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July 1999 |
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July 1999 |
This is our July cover
There is no need to sit on our
hands during this transition period, writes Mr. Tkach in this month's Personal. Even while
we are waiting for the property to sell, much good work is being done for the kingdom.
Many congregations are doing an effective local work, while supporting the kingdom work in
the denomination, too.
Mr. Tkach then shares a report on evangelistic activities from Sonny Parsons, pastor of the San Antonio, Kerrville, Uvalde, Corpus Christi and Victoria, Texas, congregations.
"No aspect of our evangelistic outreach has been expensive," Mr. Parsons said. "Costs are minimal, but the returns are greater." Pages 6 and 7.
In part 4 of "Finding
Peace in Christ," J. Michael Feazell looks at the connection between the Sinai law
and the law of Christ.
According to Paul, Christians are not under the Sinai law (Romans 6:14). But what does it mean not to be under the law? Does it mean we can sin freely? "By no means!" Paul answers (verse 15).
Paul is explaining that we have now been made one with Christ, and as such, we now serve God in a new way--the way of the Spirit--not in the old way of the written code (Rom. 7:4-6). We are now under a "new law"--the law of Christ (1 Cor. 9:21; 1 John 2:3; John 6:28-29; Heb. 13:21).
The Law of Moses--the law given to Israel at Sinai, including the Ten Commandments--was given on the basis of the Levitical priesthood (Heb. 7:11).
When Christ came as High Priest forever, he superseded the Levitical priesthood, and with it, the law based upon it. He established a new priesthood, and the law that is based on this new priesthood is the law of Christ. Pages 8 to 11.
The WCG in Latin America
continues to fight the good fight as members--young and old, male and female--move into
the future with greater involvement in the church.
Regional director Charles Fleming and his wife, Carmen, serve the Latin American region.
Congregations are being prepared for healthy church growth, doors are being opened to our people, and many are attesting to the wonders being accomplished through the Holy Spirit.
As members grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ and use their spiritual gifts, new converts are being added to the body. Pages 14 and 15.
The daily average mail
income for May was $97,879, reports controller Ron Kelly.
As we have been reporting all year, donations have been down 10 percent or more below budgeted expenses.
After the first third of the year, we reduced our expenses and revised our donation projections from an anticipated $98,000 per banking day down to $95,000.
If we can all set our giving pattern for May as our benchmark, we we should be able to maintain our budget for the rest of the year. Page 22.
The Worldwide Church of God was
host to a Conference on Racial Reconciliation in the Ambassador Auditorium May 14 to 16,
according to pastor Curtis May.
The theme was "One Heart, Mind, Spirit, Blood" based on Acts 4:32; 17:26. The conference focused on ending segregation and prejudice within the Christian community. Page 24.
By Kathleen Herd
WEST PALM BEACH, Florida--God has given the 29-member WCG congregation in West Palm Beach an opportunity to preach the gospel in a big way.
For the past six months, members have gathered every Saturday morning to minister to children ages 3 to 13 at Riviera Beach's Avenue S projects, one of the neediest communities in South Florida.
This neighborhood was featured in a Home Box Office (HBO) documentary, "High on Crack Street," because it has one of the highest drug and crime rates in the nation.
The children on Avenue S are full of zeal to learn about Jesus Christ and his love at work in their lives. Beginning at 10 a.m., in a vacant lot next to the projects, Don Jacobs, a WCG member, and his brother Walt lead as many as 60 children in recreational activities including kickball, soccer and flag football.
Members Bob Carrier and Gerry Jamison set up archery ranges each week, giving children one-on-one instruction. (Bob handcrafted enough bows and arrows for each child to participate.)
At about 11 a.m., the children gather under a tree, where portable tables and chairs are set up for them to enjoy doughnuts and juice provided by church members.
At noon, adult volunteers and children dine together on hamburgers and hot dogs prepared by church member Martha Burrow. This is the only food that some of the children will receive throughout the weekend. They frequently ask to bring leftovers home for other household members.
While the children enjoy snacks, they also partake of the Word of God. Interactive Bible lessons focusing on the life and love of Jesus Christ are presented. Each lesson is reinforced with group discussion and an arts and crafts project.
Many of the children carry the "Jesus" rocks in their pockets that they painted, reminding them that Jesus is the rock on which they must build their lives.
Like the children on Avenue S, the West Palm Beach WCG members are learning that the love of Jesus is alive and active.
"We had a zeal to do God's work, but had no idea how to do it, " said Kathleen Herd, wife of pastor Gerald Herd.
"So the entire congregation prayed for months and asked for God's direction," Mrs. Herd said. "Every member of the women's ministry selected a different day to fast and pray for God's direction in a mission. Shortly thereafter, the entire congregation was invited into the neighborhood on Avenue S to launch the children's ministry.
"Praise God for his mighty work and the opportunity to be an instrument of his peace," she said.
"The seeds of the gospel are now being sown in the hearts of these sweet children, and in due season, he will reap a harvest.
"We are learning firsthand that God is not limited by what we do not have. As he has promised, he will supply our every need."
CHILDREN'S MINISTRY--Photos by Martha Burrow
Letters for this section should be addressed to "Letters to the Editor." The editor reserves the right to use letters so addressed in whole or in part, and to include your name and edit the letter for clarity or space. We welcome your comments.
Several of our writers have covered the topic of the transformation from the old to new covenants, including how Paul and others in the first century dealt with the issue.
To quote from the June Bible Study, "Paul and the New Covenant": "Most of the Ten Commandments are quoted with approval in the New Testament. Those commands reflect aspects of God's law that were in effect long before Sinai--from the beginning. One is not--the Sabbath command. It was a ceremonial law, instituted for a temporary period."
I think our old way of thinking would have reasoned: "Well, if six or seven of the Ten Commandments are requoted under the new covenant, then that indicates that all 10 of them continue to be binding."
However, comparing the two covenants to two legal wills, we can see the fault in our previous reasoning.
Say I had produced a will designating the disbursement of my personal property but later decided to modify some issues. I wanted some of the terms to remain the same, but I wanted to change some major issues.
Because the changes radically altered the terms of the will, I produced a new version rather than tack on addendums.
When the new will was finalized, it contained some points included in the original will, but many of the original terms were left out, and important new terms were added.
I die and the property is disbursed according to the latest will.
However, some heirs kept copies of the older, outdated will and they dispute the disbursements because some terms in the old will have not been addressed.
The lawyer explains that the new will totally replaces the old one, and the new terms supersede the old ones. That is why the new will was drawn up. But the heirs say: "The new will contains some of the same terms as the old will. That proves that all terms of the old will should be carried over into the new."
The flaws in this reasoning become obvious, and I can more clearly see how the new covenant totally replaces the old.
Lee Berger
White Oak, Texas
The June issue of The Worldwide News incorrectly said that a copy of the video, Millennial Madness, was sent to each church area.
The statement should have read that a copy of the video was sent by Church Administration to each church pastor participating in the church's in-service training program. PTM regrets that budgetary constraints prevent us from offering this video to all church libraries free of charge.
By Sharon Fearon and Maxcine Nesbitt
NASSAU, Bahamas--Pastor General Joseph Tkach and his wife, Tammy, Women's Ministry Support coordinator, were in Nassau, June 4 to 6, as the congregation was host for a women's conference.
Women attended from the Bahamas; Hamilton, Bermuda; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The conference began Friday evening with an interpretive dance routine by Heavenly Gems, teenage girls from the Nassau congregation.
Then Mrs. Tkach and motivational speaker Thelma Wells made presentations.
The next day Sheila Graham, editor of Christian Women in Touch, joined Mrs. Tkach and Mrs. Wells in giving presentations.
In a talk titled "Peace, Be Still," Mrs. Wells encouraged all to see that in the midst of life's storms, Jesus Christ is there and is in control.
Mrs. Graham then shared her personal journey. Starting with her introduction to the church, she took the women through her journey from legalism to grace.
Tammy spoke next, asking the question, "Who Are You?" She outlined how Jesus revealed himself as the Messiah to the woman at the well and offered her forgiveness, salvation and wholeness, a new identity rooted in Christ.
She spoke of our individual characteristics--some are bold and bright, while others are timid and pale--which Satan can use to negatively influence us. As she told how the Bible shows that we are chosen, loved, redeemed, forgiven, saved, sanctified, justified and valued, she encouraged us not to listen to Satan's lies.
While the women were at their conference Saturday morning in the church hall, Mr. Tkach met with the men and children for a worship service in a tent on the church compound.
In his sermon, Mr. Tkach urged the men to aspire to Christ's standard concerning loving their spouses. Mr. Tkach showed how men and women are equal before God, and that the biblical standard given the man for loving his wife is that of Christ loving the church.
Women, Mr. Tkach said, need to be treated with respect and loving care. He also showed that it is not a light matter in Jesus' eyes when men put down or do not esteem the worth of women.
Lunch was prepared and served by members of the Nassau congregation, after which the men again gathered under the tent--this time for a four-hour question and answer session with Mr. Tkach.
In the afternoon session of the women's conference, Mrs. Tkach spoke on the topic "Jesus Loves Me, This I Know," showing the necessity of love for a balanced life, and the availability of the love of God to all of us no matter what we may have gone through.
Mrs. Graham then encouraged us to celebrate God's love, showing that God loves us in spite of ourselves. She also encouraged us to see that God wants to spend time with us and desires us to be his friends.
The final speaker for the day was Mrs. Wells, with the topic "BEE the Best for Christ," using the formula B+E+E+S. Be Aware of who we are; Eliminate the negative; Excellence must be our pursuit; Success in Christ is ours.
That evening, Robert and Tania McKinney, who pastor the Nassau congregation, were hosts for a dinner for the Tkaches, other guests, and 30 deacons, elders and their spouses.
Sunday morning, Mr. Tkach addressed the women on the topic he covered with the men the day before. He encouraged the women to strive for relationships reflective of the loving, sacrificial friendship Jesus extends to the church.
Then, regional director Charles Fleming and Mr. Tkach led a communion service to conclude the weekend.
Tammy Tkach and Tania McKinney [Photos by Sheila Graham]
WORSHIP SERVICE--Men and children meet in tent with Mr. Tkach for
services on Saturday.
[Photo by Patrick Fearon]
HEAVENLY GEMS--Teenage girls from the Nassau church perform
at conference with an interpretive dance routine.
