It has been a while since my last writing and that one, though sincere, was mostly directed towards my wife.
A couple months ago, I was privileged to be able to join and be a member ("on the books") of the Church of God of Prophecy (COGOP) denomination. This is an interesting story and I will attempt to relay it here as best as I can:
Put on your way-back-hat, for I am going to start at the beginning. not at the creation begining, but at the beginning of the history that I need to mention beofre continuing with this blog. This beginning, like other beginnings, had another beginning, but I will not get inot that beginning (the testimony of my "becomming" a "Christian"). so let this beginngin be the beginning of the events that transpired to get me where I am in the COGOP organization. Details as I reacall, and overviews at times, but the beginning, nonetheless.
In about August, of 1981, I began to attend a new kind of church. THey referred to themselves as "inter-denominational", not non-denominational, as they wanted to be inclusive, rather than exclusive, as so many denominations had tended to be. The independant church, The Church of Compassion, as it was called, later I found was based on "pentacostalism". This is an important point, since previously, I had only been privy to fundamental evangelistic and Baptist point of views. I had earlier this year discovered, as I began reading my Bible for myself, that there was a very real Holy Ghost, that was being ignored or denied by teh groups I had been associating.
My first service was a Sunday Morning and I was so surprised (pleasantly) by the "spirit" of the service and the "move" of the Holy Spirit, that I wanted to come back and be sure it wasnt' a fluke. At the time, they had services on Wednesday and Friday evenings as well as Sunday. the Wednesday service was supposed to be similar to the Sunday service, but with more of a direction of dsicipleship, or so I was told when i asked an usher. and the Friday service was more of a "class" type teaching or Bible study.
I wasn't able to attend the Wednesday Service becuase of work conflict, and at the time didn't think that such a conflict was any kind of priority, though later in my discipleship and relationship building with Christ, I became aware that I wanted and needed to be a part of "Church". I went to the Friday "Class".
Previous to this, the only Bible-study I had been accustom to was when I read and studied the Bible on my own. I dont' count "Sunday School" from the previous organizations because I never really learned anything, except that we should "only use the KJV"; which, of course, I quickly disregarded, but that for another topic. In any case, the class was GREAT. There was times when feedback was appropriate and I had comments about what was being taught from Corinthians.
The Pastor (Randy Waterman), was teaching on "As they were, so are we". Not sure why I remember that, but it was a great series, and I began to understand the the Word had many "levels" of understnading and that an understanding of the original languages might be helpful to me if I wanted to have further, in depth relationship with God,a dn learn about His Word. As I commented, participated, and answered questiosn, the pastor commented something about my being a good student and that I would "go far" in the ministry.
I didn't know what "in the ministry" meant yet, but by the second Sunday service, it was known that I had a talent for technology and on my 3rd service visit, I was assisting the man that was running the PA. Though I had to study and learn, this was a skill that came to me very easily. A God-given ability, that later I would use to serve Him.
I began to be a regular attender, and "member". I say quoted-member becuase they didn't have an official membership role as in the other places I had been. they simply said that if you were an official attender, you were a member, and part of the family.
turn the dials on your way-back-hat up a turn... about 20 or so years later, in that same church and with the same pastor, I had now been to Bible College, acquires several degrees, and had been privileged to be a part of most every ministry in the church. I had been teh "glorified band-aid". Any ministry that neede help or started, I was there to do what I could to be part. I was now the head of the media ministries, and had run ministries that put radio broadcasts on teh air; we had a team that was able to produce several different TV productions out of the church, and of course, I was lead engineer for the Public Address system, and had taught dozens of volunteers over the years in all those areas.
In addition to the media I had also the role of church administrator and treasurer. again, mostly becasue there was nobody else to do them, and I could do them and do them well, based ont eh skills and abilitis that God had given me. Much of this time, I was also involved in the churhc choir. I discovered that I could sing. I wasn't, adn am not trained in that area, and feel less than capable, but I feel that this is an area that I am "called". I have yet to see this part of the ministry God is giving me fulfilled, since I have no training and nobody to help me (yet).
I began to understand that God wanted me in teh Full time ministry, though that door was opened to me for a while in the past, it was closed as it was man-made, and not God-ordained. I knwo this becuase I paid tithe, yet, the needs began to pile up and there was no income to support my family and I believe that God wants us to be able to support our family. And further that the help I was told I would recieve in teh area of taxes, never came and I would have to completely deplete my life savings to pay taxes that I was told wouldn't be a problem. So, bottom line - I learned a valuable lesson from that mistake in hearing God's voice or man's plan.
In any case, the Pastor of the church had made a choice to leave this church he founded many years prior (a whole different topic of it's own again) and his nephew would take over as senior pastor. Becuase some people had placed the original pastor on a "pedistal", and for other reasons, many people left the church when he did. As treasurer, I began to communicate with teh new pastor the challenges and that we needed to take dramatic measures and actions. Our current congregation was no longer able to suppor the building that we had been in for years (that was owned by the previous pastor). We took action to reduce costs and be as frugle as possible.
During this time, the youth director (Toni Cummings) was networking with other churches to try to get the youth some shared events so they weren't stuck doing no social events in our own body and church. It was few years ago now that this happened and he and the pastor (Kevin Truett) began a relationship with a local COGOP. Ther eis alot of things that happened here that realy bcame apparent that God was in the meeting and relationships that began.
The youth had a shared back to school bash and another event. and more meetings between our pastors (kevin and Jim Endecott of the COGOP). It was brought up and discussed the possibility that we could pay rent and share services with the COGOP and in their building. This process had been going on for months and it seemed that any situation that was to be a hinderance melted away and God had been makign a path that was hard to veer away from.
