- WCG attends annual
conference of National Association of Evangelicals
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- ORLANDO,
Florida—The National Association of
Evangelicals-conducted its 55th annual convention for
denominational leaders in Orlando; March 4 to 6.
Representing the Worldwide Church of God at the
conference were Joseph Tkach, Michael Feazell, Greg
Albrecht and Randal Dick.
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- NAE is a group of
denominations who seek common ground in the faith without
abandoning their differences. President Don Argue wrote
in the convention brochure "God is calling
evangelicals to work together to impact their
communities. Local churches and servant ministries are
freely forming to saturate their communities with the
gospel."
-
- On Monday, March
3, and Wednesday, March 5, Mr. Tkach addressed the NAE
board and the delegates to the convention. He spoke about
the church's spiritual journey over the past several
years.
-
- Mr. Tkach told
them that he and several others were given the
responsibility of defending Mr. Armstrong's teachings. As
challenges and questions came in to church headquarters,
he and the others, independently, studied our teachings
and began to see that many things we had believed and
taught were false. "Because we lived under a cloud
of legalism, we were afraid to reach out and talk to each
other about it," Mr. Tkach said. "But
eventually we did and to our surprise we all found out
that we were on the same page."
-
- Mr Tkach said that
as "we began to unfold our teachings to our ministry
and membership, it met with great resistance and split
our denomination in half." Mr. Tkach continued:
"We have experienced what Paul wrote about in 2
Corinthians 3:14 [in Christ the veil is taken away], and
we with unveiled faces reflect God's glory and are being
transformed into his likeness." Mr. Tkach's address
to the convention was greeted with an immediate, cheerful
and sustained standing ovation.
- _________________________________________________________________________
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- National
Association of Evangelicals Release May 7, 1997
- Transformed Church
Finds Acceptance and Fellowship in Evangelical Community
- NAE Accepts
Worldwide Church of God
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- WHEATON, IL The
Board of Directors of the National Association of
Evangelicals (NAE) has voted overwhelmingly to accept the
Worldwide Church of God (WCG), headquartered in Pasadena,
Calif., into membership. The application process included
examination of doctrinal changes, which have taken place
in the once-controversial denomination.
-
- "NAE is
founded on the premise that the Bible is the inspired,
the only infallible, authoritative Word of God. I respect
Joseph Tkach and the leadership of the Worldwide Church
of God who did not rest in the refuge of their
historically held doctrines, but sought the Truth through
careful study of the scriptures even at significant cost
to the denomination," said NAE President Don Argue.
"And we thank God for his faithfulness to them. We
appreciate the gracious and open manner in which this
church's leaders answered questions about the struggles
that led them to a biblically-based theology."
-
- WCG members once
followed the teachings of church founder, Herbert W.
Armstrong, who rejected the Trinity as a pagan doctrine,
while also insisting that tithing and observance of the
Old Testament Sabbath were necessary for salvation, among
numerous other old covenant practices. After Armstrong's
death in 1986, denominational leaders began to study and
reflect on the validity of the church's teachings. In
light of the Word of God in the Bible, they not could
find support for many of the denomination's most
controversial doctrines.
-
- These dramatic
changes, however, have cost WCG nearly half its
membership that once topped almost 90,000 people in the
United States. The denomination has about 58,000 members
worldwide [2003 statistics]. About half of its 870
churches are located in the U.S. There are more than 1000
ordained WCG ministers worldwide; almost 700 in the
United States.
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- "The greater
Christian community is just beginning to realize what God
has done with the Worldwide Church of God; and
understandably many still tend to view it with extreme
skepticism," WCG leader Joseph Tkach told the Board
of Directors of the association in March. "We have
experienced what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 3:15-18,
'...whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken
away... And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the
Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness
with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord,
who is
the Spirit.'""For years, people have been
praying for their friends and relatives who have been a
part of the Worldwide Church of God, asking that they
would be able to see the truth of God's word," said
Don Argue in announcing their acceptance into membership.
"We see the dramatic changes that have occurred
among our friends as God's continuing efforts to bring
renewal and revival for His glory."
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- The Worldwide
Church of God joins 48 other denominational members in
the fellowship of the National I Association of
Evangelicals, including Reformed, Pentecostal, Free
Church, Holiness, and various other I traditions,
"hi essentials unity, in distinctive liberty, in all
things charity" is the motif of the association
which • serves as a forum, a voice, and a resource
for the evangelical community.
