LCG Parents Not Too Keen On Jonathan McNair "Educating" Their Children

Poor Jonathan McNair, the bumbling dude just cannot seem to get a break!  Snicker, snicker....  Everything he seems to touch lately falls apart.  From wrecking marriages and ripping apart families to the dumbing down and closure of Living "University".  It's not a pretty picture for Michael Germano either.  He has now presided over the closure of THREE COG colleges, Ambassador College Pasadena, Ambassador University Big Sandy and Living University Charlotte.  Though I doubt this was as much his problem than the self-serving elitists above him who thought they knew more than he did.

LCG is shutting down it's LU and rebranding its self as Living Education.   Wut?

Those remaining LU students will graduate this late spring and then the new and improved LCG's educational branch will start in the fall.  McNair was flown into HQ to plan this awe-inspiring new phase for the work.  In January he wrote:

The goal of our new “Living Education” team is to continue to assist our members and ministry by providing a roadmap of “focus points” over the course of the year. Our new format, however, will be designed to be available to all members. Stay tuned for more information about how to register and participate! 

LCG was excited that ALL church members would now have access to the greatest educational process the world has ever seen.  (Afterall, no true education can be found OUTSIDE of the CHurch fo God movement.)  This is much the same situation that happened when HWA threw his royal hissy-fit in the 1978 and shut down the Pasadena campus and reopened it as a Bible College.  True Values would be recaptured, the train set back on the track and the glorious word of God would reign supreme.  Toot that horn! The train is back on track again!

Living Education

On August 15, we plan to begin our first year of “Living Education—Charlotte.” We will accept a limited number of students for our first year, as we focus on building a Godly foundation for life! All students will attend daily classes at our Headquarters facility, in this one-year intensive training program. Class titles will be “Principles of Christian Living,” “Fundamentals of Church Doctrine” and “The Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ.” We’ll also study the “Acts and Writings of Paul,” and get an overview of the Old Testament through our “Old Testament Survey” class. This program is for young adults who believe in the Way of God and want to learn more about how to build their life on that Way. Students must live in Charlotte for this program as this is a face-to-face learning and mentoring program by our Headquarters faculty and staff. If you are up for the challenge of this intensive learning experience, listen closely for more details and information about how to apply in next week’s The World Ahead weekly update!—Jonathan McNair

It seems that the LCG graduating youth have not flocked to get a "living" education. LCG is appealing to its members to sign up for classes this fail.

Living Education

Are you a young person considering college? Have you just completed college and you’re at a crossroad in your life? Would you like to build a solid foundation for the rest of your life? If you are willing to rise to the challenge of dedicating one year to immersing yourself in a study of the most important, fundamental principles for successful living, then Living Education—Charlotte is for you. The goal for our intensive program is to teach you how to live, not just how to earn a living. The principles you learn will be timeless and the friends you make will share the same values and beliefs. Enrollment is now open at  LivingEducation  if you’d like to reserve your spot in the program. We’ll continue to provide more detailed information in the weeks to come.—Jonathan McNair

One thing you have to hand to Germano is that he knew what kind of classes the students needed to get a "fairly" balanced education, even while having to play around with LCG's doctrinal beliefs.  With Jonathan McNair at the reins now, many LCG feel that will no longer be the case.  Many have written about how much this is a waste of more tithe money and another opportunity to keep Mcnair employed.

Some things never change in the Church of God.

Living Church of God's Tithe Thug Says 'This Passover Season Examine Why You Don't Save Enough Second Tithe"

Passover, at least in the Church of God, a time of self-reflection over past sins and actions that separate members from one another. It was a time of recommitment to never do it again, but almost everyone did the next day after Passover, hard-heartedness reigned supreme when the law is used as your saviour.

Living Church of God's Rod McNair is taking Passover reflection a step further.  Examine why you don't save enough money to go to the Feast.  LCG is getting sick and tired of helping members.

Saving—and Spending—the Festival Tithe: Passover time is self-examination time. It is time to evaluate our lives. And time to adjust and correct areas where we may be falling short. We can ask ourselves, “Am I being faithful in setting aside the Festival tithe?” Over the years, some brethren have fallen into the trap of thinking that saving Festival tithe—also known as second tithe—is optional. In other words, if they cannot afford it, they don’t need to save it. But Scripture shows just the opposite. Saving the Festival tithe is a command that teaches us to have an appropriate fear of God, keeping our focus on Him providing for our needs (Deuteronomy 14:22–23). In “Self-Examination: A Vital Key to Growth,” (LCN, March/April 2009), Mr. Richard Ames explains that we can even “ask God for the ability to give,” and that tithing shows God we “trust and honor Him.” Reviewing that article might be helpful during this season.

