COGWA Rakes in the Dollars

Its been a "good" year for the Church of God a Worldwide Association.  In little over a year they have $1.3 million dollars in reserves now.  Of course this is burning a hole in their pockets so that are getting an official office space at "The Office Campus at Allen."  I am sure this is a great dig at UCG when so many predicted the COGWA splinter would fail quickly.

I am happy to announce the location of our new headquarters office in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. We will be leasing an office suite consisting of 5,590 square feet of space on the first floor of the building located at 1301 Central Expressway South, Allen, Texas. Allen is a suburb of Dallas and is located just a few miles north of the city along the Central Expressway (also U.S. Highway 75). The name of the building complex is “The Office Campus at Allen,” and it is in a beautiful setting with easy access to the freeway…

While the location decision was left to the administration, I wanted to make sure everyone agreed with the final selection. Joel Meeker, Leon Walker, Larry Salyer, David Baker, Fort Worth pastor Britton Taylor and I were involved in this review. Jason Lovelady and Clyde Kilough were not present for this final review, but both had seen the properties on a previous trip. Dallas pastor Doug Horchak was out of the country but had also seen the properties at an earlier time. At the end of the day, all present agreed that the Allen property was superior to the others and offered everything we desired at an affordable price (below our budget)…

I have heard that Lil'Joel is quite excited about having some new space:

Van Robison On "The Real Purpose of Churches"

The Real Purpose of Churches

There is no "pastor" who identifies himself or herself with that label, who does not seek personal followers.  Some "pastors" are very successful at gathering a great crowd of people at their feet.  We live in the age of the mega-church and there are many of them.  Herbert W. Armstrong was among those who amassed a considerable number of human sheep.  The front put forth to the world and the public is always the same, which is to "preach the Gospel" to the world.  Without personal followers no "pastor" (unless independently wealthy), could ever build a church building, a "Christian" school, a "Christian" college or fund ministerial homes, luxuries, jet airplanes, trips around the world, glossy magazines and so forth.

Although always hotly denied the real basis for churchianity is money.  Most likely the world of churches will never disappear from life on earth.  Most all parents will forever teach their children to believe as they do in
regard to religious beliefs and so the many belief systems perpetuate endlessly.  The Mormon Church has staggering wealth, as does the Roman Catholic Church.  The Worldwide Church of God during the life time of Herbert W. Armstrong, although nothing to sneeze at in terms of their bank vault, paled into insignificance compared to the Mormon and Catholic churches and even the Jehovah Witnesses.  The Southern Baptist Conference and other groups are also vast religious empires.  In fact the combined wealth of all the churches together is nothing short of countless billions in assets and revenues.  Was God/Jesus Christ ever really just a business enterprise?  Apparently those who founded churchianity think so, as do those who perpetuate this vast money making industry.

Why do men and women aspire to wanting to be "ordained?"  In my opinion it is because of human vanity.  People love to be thought of as being "important", "special", "above others" and "gifted" more than "common" people. I have a friend I have known for many years, who was "ordained" and although he has no following or church, he refers to himself as "Reverend _____."  He has learned that by using the term "reverend", he often receives favors from other people, who deem him as "special."  It is sheer vanity and fraud on his part, and in my opinion borders on blasphemy.  My sister-in-law and my brother-in-law use to attend a very large Baptist Church in a major city and when the older "Senior Pastor", retired, they imported another preacher from clear across the country.  The new "pastor" was so vain and haughty that our in-laws, took an exit.  The man was intolerable.  Young people often run off to "Bible College" thinking they want to "serve" others, and what it really turns out to be is that they become self-serving, at the expense of the tithe payers.

Many churches now have "Youth Pastors", "Children's Pastors", "Music or Worship Pastors" and every type of "pastor" coming and going that are supposed to serve the "needs" of others.  When my two daughters were teenagers, long ago they were bossed around by the youth pastor of the church we attended, and I had a few choice words with this man, that my children were not his property and that he was not their parent.  When the "Christian" school my daughters attended, gave the students so much home work that they had to stay up until midnight or later with "homework", I knew then that we were being robbed of our own family time and so we pulled our daughters out and home schooled them.  Many churches think they are God to those who attend and to their children.

