Copyright © 2006  John Morgan

Contents 

Acknowledgements                                                                                      8  8

Foreword                                                                                                       9  9

Preface                                                                                   10       10

Introduction                                                                                                 12  12

1  Background History of The Worldwide Church Of God          17  17

Early Holiness Quaker Influence  17    

Ambition Awakened  19

‘‘God’s Calling’’ 19

Finding “God’s True Church’’ 20 

Armstrong’s Involvement in the Church of God  21 

Beginnings of the Radio Church of God  22

Armstrong Family’s Overseas Trips  25 

‘‘The Work” Expands  27 

Garner Ted Armstrong’s Adventures  27

The 1970s: Visiting World Leaders Amidst Financial Crises  28 

Ministerial Rebellions – the New Covenant Challenge  29 

Herbert Armstrong Remarries  30 

Armstrong’s Near Death Experience  30

Ted Armstrong’s Last Stand  30

Herbert W. Armstrong – “God’s Apostle’’ 30

WCG in Receivership – 1979  31

Armstrong’s Closing Years  31 

Joseph Tkach Snr. 32

‘‘The Changes’’ 32 

2  Coming  Into  Darkness                                                             34

My Family’s “Calling”  34

Armstrong’s Use of Advertising Techniques  36

1975 In Prophecy  36

My “Calling”  41

Preface to Chapter 3  43 

3  Trapped  In  Darkness                                                              44  44

Our Approach towards Other Churches  44

Hair Lengths  45

The Sabbath  45

Application of the Old Covenant 45

Separation from “The World’’ 45

Busy-ness  47 

Our Church Family – A Separate Group  47

The “Place of Safety’’ 48

19-year Time Cycles and “Date Setting’’ 48

Dabbling in Numerology  52 

God’s Sacred Calendar 52

Satan’s Churches  53

WCG Superiority  55

God’s Temple  55

‘‘God’s Work’’ 56 

The Outside World  56 

Dating Outside the WCG   57 

Busy-ness – Literature  57 

Language  62

Unclean Meats  64

Health  66

Healing  67

Tithing  69 

Land Sabbaths  74

Sex, Marriage and Dating  75 

Sports  77

Movies  78 

Music  79

The Work Environment 81

The Sabbath  81

Lying  81

Dress Standards  88

Makeup, Cosmetics and Hair Dye  90

Church Attendance  92

Fasting  93

Holy Days  95 

Passover and Unleavened Bread  95

The Night To Be Much Remembered  97

Christmas and Easter 98 

Feast of Tabernacles and Second Tithe  101 

Holy Days, Sabbath & Jobs  104

Atonement 105

God’s True Church  106

Church Attendance Requirements  107 

Membership Requirements  107 

Jesus as “Christ’’ 107 

4  Was  the Worldwide Church of God a Cult?                           108  108

‘‘You can’t join God’s Church’’ 110

‘‘Quit smoking before you come to church’’ 110

‘‘You have been warned’’ 110

‘‘You are no more than a burnt out hunk of junk’’ 111

‘‘Overcome the old man’’ 111

‘‘Spiritual babies can only cope with spiritual milk’’ 111 

‘‘God’s people are called to come out of and be separate from ‘the world’’’ 111 

‘‘Baptism is the start of your new life in God’’ 112

‘‘We are one worldwide family’’ 112

‘‘We moved house to be in a church area’’ 112

‘‘God has blessed us alone, through Herbert Armstrong, with His truth’’ 113 

‘‘The Plain Truth, a magazine of understanding’’ 113 

‘‘Be very careful what you say when talking to new members’’ 113

‘‘We need to become like little children’’ 113

‘‘The Church provides funding to the AICF, to further the commission of the Church’’ 114

‘‘The Church is not listed in the phone book, but you can find the number under ‘Ambassador College’’’ 115

‘‘Those who fall asleep during services are missing God’s vital information’’ 116

‘‘Once you have paid your tithes and offerings, your responsibility for that money ceases’’ 116

