Was Herbert W. Armstrong God's True Servant?
Public criticism concerning HWA began circulating many years before he died. To mention a few:
Dr. Walter Martin exposed Herbert Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God in 1965 in The Kingdom of the Cults1; S. E. Anderson wrote Armstrongism's 300 Errors Exposed (by 1300 Bible Verses) in 1973 as a result of long and concentrated study of the group's material; Joseph Hopkins wrote The Armstrong Empire (A look at the Worldwide Church of God) in 1974; Dr. Robert L. Sumner wrote Armstrongism: The "Worldwide Church of God" Examined in the Searching Light of Scripture in 1974; The Ambassador Report2 started exposing the Armstrongs and Worldwide Church of God in 1975; Marion J. McNair, a former WCG member and employee, wrote Armstrongism: Religion or Rip-Off? (An Exposé of the Armstrong Modus Operandi) in 1977; William B. Hinson, a former WCG minister, wrote The Broadway to Armageddon in 1977; David Robinson, a former WCG minister and employee in many capacities, wrote Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web in 1980; Paul N. Benware analyzed the history and teachings of the WCG in Ambassadors of Armstrongism in 1984; various newspaper articles were written and subsequently archived by counter-cult organizations; certain WCG exiters worked tirelessly distributing public flyers on HWA, the Worldwide Church of God and The Plain Truth; and other exposé books and articles3 were written exposing Herbert Armstrong while he was alive. (See our Booklist for titles and also how we offer three of these books in PDF.)
All this was in addition to both secular cult watching organizations and Orthodox Christian ministries that were attempting to make the public aware of Herbert Armstrong and his "church." The fact that almost all members were unaware of this material shows how effective the information control of the WCG was. Since the mass exodus from the WCG began taking place after WCG's new doctrinal changes were given to the members in 1995, easier access to computers and the internet have enabled even more people (especially exiters) to come forth and criticize Herbert Armstrong and the WCG.
Today Herbert Armstrong lives on in hundreds of offshoots and splinter groups, most of which continue to believe that he was a "true servant of God," "God's End-Time Man," or the "end-time Elijah" who "restored the true gospel," a.k.a. the "Truth."
Don't members, who believe Herbert Armstrong was led by God, say they aren't following a man?
Herbert Armstrong was heard at Feast sites (i. e., in 1972 in Penticton, BC, Canada) to say, "Follow me! I will lead you into the Kingdom!" and "He [God] is speaking through me!" The ironic thing is that it was HWA who then turned around and taught members that they "weren't following a man, but God." As a result, you will hear many of his followers (especially in Philadelphia Church of God or Restored Church of God) talk more about Herbert Armstrong and his "truths" (Sabbath, tithing, holy days, etc.) than they do about the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel of grace.
HWA was able to convince many readers and members that it was God who was speaking through him (instead of God speaking through His Son. See Heb. 1:2a). Consequently, without understanding how he was circumventing the gospel, they came to believe every doctrine he taught was true.
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." ~ Sir John Dalberg-Acton
If one researches HWA's background and his religious roots, they discover that he didn't really receive any new truth from God, but merely took it from various heretical belief systems, then gave it his own eclectic spin. Those of us who did not understand how HWA altered Scripture and its application ended up seeking our own righteousness by trying to keep the old covenant Law. There was no opportunity for us to know the true Jesus Christ or enter into the New Covenant.
HWA also gave out over 200 false prophecies (not "speculations") which he said were to take place "within 5, 10 and 20 years." The Bible shows that it only takes one false prophecy to make someone a false prophet (Deuteronomy 18:22); therefore, wouldn't this show that members were not only following a man (especially a man's interpretation of God's Word), but a false prophet?
I thought Herbert Armstrong said to "listen to no man":
He did, but then in what could constitute double-speak he persuaded members to refuse to listen to anyone else but him and to read only his literature. This is known as "milieu control" or "information control" and Bible-based cults (i. e., mind manipulating groups) know how to make use of this. This means he held back information, distorted information, offered assumptions and rationalizations, logical fallacies, etc. while using basically only his literature (booklets, magazines, newsletters, videos, tapes, etc.) for biblical instruction. Anything that was critical of his methods or his organization was said to be "only lies," and "of Satan."