Personal from Joseph TkachA story of
working together
A story in the book of Joshua relates to our church situation today. Joshua is the story of the Israelites crossing the Jordan, entering the land of promise and defeating the Canaanites.
The story begins in Numbers, because the Israelites began to conquer land even before they crossed the Jordan River. Numbers 21:21-35 describes victories over Amorite kings north and east of the Jordan. This was good grazing land, and the Gadites and Reubenites, who had large herds and flocks, asked Moses for this land (Num. 32:1-5).
It may have been an innocent request, but Moses was harsh with them: "Shall your countrymen go to war while you sit here? Why do you discourage the Israelites?" (vs. 6-7).
Moses compared their request to the fiasco at Kadesh Barnea, which resulted in an entire generation dying in the desert (vs. 8-13). "And here you are, a brood of sinners, standing in the place of your fathers and making the Lord even more angry with Israel" (v. 14).
Moses thought they wanted to enjoy safety while the other 11 tribes fought the Canaanites--that they wanted to quit fighting and not help their brothers, even though their brothers had helped them.
They then promised Moses that they would help fight the Canaanites, leaving their wives and children east of the Jordan (vs. 16-19). Moses accepted this suggestion, but warned them of the consequences of reneging on their promise (vs. 20-24).
That brings us to Joshua 1:12. Joshua reminded the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh of what Moses had told them: "The Lord your God is giving you rest and has granted you this land.... All your fighting men, fully armed, must cross over ahead of your brothers. You are to help your brothers until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you" (vs. 13-15).
So the two and a half tribes promised to fight--and they were true to their word, apparently fighting for seven years to help the other tribes acquire their lands.
Joshua 22 concludes the story: "For a long time now--to this very day--you have not deserted your brothers but have carried out the mission the Lord your God gave you. Now that the Lord your God has given your brothers rest as he promised, return to your homes ... on the other side of the Jordan" (vs. 3-4).
It was a story (in contrast to the time of the Judges) of tribes working together to help each other. The people were faithful to the commands Moses had given them, and faithful to what they said they would do.
What does it have to do with the church today? I believe it is fair to compare the Reubenites and Gadites to congregations who, by God's grace, have weathered the doctrinal storms well and whose congregations are strong and stable.
Now, a few of them would simply like to "stay home" and enjoy their blessings, becoming independent and no longer contributing to the general good and needs of the whole denomination through which God brought them to where they are.
I believe, like Moses believed of the tribes who secured their territory early, that these congregations have the responsibility to stay in the battle and work until their brothers and sisters can enter "the promised land" and also enjoy their rest.
Most congregations, of course, are eager to do this, and I am thankful for them.
However, it is tempting to begin to think, in effect: "Thank you for making the doctrinal changes. We are glad you taught us about grace and led us out of exclusivism and legalism. We are glad you have taught us about the priesthood of all believers and the importance of evangelism in our local area.
"We appreciate all this, but now we want to go on our own. We aren't going to help you teach anyone else. We are glad you helped us, but now that we are where we are, we aren't going to help you any more."
In many ways, I understand how people could feel this way. They are happy for the benefits and for the new vision of ministry, but now they want to begin implementing those benefits in their local area, and they see the rest of the denomination as just an impediment to their goals.
They have what they need, so they no longer are willing to put their goals on hold in order to help the rest of the congregations survive until the properties have sold. I believe this is the sort of attitude that Moses so strongly warned against.
It is important to understand that there is no need to sit on our hands during this transition period. Even while we are waiting for the property to sell, much good work is being done for the kingdom.
Many congregations are doing an effective local work, while supporting the kingdom work in the denomination, too.
I received this report from Sonny Parsons, pastor of the San Antonio, Kerrville, Uvalde, Corpus Christi and Victoria, Texas, congregations:
On Pentecost in San Antonio we had a full house. At the end of the service we took communion and, rather than taking up an offering in the usual way, we asked the people, as they came forward to take communion, to bring their offerings and place them in the baskets provided.
Since beginning community outreach, more than 20 new people have visited services. My wife, Jane, uses our van to pick up neighborhood children, and some attend church regularly and have invited other children.
Following are some things our congregations have done to encourage evangelism. We give God the credit for what he has allowed us to do.
1. I recommend that pastors be involved in ministerial alliances. This has given me a view of a wide spectrum of beliefs. The Billy Graham Crusade helped open up doors for attending these alliances. It is surprising how interconnected many are.
2. After meeting with Paul Cedar at the Billy Graham School of Evangelism, we began prayer walks in November. As we walk through the neighborhood, we pray discreetly for God to call people to saving knowledge. Mr. Cedar feels that everyone who comes to Christ has had someone praying for them.
We asked members in December to start praying that God would show us a community to begin to evangelize, and that he would provide a meeting place in that area, and he did!
We have it seven days a week. It is in the community he showed us, and it is less than a quarter of a mile from my home, so I can be among the people in the community.
3. When we finished our Congregational Mission Statement (which is, basically, to fulfill the great commandments, to love God and neighbor, and to carry out the great commission), the parts started coming together.
I asked the members, as our mission statement mentions, how far are you willing to go to show love to your neighbors? I then asked: Would you be willing to go so far as to change the day on which you worship to accommodate the needs of new people?
We then began a series of messages about the possibility of changing our services from Saturday to Sunday. Easter Sunday was our first Sunday service, and God has led the people into making this change. Only four or five people did not want to change. So we offer an alternative service, Saturday at 5 p.m., and the regular service is Sunday at 11 a.m.
4. We started a community outreach called New Beginnings, based on 2 Cor. 5:17. We have T-shirts with the title New Beginnings Community Outreach Ministry WCG on the front and back.
5. We often have T-shirt day in services, and then go into the community to pick up trash. The shirts help identify us. We felt we had to let the community know we cared for them, before they would listen to us sharing the gospel.
6. I told our congregations that unless we evangelize and make disciples, we were going to die as a congregation. We need to be nourished congregationally, but we also need to reach out to the unsaved community.
Shortly before this, I heard John Quam of Mission America talk of ways to involve the community in evangelism. One way was "canning hunger." The congregation goes door to door asking for canned goods to be given to the homeless, and then you also mention that your church prays for peoples' needs.
They are asked if there is anything they would like for us to pray about, that only God can solve. In less than an hour we collected enough to feed 150 people.
We delivered the food to the Salvation Army in Kerrville. We sent a note to each home canvased, thanking them for their response and inviting them to services.
7. We took the first six weeks of the new year to have each congregation go through the WCG Statement of Beliefs. All who completed this study were then presented a certificate saying they had completed the class. If we were going to bring in new people, we had to understand and support our denominational beliefs.
8. In May we delivered a brochure to 500 homes in the area telling what we offer the community, and asked for input on outreach activities they would like a church to sponsor. As a result, we offer a craft class Thursday mornings.
Note: No aspect of our evangelistic outreach has been expensive. Costs are minimal, but the returns are greater.
Not everyone can do the kinds of things that Sonny and Jane are doing in Texas. Each congregation must work out its own ideas and plans according to their gifts and the needs of the communities they serve.
They are eager to make a difference for the kingdom of God. They are thankful for what the denomination has done to make this possible, and they support the ongoing work the church has to do, so that more congregations can become increasingly effective in God's service!
In the time of the judges, everyone did what was right in their own eyes, and the nation suffered tremendously for it. We see this attitude in American churches today, too, in our highly individualistic culture.
Many people in every denomination think of their own desires first, and give the church the crumbs that are left over. In both time and money, they are short-changing the church. Ironically, on a individual basis, wealthy Christians (on average) give smaller percentages than less financially blessed Christians do!
Friends, there is work to do--incredibly important work. It is not easy, but it is the job that Christ sets before us. If you have received benefits from the church, I urge you to help others receive them, too. If you have received spiritual benefits, I urge you to give material benefits (1 Cor. 9:11).
If you have received a spiritual harvest, do not just take the benefits and run away. Stay to help your brothers and sisters until we conquer the "Canaanites," and all of us can enter the rest that God has promised (Heb. 4:1-11).
By J. Michael
Feazell
In previous installments, we have seen that Jesus commands his people to love one another, and that Christians are free to worship God any time, any place.
We have also seen that the Sinai Law, or Law of Moses, was God's covenant with ancient Israel and not with the church, that it served a vital purpose in God's plan, and that God designed it to fade when Jesus Christ, whom it foretold and pointed toward, arrived.
In part 4, we will look at the connection between the Sinai law and the law of Christ.
According to the apostle Paul, Christians are not under the Sinai law (Romans 6:14). But what does it mean not to be under the law? Does it mean we can sin freely? "By no means!" Paul answers (verse 15).
Paul is explaining that we have now been made one with Christ, and as such, we now serve God in a new way--the way of the Spirit--not in the old way of the written code (Rom. 7:4-6). We are now under a "new law"--the law of Christ (1 Cor. 9:21; 1 John 2:3; John 6:28-29; Heb. 13:21).
The Law of Moses--the law given to Israel at Sinai, including the Ten Commandments--was given on the basis of the Levitical priesthood (Heb. 7:11).
When Christ came as High Priest forever, he superseded the Levitical priesthood, and with it, the law that was based upon it (v. 12). He established a new priesthood, and the law that is based upon this new priesthood is the law of Christ (1 John 2:3; 3:21-24; 4:13-21).
Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:20 that he was not under the law, referring to the Sinai law. But the fact that he was not under the Sinai law did not mean he was not under God's law, since he was under Christ's law (v. 21).
The Sinai law, which was indeed God's law, has been transcended and superseded by Christ's law, which is also God's law. The Sinai law, the Law of Moses, was God's law for ancient Israel until Christ came (Gal. 3:24-25). Then, just as God planned, when Christ came, Christ's law became the law for all peoples. The temporary was replaced, right on schedule, by the permanent.
The Sinai law exposed everyone as sinners (Rom. 3:19-20). When Jesus came, it was God's time for sin to be defeated (Heb. 9:26). That cannot be done by a set of regulations. It can be done only by God. And that is what God has done in Christ (Rom. 3:21-26).
In Christ, God became human. He, while remaining sinless and guiltless, took our sin and guilt upon himself, died, and was raised in glory.
That changed everything. Now it is clear to those who believe Jesus' message that God's real purpose is to open the door of his kingdom to all humans. He has done what no mere human could do and what the Law of Moses could not do--he has broken down the impossible barrier between himself and sinful humans.
