WRAL journalist Scott Mason has the enviable job of traveling across our state doing features on various North Carolina places and happenings. Here is a brief feature that aired a few days ago about Fields of the Wood.www.wral.com/lifestyles/travel/video/16643036/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_source=wral
Thanks Bonnie. I enjoyed the revisit. My wife and I have been to the Fields of the Woods several times. the First was stopping by on our honeymoon in 1956. I cannot believe any Christian would belittle God’s Ten Commandments being displayed in that manner. Of course this was the LAW, but each one is Good for today’s living, Christian living or just plain GOOD advice.I personally never had any ‘great revelation’ when visiting, BUT I did appreciate the many tour buses I saw stopping just to enjoy a little quiet time.Yep, ’tis good to see this on TV, I guess some would rather see Miley on TV! ________________Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/
Just goes to show, no matter how old you are, you can still learn things. (And if you get old and forgetful, you can learn them over and over, lol.)
is that this is not some monument to a MAN (i.e., AJT), but rather it is an attempt to preserve what was dear and precious to the hearts of those early members of the Church of God.
If I could add a link to a link, I would suggest watching the video of Dr. Harold Hunter speaking at the First Assembly Commemorative Service this year at the First Assembly House near FOW. His message may speak to the reasoning of why the interest in FOW, First Assembly House and Shearer School House. Dr. David Roebuck spoke that morning also.vimeo.com/206117350
Re: If I could add …
For a second there, I misread and thought you had a link with Dr. Hunter speaking at the first Assembly I know Harold isn’t that much older than me and I was even more surprised they had video of it I enjoyed his dad’s singing (and preaching).
I was watching Jeopardy a few days ago and a question rose regarding the Fields of the Wood! FOW was not mentioned by name, but it mentioned being near Murphy, NC with a certain size letters on the side of a mountain. The question they were searching was the Ten Commandments, but I thought it was cool that essentially the FOW was mentioned and secondly that the contestant knew the answer!Folly or not, it has certainly served as a unique testimony and has reached people far outside the COG and COGOP.
To me, Dr. Hunter is very old , but my eyes don’t work as well as they once did. Did you watch the video. He has some great insights.
AJT was, without question, the most cutting-edge leader the COG ever had. Of course, he was not hampered with having to win reelection, or deal with councils that were not also forward thinking. The reason the COG is a global church and not a Appalachian mountain church is because of AJT being the man, I believe, that God wanted to be in leadership.
AJT was, without question, the most cutting-edge leader the COG ever had. Of course, he was not hampered with having to win reelection, or deal with councils that were not also forward thinking. The reason the COG is a global church and not a Appalachian mountain church is because of AJT being the man, I believe, that God wanted to be in leadership. I believe both sides of the 1923 split were mostly well-intentioned, but our side was, I am afraid, a bit more political thinking in that they wanted to remove AJT so that other leaders could arise, etc. Good men…are still men. Men of God…are still men. We make mistakes, but God has His way anyway. I like that Aaron. ________________Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/
So the split/division/separation/chasm/divorce/etc. was because some on the side of the COG wanted to move up in position/power/status/etc.?
So the split/division/separation/chasm/divorce/etc. was because some on the side of the COG wanted to move up in position/power/status/etc.? So they fabricated a story about misappropriation of funds, lied, connived, acted in deceit, drug all factions through the Tennessee court system, severed/divided a movement, just so FJ Lee an a few of em could be elevated in position? Well, if you put it that way? Yes.
So the split/division/separation/chasm/divorce/etc. was because some on the side of the COG wanted to move up in position/power/status/etc.? So they fabricated a story about misappropriation of funds, lied, connived, acted in deceit, drug all factions through the Tennessee court system, severed/divided a movement, just so FJ Lee an a few of em could be elevated in position? Otcp, I know no one would ever call you a hardhearted, mean, nasty, delete, little, ….. and a few more names, but they probably would if they read the lines and then between the lines. Of course I would never do that, but iffn I was smart as Aaron to rite that stuff, I might! But he is a nicer guy than me. YOu do come across as a bitter preacher at times. just sayin’…. ________________Some facts but mostly just my [email protected]/
So the split/division/separation/chasm/divorce/etc. was because some on the side of the COG wanted to move up in position/power/status/etc.? So they fabricated a story about misappropriation of funds, lied, connived, acted in deceit, drug all factions through the Tennessee court system, severed/divided a movement, just so FJ Lee an a few of em could be elevated in position?