"He makes a string of false statements, inserts a correct statement with what seems to be supporting Scriptures, and then summarizes the meaning of the Scriptures while ignoring any Scriptures that could annul his theories." (Excerpted from Mystery of the Ages (a critical review) -chapter 7)
The beginning lessons of The Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course started out by instructing the student to use only a Bible and the Correspondence Course; i.e., no evangelical Christian books, tracts, or other religious literature material, no asking questions from other mainstream Christian ministers--lest the student "get confused." (The Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course, 1965, Lesson #4, p.11. Read HWA's full quote.)
This was the method Herbert Armstrong used as he took Scriptures out of context and distorted them that he might lead the student to believe he was actually finding out certain truths on his own. This can be classified as subtle deception because the reader ends up thinking he "proved" all of his religious beliefs (did his own thinking) by simply studying his own Bible. In reality, HWA succeeded in controlling that person's thinking, as he altered the very Word of God, or its application, in order to financial exploit him/her in the process!
Chapters 2 and 3 of Armstrongism: Religion or Rip-Off? An Exposé of the Armstrong Modus Operandi included an analysis of Herbert Armstrong's co-worker letters, revealing the propaganda methods he used in order to solicit donors and then con them out of thousands of dollars. Nothing was really "free" in the long run.
Almost all deceptive religious groups, in one way or another, will say "don't listen to me; read your own Bible," or as HWA said, "Don't believe me, believe your Bible," but they are able to lure their listeners into reading only their literature, and distrusting all others, because that is what is supposed to show the reader "how to interpret the Bible."
"Leaders get members and potential members to believe that they don't interpret the Bible but just 'teach what is in the Bible'--making the Bible synonymous with their interpretation!" (Mary Alice Chrnalogar, Twisted Scriptures, "Tricks to Keep You Controlled," p. 139)
As a result, people can come to place complete trust in one authority who tells them he has "the truth." Not only did HWA lead members to read only his material, but, without their awareness, he distorted historical church documents and omitted words from other books he quoted from.
Those leaving any totalistic, high demand group which has taught that Herbert Armstrong had the "restored gospel" and was "God's Apostle," "the end-time Elijah," etc. will have a very difficult time getting this belief system out of their head, mainly due to an ingrained mistrust of all other Christian material, mind control programming, and the twisting of Scripture. When they do read other material, it is often avoidance of that which HWA frowned on. They rarely admit that what they are still holding onto as "truth" is not truth at all. Therefore, it is helpful, whether one is still in these Armstrong groups, or has exited, that they study the history of the group (WCG), the background of the founder, the marks and methods of deceptive religious groups, and also come to understand how to properly study Scripture.
The fruits of any deceptive system have clearly been shown to be evil. Jesus said that a good tree cannot produce evil fruit. (Matthew 7:7-18)
Didn't Herbert Armstrong emphasize the family?
Herbert Armstrong emphasized the family; e.g. "how to have happy marriages" and "how to produce happy children," but at the same time he caused countless break-ups of families in the WCG by his divorce and remarriage doctrine (D&R), by his attitude toward those who were considered "unconverted" in members' family, by "counseling" that was given, by the demands and harsh teaching regarding women and discipline of children. Many people suffered needlessly and mercilessly for years. While many have considered HWA to be the "Elijah," the Scriptures say that Elijah would "turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers..." (Malachi 4:6). Can we honestly say HWA ever did this? His own family was far "happy" and certainly did not set a good example.
The members in such an authoritarian structure follow HWA's teaching in regard to isolating themselves from those they consider to be "in the world" (or cutting off from "Laodiceans") and having close relationships only with those inside their group (which they refer to as their "family"); e. g., focusing their life around socials, potlucks, activities for the youth, fund raising, camp outs, Bible studies, etc. This cutting off, especially from their own "unconverted" families who do not understand the "truth" as taught by their founder, causes much grief, pain and burdens.
Wasn't Herbert Armstrong unaware of abuses by ministers?
