I found nearly every sentence in this book twisted with manifold untruths and omissions on every page; therefore, it was only possible to try and keep track of some of them. The most appalling thing beyond the myths and gross distortions was the lack of feeling for the abuse, suffering and trauma of members and exiters. 

Essentially all of the important dates for significant happenings; i.e., when the Worldwide Church of God leaders met with evangelicals and apologetic ministries are omitted, and there is also no index in the book to enable one to quickly compare statements.

In chapter 7, "What We Believed," the author uses the word, "doctrine" in its various forms twenty times, yet "heretical" is only used three times. In chapter 11, "How Could We Have Believed These Things?" he uses "heretical" once and "doctrine" in its various forms, four times. Instead of using the word, "heresies," for what Herbert W. Armstrong
taught, he labels these beliefs with such terms as, "unique teachings," "doctrinal distinctions," "esoteric doctrines," "unbiblical interpretations," "error," misunderstanding," and the best one of all —"cognitive dissonance," which was used twenty-four times in chapter 11 alone. He used the word "denomination" in its various forms seventeen times throughout the book, the word "cult" in its various forms sixteen times, and the word "we" (which always referred to those in "God's Church") was used so extensively as to be beyond counting.

The author appeared quite cunning in the sense that he has obviously studied thoroughly not only the doctrines of evangelicals today, but also their common terminology. He uses words such as, "minister to," "a blessing to me," "came to know the Lord," "my personal testimony," "godly," "lordship," etc. The Worldwide Church of God ministers and members never used such words as this, and wouldn't unless they had been around other Christians for a long time; therefore when this book was written. this language would have been completely foreign or uncomfortable to them, indeed for quite awhile. Yet the book has the author starting right off using these words like he has no problem in the world doing so. In other words, he is now "one of them"—or so he wants others to believe. The author has a knowledge of psychology and is quite skilled in using it. This should be no surprise since he was a former social worker. ("Honey I Shrunk the Church," New Times Los Angeles, December 4, 1997)

When the author tries to present his own—almost nostalgic view—of Herbert Armstrong, he fails to quote the "miracles" from HWA’s autobiography. Long time members will remember them: HWA praying for and receiving ten cents for a vitally needed bottle of milk for his baby (Autobiography of HWA Vol. I, p.401-402); the angel taking hold of his steering wheel and forcing him to go down the street where he talked to the "Pentecostal" crippled man1 (Ibid., p. 335-336.), and many others. One would think that to reference those would surely would show evangelicals that Herbert W. Armstrong was a "sincere Christian man." (Read: Has WCG whitewashed HWA?)

Lastly, the author tells the world that the WCG is "Trinitarian" now, but his mention of the Holy Spirit in the book approaches zero.

WCG headquarters has been whitewashing and repainting Herbert Armstrong since the beginning of their doctrinal changes Read: Has WCG whitewashed Herbert W. Armstrong? for some examples. One reason for doing this would be to not offend present members who still have nostalgic feelings toward HWA (and also don't want to feel they were duped). Discerning Christians will be able to see through the myths.

ESN encourages researchers to check Herbert Armstrong's older articles, booklets and Good News issues online, along with his Autobiography and Mystery of the Ages (critiqued on our site), to read what he really believed and taught, and then compare it with what is stated in this book.

In this critique "Tkach" refers to the author Joseph W. Tkach Jr. unless otherwise noted; "HWA" refers to Herbert W. Armstrong; "WCG" refers to Worldwide Church of God; "WN" refers to the The Worldwide News2; PT refers to The Plain Truth, and AC refers to Ambassador College (later renamed Ambassador University).

I will make comments from the author's words in each chapter and will show some of the contradictions, distortions and myths, which I will bold in blue. The author's words from the book will be in quotation marks.

By D. Williams (former WCG member)
Exit & Support Network™
January 6, 2001
Updated April 2006

UPDATE: Worldwide Church of God changed their name in April 2009 in the United States to Grace Communion International.

Note: Some who are well versed in the occult have relayed to us that the front dust jacket of the book has occult symbols and overtones.

Be sure and read: Transformed by Truth or Transformed by Lies?? (a close scrutiny of what Joseph Tkach Jr. classified as his personal story)

Note: Garner Ted Armstrong, Herbert Armstrong's son, played a vital part in the Worldwide Church of God organization. He is barely mentioned in this book. Read some of our articles covering Garner Ted Armstrong.

Footnotes:

1 This story about the angel and the steering wheel is also on p. 66 of Mystery of the Ages. Read what ESN reviewer of MOA had to say about this.

2 In Feb. 2005 The Worldwide News in the United States changed its name to WCG Today. In May 2006 it was changed to Together.

UPDATE: In November 2004 the Worldwide Church of God moved its headquarters from Pasadena to Glendora, California. (Pasadena Star-News, October 25, 2004) By May 2006 all their offices were moved to Glendora. (Together May-June 2006). In 2006 they were considering a name change. (Read: Worldwide Church of God is Changing Their Name) In April 2009 Worldwide Church of God changed their name in the United States to Grace Communion International. 

FORWARD: HANK HANEGRAAFF

INTRODUCTION: JOSEPH TKACH

CHAPTER 1: "IS THIS A CON?"

CHAPTER 2: "CHRISTMAS EVE SERMON, 1994"

CHAPTER 3: "MY PILGRIMAGE"

CHAPTER 4: "THE RIGHT HAND OF FELLOWSHIP"

CHAPTER 5: "CONSPIRACY THEORIES AND REJECTIONS"

CHAPTER 6: "A SERVANT OF THE PEOPLE"

CHAPTER 7: "WHAT WE BELIEVED"

CHAPTER 8: "THE FIRST REFORMS"

CHAPTER 9: "THE CENTRAL PLANK CRACKS"

CHAPTER 10: "WHAT’S ALL THIS ‘JESUS STUFF’?"

CHAPTER 11: "HOW COULD WE HAVE BELIEVED THESE THINGS?"

