Greetings:
I would like to report to you about this week's meetings of the Council of Elders, but another matter demands our attention. A letter from Global's Council of Elders that has been mailed to our members was just delivered to me. Their letter to our members is such an affront that we must respond immediately. So, Dr. Meredith or I will report to you next about the Council meetings.
Please read the following letter in all churches and video groups this Sabbath. We understand that this will not be possible this week in many international areas, and in some international areas it may be unnecessary. We do not wish to trouble brethren who are unaffected with an unnecessary issue.
Thank you for your diligent labor in Christ's service.
Carl E. McNair
TO BE ANNOUNCED IN ALL CHURCHES AND VIDEO GROUPS
Dear Brethren,
A recent letter from the current Council of Elders of the Global Church of God, made public on the Internet and mailed to members of the Living Church of God and others, has been addressed to you as "brothers in Christ." Please understand that Global did not have permission to contact our membership.
In our judgment, Global's letter is intended to create division within our fellowship. The letter purports to give the facts regarding loans that were outstanding when a faction of Board members seized control of the Global corporation. In removing the Presiding Evangelist, this faction of the Board usurped authority vested in the Council of Elders, contrary to the will of a majority of that Council and of the vast majority of the membership.
Subsequent to that action, the majority of the membership chose to support Dr. Meredith. Among those were a number of members and ministers who had loaned substantial sums to the Work. When Dr. Meredith was dismissed there was in excess of $500,000 in reserves in the Global corporation's accounts. Dr. Meredith and those who followed him were shorn of all monetary and physical assets of Global. In addition, Global refused to reimburse many of Living's ministers for legitimate business expenses previously incurred on Global's behalf. The Board members who performed the corporate takeover in November were made aware that, by seizing those assets of Global, they were assuming the liabilities of the corporation including its outstanding debts.
In good faith, Living Church of God made a generous offer to assume debts in exchange for assets. Global rejected that offer. The individual lenders who are now members of Living Church of God have unanimously voiced their support of Dr. Meredith and Living in those efforts.
With their letter, Global seeks to place a sense of responsibility on members of the Living Church of God for the indebtedness which that Board assumed upon seizure of the Global corporation.
We strongly urge our members to reject Global's allegations and assumptions. Dr. Meredith will very soon write a letter further clarifying this matter.
Some time ago, members of the Board of Global marked Dr. Meredith as disfellowshipped from Global. Sadly, we must now make the following announcement:
"We regret it is now our duty to inform you that, based upon biblical instruction (Rom. 16:17), an ecclesiastical determination has been made to mark the following members of the Board and Council of Global ( Larry R. Salyer, Raymond F. McNair, J. Edwin Pope and Norbert Link ) as enemies of the Church, for the protection of our members. Therefore, for your own spiritual wellbeing, you are advised to refrain from contact with these individuals or their representatives.
The Living Church of God bears them no ill and we should all pray that God would grant them repentance."
In Christian Love,
Dr. Roderick C. Meredith, Presiding Evangelist
Carl E. McNair, Director of Church Administration