Unavailable! The Worldwide News
– Prior to September 1995
June 6, 1995, The Worldwide News, VOL. XXIII, NO. 11, Personal from Joseph W. Tkach: "Sabbath and Holy Day observance: an issue of form, not of substance":
"I am both grieved and dismayed by the unethical actions of some of our former ministers. Where is the love for the people of God when a pastor uses his office to upset, confuse and divide his flock?" (p. 1)
[Comment from ESN: Why no mention of the 1970's? Read the OIU Newsletters to see if Tkach upset, confused and divided his own flock?]
"He [Christ] has shown us...through duly constituted authority in the Church, that we need to change." (p. 1)
[Comment from ESN: When all else fails, use the "government of God" to get people to change.]
"All I can say is that if I had been working from a prearranged agenda of changes, I certainly would have chosen a slower pace of introducing them to the Church. What I did was to teach what Christ led me to see at the pace he led me to see it... (p. 5)
[Comment from ESN: WCG's original plan was undoubtedly to go slowly, but the whole story isn't being told here. For starters, read: The Earl Williams Factor (after the P.S. it will give a link to this part in OIU 3, Pt. 2 on how David Hulme said Joseph W. Tkach, Sr. told him Earl was getting in front of him and that couldn't go on) and Was God Behind the Worldwide Church of God Changes?]
"Brethren, at the time Mr. Armstrong died, I believed fully that what he had taught was fundamentally true. I had absolutely no idea that we had been wrong about the role of the Sabbath and Holy Day observance." (p. 5)
[Comment from ESN: Read: Deception Surrounding Worldwide Church of God Changes where Tkach, Sr. said that Mr. Armstrong told him Mystery of the Ages was "riddled with errors."]
Questions and answers, p. 7:
[Feast of Tabernacles]
Q. There's been talk of the name: "Festival of Faith." Have we changed the name of the Feast of Tabernacles?
A. "No. 'Festival of Faith'; is merely a theme statement. ... Future years may have other themes." (p. 7)
[Comment: "Future years" phased out the Feast of Tabernacles.]
June 20, 1995, The Worldwide News, VOL. XXIII, NO. 12, "How I came to understand the new covenant" by David Albert (p. 1):
"I didn't know and nobody had ever taught me in my 35 years in the Church that the Ten Commandments were the old covenant..." (p. 5)
"This [the New Covenant teaching] came as new truth to me." (p. 5)
"But now, based on the Bible, we are updating our theology to come in line with our practice..." (p. 5)
[Comment from ESN: Albert gave a sermon in 1993 where he said if members left the church or questioned his teachings, they would suffer strong consequences--even death (lake of fire?) Read Worldwide Church of God History which shows how these same doctrines were introduced to the WCG leadership in the 1970's. Albert was in at that time.]
July 4, 1995, The Worldwide News, VOL. XXIII, NO. 13, "All Christian behavior built on Christ" (Personal by Joseph Tkach, Jr.):
"There are numerous false reports circulating about my dad's health condition, doctrinal corrections and people. Most of these false reports come from people who belong to dissident organizations, and it becomes very difficult to warn our members about their false reports." (p. 1)
[Comment from ESN: Is this why members were accused from the pulpit, especially in Canada, to not listen to outside sources such as ESN who were trying to get the facts out? (more "information control") Notice the repetition of the words "false report."]
"My dad is steadily improving...The doctor [said] he has years ahead of him." (p. 1)
"It is because we are one body in Christ that we are to quit lying and speak the truth." (p. 3)
[Comment from ESN: Read: Transformed by Truth or Transformed by Lies?]
"Sad to say, there are people who have ignored these biblical commands [not meeting together; quotes Heb. 3:13]. What is their excuse? Is there any excuse for disobedience? Encourage one another, it says. Are we doing that? Or do we repeat the negatives, the anxieties, the fears? Encourage one another--and we can't do that if we are not meeting with one another!" " (p. 3)
"...it saddens me to learn that some members have not been acting responsibly with the freedoms that the new covenant gives us. For example, some people have eaten meats that offend the people they are with. ... I am disappointed that a few have deliberately eaten it in a way that disturbs their brothers..." (p. 3)
[Talks about how it's not true that Christians can do anything they want to; quotes I Cor. 10:23]
"Some things are simply not good for us. ... We are to be slaves of righteousness, not of selfishness. We are given the Holy Spirit to serve others, not our own selfish pleasures." (p. 6)
Questions and Answers, p. 2:
[Tithing]
Q. If God doesn't require Christians to tithe, why does Mr. Tkach still talk about tithing in the co-worker letters? Why does he still thank people for their "tithes and offerings"...
