Church of God News

COGwriter

In his weekly update, WCG/GCI’s J. Tkach wrote:

Jesus once asked his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered boldly, “You are the Christ.” But then Peter immediately showed that he had no idea what being the Christ was all about. Mark 8:31 tells us,

“Jesus then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.”

So Jesus had to rebuke Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” Jesus told him. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Jesus came to take human sin and its consequences upon himself, to free humanity from the bondage of sin and restore us to a right relationship with God and one another, and doing that involved condemnation and death, followed by resurrection and ascension to the Father.

To follow him is not a path to national glory and power, nor to ease and prosperity, but a life of self-sacrificial love. “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me,” Jesus told Peter.

All of us must face the question, “Who is Jesus?”

And that part of the update is correct: Jesus was the Christ.

J. Tkach’s article was fairly short, and here are some scriptures that I believe help explain a bit more about who Jesus was:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made (John 1:1-3, NKJV).

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14, NKJV).

Christ Jesus, who subsisting in (the) form of God thought (it) not robbery to be equal to God, but emptied Himself, taking (the) form of a slave, becoming in (the) likeness of men” (Literal translation. Green J.P. ed. Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, 3rd ed. Baker Books, Grand Rapids (MI), 1996, p. 607). Note that “emptied Himself” is the literal translation in the Greek (the Roman Catholic Church also teaches that Jesus “emptied Himself”–see Catechism of the Catholic Church, #461. Imprimatur Potest +Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger. Doubleday, NY 1995, p. 129).

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved…(John 3:16-17, NKJV)

14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world (1 John 4:14, NKJV).

Jesus had been God, but emptied Himself of His divinity to live as a human.  The Father sent Him as savior to die for the sins of all humanity.  This is something that He did not have to do, but chose to do because of love for humanity.

That’s who Jesus was.

Jesus is now at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 10:12), and Jesus is love as the Father is love (1 John 4:7). He now intercedes for humanity as the “one mediator” (1 Timothy 2:5).  That is who Jesus is.

Jesus will come again, but in glory, and will judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42) and of His Kingdom there will be no end.  And it will be a Kingdom of love with no more pain or sorrow (Revelation 21:4). That is what He will do in the future.

More on Jesus can be found in the articles:

Jesus is God, But Was Made Man Was Jesus fully human and fully God or what?
Virgin Birth: Does the Bible Teach It? What does the Bible teach? What is claimed in The Da Vinci Code?
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was the Emphasis of Jesus and the Early Church Did you know that? Do you even know what the gospel of the kingdom is all about? True religion should be based upon the true gospel.
Are You Saved? Do You Love Jesus? What is a True Christian? What is the Gospel? Evangelist Richard Ames answers those important questions.
Universal Offer of Salvation: There Are Hundreds of Verses in the Bible Supporting the Doctrine of True Apocatastasis Do you believe what the Bible actually teaches on this? Will all good things be restored? Will God call everyone? Will everyone have an opportunity for salvation? Does God’s plan of salvation take rebellion and spiritual blindness into account?
What is the Meaning of Life? Who does God say is happy? What is your ultimate destiny? Do you really know? Does God actually have a plan for YOU personally?

COGwriter

GIC (formerly WCG) sent out an email to an article by its J. Tkach which stated:

Perfect Atonement

In ancient Israel, as well as in Judaism today, the greatest of the holy days was Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

It was the day that gathered up the worship of every other day. The high priest would stand before the people as their divinely appointed representative, bearing the names of all of the twelve tribes engraved on his breastplate and shoulders.

He would perform the rituals of animal sacrifice using the blood of a bull and a goat, and as the representative of every Israelite, confess the sins of the whole nation.

Only on this one day each year the high priest, and only the high priest, after performing special rituals for his own cleansing and self-consecration, would enter the most holy and sacred chamber of the Temple, the Holy of Holies, on behalf of all Israel, praying for the people and sprinkling the sacrificial blood for all their sins.

The New Testament writers saw this sacred ceremony as the foreshadowing of the atoning work of Jesus Christ, who came from God as the true High Priest, our perfect representative and substitute, in solidarity with all humanity, bearing the names of all people throughout all times.

And I would tend to agree with him on these points.

Perhaps I should add that J. Tkach (and the church he leads), while retaining some knowledge of the Day of Atonement, no longer observes it like those in the New Testament did.

To learn more about the meaning and observation of the Day of Atonement, please read the article The Day of Atonement–Its Christian Significance.

