UCG Publishes Financials

Laodicea Has Many Scattered Structures that Are Relatively Ineffective

The November 2008 edition of UCG’s United News arrived last night and contained the audited financial statements for the United Church of God.

The statements show that UCG’s income was up 2.3% for its 2007-2008 fiscal year (LCG’s was up 6.9% for the most comparable period).

As many have asked me about how LCG differs from UCG, a comparison of how they spend their income, in my view, helps answer a lot of questions.

Brief Financial Comparison of US Income (Both Based on Audited Statements)

For its fiscal year ending 6/30/08 UCG grossed $23,927,074. It spent 5,734,800 (24.0%) for ‘public proclamation’; it spent 4,228,695 for managing its meetings and ‘home office’ (17.7%); and 13,375,144 (55.9%) for the field ministry/local churches/FOT/International support, and increased reserves by 590,435. For its fiscal year ending 12/31/07 LCG grossed 11,887,020 and spent 5,446,269 on public proclamation, 823,910 on HQ administration, 5,452,938 to ‘feed the flock’ and increased reserves by 163,903.

If you gave $100.00 to the United Church of God or the Living Church of God, here is where your money went:

.......................................United Church of God....Living Church of God

1st Commission to Proclaim the Gospel to the World....$23.97........$45.82
2nd Commission to Feed the Flock (and Field Ministry)..55.90.........45.87
Headquarters/Home Office...............................17.67..........6.92
Change in Reserves......................................2.46..........1.39
Total................................................$100.00.......$100.00

UCG’s headline claim was “United’s Financial Statements Again Reflect God’s Blessings”. And on a positive note, it did spend a lower percentage of income supporting its home office staff and a higher percentage on public proclamation than it ever has before. But I still have concerns about its priorities and entire message (it is biblically lacking in several areas in my opinion).

Jesus taught:

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Mattew 6:21).

I went with LCG because of Gospel proclamation emphasis and biblical church governance. It is interesting that UCG spent almost 3 times as high a percentage on governance than LCG does (and over 5 times as much in actual cash, UCG spent $4,226,695 vs. LCG’s 823,910).

Which form of governance is more cost-effective? Which form places the higher priority on proclaiming the Gospel?

With half the income, LCG spends similar amounts of actual cash as UCG does to proclaim the Gospel. LCG also reaches several times as many people over television than UCG does (actually, in the last two months alone LCG has reached about as many people on television as UCG has since it began in 1995). LCG also produces twice the number of magazines (Tomorrow’s World vs. Good News) on a per member basis than UCG does.

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Some articles of related interest may include:

There are Many COGs: Why Support the Living Church of God? This is an article for those who wish to easily sort out the different COGs. It really should be a MUST READ for current and former WCG members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.
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.
Polycarp, Herbert W. Armstrong, and Roderick C. Meredith on Church Government What form of governance did the early church have? 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?
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 Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now basically the Living Church of God.
The Laodicean Church Era was predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. Non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG.