Cartwright’s Journal Out: LCG minister’s suicide, Plane crash, Mac Overton’s death, UCG’s new chairman, Correction, and FOT sites

The latest issue (says #184, print date May 31, 2016) of The Journal was sent out electronically and just received. This was another relatively short edition.

Items covered included the suicide death of LCG’s Karl Beyersdorfer, a LCG member death in a plane crash, UCG’s new chairman, a correction, and Feast of Tabernacles’ sites for 2016.

The Journal mentioned the following about Karl Beyersdorfer of the Living Church of God:

A popular elder and former pastor of the Living Church of God, Karl Beyersdorfer, 73, took his own life May 27, 2016, at his home in Joplin, Mo. …

Elder for 49 years Mr. Beyersdorfer was born in Chicago, Ill., in 1943. He was an ordained minister for 49 years in the Worldwide Church of God and, in later years, in the Living Church of God. He had served congregations in Minnesota, Iowa, Louisiana, Ohio and Missouri. Karl Beyersdorfer married Gaylon Smith on June 5, 1966, at Big Sandy, Texas. She survives. Survivors also include four children, Kurt Beyersdorfer, Christi Ramos, Robert Smith and Kraig Beyersdorfer; five grandchildren; and four sisters.

I reported about this at the News of those once affiliated with the Global Church of God a few days ago.

The Journal also had the following, also related to the Living Church of God:

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—A member of the Living Church of God was among the passengers who perished in the crash of an EgyptAir plane that plunged into the Mediterranean on May 19, 2016. Monique Dalle, a member of the LCG’s Paris, France, congregation, was on her way to visit her daughter Esther in Cairo, Egypt, when the plane, flying at 37,000 feet, disappeared with 56 passengers and several crew members and air marshals aboard. Mrs. Dalle was married to Jean-Jacques Dalle. Besides her husband and daughter, Mrs. Dalle is survived by a son, Nathan.

I also reported about this earlier at the News of those once affiliated with the Global Church of God.

James “Mac” McCollum Overton, 66, a well- known East Texas journalist, long-time editor of The Gilmer Mirror and friend to many, passed away June 5, 2016, in Longview, Texas, after a sudden worsening of a long battle with poor health. ¶ Memorial services are planned for June 26 at the Church Of God Big Sandy, after which family and friends are invited to a potluck in his honor. He loved a good meal and loved even more a chance to visit with others. ¶ In keeping with his wishes he will be cremated, and after the memorial service his ashes will be returned home to Missouri by his eldest daughter. ¶ Mac was born March 24, 1950, in Poplar Bluff, Mo. He was preceded in death by his dearly beloved grand parents Grady and Vernie Webb of Qulin, Mo., and his father Charles Overton of Columbia, Mo. ¶ Mac is survived by f our daughters and their spouses, Janice and James Freeman of Palestine, Texas, Meagan and A.J. Dean, Rosenberg, Texas, Debbie and Brandon Smith of Melissa, Texas, and Rachel Overton of Melissa; six grandchildren, Jonathan Freeman, Jason Dean, Annabelle Dean, Zachary Smith, Avery Smith and Ava Day; as well as his mother, Anna Campbell, Qulin; brothers B.J. and Karon Campbell, Qulin, Fred and Cheryl Overton, Columbia; sisters Katheia and Ed Corrigan, Cape Girardeau, Mo., Sherri and Sam Swan, Knoxville, Tenn., Steph Campbell, Farmington, Mo., Arlene and Paul Bolerjack, Columbia; and nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and many dear friends. ¶ Mac was a lifelong learner with an inquisitive mind. He gr aduated as valedictorian of his Qulin High School class, attended Three Rivers College, then graduated from Arkansas State at Jonesboro and with honors from Ambassador College, Big Sandy, Texas, in 1976, with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts. ¶ He continued his education with a master’s degree with an emphasis in communications from UT Tyler in 1990 with a 4.0 GPA and pursued doctoral studies at Te xas A&M Commerce. ¶ Mac was widely recognized as a distinguished and dedicated print journalist. He served as editor of The Big Sandy & Hawkins Journal, 1982-1986, before moving on to become the editor of The Gilmer Mirror in January 1992, a post from which he retired last y ear. ¶ Mac was also distinguished internationally as a noted expert on collectors’ knives, writing features and reviews for trade publications f or several decades. ¶ He also served as a writer for In Transition and THE JOURNAL , two periodicals that served the readership of the Worldwide Church of God (and sister churches), of which he was a member. ¶ Among many hobbies Mac was a history buff, particularly of the Civil War and the Cherokee and Celtic nations. He was also an avid dog lover. ¶ Mac was a community-involved figure. Everyone thought highly of him. He was known for being kind, humble and generous. He is immensely missed by family and friends. ¶ Mac was a rare seven- year survivor of pancreatic cancer. In recent years he battled other health challenges that led to his rapid decline.

Surviving Mr. Overton

Mr. Overton was a member of the Church of God Big Sandy (Texas) and Christian Biblical Church of God (Hollister, Calif.).

His death comes as a shock. While we never met, Mac Overton and I occasionally exchanged emails. He also wanted to write a review of one of my books for The Journal, but that never happened.

The Journal reported the following related to the United Church of God:

MILFORD, Ohio—In a letter to elders and other United Church of God members, out- going council chairman Robin Webber announced his replacement. Taking over as the new chairman was Don Ward of Big Sandy, Texas. “I have served two consecutive terms in this position,” wrote Mr. Webber. “It’s my prayer and hope that you will support our new chairman, Dr. Ward, as much as you have shared yourselves and hearts with me.” Dr. Ward began attending Ambassador College, Big Sandy, as a freshman in 1969. He earned a B.A. in theology from AC and a doctor-of-education degree at East Texas State University. Dr. Ward was the next-to-last president of Ambassador, serving from 1990 through 1995.

I remember Robin Webber when he looked quite young, and now he has retired. Time flies.

The following was published in the letters to the editor:

‘October Award’ correction

[Regarding “Church of God Member Presented With Serbian City’s ‘October Award’ for Book on Hungarian Massacre,” issue No. 183, dated April 30, 2016:] The October Award for 2016 hasn’t been awarded yet. Right now the nomination process is under way so that committee is only receiving the nominations. Therefore, there was no statement from that committee. The statement THE JOURNAL published and ascribed to the committee is actually the statement of the journalist who nominated me. In that statement he explained the reasons for nominating me. I didn’t send you the entire statement related to my nomination, but that statement itself will most likely be a good enough reason that I don’t get the award: because the man who nominated me has in fact told off all those political parties who usually award their protégés rather than true citizens of merit. Considering that I am not a member of any political party, whose representatives make up that committee for selecting the person to be awarded, and considering the fact that none of those parties will be happy about my nomination, it is highly unlikely that I will be awarded. However, that statement of the local journalist who nominated me [which THE JOURNAL published in issue 183] was truly newsworthy. I am so sorry that I didn’t clearly explain what happened. On the other hand, I am grateful for your friendly support that has always been there. The article about my book two years ago was phenomenal.

Aleksandar “Sasha” Veljic Uzice, Serbia

Sasha contacted me about this and told me he was telling The Journal it had misunderstood some things about him. It was good that the correction ran. When I reported about this (see Cartwright’s Journal Out: SEP camp, Sasha Veljic, and Big Sandy Buildings), I intentionally did not include some of the ‘political’ advocacy as I was pretty certain that was not properly reported about Sasha–and he confirmed that.

The following was on the front page of The Journal:

THE JOURNAL is listing contact information, locations and dates of Feast of Tabernacles observances for 2016 in several issues this year.

Those associated with the Continuing Church of God, and we submitted them to The Journal can be found in the article Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2016.

As far as The Journal goes, it also had the usual letters to the editor and other advertisements, various comments, and opinion articles. The advertisements mainly seem to be from possibly Laodicean groups and/or individuals (not all seem to be COG) who seem to think that the ads are somehow doing the work. More of the real work the COGs should be doing are in the article The Final Phase of the Work.

The Journal itself is available by paid subscription (though Dixon Cartwright says some subscriptions are free to those who cannot afford it). It tends to have a non-Philadelphian approach to many matters.