Greetings from Charlotte,
This has been a busy week of meetings here in Charlotte. Mr. and Mrs. Crockett have fled the city for a visit with family and brethren in Arkansas. The Editorial Department is doing final edits for the March-April issue of the Living Church News. Mr. Meredith is working on a new booklet. I had a very profitable visit last weekend with congregations in Barrie and Toronto, Canada, and I enjoyed spending some time with our Regional Director Gerald Weston and his wife Carol.
LETTER TO THE MINISTRY
TO: Weekly Update Recipients
FROM: Roderick C. Meredith
DATE: February 22, 2007
Dear fellow ministers,
After talking with a few of our brethren who have been partially disoriented because of accusations about us from Dave Pack, Charles Bryce and others I feel it would be good to straighten out a couple of issues. Very few of you are troubled by these ideas, I know. But my comments may help you to be aware of what is being said and help you with a few “pointers” on how to answer these types of accusations.
First, some are saying, in affect, “Rod Meredith is changing a lot of things and is becoming liberal!”
Wow!
That is almost “good news” in one sense. Because, as most of you know, I was accused for decades of being “too conservative” and most brethren follow me because they knew—by my “fruits” of some 54 years now in the ministry—that I was not liberal and even tended to be conservative. I have always deeply respected and followed Mr. Armstrong as he told us to. That is, he always said, “follow me as I follow Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). That is the way he told us the way to follow him. And that’s the way I have tried to do—though not perfectly, as I don’t do anything perfectly. But I try, as I know most of you do to.
No, brethren, we are not becoming liberal. We who really knew Mr. Armstrong—Mr. Apartian, Mr. Ames and I and a few others—we know that he always was innovative and forward looking and did not think that his writings or his sermons were “set in stone”—as some now seem to think. Mr. Armstrong did change on literally dozens of things including: makeup, divorce and remarriage, healing, interracial understandings, counting Pentecost, and a number of other things. He always told us to continue “growing” in understanding and knowledge. Therefore, now that we are in an entirely different generation than Mr. Armstrong’s generation, it is good for us to broaden out our perspective and knowledge about certain things or certain social customs—just as he would do if he were alive today! That does not mean that we are going to change or “water down” any of our understanding on the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath, the Holy Days or any other basic doctrine!
Next, some are saying, “Mr. Meredith and LCG are changing the Gospel. They are not saying that the Gospel is the Gospel of the Kingdom of God anymore, but are sometimes calling it, ‘the Gospel of Christ.’ That is dangerous! That might lead us back into Protestantism!”
Is it really dangerous to call Christ’s message the Gospel of salvation? What I would ask all of you to do is to get out a concordance and look up the term “gospel” in Strong’s or Young’s Concordance and see how many times it is called “the Gospel of Christ, the Gospel of salvation” or other similar terms. It is called these things—not by “liberals”—but by the inspired Word of God!
As we have pointed out before, read again 1 Cor. 15:1-5. And then skim the rest of the chapter. Here, the Apostle Paul stated clearly that the “Gospel which I preach to you” involved Christ’s death, His resurrection and those things about Jesus Christ, His sacrifice and His resurrection! Most of you realize that this information is one of the most vital parts of the Gospel—the “Good News” that we can be forgiven of our sins and that Christ is alive as our living Savior and High Priest!
Is that just a “tiny” part of the Gospel? No way! It is a major aspect of the true Gospel. As you read Acts 2:36-40—describing the very first time the Gospel was preached publicly, you see that is exactly what God inspired Peter to preach about. Near the end of his life, you see the Apostle Paul—who was sent to preach to “Gentiles and kings” (Acts 9:15)—you find him preaching to King Agrippa about Christ’s death and resurrection (Acts 26:8-9).
In Acts 20:24-27, we read about Paul’s recital to the elders at Ephesus as to what Christ called them to do. He describes, “The ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God “! Then, he also mentions that he had gone among them preaching the “Kingdom of God.” Then, in verse 27, he states, “For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.” Brethren, that is what we all need to do. That is, not to limit the Gospel to the Kingdom of God but to acknowledge that a major part of the “Good News” always in your own Bible involved preaching and teaching about Christ’s death, resurrection and His promise to send the Holy Spirit to live within us! This is wonderful Good News! And, as you read carefully through the book of Acts, you will see that this was the major aspect of the Gospel that was actually talked about the most.
Does that mean we are going to talk about it more than the Kingdom of God? No way! Why not? Because—at that time—Christ’s Second Coming was far off, and Christ’s death and resurrection were very near and were very close in time and vital to them at that time. So they talked more about that. Now that we are nearing the end of the age and reaching entire nations—some of them totally cut off from the Bible—we certainly will talk more about the “Kingdom of God”—the government to be set up soon under Jesus Christ at His soon coming!
