UCG’s two Spanish updates (and what really is going on)

Ancient Laodicea

UCG made two Spanish updates lately. Here is the one they announced for the membership last night:

Update From the Spanish Media Department

We have been very busy the last couple of months in the Spanish media department and we have some very exciting news to share. As of yesterday, four of the Beyond Today programs have been fully translated into Spanish and they are now available online for anyone to watch.

The above indirectly implies that things are somewhat normal that way in UCG. Yet, is another Spanish update that I have known about for several days, but was unsure if I wanted to post it until now. It is from a letter from UCG President Luker to the Spanish ministers (available at Abigail Cartwright’s site):

RE: You affiliation with United Church of God, an international association

Greeting from Dennis Luker, from the Home Office in Cincinnati.

It is evident that there is actually more than one organization that is now operating in what before was one Church of God that was united in the Hispanic area under the name the United Church of God, an international association (UCGia).

The original structure, which continues and is the only one recognized by the UCGia, is the one administered under me as the Director of the Hispanic Region (Director). According to the Rules of Association the subsidies of the UCGia continue to help the elders and member of the congregations that have maintained their association with the UCGia and recognize me as the Director.

During the recent month of June, a new organization was formed under the leadership of an elder that before was part of UCGia and was the Regional Director of the Hispanic Regions, Leon Walker. This separation began about the time that Mr. Walker was removed and no longer employed as the Director, this occurred on June 22, 2010. In spite of the removal of Mr. Walker as the Director, and after the Council of Elders of the UCGia (from here on referred to as the COE) authorized the removal of his ministerial credentials, he continues to claim that he is the Director and he has ministers and members following him, and we understand your are one of those elders…

Under the Ministerial Code of Ethics, all of the elders of UCGia should support the Constitution and the Bylaws of the UCGia, which grant the COE jurisdiction over your ministerial credentials (which includes who can serve as Regional Director—which is a ministerial post) and also which groups or entitles are recognized by UCGia, and can be therefore affiliated.

To refuse to respect these decisions, and continue affiliating with a group that is not recognized as part of the UCGia, you give the COE of the UCGia no other option than to suppose that you do no longer want to be a elder of the UCGia and that you openly defy the decisions of the COE. Since you are listed as an elder of UCGia, when in reality you are not a part of UCGia, this only causes confusion in the church in Latin America and this situation cannot be permitted to continue.

As a result, we advise you that at the next teleconference of the Council of Elders, the agenda will include an item to revoke your UCGia ministerial credentials through the authorization of the COE and also your removal as a member of the General Conference of Elders. You however have the option of resigning as an elder of the UCGia in which case it will not be necessary for the COE to revoke your ministerial credentials.

UCG is having problems with Latin America still. Here is a response from one of the Latin American ministers:

Bogotá, November 18, 2010

It is with great sadness that I write this letter…

Mr. Luker’s letter of November 11th to all the Latin American ministers, in which he gives them an ultimatum, finally makes his intentions clear and reveals what the Council really thought of this entire process. That letter has nothing to do with what you, the President of the Church and the Council, had told me and had given me to believe would happen regarding Latin America. In fact, it goes completely against everything we supposedly agreed to during my visit to the home office on September 13-15 of this year.

During the last few months I have tried to honor and respect the letter of appeal that 168 ministers sent to the Council, requesting an opportunity for reconciliation with the ministers and members from Latin America…

Today I finally know that no process of reconciliation is possible because there is no desire on the part of the Council and the administration for that to occur…

Sincerely,

Eduardo Hernández

Yes, there is confusion in amongst those who had been part of UCG in Latin America.

Leon Walker made the following statements on 11/19/10:

As you know, Denny Luker sent a letter to the Spanish ministry still credentialed by UCG demanding that they choose between him or me—as though that was the issue. The letter contains many errors regarding this issue—including the concept that I have formed a group in competition with UCG. This is totally false. I have not formed any new group. I have visited with and spoken only before United Church of God congregations in Latin America, pastored by ministers still credentialed by UCG. However, Mario Seiglie has traveled to Latin America and formed groups in competition to the UCG congregations—contrary to the UCG Rules of Association.

This morning Mario began a telephone campaign calling the Spanish ministry and asking what they plan to do regarding Mr. Luker’s letter. Mario attempted to intimidate them by stating that if they reject the Council of Elders they are rejecting the government of God. How arrogant! Did Mario believe that when he rejected the WCG Pastor General in 1995 that he was rejecting the government of God?

The hypocrisy of those who rejected the governance system that they all publicly proclaimed that they supported prior to UCG’s formation in 1995 has long been obvious to me. And apparently Leon Walker decided to also point it out.

The truth is that “the chickens are coming home to roost”, to cite an American expression. Or you reap what you sow, as the Bible points out.

Anyway, these are trying times for those in UCG, and I would again suggest that they study and pray about what has been going on. The foundation of UCG has always been the rejection of the type of governance that nearly all of its original members and initial ministers had claimed to support. And this has led to many problems, as well as lack of emphasis on proclaiming the gospel to the world as a witness.

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.