Now humans are able to accept the invitation to go through that door--to make the decision of faith--to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that trusting and following him is the most important thing in the world (Rom. 3:21-22).
It would be a great mistake to think that the law of Christ is simply a substitution of one set of regulations for another. The law of Christ is not a codified set of regulations, though the New Testament does give us clear descriptions of the kind of conduct that is characteristic of those who are under the law of Christ (Gal. 5:22-26; 6:2; Eph. 4:20-6:20; Phil. 2:1-18; Col. 3:1-4:6; etc.).
Far beyond any mere set of rules, the law of Christ constitutes a complete reordering of life, a total change of heart, mind, intent and purpose--a change brought about by the Holy Spirit at work in us.
The law of Christ is identical with the law of God, and it is what the Law of Moses, which was temporary, always pointed toward (Rom. 3:21-22; 1 Pet. 1:10-11; John 5:39-40, 45-46; Luke 24:44-47).
The law of Christ, which is also the law of God (1 Cor. 9:20-21), can be summarized by two overarching commands: "And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us" (1 John 3:23).
By obeying the law of Christ, which again, is identical with the law of God, we are fulfilling what Jesus called the "greatest commandments" of the Law of Moses.
Jesus was asked, " `Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?'
"Jesus replied: `Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" (Matt. 22:36-40).
Jesus said that when we put our faith in him, we are demonstrating our love for the Father (John 5:23; 8:42), which fulfills the first of the two greatest commandments of the Law of Moses. When we obey Jesus' command to love one another (John 13:34-35; 15:12, 17), we are fulfilling the second of the two greatest commandments of the Law of Moses.
But there is much more to the law of Christ. If it were simply a matter of doing these things on our own, we would surely fail, as we do not have what it takes.
Under the law of Christ, when we obey Jesus' commands by putting our belief and confidence in him, the Holy Spirit comes to make his home in us (John 14:15-17, 21). When the Holy Spirit lives in us, the Father and the Son are also living in us (v. 23), because God is one.
As we remain in Christ, the true "vine," we bear fruit, but only because we are in him (John 15:1-8). It is for this reason that Paul is able to say: "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.
"For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit" (Rom. 8:1-4).
To the church at Rome, Paul declared boldly: "But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify" (Rom. 3:21).
Because we are in Christ, God not only forgives our sins, he also provides the righteousness believers need, and it is a righteousness that does not come from observing the Sinai law.
It is a God-given righteousness--a righteousness that comes only by faith in God's own Son, something Paul says the Old Testament Scriptures had actually been declaring from the beginning.
Paul continued, "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe" (v. 22). Once Jesus came, the real meaning of all the Scriptures was revealed--Salvation comes to humans only by faith in Jesus. The Law of Moses proved everyone sinners; in Christ everyone who believes is saved, and saved apart from that Law.
You see, what Paul wrote in Romans 3:28 is not negated by what he wrote in verse 31. Paul is not contradicting himself. In verse 28 he wrote: "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law." In verse 31 he wrote: "Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law."
Paul means what he says. We are not made righteous by keeping the Law given at Sinai. We are made righteous only by faith in Christ. When Christ came, the purpose of the Sinai law was achieved. "Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes" (Rom. 10:4).
Christ was the fulfillment of the Sinai law. He was its goal, its end, its purpose. By God's design, that Law was preparing Israel for Christ, and through Israel the whole world was being prepared for Christ.
But the Jews Paul was writing about retained the Sinai law, and in so doing, they had no room for accepting Christ. In rejecting Christ, they entirely missed the point of what Jesus called "their law" (John 15:35).
The Sinai law served to condemn human rebellion against God--but through God's own loving initiative in Jesus Christ, the Spirit is now at work to transform rebellious hearts into faithful hearts (Rom. 5:20-21).
The law of Christ commands a life of faith in Christ that is led by the Spirit--a life confident of God's gracious love toward us and marked by self-sacrificial love toward God and fellow humans (1 John 3:21-24).
Believers are under the law of Christ, under the Spirit--not under the Sinai Law--and as such they are not considered sinners, because the Spirit makes believers into children of God, people in whom God lives, and who love with God's love. "Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him" Paul recites in regard to believers (see Rom. 5:4-8).
Many people find that too hard to believe. They ask: "Why would God just `count' believers righteous, even though they still sin? Why would he simply not count their sins against them? God doesn't just pretend we are righteous. Surely there is something I must do. Surely I must stop sinning before God will count me righteous."
But that is just Paul's point. If we can be righteous ourselves, then we do not need God. Yet the real state of things is that we cannot be righteous ourselves, and we do need God. Alone, we are pitiful, wretched and hopeless sinners.
Only God can make us righteous, and he loves us so much that he has taken the steps to do just that. He does it because he is good. He does it by his grace, not because we deserve it, because we don't.
We have no righteousness of our own, and the only pathway to God's righteousness is through faith in Christ. By his grace through faith in Christ, God forgives our sins and imputes Jesus' righteousness to us.
Paul's letter to the Galatians is strong. He knew that if they listened to the so-called Judaizers and placed themselves under the Sinai Law, they were choosing not to have faith in Christ (Gal. 5:2-3). They would be rejecting Christ and the law of Christ. They would be missing the central point of the now faded Law of Moses.
As Jesus had said, if the Jews had believed Moses, they would have believed Jesus, because the Law of Moses was designed deliberately to declare his coming (John 5:46-47; Luke 24:45-46). The Mosaic Law was in force for a specific period of time, from Sinai till Christ.
When Christ appeared, everything God had been preparing the world for was revealed. When Christ was raised from the dead, everything God had promised Israel was fulfilled (Acts 13:32). Even the promises God gave to David were designed to be fulfilled by the resurrection of Jesus (verse 34). This astounding mystery of the ages was revealed--yet many of those who had the law chose to reject what God was revealing (verses 38-41).
God wants his people to love like he loves, not merely to conform to standards of conduct and rituals of separation. Jesus repeatedly condemned those who conformed to the letter of the law but whose hearts were without the love of God.
God wants us to have a new heart, a heart of belief, a heart in which the Spirit dwells. Only the Holy Spirit produces God's love in us (Rom. 5:5) and enables us to keep the law of Christ (1 John 3:21-24).
The Spirit comes only by belief. The Spirit does not come by keeping the law (Gal. 3:2-5). That is why Paul teaches that the Sinai law must step aside to make room for the new way of the Spirit, the way of the law of Christ.
Some have misunderstood Acts 5:32 ("We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.") to mean that God gives his Spirit only to those who keep the Sinai Law.
As we have just seen in Gal. 3:2-5, however, we do not receive the Spirit by observing the law. We receive the Spirit only by faith in Jesus Christ. And that is precisely the point Peter made in Acts 5:32.
Peter was replying to orders of the Jewish council not to preach in Jesus' name. Peter declared that Jesus' disciples must obey God, who commanded them to preach faith in Jesus, and not people who order them to stop (vs. 27-31).
The obedience Peter is referring to is not obedience to the Sinai Law, but obedience to the new thing God had done in sending his Son so that whoever believes in him would not perish, but have everlasting life.
Many people are good at keeping certain rules. But if the love of God is not in their hearts, then their success at keeping rules has a way of turning their hearts rancid. Without God's love, they turn into sharp-eyed judges of the failings of others.
They become prideful and arrogant, and begin to get the idea that the kingdom of God is meant only for them, "the obedient ones," and not for sinners. They begin to see themselves as better than sinners.
The better they keep the rules, the more and more obscure their own sinfulness becomes to them. Their own need for a Savior becomes less plain, and they begin to imagine a great spiritual rift between themselves and ordinary people. (If you have been a Christian for long, you have probably experienced that tendency in yourself from time to time. I suspect we all do.)
When the love of God penetrates the heart, however, believers find two remarkable things happening at once. First, they are pleasantly surprised to realize that it is beginning to feel somewhat natural to desire the things of God. Second, they are chagrined and grieved to begin to notice the seemingly hopeless extent of the twisted network of hidden wickedness in their hearts.
That is because the Spirit is at work. The Spirit, through the law of Christ, is rewiring us, so to speak, so that we begin to appreciate and love the things God loves. At the same time, the opposite side of the same coin you might say, he begins to illuminate the dark corners of our hearts, so we can see in God's light what is really going on in there.
The struggle is on. The believer is a citizen of the eternal kingdom, and as such, he or she walks with Christ with a keen sense of being in need of God's inexhaustible mercy and grace. But he or she also begins to sense the presence of the limitless power of Christ to give help in forsaking the selfish and hateful ways of the former life. New, godly habits begin to form, and old, ungodly habits begin to fade.
We are learning to walk in the divine love God has given us. The Teacher, of course, is Christ. That is what it means to be Christ's disciples. It means to be his students.
Christ is also the living Word of God. The Holy Spirit has inspired the Bible to be an indispensable means of communicating the inner life of Christ to us. That is why Christians make Bible reading, study and meditation a central part of their daily lives.
As we read the Bible, asking God to bless our understanding and to help us hear his voice for us, God teaches us, rebukes us, corrects us, trains us in righteousness and equips us for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Through this means and others, including the Lord's Supper (John 6:53-57) and through the faithful teaching of church leaders (Eph. 4:11-16), God continually leads us into an ever deepening communion with him.
Paul knew that the grace of God, when we accept it, is effective in motivating us toward a godly life in ways the Law of Moses could never be.
He wrote these words to Titus: "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say `No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good" (Titus 2:11-14).
We have seen that Christians are not under the law given at Mount Sinai, which was a temporary expression of the law of God for Israel until Christ came, but rather are under the law of Christ, which is the law of God forever.
We have seen that Christians are led by the Holy Spirit, who makes his home in believers and teaches us to live by the Word of God. Next month we will look more closely at the Sabbath day and its fulfillment in Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 9:20-21--To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law [the Law given at Sinai] I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law.
Jews were under the law (20).
Gentiles did not have the law (21).
Paul was not under the law (20).
Even though Paul was not under the law, he could be like one who was under the law (20).
The law was not binding on Paul, because he could be like one who does not have the law (21).
Paul was not free from God's law, because he was under Christ's law (21).
"The law" and "God's law" are not identical, because Paul was not under "the law" but was under "God's law" in the form of "Christ's law" (21).
"The law" and "Christ's law" are not identical, but God's law and Christ's law are identical (20-21).
