UCG Still Struggles To Make Its Self Relevant

The minutes are out of the latest Council of Elder's Report.  Here are some of the highlights.

Chairman Ward welcomed everyone. He commented on the smooth transition from the previous chairman, Robin Webber, to himself as chairman. Mr. Webber has cooperated in every extent of the word and so has Gerald Seelig, the secretary. Transitions can have rough edges, but he thanked them both for helping make it go smoothly.

God forbid if they ever actually elected a newbie to the elite circle of men who keep rotating though this position. It's the good old boys club that never lets in the newbies.

Then they announce how mind-boggling spectacular the Ambassador Bible Center is.  This is almost as superfantabulous of Dave Pack's group!  This is UCG's pathetic attempt at imitating Ambassador College.  The ABC "college" only has 23 students!  Yes, you read that right...23.   Millions of dollars are being dumped into this failure, but no worries, gullible members will continue to support it with their hard earned tithe money.

Ambassador Bible College (ABC) will have 23 students begin classes next week. They are still waiting to hear about the student visa program for approval. New faculty members will include Scott Ashley, Randy Urwiller and Gary Petty.

23....sigh.

Every Church of God needs a piece of fine art in its lobby.  After all, Herbert did it, so why can't they?

The home office has seen improvement with new carpeting and painting and lighting in the entry way, hallways and conference room. There is also some new furniture. Much work went into it with a lot of work by Tim Sipes. Other improvements upstairs were done as well. There will be a glass sculpture designed with the Church’s Mission Statement for the entryway, to be completed soon. Mr. Kubik was thankful for the faithful service of all the home office employees, and he commented on the family atmosphere that is there.

Let us guess...a lion and lamb?  A crystal mosquito net in honor of Vic Kubik? A UCG minister on his knees washing the feet of a member?  Well we all know THAT will not be the subject of the sculpture! A crystal Mystery of the Ages or the US and BC in prophecy?

Next up, make sure you order your very own static cling window decal so you can advertise Beyond Today as you drive around town.  People will be sooooooooo intrigued that they will stop you and ask you questions.  Brethren, it is an evangelistic tool!  Every UCG member must show their loyal support of the rather pathetic TV show and print rag.

Beyond Today window clings: We still have a supply of Beyond Today car window static clings for ministry and members to apply to their car rear windows. They are available to be shipped to any pastor who requests them for his congregation. They are also going to be provided at all U.S. Feast sites at the literature and information table.

Check out this article about how sneaky and deceitful the Beyond Today program and magazine are:  
Beyond Today Magazine, United Church of God and Herbert Armstrong.

Next we come to a rather interesting admission:  UCG members just are not sending in as much money as they used to.  UCG is just as good at spinning numbers as their mother church was.

Fiscal year-end: The Church’s fiscal year ended June 30. For the year, Church income exceeded budget by $250,000; but it fell short of fiscal 2015 income. It was also noted that year-end cash balances and total assets for the Church were higher than they were in the previous year, for the fourth consecutive year.

UCG is buying more church buildings in the hope of making themselves part of the "community."   I hope they do due-diligence in checking out the contributors who will give them a lot of money.  UCG does not need a repeat of the Bluefield Church building that was built and paid for by a woman who embezzled money from the bank she was a manager at.  UCG had to surrender title to the building because the government was auctioning it off in order to recoup some of the outlandish sum that was embezzled.

Assets: The Church completed the purchase of the Portsmouth, Ohio, church building on Aug. 12. The Church also took ownership of a donated parcel of land for the church building in London, Kentucky. A complete listing of all the buildings and land owned by the Church was distributed.

7.4 billion people exist in the world. Millions have been spent on advertising on TV, Cable networks, Apple TV, Roku and other streaming devices and they added 95 new members.  95!

95 baptisms so far in 2016, which is 38 more than at the May meetings

UCG has been stagnating for quit a while.  All of their media campaigns have failed.  Hundreds of thousands of dollars spent to being in one potential new recruit.  There used to be twice that number at certain WCG Feast sites!

Average U.S. Sabbath attendance for June 2016 was 7,459. Attendance remains steady with no upward or downward trends.

Only Jelly can rescue the church, apparently. 

Did You Get Your Wedding Invitation From Church of God In Truth Yet?

One of the many splinter cults to break off of Armstrongism was the Church of God in Truth run by James Russell.  Russell, like all other other splinter cult leaders believes he has the only truth out there and that all other Churches of God are of the Synagogue of Satan.  Poor Elijah Bob Thiel and Pharisee James Malm!  I bet this burns their righteous lazy behinds to know that they are wrong!

James is so adamant that he knows how things should be that he claims that all the COG's are keeping the Feast of Trumpets on the wrong day.  It was actually last night, August 31. Most Church of God's accept October 3 as Trumpets.  Unless you are Pharisee Malm and you may either be October 2 or 4th. 

