Sunday, October 13, 2013

Living Church of God's Shrinking Ranks



The once dynamic work of Roderick C Meredith is no longer.  The great leader he assumed himself to be while in the Worldwide Church of God is not able to draw in new members.  Ever since he apostatized after the WCG paid for his libel suit brought on by Leona McNair, he has lead one failing organization after another.

From the bankruptcy of Global to his now shrinking LCG, Meredith no longer has the drawing power to bring in wayward COG members.  With the growing dissension in the LCG ranks in Charlotte to the backlash against his son potentially taking over after his death, Meredith is losing ground.

Usually when a COG holds a feast site some where in the world it's numbers swell with visitors and COG member's who Feast hop. Not so with LCG any more.

Doug Winnail writes:

Our preliminary figures indicate that about 9,500 individuals attended services or watched the live-streaming from the Feast of Tabernacles this year. This represents about a 1% increase in attendance in the USA, while attendance was down a bit in some international areas. Dr. Meredith has indicated he would like to start planning for a General Ministerial Conference to be held here in Charlotte on May 5-7, 2014.

You can bet Meredith is going to hold a conference!  Those ministers need to be whipped into shape.  The less members the less money being sent in.  Instead of getting rid of some of the dead weight in Charlotte and some of his worthless ministers, he will resort to an endless trail of letters shouting at members that the time is short and they need money for the final push.

Dennis muses on: The Three Shepherds

 
Are The Three Shepherds
(The Three Stooges:)
Bobby Rivers TV: On THE THREE STOOGES (
Flurry-Pack-Weinland
Sincere?
 
 
Danz Family: Christmas Play Shepherd
 
 
Does Ron Weinland really believe he and his wife are the Two Witnesses of Revelation?  Does Gerald Flurry really believe he is "that Prophet" spoken of by Malachi?  Does Dave Pack really believe the Minor Prophet Haggai is really speaking and foretelling Dave's coming to reunite those who God obviously disfellowshipped along the way so he could restore them?  For that matter, did HWA really believe he was spoken of in the Bible as an Elijah or Zerubbabel?
 
 
I have no idea...
 
It's Sunday let's chill – End your weekend with a smile
 
 
I do know, however, that title taking and searching the scriptures, by those who place themselves above everyone else in understanding, is a really bad habit and one of the more laughable practices in these particular cultic guru following sink holes.
 
Problem Child :: Projections Movie Review
 
 
We have the spectacle of minor players like a Bob Thiel who obsesses on getting a "doubt portion of God's Spirit" when he asked to merely be anointed in the tradition of James 5:14 and ends up yet another Prophet, in his mind.  With all due respect to Dr. Thiel, he is not a teacher, not a speaker and certainly not inspiring.  He's a Bible reader with a self given title and it's silly.  While harmless for the most part and unlike The Three Shepherds, Bob gives yet more reasons to scoff at religion.
 
A Foothill Home Companion: February 2009
 
Then we have the ever entertaining James Malm and E.W.King who I'd not know if I smashed into them.  Are they sincere?  Do they really believe their own shtick?   I have no idea.  I do know that letting them filter and guide my life through their views, opinions and minds would be a sign of insanity.  I'd say "Just who do you think you are?"  but I'd get too long a foolish and stupid answer.  These are two truly Bronze Age theorists who need someone to send them a New Testament for Christmas or Passover.
 
Sad Monkey Sitting In Prison Stock Photo - Image: 17547020
 
Does Ron Weinland really believe, as he sits in prison, he is Mr. Revelation 11?  Really?   Jesus said something about traveling and preaching with simple clothing and needs.  Ron traveled with diamonds and gold all paid for by the faithful tithes of the brain dead in my view.  Ron was and is not an inspiring teacher.  His sermons were always the same and very predictable in content.  He always gave me the impression he was winging it with little or no aforethought or preparation.  I guess Apostles and Witnesses can do that.
 
Big Tree: Il pazzo sulla collina
 
Is Dave Pack sincere?  Does he really believe he is the real Joshua the High Priest?  In his latest prophetic debacle he went from his truth on Haggai as absolute truth about him and his church to a great parallel. Absolute truth and something being literally true is not the same as a great parallel.  It's what you have to do when you screw up.  The last six months of Dave's screeds and amazing truths are simply rubbish.  He is not spoken of anywhere but in his head.   He has spent the last month as chief chef at the Waffle House as he tries to edit , explain, redact and seem humbly wrong, which is ok because he knows it was a simple, complex, easy to understand coded message to him and his brain dead seat gyrators.  Dave has made it clear that there are no apologies needed or coming.   A few years ago he declared the "final push" and sent out his Clarion Call to sell, give and do other very stupid and ill advised things to fund the end time work.  Pulling Big Triggers has translated into nice lawns, miles of mahogany trim and Steuben Crystal.   Where have I heard this story before?  I'm thinking it will end the same way.
 
 
So we have The Three Shepherds in the Churches of God who have and we hope continue to supply endless insanity and excellent reasons for the brethren to go get a life and vote with their feet.  For those by now who still can be both stuck and gyrate in their seats at the same time, I offer no hope and they can prove a previous point I made about there being a butt for every seat.
 
That Prophet Gerald Flurry
 
Mr. One of Two Witnesses Ron Weinland
(Can't wait for Dave Pack to search for his)
 
and
 
Watcher, Apostle and Joshua the High Priest David C Pack
(Yellow because he won't debate me)
 
 
Do they really believe their own stories?  What kind of blindness is it that infects their followers?
Why do we care?  Anyone with even half a brain can see the foolishness of paying heed to these men theologically.  They simply do not know what they are talking about.  I have NO PROBLEM sitting down with Dave Pack and publicly discussing theology with him.  However, Dave has proved, at least to me, that his power lies in staying behind closed doors in his ivory tower amongst his own.  He weak theologically but strong in hubris and Bible reading.  Out in the sunshine in the clear light of public scrutiny, he would not stand a chance. None of The Three Shepherds in the Fractured Church of God would survive three minutes with a first year theology student.
 
 
I always heard that the Beatle's "Fool on the Hill" was about the Armstrongs.  I don't know that either but it sure fit. 
 
Are The Three Shepherds just old lyrics?
 
I guess if the song fits...sing it!
 
"The Fool On The Hill"
Day after day, alone on the hill
The man with the foolish grin is keeping perfectly still
But nobody wants to know him
They can see that he's just a fool
As he never gives an answer
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down
And the eyes in his head
See the world spinning around

Well on the way, head in a cloud
The man of a thousand voices talking percetly loud
But nobody ever hears him
Or the sound he appears to make
And he never seems to notice
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down
And the eyes in his head
See the world spinning around

And nobody seems to like him
They can tell what he wants to do
And he never shows his feelings
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down
And the eyes in his head
See the world spinning around

He never listen to them
He knows that they're the fools
They don't like him
The fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down
And the eyes in his head
See the world spinning around


 Spinning Heads : NO QUARTER USA NET