Christians are under Christ's law.
Christians are not under "the law."
Glorious (2 Cor. 3:7)
Temporary (2 Cor. 3:11; Gal. 3:19)
Springs from the law of God (Gal. 3:19-21)
Demonstrated human failure (Rom. 3:20; 5:20; 7:13)
A precursor (Gal. 3:23-25; Rom. 3:21; John 5:39-40)
Not rooted in faith (Gal. 3:12)
Written on tables of stone (2 Cor. 3:7)
Designed to fade (2 Cor. 3:11)
Immeasurably more glorious (2 Cor. 3:10)
Permanent (2 Cor. 3:11; Rom. 5:9-11)
Is identical with the law of God (1 Cor. 9:21)
Constitutes human success (Rom. 7:6; 8:3-4)
The end result (Gal. 3:23-25; Rom. 3:21-26)
Rooted in faith (Gal. 3:24; Rom. 3:22; 5:1-2; 1 John 3:23)
Written on human hearts (Heb. 8:10)
Designed to last forever (2 Cor. 3:11)
From Randal Dick
Superintendent of missions
So much is happening in the Worldwide Church of God that it is impossible to recount it all in detail.
In this column I would like to share some news about two areas: developments in Bangladesh and evangelistic campaigns conducted by pastor Jerry Ortiguero in the Philippines. I hope you will enjoy reading about them.
Last time we reported about Bangladesh, we told you of floods, mobs threatening to destroy our church buildings, and that one of our gospel workers was beaten up by anti-Christian vigilantes and was hospitalized with serious injuries.
From John Biswas
This time John Biswas, director of the Bengali Evangelistic Association, writes: We praise God for his mercy and grace upon all of us!
What God is doing in Bangladesh is incredible. God has opened an opportunity for us to train 36 native gospel workers, conduct outreach meetings and establish four chapels (kindergarten schools) in four villages to spread God's word among hundreds of poor Hindu and Muslim families.
Because of a strong Islamic brotherhood among Muslims in Bangladesh, the common people remain largely oriented by communal influence.
This keeps many people from accepting the Christian faith. New converts fear persecution they may face from their community or being outcast from their own families.
Amidst the obstacles, our courageous native gospel workers have distributed 8,374 pieces of gospel literature and 157 Bibles.
Also, Bible studies are continuously being given in preparation for baptism. About 26 people are ready and will be baptized soon.
From January through April, we have distributed 12,997 gospel tracts, 214 Bibles, planted 10 village churches and as a result, 32 people want to be baptized.
We are behind our goal, but we know God will meet our needs. Please stand with us as we preach God's message in Bangladesh. Most of the people in Bangladesh are Muslims, in need of God's salvation message.
Bill Sidney, our regional director for the Philippines and Northern Asia, sent me this report, which he received from Jerry Ortiguero, pastor of the Laoag City and San Fernando, Philippines, congregations. It represents the kind of activity taking place on an increasing basis in the Philippines.
From Jerry Ortiguero
Just returned from Abra, and I want to share with you some exciting things God is doing in the area.
Sunday, May 23, at 4 in the afternoon, we drove up to Bucay. We had a worship service with 34 people in attendance. I gave a sermon on water baptism, an expository sermon on Romans 6.
After lunch, we had 12 baptisms. It was moving for us to witness the baptism of Ruben Baidan (an Itneg, one of the mountain tribes of northern Luzon) with his wife, Veronica, and four daughters, along with six others, at the Abra River.
We hope and pray that before the end of the year, we'll have another church planted at Bucay.
In the evening, we had an outreach Bible study at Sitio Pantok in Barangay Pakiling. We were warmly received by the barangay (village) captain. He said our group is the only group he approves to give Bible studies there, because ours is different from the other groups in that we share the word of God directly from the Bible.
He said that our messages are relevant, down-to-earth and easy to understand. And we don't attack other churches. He said if he had not already been baptized as a Catholic, he would have wanted to be baptized in our church.
Another inspiring thing that happened there that night, was that in spite of rain, 124 people listened through the duration of the Bible study, using umbrellas and the extended roofs of the surrounding houses as covering from getting wet.
I made an exposition of Ezekiel 33:11-19 on the need for repentance. One of our followers, a Mr. Blancha, takes the initiative of teaching Christian songs to some of the children at Pantok, and he volunteered these children to render several songs during our praise and worship to the delight the audience.
Because the children performed well, Mrs. Eugene Dauz of Tagudin, who came with us to attend our Abra activities, gave 500 pesos to Mr. Blancha for the children.
I learned afterward that the children appreciated the money as they will use their share to buy their school needs such as notebooks, pens and pencils.
This same man is donating a portion of his land for us to build our church building.
He told Regino Torres that they will provide labor and materials too. They asked if we could pay for the cement for the floor and galvanized iron sheets for the roof.
If we build a building, it has to be a multi-purpose building that the community can use for barangay activities.
Monday morning, May 24, we drove up to Sallapadan, Abra, a remote mountain town.
We conducted the initial Bible study at the residence of Ruben Baidan's parents, and we had 32 in attendance of which 23 people are new.
I presented the gospel by using Acts 17:22-30 and told them that the God who created the world and everything in it, was also the one who made you and put you in this place, remote as it is, and that same God is here and can be found if you really seek for him.
We are here to let you know that God loves you to the point that he gave up his only Son Jesus and that through him you would know God more, and if you believe on him and accept him, you can be forgiven of your sins and receive eternal life.
And that same Jesus is inviting you to come to him so you can find rest for your weary souls (Matthew 11:28-30). The message was well received.
Many Itneg people want to learn of God and his word. Next time we'll have the outreach Bible study at a barangay plaza and will show the videotape "Jesus" in the Ilocano dialect.
Sunday morning, May 30, we had the outreach Bible study at PongPong, which was also the celebration of the birthday of Boni Cacanando, a WCG member and vice mayor of Santo Tomas.
Many people attended his birthday party, so this gave us a good opportunity to talk about the birth of Jesus.
I talked on the significance of the Incarnation, and I used John 1:1-18 as the set of Scriptures for this exposition.
KINDERGARTEN SCHOOL--One of the new
kindergarten schools in Sathsimulia, Bangladesh. Gospel
workers, including Alizabeth Baroi (pictured here with her class)
teach the Bible to Hindu and Muslim students.
Kindergarten school
Christians of many denominations in Bangladesh
RESPONSE TO EVANGELISM--People interested in the WCG in
Bucay, Philippines. [Photos by Victoria Ramos]
Pastor Jerry Ortiguero in Pantok.
From Charles and Carmen Fleming: Latin America
By Patrick Fearon
FREEPORT, Bahamas--The WCG in Latin America continues to fight the good fight as members--young and old, male and female--move into the future with greater involvement in the church.
Congregations are being prepared for healthy church growth, doors are being opened to our people, and many are attesting to the wonders and miracles accomplished through the Holy Spirit.
Members are discovering their spiritual gifts and are moving into meaningful ministry in a shared ministry environment in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Members see themselves as ministers of the Lord, called to make a difference for the kingdom..
As members continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ and use their spiritual gifts, new converts are being added to the body.
In Salto, Uruguay, where some members visit hospitals and minister to the sick, divine healings have been reported, and many new members have been baptized.
In Montevideo, Uruguay, the church's music ministry is leading people into the presence of God through prayer, songs of praise and the Word. Last November, members in Uruguay helped with a crusade put on by Luis Palau.
Additionally, when the Logos II (a floating Christian bookstore staffed by 200 missionaries) arrived, pastors and leaders in Salto and Montevideo were involved in seminars and other related activities.
The congregations in Argentina and Bolivia are stabilizing, and are using the power of God's grace in their lives. New congregations are being formed in Diamante, Argentina, and they are also starting a project for next year that will see the planting of a congregation in Cordoba, Argentina.
Hector Barrero,
sub-regional coordinator for Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela and Puerto Rico, reported that
members' most ardent prayer at the moment is that "the Lord Jesus grant us the power
to preach his gospel with power to our communities."
A March conference in Chicago, Illinois, on Natural Church Development is serving as an "excellent start for a new perspective in plans for growth," Mr. Barrero reported.
A follow-up sub-regional conference was conducted in Bogota, Colombia, May 15 to 17, and further addressed the topic of church development.
Delegates attended from Ecuador, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and the host country. Regional director Charles Fleming; Salvador Barragan, sub-regional director from Mexico; and Mr. Barrero addressed the conference.
According to Mr. Barrero, 16 members in Colombia are studying theology with the Latin America Faculty of Theological Studies (FLET). "We have the conviction that Jesus Christ has a great work to be done in this country," Mr. Barrero said. "WCG members are without a doubt being prepared to be a part of that great work."
From Mexico,
Salvador Barragan reported that a ministerial conference conducted in Mexico City in April
focused on the biblical principles for quality church growth.
During the conference the ministers and wives focused on eight qualities of healthy churches as illustrated by Christian A. Schwarz in Natural Church Development.
Those eight qualities are empowering leadership; gift-oriented ministry; passionate spirituality; functional structures; inspiring worship services; holistic small groups; need-oriented evangelism; and loving relationships.
Mr. Barragan reported that for the remainder of the year each of the congregations will seek to grow in two of the eight areas--the two selected by individual congregations to be the ones needing most attention.
Mr. Barragan also reported that two WCG leaders in Costa Rica were invited in May to a Christian television station where they answered questions about the transformation God has made in the WCG, and were invited to host the church's own weekly program on their channel.
According to Mr. Barragan, the scattered members in Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua cannot meet regularly. They, however, receive literature and tapes.
Also, in Nicaragua, where member Apolinia Kohler runs a Bible school for about 20 children in her neighborhood, some of the parents of these children have now started to attend. Understandably, most of the congregation is made up of children.
Positive developments are also taking place in Peru. A ministerial conference in Lima brought together local leaders from the four main congregations.
"God is giving us quality growth," Mr. Barragan said, "but he's also giving us quantity growth in the Andean region where the main language is Quechua.
"Last year we had one congregation there, but now God is raising up three, and has provided local bilingual leaders for those congregations."
Please praise God for all he is accomplishing through the lives of his people in Latin America. Pray also for God's guidance as our members walk through the doors being opened up to many of the congregations.
Colombia: urgent prayer request
Please pray for Christians and all people of Colombia suffering the following:
Political turmoil.