Brasilia, Brazil

COGwriter

While many are looking to the USA to lead the world out of its economic slump, it may be that Brazil will help do that instead:

Brazil’s Economy Is Making ‘Sound’ Recovery, Meirelles Says

By Laura Price and Marta Marino

Sept. 5 (Bloomberg) — Brazil’s economy is making a “sound” recovery from the global financial slump as domestic demand for goods rises and access to credit returns, central bank President Henrique Meirelles said.

“The Brazilian economy is already on the recovery path, led by domestic demand,” Meirelles said in a Bloomberg Television interview today. “All the leading indicators show a sound recovery, and that is led by employment, income and domestic demand.”

Meirelles, who was in London to meet with other Group of 20 finance heads, said Brazil’s economy is recovering faster than most other countries as economic stimulus measures take effect.

“The recovery is gradual but faster than most of the other countries,” Meirelles said. “Since the measures were taken to address questions such as contraction of credit lines, the recovery tends to happen faster.”

Brazilian Finance Minister Guido Mantega yesterday said the country’s gross domestic product grew 1.8 percent to 2 percent in the second quarter compared with the first. Official GDP numbers will be released Sept. 11.   http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=a2ME_xcoOxEc

The Economist Decides to Teach Brazil and Lula a Few Lessons

Written by Pedro de Oliveira

Saturday, 05 September 2009…In the editorial, the magazine conveys the idea that Brazilians, and particularly Lula – are living a key moment in their history – when the “giant asleep” is mentioned as one of the five or six world countries with protagonist roles into the 21st century. The Economists states that no summit meeting happening in the world today would do without the presence of Brazil and of Lula. After all, says the magazine, “he’s the man”, said Barack Obama at a G-20 meeting, while Fidel Castro referred to the Brazilian President as “my brother Lula.”This privileged status is debited by the magazine to the economic “stabilization” period put in practice by Lula and – amazing – by his predecessor, Fernando Henrique Cardoso. The editors forget that FHC left the country in 2002 at the brink of an economic abyss.”Brazil was, among the ten main economies in the planet, the last one to enter the recession and rises now as one of the first to come out of it“… says the editorial, which goes on to remind us that it was Goldman Sachs who characterized the group formed by Brazil, Russia, India and China as the BRIC which, according to them, will dominate the world around 2050. At the time, reminds the magazine, there were those who doubted that Brazil would have the muscle to join such a group.   http://www.brazzil.com/component/content/article/208-september-2009/10252-the-economist-decides-to-teach-brazil-and-lula-a-few-lessons.html

Most people in North America simply do not realize that Brazil has natural resources (and now also oil), agriculture, and manufacturing might.  And relatively little debt.  It also could in a few short years not need ANY oil (though now that it has found a lot of its own, it will likely use some of it, and sell the rest).

While Brazil will have economic ups and downs (and its current president is term limited out so a new one will come fairly soon), the reality is that a new economic order is starting to arise on the world scene and Brazil will likely align with the player that will seem to be the strongest one economically.  And I believe that Bible prophecy indicates that it will most likely align with the emerging European power.

Two articles of possibly related interest may include:

Mexico, Central America, South America, and Brazil in Prophecy [Español: México, America Central, Suramérica, y el Brasil en profecíal] [Português: México, América Central, Ámérica do Sul, e Brasil na profecia] What will happen to those of Latin America? Will they have prosperity? Will they cooperate with Europe? Will they suffer in the future? What rule might the various Caribbean nations/territories play?
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? What is ahead for Europe?

COGwriter

Today,  GIC (formerly WCG) sent out an email to an article by its J. Tkach which began with:

Trinitarian theology

“Garbage in – garbage out” is a truism in many areas, and the most important area is in our personal theology.  Wrong concepts about God result in lives that miss the fullness of life God wants us to have.

Now, the whole idea of theology might sound a little intimidating, but really it’s just another way of saying “God knowledge.” Our personal theology consists of whatever we believe to be true about God.  So in one way or another, we all have a theology. And certainly every church and denomination has a theology. It’s the framework that undergirds and informs their doctrines and practices.

“Trinitarian theology” is a particular approach to theology that sees the Trinity—Father, Son and Holy Spirit – as the core and foundation for understanding the Bible and all aspects of Christian faith. Trinitarian theology, seeking to know God as God is, correctly begins with “Who?” It asks, “Who is the God made known in Jesus Christ, and who are we in relation to him?”

The Bible, of course, gives us the answers.

J. Tkach is correct that the Bible has the answers.  So does early church history.  And neither teaches the type of  “Trinitarian theology” that GIC now advocates.

