Tuesday, May 23, 2017

United Church of God Statement On Rod Meredith's Death



United Church of God released a statement on Roderick C Meredith's death and many LCG members are noting how the UCG statement is far more meaningful than Gerald Weston's own statement about Meredith's death.







Death of Long-Time Minister Roderick C. Meredith

[MAY 192017CINCINNATIOHIO] As president of the United Church of God, an International Association (UCG), I offer the collective sympathy and condolences of our fellowship to members of Roderick C. Meredith’s family and also to the ministers and members of the Living Church of God (LCG). Dr. Meredith, a long-time minister and LCG presiding evangelist, died in the late evening of May 18. He was 86 and is survived by six children, 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Gerald Weston has succeeded him as the presiding evangelist of LCG.
Many ministers and members in UCG who attended one of the Ambassador College campuses in years past, took one or more classes taught by Dr. Meredith. Like many others in our fellowship, I had deep respect for Dr. Meredith. In the course of our current fellowships we personally met together on two occasions (shortly after the death of Dibar Apartian, another long-time minister, and later following the death of Dr. Meredith’s wife, Sheryl) at the Living Church of God’s facility in Charlotte, North Carolina. We also conversed on occasion by phone and e-mail. The first Charlotte meeting was led by Dennis Luker, a former colleague of Dr. Meredith, who later died in 2013 while serving as president of UCG. Peter Eddington, our operation manager of Media and Communications Services, also took part in that meeting.
Through the years, Dr. Meredith demonstrated a powerful influence and a singular commitment to applying what he understood, including the role of the Church in proclaiming the gospel and announcing the coming Kingdom of God. He served in numerous administrative, ministerial and faculty positions in our prior fellowship of the Worldwide Church of God. He wrote multiple dozens of articles for The Plain Truth and other church publications before leaving that fellowship and subsequently founding LCG in 1998.
Dr. Meredith certainly led a full life of service in the ministry, and many in the fellowship of the United Church of God remember well the years of dedicated service that Dr. Meredith provided while part of the Worldwide Church of God and later as the leader of LCG. I encourage our members to please remember Dr. Meredith and his family—as well as ministers, members and families within the Living Church of God. He now rests and awaits the hope of us all—eternal life in the service of God the Father and Jesus Christ in the coming Kingdom of God.
Richard Ames, LCG evangelist and brother-in-law to Dr. Meredith, will conduct Dr. Meredith’s funeral, which is scheduled for Sunday, May 28. Details are pending.

34 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice letter. I notice the diplomacy of 'hope of us all,' which leaves the question of Rods eternal fate unanswered. Christian kindness for the relatives.

Anonymous said...

Thank you United Church of God, there is hope that we can all stop this fighting and bickering nonsense. It's me who is right and I'll point your mistakes. if you don't join our group, you cannot be saved. Just where in the bible says that a group saves? but then look at me, I am also full of mistakes. Stop fighting Laodiceans. Your fighting and bickering and pointing each others faults have already molded you to the adversary's face and trademark. As for the Darth Vaders who switched to the other side. Darth Vader was also repented at the end. I am full of hope for the people here also.

Martha said...

Wow. Classy. And I'm being totally sincere.

Anonymous said...

Take a look at Grace Communion International's website. Not a single mention of the death of Meredith. For a church that claims to be grace-filled and reconciling, it is a pretty sad indictment that they cannot even mention him or to extend condolences to his family.

Anonymous said...

What a thoughtful response from UCG!

Anonymous said...

I am no fan of Meredith or UCG, but I have to admit this was rather well done.

Byker Bob said...

The zombies united by the death of one of their own. It is sad and amazing that it takes something like this to bring kind words from groups whose leaders speak together begind the scenes, but won't allow their members to acknowledge one another in the supermarket during the F/Tabs. Too bad it comes off like kindly poaching during times of trouble.

Or, you can take it at face value, which ever seems correct.

BB

Anonymous said...

I'd like to take it at face value, I am tired thinking of evil of one another.

The Painful Truth said...

I wonder if they will be so gracious when Flurry kicks the bucket?

Anonymous said...

Not surprising that ministers from the UCG would put out nice comments about RCM. They stand to benefit from a LCG split and want to attract the handful of ex-LCG members that might join the UCG.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if they will be as kind to us when we die. We are doing more good for the church than those boneheads who keep people in their clutches. No, we are the incorrigibly wicked. We are worse than rapists and gays and child molesters and Stalin's controllers.

Anonymous said...

I would like to imagine after Christ returns, calling a meeting of all the leaders of the COG splinter groups. At the meeting Christ asks for everyone who in charge to stand up. Then He tells them "YOU'RE FIRED!"

Anonymous said...

@Anon 3:41

Does it not sickens you that the first thing that comes to your mind is a negative?

James 4:11 Do not speak evil against one another, brothers.

Psalms 50:20-21 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son.

21 These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes.

Anonymous said...

"...and many LCG members are noting how the UCG statement is far more meaningful than Gerald Weston's own statement about Meredith's death."

I seriously doubt hardly anyone in LCG "noted" UCGs statement about RCM's death and compared it to GWs. Hardly anyone in LCG pays attention to UCG or any other groups statements about anything.

By the way, which GW statement are you referring to? He's made several. And he's mentioned his thoughts about the transition of leadership and his thoughts on RCM himself in multiple statements and sermons even prior to Meredith's death. So, LCG members are well aware of GW thoughts on RCM.

I find it humorous that those who are not in LCG seem to "know" what LCG is supposedly doing or believing, and thinking there is some secret conspiracy amiss. Thanks for the giggles today!

Anonymous said...