Russell is also big into the "postponements" malarky.  Those silly Jews set their own calendar and it is wrong!  Only Church of God leaders know the correct calendar!

Russell is also so sure of his message that he has been sending out wedding invitations for the marriage supper with the lamb.

The Church of God, In Truth, has been sending out God’s wedding invitations for the last twenty three years beginning with the first PROVE ALL THINGS NEWS LETTER, dated December 1993. The way things are shaping up this year, it might be the last opportunity to accept God's dated invitation to His wedding . Are you ready? Are you going to be calibrating the wedding on the right date? Or are you going to be like the 5 foolish virgin having to go and buy God's truth [Pro 23:23] after the Bridegroom has come. Many are called, but too many are sitting on a fence waiting for someone else to make a decision for them before jumping to the right side, away from the wrong side! We are told, "Be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Rom.12:2). "For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?" (I Peter 4:17)

Douglas has this about the COGiT over on the Painful Truth site.

The Church of God in Truth with James Russell? He said himself that “we haven’t learned anything new in 40 years”. He does claim that because the other Churches of God don’t keep the Feast Days at the right time, they will be those described in Revelation 3:9, “Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.” Yes, friends, all the other Armstrongists are the synagogue of Satan saying they are Jews but are not, will suffer in the Millennium while CoGIT members will be God as God is God, lording it over everybody else. With this ‘holier than thou’ attitude, there is no chance that there’s going to be much change: Expect stagnation. If there is an afterlife, someone is in for a BIG surprise! You should all get their flagship magazine, Prove All Things. It’s worth it for the misprints in every issue. For example, a favorite is “Herbert Armstrong Pasture General”. Replete with manure? Watch where you step? They have something every issue. It’s hilarious! They should Proof Read All Things.

Hear No Evil, See No Evil: Why does the ministry turn their back on abuse in the church?

There was a comment made on the blog of the Chief Pharisee today that asks why no one dares challenge the leadership of the Churches of God.   The question that really needs to be asked is why do the leaders in various Churches of God keep silent as they watch Gerald Flurry, Dave Pack, Rod Meredith and others abuse their members.  Why do none of them speak out?

Flurry, Pack, Thiel, Malm, Meredith and many others are NOT their brothers.  These men are not brothers in the faith. They sit there and do nothing as one horrendous abuse after another is dished out upon COG people.   How many more need to die from suicide, die from lack of medical care, have their families ripped apart and marriages destroyed?  How many more need to die in a needless shooting?

Is it because they know deep down that they are just as corrupt but in different ways?

I mentioned to an elder here a few years ago that it is high time for the priests of Baal to be cut to pieces. That didn’t go over too well. I meant of course for them to be cut to pieces verbally. No one who wants to do an Elijah type work should leave this part out! I think that most don’t want to seem offensive to the purveyors of gross error that are partially responsible for the mayhem in the world. Since the proverbial pen is mightier than the sword this can be achieved except for the fact that now we have a lot of subjects that are deemed ‘Hate Speech’.

The Most Disrespectful Church of God Dares to Teach About "Respect"

Leave it to an aberrant splinter cult of the Church of God that is ensconced on its compound in the middle of Oklahoma to lecture its members and children on how to be "respectful."  Mind you, this comes from a cult that has disrespected its members so horribly that many have committed suicide.  This is the same cult that told a family to abandon their child at the mall so the state could take care of it.   This is the same cult that keeps employed in its ministry one of the most vile men the PCG has ever had in its midst, Cal Culpepper. A man who has destroyed countless lives and marriages.

Russell Williams writes:

While the world becomes worse and worse, we need to become better and better in our interpersonal relationships both with God and man. “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21). That is a command from God to all of us. Recapturing the true value of respect is our responsibility as we prepare to teach it in the soon-coming Kingdom of God.

Interpersonal relationships are not a priority for PCG members, at least when it comes to threats of "government" looming over peoples lives day in and out.  Parents are expected to turn their backs on on their children,  and adult children are expected to turn their backs on the parents, if any of them dare question the Holy Father and Son, Gerald and Steven Flurry.  Members must never show any disrespect towards any minister or upper echelon leader.  If so then God may rightfully strike them down. Bears are the just reward from disrespectful kids.

Disrespect toward God and His servants carries a heavy penalty. In 2 Kings 2 we read the account of a gang of youths who mocked God’s servant, Elisha. They disrespectfully called him “baldy” and mocked that he should “go up” (as in a whirlwind as Elijah had just experienced). They were actually disrespecting God, not just Elisha. Elisha cursed them in God’s name, and two hostile, fleet-footed, female bears came out of a nearby forest and savaged these delinquent hoodlums. They were torn in pieces by razor-sharp claws —a terrible consequence!

PCG is filled with parents that beat their kids and punish them mercilessly. Yet, PCG claims actions of the parents are to be the standards and examples for their kids.  When husbands kick their wives out of the house because a minister told them to, or wives walk out on their husbands because the husband dared to question the Dear Leader or God forbid, Cal Culpepper.  Its no wonder that the young people leave the PCG in droves.

