There are strong reasons to be skeptical in accepting the Worldwide Church of God as now Orthodox. Here are a few of them, as summarized from Dr. Robert L. Sumner's booklet Is Armstrong's Cult Now Orthodox? A New Look at the Worldwide Church of God!¹.

1. They still do not understand the deity of Christ
   
   

2. Their changes appear to be more convenience than conviction
   
   

3. In spite of doctrinal changes, they are still strongly cultic
   
   

4. The Scriptures do not teach mass repentance or mass conversion

"Neo-Orthodox and other liberal theologians have long been masters at using biblical and orthodox language, but giving it their own meaning. In short, it sounds good to Bible believers, but is actually saying something entirely contrary to their understanding of the same words..." (p. 9).

"While going through their alleged metamorphous from worm to butterfly, the leaders repeatedly changed and modified their statements to please their 'guides.'" (p. 10)

"...we found it significant that President Tkach, in an editorial proudly proclaiming the 'new faith' of the WWCG--which appeared in the Winter 1996 issue of Christian Research Journal--quoted only one theologian in the entire article. Who was it? William Barclay, the British theologian who wrote so compellingly, using orthodox terms, then admitted his liberalism before he died, confessing in his autobiography he meant something different in his language from how conservatives understood him." (p. 11)

"To illustrate some of this forked tongue mannerism, the current President/Pastor General claims that Herbert W. Armstrong just before he died (how convenient!) on January 16, 1986--instructed his father, who succeeded him, to make the very changes in doctrine the WWCG has been making." (p. 12)

"Can a group of leaders meet in a back room, vote to change beliefs in one area, report to its constituency and say, in effect, 'You now believe this'? Hardly." (p. 18)

UPDATE: Letter to Worldwide Church of God, Philippines (On Apostasy--A Radical Proposal) (Reveals the disturbing direction WCG is headed doctrinally; includes New Age authors WCG has endorsed. This Oct. 2006 letter was later forwarded to over 300 WCG ministers, including those at Headquarters. Includes May 2007 email reply from author Brian Flynn to a WCG Philippine deacon (Cc to ESN), concerning how we must be discerning concerning false teachings coming into the church.)

COMMENTS BY ESN:

The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE)² accepted the Worldwide Church of God into full membership ³ in 1997. Jack Hayford was instrumental in helping the Worldwide Church of God become a member of the NAE. Jack Hayford is founding pastor of the Church on the Way in Van Nuys, California (Foursquare Church, Pentecostal), where Paul and Jan Crouch (Trinity Broadcasting Network founders) are members. He is on the board of Promise Keepers and is one of the founders and first officers of Charismatic Bible Ministries, a leadership organization initiated by Oral Roberts in the mid-eighties. He is hyper Charismatic, speaks in tongues (read: Jack Hayford--"Though I Speak in Tongues"), and has involved himself in unity movements around the world with New Agers and Catholic leaders. He was instrumental in helping the Worldwide Church of God become a member of the NAE.

WCG joined the Evangelical Ministries to New Religions in 1998.  EMNR is a Lausanne-covenanted organization and has, in fact, been instrumental in mainstreaming the Mormon religion as a Christian denomination. For more information, read the following report: Evangelical Ministries to New Religions. WCG has given their approval to the Lausanne Movement, calling it a work of God.⁴

The WCG now endorses such ecumenical movements as Promise Keepers (which came out of the Vineyard Fellowship), and the Church Growth Movement (Rick Warren). (See our Links for more on the church growth movement, which is now being called "kingdom growth" or "Kingdom theology".)

In spite of all that looks good on the surface, WCG never fully addressed the devastation they caused in countless thousands of lives, nor have they admitted that Herbert W. Armstrong used thought reform methods to con multitudes into his exclusive cult⁵ where they were exploited and spiritually abused. Read Mystery of the Ages (a critical review))

While Greg Albrecht glibly agreed in 2004 that Herbert W. Armstrong was a "heretic" (read it in: Called to Be Free), WCG's whitewashing of HWA has abounded since the new changes. Read: Has WCG whitewashed Herbert W. Armstrong? 

Today there are hundreds of breakaway groups that have spawned from the Worldwide Church of God--the majority still teaching the same Armstrong doctrines and believing HWA received the "restored gospel" and "revelation" from God. What Herbert W. Armstrong started has truly mutated out of control. Considering this and the deceitful, confusing way the new doctrinal WCG changes were instigated, how could the changes be called a "miracle of God"?

Dr. Sumner believes that it is possible that both Tkaches are hypocrites of the first magnitude and that there was, and is, lying going on. The Outsider's Inside Update Newsletters and Exit & Support Network are briefly mentioned in his booklet, as is also David Covington (ex-WCG minister), Hank Hanegraaff and Ruth Tucker. The OIU Newsletters on our site discuss the "reasons behind the events."

Read Dr. Sumner's email to ESN

Is Worldwide Church of God Still Holding on to Some of Herbert W. Armstrong's Doctrines?

ESN recommends that exiters from Worldwide Church of God, or any interested researchers, obtain Dr. Sumner's entire booklet entitled: Is Armstrong's Cult Now Orthodox? A New Look at the Worldwide Church of God!  

You may order this 22 page paperback for $2.00 postpaid (U.S. dollars drawn on U.S. Banks) from:

The Biblical Evangelist
5717 Pine Drive
Raleigh, NC 27606
Phone or fax: (919) 852-0850
Email Biblical Evangelist 

One of Dr. Sumner's earlier books is: Armstrongism: "The Worldwide Church of God" Examined In the Searching Light of Scripture, a 424 hardbound book with carefully documented evidence of the WCG's original teachings. It is still available for $15.00, postage paid (phone or email their ministry).

NOTICE: Worldwide Church of God is now considering a name change. Read: Worldwide Church of God is Changing Their Name. 

Footnotes:

¹ Is Armstrong's Cult Now Orthodox? A New Look at the Worldwide Church of God! - A Frank, Candid Appraisal by Dr. Robert L. Sumner, 2000.

² Ted Haggard was former president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) which represents almost 50,000 churches in America. During this time, there were a number of serious concerns regarding him, including his spiritual manipulation, hypocrisy, and promoting the agenda of C. Peter Wagner. On Nov. 4, 2006 Haggard resigned as president of the NAE and was dismissed as senior pastor of the 14,000 member New Life Church in Colorado Springs, CO as a result of sexually immoral behavior. (Read: Will we ever know the truth about Haggard's double life? and Letter to NAE and other concerned Christians.)

³ Joseph Tkach is listed on the NAE board of member list. 

⁴ History of Mission Spokane - as of 2-13-00, "What is God Doing?" / "What on Earth is God Doing?" by Gary Roberto.

⁵ The word "cult" is used in the context of a deceitful, abusive, mind-manipulating organization. While WCG may not be labeled a "religious cult" by the media today, we have given reasons in our OIU newsletters and in our other articles why we do not endorse them, but rather expose them.

Worldwide Church of God: New Changes, Ecumenical & New Age Connections

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