Take Our Poll

(1) Pastors and members, when you joined COGIC, were you told ownership of your church would transfer to the National Church?

(2)  Do you believe the COGIC constitution is based on the Word of God?

I will address the first poll here, the second in a later blog

There have been 224 responses to question one.  123 or 55% were not told their church would transfer to the National.  53 respondents or 24% were not told but believe their property is protected.  Only 48 respondents or 21% were told their property would belong to the National Church.  I am curious how many of those who said yes were appointees or what.   COGIC General Council Enoch Perry III testified in court it is held for (belongs to) the national church.  He also believes each church is held in trust for every member of COGIC ( the entire National church) .

He has advised the General Board and I would think all of the Bishops.  Before you say Eld. Stidham he wouldn’t say that I invite you to look at these excerpts of the court transcript from the 2005 case 05CV621.

The Q preceding the statement is a question asked by an attorney. The A is the answer of Enoch Perry III

As you can see, he states all property that acquired shall be directly deeded to the church on line 10 he says they were talking about the National Church.

On pages 55 and 56 (further down this page) he answers and states just because it was not put on the deed does not make the trust clause void.   In other words just because you don’t have COGIC you are not off the hook.      It is amazing to have 79% of your members not be aware of a policy that lets you literally snatch property if the Bishop decides to do so.   If you are going to do that, be honorable and tell everyone Your property belongs to the National Church.  This does not come from the General Assembly or the Pastors and Elders Council, this is the thinking of some of the Bishops.   The General Council has reinforced this thinking by his statements.

The only way to stop what in some Jurisdictions is a land grab that awards the Prelate with the fruits of your labor, is for the General Assembly to adopt an amendment which explicitly states, “Trustees hold the property for exclusive use of the local membership”.

If you would like to discuss this contact me at isaiah58.1@prodigy.net

“And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD,  and said,From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”

This conversation was repeated in Job 2:2 after Satan through the Sabeans killed Job’s servants, took away his oxen and asses.   He burned Job’s sheep with fire from “heaven”,  the Chaldeans killed more servants and carried away his camels  Then he sent a  great wind that killed Job’s children.  When we allow Holy Spirit to remind us, GOD has through His Word spoken to us and said;

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6:12, AV)

Jesus told us;

“The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10, AV)

If we filter our thoughts through the WORD OF GOD, esteem His words above our words, His thoughts above our thoughts, then we realize, Jesus told us how to discern an attack.  If anything is stolen, any attempt to kill, any attempt to destroy it is from Satan.  Even when the person in front of us appears to cause us pain we must again remember the Word of GOD;

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, …”

But when we fail, we have an advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Most High God, and just as Peter did, when he took his eyes off Jesus,and began to notice the wind and the waves,  as he began to sink he cried out “Lord save me.”   We too can cry out Lord save me and be blessed to feel the hand of the Lord catch us, and hear him ask us“… O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?… .” (Matthew 14:31–32, AV)

Be Blessed my sisters and brothers

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” (Matthew 7:15, AV)

But sometimes, a small number of wolves disguise themselves because they know the sheep are easy prey.  When the shepherds are hirelings and are more interested in how much money they can get, the sheep are left unprotected.   They are wounded, there is no one to bind their wounds, no one to pour oil into their wound to help them heal.  These are those who are more interested in their position than doing what is right.   They have forgotten GOD gave them instructions to…  “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.” (1 Peter 5:2–3, AV)

I have stated before, there are those in COGIC who are working very hard to correct the abuses that are happening,  we praise GOD for them and pray for them.

To the wolf/hirelings, those who feed on the sheep, who bite them, spiritually wounding them, scattering them.  GOD says “Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD.” (Jeremiah 23:1, AV).  Bishops are not exempt from these instructions.  Who protects the flock when the leaders cause the flock to scatter?

How can you tell a wolf/hireling from a true shepherd?   The wolf/hireling consumes the sheep.  The shepherd lives from the sheep (what they produce).  Jesus says… “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.” (John 10:11–13, AV)

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7, AV)

Neither the sheep, nor their pasture belong to the wolf/hireling, they are GOD’S heritage, GOD’S pasture.

As an update to the case I am involved with,  It is now on appeal with the State of Kansas.  Some have said it is over. NOT TRUE

“Wherefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation: and David said, Blessed be thou, LORD God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.” (1 Chronicles 29:10–13, AV)

“I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.” (Psalm 34:1, AV)

When I last communicated with  Min. Morris in Nov. 2010, I asked if things had gotten better, his response was , “No,it has not,  if anything it has gotten worse”.  He said all the prayers had gone unanswered and he was no longer convinced God existed.

