What You Did Made a Difference

In John 5:17, Jesus said, “My Father works…and I work.”

Two millennia later, The Restored Church of God continues this same Work. We are carrying out Christ’s two commissions: to preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God to all nations (Mark 16:15) and feed the flock of God (I Pet. 5:2).

Established by Pastor General David C. Pack in May 1999, the early years of Restored were foundational for carrying on the efforts of Herbert W. Armstrong, who led our predecessor, the Worldwide Church of God, in the 20th century. In fact, the message and goals of God’s Church have remained the same throughout the centuries since Jesus built it.

Yet none of what we do could be accomplished without the commitment and generosity of all of you—the faithful members, co-workers and donors supporting The Restored Church of God. Despite the global economic challenges of 2022 and prior, your support helped spread the good news further than ever before and contributed to an increase in our number of congregations. We now have congregations in more than 75 countries and territories across six continents!

Let’s look back and celebrate the tremendous impact you helped us make.

Preaching the Good News

During His earthly ministry, “Jesus came…preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God” (Mark 1:14). He proclaimed, “Repent you, and believe the gospel” (vs. 15). The term “gospel” simply means good news. The spreading of this message drives The Restored Church of God today.

Preaching the good news of God’s coming Kingdom is known as the First Commission. We deliver a message of hope around the world, even reaching faraway countries such as French Polynesia, Iceland, China, Chile, New Zealand, Egypt and India.

These efforts are having a profound impact. Through God’s guidance, your sacrifices and the power of technology, we are providing ever more people with vital spiritual knowledge that leads to real, lasting positive change in their lives.

 

Website, Social Media & Literature Reach

Website Traffic: In 2022, we expanded our reach to over 234 countries and territories. Individuals in these places were given access to a treasure trove of spiritual knowledge including how God will bring peace and prosperity to all mankind. Within these territories, we reached 33,800 cities, teaching them about God’s Plan. This involves how He will end poverty, pollution, malnutrition, water shortages and disease. We had 3,275,090 visitors come to our website, rcg.org.

The Church’s presence on the world’s biggest social media sites can be thought of as an oasis of true knowledge for a parched world thirsting for answers. We strive to remain on the cutting edge of technology, using it to help us provide plain answers to life’s greatest questions. This allows us to spread the gospel at a rate and efficiency the Church has never seen before. Here are our totals for 2022:

• 503,065 total followers and subscribers
• 3,275,346 World to Come video views
• 5,000,000+ people reached on our social media accounts

Literature Requests: In 2022, as in years past, we distributed millions of books, booklets and articles. We have items available in 11 languages. There was nothing to buy or pay for to receive God’s truth. It was all free of charge. Again, God made this possible by inspiring people like you to support His Work.

Our literature can be divided into three categories: (1) Bible Doctrines, which cover the various and little-known Bible teachings such as the Sabbath, God’s Holy Days, dietary laws and what happens after we die. (2) Christian Living, which covers how to apply God’s way of life in areas of our lives such as our marriages, raising children and how to achieve lasting success. (3) Prophecy, which is history written in advance and recorded by God, the divine Author of future events, both as a warning and reason for hope in our crumbling world.

Feeding the Flock

Christ’s words to the apostle Peter in John 21:15-17 still apply today. He emphasized feeding the flock of God, which is known as the Second Commission. Jesus directly ties feeding His sheep to loving Him. Take time to read the passage. By showing love to those whom God has called, we display love to God Himself. Fulfilling the Second Commission is one of the greatest outward expressions of love we can show toward God.

As God calls people (John 6:44) and they respond, becoming part of His Church, the ministry works tirelessly to shepherd and care for Church members.

Worldwide Impact: While our Headquarters is in Wadsworth, Ohio, our reach goes much further than just the United States. Your generosity contributes to the Work baptizing and caring for members across the globe. Just over half—53 percent—of our members live in North America. Of the remaining amount, 25 percent are in Africa, 5 percent in Asia, 7 percent in Australia/Oceania, 8 percent in Europe and 2 percent in South America.

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2023 Feast of Tabernacles Sites

Annual Festival Sites: Another way to appreciate our worldwide reach is to look at all the locations where we hold the Feast of Tabernacles each year. This is when Church members gather for an eight-day festival—an incredibly joyous occasion for spiritual growth, food, fellowship and fun. The locations exhibit the beauty of God’s Creation. This festival pictures a coming time of harmony and prosperity that so many in today’s world yearn for.

Ministry Development: This past year was unprecedented for The Restored Church of God. A total of 20 ministers and two deacons were ordained or raised in rank, and five ministerial assistants were appointed. These leadership roles help us better fulfill the needs of our growing membership. We continue to anticipate and respond to Church growth by developing leaders.

