Gerald Weston: Yes, LCG is Losing Members, but we are still the BEST Church of God Because we are Filled with Lowliness, Meekness and Gentleness

Gerald Weston has written a new missive to the members of the Living Church of God.  In his most recent "Personal" to the members Weston admits that the membership of the Living Church of God is dropping, but that does not mean the church will ever stop putting forth its forceful message.

The church has always loved to get up and brag, especially during the Feast, about how many were in attendance, how much money was collected in offerings, or just how special the church was compared to everyone else.

Weston writes in Is Bigger Always Better?:

During our Charlotte Family Weekend, we had a theme of keeping our focus and not getting distracted. In the Worldwide Church of God, we always looked through the lens of “the best ever” and “bigger than last time,” whether at the Feast or some other activity. In this light, we must ask the question, “Is bigger always better?” There is a human tendency to think that it is.

Yes, I bet it was hard keeping the insular focus upon self and not getting distracted by the beautiful Christmas decorations, the piped in Christmas music, the Christmas desserts in restaurants, and other holiday accoutrements, considering you keep your "family fest" in Christmas laden resorts every year.   Anyway, it was your grand guru Herbert himself that loved to quote figures on how big and better everything was, except when he was begging for more money.

He also writes:

The Worldwide Church of God also grew. Eventually, more than 150,000 attended the Feast of Tabernacles, and more than eight million Plain Truth magazines were distributed every month. At one point, there were three Ambassador College campuses, and how beautiful they were! But as the Church grew, so did the opportunities and so did the distractions. The Church lost its focus and became a comfortable social club to far too many. Large sports tournaments, exotic Festival sites, various clubs to “build self-esteem”—all took our focus off what God called us to do. We were ripe for the picking, and Satan, as a roaring lion, was all too eager to leap on the prey (1 Peter 5:8).

The eight million PT readers was a complete farce.  Hundreds of thousands were thrown in the trash every month never getting delivered or making it to newsstands.  Everyone in Pasadena knew the numbers were highly inflated. Eight million magazines prove nothing. Three campuses proved nothing either, other than being huge money pits for tithes to be diverted to and their leaders being puffed up with grandiose ideas of themselves.  The fact that he mocks "large sporting events" and "exotic Festival sites" proves how out of touch he is with his own church!  Lil'Jimmy has to be having major butthurt over that comment!  Besides, not a single COG today is capable of having a large exotic Festival site. They don't have enough members or the desire to cooperate together and produce grand Feast sites like no other, even though they ALL preach the same thing when you get down to the underbelly of each group.

Weston then goes on to quote Rod Meredith:

The question remains: Is bigger better? Conversely: Is smaller better? Dr. Roderick C. Meredith frequently emphasized that the Bible is the mind of God, so how does it answer this question?

The opening verse of Genesis says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” To say that God thinks big is understatement to the extreme! Consider the vastness of the universe with its myriad galaxies and stars. The size and scope of God’s creation baffles the human mind (Psalm 8:3–4)! Jesus’ parables indicate the Kingdom of God, His family, begins as the smallest of seeds, but grows immensely (Matthew 13:31–32; see also the other parables of Matthew 13). Isaiah informs us, “Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end” (9:7). God thinks BIG.

But the Church of God does not think BIG, as it has sought to exclude as many as they can from the kingdom they expect to inherit first.  Instead of bringing the kingdom of God to the world today, one person at a time, by helping the disenfranchised, the poor, the widows, the orphans, etc. it has done all it can to exclude people. If church leaders think the way they run their churches today is a sample of the Kingdom to come then we and all of humanity are all royally screwed!  Would anyone want to be in a kingdom run by COG leaders?  Can you imagine any of them sitting at the right hand of Jesus and being wise judges? The lake of fire never looked so appealing!

Weston continues:

Our focus must always be on the commissions given to us. We must learn “to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:1–3). It is through working together as a family, having educational programs, summer camps, family weekends, Spokesman Clubs, and more that we learn servant leadership, right government, humility, and putting up with one another’s imperfections. These activities provide opportunities to learn how to get along with those different from ourselves. We learn teamwork and come to appreciate qualities others have that we lack. We learn perseverance and patience. All of this helps prepare us to rule in the Kingdom of God. But even with this, these qualities must not be ends in themselves. We must not allow them to distract us from focusing on other commissions.

Lowliness? Gentleness?? Long-suffering??? Bear fellow members burdens in love????  Unified????? Peaceful??????  Seriously?

When has the LCG ever done any of these things?  When has its leaders ever set the example of lowliness?  When have they ever been gentle? When, oh WHEN have they ever been long-suffering with their members? Pride, arrogance, jealousy, and bitterness seem to be the things most COG leaders identify with today.  When has the Living Church of God ever been a family?  That concept died when the WCG imploded.  The "we are family" mantra was tossed in the Glendale dump as countless "lowly, gentle, meek and long-suffering" men set themselves up as splinter group leaders dividing families and wrecking lives.  Rod Meredith and Gerald Weston's dirty hands were right in the middle of that mix.