A. "If people send in a 10th of their income (which is the practice of most of our members), they are sending in their tithes. It is appropriate for Mr. Tkach to thank them for doing so. (p. 2)
"They imitate the faith of Abraham, and therefore also imitate his example of tithing. As we become more like Christ in our thoughts, we become more generous with the physical things God has given us." (p. 4)
"Most members are able to donate a 10th of their income. Many can give more... God leads us to give all we responsibly can. For Christians, 10 percent is a minimal guideline. If we can give more, we should." (p. 4)
"...his Spirit motivates us to give all we can to further his work of the gospel. (p. 4)
[More double talk was given in this Q&A section concerning the holy days and the Sabbath]:
"Since we have designated these days for worship meetings, designating them for a sacred purpose, we can legitimately call them Holy Days... The word Sabbath, like many other words, has more than one possible meaning. When we say that we meet on the Sabbath, we refer to a day of the week."
"...we can continue to use the same familiar terms we have always used. They are useful tools of communication."
[Comment from ESN: In other words, "we will continue to use loaded language" (also known as buzz words).
The following looks like WCG HQ still receives offerings from members:
"Scott [Wertz ] is also responsible for maintaining church literature inventories, printing and sending offering envelopes and mailing monthly and annual donation receipts for congregations who use headquarters' donation processing services..." (Excerpted from, "New offices help church employees serve local churches," Together, July-August 2006)] [bolding ours]
"Recalling the final sermon of Herbert W. Armstrong" by Clayton Steep, p. 4:
"Especially worth remembering in this present time of turmoil in the Church is the following admonition Mr. Armstrong gave: 'Your faith must not be in me; it must be in Jesus Christ. He is the Head of the Church. I am not. And if I were not here there would be another who'd become the pastor general. And if that should ever happen, if you want to get into God's kingdom, you will follow that pastor general. And you will remain united, and you will remain one. And your eternity depends on that. Everyone of you. Don't you forget it." (p. 4)
"Mr. Tkach was chosen directly through God's government in his Church." (p. 4)
"Here I am, still in the Church, 40 years and counting!"
Note from ESN: Clayton Steep died 8-30-95 of congestive heart failure. He was 57.
July 18, 1995, The Worldwide News, VOL. XXIII, NO. 14
"When you have trouble getting to church on time" by Paul Krautmann, p. 1:
"Have you ever found it hard to get to Sabbath services on time? Have you made excuses for not attending services or for showing up late? Maybe after you've read this article about some brethren in Guyana, you won't find it hard to get to services on time anymore." (p. 1)
"So next time you find yourself making excuses for not going to Sabbath services, or not getting there on time, remember the example of these hardy and dedicated Amerindian brethren, and be thankful!" (p. 6)
"Pastor general gaining strength, undergoing chemotherapy" by Joseph Tkach, Jr., p. 1:
"We try to ignore rumors that we are not leveling with people about my dad's condition." (p. 1)
"Hurting close to home"
(What can young people do when their parents decide to leave our fellowship?)
by Neil Earle, p. 4:
- "You must always respect parental authority."
- "Establish for yourself more than ever where God is working."
[Goes on to talk about the youth activities, trips, sports, S.E.P.]
"The Worldwide Church of God did all this and gladly because it cares about young people. That caring concern was motivated by the love of God... That hasn't changed; it never will."
[Comment from ESN: Read some of the testimonies (especially the S.E.P stories) on the Children Raised in Worldwide Church of God section to see how "loving" the youth were treated in WCG.]
President pro tem writes to AU students
(Russell Duke's June 20 letter to new and returning Ambassador students), p. 5:
"We will continue to gather to worship on the weekly Sabbath (Saturday). Students will be assigned to the morning church service where they will be expected to attend except when they travel out of town for the weekend." (p. 5)
"Outdoor activities will be allowed on campus except during Saturday morning chapel service." (p. 5)
"Students may not attend churches that we deem to be dissident to the Worldwide Church of God and remain a student of the university." (p. 5)
[Comment from ESN: Russell Duke (still a member of WCG) was formerly in Azusa's theology department and responsible for putting together training courses for WCG ministers. Read letter from one who phoned Azusa and talked to Russell Duke.]
August 1, 1995, The Worldwide News, VOL. XXIII, NO. 15, Personal from Joseph W. Tkach: "Becoming good stewards while showing willingness to change":
"God has always allowed his people to make mistakes--even serious mistakes that endure for many years. ... We can be confident that our labors have not been in vain." (p. 1)
"Many members have wondered, 'How could we have been in doctrinal error for so long?' And a few have wondered, 'If we were wrong on a point we thought so vital, were we Christians at all?' ... Yes, We were Christians, and we still are Christians." (p. 6)
"We obeyed what we thought we had to obey, and that is good. We misunderstood a few things...but that didn't thwart our salvation." (p. 6)
"...we do not always understand the things of God. ... When it happens, we need to patiently wait for God to reveal more to us." (p. 6)
"It may be difficult at times to change our ways, but that's what we have been called to do." (p. 6)
"Steering clear of potholes on the information highway" by Neil Earle, p. 5:
"Rumors fly along the Internet at the flick of a cursor. Never has it become more imperative for the membership and ministry of the Church to be wary of misinformation and false rumors." (p. 5)
"Don't be a victim of someone else's misinformation campaign; don't slip and fall along the information highway." (p. 5)
""...slander and misinformation..." (p. 5) "...subversion and misinformation." (p. 5)
"...slander and faultfinding..." (p. 5)
"...gossip is five times around the world before the truth can get its boots on. The Internet proves the truth of this saying every day." (p. 5)
"Let's not be deceived; let's not be victimized..." (p. 5)
[Comment: During the time, the WCG tried hard to keep others from knowing what was going on with all the changes, but the information was still getting out, especially on the forums and through the OIU Newsletters and other research letters.]