CHAPTER 12: "THE ENIGMA OF HERBERT W.  ARMSTRONG" 

"EPILOGUE: FROM ETERNITY TO HERE"

COMMENTS ON TIME LINES AT END OF BOOK (by ESN)
 

p. 9. "The P. T…focused...on sensationalistic end-time speculations."

The Plain Truth was advertised to listeners as a "magazine of understanding" and contained human-interest articles; e. g., family and society—not just end time scenarios.

p. 10. "God can redirect entire movements by changing the hearts of the leaders…"

God has never worked through entire movements. However, it is clear that the WCG is trying to claim this with themselves. Read: Was God Behind the Worldwide Church of God Changes? (Questions to ask).

p. 11. "Those who have not continued on the journey that God was taking us on have left."

The author tries to made readers think that God has been taking a Bible-based cult (i. e., mind manipulating group) on a "journey." There were many reasons people left the WCG at the time of the changes; e. g., one or more of the following: disfellowshipped; exited to an Armstrong offshoot; witnessed continued abuse and control by the authoritarian hierarchy; discovered they had been in a religious cult (a.k.a. an exploitive, abusive group); realized Herbert W. Armstrong was a false teacher and false prophet and lied; found out the true history of the WCG; saw the double-talk and twisting of Scripture; found out there was much more freedom to worship Christ on the outside.

p. 11. "My father [Tkach Sr.]…faithfully led us in studying the scriptures...to see where we needed to change."

Tkach Sr. introduced confusion, double messages, guilt and blame (all methods of mind control and propaganda) when he instigated the changes.

p. 12. "HWA…was a mentor to my father and me…he was a skillful leader, and we would not be where we are today if it wasn’t for him." 

This is another attempt to revise and whitewash Herbert Armstrong and what he really taught.

p. 12. "There have been nearly a half a million people who have passed through its [WCG’s] doors as members." "The denomination never had an attendance larger than 150,000…"

One must ask when was the WCG ever considered a "denomination"? S. E. Anderson, author of Armstrongism's 300 Errors Exposed, said on p. 182: "But of the scores of cults, Armstrongism is the most blasphemous." Does this sound like WCG was a "denomination"? Elsewhere on this site we show where WCG has referred to themselves as a "Christian ministry established in 1933."

It can be documented that the WCG’s highest number was about 53,000 in 1973. This can be discerned by listening to Mike Hollman’s tape, "Armstrongism: An Insider's View," available from Watchman Fellowship. (Hollman was director of data processing in WCG from 1972 to 1973.) Likewise, Myth 1 & 2-the greatest of them all in OIU Newsletter #6, Pt. 1 tells about the myth of WCG's membership numbers. (Also see this part in OIU 2, Pt. 1 about "discrepancies with the growth picture starting around 1978.")

p. 12. "HWA began his media ministry…with a warning that the end of life as we know it was imminent."

HWA began his media ministry with false prophecies that never materialized. (Read: Did Herbert W. Armstrong Set Dates?). He emphasized that the end of the age was coming, but that the "wonderful world tomorrow" would soon be here—not the end of life. Obedient members were taught that they would be protected in a "place of safety" and avoid the Great Tribulation. Also see this writer's comments on chap. 11, p. 156.)

p. 13. "Some are happy to continue believing errors while others can't find closure on how they could have fallen for a conspiracy theory of church history and uniformed teachings." 

Nothing was ever taught to the members at the time of the changes (or after the changes) about how WCG was known as a destructive religious "cult," which used "mind control" on its members in order to deceive, enslave and exploit. Read Transformed by Truth or Transformed by Lies?? to see more of what happened during this time.

CHAPTER 1: "IS THIS A CON?"

p. 15. "The Worldwide Church of God no longer a fringe sect…?"

These words were used by Ruth Tucker in her article "From the Fringe to the Fold, How the Worldwide Church of God Discovered the Plain Truth About the Gospel" Christianity Today, July 15, 1996. Why wasn't the word "Bible cult" used, since outside apologetic ministries understood the word? Was it at the bequest of the WCG in order to soften the impact of the destructiveness of the organization all those years and to revise their history?

Read: lengthy exposé   article on Christianity Today and also how Christianity Today has turned to promoting contemplative spirituality and the New Age.

p. 16. "The WCG insisted…HWA was God’s apostle and the Lord’s chosen means of restoring vital long-lost truth…" 

WCG members never used the expression "the Lord’s chosen." HWA claimed for himself the title of "God's Apostle" and "Christ's Apostle."

p. 16. "No unorthodox Christian sect in history has ever turned from its erring path to seek the way, the truth, and the life…"

The author omits the word "religious cult" or "deceptive, abusive group" and chooses instead to label the WCG an "unorthodox Christian sect." The reasons for the doctrinal changes are not revealed. But those who have discernment will know that God does not work through deceit and confusion. See this writer's comments in Epilogue, p. 195.

p. 17-19. [After WCG changes] "made headlines in evangelical publications, Dr. Kennedy was among the first to broadcast the good news through his nationwide radio program…told his audience…you folks who have left the WCG need to go back."

This statement by D. James Kennedy was to have happened before Tkach Jr. and Albrecht were on the air with him. No dates given here, but Tkach Jr., Greg Albrecht and Michael Feazell were interviewed on Truths that Transform on April 30, 1996 and May 1, 1996. (Note: Notice how this book, Transformed by Truth is very similar to the title of Dr. Kennedy's program, "Truths that Transform.") [Note: D. James Kennedy died 9-5-07 at the age of 76.]

p. 19-20. The story of "Lorri MacGregor" is told. 

Tkach misspells her last name as "McGregor" instead of MacGregor. Could this have anything to do with not wanting to trigger any connection between MacGregor Mather—who started the Order of the Golden Dawn—and George Mather? Read about this Order of the Golden Dawn in OIU Newsletter #6, Pt. 2 and to see what connection this might have to do with Pasadena. Name of MacGregor's cult-watching ministry is not given, and dates with meeting the WCG leaders not given.

p. 20. "We [the WCG] had a truckload of problems, but justified lying wasn’t among them!"

