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state -- that a church is a public trust over which the state has the
authority to come in and manage.
Even though the receiver has bE!en removed, until the Work is vindi
cated and the damage compensated, the war is not over. Until our
rights and protection are affirmed by the courts we -- and all
churches --· remain \rulnerable to the capricious activities of state
officials. Since these and other legal issues have not been resolved,
the status quo represents the state's theory that members have no
rights and that the Church's assets belong to the people of California.
The Church's view is that those who have conspired to deceive the
courts and violate our constitutional rights -- those who have been
responsible for trying to destroy the church and its leadership -
should and will be punished in the proper forum -- the courts of the
land.
Where Do We Go From Here?
The news media has repeatedly asked if we are planning to move the
entire operation elsewhere, and Thursday's press conference was no
exception. rhese questions arise from something we have repeatedly
stressed: Tithes and offerings of brethren from around the United
States will never again come to a state where they can be confiscated.
Pasadena will never again be the financial headquarters of the Work,
Mr. Rader said. However, he stressed that most other functions of
the Work in Pasadena will continue as usual.
The hardest single concept the press has had to grapple with is that
"the church is not the buildings.=• And it is not a "corporation"
either. Mr. Rader has emphasized over and over again that buildings
and a corporation are merely physical means of accomplishing the
Church's spiritual work around the world. The body of Christ -- the
spiritual Church of God -- is not, and could never be, the buildings.
He said members do not join a corporation, they don't worship a
corporation, and they don't tithe to a corporation!
A church cannot effectively accomplish its work in an enviornment
where religious freedom is not guaranteed to its members, its officers
and its employees. Therefore, Mr. Rader declared that God's Church
will never expose its assets and resources in the same way again.
--Pastor's Report Staff
AMBASSADOR COLLEGE
As most of you know by now, the receivership has been (for all practical
purposes) lifted from the WCG, AICF and from Ambassador College. How
did it affect the College? What about Ambassador's future?
The imposition of the receivership did have serious repercussions on
Ambassador College. In all, we cancelled classes for about seven days
so students could participate in the demonstrations of loyalty held
in the Hall of Administration (the so-called sit-ins), and, more
recently, so the students could be present at the important court
hearings in Los Angeles.