Church of God News

COGwriter

What does the Continuing Church of God spend tithes and offerings on?

We use them to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God (Matthew 24:14), teach all that Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:19-20), feed the flock, support the poor, put forth the Ezekiel chapters 3,5, &6 warning?, work towards the fullness of the Gentiles coming in (Romans 11:25), work on restoring all things (cf. Matthew 17:11), watch and report on world events aligning with biblical prophecies (cf. Mark 13:1-37), prepare for the short work of Romans 9:28, lead the final phase of the work with brotherly love, and pay for various forms of media (see Continuing Church of God Multimedia page) as Philadelphia continues (Hebrews 13:1).

In its Letter to the Brethren: January 18, 2024, the Continuing Church of God had the following:

We have been busy with many things.

We received another 25 translations of our English booklet titled The Gospel of the Kingdom of God this week. The work of reaching the world with a witness of the good news of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 24:14) continues. …

Spending in Calendar Year 2023

One project here has been finalizing our year-end accounting. We also have mailed out donation receipts to our USA supporters.

Regarding funds, Jesus said, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21) and “I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink … inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me (Matthew 25:35,40) and “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

In the Roman calendar year of 2023, ordinary USA income we received was down 1/2 of 1 percent. Our spending mainly increased in radio and literature production, and we were basically able to do that because of some extraordinary donations we had received in 2022 as well as no longer needing to provide financial support to Serbia.

We ended the calendar year with an additional thousand congregants in Africa, compared to the start of 2023–and that is consistent with prophecies such as Romans 11:25 (see also What About Romans 11:25 and the Full Number of the Gentiles?). The CCOG remains the fastest growing x-WCG group in the 21st century, hence we do have the fruits of a prophet (cf. Matthew 7:16-20).

So, how were funds spent?

In the CCOG we really do focus on others and reaching the world with the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. In 2023, we traveled to make and teach disciples in many lands (cf. Matthew 28:19-20), produced more literature, massively expanded our radio presence, helped the poor, made future contacts related to the final phase of the work, and took major steps preparing for the short work of Romans 9:28 (see Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word) as we work towards the fulfillment of Matthew 24:14.

In 2023, we passed having our English-language booklet, The Gospel of the Kingdom of God, translated and available in over 1000 languages/dialects (see also Preaching the Gospel in Over 1000 Languages). Nothing close to this has ever been done in the history of the Church of God from Acts 2 to present. This is something that is needed to help support the fulfillment of Matthew 24:14, Romans 9:28, Romans 11:25, the ‘Ezekiel warning’ (see What is the Ezekiel Warning?), and the ultimate fulfillment of Revelation 7:9.

Overall, if you sent the CCOG a check for US$100.00 in 2023 here is how it was spent:

1. Internet proclamation 7.30
2. Literature 21.86
3. Video and animation production 2.95
4. Foreign final phase of the work 10.45
5. Broadcast Radio 7.30
6. US Feast of Tabernacles’ costs and US travel 2.65
7. Administration and legal expenses 0.47
8. Salaries, health insurance, and retirement plans for US leaders 0.00
9. Support to Europe 0.23
10. Support to or for Africa 46.79

Yes, our income goes to support the physically and spiritually poor as we work to fulfill Matthew 24:14, Romans 11:25, the Ezekiel Warning, and Matthew 28:19-20.

Here are some longer explanations of each of the categories:

1. Internet proclamation includes paying for servers, URL fees for websites, video platforms (like Vimeo), and our Google and Microsoft campaigns to reach people around the world. The Google campaign made over 80 million impressions on personal computers, laptops, tablets, and ‘smart’ cellular telephones with parts of the Philadelphian message in 2023–this would have been much higher, but because Google changed its rules, the aspects of the campaign were put on hold by Google for many months in 2023. The Microsoft campaign, which targets 7th day Sabbath keepers, has had over 395,684 computer impressions since 2021, with 99,040 in 2023.
2. Literature include the production costs, printing, certain translation costs (CCOG member translators are volunteers, but we also have an arrangement with an orphanage in Pakistan that we pay for those who volunteer to help it via doing translations for us), and distribution of the BibleNewsProphecy magazine in various languages as well as various books and booklets. The costs here also include formatting non-English literature in forms that it can be available on the internet as well as forms to allow it to be printed in the USA and Africa. This increased in 2023 as our number of gospel booklet translations went up dramatically. The good news is supposed to be “published” (Mark 13:10, KJV/AFV) and we are doing that in both the Western and Eastern Hemispheres.
3. Video and animation production covers the costs to produce the BibleNewsProphecy videos, CCOG animations, the Behind the Works video, and the creation of DVDs that are sent to some international locations for the Feast of Tabernacles. It also, sometimes, includes cost for sermon production–but those costs are normally negligible. These videos are one of the major ways we reach people in different nations around the world (as we also do via radio and literature). Because we mainly use free platforms, we do not have to spend massive amounts here.
4. Foreign Final phase of the work expenses (professional fees, project support, government fees, and travel) are generally for non-USA matters (essentially long-term proclamation matters related to Romans 9:23-28 and 11:23-28; see also The Final Phase of the Work). We are making contacts and working with various government, NGO, and private organizations in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. We were able to make (as well as better solidify) certain key contacts as well as attain information and opportunities which we believe supports the final phase of the work. US expenses related to the final phase of the work are in other categories (like Literature and Internet expenses).
5. Radio expenses are basically fees we pay to broadcast the good news of the Kingdom of God on commercial radio stations. These costs basically doubled in 2023 as we increased our radio presence in 2023 by adding a USA network that decided we should not preach original Christianity, so we then went on another network as well as on a 50,000 watt FM station in the USA. We are also on AM and shortwave radio in Europe (which also covers parts of North Africa and the Middle East),  one radio station in Kenya, one station in Ghana (which is mainly paid for by the brethren in Ghana with some assistance from the USA), plus we are on a shortwave station in the USA that also covers parts of Asia (we are also on a radio station in the Philippines, which the brethren there pay for). Our online internet radio station expenses (we added one in 2023) are mainly covered by New Zealand (so not shown here).
6. US Feast of Tabernacles’ costs include what the hotel charges for the meeting room and some travel and other expenses. This category also includes other US travel, which tends to be low.
7. Administrative expenses. This tends to include a few office supplies, mandatory government fees, and telephone costs. My business office does NOT charge the CCOG for use of space, electricity, postal machine use, etc.
8. Salaries are not paid to leaders in the USA. People such as myself, Steve Dupuie, Louis Rubin, Bill Wedekind, James Martenet, and our Spanish language translators like Carlos Aponte and Oscar Leal are also not paid—we all have freely donated our time. Nor have we paid wages for their spouses. Nor have we funded any retirement nor health insurance plans.
9. Europe. We provided some financial ministerial support in early 2023 to Serbia. With changes there, this resulted in substantially less funds needing to go there in 2023.
10. Support for Africa includes paying for ministerial expenses to reach and teach, travel to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God, printing some literature, certain translation expenses, distributing literature, meeting space assistance, youth camps, supporting the poor (Galatians 2:10; Romans 12:13; cf. James 2:14-16; Hebrews 13:16; Isaiah 58:7; Proverbs 28:27), including widows and orphans (James 1:27). The vast majority of our members reside in Africa and many fruits are being produced. The Bible is clear that the fulness/full number of the Gentiles must come in before Jesus returns (Romans 11:25; see also What About Romans 11:25 and the Full Number of the Gentiles? ) and our spending reflects our seriousness in working to help this get accomplished. The results of these efforts continue to bear fruits (cf. Matthew 7:16-20).

The vast bulk of funds are spent to preach, witness (Matthew 24:14), reach, prepare for the short work (Romans 9:28), and teach, with nearly all the rest to support the poor and widows. It appears that never before in Church of God history have so few helped so many with so little for so long, in order to have the impact that the Continuing Church of God is having.

