The Williamsburg Christadelphian Foundation coordinates, promotes, and cosponsors Bible-based seminars designed to enrich the Brotherhood and proclaim the Truth.All seminar offerings were originally developed and presented to local ecclesias without any WCF connection. However, WCF wanted to make the efforts and material of these seminar presenters generally available to brothers and sisters everywhere. Seminar presenters remain independent of WCF.
I have a rather lengthy archive of WCF material. In the beginning, the WCF Directors handled the seminars. One brochure that I've had for almost 30 years advertises two of the Directors as WCF sponsored seminar presenters, available at little to no cost to ecclesias who desire their services:
Eventually they were able to recruit brethren other than WCF to handles the seminars for them. One early recruit was advertised by the WCF for a "counseling" seminar. His qualifications, they said, was a graduate degree in counseling.
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Few ecclesias have the resources to effectively tackle every subject of interest or concern. WCF seminars address topics that are not easily or usually addressed by local members. Many ecclesias struggle to find the monetary resources to underwrite the cost of a study day or outreach effort or workshop weekend. Where this is the case, WCF will fund all speaker expenses and help defray all other seminar costs.
This claim is more specious than it is true. Here the WCF is, in effect, telling most ecclesias that they cannot handle what the Lord requires of them.
The fact of the matter is that no Biblical authorization exists for setting up an extra-ecclesial, self-perpetuating organization to do anything, much less what the WCF does:
Teach ecclesias by way of so-called experts, teach brethren how to teach, how to preach, how to raise a family, how to go about ecclesial life, how to care for the elderly, how to get along in the workplace, what to believe in doctrines and prophecy, et al.
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Interested ecclesias are encouraged to review the topics list, pick one, then conduct the seminar that fits your purpose. The steps for arranging a seminar for your ecclesia are below.
This larger Williamsburg Christadelphian Foundation brochure followed the one above. Note the addition of another WCF Director-presenter. (Click on images to enlarge)
1988 Williamsburg Christadelphian Foundation Newsletter. Note that the seminars are still handled by a couple of WCF Directors. Also note the addition of Central's George Booker to the Directorship. Now, the WCF is both Unamended and Central. (Click on images to enlarge)
Before we leave the 1980s this is worth looking at. It sent a firestorm of protest among the Unamended ecclesias. Those who think they are present day trailblazers in the unity effort with the CGAF may be disappointed to learn that Williamsburg Christadelphian Foundation Directors beat them to it - by some 20 years. (Click on images to enlarge)
I have found the reading of the above posts most interesting. The name George Booker seems to ring a bell, was he not a Berean, connected to the 'Herald Press' at Houston Texas, but left and Joined with the 'Logos' Press from Australia ? who spoke out about both the 'Central' and the 'Un-amended' Groups. ?
Yes, bro. Booker was at one time connected with the Berean Ecclesia at Houston. In 1972 he led the division which we call the "Four Poiints" division, though he never joined it himself. Instead, he had a change of mind on Divorce and Remarriage, and ultimately joined with Central.
His work "Biblical Fellowship" really seems to me to have set the stage for Central logic and thought process in the later half of the 20th Century. He is currently the editor of the Tidings Magazine, and lives in Austin, TX.
On 10/17/08 we posted the following. Please note the yellow highlighted area:
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The Present Unamended/Central/CGAF Reunion Effort: A New Fellowship?
A recent agreement of several meetings has resulted in a group of Central, Unamended and CGAF (Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith) who are willing to fellowship each other, but not necessarily all ecclesias in the Central and Unamended are willing to fellowship them. This, in effect, has created a new group, though we have no idea what the members thereof are calling it.
The dubious basis of reunion - a document entitled NASU - is the typical gloss-over-the-issues effort that we have become accustom to reading over the years. It does not satisfactorily address the issues that have historically separated the Central and Unamended:
1. The basis of resurrectional responsibility.
2. The efficacy of baptism.
3. Alienation
4. The nature of sin.
5. The nature and sacrifice of Yahshua Anointed.
Moreover, what of CGAF questionable beliefs?
Last year we produced a discourse between, "Christadelphos," a Berean Christadelphian, and "Randy," a leading member of the Church of God of the Abrahamic Faith(CGAF). We asked him questions concerning the differences between his CGAF group and the larger body of CGAF people known as The General Conference and Atlanta Bible College.
