HWA's Financial Requests by Decade 1934 - 1959 Part 1

February 20, 2016, 11:25 pm

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HWA's Financial Requests by Decade

Part 1, 1934 - 1959

Some criticized Mr. Armstrong for being too aggressive in his demands for money.

Supporters indicated his approach merely demonstrated his commitment to his calling.

What do the facts support?

1930's

Co-Worker letter, December 20, 1934: “Will GOD’s PEOPLE be willing now to GIVE TILL IT HURTS – to GIVE UP THINGS – to SACRIFICE – that many may be saved for eternity? The night is far spent! Jesus is SOON COMING! The MILLIONS are not awake! We must WARN THEM!...
But if we are to grasp this wonderful opportunity, we must act at once!

… Ezekial 3:17-21. Turn to it and read it now. If these scores of thousands are WARNED of their sin – of the coming PLAGUES – of the soon coming JESUS – whether or not they heed, we shall have acquitted ourselves before God. And SOME of them will heed and be saved. But – IF WE fail our Lord in this hour of crisis, HE SAY HE WILL REQUIRE THEIR BLOOD AT YOUR HANDS AND MINE!”

Co-worker letter March 1, 1935:“Tithes and offerings to keep this big campaign, now reaching many thousands, going, have slowed up considerably the past two months, and this whole campaign will have to stop unless the brethren come quickly to the rescue. GOD HAS BLESSED THIS WORK with the largest harvest ever experienced in Oregon. Shall we let a work thus approved of God stop?”

(Only four co-worker letters are available from the 30's)

1940's

The Dorchester (wikipedia) is a five-star luxury hotel on Park Lane and Deanery Street, London, to the east of Hyde Park. It is one of the world's most prestigious and expensive hotels.^[1]^[2] The Dorchester opened on 18 April 1931,^[3] and still retains its 1930s furnishings and ambiance despite being modernized.

Co-worker letter Feb. 14^th 1941: “SPECIAL - AND VERY URGENT!" "...There have been very few of the larger offerings of $25,$50, $100 lately. The need now is serious and URGENT. The work must not stop or let down---it must leap ahead!”

Co-Worker letter May 14th , 1941: “Weareat anothercrisis---wemustgoforward,orgobackward---noworkcan standstill! TheneedisIMMEDIATE---andURGENT! Moresothaneverbefore!

Co-Worker letter Dec. 25^th, 1941: “I call upon every co-worker now to ENLIST in this fight---
this SPIRITUAL fight for God and country---for the duration. We must dedicate our ALL to it. If we put our ALL on the altar---are willing to GIVE now to the very limit, God will give it all back
heaping with interest. If we now lose our heads, forget to put FIRST things first, try to SAVE our all, we shall then LOSE all--- all our material goods, and our souls as well!”

Co-Worker Letter August 24^th 1942: “Through you I know God will meet this present supreme crisis in our work. It will take great sacrifice on the part of many of you, I know. Better make that sacrifice now and SAVE EVERYTHING than lose everything in defeat in this war, and perhaps lose out with Almighty God besides! No sacrifice, now, is too great. I need a FLOOD of tithes and offerings from our small but growing family of co-workers to meet this present supreme need. We need LARGE amounts---$25, $50, $100, yes, even $1,000 or more---from all who can, even by great sacrifice, put such sums in God's work in this very crucial hour.”

Co-worker letter Dec. 23, 1942:“This work MUST HAVE an extra $1,000 AT ONCE, in addition to seeing regular income restored. We MUST get out another PLAIN TRUTH at once! It and many other things are waiting. God expects HIS CHILDREN TO GIVE---yes give till it hurts, in times like these. Please try to send an EXTRA AMOUNT---the largest you possibly can, by return mail. God's work is at stake. It is a SERIOUS CRISIS. Please RUSH---put this FIRST, before anything else. “

Co-worker letter Feb. 16, 1943: “Regardless of the APPEARANCE of things at the moment, regardless of the war situation as we THINK it is, regardless of how many planes, and tanks, and ships and guns we produce and how many men we train, STILL God says He will send crop-destroying worms and locusts, and withering DROUGHT and FAMINE that shall literally STARVE us into defeat, unless we turn to HIM!"

"...WE MUST NOT FAIL! We must PLUNGE ON! The financial crisis is not over. I still need an extra thousand dollars, over and above regular weekly expenses.”

Co-worker Letter April 5, 1945: “In the last BULLETIN I asked for pledges. Well, many pledges have come in, but it is ONLY HALF ENOUGH…. . ALSO I MUST TELL YOU WE HAVE RUN ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS SHORT OF REGULAR EXPENSES THE PAST THREE OR FOUR WEEKS. Even to keep the regular established work going, we MUST now have a quick, liberal response from our faithful co-workers! It is our solemn responsibility before God, laid on us by HIM! We must not fail Him! Whether you can only send a dollar, or are able to send $50, $100., or $1,000 for the work -- or a larger sum for the Mexican station —I know you'll send AT ONCE the largest amount you can, and GOD BLESS YOU for your loyalty and sacrifice for theGREATEST WORK ON EARTH!"

