By Thomas C. Hanson
Following are electronic mail comments from members who have read articles on the church's Internet home page.
The Internet is a collection of computer networks connected on local, national and international levels. One million computers hook up 20 million people on every inhabited continent.
The church's home page address is http://www.wcg.org/
The Northampton congregation is 200 percent behind Mr. Tkach and headquarters due to the superb local leadership we had during the recent transition.
Our local elder, Graham Mitchell, and the Sheffield local elder, Richard Whiting, were particularly courageous after being forbidden to preach on the covenants.
Our local deaconate of Roger Clark, Peter Gout and Audrey Whinnet follow that lead.
We are privileged to have the converted leadership up from them via David Stirk, John Halford and beyond to Mike Feazell and Mr. Tkach.
During the transition The Worldwide News (which I can now read on the home page) was our only source of intelligence for many months, without it I would have gone under, and I know many more would have fallen away and been led away.
My personal situation vacillated from raving liberal, stubborn fence sitter to utter reactionary, sometimes during the same sermon or Bible study.
It was great to hear tapes from Mr. Feazell, David Albert, and Carn Catherwood to have one's fears addressed and identified with.
We used to call ourselves the Church of Brotherly Love--now at last we're getting there. Locally we have never had such fellowship, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Not a Sabbath goes by without many families and individuals gathering at members' homes to continue fellowship for as long as we can. We are desperate to nurture each other and evangelize others by example.
Our survival and thriving in Northampton is proof that this is the Church of the Living God, that headquarters is on the track as never before.
Yours most sincerely, in brotherly love.
Martin Peter Clarke
Northampton, England, church
I live in a remote part of northern Canada. I am a baptized member, but have not had any contact with the church for three years. I have been wanting to come back into the fellowship for some time. Unfortunately, many of the friends I had in the church have left for various reasons, so I have been at a loss as to how to get back into and keep in contact with the church.
Tonight on the Sabbath, I decided to see if there was a church website. With a bit of detective work I was able to find you. What a relief!
Thank you for providing this service on line. It has been an answer to my prayers. I miss the fellowship and the nourishment of the church. Now I have lots of info I can download and study.
I am saddened to hear of Mr. Tkach's death. It will take a while for it to sink in.
Thanks again,
Fernando Araujo
Because of the relatively high postal costs in Canada, The Worldwide News is distributed at church services several weeks after publication. The church's Internet website provides a more timely source of accurate information.
But this does not just benefit members. Anyone interested in the church can now go to the source, rather than relying on the often negative comments of others. As our local minister, Gary Moore, put it: "At last, some balance on the Internet."
Jon Pearkins
Edmonton, Alberta
71231.3005@compuserve.com
Last summer I talked to someone in the now defunct handicapped services office. I was hoping for our publications to be available on the Internet so they could be downloaded in large print for sight-impaired readers.
I see that it is now possible to do that. Thank you from at least one member who is deaf and sight impaired, Aurora Brown, in Dallas, Texas.
Thank you to all the staff for your work in serving all of us.
Susan Sipe
Dallas, Texas
I was pleased to see that the Worldwide Church of God is on the Internet. As a member in the Netherlands we receive The Worldwide News about four weeks after the issue date.
Now I can see the news and articles as soon as the articles are on the Internet.
Please keep this up, and greetings from the Netherlands.
Theo de Groot
Netherlands
I am a member of the Worldwide Church of God, and when possible I attend church in Orlando, Florida. I appreciate the opportunity to download articles and read them from the computer. I have environmental allergies (multiple chemical sensitivity). It is difficult for me to read our magazine even though it is printed with less smelly products than it used to be years ago.
Catherine Coffman
Eustis, Florida
I am delighted to see that finally the Worldwide Church of God has got its own home page.
Now, people who want to know more about us would be able to do so instead of relying on information disseminated by ex-WCG members or even by individuals who are not members of our faith. Now, people can hear our side of the story!
Dennis Benedictos
Canberra, Australia
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