For proof from the Bible, as well as early church writings, please carefully study the following articles:

Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning Is binitarianism the correct position? What about unitarianism or trinitarianism?
Is The Father God? What is the view of the Bible? What was the view of the early church?
Jesus is God, But Was Made Man Was Jesus fully human and fully God or what?
Virgin Birth: Does the Bible Teach It? What does the Bible teach? What is claimed in The Da Vinci Code?
Did Early Christians Think the Holy Spirit Was A Separate Person in a Trinity? Or did they have a different view?
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it?
Was Unitarianism the Teaching of the Bible or Early Church? Many, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, claim it was, but was it?

COGwriter

The July-August 2009 edition of GCI’s (formerly WCG) Together just came out.  WCG used to observe the biblical Feast of Tabernacles in the Fall, but now offers a variety of humanly devised substitutes instead.  Here is what is expected in 2009 thus far:

“From Exclusion to Inclusion” –
Wisconsin Dells, Sept. 17-20

Everyone is invited to the annual Dells Celebration at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells, WI, from September 17-20, 2009…

Fall Conference – Myrtle Beach, SC, Oct. 8-11

The Harvest Church is again sponsoring a conference in Myrtle Beach…

Women’s retreat in Alabama – Oct. 16-18

Last year’s retreat was so much fun that we’re having another one! Grace Covenant Fellowship is hosting a fall women’s retreat at the St. Bernard Abbey Retreat & Conference Center in Cullman, AL, about one hour north of Birmingham.

WCG used to meet for the FOT in Wisconsin Dells (the Living Church of God still does, see LCG 2009 Feast of Tabernacles’ Information).  One of the differences between early Christianity and paganism was the the pagans were more inclined toward inclusivism, while the true Christians were considered to be more exclusive.  Hence, in certain respects, GCI’s theme is consistent with what pagans did in the past.

I believe that GCI hopes that having substitutes will work for them, like they did for Jeroboam:

26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David: 27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.” 28 Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!” 29 And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. 30 Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. 31 He made shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi. 32 Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made. 33 So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense (1 Kings 12:26-33).

Notice that Jeroboam wanted a Feast like the one in Judah.  The one in Judah was the biblical Feast of Tabernacles.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

The 18 Restored Truths: Do You Know What the First Changes the Tkach Administration Made? Some have said healing, others other subjects, but probably the first change had to do with eliminating being part of the Philadelphia era. This article documents what those changes were and compares the Tkach list of restored truths to Herbert W. Armstrong’s list of restored truths. It contains many quotes from Herbert W. Armstrong.
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by WCG/GCI which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean? Also you can click here for the calendar of Holy Days.
The Feast of Tabernacles: A Time for Christians? Is this pilgrimage holy day still valid? Does it teach anything relevant for today’s Christians? What is the Last Great Day? What do these days teach?
LCG 2009 Feast of Tabernacles’ Information Here is information on many Feast of Tabernacles locations for this year.
Holy Day Calendar This is a listing of the biblical holy days through 2012, with their Roman calendar dates. They are really hard to observe if you do not know when they occur

COGwriter

In an email link today, GCI’s J. Tkach stated:

You might have noticed that the name of the denomination that sponsors this program has also changed – from Worldwide Church of God to Grace Communion International – and I’d like to take a moment to explain why.

Our church is a changed church, and our new name, Grace Communion International, was chosen for the same reason that Saul’s, Jacob’s, Abram’s and Sarai’s names were changed: to reflect a new identity after a profound transformation.

Grace lies at the heart of our values and mission as a transformed church. The gospel is the message of God’s grace to humanity revealed in Jesus Christ.

Communion is a word that refers to the spiritual unity and positive relationships in the love of God, the grace and peace of Jesus Christ and the life of the Holy Spirit.

International refers to the worldwide, multicultural character of our denomination. We value and respect one another, and we exist not as a single, national church in any given country, but as a unified body of believers who span the globe, sharing a common history and journey of faith…

I praise God, as I know you do, for all he has done for us, in us and through us. Our new name, Grace Communion International is simply an acknowledgement and reflection of the great love, mercy and power our loving God has displayed in our fellowship.

I’m Joseph Tkach, speaking of LIFE.

The MAIN reason that GCI made the change is that it does not want the world’s churches to consider it a cult, and the name change clearly does distance GCI from “Church of God” in the minds of almost everyone.

Of course, I did report on the name change the day it was announced (see WCG Changes Name to GCI!), it is just that J. Tkach wanted to give further clarification as to why it changed, I thought that those interest in the real reason (being accepted by the world, cf. 1 John 2:15) may wish to see it.

Some articles of possible interest may include:

Attending the Church of Choice This article discusses whose choice is important to worship God; should you attend the church of your choice or the church of God’s choice?
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?
The Churches of Revelation 2 & 3 from 31 A.D. to present: information on all of the seven churches of Revelation 2 & 3.   This is a brief history of the true Church throughout the ages.
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.