It seems rather strange that the author should mention "justified lying" in view of all the contradictions, whitewashing and distorted history that has gone on since the doctrinal changes were instigated.

p. 21. "When some of our members noted the first changes we made, they said, 'You watch! In two years they're going to be believing the Trinity and saying that Saturday isn't important anymore. Of course, none of us in leadership had any of that in mind even six years ago."

Read the OIU Newsletters for the reasons behind the events and how the above statement is an untruth. The author likes to tell about things the members never heard of themselves. 

p. 21. "...this man left us because we were still a cult. What the report neglected to say was that the man departed while still claiming to be one of the witnesses of Rev. 11; was scamming his congregation for four years declaring falsely that his wife had terrible cancer." 

There is no proof that this actually happened as stated. "If" this is referring to Michael Snyder, former Assistant Direction of Public Affairs in the WCG, he accused the WCG of being a cult when he left the WCG. (Watchman Expositor, Vol. 10, No. 7, 1993, p. 8) ESN has tape on Michael Snyder and Ruth Tucker Radio Interview. 

p. 22. "…most of the Christian world rejoices in what God has done here…"

Those that "rejoiced" took the WCG headquarters' words at face value without investigating the changes thoroughly. Read: Research Letters Regarding Worldwide Church of God Changes.

p. 22. "A few of our more fundamentalist brethren have been downright harsh. ... Will they refuse to give us the right hand of fellowship until a decade or two has passed?"

Why would the author call some of these ministries their "brethren" when the WCG previously ostracized, calling them such names as "Satan's churches," "Satan's counterfeits," "religious Babylon," "false ministers," etc.? And why should they expect them to accept them at face value? Blame is placed on certain evangelicals.

p. 23. "Many members…thought all would soon return to the familiar ways of the past. The changes weren’t real…must be exaggerated…would get back to normal."

This writer personally knows of no members who felt this way. Most felt there were no real changes (just some updates to the booklets) until the video sermon was played in all WCG congregations. Members didn’t even understand the duplicity that was starting to be printed in the Worldwide News (WN). This confusion is very common to those who have been under thought reform.

p. 23. [The "Christmas Eve" sermon of 1994] "once and for all convinced the skeptics within our own church that the changes were real and that they were permanent."

The members were never told the date of this sermon.  See WN Jan. 10, 1994. Tapes received for this video were marked 1-7-95.) Also, why would headquarters use the words "Christmas Eve"? Did they feel it would win them attention and acceptance from the Christian ministries they were targeting?

p. 24. "…there was no conspiracy. … some of the leaders [of the United Church of God] had been planning a breakaway in secret meetings…" 

He says there was "no conspiracy" and then goes on to say some of the leaders were planning a breakaway in "secret meetings." UCG was the largest group that formed after the WCG changes. Outsider's Inside Update Newsletter, Volume 3  contains much exposé information about United Church of God-AIA.

p. 24-29. "On Christmas Eve 1994, my dad began the three-hour sermon..."

Tkach Sr.’s video sermon of Dec. 1994 is quoted on these pages, but the author's version in this book is different than what was actually said by Tkach Sr. on the video. The video is much more blame-filled and filled with more double talk. The original transcript is also shorter than Tkach Jr. says it was. Also, worthy of mention, is that the video transcript that WCG posted on their website in the past (taken from the Worldwide News) differed from the one on ESN's site because WCG left out major statements. (Tapes with ESN) This appears to be one more incident of history revision.  

p. 26. "[HWA said] ‘I baptized people who were still smoking…baptized drunkards…even teenagers.’"

This writer never heard it said that a minister or HWA said this. In fact it was just the opposite. One example comes to mind: back in the early `60’s a member had to plead with a WCG minister to be baptized first in order to receive the Holy Spirit to help overcome a smoking habit, and the minister finally allowed it.

p. 26. [HWA said] "there are Christians elsewhere in the world."

It was Joseph W. Tkach Sr.—not HWA—who said those words in a May 17, 1994 Co-worker letter to members. At that time he stated that the WCG found Sabbath-keeping Christians in the "Ukraine." (Note: Joseph W. Tkach died September 22, 1995 of cancer at the age of 68.)

p. 31. "...we have awakened out of our deep theological slumber... Today we enjoy and are actively exploring a personal relationship with our living Savior, Jesus Christ."

It is debatable how many members even understand what this means. This also shows a completely glossing over of what really happened to members and children growing up inside and how survivors of thought reform need to know how to heal from the emotional and spiritual repercussions of being in a spiritually destructive system for years. Most members today are still known to talk about "the church" and have been actively involved with new programs, especially in regard to discipleship training and in recruiting the youth. 

p. 34. "…I firmly believe I was a convert to Christ long before…[the changes of the last few years]."

This is an amazing statement in light of how the doctrinal changes were brought about. In addition, there were no articles in the past WCG literature dealing with God’s grace through faith in Christ without the works of the Law; therefore, what does he mean by a "convert to Christ"? Also, does the Holy Spirit work through deceit and abuse in order to make changes? See this writer's comments below on p. 36.)

p. 36. "By the time I was baptized, I already had a saving relationship with Jesus Christ."

Members were taught by the leadership that they had to receive the "laying on of hands" after baptism in order to receive the Holy Spirit, so one wonders how the author can claim that he was "already saved" before he was baptized, since he taught otherwise? Also mentioned in chap. 12, p. 176.

p. 37. "I can point to several defining moments in my life when the light of scripture blazed in my mind with a power and clarity I had never known before. ... Suddenly it struck me like never before…And I missed it! Until now, I didn’t see any of it."

Contradiction: See p. 118b when the author talks about how it was the members that started asking questions after HWA died. Also, how could he miss what ministers like Earl Williams were beginning to teach about the New Covenant and what David Covington clearly wrote to Joseph W. Tkach in 1994?  What about the evangelists in the 70's who brought up doctrinal issues time and again to the leaders at HQ and were instead slandered and accused as being "instruments of Satan"? The leaders of the WCG today were in the organization at that time and are well aware of this.

p. 40. ‘Look, this is my Sabbath day, and I’m resting today. Could you please go next door? If there is nobody there, fine, then you can come back and I’ll see how I can help you."

