WILL THE REAL CHURCH OF GOD PLEASE STAND UP. (A…

WILL THE REAL CHURCH OF GOD PLEASE STAND UP. (A bit lengthy, but I feel it is important to this Open Forum.) Back in 1986, most conservative (holiness) CoG ministers & people did not know what was planned for CoG (Cleveland, TN) General Assembly. Holiness people were taken with total surprise by the liberals within the Church. While as a student at Lee, I thought everyone in the CoG were true-blue CoG. However, during that time, I had a difficult time understanding what our General Overseer, Rev. R. Leonard Carroll was writing in the CoG Evangel in the “From the General Overseer’s Office.” Brother Carroll wrote articles stating that “men were coming into the CoG for the sole purpose of changing the CoG. These men were not CoG in their doctrine or belief.” (I still have many of these CoG Evangels when Carroll was GO.) Those articles confused me because, as I have previously stated, I thought everybody in the CoG was CoG and believed in the CoG Teachings. You see, to become a minister in the CoG of that day, a minister had to state that (1) “he agreed with all the teachings of the CoG” and then he was asked a second question (2) “Are there were any teachings that he could not subscribe to?” The minister had to state that he believed in ALL THE TEACHINGS OF THE CoG and that THERE WAS NO TEACHING THAT HE DID NOT AGREE WITH in order to become a minister in the CoG. I am unsure if this remains today or not. (BY THE WAY, I feel that if a minister of that era, and I know there are many yet in the CoG from that time, are basically living a total lie. Evidentally, they lied when they initially took credentials with the CoG prior 1986 because one can see today that many of these ministers do not adhere to what they stated they believed in and the oath they took. JUST A REMINDER, everyone will stand before a just God and give an account unto God.) At the 86 GA, a great number of Ordained Ministers (today’s Ordained Bishop) literally walked off the main floor. Microphones were ordered to be turned off if a member spoke against the proposed change. I will never forget the number of men who dropped to their knees that morning, praying and crying out to God. One minister’s voice carried these words just as his microphone was order to be turned off by the Moderator, “IN THE NAME OF JESUSSSSSSS. But the name of Jesus did not prevent his microphone from being turned off. It was truly a sad event. The Moderator, beating his gavel on the podium kept repeating, “I AM THE GENERAL OVERSEER OF THE ENTIRE CoG, AND NOT JUST A FEW.” But no one seemed to pay any attention because at least over one-third still walked out. A vote was taken again when these holiness men and women vacated the large room, and of course, the new measure was passed. Now that was the morning session. After lunch, when the body returned to the GA floor, what a difference. I could not believe it. That afternoon session looked like a total different group than what was there just a few hours earlier that morning. It appeared the “Baptist people” had taken over the CoG. (Not meaning to be crude in stating BAPTIST.) It was a site to behold. I seem to feel that God had revealed to me that I had made the right decision a few months earlier when I decided to resign from the CoG organization. I had remembered that I preached a sermon just a short while before, that I was committed to God and His Word and that I was CoG from the top of my head to the soles of my feet because I believed in all of the CoG Teachings, and that if the CoG ever change its holiness teachings, which I believe were the closest to the Bible than any other church, that I would stand with God’s Word and leave the CoG, something which I did soon after. I noticed one former General Overseer, who was thought to be a holiness preacher (at least he preached holiness sermons throughout his ministry) did not participate in speaking or voting that particular morning. With many CoG holiness preachers looking to him, it could easily be seen that he was more so interested in chatting and shaking hands with those standing on the main floor while he was standing on the side of the platform. As with every other holiness CoG preacher, I too was greatly disappointed with this former GO. Later, I met with Dr. Ray H. Hughes, Sr. at General Headquarters. He had heard that I had resigned, and he called me, asking me if I would come to Cleveland and meet with him in his office. He offered me money to cover my expenses. He was a good and gracious man of God. When I asked him about what had just occurred at the GA, he said that most members wanted the change, and who was he to go against it? (Humm, that reminded me of someone else in the Bible.) Brother Hughes stated that we must all adhere to the CoG Minutes Book. I said that I agreed; however, I pointed something out to him that he must have forgotten. NOW THIS IS MY POINT, WHETHER A PERSON AGREES OR NOT. I said, “Bro Hughes, the CoG Minutes Book says that “THE WEARING OF JEWELRY SHALL BE MADE A TEST OF MEMBERSHIP.” He responded that that statement was no longer in the CoG Minutes Book. Now, there was no way that I was going to tell him he was a liar. He was a good friend, a great preacher, and I held up-most respect for Bro Hughes. But I was prepared and had everything marked. I took my CoG Minutes Book (which I had brought with me) and opened it to two separate places and showed it to him. REMEMBER, he had just informed me that everyone must adhere to the CoG Minutes Book. He read it, and simply stated, “Well, we will have to see that this gets changed at the next GA.” Now, again, my point is, ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO RETURNED TO THAT AFTERNOON SESSION OF THE 1986 GENERAL ASSEMBLY, THEY WERE NO LONGER MEMBERS OF THE CoG because the wearing of their jewelry now disqualified them from membership in the CoG because that statement, at that time, was still in the CoG Minutes Book, and as Bro Hughes so graciously brought to my attention, the CoG Minutes Book must be adhered to at all times. And furthermore, then their vote would have to be nullified and means nothing since they were no longer members of the CoG. SO MY STATEMENT REMAINS, “WILL THE REAL CHURCH OF GOD PEOPLE PLEASE STAND UP.” I want to point one other thing out to the reader, these people did not go out immediately and spend their lunch hour purchasing their ear rings, finger rings, necklaces and bracelets, (By the way, even Ordained Ministers were now wearing large rings on their fingers). No, my friend. They had already purchased such items prior to that day’s session. I must add that later, while voting at the final meeting, a woman noticed I voted against the change. Boy, did she demand my name and information. She said she was going to turn me in. All I can say is, WHAT A MESS !