The Church of God is Not Protestant but the CGGC most definitely is

In an important and, to me, intriguing off blog exchange, I recently quoted a crucial phrase from Winebrenner's speech which launched the Eldership of the Church of God in Harrisburg in 1830.

Winebrenner declared that, in order for the vision of Church of God founders to be accomplished, there will have to be "another great reformation."

In that statement, embraced by everyone present, and lived out for a generation plus, Winebrenner declared that the Protestant Reformation had failed.

What the men and women who were gathered in that room were a part of was intended to move beyond the Protestant brand of Christianity.

There are many ways in which the declining and decaying CGGC in 2018 is decrepit. No one denies that our congregations are becoming old and that we're not reaching millennials.

We thrash about spouting new ideas, yet, none take hold. Not one, to this point, has made the slightest positive difference.

And, one way to understand how the once dynamic Church of God has come to this state is that, in defiance of its founding vision, it has become Protestant.

The Winebrenner generation was convinced and passionate in its conviction that being Protestant was a bad thing. They refused to give into that temptation.

Today's CGGC is, despite the intense conviction of Church of God founders, unashamedly and very blandly Protestant...Evangelical Protestant.

And, if we're honest, Winebrenner was right. Being Protestant has not worked for us. We have become conventional where, in a very positive way, we once were weird.

We are, as we all know, declining and decaying to the point that we're becoming desperate.

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On a side note, I'm convinced that it's when we abandoned Winebrenner's reasoning for observing Feet Washing, in favor of Forney's, that we stepped over a very dangerous line.

I believe nearly all the official doctrinal talk in We Believe. And, unlike many, I live it.

The one meaningful exception is on our rationale for observing Feet Washing.

We've trashed Winebrenner on that point. That act is more significant, I think, than anyone else realizes.

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There are many ways in which we must repent.

We must repent of being Protestant.