Melvin Rhodes has an interesting post about life in the fractured Churches of God
(The Eclipse of the Church.) One of his friends died recently whom he had been close to when they were both part of United Church of God (and WCG). When the United Church of God imploded and thousands of members and 3/4 of its ministry left to form Church of God a Worldwide Association, his friendship was fractured.
Rhodes is experiencing what almost all COG members have experienced because he and the rest of the cabal plotted and schemed for over 6 months in Pasadena while still on WCG payroll. The actions of this group of men was designed to ensure a steady income because they were soon to be terminated from the WCG. Thousands joined up with the cabal and formed United Church of God. They ripped families and friendships apart and it did not care. Following the new leader, the new human organization was more important!
Rhodes writes:
I lost a good friend this week. [Todd Carey]
We worked together a long time ago. For many years we’ve been hundreds of miles apart, but we were always able to see each other, with our wives, at our annual church conference.
That is, until the latest split took place. He and his wife went one way and we went the other. So, for the last few years of his life, we did not get together.
Church splits can be devastating on relationships. Even marriages have fallen apart when partners don’t see eye to eye on church affiliation. More than one church I know of teaches that its followers should have nothing to do with people in other church organizations, even when they are family.
It’s ironic when you consider that Jesus Christ said: “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, that you love one another” (John 13:35).
Then Rhodes has this to say:
Unfortunately, churches are not immune from selfish ambition, differences over administration or doctrinal disagreement, three of the primary causes of splits.
The selfish ambitions of the upper echelon UCG leaders are what caused the disruption of thousands of lives, ripping families apart, destroying marriages, and caused numerous suicides.
True Christians will always strive to fulfill the words of Jesus Christ; even as others in their midst will deliberately cause division, believing that God is on their side.
True Christian would NEVER have lorded themselves over the members, enforcing man-made rules and laws that Jesus never expected or required.
One of the root causes of division is that people have a tendency to follow men. The Apostle Paul wrote about this in I Corinthians where some were following Apollos, some Peter and some Paul. As Paul said elsewhere, we should only follow one man and that man is Jesus Christ. That means we should all live in accordance with His words. What a novel idea!!!
Just WHEN has the ministry of the Church of God EVER followed Jesus Christ? They don't even acknowledge him other than continue to break his body each Passover, where they leave him broken and bloody on some school gym floor or Masonic Lodge till the following year.
The law always trumps everything about Jesus. It trumps everything he said. It trumps everything he every implied. It allows spiritual abusing idiots like Bob Thiel, James Malm, Gerald Flurry, Dave Pack, Vic Kubik, Jim Franks, Gerald Weston, and many more, to make the daily lives of church members as miserable as possible. The church ultimately lacks joy. It lacks freedom. It lacks grace. Above all, it lacks mercy.
