United Church of God
Encyclopedia
The United Church of God, an International Association (UCGIA) is a Christian denomination based in the United States with members in various countries around the world. The church was formally founded in 1995.

The UCGIA calls itself "The United Church of God, an International Association", with the last three words italicized in order to differentiate the UCGIA from local congregations and denominations which also bear the name of the United Church of God. The United Church of God has no association with any other organization or denomination. The UCGIA states the following as a commission:
"We trace our origins to the Church that Jesus founded in the early first century. We follow the same teachings, doctrines and practices established then. Our commission is to proclaim the gospel of the coming Kingdom of God to all the world as a witness and teach all nations to observe what Christ commanded (Matthew 24:14; 28:19, 20)."

Background

UCG is an offshoot of the Worldwide Church of God
Worldwide Church of God
Grace Communion International , formerly the Worldwide Church of God , is an evangelical Christian denomination based in Glendora, California, United States. Since April 3, 2009, it has used the new name Grace Communion International in the US...

, which was originally incorporated in the 1940's as the Radio Church of God by its founder, Herbert W. Armstrong
Herbert W. Armstrong
Herbert W. Armstrong founded the Worldwide Church of God in the late 1930s, as well as Ambassador College in 1946, and was an early pioneer of radio and tele-evangelism, originally taking to the airwaves in the 1930s from Eugene, Oregon...

. After Armstrong's death in 1986, the subsequent WCG leadership introduced a series of major doctrinal changes, starting in 1994, which substantially altered the fundamental beliefs and goals of the original Worldwide Church of God. A large segment of the membership wished to retain fundamental or first-century Christian teachings (known by non-adherents as Armstrongism
Armstrongism
Armstrongism refers to the teachings and doctrines of Herbert W. Armstrong while leader of the Worldwide Church of God , and is professed by him and his followers to be the restored true Gospel of the Bible. Armstrong said they were revealed to him by God during his study of the Bible....

) and consequently left WCG to start their own organizations. The United Church of God was established in May 1995 and is the largest of these offshoot organizations. The United Church of God does not identify itself as "Armstrongist" or as followers of the teachings of Herbert W Armstrong. Proof of doctrine is not traced to Armstrong, but to the Holy Bible itself.

Government

The UCGIA is governed by a 12-man board called the "Council of Elders" that is elected by the church's paid and lay ministries, which form the "General Conference of Elders". The General Conference meets once a year in May to perform tasks that include approving a budget, operational planning, strategic planning, electing members of the church council, and participation in seminars. The council acts as the governing body for the international association and is responsible for forming policy and doctrine for the Church. The council meets four times a year.

The international headquarters of the UCGIA is referred to as the "Home Office" and is located in Milford, Ohio
Milford, Ohio
Milford is a city in Clermont and Hamilton counties in the U.S. state of Ohio, along the Little Miami River in the southwestern part of the state. It is a part of Greater Cincinnati. Milford, an abbreviated form of mill ford, was so named because it was the first safe ford across the Little Miami...

 (a suburb of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...

). This office is headed by the UCGIA President, who is the church's official spokesperson and is charged with administrative responsibility over day-to-day functions, such as managing the church's paid ministry and producing literature or other publications. The president is appointed by the Council of Elders (COE) and can be removed from his appointment by the COE. The COE must remain in the confidence of the General Conference of Elders, and COE members serve on a rotating system of election wherein three of twelve men are up for re-election or replacement in any given year.

Ambassador Bible Center

The Home Office also houses the Ambassador Bible Center (ABC), a nine-month program of classes in the church's Biblical theology. The ABC program is intended to give instruction in the church's teachings, and is most often taken by young adults. It is modeled from the now-closed Ambassador College
Ambassador College
Ambassador College was a four-year, liberal arts college run by the Worldwide Church of God. The college was established in 1947 in Pasadena, California by radio evangelist Herbert W. Armstrong, leader of what was then the Radio Church of God, later renamed the Worldwide Church of God...

.

Mission and Media

UCGIA states that: "The mission of the Church of God is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God in all the world, make disciples in all nations and care for those disciples." Emphasis is consequently placed on the proclamation of "The Kingdom of God" to the general public, which is accomplished through various media, ranging from Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...

 and Youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....

 to more traditional forms such as radio, print and television.

UCGIA publishes and produces the following:
  • The Good News magazine is the flagship publication of the United Church of God. It is a free magazine and is published bi-monthly. The magazine contains articles that discuss Bible prophecy
    Bible prophecy
    Bible prophecy or biblical prophecy is the prediction of future events based on the action, function, or faculty of a prophet. Such passages are widely distributed throughout the Bible, but those most often cited are from Ezekiel, Daniel, Matthew 24, Matthew 25, and Revelation.Believers in biblical...