Yes! We will continue to do that and if you will read our articles in the Tomorrow’s World magazine and view our telecasts you will see that that is exactly what we have been doing all along! So there is no “watering down” being practiced or even anticipated.
But, as Paul stated, we certainly should strive for the whole “counsel of God” and try to include both major aspects of the Gospel in our preaching, teaching and writing as well as in our own thoughts and prayers. That is what the Bible clearly indicates and it is what we should do. As Phillip went down to non-Jewish Samaritan people you read, “But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized”(Acts 8:12). So you see Phillip was inspired to preach to these Gentiles about the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ.
At the very end of his life, you find that he was preaching the same thing in his own rented house where he received all who came to him, “preaching the kingdom of God and teaching those things which concerned the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him” (Acts 28:30-31).
Are we, perhaps, striving for a broader understanding of the Gospel and how to emphasize it to the world in our time? Yes! Is that something “against” Mr. Armstrong and what he taught? No way! But it is, perhaps, a little bit of “growing in grace and in knowledge.” And that is exactly what Mr. Armstrong taught us to do. He would want us to broaden our understanding of things as we go along in our Christian lives and as we reach an entirely new generation of people—most of whom never heard of Herbert W. Armstrong in any manner whatsoever.
So, fellows, we are called on to preach the name of Jesus Christ—not the “name” of Herbert Armstrong! That is the way Mr. Armstrong himself would want it! That is what he, personally, taught me and Dibar Apartian and others to do. We will honor Mr. Armstrong more by “growing” spiritually than we would be “stagnating” and simply trying to “recreate” a certain version of Armstrong which may never have existed, but if it did, may not be exactly what Mr. Armstrong would do or preach today in an entirely new generation.
However, rest assured we have not and will not change the basics. We will continue to preach the “whole counsel” of God—including emphasizing the Kingdom of God as well as the name of Jesus Christ! It is all part of the same gospel! I have done this for over 54 years as an evangelist of Jesus Christ. Rest assured that I will not water down these basics!
Roderick C. Meredith
CHURCH ADMINISTRATION
New assignments have been made for the following congregations. Mr. Gary Ehman will become the pastor of the Statesville, NC, congregation in addition to his duties here in Charlotte. Mr. Gaylyn Bonjour will pastor the Asheboro, NC, congregation in addition to his duties here in Charlotte. Mr. Carl Derstine, an elder in Wilmington, will serve the Raleigh congregation meeting in Warsaw, NC. Mr. Ken Frank, who has served as the Area Pastor of the Asheboro and Raleigh congregations, will be able to spend more time serving congregations closer to where he lives.
PASSOVER 2007
Important Notice to All Pastors. Passover services should not start before sunset. This year the Passover service will be observed on Sunday, April 1, a little more than five weeks from now. You should have already begun preparations, including hall arrangements, for your congregations to properly observe this solemn Feast. Let us know as soon as possible if any of the congregations you serve will need additional Passover service supplies (bread trays and/or wine glasses) or even a copy of the Passover Service CD recording.
Additionally, let us also know of any scattered members in your area who will be unable to attend the Passover service, and who need to receive the Passover Service CD and letter instructions to observe the Passover at home. Please direct your requests to the Church Administration Department by e-mail at cad@lcg.org or by phone at 704-844-1960, ext. 220, by March 12 (to ensure timely delivery).
Minneapolis Family Weekend (repeat announcement)
The Minneapolis congregation will be hosting a Family Weekend on March 16-18 in Hudson, Wisconsin, just over the frozen Minnesota border! To usher in spring, we decided to go with a tropical motif. So get out your loud hibiscus shirts and join us for a weekend of food, fellowship, dancing and games.
We will start off the weekend with a Bible Study on Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. Combined Sabbath services will be held on Sabbath at 2:30 p.m. followed by a Polynesian dinner and dance. On Sunday, for the volleyball enthusiasts, we will have a gymnasium at our disposal, after partaking of a fabulous hot breakfast cooked by the Minneapolis brethren. There is a suggested donation of $5 for adults and $3 for children over 5 years of age for the dinner and of $2 for the breakfast on Sunday.
Local hotels have provided discounts for our group. For more information, please contact Mr. Sheldon Monson at smonson@lcg.org.
Winchester, Virginia, Spring Weekend (repeat announcement with registration deadline)
The Winchester, Virginia, congregation is planning a regional spring dance weekend for April 6-9. The Weekend will include a Friday night Bible Study; a dinner-dance Saturday evening after services, Sunday softball, Sunday night Holy Day seminars, and Monday Holy Day [Last Day of Unleavened Bread] services. The total price per person is $20. Attire for the dance will be modest formal dress or Sabbath wear. For more details visit http://myspace.com/win_activities (make sure you type in the entire entry). If interested, please e-mail us at Win_activities@hotmail.com. The deadline to register is March 20. Act quickly, as maximum capacity is 250 people. We hope to see you there!