Here the author is saying that a former pastor gave a series of seven sermons on how to keep the Sabbath and he recommended if someone came to a members' door, cut and bleeding on the Sabbath, they were to tell them the above words. This writer never even heard this topic brought up until later in the late `80’s when it was written in the WN by Joseph Tkach Sr. that members were to do just the opposite and help the person who came to their door on the Sabbath. Is the author telling the entire story as it was printed?

p. 41. "We were so focused on the [Sabbath Day] that we felt made us special and unique...."

Loyal members would probably disagree and say they felt they were focused on "God and the Kingdom of God" on that day. If any felt "special and unique" it was because they were made to feel that way through the teachings of HWA.

p. 42. "Legalism blinded us…and that legalism is still a plague today."

Contradiction: On p. 38 the author goes into how he became "unblinded" by just reading Scripture. And to call members' blindness "legalism" is to cover up that it was actually thought reform being used on them. It was far more than "legalism" in the WCG. People were exploited the entire time through the three tier tithing and compulsive holy day offerings (while leaders lived in luxury), including the "Co-Worker letters" that continually begged for money in the guise of a "crisis in the Work." (Read: Response to Are  YOU Holding Back?) If this wasn't enough, members and children were threatened with the Great Tribulation and the Lake of Fire if they didn't obey "the government of God." (Read: Did Herbert Armstrong Abuse His Flock?)

p. 42. [We have] "over eleven hundred small group fellowships throughout our church." "Never before would we have prayed together…studied the Bible together."

This writer remembers reading (perhaps in a Co-Worker letter or sermon) how entire congregations got down on their knees in Sabbath Services when Mrs. Loma Armstrong was dying in 1967. It is not known whether this was true because members were not taught to pray outloud together, neither were they to meet and study the Bible in small groups. The WCG congregations had "Bible study" twice every month for the members.

p. 45. "I doubt we would have made it this far without a healthy sense of humor. To keep our sanity...we have found it necessary to make fun of ourselves and laugh at events and at each other. That's helped tremendously."

Contradiction: See chap. 4, p. 74 about his "sufferings."

CHAPTER 4: "THE RIGHT HAND OF FELLOWSHIP"

p. 47-48. "we somehow came into contact with Sabbatarian Christians living in the Ukraine." 

"Even before this, [Tkach Sr.] had begun to say publicly, ‘You know, there are Christians in other churches, whether they're keeping Sat. or Sun.’" [This was considered] "the first step toward reconciliation with Christians from many denominations."

Or was it just the WCG HQ's first step toward implementing the new doctrinal changes?  Read: Deception Surrounding Worldwide Church of God Changes.

p. 48. "After we started making significant doctrinal changes in 1987..."

The story (truth or untruth?) is told of Bill Burns who used to attend Imperial School and how he was told by pastor Bill Bradford (of a Foursquare Gospel congregation) to go back to the WCG and how Bradford became a close friend of Tkach Jr. and Greg Albrecht. Bradford introduced Albrecht and Tkach to John Holland, president of the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. As usual, no dates are given. Foursquare Gospel Churches believe in tongues speaking, which is now endorsed by WCG. 

p. 49-50. "Ruth Tucker is a church historian..."

Ruth Tucker, Michael Snyder and David Hulme are discussed. Tkach says Tucker (who wrote the article in Christianity Today about the WCG being a "fringe" group) is considered a "gift from God." 

p. 52. "Camilla F. Kleindienst, a lifetime member of the WCG..."

Truth or untruth? Tkach relates Kleindienst’s testimony in Connecticut about how she came to believe the WCG changes were "of God" and had never seen her congregation so "happy and energized." Exiters would strongly take exception with this view, as the majority of members were in confusion. This sounds, instead, like the same thought reform the deceived members have always had. That is, if one can believe this, since WCG (as all religious cults) were known to make up stories in their Good News articles; i. e, about the "bountiful blessings" members received by being faithful in their third tithe year (no doubt to encourage others to pay into this fund.)

p. 52. "David Hulme…was given the task of articulating what the church believed to the outside world—yet he himself did not believe what the church now taught."  

Are we to believe this? It is known that David Hulme did a very unusual about-turn. Read: A Cult in Transition? and search for the words "David Hulme."

p. 53. "Our fellowship was not ready for that at the time" so they appeared on the program a number of months later and had three one hour programs"

What actually transpired was that Greg Albrecht wrote Hank Hanegraaff on 1-5-94 and asked to meet with him. [Read: OIU Newsletters] After WCG leaders met with Hank, Hank wanted them to be guests on his radio program right then. WCG's "doctrinal change on the Trinity" was announced on the Bible Answer Man on 5-5-94. [tape with ESN] WCG members—unless they were starting to think critically—never even listened to the Bible Answer Man during the time the leadership was going to the mainstream media. It was part of the "information control" that members in the group were under.

p. 56. "George [Mather] was introduced to us about the same time we were getting to know our Foursquare Gospel friends."

The story of George Mather is told. How much of this story is true, no one knows. The speed at which WCG states they were making contact with certain outside evangelicals is truly incredible. At the same time, the members inside knew nothing of what was going on.

p. 56. "Our connection with Azusa began with Greg Albrecht started taking classes there back in the late seventies." [Tkach speaking] "I started going to graduate school at Azusa Pacific (then Azusa Pacific College, now Azusa Pacific University, APU) in 1976. I went at the time because Ambassador College  here in Pasadena was pursuing accreditation." [Greg speaking]

Greg Albrecht tells how he started going to Azusa Pacific University (which by the way was without the members' knowledge) because Ambassador College was "pursuing accreditation" and he needed at least a master’s degree. He was asked to get one and received it in 1977. He does not say who asked him to get this. See chap. 8, p. 118a which shows AC didn't pursue accreditation until 1988 (ten years later). To makes things more confusing Ambassador Report #34, January 1986, states that HWA received a letter in March 1985 saying AC was given full accreditation by the International Accrediting Association of Modesto, CA--yet that accreditation association was not fully recognized by the state of California. (Note: Please be aware that the AR is now posted on an agnostic/atheist website.) In 1992 AC was pursuing accreditation again. (AR, Oct. 1992, p. 8. ) So what was Albrecht's true motive for attending Azusa? Also read: New York Times Los Angeles 1997 article which also shows it was not just Greg Albrecht who began "quietly attending" attending Azusa at this time, but Bernie Schnippert, Michael Feazell and "the church's inner circle." Read more about Albrecht at Azusa in OIU 6, Pt. 1. Azusa Pacific University, considered to be a theologically liberal institution, Charismatic/Pentecostal, and a member of Willow Creek Association.

p. 57. "were free to think thoughts, to embrace questions ..."had not been free [when HWA was alive] to think or embrace."

p. 58. "At no time did we ever formally consult with [Azusa] on doctrinal issues."