Co-worker letterAugust 23, 1945: "I have sufficient faith in God to believe this BULLETIN will be read by someone—perhaps only ONE—who has the ability, if God makes the heart willing, to supply for this purpose a sum of between one and two hundred thousand dollars... And this unprecedented great and glorious opportunity will be realized, I know ONLY if each one who has ability to supply such sums does so, to the very LIMIT of his ability."

Co-worker Letter May 17, 1946: "A NEW EMERGENCY! U R G E N T ! Now before closing, I have to tell you the receipt of money to carry on his great work has been falling off alarmingly the last two weeks. Again it has brought the work into a CRISIS-- a very serious emergency!

Frankly, I know of no other work anywhere like this. It is altogether GOD'S WORK, proclaiming GOD'S message, conducted and financed GOD'S way, as we find it revealed in His Word, the Bible."

Co-worker letter August 1946: "But, again, our Co-Workers are FORGETTING, becoming lax ---MONEY IS FALLING OFF. Fellow Co-Workers, I have personally obligated myself to very great expense---thousands of dollars a month---to carry on this great work. I have done it in sheer
FAITH---faith that God will, thru YOU back me up in this increasingly powerful campaign for souls, and supply every dollar. PLEASE get under the burden with me---remember YOU HAVE
YOUR PART. God will hold us all responsible together. My office has just told me over long distance the financial situation at the moment is SERIOUS. Those of you who are able, I will count on you to send in AT ONCE, by air-mail or BY TELEGRAPH MONEY-ORDER, the very LARGEST offerings for God's great cause you can possibly send, even at great sacrifice."

Co-worker letter September 25, 1946: "God is surely blessing His work! BUT--MOST IMPORTANT AND URGENT for the moment, I find funds slacking off as I return home, and we are in a serious immediate emergency! It's so serious the whole work is in grave DANGER!We need, seriously, many offerings of large sums from those who are able---please WIRE the money if possible; and if you can send only the "widow's mite" please rush it."

Co-worker letter November 4, 1946: "Again I must write you an EMERGENCY Letter. For ten days this work has faced the most desperate crisis of the nearly thirteen years.... I can't very well go into detail explaining how thedevil has tried to stop this most important work on earth..." "This great work has grown until its expenses are now several thousand dollars a month. I have assumed responsibility for this, yet I have NOTHING, but faith in God..."

Co-worker letter Jan. 9. 1947: " merely remind you that we are starting, new, on the month of the biggest test-of-faith we have ever faced. I intend to do MY PART, with my whole heart and with all my energies. And I know you will do YOUR part, too. I don't know your personal circumstances. God doesn't expect any to give into His work what they do not have, or are unable to give, but according as He has prospered them. But if you are one who is able, I know you'll double or triple your offerings for His work, from now. And I ask you, urgently, PLEASE double or triple the amount, earnestness, and faith of your prayers for me and for this work from now on. THAT, I know you can do, and PLEASE don't fail me or God in doing that."

Additional information about this time period

From all the co-worker letters of this period, one would assume that the work was barely hanging by a thread. However, if one reads HWA's biography, you would also learn that in 1947 HWA also:

· Traveled first class through Europe for 6 weeks· Purchased a luxurious 4,159 sq-ft home in a very beautiful area

And, if you read HWA's later accounts of the church's financial growth, you'd realize that:

· Church income had been growing at its fastest rate between 1942-1955· The growth rate for this period was well over 30% per year

These facts make it more difficult to reconcile HWA's words with his actions.

Travel details:

From Feb. 14, 1947 to Mar. 25, 1947 HWA and Loma embarked on a 6-week long First-Class overseas trip where they stayed in 5-star hotels and dined in very expensive restaurants. All the details are provided in Chapters 52-54 (pages 81-106) of HWA's Autobiography Vol. II (available at "HWA Searchable Library").

From the specifics he mentions, this trip would have cost well over $1,200/day (in 2015 dollars) which would be over $50,000 for the whole trip. For example, rooms at the Dorchester Hotel are $600-$700/night, lunch at the Dorchester Grill is $60/person, and rooms at Hotel Storchen in Zurich vary from $400 to 2,000/night.

House purchase:

Immediately after the trip to Europe, and amidst another apparent financial crisis, Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong purchased and moved into a 7 bedroom, 4159 sq-ft home on 345 S. Hill which is a very nice area adjacent to the California Institute of Technology In April 1947. This home was valued at $2.4 million in early 2016.

