Philadelphia Church of God and the Place of Safety
| Herbert W. Armstrong taught that the "Place of Safety" was going to be Petra, a wilderness area in Jordan where qualified members would remain for 3 l/2 years in caves, during "the Great Tribulation" and "the horrors of World War III." While HWA would always cover himself by adding that "we don't know for sure where the place of safety will be" and "we shouldn't get our minds on a physical place of safety" (as Gerald Flurry is fond of saying), there were sermons, Bible studies and articles over the years about it. I will just mention a few: Herman L. Hoeh (former evangelist in the Worldwide Church of God; deceased since 2004) wrote an article in the June 1963 Plain Truth entitled "If World War III Comes--There is a Way of Escape!" Hoeh also wrote, "This is PETRA!" in The Good News, April 1962, implying that Petra would be the "place of safety." The article included a number of photos of Petra. Hoeh directed the question to members as to whether they were going to believe God "no matter where He revealed they should go and no matter by what route." He said God's will was to be revealed to "God's ministers" alone (the same as Flurry teaches). This place of safety was only for those who remained faithful and obedient to the "government of God" (i. e. HWA and Headquarters). The October 1963 Worldwide Church of God Good News had a full picture of Petra on the front cover. The article, which was authored by David Jon Hill,1 was entitled, "PETRA!" It told how Petra had "no water," and "no visible food supply," but "plenty of caves." Along with several pictures, this article talked about what a member's "attitude" should be toward the "place of safety" and that having "complete faith in God" was going to be the "only real protection" after they arrived there, and if they couldn't have absolute faith in God NOW for everything, they simply wouldn't be there. The date members of the WCG were to flee to this "place of safety" was January 7, 1972 (which was considered the end of a "19-year time cycle"). Richard Frankel gave a Worldwide Church of God sermon in 1980 where he stated, "We see very, very clearly that the Bible very strongly--very, very strongly--indicates that Petra is the place that God is going to protect His church." He went on to say that "God is going to take His people and put them to an intensive training course for 3 l/2 years." He said condominiums were going to be built by the Jordanians (which the privileged leaders would stay in?), but he also talked about how members would remodel the caves and area and that there would be "a school system that works," "a college that works," "churches and congregations," and "a sewer system." He said everyone will have to go to Ambassador College and Ambassador Club "whether you like it or not!" And after 3 l/2 years members "will be ready to take over the reigns of government" (in this world). (Richard Frankel, WCG sermon, "Petra," November 8, 1980. [Tape with ESN]) Philadelphia Church of God (headquartered in Edmond, Oklahoma) claims to follow all of Herbert Armstrong's teachings and likewise causes members to focus on "strong indications" that Petra will probably be the place they will flee to.2 During the feast in 1998, members were shown the video "Behind the Work" in which there was much emphasis on Petra.3 Nevertheless, Gerald Flurry has made it clear that "only those who finish God's Work are to be taken to a place of safety."4 He has even referred to it as their "ticket" by saying: "Backing and supporting this message is your ticket to a place of safety and a magnificent reward."5 Also read December 2002 letter: Flurry's Ramblings, which quotes Flurry's words about Petra as the "place of safety"; December 2004 letter that tells about PCG members Going to a Petra Exhibit and June 17, 2004 letter showing how Flurry hinted that the place of safety will be in Jordan. In Flurry's 2005 booklet (Jude - The Most Urgent Prophecy Yet for This End Time!) he refers (as did HWA from the 1930's on) to a "coming holocaust just ahead of us." The cover on this booklet depicts the shadow of an adult leading a child by the hand and gives the impression that they are fleeing for their lives from impending doom. Notice some quotes: [bolding ours]
In order to keep from appearing too dogmatic about Petra being the "place of safety," he sometimes writes as he did in his revised 2000 booklet, The Key of David: [bolding ours]
However, PCG members still believe they will be going to Petra. Our article: Memories About Petra shows what WCG members were taught by Herbert Armstrong about this "place of safety" in Jordan (and which is very similar to what PCG members are being taught). At the end of that article the following topics are briefly covered: "Why Was Petra Chosen as the Place of Safety?" "WCG and the Place of Safety Teaching," "HWA's Duplicitous Statements on the Place of Safety," and "Certain Offshoots Continue Same Teaching." PCG members are exhorted to be "willing to die" for their faith. One example follows: [bolding ours]
Of course, "dying for their faith," has also included turning down necessary medical treatment. In this same sermon (when later referring to Malachi 3:16-17) Flurry said:
In 2003 Flurry figured January 16, 2010 could be the start of the Great Tribulation or some other disaster to happen. (January 16 is the month and day that Herbert W. Armstrong died in 1986 and is considered an important date to members. It is also considered the end of another "19-year time cycle.") Today Flurry has told his members they may have a little more time to "finish the Work," but at the same time he continually emphasizes that "time is running out." Notice:
Flurry's warning (which is identical to HWA's) is that only those who are involved in "the Work of God" (i. e., loyal to Headquarters) with their focus on the Kingdom of God will be taken to the "place of safety" and the others (considered Laodiceans) will be left behind to burn in the "fires of nuclear war."