Economic depression.
Crime and violence--kidnapping has reached epidemic proportions.
COVINA, California--The third annual Southern California regional women's retreat took place April 30 to May 2 in Covina.
This retreat was sponsored by the Southern California Women's Ministry Planning Counsel (WMPC).
About 140 women participated in this weekend of praise, worship, fellowship and prayer. The retreat sponsored three early-bird workshops Friday at 3:30.
However, the evening prayer and praise service officially opened the retreat. Thelma Davies witnessed to us with her testimonial; Belinda Falk enhanced the theme with her talk on what it means to walk in Christ's footsteps; and Jannice May illustrated what happens when we say yes to God.
Saturday morning began with a prayer and praise service. Sheila Graham spoke on being a holy woman. Then the women broke into workshop groups. Some of the workshop topics were Dealing With Your Adult Children; Worshiping Him Through Music; His Footsteps Are Your Heritage; Walking Forward When Life Hurts; Kneeling Before the Throne; and Jesus, a Man of Joy.
After a break for lunch, the women were invited to have small group Bible studies on Matthew 5:1-16. Questions were handed out to help focus the study. Before dinner that evening, we gathered to discuss what we had studied.
Saturday night after a buffet meal, our featured speaker, P. Bunny Wilson, spoke on Pruned to Bloom. She is founder and president of New Dawn Production and is an author, counselor, speaker and teacher.
Her most noted books are Liberated Through Submission; Knight in Shining Armor; and Betrayal's Baby. She and her husband, Frank E. Wilson, a Grammy award-winning songwriter and record producer, speak at and lead family seminars for thousands of single, engaged and married people.
The Sunday morning meeting also started with a praise and worship service. Joseph Tkach spoke on Capturing the Heart, and Tammy Tkach spoke on Jesus Loves Me, This I Know.
Deena Murray then invited us to the Lord's Table. The retreat was closed with all of the women joining hands in song and prayer. Jan Roemer.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RETREAT--Women from seven denominations gather in
Covina, California, for the Walking in Christ's Footsteps retreat April 30 to May 2.
[Photo by Mary Allgood]
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah--The Salt Lake City Women's Ministry was host to nearly 100 women for the Annual Heart and Hands Project Day, March 27.
This annual day is part of the Interfaith Fellowship Service Organization. It consists of women from nine faiths in the Salt Lake City area.
Every year representatives from the different churches organize their efforts to donate items that are new, used or made for the benefit of community organizations that serve the needy, the battered or those who have lost babies.
Each year a different need is targeted and all nine denominations pool their resources to help these areas.
This year, Heart and Hands targeted two community service organizations that provide resources to the needy--Primary Children's Hospital and Rescue Haven, a shelter for homeless and needy men.
Diane Kuykendall.
SYRACUSE, New York--The Syracuse Women of GIFTS (Growing in Faith Through Service) Ministry sponsored their first seminar May 22 with a theme of Cultivating Godly Relationships.
In attendance were 51 women from seven upstate New York WCG congregations and Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and women from five other denominations.
The guest
presenter, Sue Ellen Harris, is a counselor with Crossway Life Center and is host for a
weekday Christian radio program, "Crossway Connection." She spoke on the
relationship triangle and the women's part with God in supporting others who are in pain,
by using empathy, warmth and respect.
After lunch, the second session began with musical presentations by Angelsong, an area women's vocal trio.
The afternoon's subject was active listening, which included a workshop. A prayer circle followed with each table participating in intercessory prayer for others. After an invitation, several women rededicated themselves to Christ, and one woman accepted Christ as her Savior.
The seminar ended with everyone joining hands and singing, "Bind Us Together."
CAMBRIDGE, Ohio--An Ohio Valley women's retreat will take place Nov. 5 to 7 at the Shenandoah Inn in the hills of southeastern Ohio.
The theme will be Women Who Follow the Master. Speakers will include Pam Smith, wife of Tom Smith, pastor in Washington, Pennsylvania; and Mary Ann Brown, wife of Steve Brown, pastor in Clearwater, Florida.
The cost is $75 for the weekend and includes two nights lodging and five meals. A $35 nonrefundable deposit is required by Aug. 31. After that date, the reservation cost is $95.
Rooms are double occupancy with separate beds. Secure baby-sitting is available on site.
For a brochure and reservation form, write Rose Harless at 65399 Lake Rd., Cambridge, Ohio, 43725, or call her at 1-740-439-4081, or call Lynn Mills at 1-740-439-7037.
CHICAGO, Illinois--Two more workshops have been added to the Women's International Conference Aug. 6 to 8 in Chicago.
They are Seasons of Prayer and When a Loved One Dies.
Joseph and Tammy Tkach and Sheila Graham will attend the conference and share presentations and workshops.
To register, please clip out the form below and send it to the address given.
Angie Latimer & Karen Newby
Registration Form
Name
Address
Home Phone Work Phone
Emergency Name Emergency Phone
Payment
Registration fee $85
(Includes all general sessions and workshops; breakfast, lunch and dinner Saturday, breakfast Sunday)
NOTE: Registration fee is transferable but not refundable.
Donation: $ ________ to assist women who require financial assistance to attend.
Total enclosed (U.S. funds*): $ ________
* Canadians and other international guests, please use international money order.
Special needs and comments:
Please make check or money order payable to: WIC Chicago Fund
and mail this form and payment to Margaret Davis
900 N. Taylor Ave.
Oak Park, Illinois, 60302
Hotel reservations must be made directly through the Wyndham Hotel by each individual conference applicant.
Wyndham Hotel
Northwest Chicago
400 Park Blvd.
Itasca, Illinois, 60143
Reservations 1-630-773-4000
Mention you are with the Worldwide Church of God group. Cost is $95 per night (tax not included), if reservations are made by July 15. After that date the rate is $125.
We request that this be done as soon as you send this registration form to us.
If you have any questions please contact us:
Karen Newby 1-847-741-6658 (e-mail james_newby@wcg.org)
Angie Latimer 1-847-587-5038 (e-mail LATIMO@aol.com)
By Ronald Kelly
The daily average mail income for May was $97,879.
As we have been reporting all year, donations have been down 10 percent or more below budgeted expenses.
After the first third of the year, we reduced our expenses and revised our donation projections from an anticipated $98,000 per banking day down to $95,000.
That meant additional employee terminations and reduction of certain activities of the church. Declining income for the first few months of the year caused a deficit of more than $800,000.
Through the month of May, mail income is down 15 percent from the previous year, and down 6 percent from our revised budgeted income. The accompanying charts and graphs give you the numbers for the month and year to date.
It has long been our prayer that income would stabilize, and we could have some breathing room as we proceed through the property sales process.
If we can all set our giving pattern for May as our benchmark, we should be able to maintain our current budget for the remainder of the year. I would like to ask each member family to strive to meet their May donations providing that would not be a financial hardship to the family.
What a blessing it would be to the work of the church if that was possible!
Now is the time to plan our special offering options for the remainder of the year. For many years we had four traditional Worldwide Church of God festival offerings each autumn.
Because many of our congregations do not meet on the specific calendar festival day and fewer members attend the eight-day Feast of Tabernacles, it is difficult to project how members will respond with special offerings.
However, we have to forecast income in order to prepare appropriate budgets. Our projected special offering income from June through December is $2.4 million, which translates into $600,000 for each of the four traditional festival days.
Some congregations that do not meet on the Feast of Trumpets or Day of Atonement are planning special offerings on Thanksgiving weekend and during the Advent season. Others, desiring to provide for the special financial needs of the church, are taking up donations once a month on a designated worship day.
Whatever you, your fellow members and your pastor determine is best for your area, we want you all to know how much we appreciate your willingness to give special offerings over and above what you give in regular tithes and offerings.
Surely members of the Worldwide Church of God are among the most dedicated contributors.
As you read this issue of The Worldwide News, several hundred youths are attending the Summer Educational Program in Orr, Minnesota. These young people represent the future of our church, and summer camp has been one of the most significant events in the lives of thousands of church teens. Please remember them in your prayers.
Summer camp is just one way your donations contribute to the work of the church. Many of our teens have a firm relationship with our Lord and Savior. And many more will come to know and love him even better at camp.
Few investments pay higher dividends than what we do for our youths.
We pray your summer is going well and that you and your congregation are growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Keith and Marian Brittain serve the Charlotte, North Carolina, district.
Mr. and Mrs. Brittain have three children and one grandchild. Mr. Brittain was born in England, and graduated from the Bricket Wood campus of Ambassador College in 1966. He then emigrated to Canada, where he met and married Marian. They worked in the ministry from 1968 to 1978 serving in Ontario and Quebec.
In 1978 they were transferred to the United States and over the years served in New Mexico, Texas, California and North Carolina. In January 1996 Mr. Brittain was appointed district superintendent for the mid-Atlantic region, which encompasses most of Virginia, the Carolinas and part of Georgia. He pastors the Charlotte congregation.
The following pastors, wives and congregations are in the Charlotte district:
Asheville, North Carolina: Hasadore and Janie Hall
Augusta, Georgia: John and Jolie Moskel
Boone, North Carolina: Paul David and Emma Lee Kurts
Charleston, South Carolina: Larry and Connie Wooldridge
Charlotte, North Carolina: Keith and Marian Brittain
Columbia, South Carolina: John and Jolie Moskel
Dillon, South Carolina: Greg and Susan Williams
Fayetteville, South Carolina: Greg and Susan Williams
Greensboro, North Carolina: Grant and Jennifer Spong
Greenville, South Carolina: Hasadore and Janie Hall
Hickory, North Carolina: Paul David and Emma Lee Kurts
Jacksonville, North Carolina: Charles and Dixie Marino
Marion, North Carolina: Hasadore and Janie Hall
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: Howard and Wanonia Blakeney
New Bern, North Carolina: Tom and Connie Whitmire
Norfolk, Virginia: Tim and Donna Brassell
Raleigh, North Carolina: Don and Geri Mason
Richmond, Virginia: Fred and Diane Bailey
Roanoke, Virginia: Everett and Mary Sue Craft
Savannah, Georgia: Larry and Connie Wooldridge
Wilmington, North Carolina: Ken and Shirley Weeden
Wilson, North Carolina: Don and Geri Mason
Winston-Salem, North Carolina: Grant and Jennifer Spong
By Thomas C. Hanson
PASADENA--The Worldwide Church of God was host to a Conference on Racial Reconciliation in the Ambassador Auditorium May 14 to 16.
