Official Document: BOD-2018-03-19.2.pdf (1019 downloads)
Dear General Council Members,
Again thanks to each of you for being on the Council and for your willingness to help us make the church better as we go forward. As mentioned in the General Council meeting held in Columbus, Ohio March 17, we have all learned from the situations that occurred these past several months and realize we need to change and improve the way we do business.
We take this opportunity to first apologize for not providing updated information early in the process in a timely manner and throughout these past several months. We explained in the Council meeting that early in the process of these situations, our lawyers advised us not to talk about the matter. At that time, we did not have public affairs advice to help us with what we could have said and to facilitate the flow of information from the Board of Directors to the General Council members and local churches. As time progressed, we hired a public relations firm to help us handle the media coverage of our church and develop communication documents, which we disseminated to the churches through the jurisdictional secretaries.
Going forward, in the interim, the Board of Directors has elected Elder Ruth Latham, who is currently the Public Affairs Director for the Gulf Coast Jurisdiction, to provide public affairs advice and help us improve how we communicate to the internal church and ensure that the dissemination of information from the Board reaches the General Council members and local churches. Elder Latham has extensive experience in the public affairs field through her service in the U.S. Air Force, where she was a public affairs officer. We believe she will be an asset to the Board and the church.
Please help us welcome Elder Latham and provide any assistance to her if requested. Please also have patience with us as we establish the public affairs lines of communication within each jurisdiction to provide a direct linkage from the Board to the General Council members, so you can send information to your local churches. These public affairs lines will facilitate the dissemination of information quickly. As we implement this process, we welcome your feedback and improvement recommendations. Again, thanks for your support and continued prayers!
Your servants in Christ,
Board of Directors
The Church of the Living God International, Inc.