Yet he continues to build buildings on his land and to coerce members into "donating to the building fund" (Read: February 2, 2004 Dear Brethren letter). Construction on a Hall of Administration began in 2004 (a 2005 photo of it may be viewed here) and plans were finalized in 2005 for an Auditorium (called a House for God) to be built on 170 acres. (Read 2007 article: Gerald Flurry Plans to Build a "House for God") In January 2008 PCG broke ground for this $15 million auditorium ("Armstrong Auditorium"). In a July 26, 2008 sermon at PCG's Philadelphia Youth Camp (PYC), he said he believed the Tribulation would be here "in five years or less." In a sermon on August 9, 2008, he said the tribulation "would begin in around five years." A sermon was given on January 31, 2009: "Preparing to Go To the Place of Safety." (Read February 10, 2009 letter to ESN: Gerald Flurry's Sermons) While Flurry has stated that there must be 10,000 members before they flee to the "place of safety," PCG's membership has been declining from the 7,000 they claimed several years ago, and in 2009 is now closer to 5,000 or less, with approximately 3,800 baptized members. (Read 2009 letter to ESN: Membership Down in PCG.) Today many local congregations are reported to be only between 10 and 25 members. They have closed down some small congregations with the members now traveling to larger ones. Members continue to exit. A few questioned whether it is possible that the land on which Imperial College6 is located could be used as some type of compound in case of a government siege? Flurry bought land for their college in 2003 with a small landing strip, along with building a swimming pool and other buildings in 2004. They put in their own sewage treatment system on this land and it might be capable of temporarily handling over 7000 people. (See: My Nightmare in Philadelphia Church of God.) An announcement was made in 2001 that the swimming pool was also to serve as an emergency water supply in case of fire, or other needs. Some members believe that the reason Flurry has constructed these buildings was because they were going to "need a place of protection in the future" or else "members may have to gather in Edmond before fleeing to Petra." Could this airstrip be used to flee the country? Those who have viewed the area up close say there is not much room for a runway and, besides, there are utility poles close by and PCG can't do anything to remove those. This hardly would be adequate to transport a group of people out of Edmond. Petra is a considered a tourist attraction, and especially since Y2K Jordan has been much more cautious about apocalyptic groups who are saying they are "preparing for Armageddon" and wanting to move into their land. They have even sent some back home. Furthermore, after a trip there, Flurry is no longer welcome in Jordan. Still, some who have family inside PCG have wondered if Gerald Flurry will become fanatical enough to actually attempt to take members to an isolated, secluded place, and could it possibly end up to be another Jim Jones catastrophe? First of all, PCG is considered nowhere near a militant Jim Jones or David Koresh cult, even though there may be similarities in doctrine between Koresh and PCG.7 Secondly, before jumping to conclusions and panicking, we need to ask ourselves some logical and sensible questions:
There are many more questions one could ask. But we can see that logistically and financially, this scenario would be a nightmare and a near impossibility. PCG members dare not ask Flurry questions such as the above, or to express any doubts. If members are queried about these things, they will unthinkingly answer the same way as WCG members did, "God will take care of it." PCG believes they will be persecuted in the future. They believe "the Work" will finally end and armies will surround Jerusalem. It is at this time that they believe it will be time to "flee."8 Herbert Armstrong preached this same fear doctrine for decades. No one ever fled anywhere. Members simply continued to pay in more and more money, as PCG members are doing. HWA, for decades, predicted end time scenarios and talked of a "place of safety." When every one of his WW II prophecies failed, he said his "timing was wrong" but they would be fulfilled in the "next war"--WW III. In the meantime he convinced his co-workers and members that a college needed to be built. When his later prophecies also failed--especially the 1972 ones--he merely said God had given them "more time to do the Work" and shifted their attention. Flurry will undoubtedly say something similar. As Gerald Flurry continues to use the "place of safety" ploy the same way HWA did, members will fear to leave PCG lest they be left to go through the Great Tribulation. Leaving PCG, in their minds, is the same as "leaving God." Flurry tells them, "Fear of God must always be with us."9 But this is the wrong kind of fear. It is the fear of a man whom they are unknowingly putting between themselves and the Lord Jesus Christ. They do not know they have been deceived, as countless thousands before them were deceived by the false teacher and false prophet Herbert Armstrong. By D. W. NOTE: Read some of the verses WCG used to justify Petra as the Place of Safety. 1 David Jon Hill died November 2002. 2 June 23, 1990 sermon by Gerald Flurry to PCG members; Nov./Dec. 1998 issue of Royal Vision; "The Place of Safety," The Philadelphia Trumpet, July 1995; The Key of David by Gerald Flurry, Jude by Gerald Flurry, 2005, Habakkuk by Gerald Flurry, p. 27, and others. 3 October 15, 1998 email to ESN. 4 The Philadelphia Trumpet, "The Place of Safety," July 1995. 5 "Malachi's Message, Chap. 9, p. 144. 6 Imperial College was renamed Herbert W. Armstrong College in December 2005. 7 David Koresh and his members all kept the Seventh day Sabbath and also believed the books of Daniel and Revelation had been unsealed. They claim to have the Key of David. They teach that the Daily (a.k.a. the "Continual") has been taken away. They give the identification of the tribes of Israel today. They teach about the Elijah messenger. They hold to clean and unclean foods. They teach about the two trees, and the two witnesses. They also claim to understand the firstfruits harvest. They claim New Truth and New Revelation. They distinguish their faith as special and unique and they believe they are God's chosen people and are living in the end times. More can be read in: "An Open Letter to our Acquaintances in The Church of God." 8 There have been many variations on this theme in PCG. Sometimes the date they watch is January 16 (when HWA died); other times they think it will happen on one of the feast days; i. e., the Feast of Tabernacles. In the WCG, it was never clear either. In earlier years the Night Much To Be Remembered was thought by some to be the night members would leave the country; later the date was figured to be January 7, 1972 (the end of a 19-year time cycle). 9 Jude by Gerald Flurry, 2005. Memories About Petra (includes quotes at end from Petra sermons by Richard Frankel and Carn Catherwood, which reveal that members were specifically taught to believe in a literal place of safety) Questioning Herbert W. Armstrong (was he who he said he was?) (many articles) Back to Questions About Philadelphia Church of God |