The theme was "One Heart, Mind, Spirit, Blood" based on Acts 4:32; 17:26. The conference focused on ending segregation and prejudice within the Christian community. The highest attendance at any one session was 255.
The conference was directed by Tyrone Cushman, pastor of the Pasadena Church of God, which sponsors the Reconciliation and Empowerment of All People (REAP) Foundation.
Joyce Steator, vice mayor of Pasadena, gave a brief address. William Turner, pastor of New Revelation Baptist church in Pasadena, attended and participated.
The conference asked: "Can the power of God defeat racism? Then why is 11 on Sunday morning the most segregated hour of the week?"
According to Curtis May, Pasadena district superintendent and director of the WCG's Office of Reconciliation Ministries, the purpose of the conference was to bring Christians together from different denominations to make sure all were reconciled to one another and to model reconciliation for others.
Mr. May said that the unchurched were invited so they could see what reconciliation is like and to have a lasting effect on all who attended, that they might possibly continue the reconciliation process.
Speakers included Che Ahn, senior pastor of Harvest Rock Church in Pasadena; Isaac Canales, director of Hispanic Church Studies and assistant professor of New Testament at Fuller Seminary; Curtis DeYoung, president of Twin Cities Urban Reconciliation Network in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota.
Joseph Garlington, senior pastor of Covenant Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Gordon Kirk, senior pastor of Lake Avenue Congregational Church; Curtis May, director of the WCG's Office of Reconciliation Ministries; and Joseph Tkach, WCG pastor general.
"We saw the hand of God in the whole weekend," Mr. May said. "People told me how they were moved to reconcile with others."
 Joseph Tkach |
 Tyrone Cushman |
 Joseph Garlington |
Curtis May |
 Che Ahn |
 Isaac Canales |
BUFORD, Georgia--Pastor General Joseph Tkach visited the combined Buford, Athens and Stone Mountain, Georgia, congregations May 7 to 9.
Mr. Tkach conducted services Saturday morning. After a potluck lunch, Mr. Tkach had a question and answer session for two hours and 15 minutes.
Visitors came from Tennessee, Alabama and Florida. Visitors included Al Barr, district superintendent, and his wife, Edna, and Tom Mahan, pastor of the Kennesaw, Georgia, congregation, and his wife, Betsy.
"It truly was an inspiring weekend, and we appreciated Mr. Tkach's visit," said David Whited, pastor of the Buford church. "We all appreciated his wife, Tammy, making the sacrifice for him to come on Mother's Day weekend." Howard Shadoan, Terry Cohron and David Whited.
Acts 15 describes the most important meeting the early church had. The future of the church was at stake--was it to be a Jewish group, or would it allow gentiles?
If gentiles could enter the church without following Jewish laws, the church would attract more gentiles, and eventually gentiles would be the majority. The church would no longer be a sect of Judaism, but a distinct faith. Let's see how the council of Jerusalem developed.
The council comes in the center of Luke's inspired history. His book begins with the Jewish church, dominated by Peter in chapters 1 to 5. The book ends with Paul's mission to the gentiles, in chapters 16 to 28. Chapters 6 to 15 form a transition, alternating between Jewish and gentile growth.
Chapter 15, the council of Jerusalem, forms the climax of the transition between Jewish and gentile evangelism. In the story flow, the council forms the decisive step that propels the gentile mission into dominance.
Paul and Barnabas had returned from a successful missionary trip in gentile areas. They told the church in Antioch how God had "opened the door of faith to the Gentiles" (14:27). Thus the stage is set for chapter 15.
"Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: `Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved' " (15:1). They were saying that circumcision was required for salvation.
They probably thought the question was simple: Christians should obey God, and God had commanded circumcision. If people want the blessings of Abraham, they should act like children of Abraham, and that meant circumcision for gentiles as well as for Jews (Gen. 17:12).
Paul and Barnabas had a different opinion: "This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them" (Acts 15:2). How was the argument to be resolved? "Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question." In this way the church could have unity.
So "the church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad" (v. 3). Luke is letting us know that most Christians supported the gentile mission.
"When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them" (v. 4). What God had done was part of the evidence. The miracles and conversions supported what he was saying.
Then they debated the question: "Some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, `The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses' " (v. 5).
We saw in verse 1 that they believed that circumcision was necessary for salvation. Here we see that they also believed the laws of Moses were required. Circumcision was the first step in the process--they believed that Christians must keep all the laws of Moses.
What were these laws? Were they biblical laws, or the unbiblical traditions of the elders? In every other New Testament mention of the "laws of Moses," the biblical books of Moses are meant (Luke 2:22; 24:44; John 7:22-23; Acts 28:23; 1 Cor. 9:9; Heb. 10:28). Luke could have said "traditions," but he did not. Anyone who knew the teachings of Jesus would already know that unbiblical traditions were not required of anyone. They did not need to debate about Jewish traditions.
Just as circumcision was biblical, so also were the laws of Moses. The claim was that gentile believers should be circumcised, and then, as part of the covenant people of God, obey the laws of the covenant. One of the laws of Moses was that males were to be circumcised.
Today, we might explain that Jesus instituted a new covenant, and that the Jewish believers were God's people not because they were Jewish, but because they were believers. Membership in the new covenant is by faith, not by ancestry. But the Jerusalem council did not approach the question from this perspective. Let's see how they did it.
"The apostles and elders met to consider this question" (v. 6). Perhaps dozens of elders were involved. "After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: `Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe' " (v. 7).
Peter reminded the people that God had used him to preach the gospel to Cornelius and his family (Acts 10). As far as we know, Cornelius was not circumcised, but Peter did not use that precedent as proof. Rather, he focused on the theological foundations of how a person is saved--by believing.
"God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith" (vs. 8-9). God gave the Holy Spirit to this uncircumcised family, purifying their hearts, pronouncing them holy, as acceptable to him, because of their faith.
Peter then began to scold the people who wanted the gentiles to obey the laws of Moses: "Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are" (vs. 10-11).
Peter's point is that the yoke of Moses was a burden that the Jewish people were not able to keep successfully. Those rituals showed that, no matter how hard people worked, they could never be perfect. They showed, for anyone who ever wondered, that works can never lead to salvation. Salvation is attained in a different way--by grace. We can't earn it, so it has to be given to us.
Since the law of Moses cannot bring us salvation, there is no need to require the gentiles to keep it. God gave them the Holy Spirit and showed that he accepts them without all those rituals. They are saved by grace, and the Jews are, too.
If we follow Peter's logic, we will see that Jewish believers do not have to keep the laws of Moses, either. They are saved by grace through faith, just as the gentiles are. The old covenant is obsolete, so its laws are no longer required for anyone, and that is why Peter could live like a gentile (Gal. 2:14). But that is getting ahead of the story. In Acts 15, the question is only whether gentiles have to keep the laws of Moses.
After Barnabas and Paul told "about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles" (Acts 15:12), James spoke. As leader of the Jerusalem church, he had a lot of influence. Some of the Judaizers even claimed him as their authority (Gal. 2:12), but Luke tells us that James was in complete agreement with Peter and Paul.
"Brothers, listen to me. Simon [Peter] has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself" (Acts 15:13-14). The fact that God has already acted was powerful evidence. James then quoted from the Greek translation of Amos to show that Scripture agreed with what was happening (vs. 15-18). He could have used other Old Testament prophecies, too, about gentiles being included among God's people.
Experience and Scripture pointed to the same conclusion. "It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God" (v. 19). There is no need to require the yoke of Moses, for that would make things unnecessarily difficult for the gentile believers.
James then suggested four rules: "Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood" (v. 20). Instead of making things difficult for the gentiles, these four rules would be enough.
Obviously, gentile believers should not lie, steal and murder. They already knew that, so they did not need a special reminder about it.
Why, then, these four rules? Some scholars say the Jews believed that these laws dated back to the time of Noah, and therefore applied to all nations. Others say that all four rules were associated with idolatry. Some say that these four rules were laws of Moses, and were given so gentiles and Jews could eat together. None of these suggestions is fully convincing.
(See www.wcg.org/lit/bible/acts15.htm for more details.)
The decree makes it clear that gentiles do not have to be circumcised, nor do they have to obey the laws of Moses. They are circumcised spiritually, not physically. God never gave those commands to the gentiles.
We should not make it difficult for the gentiles, James said. Instead, it will be enough to give them four rules, which they will find easy to comply with. Why give them these rules? Notice the reason that James gives: "For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath" (v. 21).
James was not encouraging gentile Christians to attend the synagogues. He was not saying they should listen to the laws of Moses. No, but because those laws were commonly preached, the apostles should tell the gentiles four rules. Then they would not think that Christianity is more difficult than it is.
To summarize: Some men said that gentiles should be circumcised and obey the laws of Moses or else they could not be saved. Not so, said the apostles. Gentiles are saved by grace and faith. God is pleased to dwell in people who aren't circumcised and who don't keep the rituals. But since Moses is widely preached, we need to give a decree that clearly distinguishes the Christian faith from the Law of Moses.
This pleased the entire church, so they wrote it in a letter and sent it to Antioch, where they "were glad for its encouraging message" (v. 31).
Michael Morrison
By Sheila Graham
LOS ANGELES, California-- "Two messages came across loud and clear," said Joanna Mitchell of the Antelope Valley, California, church, about the conference for elders' wives May 28 to 30.
They are that "God's Spirit is moving through our congregations, and the deep need for prayers for each other."
Mrs. Mitchell said that "being in a room with women from all over the United States, Canada, England and South Africa helped to endear our other congregations to me."
Mrs. Mitchell's comments echoed many of those attending the conference that had a theme of "Growing and Changing, Connecting and Bonding."
Of the 85 women registered, five came from England, six from Canada, one from Barbados and one from South Africa, according to Jannice May, event coordinator.
Tammy Tkach opened the conference Friday evening, May 28, and summed up the weekend's activities as the conference closed Sunday evening.
Afterward, she said: "I'm still mulling over the things I've heard. It was an unforgettable conference."
