WCG reports members missing after tsunami; Church of God writers comment on significance of disaster

Encouraging Communication among the Churches of God

WCG reports members missing after tsunami;
COG writers comment on significance of disaster

The 9.0 earthquake and massive tsunami that hit several countries with shores on the Indian Ocean Dec. 26 spared members of most Churches of God, although one, the Worldwide Church of God, may have suffered casualties among its membership.

Rod Matthews, regional director for Australia and parts of Asia for the WCG, reported that three unnamed adult members of a WCG study group in Sri Lanka were missing. (See a related article elsewhere on this page.)

The Web site of the largest Sabbatarian Church of God group--the Church of God (Seventh Day) headquartered in Denver, Colo.--reported no dead or missing among its membership in the affected countries.

The Cogwriter Web site, operated by Living Church of God member Robert Thiel of Arroyo Grande, Calif., cited approaches to the disaster taken by several Church of God ministries.

For example, Fred Coulter of the Christian Biblical Church of God of Hollister, Calif., wrote that the Bible prophesied "worldwide disasters," attributing such calamities to the proliferation of "lawlessness."

LifeNets International ( www.kubik.org), a ministry of Victor Kubik of Indianapolis, Ind., is accepting donations to help with relief efforts.

The Church of God an International Community reported the news without commenting on its significance or insignificance in the light of prophecy. Mark Armstrong of the Intercontinental Church of God took a similar neutral approach.

LCG founder Roderick Meredith recommended that people read his booklet Fourteen Signs Announcing Christ's Return, in which he wrote in 2003 that the "number and magnitude of earthquakes" would grow to be "extremely devastating."

The Church of God International checked into which charities were the most reliable for channeling donations to tsunami survivors. The CGI decided the American Red Cross is the best avenue for such efforts.

United Church of God president Roy Holladay announced that the UCG had made a donation to the Red Cross International Relief Fund.

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