Greetings from Charlotte,
The Council of Elders met online Wednesday to gain a quick overview of trends within the Church around the world. We are seeing new members come along—some brand new and others coming to us with a WCG background or from other fellowships—but growth is slow, in large part due to having to replace those who have finished their race. Several members died recently, including our longest ordained minister, Mr. James Wells in Kansas City. I’ll be traveling there for his funeral. We still struggle to reach a younger demographic, but there are congregations that have significant numbers of children and teens. Many young couples are having three or more children, and it does not take many child-bearing couples to significantly impact a congregation. Dr. Wilner Pierre reports that all our members are safe following a gang raid in Haiti, near Port-au-Prince, that left at least 47 dead and 50 kidnapped. With such violence, along with earthquakes, fires, floods, and other natural disasters, let us remember to pray for one another.
—Gerald E. Weston
Church Administration
Update on Indiana Brethren
The storms that have battered the state of Indiana are only the latest in a series of weather events that have been plaguing the area. One couple dealt with regular multi-day power outages and water in their basement after previous storms. On this occasion, they have been spared. Those in the northern parts of Indiana have also experienced multi-day outages but were prepared for the circumstances. The area to the east of Indianapolis has seen the worst of the heavy rains, with swollen creeks and rivers still presenting a danger of flooding. A member across the Ohio border indicated a few days ago that his area had already had eleven inches of rain and that his sump pump was running continuously to keep up with the saturated ground. Just southwest of Indianapolis, one member had downed branches and minor damage to her power lines. While it will be some time before area water levels subside, God has protected His people from the worst of the storms. These circumstances are a stark reminder of the need to pray for one another and for our neighbors in the world. —Alex Pomicter
Tomorrow’s World Presentations
Last week, we held three initial presentations and three follow-up presentations that drew a total of 42 guests. This week, Mr. Dan Hall will travel to Tallahassee, Florida and Valdosta, Georgia to give initial presentations; Mr. Michael Brown will give follow-up presentations in Winkler and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Mr. Marc Arseneault will give a follow-up presentation in Edmundston, New Brunswick, Canada; Mr. Phil Sena will give a follow-up presentation in Cincinnati, Ohio; and Mr. Brandon Fall will give a follow-up presentation in Rapid City, South Dakota. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support for the Tomorrow’s World Presentations.
Feast of Tabernacles
Donating at the Feast of Tabernacles Internationally
If you are traveling internationally for the Feast, it is recommended that you leave your Holy Day offering in your home country. This will ensure that you receive proper documentation for a tax deduction (if your country allows it).
You should make an additional offering at the international site you attend and can plan accordingly. When making an offering at an international site, please make this donation in the currency of the country you are in. It is difficult, time-consuming, and often expensive to convert large amounts of cash from one currency to another. It is much cheaper and easier to simply withdraw the relatively small amount that you wish to donate from a local ATM than it is for the regional office to convert all the foreign donations after the Holy Days. Your attention to these instructions and your use of the preprinted Holy Day envelopes is greatly appreciated.
Tithe of the Festival Tithe – Repeat Announcement
For many decades, the Church of God has practiced what is called the tithe of the Festival tithe. What this means is that brethren who can afford it are asked to send a tenth of their Festival tithe to the Church before the Feast, to help pay for meeting halls and other Feast expenses as well as to help brethren around the world who have limited resources to attend the Feast (Deuteronomy 14:27; 16:14). If you are able and you have not already done so, please send in your tithe of the Festival tithe for this year. This contribution is greatly appreciated.
Finance
Last Day to Print Checks
Please note that our last scheduled day to print checks will be Tuesday, September 22. After that date, we will not be able to print any checks until Thursday, October 8. Any invoices we receive by September 16 will be paid before the Festival break. Any invoices we receive after September 16 may not be paid until October 8. If you have any questions concerning specific invoices or payments, please contact Ms. Michelle Greene in the Accounts Payable Department at 704-708-2234. You can also email [email protected].
