Merging the COG's

[Rascal]

Perhaps we are quickly approaching what many have speculated for years. The reuniting of the COG's. Has the time come for COGOP to join force with COG and go forward in greater numbers? I believe that COGOP has already been sharing some ministries with COG. It would take some doing, and some people would lose their jobs. But maybe the time is near for the one church prophecy to come true. At least for these two churches............

[ImaPK]

Perhaps we are quickly approaching what many have speculated for years. The reuniting of the COG's. Has the time come for COGOP to join force with COG and go forward in greater numbers? I believe that COGOP has already been sharing some ministries with COG. It would take some doing, and some people would lose their jobs. But maybe the time is near for the one church prophecy to come true. At least for these two churches............

Rascal, this "dead horse" has been beaten on so many times on J2 it's pathetic. This is and has been a "pipe dream" for many a year. Possible? Yes. Probable? Nope. The many reasons, I'm sure, will follow.

[paul]

Perhaps we are quickly approaching what many have speculated for years. The reuniting of the COG's. Has the time come for COGOP to join force with COG and go forward in greater numbers? I believe that COGOP has already been sharing some ministries with COG. It would take some doing, and some people would lose their jobs. But maybe the time is near for the one church prophecy to come true. At least for these two churches............

Personally I don't think cogop should merge. I do think that it must continue to seek a real identy as an organization. There is no question that the "exclusive message" was its identy for so long and during that time it seeed to reach its apex. When that changed, there is no doubt that it left a void. Turning to the Harvest helped fill that to some extent and began to give direction. But many had left, and several splits takes it's toll. Unfortunatly it seemed that the organization looked beyond but failed to look around them.

Agin I personally do not think that reopening TC is the aswer, just my view, but I do think that even the suggestion of such is a step in the right direction in that it show that the organization is not only looking beyond, but also around them and sees the need to develope the next generation. To me, this is positive.

I believe that each organization has the potential to reach people and places that other organization do not and in some cases can not. Now is not the time for cogop to blend and merge. But to rise up and become a more viable force in the realm of Christianity both at home and abroad.

Just an outsiders point of view.

[justsam]

There would be no "merging" with the COG; the COG would simply absorb, or take over the COGOP.

Sam Smith

[one love]

it will never happen!!!! Unless some things drastically change in the next few years. Sam is correct COG would just absorb it all and the COGOP would just be a memory and COG would have more members then it has now. So if COGOP all just joins COG that is as close as it will get.

[PastorP]

Perhaps we are quickly approaching what many have speculated for years. The reuniting of the COG's. Has the time come for COGOP to join force with COG and go forward in greater numbers? I believe that COGOP has already been sharing some ministries with COG. It would take some doing, and some people would lose their jobs. But maybe the time is near for the one church prophecy to come true. At least for these two churches............

I will make a post on this thread for one reason. Don't you think that it is time for those that are not a part of the COGOP to quit making remarks about something that is really not any of their business. On this post alone, it appears that most of those that have posted are not at this present time a member or minister in the COGOP. Some of these are the same ones that criticized the COGOP concerning a "lost generation." Forgive me now if I offend, but don't try to correct what you felt necessary to leave. As a member for over 50 years of the COGOP, I can see the flaws in this body, but I am not willing to leave it and then criticize it. If you are so wise in your leadership ability to guide to a better organization, why not come back and use your great abilities for the betterment of the COGOP.

Again, forgive if I offend any of you, but let it be known here and now that your radical talk is very offensive to me, because of your unwillingness to stay with what you "think" is the problems and help see the COGOP through the past few years.

[ImaPK]

PastorP said

Some of these are the same ones that criticized the COGOP concerning a "lost generation." Forgive me now if I offend, but don't try to correct what you felt necessary to leave.

I was one of those who criticized but I was NEVER in it to leave it. I just grew up in it. NEVER A MEMBER. And for what's it's worth, I can't ever see COG and COGOP merging. As Sam said, it would just be an "absorbtion" by COG if it ever happened. Not offended, BTW.

[Rascal]

Just to clairfy, I am still a member of COGOP. I have been attending another church for a few years now. There was no need for me to stay in hopes of improving our local situation. It is governed from the top down and that is never going to change. So, I did.

[paul]

PastorP

I will make a post on this thread for one reason. Don't you think that it is time for those that are not a part of the COGOP to quit making remarks about something that is really not any of their business. On this post alone, it appears that most of those that have posted are not at this present time a member or minister in the COGOP. Some of these are the same ones that criticized the COGOP concerning a "lost generation." Forgive me now if I offend, but don't try to correct what you felt necessary to leave. As a member for over 50 years of the COGOP, I can see the flaws in this body, but I am not willing to leave it and then criticize it. If you are so wise in your leadership ability to guide to a better organization, why not come back and use your great abilities for the betterment of the COGOP.