An engraving allegedly of Irenaeus, in Gaul (now Lyons, France)

COGwriter

The Tkach Worldwide Church of God which now calls itself GCI, sponsors a website that yesterday posted the following:

The Surprising God Blog

A forum for discussing Christ-centered, trinitarian theology

6.09.2009

Irenaeus on the Trinity

In about A.D. 180, Irenaeus … wrote the following important statement concerning the triune God (quoted from “The Christian Theology Reader” by Alister McGrath, p. 93).

We find here the basic elements of the doctrine of the trinity…

GCI then quotes some passages from A. McGrath’s book.  GCI apparently concluded that Irenaeus supported the trinity.

But perhaps it should have included comments from other scholars on the same passages.

For example, commenting on the above passages from Irenaeus, scholar F. R. Montgomery Hitchcock, M.A. D.D. (Formerly University Student, Fellowship Prizeman and Donnellan Lecturer of Trinity College, Dublin) wrote:

We now come to a rather complicated problem, in
which it is difficult to mark the exact positions of
Irenaeus the relation of the Divine Persons of the
Godhead to one another. In some passages the Persons
are coordinated ; while in others there seems to be a
subordination in the relations of the Son to the Father.
and of the Spirit to the Son.

Thus, I am not the only scholar who realize that the passages in question do not clearly support the trinity.

Furthermore, GCI and others seem to overlooked the following writing from Irenaeus:

…there is none other called God by the Scriptures except the Father of all, and the Son, and those who possess the adoption (Irenaeus. Adversus haereses, Book IV, Preface, Verse 4. Excerpted from Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts & James Donaldson. American Edition, 1885. Online Edition Copyright © 2004 by K. Knight).

Notice that Irenaeus states that only the Father, the Son, and those who possess the adoption (Christians) are God. This is a binitarian, not a trinitarian view.

While we in the Living Church of God do believe in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, that does not mean that we believe in the Greco-Roman trinity that was adopted at the Council of Constantinople in 381 A.D.

Even though he was a heretic, nor did Irenaeus espouse what became adopted as the Greco-Roman trinity.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning Is binitarianism the correct position? What about unitarianism or trinitarianism?
Is The Father God? What is the view of the Bible? What was the view of the early church?
Jesus is God, But Was Made Man Was Jesus fully human and fully God or what?
Virgin Birth: Does the Bible Teach It? What does the Bible teach? What is claimed in The Da Vinci Code?
Did Early Christians Think the Holy Spirit Was A Separate Person in a Trinity? Or did they have a different view?
Did the True Church Ever Teach a Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it?
Was Unitarianism the Teaching of the Bible or Early Church? Many, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, claim it was, but was it?
Binitarianism: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning This is a shorter article than the Binitarian View article, but has a little more information on binitarianism.
Irenaeus: The Most Dangerous Heretic? Was Irenaeus a faithful peacemaker or was he possibly the most dangerous of the early heretics?
The History of Early Christianity Are you aware that what most people believe is not what truly happened to the true Christian church? Do you know where the early church was based? Do you know what were the doctrines of the early church? Is your faith really based upon the truth or compromise?

COGwriter

Even though it is now late May 2009, the latest issue (April 20, 2009) of The Journal just came out.  As it was a single month issue this time, it appears that schedule at The Journal is improving.

Its main articles included the name change of WCG (previously reported at COGwriter, see WCG Changes Name to GCI!), PCG buying the swan sculpture (previously reported at COGwriter, see PCG Acquires Big Sandy Sculpture), someone claiming an angelic visitation 28 years ago, Wesley White wanting a another web confederation for “independents”, CBCG’s new Bible translation (see also Christian Biblical Church of God and its Teachings), some 2008 Feast of Tabernacles reports, and a report from CGI in Jamaica.

Dixon Cartwright, editor of The Journal, correctly pointed out that J. Tkach indicated that the name GCI is what it wanted in 2005, while in fact it wanted GIC.  Dixon Cartwright reported that “Armstrongism” was the original reason for why WCG wanted to changed its name.  WCG wanted to have a name that distanced themselves from biblical Christianity, derisively called “Armstrongism” by critics who refuse to live by what the Bible teaches.

I am quite pleased that WCG changed its name as having the expression “Church of God” in its name is misleading for many reasons, including the fact that it simply no longer holds to most key Church of God doctrines.

The following was in the “Prayer Requests” section of The Journal:

Bernie Schnippert, slow-growing carcinoid cancer.

As far as I know, Bernie Schnippert, is still with WCG/GCI and supported the heresies that group adopted.