I can't really say that everything about church life is totally bad and that is because human beings are social creatures and they are able to have good times, in spite of the control and financial drain upon their pocket books.  I can remember we use to have volleyball teams at Ambassador College and as employees we had great fun playing that sport.  We attended concerts, had beach outings, campouts and did some fun things.  We had some good friends and many good times at Shakey's Pizza, which included a crowd of our people, guzzling mugs of beer.  We all learned from those experiences.  Some of us simply could not endure the authoritarian hierarchy, the "God-status" of the self-appointed "pastor-kings" or their endless rants and so took an out, never to return.

I still know people that I went to church with many years ago, who still dutifully attend church services every weekend, pay their tithes and seem to be clueless.  Some of us just don't understand how these people think.  Every pastor of every church will defend himself and his church tenaciously.  I have no doubt that many pastors are very sincere and zealous about their beliefs, but sincerity and zeal does not necessarily spell "truth."  People can be sincerely wrong.  For many church goers, those of us who use to attend and now do not, seem to have "spiritual leprosy."  Not all church goers have the same attitude, because some will be friendly and ask no questions, while others treat you as if you have a contagious disease.  I have even found that atheists are generally thinkers, where the clueless sheeplike church attenders are not.  I have read a great deal from atheists and believe there are many legitimate issues.  Some atheists are friendly and likeable and some are hostile and drive people away.  I have no problem having friendship with people who present themselves with a humble attitude, no matter what they believe. I have a friend who grew up in India, although lives in Canada and he is Caucasian and he leans toward Buddhism.  We have some things in common aside from religious beliefs.

Churches will always deny that they exist as business enterprises for the purpose of money, but men have always loved control and power over their fellow human beings, and like all human governments, churches are tools of control and free money.    Churches treat their members as if they are nursing infants and must be bottle fed for life.  Those who sit in pews are insulted as if they are mere spiritual children and must be taught what to think and what to do and what to believe, because without their human "Pastor-God", they cannot function.

Is there an optional way to live and learn without being dominated by men and women who stand in pulpits and think they have a "right" to your pocketbook?


Van Robison

Masons Fighting to Silence Apostle Malm? (Updated)

Apostle Malm is continuing his snit-fest today on the Masons.  To Malm, Masonry is a Satanic conspiracy to kill off the one true church i.e. The Churches of God.  What would Armstrongism do with out it's myriad of conspiracy theories?  It's the Masons, it's the Jesuits, it's the Zionists, it's the atheists, it's the Jews, it's the Illuminati, it's the Pope.....on and on it goes.

Rader is the big meanie that brought Masonry into the church The Apostle also says Herb was a lower degree Mason.  Why Apostle Malm lies about that I have no idea.  There is no documented proof that Herb was ever a Mason.  Other church leaders yeas, Herb no.

The Apostle then goes on to describe the characteristics of Masons and how they are certified liars.  This is what he says:

Masons are also accomplished liars, who are experts at spinning partial truth so that it becomes the opposite of the whole truth. This spin has been used for six thousand years to twist the word of God and to justify themselves.  Watch out for the type of statement [which I have heard from Bob Thiel so often]  that: “I said that but I meant this, it is YOU who have misunderstood me”; as they refuse to accept responsibility for their words.

 The Apostle has perfectly described the Churches of God and all its leaders.  Armstrongism is filled with accomplished liars.  Look at Flurry, Pack, Cox, Rittenbaugh, Coulter, GTA, HWA, etc.  The Church has always had spin doctors at its ready.  The Legal Department staff were the biggest spin doctors of the church.  Many times blatantly lying to the members. The Public Relations offices also were excellent spin doctors and still are to this day.  Years ago I had the Department Head for Accounting tell me that they could take any figures and make them say what they wanted.  Church accounting departments in all the COGs have lied to members,

As for  Prophet Bob, he just gets no relief  :-)

These folks are experts at dissimulation, distraction, blaming the questioner for lack of understanding and splitting off a particle from the truth and then twisting it to mean something different.  They are experts at using human reasoning to get around any zeal for God and his commandments.

