiencing.  This is the exact same thing that is happening in all the other splinter groups.  They are replacing those who die with new members who are usually disgruntled refugee's from other splinter group.

Actually, UCG is having some growth...at least replacing those who die. Not all congregations are getting smaller. Holding your own or some small growth is more than any other group I know of.  We are in the time of the end. There are "wise" and "foolish" virgins.

UCG is also the only group who has successfully merged with another group (CGCF).  They even had a member on the UCG board within two years and another a few years later. Where else could that happen but in UCG's structure.  Sadly, some of them with COGWA in the split, but one is still on our board.   

As to merging, there is a process, and it is difficult, mostly because of the personalities involved and lack of humility.  While one may have a great relationship with an individual congregation, that does not go across the board. For example Living and UCG had a joint activity in Alaska at the feast.  An elder at that event who went to New Zealand the following year tried to do it there, but the living elder said "Living doesn't do that".  It is a real mix out there so be careful not to label all by a personal (perhaps correct), but limited experience. There may be a history and reasons why, but each situation seems different with most making judgments based on incomplete information.  

Having worked directly with HWA in the final years, it is hard for me not to feel like Haggai and Zerubbabel and the '2nd temple' being so much less...but it is not by our power, but by God's.  He controls the size of his army and where they are.  I pray not to get in his way.

Aaron Dean

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