United Church of God, an International Association
Council of Elders Meeting Report

Friday, February 25, 2000 ö Cincinnati, Ohio

Fridayâs session dealt with committee reports to the Council. Media and Communications Committee chairman Victor Kubik and Media Operations manager Peter Eddington moderated a presentation on media and communications, Don Ward covered material on a mission statement and job description for the education committee, and Leon Walker gave an update from the Doctrine Committee.

Media and Communications

Mr. Kubik initiated an extensive deliberation on a comprehensive media strategy for the Church. This approach is intended to create a synergy in all aspects of the Churchâs proclamation efforts by coordinating the subject matter and major themes of those efforts. By focusing on the return of Jesus Christ in a message that warns and calls for repentance, the Church hopes to be used as Godâs instrument in making disciples in as many nations as possible, and nurture those God calls. "We want to give special thought and attention to, and encourage participation by young married· generation-x demographics" Mr. Eddington stressed.

Strategies will focus on complementing and expanding printed media efforts by developing electronic media efforts (currently this primarily involves use of the internet). This is one key area in which local participation can be effective ö one area has recently experimented with offering sermon tapes from the local services to Good News readers in the area, inviting them to contact the pastor if they so desire.

In the area of print media, work lies ahead in many areas:

Develop Good News content outlines by March 13 for July/August 2000 through July/August 2001 issues

Develop booklet and reprint article outlines by April 3 for July/August 2000 through July/August 2001 publications

Improve paper, printing, and layout quality of World News in Prophecy

Return the United News to ten issues per year

Develop an assessment process for all print media efforts

Assess the content of all publications in light of the overall mission of the Church and the strategies for fulfilling it.

Radio proclamation efforts will be stepped up. Council member Donald Ward, in one example of the implementation of local initiatives, is continuing to broadcast on radio in east Texas and Louisiana. Church president Les McCullough outlined plans for a centrally produced weekly broadcast radio program. "The Council has reviewed several audition tapes" of potential presenters, Mr. McCullough stated. Following discussion of these tapes, the Council agreed with Mr. McCulloughâs suggestion of one individual to prepare a series of thirteen weekly radio broadcasts, to be ready by August, 2000. The Church would spot-buy radio time and test this avenue for public proclamation of the gospel, new to the United Church of God, but not to many of its members. Mr. McCullough intends to announce the identity of the radio presenter in his first weekly letter of March, 2000.

Mr. Eddington next addressed video and television production. Two cable access programs, one produced by a group in the Pacific Northwest, and the other in Wisconsin, have been in use in various areas for some time. One chief advantage of these programs has been the availability of free or low-cost cable access TV time. Some areas of the country have small networks of stations willing to air these programs in a limited-time contract, but cost is a major factor in transitioning from cable access. Any such proposals have to be carefully evaluated. One key is to ask the question: is this an open door from God? As Aaron Dean asked: "Is it a door opened by God or one that can be opened by anyone who has the money?"

As far as a national program, "Commercials may well be our Îbest betâ on TV for a while," Mr. Eddington said. Cost is a factor, although not the only one. "Cost per response is not the only way to measure [success]," Dr. Ward stated. As he stressed, there is no way to measure the impact of a message being recognized, even if there is no immediate response; and the encouragement to the brethren is yet another intangible.

In summarizing efforts, Mr. Eddington proposed expanding ministerial and member involvement in public lectures and congregation open house meetings; he will introduce a formal plan in this area by September, 2000. By December, he intends to seek congregational and ministerial input on specific ways and methods Church membership can be more effective in preaching the gospel in their areas. These and other proclamation efforts will need to be continually assessed.

Education and Doctrine Committee Updates

Dr. Ward took some time with the Council to cover a proposed mission statement and job description for members of the Education Committee, which he chairs. Following input and fine-tuning, the Council gave its unanimous approval.

Doctrine Committee chairman Leon Walker filled the Council in on recent activity in this area. The task force on prophecy ö Scott Ashley, Wil Berg, Jim Franks (chairman), Roger Foster, Tom Kirkpatrick, and Darris McNeely ö met at the Home Office early in the week, with work on a proposed booklet on Revelation being their first priority. They had to first identify any questions from the current draft of the booklet that need to be addressed before publication. Next, determine the established teaching of the Church in the area of prophecy (they agreed that the writings of Herbert W. Armstrong would be considered the standard for establishing the traditional teachings of the Church). Lastly, their job entails researching areas of prophecy where it is felt that the established teaching of the Church is inadequate, incomplete, or in error, beginning with, but not limited to, the issues raised in the Revelation booklet. The task force made excellent progress, according to Mr. Walker. Of thirteen issues to address from the draft of the Revelation booklet, for example, eleven were resolved, one seemed to indicate that our traditional teaching was not always consistent, and one involved questions about the completeness of our traditional teaching.

Mr. Walker also presented the Council with a list of ongoing research into doctrinal concerns submitted by individuals asking the Church to review current teaching.

These include research on the following topics:

• The covenants
• Born again
• Nature of God and divinity of Christ
• Church government
• Tithing
• Voting
• Hebrew calendar
• What is the Church?
• The resurrections
• Role of the ministry
• Racial questions
• Prophecy questions
• Sacred names
• Gambling
• Abortion
• Military service

As the day wound to a close, Richard Thompson came back to the Council with proposed edits on the Outside Speaker Policy, based on the previous dayâs discussions. Further modifications were made, and the amended draft promised for later in the meetings.

- Doug Johnson

©2000 United Church of God, an International Association