The Twilight Zone
This “golden memory” is coming from the periphery of recollection, from the shadowy realm between the known and the unknown, from the mists of the dim past… Best I can recall, it may have been from late winter 1993, while accompanying the Directing Elder as his assistant on his annual barley search to Israel. The gist of the communication though, is still quite clear, as if a frightful apparition incorporating right before my very eyes. I cannot remember the main topic of the conversation; I’m guessing it was probably somehow related. And it provided a bit of background to the AOY split of 1980, and by extrapolation, perhaps to future divisions.
It appears that prior to the 1980 split, a periodic topic of conversation between two of the early Elders of the Bethel headquartered group, it’s pillars, went something like this: Elder “B”, “When are we going to discuss our problems?”; Elder “A”, “I don’t think we have any problems.” And it appeared those words would end that segment of their conversation. Does anyone else see a problem with this?
I have since conversed with a lady, also expelled from the group, who told me that a major part of her job while employed with the group was to research and register the trademark name “Assemblies of Yahweh” in as many States of the Union as possible, and perhaps even foreign countries. Best I recall, nearly all 50 states got covered, possible exception one or two.
Dear readers, I hope you can see why I have used some anonymity in this segment. I don’t think the shame this would cause if explicitly detailed would edify anyone. It appears that registration of the name of the group may have gone far beyond the bounds of the 50 states, even as far as to be registered in the “State of Denial”. And there is a distinct possibility that the Name upon which the name of their group is based was besmirched by registration in the “Twilight Zone” by a refusal to hear the brother with the problem. Has the group ever been freed from this captivity in the “Twilight Zone” of the refusal to deal with the reality of disagreement among brethren? I wonder… I know how diligently they teach the application of the “Matthew 18” dispute resolution procedure. What happened?
And the moral of the story? Make peace with your adversary quickly, while you are in the Way? Is it self evident that if brother “B” says to brother “A”, “When are we going to discuss our problems?”, there is indeed very likely a problem? Whether the “problem” requires recourse to the instruction of the Sacred Word, resulting in the repentance of one or the other, or both, or perhaps merely a clarification of terms, semantics, and viewpoints, my guess is that resolution would be imperative to preserve a union. The frustrated Elder “B” went on to lead about 35% of the group, who he appears to have represented in their grievances, to dissociate, and they bought the “Lewis and Clark” campground mentioned in the previous segment “25 Years of Hell”. Yes, let’s make every effort to make peace with our adversaries quickly, while we are in the way, and more so with those we are using as brothers. YHWH bless.
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