ORLANDO, Florida--The National Association of Evangelicals conducted its 55th annual convention for denominational leaders in Orlando, March 4 to 6.
Representing the Worldwide Church of God at the conference were Mssrs. Tkach, Feazell, Albrecht and Dick.
NAE is a group of denominations who seek common ground in the faith without abandoning their differences.
President Don Argue wrote in the convention brochure that "God is calling evangelicals to work together to impact their communities. Local churches and servant ministries are freely forming to saturate their communities with the gospel."
On Monday, March 3, and Wednesday, March 5, Mr. Tkach addressed the NAE board and the delegates to the convention. He spoke about the church's spiritual journey over the past several years.
Mr. Tkach told them that he and several others were given the responsibility of defending Mr. Armstrong's teachings.
As challenges and questions came in to church headquarters, he and the others, independently, studied our teachings and began to see that many things we had believed and taught were false.
"Because we lived under a cloud of legalism, we were afraid to reach out and talk to each other about it," Mr. Tkach said. "But eventually we did, and to our surprise, we all found out that we were on the same page."
Mr. Tkach said that as "we began to unfold our teachings to our ministry and membership, it met with great resistance and split our denomination in half."
Mr. Tkach continued: "We have experienced what Paul wrote about in 2 Corinthians 3:14 [in Christ the veil is taken away], and we with unveiled faces reflect God's glory and are being transformed into his likeness."
Mr. Tkach's address to the convention was greeted with an immediate, cheerful and sustained standing ovation.
Afterward, Mr. Argue said: "Joseph, I want you to see tonight the response to a question I ask: `How many out here would join me and say sometime in the past years you have prayed either for the Worldwide Church of God or for somebody in your church or family that you knew had been impacted."
Mr. Tkach said that about one third raised their hands.
"Afterward people were hugging me and shaking my hand and saying that it is wonderful that we are all part of the body of Christ together. It is encouraging to have them look at us as brothers and sisters in the unity of the faith," Mr. Tkach said. "Many made gracious comments about Mr. Armstrong and said that they respect his skills and the gifts he had."
Mr. Dick said that "NAE exists to nurture communication among Christians who take Scripture seriously and use it as the basis for their life and ministry.
"A number of members have asked me what it means to be a part of the evangelical community and how membership in NAE might effect who we are as a church.
"I told them that as I got to know the evangelical community I found in many ways that we have had an evangelical mindset all along. We share the same high view of Scripture and the same focus on proclaiming the gospel to all people, and we all see ourselves as citizen-servants of the kingdom of God on earth.
"We all look to the second coming of Christ to bring immortality to the saints and the fullness of the kingdom. The greatest change for us (the WCG) is the recognition that we had brothers and sisters in Christ all along."
Mr. Tkach, Mr. Feazell and Mr. Albrecht appeared on The Late Steve Brown Show televised on the Worship Network from Clearwater, Florida, on Sunday, March 2.
Dr. Brown is a seminary professor at Reform Theological Seminary in Orlando. He hosts a radio program as well as two television programs.
The Late Steve Brown Show is a one-hour talk show format, while Hashing It Out is a 30-minute program cohosted by Dr. Brown and Tony Campolo discussing controversial issues for Christians.
March 18, 1997, WN, page one
| WCG Home | Issues | Contents |
Copyright © Worldwide Church of God,1997