While The Journal is available only by paid subscription, you can view the pdf. of its front and back page is available at: www.thejournal.org/issues/issue134/jf043009.pdf

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Who Was Herbert W. Armstrong? How is He Viewed Today? Includes quotes from the 1973 edition of The Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong and explains who he was and how he should be viewed today.
Independent Members of the COG: Herbert W. Armstrong Comments, Plus Questions and Answers What did Herbert W. Armstrong teach about being independent of the organized Church? Should independents who claim to accept Herbert W. Armstrong’s teachings be part of LCG?
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 members or any interested in supporting the faithful church. It also explains a lot of what the COGs are all about.
The Philadelphia Church Era was predominant circa 1933 A.D. to 1986 A.D. The old Radio Church of God and old Worldwide Church of God, now basically the Living Church of God.
The Laodicean Church Era has been predominant circa 1986 A.D. to present. These are non-Philadelphians who mainly descended from the old WCG.

COGwriter

In his latest update, GCI/WCG’s Joseph Tkach wrote:

Mother’s Day

One of the last things Jesus did on the cross was ask a friend to look after his mother. The Gospel of John tells the story in chapter 19, verses 25-27:

“Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, ‘Dear woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.” (NIV).

It’s a touching story, and it points up how important it was to Jesus that his mother be properly cared for. The disciple whom Jesus loved, a person referred to only in the Gospel of John, was John himself. And as a close and dear friend, he was Jesus’ choice to see that his mother would not fall destitute with no one to provide for her.

Honor your Father and your Mother, the Commandment says. And Jesus certainly honored his…

Of course, no mother is perfect, and precious few mothers are what their children would call ideal. But whatever their flaws and shortcomings, most mothers do love their children in a profoundly deep and unconditional way. And such unconditional love is rare in today’s world. But it’s there, and wherever you see it, it’s a reflection of the unconditional love our heavenly Father has for us.

More than 40 countries have an annual celebration of motherhood. In the United States, Mothers’ Day owes its origins to the work of Ana Jarvis of Grafton, West Virginia. Her letter-writing campaign eventually resulted in President Woodrow Wilson’s 1914 proclamation of a national observance of mothers, to be held each year on the 2nd Sunday of May.

Sunday, May 10th is observed in many lands as Mother’s Day.

Perhaps, an article of related interest may be Women and the New Testament Church.

COGwriter

WCG’s recent name change (reported here the day it happened on this page, see WCG Changes Name to GCI!) has been picked up by another religious news source:

Worldwide Church of God Changes Name to Signal Inner Change

Religion News Service reports that the Worldwide Church of God, which re-examined and later rebuked the teachings of founder Herbert W. Armstrong after his death in 1986, has changed its name to Grace Communion International. “We are a church that God radically transformed,” said church president Joseph W. Tkach, who is a board member of the National Association of Evangelicals. “Our new name is consistent with the transformation and aptly describes what God has made of our fellowship.” Armstrong denied the Christian belief in the Trinity and took Old Testament law to heart and encouraged works of righteousness to earn salvation. The church lost half its members, 95 percent of its 1,000-person staff, millions of magazine readers and its college in Pasadena, Calif., when it officially repudiated Armstrong’s teachings and “prophetic speculation” in the mid 1990s. http://www.crosswalk.com/news/religiontoday/11602619/

Of course, while we in LCG believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we would not agree that the Greco-Roman Trinity that WCG, now GCI, adopted is a proper “Christian” doctrine.  We also strongly deny that the old WCG taught that any can earn salvation through our own works of righteousness.  It is only by grace that one is saved, through faith.

We in the Living Church of God truly believe the following:

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:8-10).

The reader who sent me the link to this news item wrote:

the interesting thing to me is the quote “The church lost half its members, and 95 percent of its 1,000-person staff”  and the people who report on that write as though it is a good thing? Of course they never mention where the lost souls went to?

And of course, that is also a good point.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Binitarian View: One God, Two Beings Before the Beginning Is binitarianism the correct position? What about unitarianism or trinitarianism?  Is there a threeness in the Godhead?
Did Early Christians Think the Holy Spirit Was A Separate Person in a Trinity? Or did they have a different view?
Did the True Church Ever Teach the Modern Trinity? Most act like this is so, but is it?  Did they have a different viewthan the one adopted by Theodosius’ Council?
Was Unitarianism the Teaching of the Bible or Early Church? Many, including Jehovah’s Witnesses, claim it was, but was it?
Are You Saved? Do You Love Jesus? What is a True Christian? What is the Gospel? Evangelist Richard Ames answers those important questions.