Several people have contacted us today relaying that they have received a letter from Grace Communion International (WCG) that the employee pension plan will be dissolved as of March 1, 2016.
We have also been told that the chance of the GCI totally dissolving as church is eminent. GCI has been hemorrhaging members steadily for many years. People are also not tithing or giving as the church had once expected. Because of this there is less of a need for a "corporate" HQ overseeing the remaining churches.
One of the plans being considered is to let each church operate independently, keeping all the money in their own church area. They could call themselves what ever they want and not be tied to the GCI denomination.
The West Valley GCI has always been the conservative church of the GCI, meeting on Saturday, keeping the holy days, and tithing. Because they keep their money locally, they have $400,000.00 sitting in the bank. GCI HQ has traditionally expected all church areas to send in 10% of their money, but now are asking West Valley to send in even more. They are balking at that. Their previous pastor retired and the churches now pastored by Ron Kelly for at least six more months.
Apparently Joe Tkach Jr. wants to step down, something he has been saying for the last 10 years. With no one that can effectively step in and keep things as they are and not revert back to the old teachings, the next best thing is to dissolve the church.
This seems to be the trend in all the COG's right now. With the soon coming implosion of LCG, UCG, PCG and COGWA, are we finally witnessing the total collapse of Armstrongism? Attendance numbers are shrinking. None of the COG's can truly stand the other. None of them want to give up control or power in order to merge.
For decades the church pictured itself being persecuted by the world and having restrictions placed upon it resulting in the "famine of the word." Nothing like that has happened. Instead we are watching them eat themselves alive and dissolve around us. Hundreds and hundreds of little groups are out there doing nothing. From whacky people like Stephen Gilbreath to the total nut jobs in charge at RCG and PCG, the Church of God is one complete mess. There is no need for some beast power or the King of the South or North to rise up and persecute the church. There is no need for the Pope to do anything. The Church of God is destroying itself.