According to HWA's own description of this event in his autobiography, Loma was surprised they were even looking at such a luxurious home but HWA explained that his real estate agent had determined that they "could not afford not to buy this home." He explained further that in order to buy a small tract home, he'd need a down payment whereas he could move into this mansion without a down payment. Perhaps to some, this logic would still make sense. Probably not for the majority. A $12,300 monthly payment would be likely be more difficult for most to meet than a $2,500 payment.
Now back to the financial struggles...

Co-worker letter April 7, 1947: "The ground-work is laid. But TIME IS SHORT. Soon it will be too late. The day is here, but the "night" is coming when NO MAN CAN WORK for God.
But now LISTEN CAREFULLY! We have returned from this most important, vital, fruitful trip to find the work here in a financial crisis that threatens its very life! It is in the most serious and critical emergency it ever has faced. It is a LIFE- AND-DEATH test!

"...I don't know how it happened. We left here with everything in good financial condition, the outlook excellent. God opened the way for us with actual miracles repeatedly at every turn—was with us throughout our entire journey. I've come back with just what I needed for the broadcasts -- for future articles in The PLAIN TRUTH.

Yet, before we had hardly boarded the ship it seems our co- workers— most of them (perhaps not YOU, but most of them)—seemed to delay or forget to send in their tithes and offerings...
Co-Workers, I have to ask you to sacrifice as never before. If you could see what we saw in Europe—how people shiver and go cold, how HUNGRY they are, how thread-bare their clothes—how TERRIBLE is their plight—you'd realize that ANY sacrifice you make for GOD'S CAUSE is as NOTHING compared to what has been laid on them! We and we alone in all this world bask in the sunshine of PLENTY—of LUXURY! We, too, can go without some things we had planned to get. It won't hurt us as much as we think. GOD'S WORK IS AT STAKE! Now, as never before, the work needs generous offerings..."

Co-worker letter June 7, 1947: "FINALLY! AND MOST URGENT! Finally, Brethren, Friends, Co-Workers, LISTEN! Two months ago we found this work in a life-and-death crisis. Suddenly it had gone thousands of dollars behind, because some of our Co-Workers had grown lax and careless. I sent out a very special emergency letter.

Coworker Letter August 1947: "Co-Workers, the work of God stands AT THE CROSS-ROADS! It is in its greatest crisis. The fate of Ambassador College hangs in the balance. We have not more than TEN DAYS to get STARTED on the structural changes, or it will be TOO LATE to start the college this year. The crisis is NOW! We are all going to answer in the judgment for what WE do, each of us, as OUR part in this crisis, NOW! God surely blesses those who serve Him well! NEVER has this work so direly needed large and generous offerings of $1,000 and up to MANY thousand dollars. Several of you are ABLE, if you permit God to make your hearts willing. Lay up treasure in heaven, while you may, and see how God blesses you for it! And, again, NEVER has the need been so great...

Coworker Letter October 1947: "This means EVERY SINGLE CO-WORKER MUST NOW STRETCH TO THE VERY LIMIT OF SACRIFICE AND SELF-DENIAL, in a supreme effort, with me, to raise this money at once. We must ALL pitch in, to the limit of our ability! I must now ask YOU, and EVERY single co-worker, to rise to the supreme effort to send in the very largest sum you possibly can, as a very special emergency gift for this great work at this time. It's WORTH sacrificing for! This world is marching on at a faster and faster pace toward IT'S DOOM! ...

... If you can LOAN the work anywhere from one to ten thousand dollars—or even $500 or less, please SEND THE MONEY AT ONCE AIR- MAIL, stating in your letter how you wish to be repaid—whether beginning now, or a year or two or more from now—whether by the month, or quarter, or how -- and in what amounts each payment. If you want interest, tell me what rate. As a minister of Jesus Christ I must say to you that God, in His Word, forbids Christians to receive interest from Christians—the whole interest and usury system is condemned in the Bible. But Israel was permitted to PAY interest, and even to RECEIVE it from Gentiles, so a Christian can PAY it if demanded, or receive it from a non-Christian, if he deems that circumstances warrant. I could never RECEIVE interest from any of you, but God does permit me to PAY it if you, after I have mentioned this Bible teaching, desire it—so just state your own wishes in the matter. So if you can borrow money FOR us on some security you have—on property, or on securities or other investments—or if you have bonds to sell, or savings you can put to work for God, getting it back, if and when you need it, please send the money at once by return mail, stating how you want it repaid, and I will immediately make out a note binding our corporation to repay it on whatever terms you state, and mail it to you. And WITH it, send the largest offering you can GIVE."

