BACKGROUND TO THE CURRENT CRISIS IN UCG

For many former WCG members, the formation of UCGaia in 1995 offered the best hope as a place or worship, where the collective leadership of the ministry, let by the Holy Spirit, committed to preaching the gospel to the world would be blessed by God. Members had hoped that the new Church, led by men of God who would work together in harmony to provide the leadership to His Church as we approached the end of this age.

Sadly, this has not happened.

One of the difficulties UCG has faced from its conception has come about as a result of putting together a democratic government structure made up of a ministry who were only familiar with a hierarchical form of government. The transition has been much more difficult for the ministry previously only familiar in a top-down form of government.

UCG was set up with the goals of achieving the following:

1. That ensured the abuses that occurred in WCG never happened again

2. That the elected COE would be by the GCE and become the governing body

3. That the doctrines of the Church could not be changed as has had happened in WCG.

4. Provide salaries and support to the ministry

5. To preach the gospel.

Partly because of the ministry’s background, the ministry has always claimed they did not want UCG to be a political organisation, with decisions influenced by party-factions and politicizing. Yet by the very structure of UCG has ensured it became a political organisation – when you have elections to select the leadership of the church politics is involved. Denying this is not accepting the reality. Unfortunately the first President, David Hulme was political by nature, and was able to successfully lobby to have himself selected to become the first President for UCG, setting the precursor of what was to follow.

David Hulme believed that he should be President for life, which was not the intention of the COEs when he was appointed. He felt that he was above the authority of the COE, and began making decisions without their approval – nearly bankrupting the Church in the process. As a result the COE had no choice but replace him with a more experience administrator (Les McCullough). Sadly, David Hulme would not accept the authority of the governing body of the Church, and proceed to ensnare as many members as he could to follow him to form a new group – United Church of God, an International Community. He was successful in having the majority of UCG – UK follow him, partly because of David Hulme being from the UK, and partly because of lack of confidence in Les McCullough who was the previous UK Regional Director of WCG up to 1995. Hulme also was able to recruit a few members elsewhere, where they followed ministers, especially in South Africa and Australia.

This was the first major split in UCG. The secretive Church of David Hulme has achieved little since this time, other than to pander the ego of its leader. It is now struggling to survive with an aging membership and ministry, and little growth. Its only tangible results to date have been to publish the pseudo-intellectual Vision magazine, and to divide and scatter the former UCG members.

Meanwhile UCGia continued with its own internal struggles. At its conception, many of those who originally set up UCG wanted the organisation to only have a small Home Office looking after the national administration, and each local congregation have their own elected boards, be responsible for the collection of tithes, and administration of their local congregation (similar to the Baptist Churches). However some in the ministry and the COEs believed this form of church administration was unworkable and a process was soon put in place where local boards were abolished and replaced with direct rule from the Home Office. This allowed the Home Office to collect the tithes centrally and put in place national programmes to support the ministry and members, as well as to preach the gospel.

Some in the ministry were opposed to being administered from a Home Office, and departed from UCG with their supporters to become independent groups. (Ron Wienland, Ray Wooten, Williamstown COG, Big Sandy and others) This has only lead to more division within the Body of Christ. None of these break-away groups has had any impact in preaching the gospel to the world or gaining many converts, continuing to exist as long as their original followers support them. Often they have departed from the doctrines as taught by HWA.

The ministry from the international areas of UCG was determined from the start not to allow themselves to be administered from a Home Office in the USA. They all formed National Councils or Boards incorporated within their own countries. The ministry would be appointed by these National Councils and have a majority of the ministry as members. This has remained the situation for the international areas of UCG till today, except for New Zealand and the Philippines who have agreed to come under the administration of the Home Office. Yet the international areas have readily accepted subsidies for the US Home Office.

In the case of New Zealand the existing Board was later abolished and the Church set up as a Charitable Trust in 2000 when a minister was appointed from the USA – prior to then there was no resident NZ minister. Leon Walker and a local elder appointed as trustees. See http://www.register.charities.govt.nz/CharitiesRegister/CharitySummary.aspx?id=d0375293-dc89-dc11-98a0-0015c5f3da29 . Legally this situation still remains, with UCG-NZ being controlled by the trustees, but dependent on US subsidies. What will be the outcome on who controls the NZ Church could now become a legal issue, but the COE has the authority to replace the trustees if necessary.

The next major crisis in UCG was when the Home Office instructed the Pastor of the Big Sandy congregation (Dave Havir) to be transferred to a new congregation. The Big Sandy Church at that time was the largest congregation in UCG, was still autonomous with its own Board and rejected the decision. Leon Walker and Les McCullough spoke directly to the Big Sandy brethren on behalf of the COE to convince them to accept the authority of the COE. The majority of the membership rejected the arguments of Leon Walker, proclaiming that wished to retain their own Board and minister. The outcome was that UCG set up a new meeting place for those members Big Sandy members who wished to remain with UCG. The Big Sandy congregation which had its own church building and 2/3rds of the members choose to stay with Dave Havir and their church while the remaining third left to affiliate with UCG.