LIVING UNIVERSITY
In response to issues raised by critics regarding the announcement about Living University, we would like to mention the following facts. We have discussed for some time the need to offer theology classes for members and youth in the Church who are scattered around the world. Dr. Germano’s arrival in the LCG has provided an avenue to make this project possible. He and his wife have considerable training and experience in the field of distance learning that will enable us to offer classes over the Internet. The Germanos have been associated with the Church of God for more than forty years and have worked for years at a time with Mr. Meredith, Mr. Apartian, Mr. Ames, Dr. Winnail and others here in Charlotte. Dr. Germano has served in various capacities with Imperial Schools and Ambassador College in Pasadena, California, and Ambassador University in Big Sandy, Texas. He was ordained as an elder in the Worldwide Church of God in the 1980s. He left WCG over doctrinal reasons about 1996 and served a small independent group of mainly elderly people for a number of years who met in his home in North Carolina. Last spring, after a near-fatal illness, he contacted Mr. Meredith here in Charlotte and indicated that he and his wife would like to become part of the Living Church of God. They have considered themselves part of the Living Church since then and have attended with us since last summer. Dr. Germano has stated that he is in full agreement with the doctrines of the Living Church of God.
Prior to contacting us about becoming part of LCG, Dr. Germano had no knowledge of our discussions about the need for an educational program. Shortly after one of our executive discussions here in Charlotte, Dr. Winnail visited the Germanos on his way to a Church visit in Knoxville. Upon seeing what Dr. Germano was doing with a distance learning course that he was planning to teach, Dr. Winnail asked him to come to Charlotte to share his ideas and technical skills with our executive team. The concept of a Living University offering online classes was the result of several months of discussion and planning. The potential of this new project looks exciting.
FEAST OF TABERNACLES 2007
Information on Two Other International Feast Sites
Trinidad and Tobago
The Feast of Tabernacles in Trinidad and Tobago will be held at The Sunspree Resort, Crown Point, in Tobago. The meeting hall is situated walking distance from the airport. The Sunspree is a resort housing hotel accommodation, restaurant, swimming pool and meeting hall. The meeting hall is subterranean (under ground level) and air-conditioned.
Tobago basks in tranquility and sunshine, just 22 miles off Trinidad’s north-eastern tip. This is Robinson Crusoe’s desert island (Tobago was the inspiration for the book)—a land of swaying palms and deserted beaches. Scattered fishing villages, pastel hued houses, small and special hotels and easy-going people, all contribute to a feeling of total peace and quiet. It is the last of the unspoiled Caribbean. This strip of elongated land, just 41 by 14 kilometres, abounds with natural allure - palm-lined beaches, lush rain forests and pristine coral reefs teeming with rich marine life. Tobago is fast becoming one of the most sought-after scuba diving destinations in the Caribbean with diving to suit all qualifications and specialty interests.
There are a number of excellent and reasonably priced restaurants on the Island. The wonderful seafood, combined with the way the food is seasoned, make the cuisine on offer out of this world. Simply the best local food that you will find anywhere in the Caribbean.
Those interested in attending the Feast of Tabernacles in Tobago should contact Mr. Fitzroy Greeman for more information, including a list of recommended hotels, by phone at 868-672-5251 or 868-672-5033 or by e-mail at fgreeman@lcg.org.
Georgetown, Guyana
The Feast of Tabernacles in Georgetown Guyana will be held at The Grand Coastal Inn in East Coast Demerara. Guyana, a country of exceptional natural beauty, is a splendid combination of the Caribbean and South America, with fascinating touches of a sometimes turbulent past. Perched on the north-east corner of the South American continent, Guyana stretches 450 miles from its long Atlantic coastline into dense equatorial forest and the broad savannah of the Rupununi. The picturesque capital and primary port is Georgetown, a city of comfortable, modern hotels, fine colonial buildings, and broad, tree-lined boulevards. The striking wooden architecture is reminiscent of Guyana’s centuries as a Dutch, and then a British colony. Georgetown offers an evocative introduction to the land of Guyana.
The vibrant character and graceful beauty of Georgetown reflects much of the city’s exceptional cultural history and diversity. Designed by the Dutch (and first known as Stabroek), Guyana’s capital has wide, tree-lined avenues, lily-covered canals, and many fine examples of 18th and 19th century colonial buildings. Its tropical botanical gardens are among the very best in the world.
Those interested in attending the Feast of Tabernacles in Guyana should contact Mr. Fitzroy Greeman for more information, including a list of recommended hotels, by phone at 868-672-5251 or 868-672-5033 or by e-mail at fgreeman@lcg.org.
