dancer (dancer)
06-18-2005, 07:29 PM
Follow the Leader Mentaility?
Neil Carrick
These are just my silly opinions and for that matter my silly predictions about GGWO. I want to start by saying I think many still have a love for CHS even with the direct knowledge of his mistakes and the mistakes of GGWO. I don't think this makes them weak, in fact I think it makes them strong and more Christ like. I pray however their knowledge guides them into making good decisons about their spiritual and personal lives.
Can Thomas Schaller be similar to Joseph Tkach Sr? Thomas Tkach was a extreme loyalist to Herbert Armstrong of the Worldwide Church of God.
History of the Worldwide Church of God.
http://www.wcg.org/lit/AboutUs/history.htm
What attracts people to a movement? How does God use that movement for his purposes I wonder?
A few of you may be familar with the WCG. I predicted on factnet months ago that I believe Thomas Schaller would be the Pastor of GGWO.
I will go on record and say in time I believe somebody may rise up and make the changes similar to Joseph Tkach Sr made at WCG. But it might take the time and the pain it took at WCG.
My next prediction is that GGWO will follow a similar path as WCG. It will loose many of its followers, it will somewhat stay together, it will have a painful transition with its doctrines and it will take years to change. But I believe God will use much of the dynamics of GGWO and even its bad publicity and bad decisions for hiw own purposes.
I think it will take years but maybe it is in some of those at GGWO to follow a similar path as those who were left behind after H. Armstrongs death at WCG.
I am not advocating bad decisions or bad behaviour mind you. I just believe there is too many similarities not to see this as a reality.
About 8 months ago I preached to a very small church in a rural area of South Carolina during a national conference the church was hosting. I went through several questions for those attending. I got to the question of where many of the people had grown up in terms of denomination. Few Baptist, Few Catholics, Few this and a few that. The somebody yelled how about the Worldwide Church of God??? I said ok how about it. About 90% raised their hands and I was shocked. But I knew there were many reasons these people were attracted to WCG doctrines both good and bad. In some cases many like GGWO.
I know as a child I had been attracted to their ministry. I received the publications "Plain Truth" and "The Good News" and watched Armstrongs show on TV on Saturday mornings. I knew nothing of doctrine I was most likely about 11 years old. I just had a fascination with the ministry like I had with GGWO and similar to what I think many other people have with GGWO today who sit in the audiance.
I don't think GGWO has nearly the doctrinal error that WCG had. But it has some of the same affect. Mainly the tiny bit of doctrinal error has a striking "follow the leader" mentality.
This follow the leadership mentality both grew WCG and GGWO. But both eventually had to deal with the mistakes of the past.
And there are many who kept with the errors of the past to form their own groups and churches that are maybe even worse doctrinally as were some of the early WCG local assemblies and groups.
I don't think that it is a cookie cutter situation but darn close.
If Thomas Schaller was to make some of the moves that Joseph Tkach Sr made it might have some of the same affects. Incredible loss of membership and monies collected. But eventually the peace and the acceptance and new growth that WCG has found.
I once had a Baptist Directory of Missions say to me he would rather have fellowship with a morman that a person from GGWO. I was freaked out. GGWO may follow some cardinal doctrines that are like that of other evangelicals but the doctrines like those of the Bema seat set them at odds with evangelicals.
How can this change? I say its already is. But it is the movement not the man that is changing.
Joseph Tkach Sr was a hero to many who had been caught up in error for decades. He did so by respecting and understanding the people that went before them. He didn't give free passes. He in fact made decsions that cost WCG millions.
The rewards were to be the future of WCG.
I wonder iff Pastor Schaller can relate to such a simple but terribly hard road to follow for those sake of those who he leads?
In Christ,
Neil Carrick
Neil Carrick
These are just my silly opinions and for that matter my silly predictions about GGWO. I want to start by saying I think many still have a love for CHS even with the direct knowledge of his mistakes and the mistakes of GGWO. I don't think this makes them weak, in fact I think it makes them strong and more Christ like. I pray however their knowledge guides them into making good decisons about their spiritual and personal lives.
Can Thomas Schaller be similar to Joseph Tkach Sr? Thomas Tkach was a extreme loyalist to Herbert Armstrong of the Worldwide Church of God.
History of the Worldwide Church of God.
http://www.wcg.org/lit/AboutUs/history.htm
What attracts people to a movement? How does God use that movement for his purposes I wonder?
A few of you may be familar with the WCG. I predicted on factnet months ago that I believe Thomas Schaller would be the Pastor of GGWO.
I will go on record and say in time I believe somebody may rise up and make the changes similar to Joseph Tkach Sr made at WCG. But it might take the time and the pain it took at WCG.
My next prediction is that GGWO will follow a similar path as WCG. It will loose many of its followers, it will somewhat stay together, it will have a painful transition with its doctrines and it will take years to change. But I believe God will use much of the dynamics of GGWO and even its bad publicity and bad decisions for hiw own purposes.
I think it will take years but maybe it is in some of those at GGWO to follow a similar path as those who were left behind after H. Armstrongs death at WCG.
I am not advocating bad decisions or bad behaviour mind you. I just believe there is too many similarities not to see this as a reality.
About 8 months ago I preached to a very small church in a rural area of South Carolina during a national conference the church was hosting. I went through several questions for those attending. I got to the question of where many of the people had grown up in terms of denomination. Few Baptist, Few Catholics, Few this and a few that. The somebody yelled how about the Worldwide Church of God??? I said ok how about it. About 90% raised their hands and I was shocked. But I knew there were many reasons these people were attracted to WCG doctrines both good and bad. In some cases many like GGWO.
I know as a child I had been attracted to their ministry. I received the publications "Plain Truth" and "The Good News" and watched Armstrongs show on TV on Saturday mornings. I knew nothing of doctrine I was most likely about 11 years old. I just had a fascination with the ministry like I had with GGWO and similar to what I think many other people have with GGWO today who sit in the audiance.
I don't think GGWO has nearly the doctrinal error that WCG had. But it has some of the same affect. Mainly the tiny bit of doctrinal error has a striking "follow the leader" mentality.
This follow the leadership mentality both grew WCG and GGWO. But both eventually had to deal with the mistakes of the past.
And there are many who kept with the errors of the past to form their own groups and churches that are maybe even worse doctrinally as were some of the early WCG local assemblies and groups.
I don't think that it is a cookie cutter situation but darn close.
If Thomas Schaller was to make some of the moves that Joseph Tkach Sr made it might have some of the same affects. Incredible loss of membership and monies collected. But eventually the peace and the acceptance and new growth that WCG has found.
I once had a Baptist Directory of Missions say to me he would rather have fellowship with a morman that a person from GGWO. I was freaked out. GGWO may follow some cardinal doctrines that are like that of other evangelicals but the doctrines like those of the Bema seat set them at odds with evangelicals.
How can this change? I say its already is. But it is the movement not the man that is changing.
Joseph Tkach Sr was a hero to many who had been caught up in error for decades. He did so by respecting and understanding the people that went before them. He didn't give free passes. He in fact made decsions that cost WCG millions.
The rewards were to be the future of WCG.
I wonder iff Pastor Schaller can relate to such a simple but terribly hard road to follow for those sake of those who he leads?
In Christ,
Neil Carrick