My experience with Worldwide Church of God started in 1972. My dad was a member just prior to me being born in 1969. My mom was a non-member. As a matter of fact she and one of the members used to joke about her being a "heathen." (That member died a few years ago and he was a very kind, generous man). 

My memories of the Feast of Tabernacles are pretty happy ones--but then again I wasn't at all the sermons either. Most of our Feasts were spent at Wisconsin Dells up until the 80's then they were spent in Dayton, Ohio. I also spent my teen years in the Y.O.U. youth group and that's when I started to see some things: (1) Not all the WCG congregations believed the same things we did (we were all one big happy family--I thought). Let me give you an example: During a basketball game in Ann Arbor, Michigan, the other team played "Street Ball" and we played "Christian Ball." You can see who won that game. (2) We were force-fed "United States and Britain in Prophesy" for a Bible Bowl and they didn't even--no, they asked questions that didn't even pertain to the book. What a crock!

Just prior to my teens, I lost someone who was near and dear to me. This was around the time of the receivership and the disfellowshipping of Garner Ted Armstrong. Her family was going through a "trial." Her dad was bedridden and her mother had to work to feed their family (pretty big one too) and they disfellowshipped them because then it was considered a sin if the wife/mother had to work. I was broken up about that and the minister chastened me for crying because of it (I was nine at the time). I think the WCG has something to do with the fact that we are not on speaking terms any more (that ended in 1997).

I stopped going regular in 1985, then went off and on until I joined the Army in 1989. The reason I stopped going was they couldn't answer any questions I had. They were also preaching the same old thing over and over again. I am still on good terms with the current members of the "church," but I feel that, right now, I can't attend anymore because I feel all organizations (and I use that term loosely) are just out for one thing...money. I still believe in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, but as far as church goes, I do not believe in the "gospel of man." 

By Pete - Child Survivor of WCG
February 10, 2001

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