If this is true, what was Greg Albrecht's motive for attending Azusa Pacific in the first place back in 1977? Read about this in: OIU Newsletter #6. It was also mentioned in the New Times Los Angeles, December 4, 1997

p. 59. "We had a terrible time trying to convince potential advertisers, as well as magazines …that we were for real." 

This certainly didn’t apply to Christian Research Journal and Christianity Today, which were used as the "PR" for WCG.

p. 60. "There was never an intent to mislead anyone."

Why would the author have to say this unless there have been others who have questioned if they were misleading others?

p. 65. "Just before he died in 1-86, HWA told his handpicked successor…that changes needed to be made in the church…"

Again, no proof of this happening. Read: Deception Surrounding Worldwide Church of God Changes, which also covers how Tkach Sr. said the source of the changes were HWA himself and that he "changed his mind" in regard to what he previously taught.

p. 65 "No one had any particular agenda in mind, nor did anyone have any specific goals in view other than to identify, if possible, what changes Mr. Armstrong might have had in mind before his death. ...Beginning in 1987, a series of changes slowly began to be made in the church—unsystematic, unplanned, often in response to persistent questions by the membership."

Read: OIU Newsletters to see the myth of the author's statement.

p. 66. "The tentative amount to buy out several of us was two million dollars."

p. 67. "Every article went through an approval cycle that included a review process which requested comments and suggested edits from virtually all top ministers and advisers in Pasadena, even those who opposed the changes…My dad reviewed all the comments before approving his material for publication. Nothing was published in my dad’s name that he had not personally studied, discussed, and approved."  

See chap. 6, p. 83 for contradiction.

p. 67. "…many of our members had a hard time believing their church was moving away from its peculiar doctrinal distinctives."  

Many members were so much under the mind manipulation of headquarters that they didn't even feel there were any changes at first. Also, see chap. 1, p. 23. To even introduce such changes in a contradictive and confusing manner is a thought reform technique that those who have studied mind control are well aware of.

p. 67. "When the church began making doctrinal reforms, some of the people closet to my dad couldn't accept that he was behind them; the only way they could cope was to develop conspiracy theories that 'explained' what was really gong on."

p. 68-69. [David Hulme’s 1995 resignation letter and Tkach Jr's reply.] 

p. 70. "Mr. Armstrong’s concern was to appoint someone who would...uphold Christ…"

p. 71. "Today…United Church of God, the largest of the splinter groups (with about seventeen thousand members).

Myth. UCG had about 20,000 members at the time of this statement. Today figures have dropped to 12,000 (as of 2004).  Also OIU Volume 3 has information about UCG.) See chap. 7, p. 105 for contradiction on his figures.

p. 71. [The 3^rd conspiracy theory] "supposed that Feazell or I had obtained some kind of scandalous information about my father that we were holding over his head to manipulate him…this one had zero basis in fact."  

Much exposé information about Joseph W. Tkach Sr. was covered in a biography of Sr. in Ambassador Report #41, #42, #43, #44, #45, #49 and #50. The Ambassador Report may be viewed online. (Note: Please be aware that the AR is now posted on an agnostic/atheist website.)

p. 71. "The WCG reached its peak attendance in 1988…with 126,800 members and 150,000 in attendance. Those figures stayed relatively stable until 1992 when a slight dip was noted. By 1994 church attendance had slipped to 109,600…[after 12-24-95] attendance plummeted to 66,400, and by the time of this writing it had leveled off at around 58,000." 

Myth. It has been documented that the peak was 1973 with 54,000; in 1995 it was about 30,000, and shortly after this book was written it was approximately 5,000 or less. Discern by listening to Mike Hollman’s tape, "Armstrongism," available from Watchman Fellowship. Read Myth 1 & 2-the greatest of them all in OIU Newsletter #6, Pt. 1 to learn about the myth of WCG's numbers.

p. 72. "Receipts worldwide in 1990 amounted to more than $211 million. By 1994…income stood at about $164.6 million. The following year income dropped to $103.4 million. In this past year our receipts totaled about $68.5 million. We expect a national income of $38 million in 1997." "In 1986, our total budgeted expenses fell to about $52.5 million…forced to lay off most of our headquarters’ staff, cut circulation of the PT, sharply reduce subsidies to AU…put up for sale our 51 acre Pasadena world headquarters…and AU campus in Big Sandy, Texas."  

Myths. Income in 1988 was $220 million. Where did all that money come from? The members as a whole were not a wealthy group. Read Myth 1 & 2-the greatest of them all in OIU Newsletter #6, Pt. 1 and this part in ESN's Letter to author Janis Hutchinson.

p. 72. [Tkach denies hiring] "a public relations firm to ‘turn us into a mainstream church’ (a patently false rumor circulated, no doubt, by ex-members trying to make sense of our dramatic doctrinal changes.’"  

Hanegraaff was a "paid consultant" of the WCG. Joseph Tkach Jr. stated on the Bible Answer Man program that the president of the NRB was their "PR" man. (tape with ESN) In Hanegraaff's October 1995 co-laborer letter he gave credit to CRI for the WCG's change.

p. 72. "…have come to believe with all our hearts that a vital, vibrant growing relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ is worth any cost we may be required to pay."

