User:Siricruz/Christian Educational Ministries

Christian Educational Ministries (CEM) is a Sabbatarian Christian denomination headquartered in Whitehouse, Texas, originally founded in November 1995 by Ronald Lee Dart (1934- ), an important former leader in the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) and the Church of God, International (CGI). It is estimated that CEM for a time was the fifth largest organization to come out of the WCG.

Formation
As a former minister of the WCG and professor at Ambassador College in Bricket Wood, UK, Dart followed Garner Ted Armstrong after his expulsion from the WCG in 1978 and went on to become a prominent leader in Armstrong's new church, CGI. He served there until 1995, when a publicly reported sex scandal involving Armstrong came to light. At this time, many members left the CGI to found the Church of God Outreach Ministries (CGOM) and various other off-shoot organizations. Dart also left, citing health problems, and in November founded CEM with his wife, Allie, as an organization which he deliberately defined as "a service ministry, not a church," stating that the organization "does not attempt to govern community churches or fellowships in any way".

Media outreach
As a service ministry, CEM's stated main goals are to evangelize and to teach, achieved through the Born to Win Radio Program, through literature and essays both in print and on the Internet, and through YEA (Youth Educational Adventures), the organization's youth outreach program, which includes an annual teen camp program. The organization also makes available recorded sermons and Bible studies through the online CEM Bookstore.

The CEM Bookstore was a departure from both WCG and CGI, in that materials were sold for a price, rather than offered for free. Also, unlike WCG, Dart's stated goals in serving the general public are much more broad. Dart has stated that "CEM is here to serve the public, individual Christians of every stripe, and community based churches in every tradition. We are an independent, non-denominational ministry. Our Confession of Faith is broadly stated and not intended to be exclusionary." Because of this, Dart has developed a reputation among some as a doctrinal liberal, a charge which he defends by saying that he is not exclusionary and not focused on differentiation, in contrast to Herbert Armstrong, whom Dart feels focused more on exclusion, competition and differentiation.

To get some idea of the scope of CEM's outreach and network of volunteers, in 2007 the organization mailed out approximately 70,000 CDs, DVDs and cassette tapes, added 2,249 new families to its mailing list, and received 32,000 pieces of mail with a paid staff of nine people.

Government
CEM is operated by a governing board which makes decisions about operations and is in responsible for electing new board members as the need arises, with Dart named as President and Trustee, and his wife, Allie Dart as Vice President and Trustee.

Not existing formally as a church, CEM exists more as a loose confederation of independent churches and independent individuals. A number of them were formerly associated with the WCG or its many off-shoots. Unlike the WCG or CGI, CEM has no congregations or ministers of its own. For example, in 2003, when CEM sponsored its first Christian Feast of Tabernacles, the site was organized by a group of volunteers rather than a home office, and speakers from CEM were joined by speakers from the nearby Church of God, Big Sandy's Feast Site in Destin. Some critics complain that this results in a organization which lacks doctrinal and organizational unity. Dart responds that this approach does not involve a compromise between right and wrong, and in 2003 stated, "One of the demons of differentiation is vanity. [The attitude that] 'We are better than you are. We have the truth and you don't'. Arrogance is the bitter fruit of vanity. Another demon is exclusivism. Yet another is authoritarianism...You can't join the church; Christ has to put you into it" Ironically, part of CEM's support comes from members who remain in traditionally organized churches, but who have come to appreciate Dart's style, which has been described as thoughtful and soft-spoken.

Lacking a traditional church structure per se, CEM formed a partnership with the Tyler Church of God (TCG) to provide a staging area for its weekly tape program, an informal agreement viewed as a favorable arrangement for both parties. In 2008, CEM severed ties with the TCG over disagreements regarding oversight of the speaking schedule, and in January of 2009, reorganized and began services in the CEM building in Whitehouse, still maintaining its "non-church status".

Doctrine
Dart has stated that "the doctrinal differences among the Churches of God are miniscule" and CEM's doctrines very closely mirror the doctrines of its parent organization, CGI.

Continuing health problems And reorganization
While at home on the night of April 9th, 2010, Dart became the victim of an unfortunate accident when he tripped and struck his head on some bookshelves. Bleeding profusely, he was rushed to the ER and stabilized, but suffered damage that has since affected his ability to communicate or direct the organization he founded. Dart's wife, Allie, has since picked up responsibilities for her husband's continuing recovery, and for his responsibilities in CEM, which has resulted in a reorganization of board members. Allie Dart has stated her desire that "Ron's vision for CEM will continue to guide our policies, and his plans for CEM's future goals will be our blueprint going forward. I have never been one to seek the limelight. My name is not on the founding documents for CEM. I never wanted my name to be there. Do not let that fool you into believing that the concept for CEM was not a development of Ron and me prayerfully seeking God's will for our lives and his will for our service to him."