New Church of God Association and Website - Church of God - America

There is a new Church of God organization and website called "Church of God - America, Anchored in Scripture" as reported by several blogs. Here is a link to their website:
http://www.cogamerica.org/

Post in Shining Light blog (James Malm):
http://theshininglight.info/?p=1612

Post Church of God Perspective blog (John Carmack):
http://blog.cogperspective.org/2010/12/church-of-godamerica-anchored-in.html

This group is a voluntary association of pastors and elders, not a Church of God corporation, and it does not plan to become incorporated, according to its website. It seems to be a kind of loose association, not claiming authority over individual Churches of God that are in the association. It is based on common commitments to certain principles.

I have not studied its statement of beliefs in detail, but what I have seen seems to be regular Church of God doctrine, nothing unusual. The website states that preaching the gospel is one of the objectives of the association or its member churches, and suggests the Internet as a way that the member churches can do this.

In its statement of beliefs, there is no clear statement about the doctrine of the identity of the lost tribes of Israel being the English speaking and other European nations, but there is a statement that God has blessed the children of Abraham.

Although Church of God - America is not incorporated, the Churches of God that are listed in its website may be. I think a church needs to be incorporated in order to accept tax-deductible contributions, so this will probably be done at the level of the individual Churches of God in the association. Some pastors in the association may elect to receive compensation from International Ambassador Outreach (which would be tax deductible I think), or from their local members directly without the benefit of being tax deductible if they do not incorporate, and this could be temporary.

Here are the Churches of God and organizations listed in its relationship page:
Link to relationship page:
http://www.cogamerica.org/page6/relationships.html

International Ambassador Outreach. Link:
http://www.internationalambassadoroutreach.org/

Church of God - Latin America - Leon Walker. Link (Spanish language site):
http://www.iglesiadediosunida.org/

Church of God - South Texas - Jack Hendren. Link:
http://www.cogst.org/

Church of God - Louisiana - Larry Salyer. Link:
http://www.cogamerica.org/page11/page11.html

Church of God - Canada - Graemme Marshall. Link:
http://www.cogamerica.org/page8/page8.html


Other UCG news:

UCG has complained about unauthorized use of its logo in documents published by those not in agreement with headquarters policies in their Inside United Realtime blog, and this has been commented about in several other blogs. Link to UCG post:
http://realtimeunited.wordpress.com/2010/12/16/illegal-use-of-united-church-of-god-name-and-logo/

Church of God Perspective post (John Carmack):
http://blog.cogperspective.org/2010/12/alleged-illegal-use-of-ucg-logo.html

COGwriter post (Bob Thiel):
http://www.cogwriter.com/news/cog-news/ucg-illegal-use-of-logo-etc/


Shining Light blog has reported that Roy Demarest has been suspended. Link:
http://theshininglight.info/?p=1612


There is a Facebook page that allows UCG members to sign in their support of the open letter to Mr. Dennis Luker.
Link to post in Church of God Perspective blog:
http://blog.cogperspective.org/2010/12/i-support-letter-on-ucg-facebook.html

Post in COGwriter:
http://www.cogwriter.com/news/cog-news/ucg-crisis-appears-to-be-growing/


Other COG news:

Bob Thiel reported that a weekly news radio show called "Head's Up" featured an interview with Mr. Roderick Meredith of Living Church of God. Link to COGwriter post:
http://www.cogwriter.com/news/cog-news/dr-meredith-on-heads-up-radio/


More to come...


Here are links to related sections in Preaching the Gospel:

A Brief History of the Scattering of the Church, Chapter 5

Government in the Church, Chapter 5

Following the Bible -- Pattern of Government, Chapter 6

Church Government, Chapter 7

How Is the Church Organized?, Chapter 7