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Old ministers application form
Posted: April 30th, 2008, 12:40 pm
by paul
Do any of the older pastors ( like Dr. Ron

) have copies of the old applications for ministers license ?
I was talking to someone today about the questions on gum and administering medicine. If I remember their was about 100 questions.
Old Minister's Application
Posted: April 30th, 2008, 1:16 pm
by Dr. Ron
Paul, I don't have any of that stuff any more.
I have been getting rid of most of my old stuff. It is Old News and I have no reason to keep it.
They even asked me for my license back.....I refused...i still have them.
They mean nothing to anyone but me..they were signed by M.A. Tomlinson...they are just an antique that I keep.
I have done away with all my old files from when I was an overseer. Most everything is very out dated.
Posted: April 30th, 2008, 2:40 pm
by paul
Thanks for the reply. Reason I asked was I came across an old book dated 1949 of the Cyclopedic Index. Compiled by M.A., Kinser payne, Gillaspie,Griffith, Queener, Kent, Moxley, J. Pruitt, Rhodes, Wright, Scotton, Miracle. Now thats history.
It was given to me by a retired preacher many, many years ago by the name of Sam Thurston..I know he played a part in A.J. Creels life to some extent.
Looking through it, I just recalled the questionare. and wondered what the difference on thoday's for cogop might be.
Posted: April 30th, 2008, 2:41 pm
by pastorables
The application that I filled out in 1988 still asked about the gum. I had to quit chewing gum to be able to answer "no" on the form.

Posted: April 30th, 2008, 6:00 pm
by Full Quiver
and administering medicine
surely not; impossible!
Posted: April 30th, 2008, 7:08 pm
by paul
Full Quiver wrote:and administering medicine
surely not; impossible!
I remember my wife and I praying very much over a few of the questions. We even wrote bro. M.A. with questions, which he kindly answered. I remember him writing me back and referring to some having to wear eyeglasses. I never really knew him personally, but did have a great respect for him.
Posted: May 1st, 2008, 12:46 am
by Shellie
Old ministers never die. They just sneak out their teeth to chew gum.
Posted: May 1st, 2008, 4:48 am
by DaJudge
I always wondered what scripture AJT got the gum chewing prohibition from.
Posted: May 1st, 2008, 4:58 am
by crispfin
I always wondered what scripture AJT got the gum chewing prohibition from.
An older minister told me not too long ago that he felt it was tacky and thought it made a Christian look bad, so he forbade it.
Old Minister's Application
Posted: May 1st, 2008, 5:06 am
by Dr. Ron
Actually the gum chewing thing was because it "had the appearance of chewing tobacco". And they wanted to make sure no one could possibly give the appearance of evil.
I talked to MAT at length over the medicine issue and the gum issue. I got my license without answering either question. I told him point blank that I would not answer those questions. He did not force the issue.
MAT had some issues with changing anything his father set in motion. And then there were others around him who would put a guilt trip on him for even considering. Rhodes, Griffith, Payne, ....some of those folks were older than he and would really hold his feet to the fire if he went too far with it.
He was a lot more openminded than most wanted to give him credit for.
Posted: May 1st, 2008, 5:08 am
by Shellie
At one time, a letter was sent out to pastors asking if they believed that the COGOP was THE Bride of Christ. Ministers that answered "no" lost their licenses.
old Minister's Application
Posted: May 1st, 2008, 5:42 am
by Dr. Ron
Well, I dodged the bullet on the one about the boc. I replied that I believed that it was as much the body as any other church could claim to be.
That was the best double talk I could come up with at the time....Elwood almost didn't get to stay around because of his answer! He gave them the "nucleus" theory. That COGOP was the "nucleus" of the body to which all the other bodies would attach....or some silly something.
Re: old Minister's Application
Posted: May 1st, 2008, 5:50 am
by paul
[[Dr. Ron"]
....Elwood almost didn't get to stay around because of his answer! He gave them the "nucleus" theory. That COGOP was the "nucleus" of the body to which all the other bodies would attach....or some silly something
I used that one for years.
The one question I asked MA about was the administering medicine to our children. It was the hardest one for my wife. After M.A. wrote us back we left that one blank.
Nancy and I all our years in cogop did not so much as take an asphrin. Nancy even gave natural child birth to. No blocks or anything.
old Minister's Application
Posted: May 1st, 2008, 5:56 am
by Dr. Ron
After all these years......HOW STUPID WERE WE?????
Thank God for all the changes........unless of course you LOV
Posted: May 1st, 2008, 8:16 am
by one love
The chewing gum was as Dr Ron stated they did not want people thinking they were chewing tobacco just as many other things drinking some drinks that the bottles looked like beer. Not drinking coke for the reason of it may having cocaine in it.
We have a lot of questions on our ministers license forms now but nothing about medicine or gum or anything of the sort.