Not the greatest personal memory...
Since Gerald Weston seems to still be holding out for a Ministerial Conference in the midst of all the current chaos and present distress, I got to thinking back on all the one's I have been subjected to in my past life. In later years they were called "Refresher Programs" and were generally exhausting.
First of all, the real purpose of the Ministerial Conference was for Headquarters and the Administrations, be it the Armstrongs or the Tkaches was to keep a grip on the connection between themselves and all the local ministry and congregations. It is difficult to do when, in fact, a local church and pastor generally could get along just fine without them. That fact took years to dawn on most but the sense of it was always there running silently in the background especially when yearly scandals and drama flowed freely into the mailboxes and lives of minister and member.
"To be Played in All the Churches" taped sermons served the same function. I personally got used to listening them while preparing a sermon on Fridays and more often than not, not bothering as they were nothing special, save for keeping the local/headquarters connection alive. In my in at the time I felt I had more to say to a congregation I actually knew and they had no clue about.
I'll try to be brief. No, I will be.
Ministerial Conferences were hardly conferences. We conferred about nothing I recall. We listened to what we were told on all topics. Some conferences were more tension filled than others. The food was good. There was the occasional entertainment. Once we all got blood tests minor physicals. HWA said "you ministers" a few times.
The only hopeful and positive one I recall was the one where the Systematic Theology Project (STP) was presented. It was very good. Topics such as Healing, Divorce and Remarriage and Tithing were all address in a very real and practical way. Loved it and felt the church was finally growing up. Then I got home, HWA demanded all copies be returned and the Dark Ages returned. It was basically all down hill from there.
I sat through some pretty heated arguments during the receivership crisis of '79 while my 29 year old Presbyterian mind spun wondering how could a church be put into receivership? What did that mean? I almost didn't go but another minister said "C'mon, it will be interesting", so I went. It was not interesting. It fueled my doubts about this kind of church compared to my upbringing.
There was a lot of talk about demons and resisting the State as where Satan was currently working. All bullshit. HWA got caught and questioned about money and a host of other things and it got out of hand real quick. Ultimately the Gates of Hell did not prevail against the one true church making room for even more chaos, rumors, scandal and my personal "what the hell have I gotten into and what do I do, I thought I was called into a legitimate ministry..." mode.
In one session of one Refresher we were "taught" how to use 3x5 cards and a card file for sermon ideas. I left. In another, an Evangelist who obviously got stuck having to present something and did no preparation went through all the Naves Topical scripture on marriage from Genesis to Revelation. Or so they said, I left.
Then there was the visit to a session by HWA himself. Applause when he came in and "there were two trees..." I couldn't leave but I went brain dead. Applause when he left with the entourage but not for the content of his talk.
I've referred in the past to the session "Should members engage in oral sex" so I spare us. I'll just say some found it distasteful and others hilarious. It lasted about 15 minutes and we all left getting the message across to the presenter to mind their own business. Local ministers 1. Headquarters 0
I don't recall anything meaningful. Nothing on real theological questions or difficulties. HQ and HWA knew all the answers. There were really no questions, only doubts and fears to be minimized and faith to be shored up at the conference. No science. No discussions on real history or the findings of the topics I find myself having written about in the past as a reflection of past "What about this...?" that would never be addressed.
I found myself over time dropping topics from my own sermons such as tithing and healing as presented in the traditional WCG way and never a sermon on places of safety or British Israelism. I never cared personally about those topics as it seemed the NT didn't care about them either and they were riddled with danger and racism based on bad information and speculation.
Lots to muse about but to the point. Gerald Weston badly wants the conference mostly because of the connection it maintains between Charlotte and all the churches which is paramount. They don't wish it to dawn on anyone that the kind of HQ control in thoughts, words, beliefs and deeds is archaic, knowledge restrictive and a threat to the concept of "send it in." It's a pulse taking exercise of the local minister. It's also a make work situation for many at any HQ. Lots of HQ minister types at least have little to actually do or accomplish so they make work to look forward to. Some field ministers would have had little to do , like a Dave Pack, if they weren't so busy minding everyone's business and stirring up problems they then went out to "solve".
They can say the reason for a Ministerial Conference is to ensure...
1 Corinthians 1:10 10I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.
... all they want, but it is a control mechanism and an impediment to speaking the same right things. The above mentioned scripture is also an impossibility where two or three are gathered together in anyone's name.
But mostly it keeps "Send it in" in one's mind.
PS I predict Gerald will cancel out of necessity if he has already not done so.
PPS Gary I know you are laughing at me for obvious reasons... :)
PPPS And too...I am in quarantine with my sweetie who just returned quickly from Europe two weeks early the day before all hell broke loose there and here after the Moron's Address to the Nation, so I have too much time on my hands.