Or has headquarters been merely willing to do anything to get their ship floating again? Read: Sold Copyrights to Philadelphia Church of God.

p. 73."our offices continue to receive a steady stream of angry letters (usually anonymous) ... Greg Albrecht...not long ago received a long vitriolic five-page missive that blasted him for every sin in the book. The writer went on and one, wringing him out in vituperative language. At the bottom of the letter the author signed off, 'May you burn in hell, Your brother in Christ.' "

Nothing of this sort was heard in this writer's area or in other areas. The last story on page 73 may possibly be an extreme twisting of David Covington's letters to headquarters or simply a myth to get sympathy. First of all, members did not believe in "hell" so would not use these words; second, they did not sign their letters, "Your brother in Christ" as the name Christ was not used in that manner. When members signed letters it was most likely, "In Christian love." 

p. 74. "One man who identified himself as a member of ...(Global Church of God) visited our worship service in Pasadena in the spring of 1997. After services he approached me, tapped me on the shoulder, and announced his name and church affiliation. He then told me that if he "had the authority" he would kill me. In front of many others he declared that he would like to cut my head off."

p. 74. "The enormous amount of stress he [Tkach Sr.] faced from leading the church into reform helped send him to an early grave."

This statement would elicit sympathy from certain ministries and readers. Joseph W. Tkach Sr. was supposed to have had colon cancer. Many people succumb to cancer for any number of reasons. 

p. 74. "These are but a few of the examples in my own experience of what it means to 'share in the fellowship of his sufferings.' It has not been easy. It has not been pleasant. It has not led to long nights of restful sleep or carefree days of blissful ease."

Contradiction. See chap. 3, p. 45 where he talks about how it "has been fun" and about his "humor."

p. 75. "We’re really not running around seeking the approval of men…"

How could the author state this when it is evident that they were? They ran to outside evangelicals first before even helping their own members know about or understand the doctrinal changes and used Hank Hanegraaff as their PR man. 

p. 77. "Stanley  R. Rader...had led the legal fight against the state's attempt to seize control of our church. He had won. Yet because some observers insinuated that he led the battle only for personal gain..."

Vital facts are left out concerning state of California’s lawsuit against WCG in 1979. The facts about what HWA was really doing at that time are labeled "insinuations" by Tkach.

p. 78. [quoting HWA from Worldwide News, March 6, 1980, special edition]: "And brethren, I have to say to you, no one is going to succeed me...I think that when God lets me die, the thing He's called me for will have been completed. ... There is no one in the Church that has the qualifications, the experience that could carry on the work that God has given me to do." [quoting  Tkach] "...just months before his death, Mr. Armstrong reversed himself and named Tkach—my father—to follow him as the next Pastor General..."

Five years before HWA had said no one would succeed him. Does this make any sense? For more on double-talk going on in the WCG at this time, read Deception Surrounding Worldwide Church of God Changes.

p. 81. "We’re shepherds, not sheriffs. ... He [Tkach Sr.] and others recognized that there was far too much authoritarianism in the ministerial ranks, and he took steps to try to curb as much of that as possible." 

What about all the privileges and benefits the ministers were enjoying while their authoritarianism continued? Also see chap. 11, p. 155 for this writer's comments on suffering of members.

p. 82. [HWA] "traveled around the globe" [and talked about] "a strong hand from somewhere." 

HWA also never mentioned the name of Jesus Christ to these world leaders he was visiting. See chap. 12, p. 180.

p. 83. [Tkach Sr. read from notes when he gave a sermon because he] "wanted to avoid stating doctrine inaccurately." 

Headquarters felt Tkach Sr. wasn't well versed in communication and in getting things across to the members properly, and that is why Sr. used notes. Could he have been an embarrassment to headquarters? 

p. 84. "His [Sr.] most earnest desire was to follow Christ faithfully. ... Never was there an agenda. Frankly, neither he nor we were smart enough to create such an agenda. ... A flood of questions started pouring in from our ministers and membership…as we answered those…more questions came in. There was no way to stop them…we did a lot of research.

p. 84. "There were some astute members who saw that the first two or three changes we made required that other changes would soon have to be made. They accurately predicted most of the corrections we announced in the following 3-4 years. Yet at the time, we saw none of this. ... Never was there an agenda." 

p. 85. "I have no doubt that the extreme difficulty of those days hastened his death on September 23, 1995..."

This seems to be another attempt to gain sympathy for Tkach Sr.

p. 88. "...nearly all of the doctrinal distinctives that Herbert Armstrong taught originated not with him, but with Protestant groups (albeit extreme and even heretical ones).

Is the author trying to make one think that the Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons (which HWA plagiarized from) are just "Protestant groups"? What about Seventh-day Adventists? (There are those who have consider the Adventists a cult for teaching many non-biblical doctrines.)  

p. 89. "Before Mr. Armstrong moved to California, he and John Kiesz, a former Church of God (Seventh Day) minister who is now deceased, were working together in Eugene, Oregon." 

Jr. doesn't tell about Kiesz discovering that HWA plagiarized from the Bible Advocate. Read: John Kiesz Furnishes Information Herbert W. Armstrong and Herbert W. Armstrong's Religious Roots (mentions Kiesz).

p. 90. "When [HWA] said something had been revealed to him, he did not mean that God had poured the new understanding directly into his waiting mind. No, whatever the new teaching happened to be, it usually came through a more human channel. ...Mr. Armstrong’s use of the term revealed was a good deal more elastic…and I don’t believe it was deliberately deceitful or malicious."

HWA's Co-Worker letters (available online) show how he subtly led others to believe he received his teaching from "special visitation directly from Christ." For instance: "I was taught by the revelation of Jesus Christ..." (11-25-55 Co-Worker letter written on the letterhead of the World Tomorrow program and analyzed in Armstrongism: Religion or Rip-Off? (An Expose of the Armstrong Modus Operandi) by Marion J. McNair, chapter 1, p. 17. HWA's teaching on British-Israelism is another example. 

p. 91. "...you'd probably respond a lot like we did—with firm dedication laced with fear. Our spiritual lives were heavy with rules and threats." 