Many felt that the Big Sandy split could have been avoided if both sides were able to compromise. There were no winners coming from this split – only more scattering and division within the Body of Christ. Sadly what is happening with the crisis in Latin America is almost identical to what happened with the Big Sandy split. This time though Leon Walker has opposed the decision of the COEs - he has adopted the same stance as Dave Havir – which the COE cannot over-rule the local Board and dismiss a minister employed by the local Board. It is ironic that Leon Walker has been the key player in both cases.

At the time Leon Walker wrote about the differences in the relationship with the COE and the international areas. I quote Leo Walker:

“As mentioned above, local congregations in the international areas are treated exactly the same as local congregations in the U.S. They are not treated differently. Furthermore, the UCG is one church worldwide. Every national council is under the governance of the GCE and the Council. The GCE and Council give policy and direction for all administrations — the HO in the US and national councils elsewhere. Those administrations then direct the local congregations. The question of autonomy within the local churches within the U.S. is in fact not what the majority wish here. Nor do the members in the international areas wish to have this in their nations with their local congregations. Once again, the error comes from making a comparison with local congregations and national entities. The two are not the same.”

Admittedly the areas of authority and governance between the COE and international areas of the church are vague, but if Leon Walker is correct in stating that the National Councils are under the governance of the GCE and COE, then he should respect the decisions of the COE for the sake of the unity of the Church, as should the Latin American ministry. This is not to say that I agree in the way the COE have handled the situation – this whole conflict within the church at present could have been avoided if both sides were prepared to compromise a little.

The current crisis with the departure of the Latin American Churches is an outcome of the internal struggle within the leadership of UCG over the last 3 years. Some of the COEs have concerns about the future of the church, especially concerning:

1. Little growth

2. Declining income

3. Aging membership and ministry

4. How the gospel message should be brought to the world

5. The wisdom of moving the Home Office to Texas in a time of economic uncertainty.

Some of the COE believed changes needed to be made if the Church was to survive. There were differences on what changes should be made and how issues facing the church should be resolved within the GCE and COE. The conflict with Leon Walker is only a part of this larger conflict. While others within the administration the COE could be fire or asked to resign, it becomes much more difficult firing a Regional Director who has the support of the National Councils under his direction. The current crisis in UCG should never have been allowed to happen.

The current crisis in UCG is much bigger than many members realize. What is unfolding is a struggle for the membership of the Church is between two factions for the control of UCG. Clearly the COE felt they had good reasons for dismissing Leon Walker, and cannot see any grounds for reconciliation even though Leon Walker has stated he still wishes to remain a part of UCG. This is largely because they do not believe he is genuine, but playing a political game to try and draw as many members and ministers to join his new church, now known as the United Church of God Latin America. If does appear that the majority of UCG members and ministry in Latin America will support this new group, similar to what happened with the Big Sandy and David Hulme’s splits.

What is not clear at this stage is the amount of support Leon Walker will receive from the UCG members and ministry in the USA especially those who have recently resigned or been fired, and their supporters. If the split spreads it will see up to 1/3 rd of the USA congregation depart to join the new group. The reason no doubt why those in the ministry on payrolls have remained silent is the fear of losing their salaries.

Whenever there is a church split within the COG community the ministry never wishes to join an alternative COG group – rather they believe that God is leading them to form yet another new group which they will lead. This has only continued to lead to more division and scattering of brethren within the Body of Christ. Within these break-away groups, before long they will themselves experience division and people departing from them to form yet another group, as what recently happened with the Big Sandy congregation. Departing from UCG will not achieve anything but further division and confusion amongst the people of God.

We can now expect to see increasing propaganda from both sides in an effort to win over the membership. This conflict within the ministry will only result in more broken friendships and scattering, as members ally themselves with one faction of another. There will be no winners. Sadly some will give up in their faith, unwilling to support either faction.

The real winner of these spiritual battles is Satan, who is successfully dividing and conquering God’s people. Like a broken and scattered army, it is much easier to pick off individuals than a unified body. While it is easy to blame the ministry for the unfolding tragedy of the scattering of the Church of God, the membership also needs to also accept some of the blame for supporting ministers who have divided the church. When once looks back of the continued division and conflict within the Church of God over the last 20 years, it is clear that we are waging a much greater spiritual war than we had ever have estimated. There will be more battles ahead before this war is over – and many more causalities.

At the very time the English-speaking nations face economic disintegration, when brethren should be united as one body to enable a final warning message to be bought to the House of Israel, the Church continues to scatter and divide. The President of UCG has just asked the ministry “that we will all humble ourselves and seek God’s forgiveness for our sins and mistakes that He might heal our church”. If the entire ministry were to come together in this attitude, regardless of the group or opinions they may express, and unify the Church of God, then the Church will be blessed. This is the hope and prayer of the members. If they don’t, there will be only more division and victories to Satan.

Bruce Porteous

18 July, 2010

bruceort@xtra.co.nz