What a travesty that this type of thing could have happened, how could this brother have been discarded ?   Where is the concern from those in authority for the sheep?  In Micah 6:8 the Word of God says He hath shewd thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?  In Psalms 89: 14, the Word of The Most High God says; Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.   1 Samuel 8:3 tells us Samuel’s sons also perverted judgment (justice), And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.

The question found in Psalms 82:2 cries out, How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked

Not all of the men in COGIC operate like this, I know for a fact, there are men of God in the Church of God in Christ who are working hard to correct injustice.  I thank God for them and pray that God will encourage them to be strong in the power of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

This is an excerpt taken from a pamphlet  Liability_Risk, found on the Church Mutual website.

Take Our Poll

Take Our Poll

]]> http://cogicjustice.wordpress.com/2011/07/01/cry-loud-spare-not-2/feed/ 0 R.E. Stidham http://cogicjustice.wordpress.com/2011/03/26/speak-body-of-christ/ http://cogicjustice.wordpress.com/2011/03/26/speak-body-of-christ/#comments Sat, 26 Mar 2011 21:41:16 +0000 R.E. Stidham http://cogicjustice.wordpress.com/?p=596 ]]> By Brenda Stidham

To all followers of Jesus Christ, this writing crosses denominational, age, economic, gender, and racial lines. Millions within the Body of Christ are active members of organized churches that are judicially and ecclesiastically classified as hierarchical. The origin of the hierarchical church classification can be traced back to the U. S. Supreme Court, the case of Watson v. Jones, 80 U. S. (13 Wall.) 679 (1871). A popularly held judicial view is that in a hierarchical form of government local churches purchase land, construct buildings, and maintain property for the national church, not the local church. This view disregards the fact/reality that the local church invests the funds, without any assistance from the national church. Local church property under this system of church polity (government) is usually held in the name of the local church; yet the courts have allowed the national church to impose, often unilaterally, a trust in favor of the national church. This trust whether express or implied is often imposed without the local congregations knowledge or consent. A judge once commented, in these church cases the parent (national) church really has the local church over a barrel.

Fellow members of the Body of Christ, Jesus tells us in John 10:1 & John 10:7:

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.”

“. . . . Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.”

The hierarchical polity system, did not enter into the sheepfold (the Body of Christ), through Jesus (The Door); it came into the sheepfold through the civil courts (judicial system). Jesus says that he (it, that or things) that enter into the sheepfold another way other than by Him, the same is a thief and a robber (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, Greek Dictionary # 846, he). The hierarchical polity system is a thief and a robber. Jesus has given us authority. Matthew 28:18-19, James 4:7, II Corinthians 10:3-5. It is time for each of us individually and corporately to boldly speak to the hierarchical polity system in the name of Jesus. We must open our mouths say, speak:

Command the hierarchical polity system throughout the Body of Christ to come down in Jesus name. Plead  the Blood of Jesus against the hierarchical polity system and continue to hold the Blood of Jesus up against the hierarchical polity system. Mark 11:22-25, Revelation 12:11.

Brothers and sisters remember the Berlin Wall. We went to bed one night the wall was standing, we awoke the next morning the wall was down. The wall stood for years, the wall was fortified with military men armed with rifles/guns, guard dogs; yet as believers around the world spoke to that wall in the name of Jesus, that wall came down. Some laughed at former President Reagan, when he said, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that wall.” We have a biblical demonstration of the people of God opening their mouths and shouting and the walls of Jericho came tumbling down. Read the 6th chapter of the book of Joshua and be encouraged, for our God changes not and Jesus, our Champion is the same, yesterday, today and forever. Malachi 3:6 & Hebrews 13:8

We have heard much about the COGIC constitution.  Some believe it to be a “Holy” document.  I thought I would let you judge for yourselves.   Here is part one and part two of the “Green and White Book”.   Notice it says of part one “Certified Amendments”.   These are the amendments that were certified in 1972 by then Presiding Bishop J.O. Patterson, the first and second assistant Presiding Bishops J.S. Bailey and S.M. Crouch, as well as the Secretary, D.A. Burton.  Notice the new amendments, 1982 have not been certified or registered with the Tennessee Secretary of State as by Tennessee State law,  all amendments to a Corporate Charter must be done. Here is , from the Official Manual, the Signature page where they complied with state law.  This page would go on page 36 of the Green and White Book I, the Certified Amendments.   However, the Leadership (my use of the word Leadership does not reference any individuals but the totality of those in charge), also uses amendments that have not been certified, according to the State of Tennessee Law, also  Green and White Book II.  Look carefully and decide.  Here is a link to the  COGIC OFFICIAL MANUAL, as you can see, once you get past Part I, page 1, paragraph 3; there is no mention of the Bible.  If you base it on the Bible it must line up with the WORD OF GOD.  The claim of it being based on the Bible is not supported by its content.

II Chronicles 7:14  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Even so come Lord Jesus.