A Timely Repost: Church Member Bill of Rights

                                                              By Dennis Diehl

The following are basic human, religious and spiritual rights any person has as a member of any and all religious organizations or church congregations.

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You have the right to expect the church to keep your personal contributions private and should be able to expect that any who deal with such things for accounting purposes will do the same.

You have the right to expect that your membership in any church or congregation is not contingent on how much you give or do not give. You should also expect that jobs, positions, opportunities or offices are not given based on the amount anyone gives to the church.

You have the right to say I can only give this even if it is not a tithe of your income gross or net.

You have the right not to be spiritually judged or have your loyalty or sincerity questioned based on what you are able or unable to give financially to the church.

You have the right to ask a Pastor if he checks tithes and offerings for any of the above reasons before giving to a church.

You have the right to say “I’m tired and won’t be there, ” to any and all activities, plays, fundraisers, studies, seminars, prayer groups, rehearsals, practices and sermons.

You have the right to say “I don’t care about that.”

You have the right to question the advice, counsel or sermon of any minister, elder, deacon or any other person in authority.

You have the right to question authority and to still expect to be allowed to attend your church.

You have the right to question a minister who declares himself one or both of the Two Witnesses of Revelation, a Prophet, the Supreme Watcher of Mankind for God, The Only True Apostle in this Age and any other title or position he can come up with to impress you as to why you need to support him.

You have the right to suggest a pastor get spiritual or psychological help should the need arise.

You have the right tell him that the congregation is noticing a trend here.

You have the right to ask why the church believes what it does when the Bible might say otherwise, or why the Bible says something that the church practices that seems scary, weird, inappropriate for this time, out of date or controlling.

You have the right to notice that ministers often quote scriptures out of context or fail to enforce or address the rest of the story that does not agree with the point they are trying to make.

You have the right to ask all the “how can that be,” “how could that happen,” “why does it say this here and that there,” questions you can come up and expect an intelligent answer. If you are told that you are using human reasoning, ask the pastor what kind of reasoning he uses. If he says “God’s,” find another church.

You have the right to not want elders, deacons or your friends accompanying the minister on visits to your home to talk to you.

You have the right to discuss or not discuss your life with the minister as you see fit.

You have the right to expect absolute confidentiality and for your story not to show up in the sermon next week, even though “I won’t say the name.”

You have a right to be called ahead of time when the pastor wants to ask about stopping over.

You have the right, when he calls to say, “I’m tired,” “I’m busy,” “No, but I appreciate the call,” without repercussions.

You have the right to keep a dirty home, grass not mowed perfectly, an older car, red in color and kids that don’t say “yes sir, nice to see you sir,” in just the right way.

You have the right to watch and read what you wish even if the pastor just got done bashing that particular program, movie or book from the pulpit in his sermon on “Demons in Your Home–Six Ways to Assure Your Eternal Death.”

You have the right to ask the pastor not to call on you at work, even if you own the business.

You have the right to say, “I can’t afford to take you to lunch.” “I can’t afford to give you free wood or brick.” “I can’t afford to fix your house up free,” “I can’t fix all your teeth,” to your pastor should he expect professional courtesies, even if he offers to do your funeral free.

You have a right to expect free use of your church for weddings and funerals.

You have the right to expect these usages are not dependent on you, your parents or children living a sinless life six months prior to the date of the event.

You have the right not to answer questions your pastor may ask you or your children about your sexual practices. If he insists, then insist that you all share together. Y

You have the right to not let the pastor inform you as to who you can and cannot date or marry.

You have the right to enjoy your sexuality free of church or pastoral approval. Something that is wrong for the pastor is not necessarily wrong for you in how you express yourself to your partner. There is no Bible prohibition against….well you know. And if there were, you’d have the right to disagree with that too.

You have the right to not share which or if you are taking medications of any sort with the pastor.

You have the right to take such medication and not be judged as having a lack of faith or trust in God to heal you.

You have the right to seek professional help without informing your Pastor of the nature of the help and you have the right to not be helped solely by the pastor under threat of repercussions.

You have the right to insist the pastor get professional help should the need arise and the man is causing more harm than good.

You have the right to remind him that God does not directly speak to him nor express His will only through the mind of the pastor and that makes you uncomfortable if he thinks that is so.

You have the right to be wrong about a many things. You have the right to believe you are correct about many things without repercussions.