Some have spread the story that certain ministers under Herbert Armstrong were abusive yet HWA had "no knowledge of it." This is false because HWA used abusive methods himself. What is disfellowshipment, if not abusive? What is exploiting someone financially, or deceiving them, if not abusive? Certainly, there were ministers who felt they were sincere in what they were doing, but were they not mind-controlled themselves through the strict training they received at Ambassador College and through the ministerial refresher programs they had to attend? Certain students were carefully chosen at AC for the ministry, and those who would not yield totally to all HWA taught were not chosen. To control others through thought reform methods and mind manipulation necessitates abuse and exiting from such groups is always very difficult. If anyone believes HWA was unaware of thought reform, they can also read more about his background.
I heard Herbert Armstrong say that we aren't saved by works:
HWA said that we "aren't saved by works," but then if someone didn't rest on the 7th-day Sabbath, attend all the holy days (annual Sabbaths), tithe three tithes (including "tithe-of-the tithe"), give offerings, serve, obey the government of God, etc. (which were the "conditions"; i.e., works), they were said to not be "qualified" to enter the Kingdom of God. For instance, in his booklet All About Water Baptism, he says in the first sentence:
"WE ARE saved by GRACE, and through FAITH -- make no mistake about that; but -- there are conditions!" (emp. HWA's)
If he said there are "conditions," it can't be by grace, because there is no such thing in the Scriptures as "conditional grace." To add anything to grace is to fall from grace. What happened if a member refused to do those "conditions" HWA talked about? According to Armstrong--and all those that believed him--they would disqualify themselves from salvation. In other words, if members didn't do the works of the Law that he taught--and which he added to grace--they ended up out of his organization and headed toward the "lake of fire." Notice what he said in a 1979 Bible Study (copy with ESN): "We have to prove our obedience before we even get into it!" [the Kingdom of God] His many Co-Worker letters reveal how he would threaten loss of salvation if members didn't send him money. This is making grace conditional and salvation contingent upon doing certain works. HWA's words makes it clear that he was teaching works are required for salvation. We cannot add to what Christ has already done for us in his one time, all-atoning sacrifice on the cross. (Hebrews 10:10) 2 Corinthians 6:1 says it is possible to receive God's grace "in vain." Vain means "empty, without results, useless." This is what happens when works of the Law are added to grace (as the "Judaizers" were doing in Paul's day and as HWA taught and his ministers teach today). This is believing a truncated gospel and is spurning the gospel of grace.
HWA held the Law (the old covenant) over the heads of thousands of innocent people. Many people suffered needlessly and mercilessly as a result. Can we not see this was a yoke of bondage?
Did Herbert Armstrong confess his sins before he died?
Herbert Armstrong left no written record or reliable witnessed testimony that he ever repented. He was said to have been sitting in a chair, listening to the AC music tapes when he died. (Read letter from former member who questioned HWA's death diagnosis.) He had plenty of time to repent as his failing health continued for some time. In fact, he was supposed to have appointed his successor nine days before he died, written a letter to the members one week before he died, made out a will four days before he died, gave instructions for his jet and Big Sandy College to be sold and his Autobiography Vol. 1 to be reprinted and Vol. 2 printed, plus he was able to play the piano almost to the end. Nothing mentioned of "confessing his sins." For the last ten years of his life many who were close to HWA wrote letters to him, pleading with him to start living the way of life he had preached for decades and to reconcile with his son, Garner Ted.
There is no record, or evidence, that he ever admitted he did anything wrong; likewise that he ever confessed to living a double standard, destroyed a massive number of lives and wasted thousands of dollars (from those who sincerely thought he was the head of God's "one true church") by living in luxury and opulence. Is this how a person who has repented will behave? (For a stark contrast of how a true servant of God will conduct his personal life and his work for God, read the book: George Muller of Bristol by A. T. Pierson.)
But let us ask a question: Did Herbert Armstrong even know the true God, or want to know Him? If so, why was he not sensitive all those many years to the Holy Spirit who convicts us of our sins? A "death-bed repentance" has often been the excuse of those who want to justify someone as being "commissioned and led by God." In HWA's case, there is no evidence there was even a death-bed repentance, or any kind of repentance. But if HWA ever repented, he would have had to come to God through Jesus Christ as His Savior, which is the only way he could have come. HWA, as we know, was ashamed of the name of Jesus, not only failing to mention it to dignitaries that he visited in foreign countries, but leaving out songs in WCG's hymnbook about Jesus.