There is no mention here of the exploitation suffered by the members. But that "dedication laced with fear" was a result of fear phobia induction.

p. 92. "Our God was not entirely orthodox."

WCG's God was never orthodox. The author shows some of the things members used to believe, but omits full discussion of the feast days, a.k.a. "holy days" (and termed the "Plan of Salvation"), the Sabbath, medicine, D&R (Divorce & Remarriage doctrine), fear of the lake of fire and the Great Tribulation, and how members were not to read outside material, nor doubt or question the leader, which was associated with the "government of God,"—all marks of an exploitive, abusive group.

p. 93. "We taught the primary mission of Jesus was to prove that the law could be kept." 

There is quite a twisting of words and myths here. Members were taught Jesus’ mission was to announce the coming Kingdom of God (i. e., "Government of God") and that the Law would be part of that Kingdom. They were also taught that Christ lived in them and would "live the same life as He did when He was on this earth" i. e, keep the Law.

p. 94. "We said that those who believed in the death and resurrection of Jesus and who committed themselves to obeying the law were 'begotten’ sons of God…" 

This completely leaves out that members were taught by WCG that they had to first repent and be baptized by WCG ministers and then have the "laying on of hands" in order to receive the Holy Spirit and be "begotten."  

p. 95. "Our obedience, as we formerly understood it, included adherence to religious festivals, new moons, and holy days." 

This is distorting the facts as members didn’t observe "new moons" (the first day of each month in the Jewish calendar and observed with offerings).

p. 96. "The WCG interpreted the Bible to discourage members from... No other church followed all these strict practices; therefore, they were apostate and we were righteous."

The author enumerates on what the members couldn’t do, but leaves out the suffering and hardship it caused on members and children alike. While "Christmas and Easter" is mentioned, he omits how those in WCG were not to observe New Years, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and many other things they couldn’t do. Also, see Epilogue, p. 198. The author presents all this in a way that demeans the members, not mentioning that they were coerced into these things through fear threats by HWA.

p. 97."Mr. Armstrong was not always called 'Christ's apostle.' But by the early 1950's some students at Ambassador College began to refer to him that way. Soon others picked it up. ... Herman Hoeh [in 1951] used the title in a sermon... In 1955 he acknowledged the truth of this title, but he rarely  used it or even mentioned it for the next twenty years."

It was Herman Hoeh (who later became an evangelist and prophecy teacher in WCG) who was the student who proclaimed HWA as "God's Apostle" in 1951 (pp. 216 & 217 of Armstrongism: Religion or Rip-Off? See Feb. & Mar. `55 Good News). This couldn't have been printed without HWA's prior approval. Hoeh also stated in a July 1953 Good News: "Mr. Armstrong's office carries with it divine authority, backed by the power of God. Jesus has sent him to speak in His name and by His authority..." It was statements like these that began to raise HWA to almost divine status among his members. (Ibid; p. 219) (Read a few statements by HWA calling himself an Apostle.)

98. "We do not believe that one form of church government is more biblical than another and are taking steps to decentralize our ecclesiastical structure." 

WCG has still maintained their hierarchical structure. Congregations in other areas may have adopted different names, but they are still connected to "headquarters" in that they receive literature from there (including their church newspaper--formerly Worldwide News; now called WCG Today in the United States) and still send certain monies to headquarters.

p. 99. "We were 'between' the two covenants."

The author makes it sound as if members believed they were "between" the Old and New Covenants up until 1995. In actuality this writer remembers the minister telling their members (at a Bible study in the early 90’s) that they were already under the New Covenant, even though it wouldn’t be completely fulfilled until Christ returned. This was undoubtedly part of the new changes, but slipped in without members' awareness.

p. 100."How did he [HWA] come to this conclusion? [of British-Israelism] Tortured etymology gives one answer."

This is simply a twisting of words. HWA plagiarized this doctrine from others. Read: Armstrong Charged With Plagiarizing "U.S. And Britain in Prophecy"

p. 102. "In our former view, all of history looked to the millennium as the pinnacle of righteousness and godliness." 

Members never stated it in those words, but said they were looking forward to the "World Tomorrow when the Government of God would be enforced."

p. 102. "We saw conspiracy everywhere."

Much of HWA's literature focused on prophecy and how it would be fulfilled. Rarely there might have been a member in the congregation that was reading literature about certain conspiratorial subjects, but to say members "saw conspiracy everywhere" is far fetched. 

p. 103. "…numbers of people left the church [in 1972]" "when all these predictions failed." 

HWA taught time cycles and the date 1972 was supposed to end a "19-year time cycle." Many members stayed after the 1972 date failed (see book, When Prophecy Fails by Leon Festinger that explains how members make up excuses and go on following the same leader.) But several thousand did leave, not because the "predictions failed," but because certain high level ministers attempted to change the organization from within by presenting the leaders with New Covenant doctrines; i. e., tithing; salvation by grace, etc.—along with revealing the corruption, and double standards at headquarters. The result was that they were slandered and denounced by HWA. Read about this period of time in: Worldwide Church of God History) Also see the very turbulent 1970 era talked about in ESN's letter to author Janis Hutchinson.

p. 103. "Today we no longer hold this three resurrection eschatological scheme to be a test of fellowship. ... We believe God to be fair, just and merciful." 

WCG appears to be teaching a form of universalism today and believes that those who didn't really have a chance the first time around will have one sometime after Christ returns. 

p. 103. "he [HWA] brought that sales mentality into the founding of our church. It appears that he said to himself, "All right, I've got to make this church different. How do I make people want to come to this church and not some other church?" 

HWA did not just have a "sales mentality." He became skilled in psychological propaganda. These techniques are analyzed in his Co-Worker letters in: Armstrongism: Religion or Rip Off? chapters 2 and 3. Page 11 of this book also says: "Great skill was applied in order to sever the listener from his family, economic community, and society." People didn’t even realize a church existed when they first listened to his program or got on his mailing list. By the time they knew about one, they had to wait for months, or often years, before being allowed to attend. (Read: How Did Herbert W. Armstrong Recruit People?)

p. 104. "I [HWA] can start positioning my product by identifying all others as inferior or even worthless...It'll be basically the same thing, but I'll give it a slightly different name. ... in fact it is what happened."

