If you are a member of the Living Church of God and you QUESTION something, are you allowed freedom to question and NOT be attacked and kicked out? Is there room for free thinking in the LCG? Reading the "duties" of the LCG overlords it appears that questioning is NOT something that they feel member should be doing. Those that question are turned over to Satan. Rod Meredith and the LCG ministry want you LCG members to know that when they kick you out and treat you like vermin, they are doing it out of LOVE!
The Fundamental Purposes for Ministerial Authority Are:
1. For the preservation of unity (Acts 15; 1 Corinthians 1:10; and 2 Corinthians 13:10). Unity is imperative if the Church is to function as one body. Singularity of objectives is the fruit of unity.
2. To protect the flock from “wolves” and the willfully disobedient (2 Thessalonians 3:6, 1014; Hebrews 13:17). At first glance it may seem like a horrible act to commit a person to Satan. However, in the end this act produces a more stable and re-dedicated Christian (1 Corinthians 5:5). In no way should this be construed as a hostile act. When viewed as an action of concern for the welfare of the person, it becomes an expression of love.
3. Binding and Loosing (Matthew 16:19). Judicial decisions must be made on unclear matters. Christ gave His ministers authority to decide on issues within God’s framework of law.
Living Church of God is all about L-O-V-E! But that LOVE should never be heavy handed....cough....cough...
Precautions to Keep in Mind When Exercising Ministerial Authority:
Exercise of authority must be motivated by love. Without love as the primary motive there is no way to use authority with justice within the Church community. The exercise of authority must never be taken lightly. Benefits derived from exercising authority in love are manifold. Severe and serious detriment will stem from the unjust, selfish and irresponsible use of authority. There are serious consequences for authority abuses (Ezekiel 34:2-6). A good rule of thumb is to use the least amount of authority necessary to do the job. Heavy authoritarianism is not required for people who have a heart for God’s ways. LCG Pastors Manuel pg 311-312
How many LCG ministers, elders, department heads and evangelists put the following guidelines into practice? When has the LCG minister ever
NOT overreacted? Its all about SUBMISSION which basically means that whenever a minister tell you something to do, even though you know it to be wrong, you are under his authority and MUST do it. Its a test from God to see how well you submit to authority. The law is written on LCG members hearts, but NOTHING is written there concerning Jesus. No grace, nothing.
Since abuse of authority is destructive, we must not over-react and go to the opposite extreme. We should seek to understand more of the mind of God as shown by scripture. “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven,” said Solomon. One could say the spiritual application is, “There is a time to exercise authority, but you must use love all the time.” A Christian voluntarily places himself under Christ and the authority of the Church. In this age submission to authority is a rare thing. Submission by members of God’s true Church represents clear evidence the Laws of God are being written in the hearts of men! Truly converted Christians are far more submissive to God’s Laws and authority than carnal-minded man. The Apostle Paul wrote some governmental guidelines to the Church at Corinth in dealing with serious conflicts in the Church, (2 Corinthians 3:3-6). We cannot judge the heart of man—but we may judge the fruit. The Pastor should always pray for discernment in these matters since God alone knows the heart (Isaiah 11:2-3 and Jeremiah 17:10). LCG Pastors Manuel pg 311-312
In order for an LCG minister to be a fair judge and arbitrator of the law, he must meet these expectations......of which every single LCG minister seems to have FAILED!
Guidelines for Exercising Church Discipline and Authority (Handout 3.4)
To exercise ecclesiastical authority properly and effectively, a minister:
- Must BE MOTIVATED BY LOVE.
- Must be ABOVE REPROACH in his personal conduct.
- Must have INSPIRED the flock to follow the RIGHT WAY by means of his personal EXAMPLE and PREACHING.
- Must be FAIR in judgment and in NO way a RESPECTER of persons.
- Must be CONSISTENT in the use of authority and BALANCED in frequency of its use.
- Must ensure that the degree of severity is suited to the seriousness of the infraction of God’s Laws (1 Corinthians 5:1-4). LCG Pastors Manuel pg 311-312
LCG ministers and HQ's treatment of members seems ot be slash and burn mentality. Jump to conclusions and kick them out allowing no recourse.