LCG members are getting a good early look at Weston's leadership style. In the e-mail message LCG sent out this morning to announce the viewing and funeral to members, there is a DONATIONS link at the bottom. Even in announcing this deeply emotional memorial viewing and funeral service, they can't refrain from BEGGING FOR MORE MONEY.

How incredibly tacky, yet how clear a sign of what the group is really all about.

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:50, the wording at the bottom of the email you received today is standard wording for ALL emails that are sent out to the membership and prospective membership in these mass emailings. There is nothing new here. However, at the bottom of the email is MORE wording. Here it is:

"You are receiving this e-mail because you are a member of prospective member of the Living Church of God. If at any time you no longer wish to receive these e-mails, please contact cad@lcg.org.

"You may alternatively request removal by writing to the following address:
Living Church of God
PO Box 3810
Charlotte, NC 28227-8010
USA".

Since you seem to be offended by the STANDARD wording that is found in these member/prospective member emails, maybe you ought to request removal from the mailing list in order to no longer be associated with an organization that you find "incredibly tacky" by something you feel clearly signals what kind of group they are.

This is my public service announcement for today. Thank you for listening.

Steve D said...

UNC's comments were nice, but, I question their motives. Are they perhaps trying to project a kinder and gentler image in the hope of getting LCG members to join with them? Gee, why should any of us be a bit suspicious?

Anonymous said...

Anon 10:28 is a lying HQ stooge who fails to mention that many other LCG communications do not include what he calls "the STANDARD wording" found at the bottom of the Meredith funeral announcement. Anon 10:28 knows that HQ chose to send an e-mail that includes the DONATIONS link instead of one that does not include the DONATIONS link.

Either they are so callous and lacking in etiquette that they didn't think begging for money was tacky and disrespectful in a funeral notice, or else they are so incompetent that they didn't realize that they could use another e-mail format. Either way, they made a choice and now they are attacking members for noticing that choice. Standard operating procedure in LCG. Meredith isn't even in the ground yet, and Weston already has his lackeys busy telling lies, just as they did when Meredith was in charge.

NO2HWA said...

Thanks for the giggles at 9:34 wrote:

>>>I find it humorous that those who are not in LCG seem to "know" what LCG is supposedly doing or believing, and thinking there is some secret conspiracy amiss. <<<

I do not need to speculate on things about LCG. Most everything that shows up here comes from LCG members who are fed up with the bloated self-serving oligarchy in Charlotte.

web70 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Anon 10:55, the April 20th Co-Worker letter/ email has the same wording.

Yes, that's the one where Weston calls the recipients "Members" instead of "Brethren." Which just reinforces the point that Weston has the power to send what he wants to send. He sends messages with or without that DONATIONS link. This time he chose to send a message with that link, even though the etiquette of a funeral announcement would ordinarily dictate against doing so. That's his choice, but he should not expect to make a choice and then not have it be noticed.

Anonymous said...

Anon 10:55, yes, you are correct, many other LCG email communications do not include what you seem to be upset over. However, many of these email communications do have this wording, as web70 pointed out with the example of the co-worker letter. This IS standard wording when it comes to these type of mass emailings involving the members/prospective members, co-workers, and subscribers. Your entire argument is petty and childish. But me thinks your "outrage" over a donation link in an email is really about other things with LCG and/or some of its leadership. And if you truly respected this man, you would not write "Meredith" in your statements, rather, "Mr" Meredith. Those are tell-tale signs of a fake member, or, to a lesser extent, a nominal one.

Anonymous said...

And if you truly respected this man, you would not write "Meredith" in your statements, rather, "Mr" Meredith.

And if you truly respected him, you would write "Dr." Meredith instead of "Mr." Meredith. I recognize your faction from your refusal to use "Dr." in the man's title.

Anonymous said...

Anon 11:40, GWs March 17 co-worker letter said "Brethren" and Co-Workers. Again, you're being petty over semantics. Let it go. Just let it go.

Anonymous said...

you're being petty over semantics

That's what JWT said, until he couldn't any longer. LCG is changing noticeably, and only time will tell whether it's because of deliberate effort or hopeless incompetence.

Anonymous said...

Anon 1:07 said...

Again, you're being petty over semantics.

Does this LCG stooge even understand what he wrote? Does he know what "semantics" means?

"Semantics" is the study of the meanings of words. He doesn't want us to think about what Mr. Weston's words mean. He just wants us to be dumb sheep and accept whatever LCG says.

Even if all the current LCG members are happy with that, it's a cult mentality that won't attract many new members. LCG is dying.

Anonymous said...

Anon 1:28, how is LCG changing?

Anonymous said...

2:04

Did you ever consider you might be dealing with Jimmy Meredith? He is not known to be the brightest bulb in Charlotte.

Anonymous said...

Tacky to ask for donations in a funeral announcement? Didn't HWA use his wife's death to solicit money?

Anonymous said...

Being a LCG member I've always appreciated the kind words from UCG or any COG out there. Regardless of the tone from LCG or UCG or whomever, I still appreciate the fact that they consider us brethren.

Anonymous said...

Tacky to ask for donations in a funeral announcement? Didn't HWA use his wife's death to solicit money?

Are you implying that Rod Meredith was an intestinal blockage in the Body of Christ?

Anonymous said...

Yes Anon at 2:42, HWA used his wife's death as an opportunity to solicit money as he did for his son's death.

eddby said...

I think he was implying that he rod was anal blockage.

Ronco said...

" And if you truly respected this man, you would not write "Meredith" in your statements, rather, "Mr" Meredith. Those are tell-tale signs of a fake member, or, to a lesser extent, a nominal one. "

If you are a fake member, or, to a lesser extent, a nominal one of Our Gang, you would refer to Meredith as Spanky instead of Mr Spanky.