You have the right not to care about everything that others think you must care about to be a good Christian. You have the right to tell the pastor he is wrong, mistaken or exaggerating. You have the right to dress as you wish, wear the jewelry you wish and make up you wish or not wish without being labeled a whore or a goody goody.

You have the right to feel that dressing as if it was still 1957 and only watching Disney Movies or How the West Was Won as proof of your pureness is baloney.

You have the right to not be told that the best times for entertainment, movies and TV was when the Pastor was a boy.

You have the right to like the food he does not like and to not like the foods he does. You have the right to like the schools he doesn’t and not like the ones he does.

You have the right not to bear your soul to the ministers wife.

You have the right to like or not like, agree or not agree with the ministers wife.

You have the right to not view the world through the pastor’s eyes morally or politically.

You have the right to hate the war while he believes the war in Israel, Gaza or Iraq is God’s will and thinks it’s all in the Bible.

You have the right to expect him to speak clearly where he thinks the Bible speaks for us today and to walk slowly and drink cool water where it doesn't.

You have the right to tell the pastor that that is his opinion and not necessarily the only true opinion on earth.

You have the right for you, your children, your partner and your friends to be themselves. These are but a few of the rights any member of any Church, congregation or religious organization has. In short, you have the right to not be required to check your brains, your insights, your perspectives and your free will at the door to be welcome and a member of any church.

Craig White addresses the lack of resources in the COG in resolving internal disputes.

 

Craig White sent out an email today addressing the lack of resources for COG members to resolve internal disputes, air grievances, and have their voice heard in certain matters.

He says:

Greetings,

 

This Bible study explores the authentic interpretation of 1 Corinthians 6:1-11, emphasising Paul's rebuke of Corinthian believers for resolving internal disputes in secular courts. Drawing on historical context, the author argues that early Christian communities, modelled after first century synagogue structure, incorporated impartial judicial systems (bet din) for civil matters which is essential for righteous Biblical governance. The study critiques modern abuses in Churches—such as bias, slander, and perjury—highlighting the absence of neutral panels and courts, which forces members to secular recourse despite Paul's ideal of internal arbitration by "wise" saints destined to judge the world and angels.

 

Commentaries from scholars are surveyed, affirming the passage's focus on civil (not criminal) disputes. Basic principles advocate Matthew 18 conflict resolution, forgiveness, and Godly mediation, but permit legal action for serious abuses like defamation, victimisation or harassment when church mechanisms fail or are corrupted by bias and slander. A proposed tiered court system—local, regional, and top-level—with neutral, diverse juries, training, appeals, and anti-perjury safeguards is outlined to ensure justice, impartiality, and adherence to Biblical mandates. Ultimately, the study calls for restorative processes to prevent flock scattering, affirming secular courts' legitimacy (per Romans 13).

 

Nobody wants to go this far, but there are times people being harassed and intimidated have to pursue their God-given rights when the internal system of the group breaks down and there is bias, prejudice and beliefs that ministers have always have to win, no matter the consequences such as the scattering of the flock.

 

In the Bible study What is Justice? it was demonstrated that impartial courts are found throughout the Bible, but this principle has been sadly lacking in the Churches of God.

 

In this follow-up Bible study, we explore the necessity of having courts in fulfillment of the Scripture under discussion (I Corinthians 6:1-11).

 

Feedback direct to me is appreciated.

 

Regards to all,

Craig

The pdf article is here:  The Real Meaning of I Corinthians 6:1-11

What is your opinion on this?

Dave Pack Insults His Few Remaining Ministers

During "The Greatest Untold Story! (Part 593)" Given On September 5, 2025, David C. Pack of The Restored Church of God explains why he can't delegate some of his messages to his ministers. His "compliment" to his ministers very quickly turns into a brutal insult. He states his ministers don't contribute anything and can't because they are not chosen by God and therefore can't see what he sees in the Bible. He claims to be Elijah and states that only he can restore all things. What is the point of baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit as they teach if you can't read the Bible and see or understand Prophecy yourself?

exRestoredCOG

 

Crackpot Prophet Receives New Validation That He Is A Prophet!

 

Behold! God's absolutely most pivotal prophet to ever grace a Church of God in the entire, mind-blowing history of the church has just scored some shiny new "validation" that he truly, undeniably IS a prophet—and apparently, we're all supposed to bow down and acknowledge this earth-shattering fact. Because, you know, never since those ancient prophets of old strutted around has the church so desperately needed a visionary like Bob... even though he's never uttered a single prophetic word since his adorable little rebellion-fueled startup crashed into COG culture like a divine tantrum.

