Church of God Brethren

Several years ago I wrote a short essay under the title “The ‘church’ and the WCG.” Before I copy that essay for your consideration, I want to share with you some of the reasons for this blogsite and why I believe it to be a very special personal blessing. In fact, I have decided to publish as a heading of the blogsite my desire that it be dedicated to those of my brethren who are now part of what I refer to as “The Scattered ‘church’ and Churches of God.”

Please understand that I am not a minister. I was baptized into the “church” of God several decades ago before what can arguably be called the great “falling away.” I am not a teacher, neither am I affiliated with any of the many surviving Churches of God.

On this site we may ask any question; question any doctrine; and refuse to accept any answer which we do not believe has been answered to our satisfaction. Our goal will be to more perfectly understand the many truths and mysteries of God; nevertheless, argument and contention cannot and will not be tolerated.

In my first posting I included a short list of questions I believe have not been properly researched. In fact, my personal studies have uncovered many answers which disagree with the teaching of our ministers. It is my hope that in this format we can discuss many of these questions and perhaps gain a more perfect overall understanding. We may also be able to better understand why so many of those who minister over us have thus far been reluctant to openly discuss many of our doctrinal concerns.

Beginning with my next posting I shall begin to ask these and many other questions; but today I want to post an open letter to those who were our brethren so very long ago. No matter where they may be found they are still our brethren; and shall remain our brethren until the return of our Saviour, Brother, Lord, and King.

The “church” and the WCG

Several decades ago an organization of men took to themselves the secular name, “The Worldwide Church of God.” In fairness, this move was forced upon them by the mores and laws of society. By adopting a name acceptable to the authorities governing such things, and by the compliance of this organization to the laws governing religious organizations, they were able to legitimize themselves in the eyes of society and make themselves eligible for certain legal and financial benefits.

The members of this organization believed they were the “One True Church of God” and were prepared to prove it from the pages of the Bible. I really don’t know how many hundreds of Churches there are within the definition of professing Christianity, but I wonder if any one of them does not believe they are that “True Church”; and that within the realm of professing Christendom, they alone have a more perfect understanding of the truths and mysteries of God.

Under the leadership of Herbert W. Armstrong, the ministry and membership of the Worldwide Church of God had as a basic tenet of their beliefs that the Bible held the truths and the teachings of Almighty God. Throughout the congregation there was a fervent desire to live in obedience to those truths and to constantly strive for greater individual understanding and spiritual perfection. Because of this, it is my belief that those individuals whom God had chosen to separate for Himself were at that time drawn to the Worldwide Church of God.

For some time, under the leadership of Mr. Armstrong, a large part of this Worldwide Church was made up of those whom God had chosen. These were the elect of God, the “ekklesia”; these were the chosen of God, the true “church” of God. For a time they were of the Worldwide Church, but only inasmuch as that organization remained faithful to the truths of God. I believe that the Worldwide Church of God, as an organization of men, was not at any time the true “church” of God!

That which had such a wonderful and noble beginning disintegrated into petty squabbles within the ministry; this eventually resulted in the dismantling and scattering of a majority of the congregation. Many of those who were (and still are) our brethren went back to the world and the lives they had tried so hard to put behind them.

These lost brethren of thirty years ago had been baptized and blessed by their ministers at a time when there was a spirit of peace and unity within the ministry and the Church. Some whom I considered to be truly begotten of God began to see problems within the teachings of the Church; when they tried to discuss these problems with others of the brethren or with the ministry they were labelled “seditious troublemakers” and were either ignored, censured, or asked to leave the congregation. Many of our brethren were actually cast out of the Church while others simply fell away; disillusioned, discouraged, and disgusted.

When the Church we had come to know began to fall apart and the ministry began to set themselves up as individual shepherds over God’s scattered sheep, many of our brethren felt betrayed. Many saw that betrayal as being so profound they will never again place their hope for salvation in any mortal man! More than ever before, where their eternal lives were concerned, they came to identify with the scripture which told them: “Let no man take your crown!”

Have those who left the Church had their one and only chance for salvation? If they do not return to the arms of the ministry and to the Church are they doomed to join Satan and his demons in the lake of fire? Many of those who were scattered have already “fallen asleep” while in rejection of everything they once believed -- are they lost to us forever?

I must believe that a merciful God will show compassion to those who rejected a selfish and deceitful ministry rather than the Father they had come to know and love. My concern is that their belief (their faith) may have been so great that they saw their ministers as true ministers of God, and their teachings as the perfect truths of God; by rejecting His ministers and their teaching, many of the brethren may have felt it necessary to also reject Him that sent them!

The betrayal of the ministry was so deep, and so pervasive, that it would be difficult if not impossible to measure the harm that was done to the brethren. Some of the same ministers who caused the problem were also the same ministers who cast many of our brethren from the Church.

Many of those who caused such a tremendous rift within the unity of the Worldwide Church congregations now preach and teach in some of the many differing Churches of God. Many of them, if not all, believe they have been chosen by God to minister over an end-time remnant of His flock. Such incredible arrogance is hardly conceivable; yet many of them seem convinced that everything they’ve done over the years was done “in God’s name!”

The organization known as the Worldwide Church of God still exists today; but it is little more than an embarrassing sham of what it once was. Anyone willing to take the time to study the current beliefs and doctrines of this Church, and compare them with those of times past, must wonder what attracted the present ministry to the Church in the first place.

However, it is of far greater importance that we understand what happened to those of our brethren who chose to leave the Worldwide Church of God; or were forced out by the ministry. Make no mistake, among these can be found the true “church” of God. These are the “ekklesia,” God’s chosen, God’s children; whether they remained in smaller groups able to fellowship one with the other, or were forced to survive as individuals alone and scattered throughout the world; they are the true “church” of God.

Note: Next week I hope to explore a question concerning the resurrection of Jesus: “Did Jesus rise from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures or after the third day according to the Scriptures?” I urge you to consider the thoughts and conclusions put forward in the study-paper entitled “Three Days and Three Nights.”