‘‘If you seek the help of doctors instead of God’s healing, you are spiritually weak’’ 116

‘‘I have so much reading material that I hardly have time to get to reading the Bible itself’’ 116 

‘‘The most important lesson God is teaching us today is submitting to His Government’’ 116 

‘‘If you have a critical attitude towards the Church, repent of it immediately…’’ 117 

‘‘Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit” (Eph 4:3 NIV) 117

‘‘On pain of yourself being disfellowshipped and put out of God’s Church…’’ 118 

‘‘I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts’’ 119 

‘‘There are no grey areas’’ 119

‘‘How should I respond to this Christmas card I have just received from my mother?”  119 

‘‘It would be wise to get counselling before you make that decision ’’ 119

‘‘Obtain ministerial counsel before you become emotionally involved in a relationship’’ 120

‘‘Don’t just take my word for it, you can prove it for yourself’’ 120

‘‘Outsiders often don’t understand what we are talking about’’ 121

‘‘Has the minister mistreated you?  God may be testing your attitude”  121

‘‘Satan’s main objective is to destroy this Work’’ 121

‘‘The ‘war in heaven’ of Rev 12:7 is either occurring now, or is starting very shortly”  121

‘‘Wrong thoughts are the result of Satan trying to influence your mind’’ 122

‘‘Criticism in Spokesman’s Club is healthy for our spiritual and character development’’ 122

‘‘The society around us is evil – it is ruled by Satan”  122

‘‘Brethren, as Christians, we do not vote in this world’s elections’’ 123 

‘‘Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers’’ 124

‘‘God holds us responsible for what filth we allow into our minds’’ 124 

‘‘Keep this information to yourself.  This will avoid any ill-feeling and gossip”  124

‘‘I left my tie at home, so I had to buy a new one, to be able to attend church’’ 125 

‘‘Put on the ‘armour of God’ to fight the war against our human nature”  126

‘‘Our minds are so deceitful that we even deceive ourselves’’ 126 

‘‘I don’t yet fully understand that doctrine, but God will reveal it to me if I am patient’’ 126

‘‘Your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”  127

‘‘God is using us to do His Work, at this the most important time of all human history ”  127 

‘‘If it weren’t for us, God would destroy all of mankind’’ 127 

‘‘I will make them of the synagogue of Satan…come and worship before thy feet ’’ 127 

‘‘The future success of the world tomorrow depends on how we respond to God’s calling’’ 128 

‘‘If Herbert Armstrong were to ‘go off the track’, God would intervene to bring him back’’ 128 

‘‘Follow me, as I follow Herbert Armstrong, who in turn is following Jesus Christ’’ 128

‘‘My friend criticised the sermon last week.  I am concerned for his spiritual welfare’’ 128

‘‘God is building His holy righteous character within us”  129

‘‘If only we could please God by obeying Him and growing in perfection’’ 129

‘‘God’s great Work through His Church may be finished in a matter of months’’ 129 

‘‘We cannot imagine how great our future reward is – all for a little discomfort in this life’’ 130

‘‘In January 1972, God’s Church will escape to the Place of Safety for 3 ½ years’’ 130

‘‘I will never fall away from God’s Church’’ 130 

‘‘My daughter has left the church.  It is worse than if she had just died.’’ 130 

‘‘God’s Government rules from the top down’’ 132

‘‘I am answerable directly to Jesus Christ, the spiritual Head of God’s True Church’’ 132

 5  ‘The  Changes’ – Breaking Free                                             133  133 

HWA Challenges  133

Seeking the truth  133

God’s Existence  133

Jesus Christ 134 

The Bible: ‘‘God’s Infallible Word’’ 134

True Church – Physical/Spiritual 135

Cult Culture of Fear 135

God’s True Church and Church Government 135 

Fear of Leaving  137 

Trapped  138

Total Indoctrination  138

God’s Involvement 138

Differing Member Reactions to the Changes  139

WCG’s Handling of the Changes  141