The Bible is clear that Christians are to teach the whole Word of God, which centers around the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and his free gift of eternal life. Instead, HWA ridiculed and slandered other Christian ministers (calling them counterfeit). He did not teach that we can receive eternal life now by turning to Jesus Christ as our Savior and placing our faith in Him, instead of membership in what he called "God's true church" and in doing various works. Instead, he made the unscriptural statement that we are "not called just for salvation," but for "a special training provided only in God's Church." (Mystery of the Ages, p. 270-271)
"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." ~ Matthew 7:15
But wasn't Herbert Armstrong sincere, even though he wasn't perfect?
For someone not to care about the thousands of people they were exploiting, the numerous families they caused to be torn apart, the fears and guilt they were injected into innocent minds, turning a deaf ear to others' pleas, and knowing the hypocrisy of their own life has got to be the absolute depth of evil. HWA may have said, "follow me as I follow Christ," but the reality was, he did not follow Christ (nor "imitate" Christ, which is what the Greek word for "follow" means in II Thessalonians 3:7, 9). Anyone who proclaims that Herbert Armstrong was "a sincere Christian," or "dedicated to Christ" when they know otherwise is having a part in that evil. These words are hard to hear but we cannot continue to hold onto a myth.
"None of God's Servants Were Perfect" (for those who like to use this reasoning)
Notice David Robinson's words:
"The truth is that this man is so profligate, so practiced a liar, so evil that he can only be a direct servant of Satan the devil. He operates in the name of God to serve his own wicked self, just as he took his own teenage daughter and abused her for 10 years, in the name of God! Many of his ministers know this and privately say so. He has brought great shame on the name of God and on true religions." (excerpted from a 1981 letter Robinson wrote; published in Ambassador Report #17)
William B. Hinson, a former WCG minister, had this to say:
"Herbert W. Armstrong has destroyed more lives than anyone I know in the name of religion in such a short period of time. The Armstrong work is a work of darkness and Christians are called upon to reveal the work of darkness." (The Broadway to Armageddon, chapter 1, p. 10)
It is hard for many to admit that Herbert Armstrong was a fraud who used religion as a racket. Many have written about his sins, his false prophecies and intentional deceptions, and his false gospel.
"...he caused you to trust in a lie." (Jeremiah 29:31
HWA wrote in the Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course that one of the keys to understanding the Bible was "obedience." If that is true, then why was he known to be engaged in sexual abuse of his own daughter at the time he said he was "restoring the true gospel"? HWA never denied this was untrue.
Why was HWA reported to be stealing from the till (financial improprieties) when he was with the Church of God 7th Day (and supposedly converted) and then later fled to Pasadena to start up his Radio Church of God?4
"In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God ..." (I John 3:10).
"...Speaking lies in hypocrisy" (I Timothy 4:2).
Why was HWA reading Hitler's Mein Kampf and studying communism?5
Those who continue to hold tightly to the belief that Herbert Armstrong had to be God's "true servant" will often cling to one last straw: "HWA was God's true servant because he lived a long life and died peacefully in his sleep, while Joseph Tkach, Sr. died a miserable death6 not long after making the changes." While this may sound like ridiculous reasoning, it is actually what is known as mystical manipulation (which is used in high-demand, mind-manipulating groups). The fact is that many wicked people and good people have lived both long and short lives.
Others will totally ignore the hypocrisy in Herbert Armstrong's life and say it makes no difference because "the truth is the truth," or HWA got "some truth" out to others. But where did HWA receive his "truth"? Were his revelations really "taught to him by Jesus Christ and not by any man" as he often said? It is common knowledge that he plagiarized/copied much of these "truths" from Church of God 7th Day and other groups such as Seventh-day Adventism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormonism, etc.7 It was nothing "new." Holding to the belief that "HWA had the truth" is actually putting doctrine over person (explained in Lifton's Eight Criteria of Mind Control). Whereas, the Scriptures teach that a person will not live in sin, but their life will be transformed after conversion:
"For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God" (John 3:20-21).
