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INTRODUCTION
I joined UCG about 15 years ago, after
concluding that I could no longer be a minister in my previous affiliation,
given several significant doctrinal differences. Since then, my years in the
United Church of God have been years of peace and serenity until recently,
when
some former UCG leaders helped create a traumatic
split in the United Church of God, an
International Association.
These former leaders have alleged
unethical behaviour on
the part of the present COE which some of us do not find
at all convincing. Nonetheless, even if
part, “or all” of the accusations were to be true, these former leaders have failed to
allow the “self-correcting,” system, under Christ's guidance and direction, do its job of
bringing about in the not-so-distant future a new COE --
"if" such were the
necessity.
Most of all, in helping
to orchestrate a division, I believe that these former leaders have made some very
serious mistakes. Two of their greatest mistakes, in my view, are the
following:
1. They have shown
disrespect for God-appointed authorities.
2. They have created
confusion, strife, division and a great deal of pain for God's people, in
spite of the many biblical warnings against divisions found in the
Scriptures.
The present split has
been another great trauma for God’s people. Many are shocked that leading ministers would actually contribute to such a
division. Many are in great pain in seeing, once again, their families torn
apart and in seeing their beloved friends leave their congregations.
Just recently, I have
received an email from a spiritual sister in her sixties. In the email she
recounts some of her trials and afflictions, including her battle with a
life-threatening disease. Though her suffering over the years has been
great, the present split, she told me, has been “by far the most painful!!.”
These are the kind of
fruits that the present split has produced; the fruits of confusion, anxiety and anguish
for people who, instead, need and crave comfort and peace.
This small web site is my
gift to such people.
It is strictly "my"
venture, uninfluenced by anyone. "No one" has ordered me, or asked me, or cajoled me into
creating it. This is "solely" the result of "my" conviction that our people need
to hear another perspective and that there are ample reasons to question the
motives of the leaders of the divisive group and to condemn a split that, in
my view, was “unnecessary” and, most of all, “unbiblical.”
Being a non-salaried
elder, the reader can rest assured that I am not trying to defend and
protect my source of livelihood. I have no plan “whatsoever” to be a
salaried elder (I left the full-time ministry many years ago, because of
health and family reasons ); I am not a member of any Board nor am I
planning to be one. I am simply a minister who, like “many” others, is deeply concerned about
the harm that is being done to God’s people and who is trying to stand for
clearly established biblical principles.
Thus I take
"full
responsibility" for the fruits of this labour. I place it in God’s hands to
reassure, to establish and to strengthen His faithful people. If any harm
will come from it, I am "fully" to blame -- and no one else.
Sincerely,
Michael Caputo
(Non-salaried UCG member)
P.S. I want to extend my
gratitude to all the other fellow contributors that this site links to.
Their valuable perspectives are very much valued and appreciated.
THIS ARTICLE MAY BE
REPRODUCED FOR NON-COMMERCIAL PURPOSES.
(This article has been
posted on my, Militant Atheism Exposed web site. I have done so,
not because I am implying any affinity of the disaffected group to atheism,
but because it will provide a faster appearance on the Internet.)
© Copyright, Michael Caputo, 2011
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