More on our presence in various media can be found at the Continuing Church of God Multimedia page.

We strongly believe that whatever you send is well spent to support the Philadelphian remnant as we work on Matthew 24:14 and Matthew 28:19-20 while we strive to be ready for the short work (Romans 9:28) and our part in the final phase of the work (e.g. Daniel 11:32; Luke 21:12-17).

The Continuing Church of God accepts tithes, offerings, and other financial donations.

Those who wish to voluntarily aid and support this worldwide Work of God are gladly welcomed as co-workers in this major effort to preach and publish the gospel to all nations per Matthew 24:14 and Matthew 28:19-20.

Our mailing address is Continuing Church of God, 1036 W. Grand Ave., Grover Beach, CA 93433. Telephone is 1-805-574-1818.

Some have sent checks, others cash, others money orders, and even have used Western Union to donate. We also accept bank transfers.

We also do have a way to accept donations via VISA/MasterCard/Discover which is directly or indirectly through PayPal (which can handle many major credit cards). PayPal is a major way that many use to send donations. Simply click on the Donate button below and you can enter any amount that you wish to donate to the Continuing Church of God:

And yes, in the USA, donations are immediately tax deductible as we have full IRS tax exempt status per Title 26 IRC 508(c)(1)(A). For those who in live in the State of California, we were specifically-approved in writing for our request for tax exemption status there. California nonprofit corporation number C3558924.

Donations to the Continuing Church of God are 100% deductible in all the US states. Here is a link to the CCOG-USA office donations’ page: Donations.

Tax exempt status in New Zealand was also approved, and hence donations in New Zealand are also fully tax deductible. Check out CCOG.nz as you have to send donations to New Zealand for them to be deductible there.

Tax exempt status in Canada was also approved, and hence donations in Canada are also fully tax deductible. Check out CCOGCANADA.CA as you have to send donations to Canada for them to be deductible there.

Hear the words of Jesus:

2 … The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. (Luke 10:2).

Pray for more laborers for the harvest as we push forward to do the work. Thank you for your support.

The Continuing Church of God is pleased to announce this sermon from its ContinuingCOG channel:

1:11:00

Tithing and CCOG Spending

Should the most faithful Christian church be supported through tithes and offerings? Is that biblical? What did the old WCG ‘Tithing’ booklet teach? Are funds used to fulfill Jesus’ commissions in Matthew 24:14 and Matthew 28:19-20? Do funds received by the church fund what the Bible says should be done? What did Jesus day to those sheep who gave to support the poor? If there will always be poor, does it make scriptural sense to support the poor in places like Africa? What about the fulness of the Gentiles coming in and the Ezekiel warning? Does it make sense to spend funds on radio, the internet, and other types of multimedia? What about the production and publishing of literature? Does it make sense to have ‘Gospel of the Kingdom of God’ booklets translated into over 1000 languages/dialects? How did the Continuing Church of God spend its ordinary USA donations in 2023? Should people tithe on agricultural produce only or all of their increase? Are tithes your money or God’s? Are there multiple tithes? Should you tithe on your gross or net income? Does tithing take faith in God? To whom should you tithe? How can you determine that the CCOG is the most faithful Philadelphian remnant that you should send tithes and offerings to? Are tithes and offerings income tax deductible in various nations? Do you wish to be a sheep or goat according to Jesus’ words in Matthew 25? Dr. Thiel addresses those issues and more in this sermon.

Here is a link to our video: Tithing and CCOG Spending.

Tweet

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 18th, 2024 at 4:00 pm and is filed under COG News.

• How does the Continuing Church of God spend tithes and offerings?
• Sermon: Tithing and CCOG Spending
• Sermon: Tithing answers from the Bible
• Tithing answers from the Bible
• Sermonette: How Does the CCOG Spend Tithes & Offerings?
• Continuing Church of God relocates to Grover Beach, California
• Sermon: Tithes and Tithing
• Sermon: CCOG spending and priorities
• Sermonette: Why Holy Day Offerings?
• Announcing the Official Website of the Continuing Church of God