WORLDWIDE CHURCH of GOD: CRISIS and LESSONS by Samuele Bacchiocchi Divided the Worldwide Church of God, Give Rise to Two Ques- a Ph
Vol. 2, No. 2 A newsletter for servants of the Almighty Eternal Creator, wherever they may be February 1996 WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD: CRISIS AND LESSONS By Samuele Bacchiocchi divided the Worldwide Church of God, give rise to two ques- A Ph. D. and Professor of Theology and Church tions: (1) What factors contributed to this sudden split in the History at Andrews University (Seventh Day Adventist) WCG? (2) What lessons can we Seventh-day Adventists learn from the sad experience of a church that has shared The Worldwide Church of God (WCG) has lost about with us such beliefs as the Sabbath, clean and unclean meats, 50,000 members and 500 pastors during this past year as a and the importance of obedience to God’s law? result of doctrinal changes in such areas as Sabbath keeping, To find answers, I contacted some of the leaders of the holy days, distinction between clean and unclean meats, and newly formed United Church of God. During this past year tithing. The church’s top administrators introduced these it has been my privilege to become acquainted with most of changes to bring their church more in line with the Protestant their pastors, since they mainstream. Enormous financial losses have followed, called me from across the causing the suspension of the church’s telecast, The World country to order sup- Tomorrow, the reduction in circulation of their outreach plies of my three magazine, The Plain Truth, from seven million to less than Sabbath books to Church half-a-million, and a substantial drop in enrollment at their meet the chal- Ambassador University in Big Sandy, Texas.
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