To train ministers and their wives, the field ministry travels to our World Headquarters each summer for a weeklong conference to enhance their skills. Those who cannot attend in person livestream the event. Attendees participate in workshops, attend lectures and build bonds. They then return to their respective pastorates filled with renewed knowledge and excitement.

As one of our international ministers said, “The Ministerial Conference is a wonderful time of fellowship for the ministry. It is a great time to recharge our spiritual batteries and learn more to help members of the Church.”

Ambassador Youth Camps: Opportunities for youth to learn how to become stable, happy and successful adults according to God’s way of life are scarce in today’s world. Our annual Ambassador Youth Camp presents this rare opportunity. AYC connects teenage boys and girls with the Word of God in a way that helps them cultivate character, develop life skills, build relationships and grow in maturity.

In 2022, we had two AYCs—one in the United States and the other in South Africa. Many campers who could not have otherwise afforded the cost were able to attend these invaluable camps based largely on your financial assistance.

Teens experienced a well-balanced schedule of sports, classes, activities, Bible lectures and free time, making this a perfect setting to build lasting, healthy friendships.

International Trips: In December 2022, our South African minister traveled with a deacon to visit members in Namibia. The primary purpose of the visit was to help continue to develop recently established congregations in this West African nation. Our minister marveled at how happy the people were to learn about the true gospel. One remarkable story was a baptism that was more challenging than usual due to difficulty finding water in an impoverished and arid area. He baptized this person after eventually (and miraculously) finding a water reservoir next to the road where livestock quench their thirst.

In early 2023, two of our field ministers took a trip to visit the local ministry and members in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. These men spent nearly two weeks there, helping to build up and establish the local congregations. They set up administrative procedures to help care for the local flock and made two ministerial appointments to address the growing needs of God’s people in the Philippines.

Again, such growth is possible because of the generous support from members, co-workers and donors like you.

Financial Performance & Health

Following Jesus’ instruction, “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matt. 10:8), The Restored Church of God offers everything absolutely free. We never solicit donations from the general public.

People often wonder how this is possible. God sustains this Work through the tithes and offerings of faithful members and the contributions of our many devoted co-workers and donors.

We take our responsibility very seriously to be wise, faithful stewards of these funds.

 

How Each Contributed Dollar Is Spent

The Church is accountable to God. His ministry is thus charged with ensuring that every dollar entering God’s storehouse is managed according to how He wants us to use it. Our role can be summarized as follows: Invest the maximum and waste the minimum to fulfill the First and Second Commissions.

Each year, the Church engages the services of a highly qualified accounting firm to conduct an audit of our financial statements. According to our most recently audited financials, of every dollar contributed to the Work:

• $0.37 went toward the First Commission
• $0.42 went toward the Second Commission
• $0.21 covered General and Administrative costs

Many charity watchdogs—organizations that hold nonprofits accountable—use what is called the Program Expense Ratio to indicate what percentage of an organization’s expenditures are being invested towards its core mission versus how much is invested in the supporting services for this mission such as management and general administration.

The Better Business Bureau, a nonprofit organization that seeks to advance marketplace trust, recommends that nonprofits spend at least 65 percent toward their core mission. The Restored Church of God allocates 79 percent of its expenditures toward the First and Second Commissions. This is 21.5 percent higher than the BBB’s recommendation and equates to a BBB rating of A to A+.

A Look Ahead

On God’s behalf, thank you for all your support! We will carry on this mission of preaching the gospel to all nations and feeding God’s flock. Together, we will continue making a real difference. The Restored Church of God is committed to expanding its ability to impact lives everywhere. Additional millions will learn and believe God exists, that the Bible is His Word and that He has a Plan of Salvation for everyone, among countless other Bible doctrines.

We must always keep the big picture in mind. Vast multitudes will continue to be exposed to the life-changing knowledge of the Bible—and the fruits of this Work of God will be evident.

It is also essential to think about our impact on the individual level. A great many families are being taught the principles that produce happy marriages and prosperous children in a world that has lost such basic knowledge. Through our teachings, people are learning how to achieve vibrant health, keys to success in their everyday lives, how to pray, study and meditate, what to expect in Bible prophecy, and much more.

The excitement, joy, thrill and enormous contentment that flow from this understanding dwarfs every trial, difficulty, hurdle, obstacle and problem one could face. This is why Jesus said in John 10:10 that His Way represents a life more wonderful—more abundant—than people could ever imagine.

This is what you are a part of. Let’s continue making a lasting difference!