Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:
Greetings now from Grover Beach, California, another one of the ‘Five Cities’ in this part of the world.
We moved mainly on Friday, and also came in Sunday to try to get better organized.
Joyce Thiel putting books up on a bookshelf in the new office
It will take me some time to get used to the new facility as I had been at 1248 E. Grand Avenue in Arroyo Grande for over 21 years, and everything is not fully unpacked or organized. Because of the close proximity to the Fall Holy Days, it may not be until after the Feast of Tabernacles that things will be close to ‘normal.’
Grover Beach Office
Our new address is:
Continuing Church of God, 1036 W. Grand Avenue, Grover Beach, CA 93433
We no longer have the facility in Arroyo Grande, so please send all correspondence to the Grover Beach address. While my business, and not CCOG, are paying for the rental space for the new office, we picked the most cost-effective location we could find that looked like it would meet our needs.
Postal Problems
We learned that the local post office has returned checks and other materials that people have mailed to our new location. I thought this was resolved several weeks ago when I spoke personally to the letter carrier who came here. But apparently there are at least three different carriers for this address, and I had to tell another one on Tuesday.
Some mail has been delivered here, while other mail was returned claiming the building is vacant or that we are not here.
Well, the building is not vacant and we are here.
We also filed the proper paperwork with the US Post Office and now everything is supposed to fine. We apologize for the difficulties some of you have encountered trying to send letters, tithes, and offerings. It should all be resolved now.
Thank you for your understanding.
Feast of Tabernacles is a Month Away!
It has been said that the older one gets, the faster time seems to go by. Anyway, the Feast of Tabernacles for 2015 is only a calendar month away. The Feast in 2015 begins the evening of September 27th. If you are planning on attending in North America, our sites are in Denver, Colorado, USA and Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. Have you let us know your plans yet?
If you are planning on attending in Denver and have not contacted me, please send me an email:cogwriter@aol.com. If you are interested in possibly giving a sermonette, let me know as we have not finalized all the sermonette schedules yet for this site.
If you are planning on attending in Niagara Falls and have not contacted Herb Haddon, please send him an email: hwhaddon@gmail.com.
If you are planning on attending the Feast of Tabernacles’ site in New Zealand, contact John Hickey, email john.h@vodafone.net.nz; his mobile phone number is 021 519 441.
If you are planning on attending in Tanzania or Kenya or Nigeria or Ghana or elsewhere in Africa and you are not from Africa, please contact Pastor Evans Ochieng, emailevochieng74@gmail.com.
If you hope to attend in the Philippines, please contact Oscar Mediavilla via emailhansmeidavilla@rocketmail.com.
For more information of the various locations of the for 2015, including those in Africa & Asia, check out the updated article Feast of Tabernacles’ Sites for 2015.
Reaching Ghana and Elsewhere in Africa
Continuing Church of God pastors Evans Ochieng and John Owak went to Ghana last week. We received the following from Ghana on August 22, 2015:
Dear Dr Bob,
Greetings to you from your other brethrens in Ghana. We’re writing to thank you. Pastor Evans and John have visited us in Ghana. We know that they will give you every report about us. Their stay was not long. They came on the night of Wednesday and left on Friday. We thank you for fulfilling your promises. We hope to hear from you when the feed back is sent to you by them. May the almighty God bless you
Elder Osei Bonsu
CCOG Pastor Evans Ochieng sent in the following report on August 23, 2015:
Pastor Dr Bob,
TRIP Our trip from Blantyre to Nairobi was safe and tired some due to the distance we travelled. Since it was a very long journey as it was that we left Majau shopping center where we had a meeting with Malawi congregation. We reached in Blantyre Malawi late in the night of which we had to go to bed immediately so that to we could start our journey back to the city of Lolongwe where we were to board a plane back to Nairobi.
From 18th-8-2015 we did not sleep since we were to board plane back to Nairobi. From 18th to 19th August 2015, we did not have any sleep day and night. We took 5:40 from Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta airport to Accra Ghana. Airport. The flight was good except when we were approaching Atlantic Ocean, the cloud was very heavy and thick over Atlantic Ocean. It forced pilot to divert to another direction so that we could land safe. We found if Osei Bonsu and Joseph were waiting us at the gate. They had a car which took us to town where we board a bus from Accra to Kumasi town. From Accra to Kumasi is a long distance. We took five hours to reach Kumasi. We reached very late at night that we could not talk with the brethren that day. Again we were totally tired because of failing not to sleep for two days day and night. Before leaving Accra to Kumasi, we met one of the church members who is one of bank officers in Accra. After discussions with him, we board a bus to Kumasi. This was another long journey from Accra to Kumasi. We arrived in Kumasi at 9.00 pm when we were very tired.
MEETING ON 20th AUGUST 2015 We wake early in the morning to prepare ourselves to meet the executive members of seventh day church of God. Their plan was to meat only the executive members. They have 11 congregations with over 500 people. This is the reason why they decided to meet only the General overseer Mr Samwell Fosu and his executive members only on behalf of all members. The meeting started at 9.00 am with this executive. . The topics to be discussed were;- 1- Affiliation 2- Doctrines 3- Feast of tabernacles 2015 4- Training of pastors.
