United Church of God, an International Association
Council of Elders Meeting Report

Friday, December 8,  Tyler, Texas

            Fridayâs morning session of the Council of Elders meetings covered details of a new employee relocation policy, further discussion on building a Home Office building, and a report from Joel Meeker on the work of the Church in Africa. The afternoon was devoted to an executive session dealing with ministerial credentialing and details of the Churchâs work in France.

Relocation Policy       

            Ministerial Services manager Richard Pinelli led discussion on a new employee relocation policy. Staff member Dave Evans joined the group via telephone hookup from Cincinnati. 

            The Council requested the policy revision earlier in the year, following the discovery that the policy then in place had not actually received its approval. Details will be made available to all employees, but in general terms, the policy as approved by the Council today considers more thoroughly the difficulties involved in relocation. The Council requested certain adjustments, and then the quorum present (Don Ward absent) unanimously approved the policy as revised. 

Home Office Building 

            Though it was not on the agenda, Chairman Roy Holladay brought back to the Council the topic of a new facility for the Home Office. Treasurer Tom Kirkpatrick had been in touch with one of the two contractors who have presented plans for the building, and obtained certain favorable adjustments to their suggested design. 

            Mr. McCullough, as president, had asked for Councilâs opinion on which of the two designs to choose, noting that time is of some essence, in that it would be poor business practice on the Churchâs part to delay. The Council quorum (Don Ward absent) unanimously chose one of the two designs submitted. The complicating factor, as previously reported, is the status of the Phase One Environmental Study, and the discovery of some dumping of construction materials on the site. The Church will need to have the land given a ãclean bill of healthä before proceeding, and the Council authorized the president to negotiate with the property vendor for a satisfactory solution.

Africa Update

             Joel Meeker gave a detailed update on the areas of Africa he deals with, touching on the Feast of Tabernacles 2000 and then focusing on presenting further information on the United Church of Godâs relationship with the Remnant Church of God (specifically its elders). 

            Mr. Meeker first brought an informative and colorful slide presentation on the Feast at sites in Cameroon (56 attendees) and Tanzania/Kenya (150 attendees), which was well received by the Council. 

            The United Church of God has continued to have extensive contact with the Remnant Church of God and its elders, as directed by the Council. In March 2000, Mr. Meeker met with the Executive Board of the Remnant Church of God (RCG). In April, Houston pastor and Ministerial Service team member Jim Franks and his wife Sharon spent the Days of Unleavened Bread in Ghana. In May, the Meeker family arrived to spend five weeks on site in the country. In June, UCG pastors Mike Blackwell, Arnold Hampton, Doug Horchak, and Joel Meeker visited all but three of the 17 congregations in the country, missing those three only because of travel disruptions. 

            During the same summer time frame, seminars were held with the pastors and pastorsâ wives of the RCG. Topics covered included the Passover format, congregational prayer, the goal and format of church services, ãvain repetition,ä the role of the pastor and the pastorâs wife, administering local congregations, planning the Feast of Tabernacles, constitution and bylaws of the UCG (since their request is to become part of the UCG, not just have an association with us), and the rules of association. The United Youth Corps program was also active, with two men from the United States working with the RCG elders on the use of computers. One result of this training is that now virtually all the RCG elders have established e-mail accounts. 

            Six pastors of the UCG have now had rather extensive contact with the RCG, and especially with the elders. The relationship is excellent in overall terms. The consensus of the six UCG pastors is that there is doctrinal compatibility. The desire to learn is clearly present, and there has been good progress in many areas. At the same time, as might be expected, not all pastors and congregations seem to be progressing at the same rate. And there is the question of just how much the individual members (in contrast to the pastors) clearly understand. 

            The eventual goal, subject to approval by the Executive Board of the RCG, is to have the congregations reorganize under the United Church of God format, with the establishment of a Ghana National Council of the United Church of God. This has been their desire for almost four years. 

            Mr. Meeker suggests assigning a pastor from the UCG to Ghana for six months to one year; or failing that, rotating pastors through for the same time period. This would afford the most opportunity for long-term contact. More time needs to be spent with the pastors and congregations. It would be helpful to accompany their pastors on member visits, to observe current customs. Interactive Bible studies would help establish how much understanding individual members actually possess. Splitting sermon time with RCG pastors would enable a UCG pastor to hear these men in speaking situations. Training seminars could continue the education process the RCG pastors so clearly seek from us. 

            If all goes well, Mr. Meeker anticipates that the United Church of God could ordain a number of RCG elders by the Feast of Tabernacles 2001. What is now the Remnant Church of God could conceivably be part of the United Church of God by the end of the calendar year 2001. 

            Mr. Meeker fielded a few questions from the Council, dealing primarily with clarifying the process as he sees it. Concern was expressed about ordaining some but not all of their 13 pastors initially. Mr. Meeker stated that there is simply no way he or the other five UCG pastors know how all the ãbumps in the roadä can be smoothed out completely. As Mr. Pinelli noted, we do have a precedent for allowing men to continue to anoint or preach as they await UCG recognition, since that scenario has not been uncommon with elders applying for credentialing. Mario Seiglie commented on his experience many years ago in Latin America in having whole groups come to the Church en masse. It is inevitable that eventually there will be some sifting, especially among the congregations. ãConversion is not a collective thing,ä he observed. 

            Mr. McCullough, Mr. Holladay and others urged that this whole matter be carefully explained and presented to the General Conference in May at its annual meeting. The Council discussed the possibility that a ballot proposal authorizing it to proceed along the lines described would not be out of place, even if not strictly required by our governing documents (the RCG is not asking to affiliate with the United Church of God, but to join it). 

            Following a midday break, the Council spent the afternoon in executive session. 

  -Doug Johnson

© 2000 United Church of God, an International Association