    , world news
    News
    News is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...

     and trends, social issues, church doctrine and Christian
    Christian
    A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

     living.
  • The Beyond Today Television Program. The Beyond Today program airs on WGN America and is shown on over 100 Public-access television
    Public-access television
    Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...

     cable TV stations and is accompanied by a multimedia website and a presence on Youtube
    YouTube
    YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....

    .
  • The World News and Prophecy newsletter is published bi-monthly and contains articles focused on world events as they relate to Bible prophecy. It predicts the rise of a European Union
    European Union
    The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

    , the decline of U.S.
    United States
    The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

     and British
    United Kingdom
    The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

     power, and the moral decay of Western culture
    Western world
    The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...

    . Within this context, the newsletter presents issues and editorial
    Editorial
    An opinion piece is an article, published in a newspaper or magazine, that mainly reflects the author's opinion about the subject. Opinion pieces are featured in many periodicals.-Editorials:...

     opinion from the point of view of Armstrong's teachings on British Israelism
    British Israelism
    British Israelism is the belief that people of Western European descent, particularly those in Great Britain, are the direct lineal descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. The concept often includes the belief that the British Royal Family is directly descended from the line of King David...

     and biblical prophecy.

  • Vertical Thought is a quarterly publication published for youth
    Youth
    Youth is the time of life between childhood and adulthood . Definitions of the specific age range that constitutes youth vary. An individual's actual maturity may not correspond to their chronological age, as immature individuals could exist at all ages.-Usage:Around the world, the terms "youth",...

    . The publication contains articles from both church ministers and youth, and aims to strengthen the Christian faith of its youthful readership.
  • The United News is a newsletter which focuses on news and events within the United Church of God. The newsletter contains articles on UCG mission
    Mission (Christian)
    Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...

    s, church activities, reports on church governance, doctrinal and Christian living articles, and birth and death announcements of church members.

In addition to the above publications, the UCG has produced 33 booklets on various Biblical topics, a 12-lesson Bible study course, a monthly systematic Bible reading program with commentary, various article reprints, a national radio program, local public-access television programs, and a website. A series of presentations called the 'Kingdom of God Bible seminars' was scheduled to begin in September 2011.

Doctrine

The UCG follows and believes in most of the basic doctrinal principles shared by other Christian churches. However, some of its teachings differ from today's mainstream consensus in a number of key areas, including disagreements with Catholic and Protestant tenets.

Doctrinal distinctives include:
  • Belief in a non-Trinitarian view of God. Specifically, the belief that the Holy Spirit is the spirit/power of God and of Christ Jesus rather than a separate person in the Godhead. God 'the Father' and Jesus Christ are viewed as distinct 'God beings' in the 'God family'.http://www.ucg.org/booklets/WG/isgodatrinity.htm http://www.ucg.org/booklets/WG/holyspirit.htmhttp://www.ucg.org/about/fundamentalbeliefs.htm http://www.gnmagazine.org/booklets/WG/
  • Belief that Christians are begotten as children in the Family of God and will at their resurrection become "spirit-born divine beings who are part of Elohim
    Elohim
    Elohim is a grammatically singular or plural noun for "god" or "gods" in both modern and ancient Hebrew language. When used with singular verbs and adjectives elohim is usually singular, "god" or especially, the God. When used with plural verbs and adjectives elohim is usually plural, "gods" or...

    , the universe-ruling family of God." http://www.ucg.org/booklets/WG/divinenature.htm
  • Belief that the core of Jesus Christ's message was the coming of a literal earthly Kingdom http://www.gnmagazine.org/booklets/GK/http://www.gnmagazine.org/booklets/JC/ and that people who are 'saved' will not go to heaven, but will live and rule eternally with Jesus Christ on earth after his second coming, and will subsequently share rulership over the entire universe as part of the 'God Family'. http://www.gnmagazine.org/booklets/HL/
  • Belief that the final destination of the unrepentant wicked is not everlasting torture, but annihilation or permanent destruction. http://www.gnmagazine.org/booklets/HL/foreverinhell.htm
  • Belief in British Israelism
    British Israelism
    British Israelism is the belief that people of Western European descent, particularly those in Great Britain, are the direct lineal descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. The concept often includes the belief that the British Royal Family is directly descended from the line of King David...

