Sometimes I think the CoG is its biggest hindrance. Let me explain from personal evidence. (1) CoG Missionaries who visited my local CoG often stated that regardless of how much money was donated to them, they were allocated certain funds and anything above that amount was retained by CoG headquarters. (2) Our friend Vince, a graduate of Lee College, was sent by the CoG headquarters to Italy. He was to receive certain finances from headquarters for his cost of living. However, his funds really never arrived. His pregnant wife lost their baby due to lack of nourishment. Vince resorted to obtaining bones from a local butcher that were donated to him, which he boiled in a pot of water so he and his family could eat. Vince wrote to his parents in the USA for a loan to get his wife back home. He remained behind for several months until he had adequate funds for an airline ticket. Today, Vince and his family are no longer affiliated with the CoG but are now affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. (3) Then there was Lee & Carol (attended Lee College) who were sent into NY City by CoG headquarters to start a work among the Jewish people. A budget of One Million Dollars was to be raised. No monies came to them. After a year or more, Carol pressured Lee to call headquarters. They soon discovered that, yes One Million Dollars was indeed raised. However, most of the funds went to pay for the salaries of the Director and his secretary, and then there was the expense of maintaining an office. The remaining few dollars which consisted of a few hundred dollars was sent to Lee and the Jewish work in NY City. It was devastating to them. Today, both are no longer affiliated with the CoG. One is in Israel, the other is working with Mexican people. Now I am not trying to talk bad against the CoG. What I am saying is that the CoG must make changes in the way it deals with its membership and its ministry.
Discussion
22 comments
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It broke my heart when the new General Overseer refereed to the new fund raising church start initiative as a bank. Yes headquarters is a banking institution and few people on the field benefit from it. I know this first hand.
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Thank You for sharing! Dishonesty and selfishness should NOT be common place among Christians! Let alone among Christian Leadership, which is often (If not always!) called to a higher standard!
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Melvin, I don’t know if I can go where your post is leading. If this can of worms is opened imagine what the people on this group would be saying. There are so many sad stories and I am sure there would be denials!
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Good, bad or ugly, they are still the facts. The Lord willing, we will all learn from our mistakes and prevent or at least limit any further occurrences.
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World Missions does not operate that way. Hasn’t since we have been a part. Don’t know about past. Everyone has an account. No excuses!!
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As a career missionary I can tell you that every penny that comes in to a missionaries account goes to that missionary. It is allocated by monthly salary that is set to a pastor’s salary of a church from 1-50. Then it is adjusted according to your country. So less money where cost of living is less.
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John PIckens, it has not always been as you detail. What Melvin says about holding funds and not sending all funds raised has really happened. I hope the policy has changed.
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imagine a million dollars raised and a couple hundred goes to the work. I wonder if it was the fact it was Jewish outreach.
I smell some antisemitism which is par for the course
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I agree one hundred percent; been there and done that
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a big portion of missionary activity is spent in fund raising and they have to raise a budget quota in order to survive.
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True Charles. And in some past cases the amount they raised did not get to them, but was deferred to another’s budget.
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I hope this practice is history.
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I personally experienced it!
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This runs about like the Federal Gov.
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These individuals you are talking about, they was to do follower what was the reason, but left, they forgot to know that they are doing God’s Work, and just left cog.
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They lost faith in the CoG is all I know
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God’s work need patience, is not about cog is not about Baptist, is not about Catholic, even if you never received compensation from the headquarters, that can’t put stop to u telling someone body Jesus loves you
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So true Otis Sayezee. However, you must realize these men were sent by the church. It was their only source of income an in many cases since they were in another country, it was illegal for them to seek employment. None of them stopped telling others about Christ. That is exactly what they wanted to do. But it is nearly impossible to do so when there is no food in your stomach.
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I could give them a hand of applause if they where to stay with COG. I am in Liberia West Africa, my pastor was sent to establish a cog church in my community, he came with nothing and by grace of God things going on well. I am the secretary for the church, such for our page on fb. Sacred Revival Chapel Church of God Liberia, the National headquarters failed to help us. But that can’t make us to leave the church, we must learn to be sober, patients, long-suffering. We are working for the man that can make impossible possible. Thanks
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God bless you for your faithfulness Otis Sayezee and love for the CoG.
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I love church of God declaration of faith, their doctrine at large. Let me take u back to the days of apostles Paul, he never used to demand d church to sponsor his trip or to even the church for compensation, like wise titus, Timothy etc. But most of the pastors these days they can put money first not ministry, if those guys not going to put money first they are not going to leave cog, some of them ain’t know who they serving. Lil faith pastors are in abundance. Every one reward on the way
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