Last Sunday, February 24, we completed a very successful series of U.S. Festival Coordinators meetings in Pasadena. The theme was the same as that of the recent Regional Directors Conference: unity. In attendance were coordinators from all 22 U.S. Feast sites, as well as Mr. Richard Frankel and Mr. John Halford, coordinators of the Jerusalem and China sites respectively. Also attending were business managers and other assigned personnel who will be serving at the sites, as well as Mr. Dibar Apartian, Regional Director for the French-speaking areas, and Mr. George Patrickson, assistant to Canadian Regional Director Mr. Colin Adair.
The two-day conference began on Friday, February 22. Mr. Ellis La Ravia, Mr. Leroy Neff, and I addressed the group about matters pertinent to our respective areas. On the Sabbath, each congregation in Southern California had the opportunity to hear from one of the Festival Coordinators. Mr. Larry Neff, coordinator of the Sacramento site, gave the sermon in the Auditorium morning service, and Mr. Burk McNair, coordinator of the Big Sandy site, spoke to the afternoon congregation.
Meetings resumed Sunday morning with presentations by Mr. Mark McCulley of the Festival Office, Mr. Larry Omasta, Director of Media Services, and Mr. John Prohs, Manager of Technical Operations and Engineering. A questionand-answer session followed. The coordinators then enjoyed a fine luncheon of Mexican food, Southern California style, before preparing to return home. We are looking forward once again to another wonderful Feast of Tabernacles this fall.
Unity is a subject that affects not only Festival Coordinators and Regional Directors, but each of us as ministers of Jesus Christ. We are all under authority: Jesus Christ is under the authority of God the Father; Mr. Armstrong is under the authority of the Head of the Church, Jesus Christ; and the ministry is under the authority of Mr. Armstrong. Unity is maintained and preserved through submission to authority. That is how God's Church is able to follow God's instruction to "all speak the same thing." As ministers, we must always strive to maintain a spirit of cooperation and submission to the authority God has placed in His Church here at Headquarters. But it is not natural for human nature to be responsive to Headquarters. It is quite easy to allow an attitude of self-will and independence to develop. However, that kind of attitude will eventually cause one to fall away! We must remember the instruction Paul gave Timothy in II Timothy 1:6. We must stir up God's Spirit. Unity cannot be maintained without our own effort and the spiritual help of God!
What do you do when you find yourself out of step with Headquarters policy? Do you get back in step immediately? Or do you have a tendency to resist? Don't allow yourself to fall into that trap!
God holds the ministry responsible to point the congregations in their care toward Headquarters. God demands unity. A spirit of resistance is contrary to His will. It is natural, it seems, for the human mind to think, "My situation is different," "They don't understand my needs," or, "We'll just go ahead and do it our way here." That is exactly the type of reasoning Lucifer used. It is presumptuous. Of course, it is easy to begin thinking that way, but it must be diligently guarded against! Satan is interested in influencing you to cultivate a divisive spirit. He does it slowly and subtly. It starts out small. But it grows. Most of you are aware of some of those who have allowed this spirit to develop to the point that they are no longer in God's Church. It can happen to you! It creeps up on you!
Do you spend time "second guessing" Headquarters? Or is your attitude one of wholehearted desire to serve God faithfully, SUPPORTING AND BACKING the government He has placed in His Church? Do you consider it disloyal and distasteful to speak negatively about Headquarters' instructions, policies and procedures? Or is such talk a way of life with you? Think seriously about your own personal attitude. Don't think it is not reflected in your performance in your local congregation. It is! And God knows it is.
There is a right way to approach a matter with which you may feel there is a problem. Simply contact Headquarters about it. Don't spread a disagreement to others, thereby undermining their spiritual development and potentially offending one of God's begotten children. That is what the devil would like you to do.
Once you have contacted Headquarters about a matter, be willing to abide by the decision. God is training us to be a part of His coming government. He holds us ministers responsible for setting a right example for His Spirit begotten children in His congregations. You are on dangerous ground if you violate that trust by showing an uncooperative or resistant attitude through words or actions. It harms God's people when you don't respond to His government in His Church. And you can be sure God notices.
I tremble for a minister when I hear he has neglected backing up or complying with a directive from Headquarters, or has simply put off immediate compliance till he "has time" to find out if he can be an exception. What do you think God has to say about such an example? Is He pleased? Think about it! Yet, sometimes we can fall into that trap if we are not carefully seeking to have the mind of Christ through His Spirit. I'm quite sure no such attitude will ever exist in God's Family!
Let's seek God daily in prayer for the pure, faithful attitude of unity He wants us to have. Unity is a beautiful thing in God's sight. It is something that will last forever in His Kingdom. As His servants today, let us strive all the more to fulfill our individual responsibilities to maintain Godly unity in His Church now.
FROM MINISTERIAL SERVICES
Worldwide Church of God