Because of my personal experiences with "exclusive" denominations and of the comparative studies I had made while attending college, I was very aware of the COGOP, and especially their teaching on the evil of divorce and remarriage. I, had been involved in several shipwreks in my life and had been remarried more than once, so I was a "sinner" in their mind (as far as I understood based on teh college and personal studies I had made on teh COGOP and COG and their offshoots and history). After about 23 or so years of being at the same "church", I was makeing a choice that would lead me away from there as they began to get closer to and had been discussing "merger" amonst the leadership.
I did NOT want to be part of an organization, even if only sharing their building, that considered me a sinner and haveing no salvation.
I was ready to and had begun teh process of searching for another church to attend. I still remained faithfull to our chuch family though and supported the pastor in any way I could, but I was looking for greener pastures. As is my custom, I was fasting and in prayer of this life-changing decisian. I "knew" God didn't wnat me there anylonger, but hadn't yet actually asked Him. anyway, the second day of that weeklong fast, I began to be lead to various scriptures on grace, and the Pauline teachings of grace and God's mercy,a dn that salvation was indeed not because of anything I did.
I realized that I had "become" what I hated. someone that judged others on what they did! in my case it was a kind of reverse judgement. I had not even given "those people" a chance. God had really been speaking to me and I understood that we all can go down a path that is incorrect, now and again, but it is the disciple, that picks themself up and make the change that God wants as He shines the light of His truth on a different direction. I believe that God was wanting me to not only stay with the church, but to jump in with my band-aid minstry and do anything I could to make the transition easier and help out, even though I could never become a member of their organization, and therefor could not be part of a ministry or leadership... or so I thought.
When we started sharing services (still seperate congregations), I became fully aware that God was in this union and that a merger, though untill now ahd been only discussed among the leadership, was somthing that had begun to be the direction that God was leading. There was no judgement in the COGOP congregation. they loved me, even though they knew my marriage situation (their knowing is another topic again, hehehehehheee).
turn up the way-back hat a bit more... We are now officially a "merged", single congregation. the local pastor is not only not hindering me in any miinstry duties, but I have been moved to the position of media director and am treasurer for the church. this is simply amazing to me as I am (at this time) not a member and will not be (as far as I knew). I began to attend national COGOP training and events with the Pastor, and our friendship and trust is continuing to grow. I quickly became aware of something that was becomming obvious. God wanted me to be part of this organization. I don't know why, or in what capacity, but He is placing me on a path that is directly in this organization, even though I could never be a member and eventhough I could never be a licensed minister.
This made absolutely no sense to me. Why on earth would God want me to be part of an organization that "wouldn't have me", even though I was fully accepted at the local level? Because of some lessons learned in the past, I felt that I did know Gods' "voice" in this matter and again, had a renewd vigor and threw myself in teh minsitry to serve. I began to know that God was calling me into the ministry furhter but was unsure how that was going to happen, in this path He is leading me.
I soon discovered that many (dare I say most?) of the COGOP at high levels had been in a mode of "change" from teh exclusive to be more inclusive. the last General Assembly it was passed that anyone with fruit of having salvation would be allowed to be a member of the church, adn that was left up to the local pastor to decide and to continue to disciple them further in relationship with God.
Wow, this was anothe amazing event. I knew they were going to talk abotu it in teh GA, but I never thought that it would actually be passed. yes there were those that oppoes it, but it did pass. about a year later, after some patience and further training by our pastor, my wife and I became members of the Church of God of Prophecy. I had fulfilled what God had been teling me (or so I thought).
Before that event, It started to become more clear to me that God was continuing to call me to a pulpit minstry. I began to seek advice and counsel. some counsel said that I should get out of there as soon as I could (some even said that after they knew I became an actual member). God seemed to be leading me in a direction that was pointing to the heart of the COGOP and not some kind of "escape" and run. I am not sure I can explain it any better, but even though I was a member now, it is still a issue that I am in a remarriage (and had divorced), as far as the organization was concerned and there is no way I could be licensed under the COGOP.
I wanted to follow God. I knew I was on the right path. It is confirmed on many levels, let me give a few examples...
* At the GA (2004), i had volunteered to run a video camera and was accepted (though they knew my D&R situation). Then afterwards, the Bishop over that ministry personally came to me at my camera platform and invited me to join them again for the next GA.
* I am now a member of the church, even though I "knew" there was no way this was going to happen.
* My pastor (a bishop and state overseer in the COGOP), has "taken me under his wing" and is mentoring me in the minsitry and has provided me with regular pulpit time.
* An overseer in a area of the country that was supposed to be "extremely conservative" in teh area of D&R had befrineded me and even hinted that he could help be get licensed (outside of COGOP) if I felt the need.
* The regional overseer of the tristate area of Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota, has had me help with regional events and have been told that I will have a "regional appointment" at our next reggional convention in a few weeks.
What? a regional appointment? me? another amazing confirmation that I am where God wants me to be even though circumstances would dictate otherwise.
you can take off the way-back hat now. I am a mamber of the COGOP. any ministring that I do and have been called to do has not been impeded in teh least, and in fact has been encouraged and assisted. I have a pastor that is extremely helpfull, adn loving and accepting. Don't get me wrong, he believes (as I do) that God hates divorce, but it isn't an unforgivable sin, as some seem to believe.
I am currently the director of media at our local church. I am the treasurer at our local church, I have regular pulput time at our local church. God has granted me favour in the regional and even national levels of the organization. God has me here for something. I don't know what it is, but I do know that I am where He wants me to be and I know that it is God that is leading me. I have many friends in an organization that I though was full of hypocracy anf exclusivity. With only a couple extreme exceptions, I (and my wife) have been accepted, loved, trusted and my (our) salvation is not doubted.
God is good, all the time.
