Greetings from Charlotte,
We held an online Council of Elders meeting on Wednesday and heard reports from the Council members around the world. The following report was given in last week’s U.K. bulletin, but I want to share it with the rest of you: “Mr. Rees Ellis returned home safely to Belgium on Wednesday after a visit to Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo. While in Brazzaville, he was introduced to the Prime Minister of the country, and on his way home met the Ambassador Extraordinaire of the DRC to the Republic of South Sudan, who outlined to Mr. Ellis that he was advocating for the restoration of Apostolic Christianity. As a result of the visit, we have added a new congregation in Kinshasa. We have an urgent prayer request for prospective members in Burundi. About 30 people have been harassed for leaving their previous congregation and wanting to join LCG. Following enthusiastic exchanges over the past few months, the group has been connecting regularly for Sabbath services with Charleroi. However, the numbers dwindled until last Sabbath, when I realised they didn’t connect at all. It turned out that the leader had to flee for fear of being attacked physically and his home being ransacked. Upon his return he found a court summons accusing him of associating with a religious group that is causing public disorder. Our prayers for their peace and safety would be appreciated (2 Thessalonians 3:16).”—Gerald Weston
Church Administration
Terrifying Storm in Alabama
Powerful storms struck Alabama Tuesday, bringing rain, high winds, flooding, and tornadoes. All the brethren are okay so far as is known, though as of this writing, contact has not yet been made with some. Area Pastor Anthony Stroud reports, “In the city where I live (Clanton), we have about 20 brethren… many of them went to shelters, and they and their families are all okay. We did not go to a shelter because the news media only spoke of severe thunderstorms. About 5:46 p.m. it was [reported] that a tornado had formed… about 15 miles from us and was moving at about 60 mph towards Clanton on Highway 22 which is about a mile from where I live. My wife and her mom went into our hallway which is the safest place, while I continued to look around outside to see if the tornado was in fact near us, going from the front door to the back. The sky was frightening to look at and at that time the rain had not yet become violent. About 5:56 p.m., as the news stated, it reached Clanton, and I tell you, it began to rain so violently with high winds that I could not see my neighbor’s house. I had never seen it like that before and I cried out to God over and over, again and again to protect His people as well as my neighbors and the city. We have been going through the Old Testament (Judges now), and the question came to my mind, How can humanity survive without God? I believe with all my heart God spared us as I had never seen anything like that before, so yes, I boast right now in God [Psalm 44:8]. Judges 10:13 [warns], ‘Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. Therefore I will deliver you no more.’ Just think, this is nothing compared to what the world will face and we can understand that without God, humanity is doomed! I am so thankful that God is our Protector.”—Anthony Stroud
Living Education
On May 14, twelve students will participate in the culminating ceremony of the year. Mr. Gerald Weston, Mr. Richard Ames, Dr. Douglas Winnail, and Mr. Ken Frank will speak to the students at the graduation ceremony, capping off their LivingEd experience. After nine months of classes, activities, and building friendships that will last a lifetime, our group is scheduled to complete the program with a class trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina from May 8 to 12. Hundreds of classroom hours have gone into their preparation for a life well-lived, built on the foundation of the word of God. We wish them well as they continue their journey!—Jonathan McNair
Feast of Tabernacles
2021 Feast Registration Now Open
As of this writing, more than 4,000 Living Church of God brethren and guests have successfully registered for the 2021 Feast of Tabernacles. This year, we have approximately 91 Feast sites around the world, with 17 in the United States, and 74 outside of the United States. Only six international sites are currently accepting transfers, and some of them require a quarantine period. Please check the Festival website for details.
We are working through transfer requests. If you have requested a transfer and have not yet been notified by email of an acceptance (or denial), please be patient. You will be contacted soon.
USA Feast Sites with Service Needs
The following USA Feast sites have specific service needs. If you want to transfer and can fill one of these needs, please consider the following options:
- Boerne, Texas (Piano)
- New Bern, North Carolina (Ushering)
- Pigeon Forge, Tennessee (Audio/Visual, Piano, Special Music)
- San Diego, California (Piano, Special Music)
USA Sites with Room for Transfers
This year, in the United States, we encourage brethren to attend their own assigned site. However, if you want to transfer, here are several sites that still have ample room, which you may wish to consider:
- Boerne, Texas
- Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri
- Midway, Utah
- Natchez, Mississippi
- New Bern, North Carolina
- Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
- Sandusky, Ohio
- Williamsburg, Virginia
Living Youth Program
Adventure Camp 2021—Bob Marshall Wilderness, Montana
For those of you who have been eager to go to Adventure Camp this year, the moment you’ve been waiting for is nearly here. Registration for Adventure camp will open on Sunday, May 9. For more information about the camp and to begin registration, visit https://camp.livingyouth.org. Tuition costs will be $350 for campers and $250 for staff. If you have any questions about the registration process, please contact Jenny Penman at the Living Youth Camp office at [email protected].
This year’s Adventure Camp is an awe-inspiring backpacking trip to the Bob Marshall Wilderness in the Flathead National Forest. “In the Rocky Mountains of Northwest Montana, just south of the Canadian border, lies the 2.4-million-acre Flathead National Forest. With lakes galore, rugged wilderness, wild rivers, over 2,000 miles of trail, campgrounds, ski areas, and year-round beauty, this forest is a premiere natural landscape of the American West” (Flathead National Forest website).
The Bob Marshall Wilderness is “one of the most completely preserved mountain ecosystems in the world, the kind of wilderness most people can only imagine: rugged peaks, alpine lakes, cascading waterfalls, grassy meadows embellished with shimmering streams, a towering coniferous forest, and big river valleys” (Bob Marshall Wilderness).
This year’s Adventure Camp will be a challenging but rewarding adventure that you won’t want to miss and will remember for many years!