Green Holy Day Envelopes Have Been Mailed—U.S. Only
Green Holy Day envelopes for the fall Holy Days were mailed out the week ending August 14. If you have not received yours and would like the personalized, pre-addressed offering envelopes, please contact [email protected] or call 704-844-1970, and we will mail you a set. If you choose to donate through the envelope system, using these pre-addressed envelopes greatly speeds up the counting and receipting process, which in turn saves valuable time and money. For those who will donate online, please use donations.lcg.org: Click on “Type of Donation,” then choose “Holy Day Offering.” A Holy Day drop-down menu will appear, and there you can select the applicable Holy Day.
Comments
Seek God’s Guidance: Today, we are urged to do our “own thing.” However, the Bible records the tragic results of this approach (Judges 21:25; Jeremiah 9:12–16). We are admonished in the Scriptures to “seek the Lord while He may be found” (Isaiah 55:6). We are also told that God looks on those who are humble and teachable (Isaiah 66:2). King David modeled this attitude when he wrote, “Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes…. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:33, 105). Jesus tells us to “live by… every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). We are also advised to seek wise counsel to avoid making bad decisions (Proverbs 11:14). An important lesson in life is that seeking God’s guidance and getting wise counsel when we are making decisions will lead to good outcomes and lasting rewards.
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail
News and Prophecy
AI-Generated Viruses: For years, scientists have experimented with biological engineering for purposes both beneficial and lethal. Now, artificial intelligence is being used to design new viruses (The Guardian, August 6, 2026). AI is able to rapidly develop these viruses, known as bacteriophages, to specifically target destructive bacteria, such as deadly E. coli. As a precaution in a recent test, the AI has not been trained on data that included any genetic codes for viruses that can infect animals, humans, or plants.
But are such precautions enough? Although this test created viruses that seem beneficial, scientists are aware that the same technology could be used to rapidly create viruses that are destructive to people or the environment. Scientists and ethics groups are now calling for greater oversight of this type of research in order to prevent future biological catastrophes. As MIT associate professor and biologist Kevin Esvelt observed in a recent interview, “The unsettling conclusion is that this study is one more step in the road towards being able to make unlimited pandemic viral variants in humans…. So we should begin thinking now how we’re going to prepare for a world where people can just cause pandemics at will” (WGBH.org, August 11, 2026).
History shows that, without an inherent moral compass founded on the Ten Commandments and a corresponding transformation of human nature, mankind’s tendency to hurt and destroy will always advance at the same rate science does. This condition will not change until Jesus Christ returns to “reign in righteousness” and begin the process of writing the laws of God on hearts and minds throughout the world (Isaiah 32:1; Hebrews 10:16). To learn more about the safety and peace of this coming time, watch “The Mystery of the Kingdom of God.”
End Arguments Quickly to Be Happier and Healthier: “A recent Oregon State University study found that when people feel they have resolved an argument, the emotional response associated with that disagreement is significantly reduced and, in some situations, almost entirely erased” (OregonState.edu, March 24, 2021). This halts the stress-response cycle that, left unchecked, increases risks for heart attack, weakens the immune system, and causes reproductive problems and digestive issues.
Not only can people who end arguments quickly experience less stress, but they can also avoid the detrimental effects of prolonged stress on the mind and body. In fact, study results showed that “on the day of an argument or avoided argument, people who felt their encounter was resolved reported roughly half the reactivity of those whose encounters were not resolved.” And on the day after an argument, those who felt the issue was resolved showed absolutely no elevated negative effects. Researchers observed that, in the case of an altercation or argument, “the extent to which you can tie off the stress so it’s not having this gnawing impact at you over the course of the day or a few days will help minimize the potential long-term impact.”
While this finding involved multiple highly educated researchers and data collected from over 2,000 people, the wisdom of not going to sleep angry is not new. Nearly 2,000 years ago, God inspired the Apostle Paul to advise followers of Christ, “‘Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:26–27). Today, we just have more biological information regarding why this directive is wise from the perspective of our physical health as well. If we allow our disagreements to continue from day to day, we actually give the devil an opportunity to cause further division in our relationships. The Bible truly is a book for today, and following God’s wise directives results in a healthier and happier life. To learn more, watch “Secrets to Happiness.” —Scott Winnail and Francine Prater