Please take a moment of your time and review the materials we have enclosed. The WCG Exit & Support Network is diligently working to aid the past and present victims of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG).

It is vital that those involved in the counter-cult arena thoroughly keep abreast of the strategies and changes the WCG proposes. Many individuals, such as yourself, have questioned what is truly occurring within the WCG organization. Qualified cult observers have incorporated many attitudes toward the WCG mainstreaming position, including:

• Taking a wait and see attitude.
• Following the writings in Christianity Today or Christian Research Journal and have adopting their opinions based on the writer's interpretations.
• Taking the WCG's leaders' words [that WCG was changing] at face value.
• Assuming that the WCG has made grave changes because the leaders have adapted a seemingly workable approach with the Christian Ministries or media.

The list is more extensive then this; however, the point is, many counter-cult professionals do not truly understand what is taking place with the WCG and many have been formulating their opinions based on disinformation and propaganda.

Those of us pursuing work in the cult field must constantly evaluate our personal agenda and motives. Whether we are a Christian Ministry or a secular organization, our overall goal should be the same, and that is to help the victim¹ with recovery, spiritually and emotionally. Equally important to that task is providing awareness for the public regarding the cancerous growth of organizations permeating our lands. Many of these supposed churches postulate as religions in effort to gain power and wealth, while simultaneously derailing the lives of millions in an emotional, spiritual and financial manner. In the case of the WCG, onlookers cannot negate or minimize the decades of severe destruction the WCG is responsible for. As the same organization attempts to sweep its past under the rug as it flatly denies past beliefs to outsiders, the membership, in most cases, lives under the same behavioral tactics and have no clear understanding of supposed doctrinal changes. The group's behavior remains the same.

Many ex-members and exiters have pleaded with cult watchers like the Christian Research Institute, literally begging them to listen and investigate what is truly happening inside the WCG doors, but unfortunately, to no avail. The Christian Research Institute is a ministry that is responsible for much disinformation ostensibly due to lack of research and unqualified opinion regarding the WCG cult status.

When a cult decides to change strategies, there is a reason! The last several decades have offered much education regarding how cults operate. We, who are willing to sacrifice much for the cause, must scrutinize the total picture out of concern for the victims. When a cult that has decades of destruction and death behind it, professes to have changed, we had better look deeper then the cults Public Relations maneuver and leaders' word stating that they have "changed."

Presently, the ESN is completing the publication, Chronology of Change in the Worldwide Church of God. This booklet will outline the decades of the 1970's, 1980's and current developments. This publication will be available upon completion. 

It would be joyful to believe that the WCG has truly turned around. Those who don't know better, form their opinions based on what they have read in certain publications. This is a great disservice to the present members and past victims, we owe them more than assumptions.

What outsiders don't know is that the WCG has strategically implemented a growth plan. Development and introduction of the current strategy was well thought out. As the WCG currently and diligently works toward opening registrations in new markets, [countries] the membership is being highly trained to proselytize through Open Houses and personal evangelism. Recruiting is the goal. The real "WCG change" involves those things that will enhance membership. Functioning like a David Koresh organization is not in vogue and does not accumulate great sums of money, and in addition, Herbert Armstrong neglected to build a foundation representative of the Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses. However, church groups, like the International Church of Christ, do recruit. The WCG has modified its belief package to aid in recruiting and financial growth. Also, all the "free positive PR" given by many Christian counter-cult watchers has aided the WCG's direction.

This is not a matter to be complacent about. Many of the current leaders of the WCG organization have been employed by the church for over thirty years. They know what they are doing, they have a lifetime of experience.

We, at the WCG Exit & Support Network extend ourselves to you. We hope and pray that you will extend yourself through research and fact-fording and not get caught in the disinformation and propaganda ploy. The ESN has extensive information and documentation regarding the WCG. We are in constant touch with members currently in the process of exiting, and ex-members. Much information gets filtered through the ESN; feel free to tap on us for help, verifications or referrals.

People who have been personally involved with cults learn to treasure the gift of critical thinking--it is a joy to have the freedom to look at all sides of an issue before making a decision. As responsible counter-cult professionals we must never lose sight of this privilege.

Most Sincerely,

L. A. Stuhlman, Exit & Support Network Founder and Editor of OIU Newsletters
1994

Footnotes by ESN:

¹ Some prefer the word "target" instead of "victim." Tim Field, author of Bully in Sight has this to say: "The word 'victim' allows disingenuous people to tap into and stimulate other people's misconceptions and prejudices of victimhood. 'Target' correctly identifies that it is the choice of the bully to bully, it is not the choice of the target to be targeted."

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