To prop up his overwhelming awesomeness, he's had to lean on the dreams and visions of a handful of his starry-eyed followers for "validation." These oh-so-convincing endorsements trickled in from both men and women, courtesy of God Himself dropping by in visions just to make poor Bob feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

And the latest gem of validation? It hails from one of his fresh converts in Brazil, whom he graciously baptized last summer. While Bwana Bob's African flock humbly begs for mere pocket change, this bold newcomer kicks things off by asking for money AND a car. How refreshingly modest!

Good afternoon, Pastor Bob. Here’s a report from the Feast of Tabernacles in southern Brazil. There were 47 brothers and sisters gathered. We listened to all the messages you preached. We found a translator here. It was very edifying. We opened three more study groups in three cities. I urgently need a car to assist the new brothers. This week, three more Protestant pastors joined the Continuing Church of God: Jhonatha and his wife, Gustavo, Dvi and his wife and children, Jairo and his family. Pastor Bob: We are amazed by the sermons you preached…

Bwana Bob's "message" is just so overwhelmingly powerful that a whopping THREE Protestant pastors instantly glimpsed the divine light of God the very second they heard his majestic voice boom—and poof! They ditched everything to convert to the hilariously misnamed "continuing" Church of God. This totally doesn't sound exactly like those Mormon tall tales where Protestant pastors supposedly flipped after hearing Joseph Smith's wild claims. Not at all suspicious!

Sadly—oh, so tragically—this also "proves" that these so-called ministers had zero real Biblical grounding in the scriptures, since they'd so pathetically easily switch sides to follow a phony teacher straight out of America!
Bwana Bob's acolyte continues:

Pastor Bob: I want to dedicate my life to serving the Continuing Church of God in Brazil… 

I am at your disposal. PROPHET BOB: GOD SHOWED ME THAT YOU ARE AN ANOINTED ONE OF THESE LAST DAYS OF THE CHURCH OF GOD ON EARTH. TODAY, TWO MORE PASTORS HAVE ALREADY JOINED THE CONTINUING CHURCH OF GOD WITH 30 PEOPLE EACH. PASTOR DAVI DE JESUS ALTAMIRA PARÁ, PASTOR ANTONIO IN TUCURUÍ The Living Church of God always sends me messages to work with them, but I always talk to Pastor Bob, and it’s over…

And get this: this guy still gets stuff from the Living Church of God, which apparently he uses, but the moment those hapless pastors caught wind of Bwana Bob's utterly "amazing" voice, they converted on the spot! Because as soon as anyone hears the spellbinding voice of Bwana Bob, IT IS OVER—game, set, match, no questions asked!

Oh, and send me some money, too!

Pastor Bob, the prophetic mantle of the last days is upon you. Don’t be discouraged. We here in Brazil are with you… Pastor Bob, one more thing. We filed the application for church registration here in Brazil. It was approved, but with Donald Trump’s high prices, they’re asking for an additional R$4,500 to release the CNPJ (National Registry of Legal Entities) and the Statute of the Continuing Church of God in Brazil. Help us because the Brazilian government won’t allow American churches to operate without registration here. Prophet Bob, today I also started studying English to better serve the Continuing Church of God in Brazil and translate some books into Portuguese. We are also waiting for you HERE IN SOUTHERN PARÁ, BRAZIL.

 

The Sea Peoples and British-Israelism: The Presence of Europeans in Bronze Age Palestine

 

A Temple Relief Depicting the Egyptians at War with the Sea Peoples under Ramesses III

The Sea Peoples and British-Israelism

The Presence of Europeans in Bronze Age Palestine

By Scout

"At this time the island of Britain was called Albion.  It was uninhabited except for a few giants.”

– Geoffrey Monmouth, The History of the Kings of Britain

 

I saw a giant at the grocery store few weeks ago.  He wasn’t just tall and fragile-looking like some giants with endocrine problems.  He was tall and also robust.  I would say he was about 6’8”.  He was broad-shouldered and looked athletic. My guess is that he weighed one hundred pounds more than me.  I’m a little over six foot and weigh about 190. But I felt quite small. Seeing someone so large did not disrupt my shopping although his size gave me momentary pause.  When I see big people, I just wonder where they get their clothes.  I worked with a huge Irish guy one time.  He wore a size 17 shoe.  Where does one even find something like that?  That brings me to Goliath the Philistine.  