The older you get, the younger old appears I’m 61 and I’m thinking he is in his late 60’s. I haven’t seen him in years. I need to check the video.
So the split/division/separation/chasm/divorce/etc. was because some on the side of the COG wanted to move up in position/power/status/etc.? So they fabricated a story about misappropriation of funds, lied, connived, acted in deceit, drug all factions through the Tennessee court system, severed/divided a movement, just so FJ Lee an a few of em could be elevated in position? Otcp, I know no one would ever call you a hardhearted, mean, nasty, delete, little, ….. and a few more names, but they probably would if they read the lines and then between the lines. Of course I would never do that, but iffn I was smart as Aaron to rite that stuff, I might! But he is a nicer guy than me. YOu do come across as a bitter preacher at times. just sayin’….
So the split/division/separation/chasm/divorce/etc. was because some on the side of the COG wanted to move up in position/power/status/etc.? So they fabricated a story about misappropriation of funds, lied, connived, acted in deceit, drug all factions through the Tennessee court system, severed/divided a movement, just so FJ Lee an a few of em could be elevated in position? Otcp, I know no one would ever call you a hardhearted, mean, nasty, delete, little, ….. and a few more names, but they probably would if they read the lines and then between the lines. Of course I would never do that, but iffn I was smart as Aaron to rite that stuff, I might! But he is a nicer guy than me. YOu do come across as a bitter preacher at times. just sayin’…. Cojak, son, my apologies ifn I came across as hardhearted bitter preacher. Folk what knows me an all knows that aint who or how I am. My comments were a serious response to Aaron’s speculation. I simply don’t believe, it was a political ploy to git AJT out so Lee and others could be elevated in leadership. There is no proof. OTCP,What would you accept as proof that it was a power struggle? Would statements by Simmons or Llewellyn that their goal was to remove AJT, or would you accept the statements/rulings of judges in civil court concerning the audit used to remove AJT? What about AJT’s reports to the assembly prior to this removal? Here’s where I stand after hearing both sides for many years. First, AJT did take on to much and he should have been willing to expand the leadership base in Cleveland, as he did when he added State and National Overseers on the field. I feel he used too much of his own money and made his family sacrifice too much in the pursuit of expanding the church. In other words he was too heavy invested in the COG and that makes it hard to let go. This is a good warning to any minister, don’t do it for the denomination, do it for the Lord. Secondly, the assembly and other leadership bare responsibility for making him overseer for life (was that Llewellyn who did that?). Again, the old saying, he who calls you God today will call you devil tomorrow. Also, the assembly passed that financial program that required the local churches to send all their tithes to Cleveland so that the General Overseer could distribute the income as needed to Pastors, ministers and yes general office operations and building debt. Someone misread the parable of every worker getting the same pay at the end of the day no matter what time of day they started. So, shall I say a curse on every one who voted for that system?Other issues, including Tomlinson’s stand on race, women in the ministry, the Church Constitutions (how’s that working) and as always positions, added to the pot. Tomlinson efforts to add a revenue stream for his family by going into the for profit publishing business with Homer was also a factor.For his efforts in twenty years of building the church while pouring his personal resources into it was to be called a thief, taken to court time and again, and maligned by the very people he had won to the Lord and ministered with. AJT did not believe in taking his brother to court. If your denomination takes you to court today I suggest you get the best, most aggressive lawyer you can, because they will kick you to the side and try to make you pay for the building they are going to keep (that’s the COG way). Tomlinson should have gotten a lawyer first and taken them to court to defend his reputation.So proof? What would you accept as proof?Mat