Other keynote speakers were author and international speaker Jill Briscoe, speaking on "Prayer That Works"; Kathleen Hart, chaplain to student wives at Pasadena's Fuller Theological Seminary, on "Taking Control of Your Actions and Attitude"; Archibald Hart, professor of psychology at Fuller, on "Dark Clouds, Silver Lining--Coping With Depression"; Dolores Feitl, founder of POWER, a networking group for pastors' wives, on "Arrest the Time Robbers"; and sexual therapist Joyce Penner on "Women and Sex, Discovering Greater Passion and Intimacy in Your Marriage."
"I sensed a peace when I was up on stage leading the praise and worship," said Lorraine Pelley, conference worship leader. "The speakers were outstanding and the joy our women shared will be an encouragement for me in the months ahead."
Wendy Lodge from England recommends women's conferences. "I watched the love between the ladies grow through the weekend. We truly do need to get together more, especially as we tend to be scattered and some can feel isolated in the church." She ordered tapes of the sessions and plans to make them available to all who are interested.
Ruth Miller of Birmingham, Alabama, encourages all elders' wives to attend. "I hope, if there is any way possible, you will make plans now to attend the next conference," she said. "I have attended a lot of retreats, conferences and workshops with attendance ranging from about 30 to about 20,000. Without hesitation I can say this was the most valuable to me as a pastor's wife."
"Last year the conference was very good. I was so surprised that God made this one even better. I can't wait to see how God will top the one scheduled for Labor Day 2000," Jannice May said.
Delores Feitl
Jacqui Eve and Jannice May
Tammy Tkach
Archibald Hart
WIVES OF RETIRED MINISTERS--Helen Jackson,
Olivia Flores, Bettye Oakley, Marge Friddle, Virginia Rice,
Phoebe Hampton. [Photos by Sheila Graham]
ANDERSON, Serena, bachelor of social work, Norfolk State University, Norfolk, Virginia.
ARCHER, Lorraine S., bachelor of arts in English literature, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, Missouri. With honors.
BRENT BAILEY
BAILEY, Brent, of Big Sandy, Texas, associate of applied science in computer networking,
Texas State Technical College, Marshall, Texas. Board of regents honor roll.
BANHAM, Lesz, master's in business administration, Stetson University, De Land, Florida.
BELOSO, Ish Jr., bachelor of science in health services administration, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida. Magna cum laude.
BICKEL, Kevin, bachelor of arts in Civil Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden Colorado.
TELESE BROWN
BROWN, Telese, real estate law, University of Miami Law School, Miami, Florida.
COOK, Beverly, bachelor of science in biology, University of Maryland, Baltimore Campus, Baltimore, Maryland.
DEVEAU, Terry J., of Herring Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada, master of science in acoustics, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania.
EBELING, Cheryl A., bachelor of science in accounting, Bentley College, Waltham, Massachusetts.
EDINBOROUGH, Jackie, of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, bachelor of science in nursing, University College of the Fraser Valley, Chilliwack, British Columbia.
EVANS, Curtis, master of arts in theology, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, Massachusetts. With honors (cum laude).
GREEN, Carolyn Elliott, bachelor of science in human services counseling, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia.
HAMBY, Erika Leigh, of Wilkesboro, North Carolina, bachelor's degree in political science, East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina.
HESS, Kassie Mingle, of Nashville, Tennessee, bachelor of science in human ecology and bachelor of arts in English, Lambuth University, Jackson, Tennessee. Summa cum laude (ranked No. 1).
LARA L. JOHANNSEN
JOHANNSEN, Lara L., bachelor of science in journalism, Boston University, Boston,
Massachusetts. Magna cum laude.
JONES, Alton, bachelor of science in electrical engineering, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia.
KLETT, Karl M., of Marion, Ohio, bachelor of science in psychology and business administration, St. John's University (external studies). Cum laude.
LeMAR, Timothy A., certificate in surgical technology, Quincy College, Quincy, Massachusetts.
LOVE, Jewlia, bachelor of science in information systems engineering, California Baptist University, Riverside, California.
PAIGE, Shoshana Paige, Juris Doctor, University of Texas School of Law in Austin. With honors.
PARSONS, Angie, bachelor of science in chemistry and pre-medicine, Norfolk State University, Norfolk, Virginia.
POLLOCK, Aaron J., bachelor of science in biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts.
POLLOCK, Julie A., bachelor of arts in English, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts. Magna cum laude.
POLLOCK, Rebecca Lynn, bachelor of arts in elementary education, University of Arkansas at Monticello. Cum laude.
RADFORD, Rachel, master of science, family therapy, Nova Southeastern University (graduate school), Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
RUDOLPH, Shay, bachelor of music in cello performance, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts. Summa cum laude.
RYAN, Marveta, doctor of philosophy in Hispanic literature, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
SATAVA, Susan, master of arts in psychology, University of Houston, Victoria, Texas.
SHEA, Richard, associate degree in substance abuse counseling, North Shore Community College, Danvers, Massachusetts.
SISBARRO, Alicia Sisbarro, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, bachelor of science in sports management, Springfield College, Springfield, Massachusetts.
SORRENTINO, Richard L., of Kenosha, Wisconsin, master's in business administration and a master's certificate in project management, Keller Graduate School of Management. With distinction.
STEFFES, John G., associate degree in information technology and office systems technology, Northern Maine Technical College, Presque Isle Maine. With high honors.
THOMAS, Venus, bachelor of arts in applied computer science, University of the District of Columbia, Washington, D.C.
WALTERS, Marcia, associate degree in art, Somerset Community College, Somerset, Kentucky.
WARD, Vernell, bachelor of arts in modern language--Spanish, Christopher Newport University, Newport News, Virginia.
WIDNER, Daniel Wright, bachelor of science in industrial engineering, Southern Polytechnic State University, Marietta, Georgia.
WIDNER, Jennifer Lee, bachelor of science in chemical engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia.
WILLIAM, Stephen A., bachelor of arts in communications, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire. Cum laude.
WOLTZ, Vicki, bachelor of arts in choreography, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland.
ALANIZ, Gabriel Alaniz, Covina High School, Covina, California.
AMAYA, Hector, Covina High School, Covina, California.
AYERBI, Crystal, Wheaton High School, Silver Spring, Maryland.
BEMPA-BOATENG, Yaa, Wheaton High School, Silver Spring, Maryland.
BEMPA-BOATENG, Yaw, Wheaton High School, Silver Spring, Maryland.
BRANCH, Clifton Andrew, Heritage High School, Newport News, Virginia.
JORDAN BROWN
BROWN, Jordan, Gulf High School, New Port Richey, Florida.
BUTLER, Nikki L., Hudsonville High School, Hudsonville, Michigan.
CAPITANIO, Frank G., Framingham High School, Framingham, Massachusetts.
COOLEY, Kelley Cooley, Oxon Hill High School, Oxon Hill, Maryland.
COOLEY, Kelvin, Oxon Hill High School, Oxon Hill, Maryland.
CUMMINGS, Sean, Oxon Hill High School, Oxon Hill, Maryland.
DOBBS, Leah, Fairview High School, Fairview, Oklahoma.
DREWEK, Andrea, Marathon High School, Marathon, Wisconsin.
EVANS, Leilani Enjoli, Farmerville High School, Farmerville, Louisiana.
FARVES, Rashida, Garfield High School, Woodbridge, Virginia.
FEAZELL, Jeff, Marshall High School, Pasadena, California.
DARIUS R.P. HAZARD
HAZARD, Darius R.P., Drury High School, North Adams, Massachusetts. With honors.
HULSEY, Vanessa Marie, Jena High School, Jena, Louisiana. Salutatorian.
AMY LOUISE KANGAS
KANGAS, Amy Louise, Bolingbrook High School, Bolingbrook, Illinois.
KEEFE, Erin Coleen, West Point High School, Cullman, Alabama.
JOSEPH KIRK
KIRK, Joseph, of Constable, New York, South Lewis Central High School, Turin, New York.
Valedictorian.
KOONCE, Jesse A., Omro High School, Omro, Wisconsin.
LASHUA, David Samuel, St. Petersburg High School, St. Petersburg, Florida.
LEWIS, Trena RaShawn, Tallaluh High School, Tallaluh, Louisiana.
MAPP, Crystal Yvette, Hazelwood Central High School, Florissant, Missouri.
MARLOW, Joshua Isaac, A.C. Reynolds High School, Asheville, North Carolina.
METZ, Shari-Rae, Mount Carmel High School, San Diego, California.
SARA BETH MIGL
MIGL, Sara Beth, Stroman High School, Victoria, Texas. Magna cum laude.
MILLER, Laurie Lynn, Vestavia Hills High School, Vestavia, Alabama.
NOLAN, Michael A., Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School, Massachusetts.
PERRY, Michael, Oxon Hill High School, Oxon Hill, Maryland.
PICINIC, Betty, Pasadena Polytechnic High School, Pasadena, California.
REDANZ, Sarah A., Souderton Area High School, Souderton, Pennsylvania.
JANA ROWAN
ROWAN, Jana Leann, Medina High School, Medina, Texas. Valedictorian.
PRISCILLA DEBBIE RODARTE
RODARTE, Priscilla Debbie, Penasco High School, Penasco, New Mexico. Salutatorian.
SETTLES, Chris, Crossland High School, Temple Hill, Maryland.
SMITH, Amanda Joy, Rosewood High School, Goldsboro, North Carolina.
WARD, Amy Michelle, Bob Jones High School, Madison, Alabama.
WILFONG, Brian R., Falcon High School, Falcon, Colorado.
WILKINS, Carolyn Wilkins, High Point High School, Beltsville, Maryland.
CONRAD, Cathlena Beth, Katherine Stinson Middle School, San Antonio, Texas.
CONRAD, Clayton Joseph, Scobee Elementary School, San Antonio, Texas.
FROST, Jessica Frost, C.O. Harrison Elementary, Cincinnati, Ohio.
GOINES, Melanie, Northwestern Middle School, Springfield, Ohio, graduating from eighth grade. Honor roll student.
GRIFFEN, Joshua, Turner Elementary School, Washington, D.C.
JENDREK, Tamara Jendrek, Carl H. Kumpf Middle School, Clark, New Jersey. Valedictorian.
JENDREK, Tanya Ashlea, Frank K. Hehnly School, Clark, New Jersey
PARKER, Alysia Parker, Greenbelt Middle School, Greenbelt, Maryland.
WHALEY, Jennifer Whaley, Lewisdale Elementary School, Hyattsville, Maryland.