    , which is the teaching that people of Western European descent, primarily the original British colonies and the United States, are direct physical descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes
    Ten Lost Tribes
    The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel refers to those tribes of ancient Israel that formed the Kingdom of Israel and which disappeared from Biblical and all other historical accounts after the kingdom was destroyed in about 720 BC by ancient Assyria...

     of the northern kingdom of ancient Israel http://www.ucg.org/booklets/US/ -- whereas the historical Jews (and modern-day Israel) are descendants of the ancient southern kingdom of Judah. It should be noted that this teaching is inherently NOT anti-semitic, unlike some concepts from British Israelism [citation needed].
  • Belief that the basic Old Testament
    Old Testament
    The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...

     law is not "done away with" and is carried over into the "New Covenant" such that certain commandments apply to Christians today, primarily the Ten Commandments. This belief excludes ancient civil and temple laws, but http://www.gnmagazine.org/booklets/NC/ includes observance of the seventh-day Sabbath and the holy days of the so-called 'Jewish calendar' of the Old Testament,http://www.gnmagazine.org/booklets/SS/ dietary restrictions,http://www.ucg.org/booklets/CU/, and the condemnation of homosexuality.
  • Belief that today's mainstream Christian teachings resulted from doctrinal corruption under the influence of Greco-Roman philosophy which occurred early in the history of the church, so that the major Christian churches now teach various pagan ideas and practices under the guise of Christianity. Members believe that the doctrines and practices of the United Church of God can be traced to the original teachings of Jesus Christ and the early 'Church of God' as described in the New Testament.http://www.gnmagazine.org/issues/gn13/changechurch_forgottenroots.htmhttp://www.gnmagazine.org/booklets/UC/http://www.gnmagazine.org/booklets/CJ/ http://www.gnmagazine.org/booklets/FB/thechurch.htm
  • Belief that people who do not know or understand the truth of the Bible during their lifetimes will be given time to learn these teachings after the 'second resurrection' to a new physical life. After living again in the Millenial world under God's Kingdom, those who continue to reject God's Holy Spirit and way of life will be annihilated after the "Third Resurrection" along with unrepentant former believers who had turned away from God. They are destroyed in the third resurrection (the "resurrection of fire") in the Lake of Fire, along with Satan and his demons. http://www.gnmagazine.org/booklets/AD/viewofhell.asp
  • Belief that the ancient pagan origins of traditional Christian celebrations (especially Christmas and Easter) render them inappropriate for true Christians.http://www.ucg.org/booklets/HH/mattertogod.htm

History

The United Church of God was founded at a conference organized in Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

 in the spring of 1995 and attended by WCG and former WCG ministers concerned by the doctrinal changes introduced by the WCG. The first president of the United Church of God was David Hulme, who left the United Church of God after he was voted out of the office of president for refusing to move Church's home office to Ohio in 1998. He subsequently formed a new group called "Church of God, an International Community". Following Hulme, elders selected to serve as president have been Les McCullough in 1998, Roy Holladay in 2002, Clyde Kilough in 2005 and Dennis Luker in 2010.

A decision to move the Church's home office to Texas was rescinded in 2008, causing considerable tension within and between the Council of Elders and the General Conference of Elders.

In 2009, two members of the Council of Elders resigned -- then-president Clyde Kilough, whose resignation was effective July 28th, 2009; and Richard Thompson, effective July 27th, 2009. A letter sent out by the Council of Elders said that the resignations were for "personal reasons".

In 2010, earlier tensions rooted in the rescinded Texas move and governance disputes continued to mount and led to the Council of Elders requesting (and accepting) the resignation of Clyde Kilough as President of UCG. Resignations were also accepted for Jim Franks (Ministerial Services) and Larry Salyer (Media Operations). The call for Kilough's resignation was prompted by a resolution that Kilough had jointly crafted with other administrative staff, which had proposed that UCG's governance structure be reviewed. The resolution was submitted directly to the General Conference of Elders, therefore bypassing review by the Council of Elders, prompting the Council of Elders to remove Kilough and to reinstate Roy Holladay as acting President until the new President was appointed.

Dennis Luker was appointed president on June 24, 2010. But tensions with a group of ministers continued to build, ending with dozens of pastors and local elders resigning from UCG in December 2010. In early 2011, those ministers met in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...

 to form a new group, the Church of God, a Worldwide Association with Kilough as president. The resignations were the result of increasing conflict between UCG's Council of Elders and personnel that had formerly been in administrative or council roles.

See also

  • Herbert W. Armstrong
    Herbert W. Armstrong
    Herbert W. Armstrong founded the Worldwide Church of God in the late 1930s, as well as Ambassador College in 1946, and was an early pioneer of radio and tele-evangelism, originally taking to the airwaves in the 1930s from Eugene, Oregon...

  • Armstrongism
    Armstrongism
    Armstrongism refers to the teachings and doctrines of Herbert W. Armstrong while leader of the Worldwide Church of God , and is professed by him and his followers to be the restored true Gospel of the Bible. Armstrong said they were revealed to him by God during his study of the Bible....

  • British Israelism
    British Israelism
    British Israelism is the belief that people of Western European descent, particularly those in Great Britain, are the direct lineal descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. The concept often includes the belief that the British Royal Family is directly descended from the line of King David...

  • Worldwide Church of God
    Worldwide Church of God
    Grace Communion International , formerly the Worldwide Church of God , is an evangelical Christian denomination based in Glendora, California, United States. Since April 3, 2009, it has used the new name Grace Communion International in the US...


External links

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