Archaeogenetics has established that there were people in Palestine during the late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age with the same population genetics as Europeans.  But they were not of the tribe of Ephraim.  Nor were they of the tribe of Manasseh.  They came from a non-Israelite population and their history should be interesting to anyone who is seriously considering the idea of British-Israelism.  Goliath is a part of that consideration. 

The Sea Peoples and the Philistines

The Sea Peoples were a diverse coalition of people who originated in Southern Europe and West Asia.  They fought against and plundered various cities in the eastern Mediterranean.  Ramesses III of Egypt repelled a massive invasion of these people during his reign. Ramesses III defeated these seafaring invaders and transplanted some of them to southern Canaan. The Egyptians recorded that among this diverse group of invaders were the Peleset or the Philistines.  Other historical evidence indicates that the Philistines came out of the Greek sphere and originated around the Aegean Sea and settled around 1175 BC in Canaan.

The Table of the Clans of Noah in Genesis 10 indicates that the Philistines were Hamitic descendants of Mizraim, another name for the Egyptians.   It is entirely plausible that the Sea Peoples, a motley group, could have included these descendants of Adam living in Greece and came to have their name.  The precise relationship between the Genesis 10 Philistines, the Sea Peoples and the Europeans is a little vague working from historical references alone.  Genetics does much to clarify this.

The Archaeogenetics of the Philistines in Brief

Archaeogeneticist Michal Feldman, in conjunction with the Max Planck Institute, analyzed the genetics of 10 individuals who were excavated in the Philistine city of Ashkelon.  The burials date from the Early Iron Age, the 12^th Century BCE, a little earlier than the time of David who lived in the 11^th Century BCE.  She found four infants whose genetics indicated a Southern European ancestry.  A Southern European origin for the Philistines is supported by language studies and pottery types.  The Philistines are associated with the Aegean and in particular the island of Crete.  Crete is thought to be the Caphtor which is mentioned in the tribal name Caphtorim in Genesis 10.  Further research indicates that over time these early Europeans were absorbed into the Levantine population.

One of the excavated infants, labelled ASH067, was haplogroup R.  This connects these people to the Pontic Steppe Pastoralists who occupied most of Europe.  The haplogroup could not be fully sequenced, though markers were identified, so we do not know if it is haplogroup R1b or R1a, respectively corresponding to western Europe and eastern Europe. It is likely that it is R1b because that population existed in the Aegean region.  This drives the conclusion, then, that there were Europeans among the mixed population of the Philistines in ancient Palestine. I think that Goliath was one of them.  

Goliath the European Giant – Maybe

Goliath was a big guy.  But he was not so big that David could not comfortably use his sword (1 Samuel 21:9).  My conjecture is that he was a big European – maybe standing at 6’ 8”.   The Jews in the time of Christ were on average around 5’ 1” and weighed about 110 pounds.  My guess is that the earlier Israelites in the time of David were about that same size.  Europeans are a larger people and a big western European would seem like a terrifying giant on the battlefield to the Israelites back then.  It’s the case of a guy wearing a size 7 shoe meeting in bellicosity a guy wearing a size 17 shoe in low tech, sword against sword circumstances. 

There are, of course, other theories.  Malcolm Gladwell made a persuasive argument that Goliath suffered from acromegaly.  And there is a possible Biblical connection between Goliath and the sons of Anak who were supposed to be giants.  I think the Anakim were big people at one time but I also think that the expression “sons of Anak,” referring to large people, entered the Hebrew language as a figure of speech later.  There is also a possibility that he was descended from the Rephaim, another Biblical race of giants. The Talmud asserts that Goliath was descended from a sister of Ruth named Orpah.  Further, Ruth and Orpah were both daughters of Moabite King Eglon. And Orpah may have been the mother of other Philistine giants who lived in the city of Gath.  The connection between Ruth and Orpah would make David and Goliath distant cousins.  Theories abound.  One thing that is not theory is the genetic evidence that there were Europeans at one time among the Philistines.