WILFONG, Shea C., Martin Luther King elementary school, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
CORAL SPRINGS, Florida--Charles Fleming, regional director for the Caribbean and Latin America, and his wife, Carmen, participated in an Evangelism Explosion clinic May 28 to June 5 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Mr. Fleming said: "Tuesday night, June 1, I led two people to accept Jesus. That was my first time ever to walk up to strangers and to present the gospel. Talk about a charge!"
Mrs. Fleming's trainer was D. James Kennedy, senior minister at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale and founder of Evangelism Explosion. They, along with a Methodist pastor, led two people to accept the Lord.
"I pray that more of our pastors and members will consider pursuing this kind of training," Mr. Fleming said. "It is available from a number of sources, such as Evangelism Explosion and the Billy Graham School of Evangelism.
HOUSTON, Texas--Five members of the Houston North congregation were commissioned into the Community of Hope May 25.
The Community of Hope is sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Houston. The ministry began at St. Luke's Hospital in Houston, and trains people to be lay chaplains to visit in hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, homes and other places.
Community of Hope is now branching out to other states. Participants are taught listening skills, care-taking skills to promote healing and pastoral counseling skills.
The 36 hour course is founded on spiritual principles, focuses on building community among the lay chaplains and has an on-the-job-training component.
Members from Houston North who were commissioned are Gwen Shaffer, Jere Wilson, Joan Wilson, Karen Quinn and Dee Beam.
Helen W. Appleberg, director of Community of Hope, said at the commissioning service, "You are now commissioned to go out and serve the world in the name of Christ."
For more information send e-mail to Linda Astala at lastala@flash.net or contact Rev. Appleberg at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, 6720 Bertner St., Houston, Texas, 77030, or call her at 1-713-791-4388. Chris Beam.
OCALA, Florida--A ground-breaking ceremony took place April 24 for a new education center building for the Indigenous People's--Technology and Education Center.
The center, on the edge of the Dunnellon, Florida, airstrip, is designed to house small aircraft that will be used to teach indigenous missionaries to fly. Five Bible-trained indigenous missionaries are waiting for the center's completion to begin their pilot training.
I-TEC seeks to fulfill the great commission by helping the indigenous church in its journey toward self-propagation, self-government and self-support.
Ongoing projects include producing portable dental labs now used by an Amazon tribe to fill teeth; providing portable, solar-powered radios for the Huaorani Indians of the jungles of Ecuador to hear and share the good news of the gospel; training indigenous church leaders to use computers to draft their own church governing documents; and now, training indigenous missionary pilots.
Fifty people, mostly members of the Ocala congregation, gathered for the event. Pastor Ken Smylie led the group in worship and prayer.
Members Elva Walrath and Sylvia Oakley provided refreshments that featured a cake with the great commission of Matthew 28 written on it. Gene Walrath, an I-TEC volunteer, joined Mr. Smylie and Steve and Ginny Saint, I-TEC founders, in the ground-breaking. Ken Smylie.
PENSACOLA, Florida--Several Pensacola members participated in the Global March for Jesus '99, Saturday, May 22.
About 500 Christians from the Pensacola area joined millions of others on the streets of the world to worship and praise Jesus Christ.
Gathering in a downtown Pensacola park, young and old came together to walk, skate or jog one mile down Pensacola Bayfront Drive.
Christians from various backgrounds walked together in a caravan choir of worship songs and praise. This year's theme was "Love One Another," and the mission of participants was to claim the streets of their communities for Jesus.
After the march, many church groups and individuals gathered in a park to listen to a Christian band and to pray together. Several area ministers led prayers for our world, including John Young, WCG pastor, who prayed for the nation's schools. Creasia Daniel.
BELLINGHAM, Washington--The Bellingham and Oak Harbor congregations took part in the March for Jesus May 22 in Oak Harbor.
They walked two miles through the downtown area with about 1,000 other Christians. Participants were Frank and Helen Pamintuan and their children, Euel and Ezer, Doug and Diane Palser, Bill Gunn and Esther Halvorson. Doug Palser.
HOUSTON, Texas--The Houston South congregation raised $1,000 for Summer Educational Program (SEP) scholarships for Houston youths to attend SEP in Orr, Minnesota, or Scotland.
Torney Van Acker raised the money for SEP, as well as $300 for multiple sclerosis, by taking pledges in the MS-150 Bike Ride.
The 175-mile bike trip started April 17 in West Houston and ended April 18 just outside the Austin city limits. Each of the 7,300 bicyclists was required to raise at least $150 each. Cathy Hedrick.
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine--Ron Prather, Christina Doughty and John Steffes attended an evangelistic event by Luis Palau April 7 and 8. They went forward and publicly recommitted their lives to Jesus.
WCG members Jeff and Esther Pelletier also attended.
Afterward, Mr. Palau told the WCG members: "Whoever would have thought that the WCG would become an evangelical church." He has met many WCG members in his travels.
AKRON AND CANTON, Ohio--The Akron and Canton congregations invite friends to a weekend reunion celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Akron congregation and the 20th anniversary of the Canton congregation Aug. 14 and 15.
The weekend begins with a worship service Saturday, Aug. 14, at 2 p.m. at Faith United Methodist Church, 954 Eastland Ave., Akron.
The service will include messages from past pastors reflecting on memories of our shared past. Both Mike Swagerty, now the district superintendent in Sacramento, California, and David Antion, pastor of the Church of God, Southern California, are scheduled to speak.
Other past pastors are invited to send messages or speak in person.
A dinner-dance with a buffet will take place Saturday from 7 p.m. to midnight at Tangier Restaurant, 532 W. Market St., Akron. The cost for the evening is $25 for each person.
To reserve your place at the dinner-dance, send a nonrefundable deposit of $10 for each person to Evelyn Haymond by June 15 to the address shown below. Make checks payable to LCAF Akron.
The reunion will continue on Sunday, Aug. 15, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a potluck picnic at Earl Lake, 633 Earl Rd., Massillon, Ohio. Fishing and swimming will be available.
For more information, contact Jim and Evelyn Haymond at 802 Northwest Ave., Tallmadge, Ohio, 44278; telephone 1-330-923-1736, e-mail jimandev@gateway.net Frank and Roberta Manzella.
FEDERAL WAY, Washington--The Federal Way congregation will celebrate its 20th anniversary Aug. 7.
The worship service begins at 11 a.m. at New Hope Community Church, 31411 Sixth Ave. South in Federal Way. Lunch follows.
For more information contact Bea Paynter at 1-253-631-9147 or by e-mail at bkpaynter@hotmail.com
PENSACOLA, Florida--The Pensacola congregation will celebrate its 25th anniversary Saturday, Aug. 14.
A worship service will take place at 3 p.m., followed by a time of fellowship and refreshments. A family dance is planned to finish off the evening.
Anyone, whether a current member or not, who has ever been a part of the Pensacola or Fort Walton Beach congregations is encouraged to attend.
For more information please contact John Young at 1-850-857-6762 or jyoung1068@aol.com
SOUTH PASADENA, Florida--WCG members Jackie Thomas and Roberta Lashua of Arise-Renew Event Planning organized a marriage enrichment seminar for two congregations.
Fifty members of the Clearwater congregation attended a four-hour event March 13 that included a presentation from Ken Smylie, pastor of the Gainesville and Ocala, Florida, churches. Mr. Smylie spoke on The Path to Intimacy With Jesus and Your Spouse.
Word of the successful event reached pastor Gary Hofmeyer of Bethany Reformed Church in South Pasadena, who was then host for a repeat of the event May 21 for 50 members of his congregation. Ken Smylie.
TORONTO, Ontario--Richard Wilding, pastor of the Toronto East congregation, was asked to be chairperson of an ecumenical ministerial association next year (1999-2000). Mr. Wilding has been an active member of the association the past two years.
"Talk about coming from out of the fringe into the fold," Mr. Wilding said. "It is heartwarming to see the level of acceptance not only for myself but our denomination. It is wonderful to see that we are actively participating in the body of Christ."
PORTLAND, Oregon--James Huckaba, dean of the Philippine College of Ministry in Baguio City, Philippines, spoke to the Portland West congregation May 8.
Both Dr. Huckaba and his wife, Linda, teach at the school. They left Portland last September to begin their missionary endeavor.
They have found it a challenge to teach the things the students need to know and at the same time deal with culture and language barriers.
The Portland West congregation has supported their work by contributing to it financially. Dan Fricke.
VISTA, California--The praise team and choir of the San Diego North County congregation presented My Utmost for His Highest--A Worship Musical at a special service April 10.
Members were encouraged to invite family, friends and neighbors. Attendance was more than 400, as guests, including many former members, outnumbered members three to one.
Based on the devotional book by Oswald Chambers, My Utmost uses narration, choir selections, solos and a children's choir to encourage listeners to abandon their lives to Jesus.
Plans are being made to present My Utmost at the Festival in Palm Springs, California, Oct. 1. Choir members, including children's choir, who are interested in participating should contact Don Sharp, 700 Hastings Ct., San Marcos, California, 92069. Phil Helmuth.
PORTLAND, Oregon--Jackie Dubois of the Portland West congregation will be one of 70 students throughout the United States involved with a Campus Crusade for Christ event in Daytona, Florida.
Participants will be taught to be Christ-centered laborers and learn to minister to others. Each will secure employment from a job list, and work 30 to 48 hours a week.
They will be involved with community services and outreach programs. Beach outreaches with games or activities will be conducted in which the public will be invited to participate. These will allow the teens to share their faith with nonbelievers. Bible studies and worship services will be conducted.
LANGHORNE, Pennsylvania--Seven Medford, New Jersey, members attended a leadership, servanthood and marriage seminar in Langhorne, May 1.
Hosts were Michael Dittman, president of the Association of Christian Leaders International and chair of Philadelphia College of Bible (PCB), and Kevin Huggins, a professor in the PCB graduate school.
Dr. Dittman discussed how members can improve relationships with Christ and minister to fellow members and others whom God is calling. Dr. Dittman measures the health of a church, not by its number of programs or size, but by the depth of quality relationships among the members.
Dr. Huggins spoke on cultivating true intimacy in marriage. He showed how to apply principles of integrity, commitment, vulnerability and power sharing by distilling strategies into two lists. One list consisted of things that would help couples a little, and the other elaborated approaches that can make a real difference. Couples who achieve true intimacy can more effectivel