One great example of this is Leona McNair and how the Church went into damage control mode and blamed her for what was happening.  Never mind the fact that Rod Meredith stood up in front of over 700 ministers in Tuscon and publicly defamed her.  Never mind the fact that McNair was no bastion of saintly virtue.  the Church and Meredith worked overtime to discredit her.  If only she had been a submissive wife and kissed Raymond's feet every night none of this would have ever happened. If it had not been for the Ambassador Report and local church members and community members fighting on her behalf she would have never prevailed.

Many a person has worked himself to the bone with total loyalty to his employer and never made it into the big time, while being passed by, by others who seem to have everything go their way.  Did you ever wonder why?  It is because you are not in the club.  To be a success in this world one needs to know the right people who can help you and set you on your way.

This method of reasoning has always been a cop out in Armstrongism.  Members could never advance up in companies because they did not play the party game, did not work on Saturdays, and a myriad of other accusations.  When Apostle Malm says stupid things like this he spits in the faces of church members that have run successful businesses, advanced up in the State Department, been City and Government leaders, ethical attorneys, etc.  All without ever being Masons.  Armstrongism is always about blaming "the other."

The auditorium was itself carefully constructed so that the worshippers would always face the East and an upper room was built in which to hold lodge meetings.

The next time the Apostle reads this blog and copies it over to his he had better get the facts straight!  At no point did I EVER say that an upper room was used for Masonic meetings.  No Masonic meets were EVER held in the Auditorium!  That is a plain, simple FACT!  Sheesh, I am starting to type like Herb!

Since Apostle Malm has set himself  up as a truth teller, a prophet and Apostle he should really guard his words more carefully.  Apostles have no record of lying.  James Malm has.  That alone damns him as a false teacher.

Update:  The Apostle says he is working on a list of Church of God ministry who are Masons and will publish it this fall.  This is all too fun!

Today’s post will be on this subject due to the tremendous response I have received. It will be very heavy on exposing what Masonry is all about and how it gained control of HWA and the COG. By the end of the year [I Hope] the names and proofs will enable this thing to be broken wide open. I know the evil in high places that I am fighting. James

Where's Dale Schurter?

Since this blog exposed the many different beliefs held by Dale Schurter that were opposite of Dave Pack's, he has been conspicuously absent from the scene.  Is Dale going through reeducation at the campus of the world's largest Church of God?  Is Dale getting his eye's anointed AGAIN so that he can come back on the scene as a proper Packite who toes the party line?

Perhaps Prophet Thiel could join us below.
Oh wait, it's an evil, satanic football game.

Can you help us find Dale?

COG's Filled With "Wishy-washy Mental Goo and Slobber"

Reading COG related blogs are always fun.  Get a load of this back slapping for Apostle Malm:

To all who sneer and think that James Malm is a nut-case, I would like you to consider that James has stated with specificity as to who will do what and around when those things he believes scripture shows are going to take place will do so.

Now go and look at the rest of the entire corporate COG phalanx of prophecy teachings. ylou will find a big bunch of equivocating and wishy-washy mental goo and slobber, filled with all kinds of caveats and escape hatches enabling those who say them to say later either, “I never exactly said that” or “only God knows for sure and all we can do is wait till it happens in order to understand”.

By this time next year, James will either be proven correct or will be noted as one more sincere and well-intentioned zealot who got it wrong. If such an outcome takes place, I fully expect James (based on his willingness to do so in the past) to admit when and where he got things wrong and sincerely, appologize
to those he (unintentionally) misled and be the wiser for any mistake(s) he made.

Notice how they are already giving the Apostle a way out.  "Oh, he was sincere, but wrong, don't fault him for that."  ""His predictions were ahead of the times."  "Don't judge him because he was really sincere."

It is idiotic comments like this that allow other false prophets to get a toehold in Armstrongism.  That is what allowed McNair, Waterhouse, Blackwell, Pack, Flurry, Hulme, Meredith and others to get by when their predictions all failed. So far we have over 650 of them and still counting.