"If the truth that you have doesn't lead to a godly life, then you don't have the truth."
~ J. Vernon McGee
Many refuse to see the real truth except as viewed through the glasses of Armstrongism.
Did HWA do "a great work" as some have tried to claim? Or was it Christ who did the great work when He shed His blood for us on the cross of Calvary?
The Scriptures warn us about those who will bring a "different gospel"; those who claim to speak for God, but instead are not who they claim to be.
"But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity" (Luke 13:27).
Look first to the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross, not to any man who would try to beguile you by claiming he has "God's truth."
By D. M. Williams
Exit & Support Network™
November 23, 2003
Last updated August 17, 2011
"The evil are 'the people of the lie,' deceiving others as they also build layer upon layer of self-deception." ~ The People of the Lie, M. Scott Peck, p. 66
Footnotes:
1 The earlier editions of The Kingdom of the Cults (e.g., copyright, 1965, 1977, 1985) were replaced after WCG's doctrinal changes by a newer version, with a forward by Hank Hanegraaff. Chapter Four on "Mind Control and Thought Reform" was written by Gretchen Passantino, who debunks mind control and who is closely aligned with CRI. (For more information on Passantinos, read Greg Reid's article: The New Inquisition. Note: Bob Passantino died of a massive heart attack 11-17-03)
2 The Ambassador Report helped many to leave the Worldwide Church of God through its exposé of the organization. Many issues (including the letters) have valuable info which exposes the WCG, HWA and Tkach, Sr. In the beginning Trechak and the team that he worked with appeared to have a very noble goal. But after awhile it was apparent that he had a close attachment to Stan Rader and the message in his AR became mixed causing people to become bitter instead of being on the road to healing. His later reports were referring readers off to agnostic, aberrant, cultic, New Age, meta-physical, anti-Bible and humanistic sources through comments, letters, addresses and book titles. John Trechak died September 2, 1999. (Note: Please be aware that the AR is now posted on an agnostic/atheist website.)
3 While only few hardback books were written about Herbert Armstrong before the 1960's, there were a number of articles written; i.e., Joseph Hopkins, author of The Armstrong Empire made mention of several: "Herbert W. Armstrong: Does He Really Have the 'Plain Truth'?" by Leslie K. Tarr, (Moody Monthly, Sept. 1972); Herbert Armstrong: Mr. Confusion by Roger F. Campbell, 1971; The Armstrong Error, by Charles F. DeLoach, 1971; The Marson Report by Richard A. Marson, 1970; "The Armstrong Movement: A Former Member Speaks Out" by Richard A. Marson (Unpublished manuscript, 1971); The Plain Truth About Armstrongism by Roger R. Chambers, 1972; "The Plain Truth About the Armstrongs and the World Tomorrow," by William C. Martin, (Harper's, July 1973). Quotes from these authors and others are in Chapter XII of The Armstrong Empire. Other such articles written about HWA and the WCG were: "What Does Herbert Armstrong Preach?" by Herbert V. Caneday (The King's Business, September 1959, pp. 26, 27); "Pertinent Answers to Armstrongism," Roger Campbell (The King's Business, September 1963, pp. 14, 15); The Armstrong Heresy by Paul Wilson.
4 Radio Church of God was renamed Worldwide Church of God in 1968. In November 2004 they moved their headquarters from Pasadena to Glendora, California. In 2009, WCG changed their name to Grace Communion International. Some local church areas and countries may still carry the former name or a different one.
5 Read: Herbert Armstrong Used Mein Kampf as a Guide in Controlling People and this part in OIU 5, vol. 1 which shows HWA studied communism.
6 Joseph W. Tkach, Sr. died of cancer on September 22, 1995 at the age of 68. (Some insiders have said it was pancreatic cancer.)
7 See: The "Key to Unlocking Prophecy" (Did Herbert Armstrong Say it Was Revealed to Him Alone?). For evidence of HWA's copying from the Jehovah's Witnesses, read chapter three, Pt. 2 and chapter six of our critical review of Mystery of the Ages (search for the word "Watchtower") and for his copying from Mormonism, see chapter two of the same review (search for the phrase "Latter Day Saints). Also read: Herbert W. Armstrong's Religious Roots.