UCG Losses Now at 147+; COGWA Announces Services, Committees, etc.

Laodicea has many ineffective structures

The AC (“Abigail Cartwright”) site reported four more UCG ministerial losses, bringing its list to 147 ministers and elders that UCG lost in this crisis. Here are four more since my last detailed report:

Mr. Maurice Ledet (Local Elder), January 7, 2011, resigned from UCG ministry

Mr. David Witt, (Local Elder, Minneapolis, MN), January 6, 2011, resigned from UCG ministry

Mr. Charles May (Local Elder, Bentonville AR), December 31, 2010, resigned from UCG ministry

Mr. James Capo, January 3, 2011, resigned from UCG ministry

I met James Capo some time ago; the others are not familiar names to me. The reason my headline says 147+ is that I thought there were one or two names missing from the above, and the names of the South Africans who apparently left do not seem to be on the list of 146 that I looked at, plus I learned of one other last night who is not yet on the list.

COGWA (the place that apparently many are now associating with–I presume COGWA will soon be more forthcoming about who is with it) posted the following:

Sabbath Service Webcast – January 8, 2011

Join us for a live webcast on the Sabbath of January 8 from Louisville, Kentucky. The service begins at 2:30 P.M. Eastern time and is available for both congregations and individual members. The webcast will be available in both English and Spanish.

I presume that COGWA intends to get its side of the crisis out to those who left UCG or who may be considering leaving UCG. The Spanish translation announcement suggests that those who broke away from UCG in Latin America may be related to it.

Since I originally wrote this earlier today, COGWA made a few other news announcements. It reported that a Bruce Gore is currently chairman of its “long-term governance committee”, with its “interim governance committee” chaired by a Dave Baker. Andre Van Belkum of New Zealand gave the closing address to its “pre-conference leadership team” today. A Dave Johnson is chairing its “immediate administrative needs committee”.

UCG was always into committees and COGWA may be as well.

COGWA also reported:

January 7, 2011 – Today Feast Coordinators, camp directors and youth corps administrators met to consider the needs of the members of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association in these respective areas…

The mission statement of the long-term governance committee is: “Our mission is to recommend a structure founded upon biblical principles by which this new organization will be administered and to propose to the elders this structure for their consideration.”

The steps taken are close to what UCG did when it formed and confirms to me, at least, that COGWA’s top priority will not be public proclamation of the gospel. Nor do I believe that it intends to look close enough at biblical governance to adopt the form that the Bible repeatedly endorses.

As I have repeatedly stated, I do not believe that the governmental structure of UCG ever would be effective in proclaiming the gospel to fulfill Matthew 24:14–nor do I believe that those who broke off and will become part of COGWA or other such groups will as well.

If you are or were part of UCG and are confused about what to do, please pray, fast, and study the Bible about this. Decide if you wish to follow the lukewarm or those that Jesus Christ has truly been using to do the work–those who have had the same basic governing principles for over 40 years.

It is my view that those affected by this crisis who wish to support a more effective gospel-proclaiming organization will consider checking out LCG, as it has stood for proper church governance and the work since its foundation (which preceded its formation). It’s decision time for those who have been affiliated with UCG. The COGWA leadership has already demonstrated, to me at least, that it is not intending to be Philadelphian.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, and Roderick C. Meredith on Church Government What form of governance did the early church have? Was it hierarchical? Which form of governance would one expect to have in the Philadelphia remnant? The people decide and/or committee forms, odd dictatorships, or the same type that the Philadelphia era itself had?
Unity: Which COG for You? Why so many groups? Why is there lack of unity in the Churches of God? Has it always been this way? What can/should be done about it?
Differences between the Living Church of God and United Church of God This article provides quotes information from the two largest groups which had their origins in WCG as well as commentary.
There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? This is an article for those who wish to more easily sort out the different COGs. It really should be a MUST READ for current and former WCG/GCI members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.
Should the Church Still Try to Place its Top Priority on Proclaiming the Gospel or Did Herbert W. Armstrong Change that Priority for the Work? Some say the Church should mainly feed the flock now as that is what Herbert W. Armstrong reportedly said. Is that what he said? Is that what the Bible says? What did Paul and Herbert W. Armstrong expect from evangelists?
The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. These are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG.
Can the Great Tribulation Begin in 2011, 2012, or 2013? Can the Great Tribulation begin today? What happens before the Great Tribulation in the “beginning of sorrows”? What happens in the Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord? When is the earliest that the Great Tribulation can begin? What is the Day of the Lord?
Will the Anglo-Nations be Divided and Have People Taken as Slaves? Will the lands of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand be divided? What does Bible prophecy teach? Are there non-biblical prophecies that support this idea? Who will divide those lands? Who will end up with the lands and the people? Those Laodiceans in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand will likely be affected sooner by the coming Great Tribulation than the Laodiceans in other lands.