A Challenge to Armstrongists with Money for Archaeology

R1b-M269 is the haplogroup of the British and other Northwest Europeans. This subclade of haplogroup R originated about 13,000 YA in Eastern Europe.  If the R1 haplogroup associated with ASH067 in Ashkelon is actually R1b-M269 then it is the earliest occurrence of this haplogroup in ancient Palestine.  It places people of European descent in the camp of the enemies of Israel (Might this not have some prophetic significance?).  But further, it is a singular occurrence and does not reflect a high-density population in ancient Palestine of R1b-M269.  Yet, if G.G. Rupert and HWA are right, British-Israelism would predict that the excavated burials of ancient Palestine should contain R1b-M269 at high density. 

Instead of funding the excavation of the City of David or other similar projects, would it not be more valuable to fund excavation that might establish that this high-density population of R1b-M269 at one time existed in ancient Palestine in the area of the thirteen tribes? Imagine the headlines.  “Ancient Israel is the Home of the Western European People Based on New DNA Findings.”  Think of what a boost that would be to the End-time Work. HWA’s key to prophecy would be underpinned by the best archaeology and technology available to us.  If one is confident about British-Israelism, this challenge could be easily and elegantly met and would be well worth the effort.

The Outcome 

Up to this point, the presence of Europeans in late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age Palestine as indicated by archaeogenetics is problematical for British-Israelism.  The finds at Ashkelon indicate that the early Europeans were not Israelites but were among the Philistine enemies of Israel during the time of the Judges and David.  It is true the sample size in small, but I expect more and more data will surface.  Perhaps, Goliath himself was a big Western European.  That Goliath was related to the British and other western Europeans is a much more plausible hypothesis, based on credible scientific evidence, than the idea that the British are descended from Israel. 

Reference

This link contains links to other articles: New DNA Study Suggests Philistines Came from Crete

 

Deni Azeredo Interview: Exposing the Upper Echelons of the WCG:

 

Join us for a revealing interview with Deni Azeredo, a Brazilian American who now resides in Brazil. Deni's unique perspective as someone who grew up in the Worldwide Church of God offers an inside look at the intricate and often perilous dynamics of this high-control group. 

Deni's father worked at the church headquarters in Pasadena as a groundskeeper and Portuguese translator, placing their family in close proximity to the church's leadership. Deni attended the prestigious Imperial Schools and was one of the 'Little Ambassadors,' performing with children from around the globe to bolster the church’s image. 

In this episode, Deni shares his firsthand experiences navigating the upper echelons of the cult, detailing the backbiting and dangerous political games among the leaders. He provides an intimate look at the controlling world of Herbert W. Armstrong, shedding light on the complex power dynamics and the constant maneuvering for favor and position within the church's hierarchy. 

Beyond his childhood and adolescent years, Deni also recounts his time in the military, including his service in Iraq, offering a comprehensive view of his journey from a child within a powerful cult to a seasoned veteran. 

Don't miss this in-depth exploration of life inside the Worldwide Church of God and the personal journey of someone who lived through its inner workings. Like, comment, and subscribe for more eye-opening interviews and discussions.

Why do so many in the COG need an angry Christ to return?

For decades, far too many in the COG movement have verbally voiced their opinion that they need an angry image of Jesus returning with a rod of iron in his balled-up fist, ready to smash the world to smithereens. 

Many a sermon has been heard by countless ministers expressing their desire to see this happen. They have gone too long doing what was right in God's eyes and still suffering as they watch those around them receiving all kinds of good things. It's not right, and their god is ready to wreak havoc. They need the world to be spanked with a rod of iron. Rod Meredith was particularly fond of this, and thus today, Bwana Bob Thiel, his apostate protege, also needs his god to be angry.

I saved the following quote from some COG site a while back that expresses this same desire today. They were ticked off at an article in Beyond Today, a cheap version of Tomorrow's World. How dare Jesus return and deal gracefully with those in the world! How dare he!

Not sure I agree with their statement that the Government of God won't be controlling....Christ is going to rule with a rod of iron, any who rebel will suffer no rain. Sounds pretty controlling to me....as it should be. I'm afraid many in God's Church have forgotten a lot of doctrine.

They were offended at this article:

The Sept-Oct 'Beyond Today' contains some excellent items. https://www.ucg.org/learn/beyond-today-magazine/beyond-today-magazine-september-october-2025

Eg point 3 on page 11 "It will be a government that leads the people without being controlling or abusive"; point 7 on page 13 "Perfect justice will be administered"; "Civil Disagreement" on page 29.