Parents must first demonstrate respect for God and also show respect toward each other. Children will learn more by the example set by their parents than any other way. To parents God says in Ephesians 6:4, “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath [frustration or resentment]: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Show them respect and require the same from them, especially when they are corrected. When an adult asks your children a question, let them answer. Don’t step in and do it for them as if they cannot answer properly or may embarrass you. 

The PCG has been working overtime since they bought the Edstone cult compound in England to promote to the PCG members that they are "royalty."  The British Royal Family is brought up every chance they can as the standard they need to look up to.  This follows  right along with Flurry imitating HWA in everything.   HWA had portraits of Queen Elizabeth in several places on the Pasadena campus, particularly on the main floor in Ambassador Hall (Merritt House.)

Address another person by name or title, otherwise “Sir” or “Ma’am,” “Mr.” or “Mrs.”­—never “Mate,” “Love” or “Hey there.” Do not be presumptuous or take liberties in calling seniors by their first name unless you are invited to, and even then, use caution. Ministers and wives within the Church should be addressed as “Mr.” and “Mrs.”

What child or adult in the U.S. goes around calling people, "mate,' "love,' or "Hey there?"   Even disrespectful kids never say that.  There are no ministers in the PCG employ that deserve to be called "Mr."!  That title is one of respect, and their is nothing respectful about the ministry of the PCG.

Children should refer to and address adults by “Mr.”, “Mrs.” or “Miss,” or by their title. Adults should not invite children to call them by their first name, because it fosters disrespect and encourages taking liberties. Children should be reminded until it becomes natural. Look to the spirit and give people greater respect rather than less.

Don’t talk over others nor focus the discussion on yourself. Remember to “esteem others better than yourself.” Avoid informal replies such as “Yep,” “Nope,” “Dunno,” etc. Uplift others in conversation by listening and keeping it positive.

When has Cal Culpepper, Lil'Stevie or Gerald ever "esteemed others better than themselves?"  When?

Self-Appointed Prophet Claims That The Government Will Soon Be Attacking Them Because Of What They Preach

One thing the church has been really good at is creating a "persecution complex" in many of it's so-called leaders.  They self appointed themselves as leaders, started their own splinter personality cults, and claim to proclaim the gospel message with "authority."  Because all of these so-called leaders claim their message is the most forceful and truthful message they will be persecuted for the things they preach.

These so called leaders are so paranoid that they think the entire world is out to stop them. They are persecuted when their magazines are thrown in the trash, when TV/cable stations cancel their programs, and when they are mocked on the internet.

All of them fear that the government is monitoring them and is ready to shut them down.  None of these so-called leaders have been more paranoid than the Almost Arrested Prophet Elisha Elijah Amos Joshua Chief Overseer Bob Thiel.

Today the so-called leader of the so-called Continuing Church of God said:

It is my view that the USA no longer has the type of ‘freedom of religion’ or ‘freedom of speech’ or the freedom to ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’ its founders envisioned. 

Furthermore, the time will come when the USA, and likely some private companies (probably with direct or indirect governmental pressures), will apparently stop the efforts of websites like this one. As well as our numerous video channels on the internet.

Consider the following prophecy:

13 Therefore the prudent keep silent at that time, For it is an evil time. (Amos 5:13) 

The above indicates that even those that are doing nothing wrong will need to be silent at the coming evil time. The times are evil.

Yet, currently, it is still time to:

1 Cry aloud, spare not;
Lift up your voice like a trumpet;
Tell My people their transgression,
And the house of Jacob their sins. (Isaiah 58:1) 

Which is what we in the Continuing Church of God are doing. We have denounced, not only sins that the world sometimes seems to consider politically correct, but also sins that many claimed 501(c)(3) COGs will not do, because of their own concerns about their political fates and/or fates that could happen if they offended their financial supporters if they told the truth to truly fulfill Isaiah 58:1 (cf. 501(c)(3)? Why the Continuing Church of God chose a better option).

Many in and out of the government have plans and are watching the internet with plans to deal with materials that they some day hope to silence. 

And while you might think that if you have done nothing wrong, you have nothing to fear from surveillance, consider that many in the government of the USA consider that not supporting homosexual marriages is an extremist position.

As mentioned before, I also saw someone once on a documentary that stated that people who believed in the millennium could not be trusted and should be considered as potential terrorists. The fact that we in the Continuing Church of God would be considered pacifists, does not change the fact that since we hold to millennial and other biblical views that we will not be improperly classified by government employees with various agendas. 

We are getting closer to this time. And consider that until this century (and perhaps theoretically, the latter part of the 20th century), it was not possible to really control buying and selling.  But certainly that ability exist now–and it will come to pass.

I believe that the USA is paving the way for the final European Beast power to spy on people and monitor financial transactions, as well as preaching restrictions. 

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