Cartwright’s Journal Out: Ray Wooten, Upcoming AC reunions, & Kenneth Copeland Ministries

The latest issue (#159, print date February 28, 2014) of The Journal was sent out electronically and just received.

One of the lead articles has to do with the death of UCM’s Ray Wooten:

BIG SANDY, Texas—Ray Wooten, a familiar name to many longtime Church of God members, made several startling statements in an interview and in a Sabbath sermon back in March 2009… He said he didn’t believe the Sabbath Commandment is the Test Commandment. Not only that, Mr. Wooten thought he’d located the Ark of the Covenant. Mr. Wooten was here with his wife, Peggy, for a special Sabbath on March 15, 2009, during the annual women’s conference sponsored by the Church of God Big Sandy. He enlarged on his themes during a conversation with this writer after Sabbath services.

Since 1995 Mr. Wooten, who died at age 80, with his wife had operated United Christian Ministries since 1995, first in Alabama and later in Roanoke and Fort Wayne, Ind. He was no stranger to controversy, having helped found the United Church of God in 1995. He left that organization that same year because he believed it had quickly departed from the founding principles he thought it was advocating in favor of more of a centralized, controlled ministry than he was uncomfortable with.

Ray Wooten is one of many ministers once in WCG who went along with hierarchical governance when Herbert W. Armstrong was alive, but apparently had major problems with one of what were referred to as the 18 restored truths. Sadly, most who CLAIM to accept biblical governance did not truly abide by it (details on church governance can be found in the article The Bible, Peter, Paul, John, Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, Roderick C. Meredith, and Bob Thiel on Church Government).

Another lead item has to do with two upcoming Ambassador College reunions:

THE JOURNAL received word of two reunions of Ambassador College students that will come to fruition in 2014 in England and in California in 2015. Bricket Wood May 2014 The deadline to register for the reunion in Bricket Wood, England, is almost here. “We need to have final numbers by April 1, 2014, and that’s no joke,” explained Annette Weatherley Forkun… Write Mrs. Forkun at an- nette@bricketwoodre- union.info for more reunion information as it becomes available.

Pasadena February 2015

You have a little more time if you plan to attend the Pasadena, Calif., reunion, which is set for Feb. 27 through March 2, 2015, in the Pasadena Hilton Hotel, one mile from the former AC campus. “There will be a full range of ac- tivities,” including visits to the cam- pus, said Bob Gerringer. The gathering will be for former students from “the first 30 years,” he said, “to celebrate our unique experiences and friendships as AC stu- dents.” Eligible are former students who attended anytime between 1947 and June 1977. For more information visit ACPasa – denaReunion.com or write bob@ acpasadenareunion.com or Carol Stephenson Taylor at carol@acpasa- denareunion.com.

While I never attended AC, many once part of the old WCG did. Some may wish to attend one or more of the reunions.

The back page of The Journal had the following:

Is the pope Pentecostal?

TULSA, Okla.—Kenneth Copland Ministries of Fort Worth, Texas, in January received a personal message from Pope Fr ancis that Church of God members should be aw are of. So says Steve Tremble, a JOURNAL reader in Oklahoma who said the video- based communication between the two church- men was “historic” in the context of Bible- prophecy fulfillment.

“I personally talked to an attendee of the conference to confirm that happened,” Mr. Tremble told THE JOURNAL , “and he said this is truly a historic conference.” Mr. Copeland, 77, is said to be part of the Word of Faith and Pentecostal movements, preaching a “prosperity and abundance” gospel message. The links Mr. Tremble referred to are accessible at tinyurl.com/copeland6667 and tinyurl.com/copeland6668. Mr. Tremble urged caution when viewing the linked video because of what he described as the intense nature of the pope’s demeanor. “I believe it is important to be aw are of this event and check out these links for yourself,” he said.

The Journal tends not to report much about Protestants and Catholics, but the above is something that was extensively covered at the cogwriter.com website. So much so, in addition to a news post (see Protestant endorsement of the ecumenical agenda: Kenneth Copeland do you not understand?), a video was made (watch Charismatic Kenneth Copeland and Anglican Tony Palmer: Protestants Beware!), and a new article developed (see Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction!).

Also in The Journal there were the usual letters to the editor and advertisements, various comments, and opinion articles (including something about the date of Passover–an article of related interest may be TPM: Passover on the 14th or 15th?).

The Journal itself is available by paid subscription (though Dixon Cartwright says some subscriptions are free to those who cannot afford it) and often tends to take a non-Philadelphian era view of certain church matters.