Then Rod McNair has to treat LCG members as the idiots he thinks they are because they are too stupid to know how to spend their money at the Feast.  Even though he and the rest of the Meredith clan used the second tithe to live the high life at Feast sites.  Who can forget Lil'Jimmy Meredith bragging about water skiing, snorkelling and jet ski riding at the Feasts in Hawaii? One standard for the LCG elite and another for the lowly members.

Another question we can ask ourselves is, “Am I spending my Festival tithe correctly?” Deuteronomy 14:24–26 shows that the Festival tithe is for going to or using at the Feast. Certainly, that includes the Spring Feasts. If you know you will have enough Festival tithe for the coming Feast of Tabernacles, it is certainly appropriate to use a small portion of it during the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread season. Many brethren use a small part of their Festival tithe for the Night To Be Observed meal. On the other hand, some have, over the years, fallen into the trap of thinking that the Festival tithe can be used for household items or other things throughout the year, or as emergency funds, which have no relation to God’s Festivals. Let’s be careful not to stretch the application of the Festival tithe command beyond its intent.

Why talk about the Festival tithe in March, when the Feast of Tabernacles is over five months away? Because now is the time to examine our Festival tithe saving—and spending—habits.

Passover is only three weeks away!

Have a wonderful Sabbath,

Rod McNair

Church of God News is asking if this is Rod McNair's start of no longer assisting LCG members.

Do Rod McNair's comments, in the March 8th update, mark the end of festival assistance? If you are so poor that you are unable to save the festival (second) tithe, he instructs you to do it anyway, and “ask God for the ability to give.” 

The church has always expected members to tithe, even when they cant afford it.  It was far more important for the church to get their cut of the money than it was for the members to live lives according to what they can afford. That is why it is important to enforce the tithing doctrine, even though there is no spiritual proof that the New Covenant calls for it.  How else can the LCG elite live their lives of luxury?

Herbert W Armstrong Home For Sale In Bankruptcy Court

Here is your chance to own Herbert Armstrong's Pasadena home located at 210 South Orange Grove Blvd. The current owners are now in bankruptcy.

INITIAL OVERBID PRICE: $11,425,000
Chapter 11 Trustee: Peter Mastan
Debtor: BGM Pasadena, LLC
1. Bankruptcy sale subject to Bankruptcy Court approval
2. All offers are subject to court overbid process
3. Bankruptcy Court Case # 2:15-bk-27833-BB
4. Properties are being sold “AS-IS, WHERE-IS” without
representations or warranties
BID Deadline: May 10th, 2017 at 5:00 pm PSTCourt Overbid Auction Date: May 17th, 2017 at 2:00 pm PST before the Honorable Sheri BluebondLocation: 255 East Temple Street, Courtroom 1539 Los Angeles, CA 90012

Dorn Platz had bought the Pasadena campus to build their super high-density apartment/condo
complexes.  Pasadena residents had a fit and fought them at every turn.  Dorn Platz eventually went bankrupt and sold their holdings, except for Herbert Armstrong's home (their offices) and the 380 - 390  apartments (former AC dorms) where DP exec's had private on-site residences.

The new owners eventually got their plans through and the building spree began.  Now the last remnants are for sale.  Though this sale has a lot of baggage attached to it.

The current tenant at the property, Dorn Platz Management, Inc. has a lease in place that runs until March 31st, 2025. The lease was originally executed on March 29, 2005 for a 10 year term and extended for 10 additional years. Please note that similar ownership interests exist between the debtor, BGM Pasadena, LLC, and the tenant Dorn Platz Management, Inc. Dorn Platz holds a master lease for building with sublet tenants existing. Buyer to Verify. The lease was originally executed on March 29th, 2005 for a 10 year term and extended for an additional 10 years. Please note that similar ownership interests exist between the debtor, BGM Pasadena LLC, and the tenant Dorn Platz Management, Inc. Dorn Platz holds a master lease for the building with sublet tenants existing. These sublet tenants may also be affiliated with the debtor, BGM Pasadena, LLC. Buyer to review all leases and related documents and verify.

The spacious grounds around the house are long gone.  The garage was moved to a new location next to the reflecting pool and the lawn ripped out and made into a parking lot.  The backyard now has a three-story condo towering over it.

Just imagine what it would feel like to own this home and to be able to sit in the downstairs library or upstairs in HWA's old office and channel HWA's thoughts as you start your new church!  Or imagine sitting in the downstairs sunroom watching professional wrestling or Westerns on TV on a quiet Saturday afternoon, as HWA did while Ramona painted her toenails on the couch next to him.

Here's the opportunity for Bob Thiel to move his HQ down to Pasadena and start a real work!

The glory days for the work have a bright future for the right buyer!
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