CHRISTADELPHOS: Does your CGAF group have believers in immortal emergence from the grave, or has this been changed in your Statement(s) of Faith?
RANDY: The CGAF group believes/teaches that the righteous body is raised in incorruption, it is raised in glory, it will be raised in power, it is raised a spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15:42-44). That the righteous dead will be raised incorruptible (1 Corinthians 15:52). I know this subject has been a matter over several decades between the CGAF and Christadelphia. Scriptures lead me to understand that a believer is resurrected to a state of incorruption. What is incorruption? Is it something besides being mortal? Something besides being corruptible? I would say it is. Is the state of being incorruptible the same as being immortal? That is the debate. I will choose to leave my answer as is and state that I would prefer those disagreeing with my stand, take the position of working towards the goal of being a part of the resurrection. How and what the exact process/method used to bring this about is a moot point to me; as long as I am found worthy to be a part of it.
CHRISTADELPHOS: I have a copy of an old Statement of Faith from the Church of the Blessed Hope. I see from your website that they are members of your group of meetings. The Statement indicates that fellowship of members who serve in the military as non-combatants is permitted. Is this still the case? Has the Statement been changed?
RANDY: The old SOF you have was revised (not sure when) to reflect a change on the military stand. Mind you, Cleveland was the only location that held this position. The other locations never did so and continue to hold firm that serving in the military is not permitted in any capacity and should not be in fellowship.
CHRISTADELPHOS: A letter to me from a past president of the CGAF General Conference Bible College states that most of their people are not continuous historical in their approach to the Apocalypse, instead they are futurists. Is this also true of your meetings? The Honest Truth (CGAF) published a preterist view many years ago. Are they in your group or the other?
RANDY: Any group that is presently associated with the General Conference Bible College is not in fellowship with the CGAF group. I am not aware of The Honest Truth publication or its article. The discussion of or teaching of the preterist or continuous historical of the Apocalypse is not one that dominates the CGAF to my knowledge. While I do understand it is a frequently discussed topic within Christadelphia. This subject matter has never been one that I have given much thought to. This is in no way meaning that I do not have an opinion, but I would want to discuss/study the matter further before doing so.
That being said, I can say the CGAF does not (likewise, I believe most Christadelphians do) make this a fellowship issue. In other words, one's stand on this matter is not sought after to determine merit of fellowship.
CHRISTADELPHOS: It is not my desire to misrepresent, so thank you in advance for these clarifications.
I have located issue 12 of The Honest Truth. The editor is affiliated with the General Conference of the CGAF. The Honest Truth published the first edition of Whittaker's erroneous book on the Apocalypse. The editor characterizes Whittaker as "a fine Bible student from England."
Jim, thank you for posting the reply to me and for the link, I have read about a half of the article ' confession of an ex-Berean' and hope to get to read the rest of it later, I did have contact with George at about the time of the Split, and it was a great shame that the Berean's who had stood fast since 1922 ( apart from the re-union with Central by some at the Jersey Conference --1940's ?) should have been split into about 5 groups. My contact with George at that time, was over the 'Herald Press' they had been wanting to reprint some old works, and I sent 3 to him, the first was ' Sin and Sacrifice' by W.M.Smallwood, which did get reprinted, the other two were by F.G. Jannaway. 'Bible Answers' and his other large book, which will not come to mind at this time, these last two books, I do not know if they got reprinted. PS, it may have been called 'Christadelphian Treasury'
"...Joined with the 'Logos' Press from Australia? who spoke out about both the 'Central' and the 'Un-amended' Groups?"
The only brother who fits this description is Bro. Steve Genusa who was never a Berean, but who left the Unamended and some other groups and then joined the Logos group and wrote a book about the Unamended Fellowship. He then left the Logos group but is still in the Central group and is still speaks of the problems in "Central and Un-amended."
To my knowledge, Bro. Booker has not been in the Un-amended, but has been advocating reunion with Central, the Un-amended and Church of God of Abrahamic Faith.
The books you mentioned were reprinted by Herald Press and are available. The Christadelphian Treasury, Christadelphian Answers and Christadelphian Key To The Prophecies. At the same time Nazareth Revisited was also reprinted from a pristine copy I had from an early edition.
