"The (General Conference) assembly also approved the We Believe and credentialing documents with minor revisions."Ed's account of the entire gathering was extremely upbeat and I wondered at the 'minor revisions' comment.. So I asked around.
My question was,
"I noted from Ed's eNews that We Believe and the credentialing documents were approved with 'minor revisions.' Can you tell me what those minor revisions are?"Below is some of what I received in response to my query. The comments are in bold. My thoughts and questions in italics:
"I didn't keep track of that, I had decided to vote against it, so I didn't write those down, sorry."
I think that it is noteworthy that this person was a delegate to General Conference. People who get to be delegates to General Conference are thought of well enough by the people of their region to be elected to be delegates. Yet, this person had so high a level of dissatisfaction that s/he arrived at the sessions with a mind already closed to the proposals being presented.
I think that it is noteworthy that this person was a delegate to General Conference. People who get to be delegates to General Conference are thought of well enough by the people of their region to be elected to be delegates. Yet, this person had so high a level of dissatisfaction that s/he arrived at the sessions with a mind already closed to the proposals being presented.
Item 8 of my Thirteen Characteristics of the CGGC Brand is:
"8. Cynicism. As much as our leaders are shepherds seeking peace, calm and quiet among the pastors and congregations of the CGGC, there is a stifling sense of cynicism among our pastors and congregations toward those in CGGC seats of power. As a result, new initiatives, such as MLI, are scoffed at and avoided."
As I see it, the amount of cynicism and the passion with which people feel it is increasing rapidly. This cynicism has been present since I entered CGGC ministry in 1976 but I believe that it has increased remarkably in the past six years. I can only imagine the divisions among us in another six years unless there is repentance across the whole body.
As I see it, the amount of cynicism and the passion with which people feel it is increasing rapidly. This cynicism has been present since I entered CGGC ministry in 1976 but I believe that it has increased remarkably in the past six years. I can only imagine the divisions among us in another six years unless there is repentance across the whole body.
If this General Conference delegate is closed off to this degree from the wisdom that comes down from the CGGC mountaintop, what do you suppose is the attitude of the many who are not even considered as possible delegates to General Conference gatherings?
Note, based on the next comment, This delegate was not alone in his/her rejection of the proposals.
"The votes for both were like 215 for and 50 against."
Note, based on the next comment, This delegate was not alone in his/her rejection of the proposals.
"The votes for both were like 215 for and 50 against."
Imagine!
General Conference staff has been working on these two documents for what? Five years? And, after all that effort, their work products were rejected by approximately 50 GENERAL CONFERENCE DELEGATES?
General Conference staff has been working on these two documents for what? Five years? And, after all that effort, their work products were rejected by approximately 50 GENERAL CONFERENCE DELEGATES?
Again, people who are delegates to these meetings are, generally speaking, popular within the shepherd culture. They certainly are more inclined to support what leadership is doing--BECAUSE MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE VOTING WERE THE VERY PEOPLE WHO PRODUCED THE DOCUMENTS BEING VOTED ON.
How much support and agreement do you suppose there is across the entire CGGC body, if there was much opposition in General Conference sessions?
How much cynicism do you suppose is already in place across the CGGC?
We Believe uses the pronoun 'we.' Does anyone beside me think that there's some prevarication in the use of that word, now that about 50 General Conference delegates rejected it? From this point, I believe I will refer to it as:How much cynicism do you suppose is already in place across the CGGC?
S.o.u. Believe, i.e., Some of us Believe.
Clearly, WE do not believe this stuff!
It seems to me that it's time for us all to acknowledge that we are a divided body--and that we are becoming increasingly divided body.
"There were a lot of good comments and about an hour and 1/2 to do it."
"Minor revisions," eh?
"I decided I will use the old Green book and not get into either of the We Believe books."
This is an insightful and telling response."I decided I will use the old Green book and not get into either of the We Believe books."
The "Green Book" is The Teachings and Practices of the Churches of God in North America (1959). I'm not certain all that this person's decision to go green implies for him/her but, because I view these things through the lens of history, I see an important reality here.
The Green Book was produced right before our body began to create its present increasingly hierarchical leadership structure which has resulted in a whole slew of Executive Directors and Directors who function, more and more, as Pope, Cardinals and Bishops.There are many more people than I who, in tangible ways, are seeking ways to connect to a more pure Church of God past than what many see as an increasing theologically bankrupt and corrupt CGGC present and future.
I wonder how many "Green Book CGGCers" there will be once the WB 2.0 debacle hits the light of day and the whole body encounters its folly and weakness?
By the way, since I received the green book comment, I've been looking through my copy of it. Two comments about it:
- It is very well done.
- It is out the S.o.u. Believe's league. If you can, read the green book and tell me why anyone would use S.o.u.. There is no comparison between the two books. A lot has changed in the CGGC in the past 50+ years but, if I used either, I'd use the 50 year out of date book myself.