Weston then shovels the crap even deeper with this:

In all that we do we must adhere to Paul’s admonition, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:3–5). These words must be more than platitudes. They must be a part of us, internalized by the Holy Spirit of Christ in us (Galatians 2:20).

When has a COG leader or most ministers ever "esteem others above himself?" When have they ever truly taken the brethren's interests into account?  When have the brethren ever been listened to? When have the members ever had a say in who leads them?

How can the "mind of Christ" be "in" the ministry and leadership of the LCG (or any COG) when all of them ignore the guy and discount anything he accomplished.  Grace, mercy, and justice are qualities of Jesus that not one single COG leader knows anything about.

Weston ends with this:

Dear brethren, how large we will grow remains to be seen, but history indicates bigger is not always better. “Better”—that is, better quality—is always better! We must never allow the “bigger is better” mindset to guide our thinking. Nor should we think that smaller is better, because we like small. God thinks big and so should we. God uses both sizes to fulfill His plan and purpose, but either way, staying close to God, avoiding distractions, and keeping our focus on the purpose for which we are called is what matters more than size. We must constantly test our thinking and our actions to make sure they fit within the commissions we have been given. We must do this individually and collectively.

Weston apparently does not have much faith in his skills to push the LCG into the forefront of all the COG's today and proclaim a message of hope and salvation that will draw in large numbers of people.  

And why does EVERYTHING had to be a constant "test" for COG members?  They have been over-tested for 80 some years now.  Perhaps it is time for the leaders to be tested!  

So go on Gerald, show the world just how merciful and loving you and your god are.  Set the example and humble yourself so ther world can see. 

After all, the fields are white with harvest, aren't they?

Aaron Dean on Family, GTA, Rader and HWA & Romona

More from Aaron Dean:

Hello All,

A bit of history...My mom came into contact with the church in 1953, the year after I was born and with my Dad's death a couple years later was told to move to Big Sandy to be with "the widows".  So I knew all the Hammers and Armstrongs and others as "Uncles and Aunts" though not blood relatives. In 1960 my mom moved to Pasadena where I finished Imperial with all the evangelists kids (Huntings, Portunes, etc) in or around my age, often spending the night in their homes.

I started AC in BIg Sandy then unusual events made me transfer to Pasadena after 1 1/2 years where I graduated. I was asked by HWA to fly on the G-2 on graduation day and we flew to Bricket wood 2 weeks ahead of their graduation. (I had been there the year before when going to the "dig" and knew many of those there. Paul Hunting had been in my class in Pasadena before they moved to England.  So I already knew the 'players' on all the campuses which was of a great help with my job. 

I became HWA's aide and VP for the last 5 years and member of the Council of Elders (ACE at the time) but kept a low profile seeing others rise and fall with positon often going to one's head.  So I worked with HWA for the last 12 years of his life, and HWA made me promise to be Mr. Tkach's aid after I talked him out of making me Pastor General right before he named JWT. He made a number of promises to HWA, all of which he broke over the next few years.

It was awkward for him and me both as HWA made me promise to "tell JWT when he is wrong". I said 'you are asking me to tell my future boss when he makes a mistake?"  He responded, "You did me".  I had been very honest with him as I saw what the many lies or misinformation had done to him and the church.  I kept this promise till JWT's death...again awkward for us both. I told him I wouldn't lie for him and finally in frustration he said "why don't you just say you didn't spend that much time with HWA".  I had to laugh.

Anyway, I do read a lot of the forum messages when I have time since I am on all 3 forums (Pasadena, BS, BW).  I believe people are very sincere in what they believe, and perception is indeed reality for them and often reinforced by others with the same perception.  As Dean said, I was 'in the room' for many years and set up some of the meetings with heads of state and ran some of the very budgets discussed in some comments. So many things said are simply factually wrong.  It comes from a void of info and sincere speculation and often beause some wanted people to believe certain things while others just create something that seems a logical ending to fill the void and create a reason. 

Interesting in this context is the book "Against the Gates of Hell" mentioned on this forum.   SRR didn't even write it.  It was ghost written for him since at the time he had been made an Evangelist (a mistake HWA realized later) and was deliberately trying to soften his image for future agrandizement.  I was interviewed by the author since I was at the center of the Recievership and no way SRR could say what happened there.  The appendix are very true as court transcripts, but much of the rest is a play to make certain people look good or bad.  Some used for political purposes later.  