Dates:
Arrival: Tuesday, August 3, 2021
Departure: Tuesday, August 10, 2021
Applicant information:
Staff: To be considered for Staff positions, applicants must be 21 years of age or older. Staff members selected must have the ability and endurance to hike 8 to 10 miles per day carrying 35–40 pounds in a backpack. They must also have a positive, encouraging attitude and have a love for working with teens and young adults.
Campers: Ages 13–20 may apply. Applicants selected must have a love for adventure as well as the willingness to do hard things! We will be hiking several miles a day carrying supplies in our backpacks. Preferential acceptance will be given to those ages 15 and up. If there is room available, we will consider younger applicants.
Missouri Preteen Camp—Repeat Announcement
With only about a month before the staff application deadline, planning for the Missouri Preteen Camp is moving into full speed ahead! If you are considering joining us this year at beautiful Lake of the Ozarks State Park and have not yet applied or completed your application, then please do so soon. We are in the process of selecting department heads and need additional staff volunteers in several areas. Each camp activity provides an opportunity to help our youth develop relationships with one another—and even more importantly, with our Creator. We deeply appreciate all those who are able to give of their time and serve our youth in this unique way. See you in August!—Yancy Taber, Missouri Preteen Camp Director
Finance
Pentecost Holy Day Offerings: U.S. Churches Only
As we prepare for Pentecost, we want to let the brethren know how we will be handling the Holy Day offering. We encourage those who are able and want to donate online to make online Holy Day offerings. This greatly cuts down on the time and work required to process checks. Congregations holding in-person services on Pentecost will have an offertory message and collect an offering as we have normally done. If you attend in person and choose to donate online, simply write “online” on your offering envelope collected at services. For those who will not be able to attend services in person, we encourage making online donations, if possible, just as we did for the Days of Unleavened Bread.—Finance Department
2020 USA Audited Financials
The 2020 Audited Financials are now complete and are available for viewing in their entirety online. Simply go to lcg.org click on “About Us,” then scroll to the bottom of the page and click on “Living Church of God: 2020 Consolidated Financial Statements.”
Comments
The Value of Truth: Today, we hear a lot about “fake news” and various sources claim to provide us with the “real story” about events that are making news—yet many people are growing skeptical about what they hear from politicians and news commentators. This should surprise no one, because this is Satan’s world (2 Corinthians 4:4) and he is called in the Scriptures “a liar and the father of [lies]” (John 8:44). The Bible also foretells that the time will come when “truth is fallen in the street,” “everyone will deceive his neighbor… [and] they have taught their tongue to speak lies” (Isaiah 59:14; Jeremiah 9:5). The Bible also reveals there are serious consequences for lying (Jeremiah 9:7, 13–16) and that “all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire” (Revelation 21:8). The God of the Bible is “a God of Truth” who desires truth “in the inward parts” (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 51:6). This is why Christians are commanded to “come out of this world” (2 Corinthians 6:17–18) and follow the ninth commandment (Exodus 20:16). We must also gird ourselves with the truth and learn to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 6:14; 4:15) if we want to be in the Kingdom of God (Psalm 15:1–2). Let’s strive to be truthful in all we do and say.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy—May 6, 2021
Preparing for Future Pandemics: The EU Observer reported on March 31 that more than 25 world leaders signed an open letter calling for the creation of an international treaty on pandemics. Signatories include the director-general of the World Health Organization and the president of the European Council. The letter states, “The question [of future pandemics] is not if, but when.”
The letter calls for a “global approach” to any future pandemic. The proposed treaty would need to outline a framework for preparedness and cooperation across nations worldwide. The letter emphasizes that “the time to act is now” while the concern about future risks is firmly in the minds of people in all countries. Yet, notably absent from the letter’s list of dignitaries were the leaders of the United States and China, as well as EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen—illustrating how difficult global cooperation on such an issue might be.
Whether or not a treaty on global pandemic preparedness will ever be adopted remains to be seen. However, the idea put forth by this group of leaders—that the next pandemic is inevitable—is certainly in line with Bible prophecy. The sixth chapter of the book of Revelation describes the famous “four horsemen.” The fourth of these horsemen pictures a time when one-quarter of the world’s population will die by various means—including devastating disease (Revelation 6:7–8). God will ultimately use disease and death to get the attention of the world and help humanity realize that the way to true and lasting peace is not through human means, but by the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth. For more insights into the truly exciting future revealed in the pages of your Bible, watch our informative telecast “Who Are the Four Horsemen?”
Plunging Fertility Rates: New research by Shanna Swan, an epidemiologist with Mount Sinai Medical Center, projects that “by 2045 most men may no longer be able to reproduce because of the impact of hormone-altering chemicals” in their environment (Politico, March 10, 2021). This research also suggests that female fertility rates are falling by about 1 percent each year.
Swan observed that these hormone-altering chemicals are present in products from “plastics, electronics, food packaging and pesticides to personal care products and cosmetics… and as such are in the bodies of just about everyone on the planet.” These chemicals impact both male and female reproduction and are even known to pose a danger to babies growing in the womb. Other factors like obesity, smoking, and changing cultural values also contribute to the plunging fertility rates.
The declining ability to reproduce affects men and women around the globe. Interestingly, in His covenant with Israel—a covenant with powerful, prophetic implications—God speaks of one of the consequences to come from disobedience as being related to reproduction: “Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks” (Deuteronomy 28:18). However, God also promises blessings for those who obey Him, including an abundance of children (vv. 4, 11). The way of life outlined in the Bible brings peace and happiness, as well as health and safety. To learn more about that way, be sure to read or listen to The Ten Commandments.—Scott Winnail, Deborah Lincoln-Strange, and Francine Prater