Cartwright’s Journal Out: Church Structure, Prophets, Winter Weekends, and Kachinland

The latest issue (#156, print date November 30, 2013) of The Journal was sent out electronically and just received.

There were the usual letters to the editor and advertisements, various comments and complaints about a sex article and related matters, articles about church structure, an article about prophets, winter weekends, and Feast reports.

Church Structure

The issue had a lot about legal church structures in the USA, with articles by Dixon Cartwright and Norman Edwards. Norman Edwards has some points about that it is simpler to not have a corporation, but for those few states which allow churches to be set up as ‘corporation soles,’ in the long-run there are advantages to that over being a regular non-profit corporation or an unincorporated church (which he tends to advocate).

Here is an excerpt from what Dixon Cartwright wrote:

If you’re organizing a new congregation or network of congregations in the United States, you might want to consider this before you set up as a 501(c)(3) corporation: You are not required to operate as a 501(c)(3) corporation to be legal and to be tax-exempt and able to accept tax-deductible contributions. The immediately preceding para-graph states a fact that’s little known among people organizing religious groups that could accurately be described as churches or congregations. Apparently it’s even little known by attorneys-at-law. (Cartwright D.)

While that is basically accurate, in the State of California, there are other requirements, and those are independent upon whether the church is a corporation or not. That being said, the ‘best of all worlds’ from a limited regulatory perspective is for the church to be formed as a ‘corporation sole’ and not as a 501(c)(3). That is what we have done in the Continuing Church of God. And, because of a one-time review by the State of California, our tax-deductibility has been specifically approved by the State.

Prophets

David Havir had an article about prophets, etc. Here is some of what he wrote:

Have you ever considered how your preoccupation with seeking out dogmatic opinions about prophecy may actually influence the false prophet to continue his folly?

You might say: I don’t listen to people who claim to be a prophet. I could respond: Do you listen to people who give their dogmatic proclamations about prophecy? Maybe the charlatan is too wise to actually call himself a prophet. Maybe the snake-oil salesman actually knows that he can dogmatically pronounce imaginations of his heart, as long as he doesn’t call himself a prophet.

Actually, the man who avoids claiming to be a prophet may do more damage to religious people than those who insist on a title of prophet. Subtle behavior can be dangerous. For the record, I think it would be good to mention a truth from one of Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians. “Do not despise prophecies” (1 Thessalonians 5:20).

Sadly, most today do despise prophets and will not heed. For more information on this topic, please study the article How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God.

Winter Weekends

There were two news items related to Winter weekends:

UCG’s Winter Family Weekend

MASON, Ohio—The United Church of God’s Winter Family W eekend for 2013 will happen at the Great Wolf Lodge in the Cincinnati, Ohio, area Dec. 20- 24, 2013. Events will include sports, a huge water park, swimming pools. F or more information from event coordinators Gary Antion and Roy Holladay, go to wfw.ucg.org.

Lexington Winter Family Weekend update

WEST CHESTER, Ohio—The Winter Family Weekend, Dec. 24-29, sponsored by the Church of God Cincinnati and Church of God Lexington at the Griffin Gate Marriott Resort in Lexington, Ky., is offering a low flat rate for attendees this year Call (877) 901-6632 to make a reservation. “This annual family event has been a huge success since 1997, when it was created as a weekend where friends can meet as equals to worship, fellowship, play, grow and learn, organizer Jim O’Brien said. For more information write Mr. O’Brien at jimobri@gmail.com

Those with Jim O’Brien seemingly split from UCG years ago because of matters related to the Winter Family Weekend, so now there are two of them in the same general area.

Feast Reports

The Journal had some Feast of Tabernacles’ reports. Here is one from Lazum Brang from Kachinland (located in the northern territory claimed by Myanmar. Here is what he wrote:

LAKE INDAWGYI REGION, Kachinland—From June up to the end of September 2013, the terrible fightings between the Kachin armies and the Burma government armies were going on in northern and eastern Kachinland. Though Kachinland has seven local home churches, and this year we decided to choose our Feast site in the Lake Indawgyi Region, the scattered members could not come and partici- pate in our Feast because of the terrible fightings. The Feast was successfully celebrated in our hometown, Na Mawn. The participants are only 12 persons. Even though we were a small group this year, we were all very much happy to be gathered together. Every day we praised God much for His merciful protections. We sang many hymnal songs. We earnestly studied the Bible truths, and we all prayed together. During the Feast we spent only US$20 for our daily food. Our main foods are rice and vegetables. Even though our foods are not all that delicious, we thank You, God, so much for providing us for our daily foods abundantly. We have had many spiritual meals of manna, and we all have had many spiritual strengths of faith. T oday we stand alone on our feet by the guidances of our Almighty God in Kachinland. But we are willing to contact the Churches of God from around the world. Please remember us in your prayers constantly. The mail service between Kachin- land and Burma is running regularly. On Sept. 6, 2013, we received THE JOURNAL , the issue of July 22. We thank you for your kind sending and generous support. I plan to leave for China’s border one week from to- day (I’m writing this on Oct. 11, 2013). I must try to come in Yunnan Province, China, firstly. Then I must try to come back to the borderlines from east side to west side. I will stay at the refugee camps from Oct. 21-25 for ministry and Christian education. I need your special prayers for my long journey between my hometown and China. Lazum Brang

Lazum Brand has written me a few times and I need to write him back later this week.

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.