For what it's worth, early in the rewriting process--before the LAST General Conference--I suggested to Ed Rosenberry that the writing committee bring in CGGC professional educators as consults if WB was to be, as he claimed, a "teaching document." However, as we all know by now, he didn't do that.
Pastor H. is correct. As a teaching document, WB 2013 is a disaster--especially for those who do not have theological education. My guess is that it is written at a reading level rated at college age. Considering the make up of the people of our body, that it grossly inappropriate.
"Several others talked about words that were not even understood."
Pastor H. is correct. As a teaching document, WB 2013 is a disaster--especially for those who do not have theological education. My guess is that it is written at a reading level rated at college age. Considering the make up of the people of our body, that it grossly inappropriate.
"Several others talked about words that were not even understood."
Except, of course, they can be understood by the people who dwell on the mountaintop in the CGGC, most of whom have at least a Master's degree. S.o.u. is written for the well-educated! It will be dense and unreadable for most in the CGGC. One of my continuing criticisms of this regime of CGGC leaders is that they are hyper-elitists. And, this observation points to that reality.
"Those that had worked on it, whined about how it had been in process for 5 years, which meant to them it was time to accept it."
"Those that had worked on it, whined about how it had been in process for 5 years, which meant to them it was time to accept it."
"Whined." I wasn't present but I can easily imagine the debate taking that tone.
This also points to elitism at the top of the mountain--and to the sense, among the people who dwell there, that the CGGC body is obligated to place its stamp of approval on everything our leaders do because the CGGC serves its leaders, not vice versa. Our leaders would, indeed, see themselves as being wronged if, after five years, their hard and diligent work didn't receive the body's blessing.
How unchristlike!
Jesus said that those who would be great among us must be like servants. Servants are NEVER in the position to whine.
This attitude among CGGC leaders will always be a serious problem for the CGGC until we demand a different sort of leader.
"I think many voted for it so they didn't have deal with it any more..."
This also points to elitism at the top of the mountain--and to the sense, among the people who dwell there, that the CGGC body is obligated to place its stamp of approval on everything our leaders do because the CGGC serves its leaders, not vice versa. Our leaders would, indeed, see themselves as being wronged if, after five years, their hard and diligent work didn't receive the body's blessing.
How unchristlike!
Jesus said that those who would be great among us must be like servants. Servants are NEVER in the position to whine.
This attitude among CGGC leaders will always be a serious problem for the CGGC until we demand a different sort of leader.
"I think many voted for it so they didn't have deal with it any more..."
I hope this is not true. But, my guess is that it is exactly true.
"...and the ad council had already approved it and the Winebrenner staff that were delegates already were going to vote for it. And those who had worked on it were for it."
Theologically, this is profoundly disturbing.
It demonstrates that a large number of our people misunderstand the CGGC teachings about the Church.
We are, by design, spirit-led and, on the human level, extremely democratic. We say that we believe that the eldership is our ultimate human authority and that the Commissions and Councils and Directors and Executive Directors serve the body. We teach that our greatest human wisdom exists in the collective wisdom of the eldership, not among the Executive Director's inner circle.
My sense is that our leaders have, in the past few years, rejected their servant role and that, now, too many in the Eldership have abdicated their position of ultimate authority.
But we must remember that the Church of God prospered in the days when the eldership ruled and so-called leaders understood that they were servants of all, to use the words of Jesus.
Woe to us.
This entire blog post is of a type that is the most dangerous to me personally among the posts I send out to CGGCers. It is of the type that demonstrates that I am not alone, that others think things I think and, sometimes, think things more radical and more critical of the Shepherd Mafia than even I think.
And, that is the case. Fifty General Conference delegates share my ultimate view of S.o.u. Believe.
We must repent. Time is running out.
"...and the ad council had already approved it and the Winebrenner staff that were delegates already were going to vote for it. And those who had worked on it were for it."
Theologically, this is profoundly disturbing.
It demonstrates that a large number of our people misunderstand the CGGC teachings about the Church.
We are, by design, spirit-led and, on the human level, extremely democratic. We say that we believe that the eldership is our ultimate human authority and that the Commissions and Councils and Directors and Executive Directors serve the body. We teach that our greatest human wisdom exists in the collective wisdom of the eldership, not among the Executive Director's inner circle.
My sense is that our leaders have, in the past few years, rejected their servant role and that, now, too many in the Eldership have abdicated their position of ultimate authority.
But we must remember that the Church of God prospered in the days when the eldership ruled and so-called leaders understood that they were servants of all, to use the words of Jesus.
Woe to us.
This entire blog post is of a type that is the most dangerous to me personally among the posts I send out to CGGCers. It is of the type that demonstrates that I am not alone, that others think things I think and, sometimes, think things more radical and more critical of the Shepherd Mafia than even I think.
And, that is the case. Fifty General Conference delegates share my ultimate view of S.o.u. Believe.
We must repent. Time is running out.
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