Other examples are things I read are about HWA changing D&R so he could marry Ramona.  My first trip in May June '74 took me all over Europe and the Middle East. It was supposed to be 3 weeks, but 6 weeks later I had to fly back from Paris to get married to Michelle.  Anyway, Ramona had become Gotoh's secretary doing set up for him. She had to bring him something and we were in Madrid. She couldn't get a flight to Paris (our next stop) so Gotoh asked SRR if she could fly with us.  HWA saw her on the plane, and asked "Who is the lady flying with us."  I gave him her name, and he said, "Didn't she used to be the PBX operator at the switchboard in the 1960's whose husband had left her with a baby?"  At that point he went back to talk to her and became attracted, mostly because he had been kept away from almost anyone since his wife died and he was travelling all the time. (The G-2 logs show we were out of the country 312 days in 1975 - with other years being close) 

Anyway..since the D & R decision was done in April '74 during my senior year, and HWA's contact with Ramona began in June of '74 the decision was not made for him to marry her or anyone else.  He hadn't even considered it till a year of so later after getting to know Ramona.  (He also realized later that this was a mistake - but he was very lonely since Loma's death.)

There are so many things as to events, money and motive that are simply perceptions.  SRR got rich on the church while HWA left everything to the church.  I liked GTA (and even flew with him for a year when HWA had the heart attack) but he manipulated things as well.  He and SRR tried to sell HWA's G-2 when he had the heart attack although both denied it. Even so GTA told me that my job wouldn't stop, even though my wife worked in FInancial Affairs and saw my termination papers signed by GTA.  GTA and SRR hated each other, but they did agree on keeping HWA away from HQ - each for their own selfish reason - GTA beause of moral problems on campus and SRR because of Financial things he didn want HWA to find out.

Anyway, I bear no ill for what people believe, but often the wrong people get blame or credit as the case may be, and the motives attributed are very often wrong.  But again, that would only be known by someone "in the room".  I have always been willing to answer question honestly as truth is always the best answer. Sorry this is a bit long.

Aaron

Stephen Allwine To Preach UCG Doctrines While In Prison

A reader here with impeccable sources made the following comment:

Steve Allwine wanted to keep his position in the church. Do you know how we know this? Because he stayed in the church during the two years he was actively attempting to kill his wife through a series of failed attempts, because he didn't just divorce her, because he kept giving sermons after he had killed her, and he has promised to preach COG doctrine in prison going forward. To say that for Steve, in his brain, that the church wasn't any kind of consideration in his plans to commit this atrocity, is completely delusional, and the prosecution was correct to call attention to that into their arguments. 

I get that church people feel hurt by the notion that their community culture could be entangled in the origins of such a terrible crime, but these things don't happen in a vacuum. Steve Allwine didn't just instantly become evil. His thoughts are actions were influenced by the various presences in his life, as it is with all of us, and the church was one of them. Adulterous dating websites were another. An unhappy marriage yet another. There's no telling what else he was up to and what else was leaking into his brain. But to try and disconnect him from the church, as UCG has desperately been trying to do, is completely missing the mark.

When I asked this person if Allwine actually said such a thing, I was referred to an article on the site for Fox9 News.

Stephen Allwine sentenced to life in prison for wife's murder

TAKING HIS BIBLE TO PRISON 

Allwine did not take the stand in his own defense during the trial.  His defense attorney said they spoke exhaustively about the decision.  Allwine’s rambling and disjointed eight-minute statement before sentencing represents his only public comments.   

“I never went to sleep, and I never woke up without kissing her,” Allwine told the court before he was sentenced.  “The grief of losing her is tremendous.” 

“No one ever talked bad about our relationship,” said Allwine.  He said they never even argued.   

Allwine said he has met drug addicts, child molestors, and kidnappers while in the Washington County Jail, and he’s been conducting Bible study.   

“I’m going to take my Bible to St. Cloud (Prison), and see what happens,” Allwine said.
The salacious nature of the case has attracted the interest of news networks like CBS’s “48 Hours,” NBC’s “Dateline,” and CNN.   

But Washington County Assistant Attorney Jamie Lynn Kreuser said prosecutors remained focused on the victim.  “At the end of the day justice was served, and I’m glad for Amy and her family.”

The defenders of UCG will lash out in anger saying he won't be teaching UCG doctrines, but really, what else does he know?  The only Bible knowledge he has was from United Church of God, a legalistic subgroup of Armstrongism.

He will teach the restless prisoners all about the Sabbath and holy days.

He won't eat pork in the prison cafeteria or participate in Christmas events, even though it was OK to poison his wife and then shoot her.

He will teach his fellow prisoners to look forward to the kingdom where they will be free at last, just as he will be.  Though he will have a planet to rule over and they won't.

Months will go by and UCG ministers will start visiting him, encouraging him to witness to the disenfranchised lost souls in the prison.  Gradually he will earn enough merits through good works to be allowed back into the fold. UCG will quietly tout its new found prison minister and soon all will be forgiven.