The author tries to get readers to believe that WCG's beliefs were basically the same as others, with a "slightly different name," which is grossly untrue. See chap.12, p. 169.

p. 105. "Our largest splinter group, the United Church of God, ... has about eighteen thousand members." 

See chap. 5, p. 71 for distortion/contradiction on figures for UCG.

p. 105. "A majority of our former members—it would be hard to assign a number—have joined other Christian denominations. These people may have felt the WCG congregation they were attending wasn't making changes fast enough ...."

Contradiction. The Worldwide News during this time, in a personal from the Pastor General, reported that thousands had left and were aimlessly wandering, not attending any church anywhere, so how could a "majority" have been attending "other Christian denominations?" The author relates why he thinks people may have left the WCG, but he doesn't mention those who found out that WCG was a cult and, as a result, left.

p. 105. "Close to 70,000 remain with us; we have lost about 70,000."

Myth. When this book was published in 1997 there was approximately 5,000 or less left from around 30,000 they had in 1995. Today there is even less. It can be documented that the WCG’s highest number was about 53,000 in 1973. Discern by listening to Mike Hollman’s tape, "Armstrongism," available from Watchman Fellowship. Myth 1 & 2-the greatest of them all in OIU Newsletter #6, Pt. 1 will tell about the myth of WCG's membership numbers.

p. 107. "Not long before he died HWA told my dad that some things in the church needed to be changed." 

Where's the proof? Isn't this what cults always tell their members after the founder dies? For more info on the changes he may be referring to read: Deception Surrounding Worldwide Church of God Changes. (covers how Tkach Sr. said the source of the changes were HWA and that he "changed his mind" in regard to what he previously taught)

p. 110. "Yet, Mr. Armstrong already seemed to be making room for the idea that not all those who lived in faith and obedience would be physically healed in this life."

p. 111. "In this same booklet ["The Plain Truth About Healing," 1979], Mr. Armstrong also made it clear that visiting a doctor was not just cause for being disfellowshipped…the church did not condemn a member who used the medical profession." 

This 1979 book had been revised from the original due to the litigations WCG was beginning to receive as a result of WCG's healing doctrine! Read: How Did Worldwide Church of God Instruct Ministers to Deal With "Health and Medical Problems"? Members in 1979 were still holding on to the belief that it would be a sin and lack of faith to go to the doctors for anything other than minor conditions such as broken bones.

p. 112. "[HWA] used the medical profession for almost everything. What amazes me now about this is that he would almost brag about what he was doing."

Many twisted stories about HWA and his doctors and how the members reacted to it are related. Members, however, never got to read about these things the way it is described here by the author. Also, nothing is mentioned about the terrible suffering many members endured because of HWA's healing doctrine.

p. 112. "All of these things finally conspired, I think, to make Herbert Armstrong realize that his stance toward the medical profession had to change."

The author wants us to think that HWA's conversation about this subject took place with his dad in 1985 shortly before he died. Nothing is mentioned here about how the WCG, under Tkach Sr., knew they had to change the healing doctrine because of the many deaths and the resulting potential for increasing lawsuits.

p. 114. "...Mr. Armstrong himself would have been the first one to change and accept new understanding when God made it clear." [3-23-87 WN]

When the new healing doctrine was introduced in the 90's, Tkach Sr. called it "new truth" not "new understanding" as stated here by the author. HWA was presented several times with the "truth" about various doctrines; i. e., when to observe Pentecost (Sunday and not Monday) and later tithing in the 1970's. But he never would accept what was shown to him and would disfellowship those who disagreed with his teachings, even slandering and accusing them as being "of Satan." Later he changed Pentecost to Monday, but never admitted someone understood it before him. HWA was full of pride and arrogance. 

p. 116. "The vast majority of our members were happy with the church's new understanding."

Untruth. The vast majority were in confusion. Many members and ministers left to start attending Armstrong offshoot groups. 

p. 116. "Some members were unhappy about the way the new understanding had been presented. Because we wanted the booklet to be appropriate and useful for a general readership (and not directed only to our members)...we had to use phrases such as, ‘Some have taught…’ or ‘Some have believed…" [3-23-87 WN]

The "general readership" is no doubt referring to the new members they were hoping to pull in. Why can't WCG be honest on who the "some" referred to? The responsibility for what was taught lies with HWA, not members.

p. 116. "Even then [at the time of the new healing booklet] there were rumblings of unrest." 

The author tells why certain members were "upset" with the new healing booklet. In WCG's 1998 book, Transformed by Christ, WCG stated, "In 1988, Tkach made minor doctrinal changes. He taught members that it was permissible to go to doctors, take medicines, observe birthdays and wear cosmetics." To say that this caused "rumblings of unrest" is clearly an overstatement and is placing blame again on the members.  

p. 117. "Most women in our church never wore makeup in the first place so this verbal barrage [from HWA] didn’t much affect them."

p. 118a. "Second, 1988 was also the year we pursued accreditation for Ambassador College."

See chap. 4, p. 56 which shows contradiction on why Greg Albrecht was at Azusa. There is a conflict in dates here. Ambassador Report #34, January 1986, states that a letter was sent to HWA on March 21, 1985 from the International Accrediting Association giving AC full accreditation; however, AC students were not informed at the time. 

p. 118b. "They [the members] were sure that we had some kind of hidden agenda or master plan for the complete reshaping of the church. Of course, we never had any such scheme; we simply were responding to the increasing numbers of questions posed by our members after the death of Mr. Armstrong."

Contradiction: See p. 37 where the author says he saw the truth of the Scriptures himself by reading them. Also see chap. 6, p. 84 where he talks about the "questions."

Next to Part 2 of 2 (chapters 9-12 & Epilogue) (includes ESN's comment on time lines at end of book)