Dec. 2, 2022 - Update of the situation in Angola
Senior Pastor George de Campos writes: 
"The brethren in Angola completed a general assembly of elders meeting on Dec 1st and 2nd, 2022 and the assembly approved that with immediate effect they will be called United Church of God, Angola. The 12 members of the national Council of Elders have been appointed as well as a Chairman and Vice-Chairman. The Council also appointed the President.  

They will work with UCGIA in a “partnership” model. They now need to submit the Constitution and bylaws approved by the Angolan general assembly to their legal organization to seek Angolan governmental registration. That part of the legal process requires our continued prayers, as it may take several months to complete." 

Nov. 22, 2022 - Angola Update
Portuguese language areas - Senior Pastor George de Campos writes:
"The church in Angola is having a General Assembly of all elders and leaders on Thursday and Friday December 1st and 2nd to formally change their organization structure to resemble that of UCGIA and to formally change their name from WCG Angola to UCG Angola.

From all that I hear their decision seems to be unanimous. Let’s pray for unity and peace in this change. They are striving to model their organizational structure to mirror that of UCG in principle. Their elders will also sign their support to our Fundamental Beliefs, the ministerial code of ethics and the sexual misconduct guidelines.

Once the church in Angola is re-organized, their lawyers will take their Constitution and bylaws and present them to the Religious Affairs department, whilst “grandfathering-in” their previous social / educational works. The legal organization seems to be the best in the country in religious affairs matters and has won two cases by getting two religious organizations registered.

We also offered Larry Darden to talk to the Angolan legal organization as necessary. At this stage, the lawyers are awaiting official formation of the new UCG Angola (on Dec 1st and 2nd), with their internally approved Constitution and Bylaws. They will then become Associated with UCGIA in a “partnership model” which has been approved by the Council of Elders.

At the stage the instruction from the Religious Affairs department to cease operating as a church needs to be passed by a national court (as far as I can understand) before it can be implemented. Therefore it appears we have a bit of time. From what I am told we need to resolve this within the next 3 months or so. 

Let’s pray for this process to be blessed as we need God’s miraculous intervention. Grateful for your prayers. 

Senior Pastor, Portuguese language areas - From Jorge de Campos writes: 
"In the last few years, the Angolan government set up a law entitled the “Law on Freedom of Religion and Worship” which requires any new religious organization to meet certain requirements to be able to exercise its religious duties. As the church in Angola has not been registered, it was deemed to be a new religious organization.

One requirement to be registered is that the church must have 60,000 signatures of members (over 18 years old) who are willing to have their names publicly listed as members of the organization. Some 94 religious organizations in Angola are listed as not recognized, and God’s Church in Angola is one of those.

The church has applied for that recognition with the help of an attorney organization. After a number of years of waiting for a decision, finally such decision was reached by the governing authorities and the church’s application for recognition was refused.

In a letter received just after the Feast, the governing authorities recommended that the church “join a recognized religious confession whose doctrine and principles relate to the religious beliefs and practices identified with your denomination” and furthermore stated that “you must immediately close down the activities of your Church, under penalty of disobedience, in the general terms of the applicable law.

The penalty for disobedience to this “Law on Freedom of Religion,” would involve closing of the church’s halls and the associated minister or pastor being placed in jail.

We are working with the Angolan leadership and are ready to assist them in their endeavors to look for a solution. We will do what we can do, but the key factor is in our Heavenly Father’s hands and subject to His miraculous intervention according to His will.

As such, we request your prayers to our Heavenly Father, through His Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ, for His intervention in this most difficult trial.

Please note that the school we have sponsored in Angola is not affected, as it falls under a different government department and will be able to continue to provide its service to the community."