To answer your question: Absolutely not. Part of the problems in the past was that the organization would not rceive any input for outside itself. Don't go there again.

Also if the organization no longer believes in its exclusiveness then it must accept the concept that we are all apart of the same body of Christ and all have gifts dirrering but for the same purpose of builfing and serving one another, therefor it is my business.

For many they did not feel it necessary to leave, but rather was told to leave.

Also in an open forum when a statement or question is posted it is by nature open for any and all to comment. Unless this forum becomes exclussive...which it is not.

You have not offended me, but your statement is reminessent of those of long ago.

[TW]

Also in an open forum when a statement or question is posted it is by nature open for any and all to comment. Unless this forum becomes exclussive...which it is not.

Even though I have a hard time agreeing with anybody named Paul.
Paul is absolutely correct, this is an open forum, thus any topic is open for discussion by all members.


TW

And Paul earns:

[EagerBeaver]

I don't remark here much anymore but I thought I would add my two cents in now as someone who sees this whole situation from an outsider's point of view.

I think a COG-COGOP merge would be beneficial. I honestly do. I can see where COG would be able to offer more ministry training and versatility in their local churches than COGOP can offer, and not just simply because of size and money, but rather in the way the organizations themselves were run.

I'm not in leadership or ever really was in a major leadership position in a COGOP church, but I still wondered often if the way the COGOP was organized initially wasn't conducive to large-scale growth, and trying to in essence renovate certain sections of an old building piece by piece while leaving some sections unrepaired isn't really doing a good thing either, even though the intent is pure and people are trying their hardest in many instances to really make the COGOP better.

I support the COGOP and will always consider it my home church but I would not be opposed to a merger, at least in the Washington region I think many here would consider it beneficial. I'm all about unity, pooling resources and creating better opportunities for everyone in our churches that many COGOP congregations don't currently offer.

[PastorP]

To answer your question: Absolutely not. Part of the problems in the past was that the organization would not rceive any input for outside itself. Don't go there again.

Also if the organization no longer believes in its exclusiveness then it must accept the concept that we are all apart of the same body of Christ and all have gifts dirrering but for the same purpose of builfing and serving one another, therefor it is my business.

For many they did not feel it necessary to leave, but rather was told to leave.

Also in an open forum when a statement or question is posted it is by nature open for any and all to comment. Unless this forum becomes exclussive...which it is not.

You have not offended me, but your statement is reminessent of those of long ago.

How far off can someone be! I am far from wrong when I state that if someone has left the COGOP or any other denomination for that matter, they need to leave it alone. If as you have said they were asked to leave, why not appeal that action to the one that is in leadership above the one that made such a ridiculous request. If you knew me you would know that I am far from being reminessent of the past. I am from a past generation, but far from agreement with many of the past "rulings" that have cause so many problems.

I respect anyone's "right" to post on a public forum. I hope that our right to do so is never lost, but if you leave, don't try to direct what you left for whatever reason you left. To do so reminds me of the times that I have been appointed and/or selected to pastor a church and when I have accepted the pastorate, the former pastor would try to step in and continue to pastor the church behind the scene. It will result in the problems being increased.

[Poimen]

Though absorption is the more natural end, a true merger could be worked out if intentionally pursued & I think perhaps it ought to be.

And not just with the COG either, but among generally all (well most, as there are few groups that would as yet have significant doctrinal differences for resisting merger) Pentecostal groups (i.e. COG, COGOP, AG, 4SQ, COGIC, PCOG, IHPC, etc.)

[Pastor Gary]

Though absorption is the more natural end, a true merger could be worked out if intentionally pursued & I think perhaps it ought to be.

And not just with the COG either, but among generally all (well most, as there are few groups that would as yet have significant doctrinal differences for resiting merger) Pentecostal groups (i.e. COG, COGOP, AG, 4SQ, COGIC, PCOG, IHPC, etc.)

That assumes, of course, a doctrinal unity over a functional unity. What would happen if all the pentecostal churches set aside doctrinal distinctives for a minute and organized some sort of functional co-laborer structure? Cooperative mission initiatives, social justice initiatives, outreach to the needy, education...?

[Poimen]

That's well and good, and cooperative efforts should be natural among believers. However, if they can & should do that I don't see why they can't have a more literal union (and consequently a doctrinal unity). In fact, the reason I suggest as much is that there isn't a dime's worth of difference doctrinally between any of the larger groups anymore anyhow. So both functional and doctrinal unity ought to naturally be pursued, and union it's result.

However, in the mean time, functional unity ought to be more and more practiced, thus affording the bonds of brotherhood and cooperation to engender the desire for formal union.