AFFILIATION SOLUTION After a long discussion and questions from both sides we came to agreement that since they have interests in the church doctrines and foundation which they believe that is powerful and based on truth which was once delivered to the saints by God, they will start working with the church as part of the church in Ghana. The church will be established in Ghana under the supervision of Pastor Samwell Ofosu who is the current general overseer in Ghana for seventh day church of God.
DOCTRINES We found that most of the doctrines are the same, so we did agree to work together Within church doctrines of CCOG that which 11 congregations with over 500 members will follow.
TRAINING PASTORS Since they have 11 congregations with many members, we came to the agreement that we will have a pastors seminar or training so that each and every pastor should not go out of church doctrines. I am planning to arrange such seminar after the feast of tabernacles in Kenya for all the congregations in Africa.
FEAST OF TABERNACLES. We discussed about the feast of tabernacles at length of how they have been doing it and the plan that they have for the Feast of Tabernacles 2015. First, they told us that they have been keeping the Feast of Tabernacles for 10 years. And sometimes with financial challenges, especially for the meals and camping site. They do rent school compounds. Due to the fact that the feast do fall in in different roman calendar dates, Some do fall during school days if the school season is not closed. This has been a challenge to them for finding a proper place for the camp. Also as members do donate funds for the feast, it becomes a problem sometimes as per the income for the members. They are planning to rent a school where they will keep the feast this year. The only problem which they are facing is how to get funds for enough food and transport. They requested if God can provide some funds that can assist them to have good feast 2015. I also noticed that it is a real problem to them. I support that if funds can be available then they can be assisted. They are very good people.
TRANSLATION. In Ghana they have a national language which all people are speaking. I found it important to translate the magazines in Ghanaian language to benefit all Ghanaians I discussed this matter with Samwell who is the general overseer. We came to the agreement that they will do this after the feast. I was very happy with the kind of work that they doing and the kind of welcome they gave us.
PLANS AHEAD My plan is visit Ethiopia and Nigeria after the feast so that when shall have the seminar or training, it will find if we have already know what is going on in Ethiopia and Nigeria. Otherwise we came back safe and reached home safe. Let us pray for the work in Africa. God has opened the doors in Africa.
I also appreciate the work you are doing in website because it has made us to reach many people.
Evans
The overseer of the group in Ghana, Pastor Samuel Ofosu Gyeabour, wrote then wrote us:
24 August 2015
Dear In Christ, In line with our vision of propagation of the gospel and your quick response to commission the General Overseer of Africa from faraway Kenya to Ghana, I would like to give glory to His Highness, the Creator God and a big thank to you Dr. Bob Thiel of United State, the general overseer of the continuing church of God.
Really, the arrival of the General overseer of Africa to Ghana motivated me so much I even describe the event as the grand fulfillment of my long awaiting expectation that we can’t afford to lose what the early Apostles left to us concerning the faith once delivered unto us. At any rate, the meeting was successful with suggestions, explanations and constructive ideas high lighting our affiliation, that portrays brotherly love in our Lord. In fact, I was in a great joy mainly when we arrived at the discussions of the mandatory festivals ordained by God from the very beginning of this planet. The General overseer’s explanations to the meanings of the festivals and that of ours boils to the same points. the only thing, that kept me mute was how you enjoyed the feasts. The poverty level of our country is unbearable to afford comfortably, but it doesn’t in anyway stop us from the celebration of God’s Feasts.
I know with our intent to propagate the purpose of human existence on this earth we shall also make. I believe life is a game and we need to play it, life is a challenge and we need to make it. the most important thing is to keep focus on our potential instead of our limitation bearing in mind that success don’t come to you but you go to it and find it. I know for sure with these affiliation developments in perspective the hardships we encounter during festivals shall be over come. Now concerning your endeavors to let the people in the saviours sheepfold respect all divine institutions mandated by the Creator, no amount of human reasoning can invalidate the progress of the affiliation believe it or not.
Indeed my expectation at the moment is to hear favourably from you before the Feast Of Tabernacle and the last great day, that portrays the Kingdom Of God. Extend my greetings to the entire family of God there.
Yours In His Vineyard
Pastor Samuel Ofosu Gyeabour
General Overseer
Church Of God 7th Day Ghana
I then wrote Pastor Samuel Ofosu Gyeabour back:
August 24, 2015
Dear Pastor Samuel Ofosu Gyeabour:
Thank you for your email. Glad you are interested in affiliation, and perhaps some day to truly be part of the Continuing Church of God. We always are pleased when people are interested in supporting the proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom. It will be in the coming kingdom of God that the miseries associated with extreme poverty will be lifted. …
We are a scattered church, with most of our members living in poverty. This makes it difficult to provide much assistance, but we do what we can. I, for example, do not take a salary from the Continuing Church of God, for if I did, we would have almost no money ever to help people in Africa.
Anyway, we encourage you to study what we teach. If you have any there to translated materials into your local languages, we would be interested in perhaps putting out magazines and/or booklets in them.
Please let me know.
Best regards,
Bob Thiel, Ph.D, Th.D.
Pastor and Overseer
Continuing Church of God