MAIL PROCESSING DEPARTMENT
To All Video Recipients: The Holy Day sermon packets are scheduled to be mailed to you next Monday. Along with the normal shipment of DVDs, they will contain the Holy Day offering FedEx return packs and instructions for the First and Last Day of Unleavened Bread. The FedEx pack and instructions for Pentecost will be mailed separately in another upcoming shipment.
COMMENTS
Loose Brick or Big Picture? How do you view the Church of God and the Work of God? Many who come into contact with the LCG are excited to learn the truth of God for the first time. Others are grateful to reconnect with the truth they once learned from the Scriptures. Some, however, who are part of the very Church that is doing this Work, have begun to look for loose bricks. They are busy compiling their own lists of what they think are problems in the Church—editorial oversights, misspoken words in a sermon, supposed doctrinal changes or other faults they feel they have identified. We need to remember that David and Samuel, Peter and Paul all had their problems and their detractors, yet God used these imperfect human instruments to do His Work. The human leaders of God’s Church today are no different, and detractors have not disappeared. Others are concerned about issues or just confused. Yet we need to appreciate the fact that the Tomorrow’s World magazine and television programs are reaching millions of people, and hundreds of thousands are responding. Lives are being changed. The Gospel of the coming kingdom of God and salvation through Jesus Christ is being preached, and the world is being warned about sobering world events that lie just ahead. This is the big picture we need to keep in mind instead of focusing on loose bricks.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
NEWS AND PROPHECY—February 22, 2007
Growing Tension between Russia and Europe. In a recent speech in Germany, Russian President Putin used strong words to describe Russian views of EU expansion. Criticizing the U.S. President, Putin described NATO expansion as “a serious factor provoking reduction of mutual trust.” However, European reactions to the speech were equally pointed. The Swedish foreign minister stated: “we should take [Putin] at his word. This was the real Russia of now and possibly in four or five years time it could go further in this direction.” NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer clearly voiced his disapproval, “who should be worried that democracy and the rule of law is coming closer to their border?... I can’t hide my disappointment. I will not hide my disappointment” (EU Observer, February 12, 2007). The Bible indicates a future Beast power will be comprised of ten nations (Revelation 17:12) that arise out of a “revived” Roman Empire in Europe (north of Jerusalem—see Daniel 2:32-33, 40-43; 11). Prophecy also states a great army of 200 million men from the North and East will eventually conquer the Beast power (or King of the North—Daniel 11:44-45, Revelation 9:13-21). The current division between Russia and Western Europe may set up a future scenario where a European Beast power is destroyed by a great “eastern” power—possibly consisting of China-Russia and other eastern nations.
Egypt Has Strong Words for Israel. Reacting to the recent Israeli Temple Mount construction project, a member of the Egyptian parliament stated last week, “nothing will work with Israel except for a nuclear bomb that wipes it out of existence.” That statement reflected growing hatred in the Middle East for what is seen as Israel’s efforts to destroy the al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third most holy site. Some parliamentarians suggested that the war between Egypt and Israel was continuing—referring to the war that ended with a peace deal in 1979 (The Jerusalem Post, February 12, 2007). The current Egyptian sentiment for Israel is not only interesting from the standpoint that Jerusalem will be a “cup of trembling” for many nations (Zechariah 12:2, KJV), but also that Egypt is prophesied to play a more prominent role in world affairs prior to Christ’s return (Daniel 11:8, 43; Zechariah 10:11). Recent events in Israel apparently are stirring hatred from around the region and the world.
U.S. Losing Ground as Investors Look Elsewhere. Foreign stock markets are luring investors away from Wall Street with higher yields and faster capital appreciation. Fifty-five other stock exchanges are surpassing the Dow, NASDAQ and S&P 500. In 2006, Central and South American stocks rose four times faster, and Eastern European stocks rose five times faster, than stocks in U.S. markets. Poland’s Stock Exchange gained 42 percent, while Bulgaria’s Sofia Index claimed a 48 percent increase. Croatia’s ZSE Index rocketed upward 61 percent, and Russian stocks increased by an average of 71 percent. Chinese stocks were up 131 percent, and Vietnam’s VSI Stock Index registered a phenomenal 144 percent gain. By contrast, U.S. stocks returned an average of only 13 percent to investors, scarcely enough to keep pace with taxes and inflation (Money and Markets, February 10, 2007). The U.S. dollar is also in trouble against many rising foreign currencies. Americas is plagued by a huge trade imbalance, out of control government spending, escalating war costs and the personal indebtedness of its citizens. America’s profligate ways are beginning to come back on her. “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire” (James 5:1-3).—Don Davis and Scott Winnail
COGwriter 2007
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