August 15, 1995, The Worldwide News, VOL. XXIII, NO. 16, Personal from Joseph W. Tkach: "Responding to the dynamic leadership of Jesus Christ":
"Mr. Armstrong taught the Church to put the Bible ahead of tradition and to let the bible correct us." (p. 1)
[Comment: Really? Or did members, instead, believe that they were to obey everything HWA told them (including how he interpreted the Bible), since he was "speaking for God" as "God's Apostle."]
"It hurts me to see that reaction to the truth. Mr. Armstrong was noted for saying, 'It's harder to unlearn error than it is to learn the truth.'" (p. 1)
"Feast fever: a time of joy and learning for all" by Mark McCulley, p. 3:
"At those sites, some services will be conducted in the evening to allow those God is calling to the Church to attend more conveniently." (p. 3)
"We hope everyone has saved sufficient funds to attend the Festival this year. ... 'It would be a shame to miss it because of not having saved the funds to attend.' " [last quote by Tkach, Jr.] (p. 3)
"Festival fund contributions [tithe of the tithe] are still needed to pay for meeting halls, setup expenses and sending speakers to sites. Earlier this year, we suggested a donation of $95 per family. ... we'd like to encourage any who can to give above that amount." (p. 3)
August 29, 1995, The Worldwide News, VOL. XXIII, NO. 17, Personal from Joseph W. Tkach: "Treat people in splinter groups with patience, understanding, concern":
"The vast majority of these people are not disfellowshipped. We can maintain our friends with them just as we do with our Baptist or Catholic neighbors." (p. 1)
"If they ask doctrinal questions with a desire to learn, we should answer them as wisely as we can. If they ask doctrinal questions with a desire to criticize, then we can bring the conversation to an end, just as we would with a Baptist or Catholic who tried to pressure us." (p. 1, 5)
"If the people bring us rumors and accusations, then we should refuse to listen, just as we should refuse to listen to rumors spread by current members." (p. 5)
[Comment: This has always been an effective way to squelch the truth about the organization from surfacing and is known as "information control." "Rumors" is another word that is loaded, as far as the language for members.]
[Tkach, Sr. begins quoting from something he wrote in the Nov. 17, 1992 WN]:
"...it is not wrong to fellowship with people whose doctrinal positions are not the same as yours--as long as such fellowship remains positive..." (p. 5)
"In most cases, the Church cannot publicize all the reasons for disfellowshipping a particular person. We do not document all their divisive activities and words. ... So it is sometimes easy for them to claim that they have been treated unfairly..." (P. 5)
So what should members do? Ask them to present their side of the story, give them sympathy, listen to their complaints and division? Of course not. That is precisely the reason they have been disfellowshipped, so our members will be warned that such people may attempt to win their loyalty." (p. 5)
"People who decide to leave the Church do so for various reasons." (p. 5)
[Comment from ESN: Notice how he uses the words: "the Church" (and capitalizes it) whereas in later articles he uses the words: "our fellowship." "The Church" is a trigger word and reminds members that they are in "God's true Church" and are not to leave or talk to those who have left (and who might know too much). Other such words are highlighted below:]
"Some people leave the Church because they are angry and bitter." (p. 5)
"Some people leave the Church because they are in bondage to a sin they don't want to confront." (p. 5)
"Some people leave the Church because they are looking for greater opportunities for leadership or advancement, which they hope to find in another church." (p. 5)
"There is a different kind of spirit, though, that we do have to take note of and avoid in fellowship: Those who are contentious, divisive and malicious." (p. 5)
"Paul wrote: 'I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother, but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater, or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat' (I Cor. 5:11)" (p. 5)
[Comment from ESN: Wouldn't that last paragraph refer to Herbert W. Armstrong and Garner Ted Armstrong?]
"Our brethren are committed, faithful people. They believe what they believe because that is what the Church has taught." (p. 5)
"There can be a certain, very real, emotional barrier that gets in the way even though the actual explanation may make perfect sense." (p. 5)
"As I say, if they decide they need to attend elsewhere, then let them go as friends, not enemies. God's way is not the slanderous, antagonistic, contentious, belligerent or bitter way." (p. 5)
"I am grieved to see anyone become upset, confused or disenchanted with what God is doing in his Church." (p. 5)
Quotes compiled by AJW
Exit & Support Network™
September 30, 2005
Footnotes by ESN:
1 The Worldwide News was first published in 1973. In February 2005, WCG changed the name of WN to WCG Today in the United States; however, in other areas such as South Africa and Britain, it still retained the title The Worldwide News. In May 2006 it was changed to Together. A few years later Together was no longer available. Their magazine is now Christian Odyssey.