Co-worker letter Dec. 4, 1947: “It seems that due to the biggest Christmas-shopping spree in history, most of our co-workers and listeners have FORGOTTEN both gifts and obligations to CHRIST! And the financial condition of God's precious work has taken a nose-dive straight down toward a CRASH that will mean the END OF IT in five days' time unless by faith in God and enough of our faithful co-workers coming to the rescue immediately, the crash can be averted and the most important work on this earth SAVED... "

"Every individual who HEEDS this warning, turns to God, is WATCHING and PRAYING ALWAYS, being filled with God’s Spirit, living by every Word of God, with a life consecrated to Him, will be given special divine protection—taken beforehand to a place of SAFETY—preserved thru the final horrifying tribulation, time of plagues and human anguish soon to visit this earth!

But if we to whom God has revealed this terrible future thru His divine prophecies fail to heed it—if we fail to each play his or her full part in WARNING this nation and the world, now, while we may—then God says we shall not escape, but He will require the blood of this entire people at our hands!…
I tell you, ON THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS CHRIST, IT IS COMING! Many of you NOW, are in financial condition to DO A LOT MORE than you are doing for GOD’S CAUSE..."

January 29, 1948 co-worker letter: “Co-Workers, THE ONLY THING THAT IS IMPORTANT NOW IS TO SOUND GOD'S WARNING TO THIS NATION -- TO PREACH AND PUBLISH WITH GREAT POWER THE TRUE GOSPEL TO THE ENTIRE WORLD BEFORE THIS ATOMIC-DAY COMES! Frankly, I do not believe it will actually come in five years -- but it COULD! But I do believe we have not more than seven or nine years to finish the work God has commissioned us to do! Just BARELY enough time, and NO MORE! That is why AMBASSADOR COLLEGE had to start without a year's delay. ..

Listen, dear Co-Worker! As I've said before, YOU won't be living where you are -- AS you are, enjoying what you are now, MUCH LONGER! DOOM is hurling surely and relentlessly down UPON OUR ENTIRE NATION! General Arnold sees it. All great scientists know it! They tell us they are frankly FRIGHTENED! You may be sure General Eisenhower, President Truman, Secretary Marshall all realize it! Yes, they all know more than they dare tell! GOD foresees it, and WARNS US!

TIME IS SHORT and swiftly running out on us! We STILL have time, and just BARELY time, to fulfill the Great Commission, before it's forever TOO LATE! We can't stop, falter, slacken our efforts now!

And yet SOME FEW of our co-workers continue to write in after every urgent appeal I'm forced to sent out! "Why is the work always in an emergency? Why must it always need more money?"
Oh, dear Co-workers, LISTEN! Let's all realize JUST WHERE WE STAND! We are in the very LAST DAYS! The only thing on earth that COUNTS, now, is THIS GREAT WORK OF GOD!
...Yes, this work ONCE AGAIN is in a LIFE-AND-DEATH CRISIS!

February 11, 1949: "It has been two months or more since I have written most of our Co-Workers. Tremendous things have happened in that time, of world importance.
Yes, and what has happened to this work is destined to be of world importance! We will all see that a little later."

..."PROPHECY is being rapidly fulfilled. The whole world is swirling in the vortex toward the end of this world, into the WORLD TOMORROW! And what is happening to this work which God has committed to you and to me is a most important part of these prophesied events!…

Brethren, Co-Workers, LISTEN! This is as much YOUR call and commission—YOUR responsibility, as mine. Together we must sacrifice for it. ... So, YOU must be willing to sacrifice —to put this great Mission FIRST in your life and in the expenditures of your pocket-book. ONLY A FEW YEARS OF THE PRESENT ORDER—THE PRESENT CIVILIZATION—THE PRESENT WORLD, remain. After all, your money is not going to be worth any- thing anywhere ELSE, in a very few short years."

November 28, 1949 HWA:Dear Co-Workers, Please read this at once. It’s very important, It’s URGENT! Somehow, I must make all our co-workers realize WHAT A TERRIBLE THING IS HAPPENING! My heart is heavy as lead. A colossal tragedy is happening. HOW can I make all you co-workers realize it? ... I MUST, somehow, arouse ALL our co-workers. ...It’s a matter of final desperation now.

Would you see the only LIGHT OF THE WORLD extinguished?Read this carefully! The only light of the word is the TRUTH of God, and the true work of God proclaiming that truth in boldness and with power! Satan knows this. He hates this work of God causing that true light to shine in his darkened world! Satan is angry. He is furious. He strikes repeatedly at this work of God. He never lets up, but keeps attacking with increasing persistence. Consequently this work is brought into one crisis after another.

Unless this letter somehow can make ALL our co-workers REALIZE how urgently serious the situation has become, this true work of God will be put out at this true LIGHT shining forth over three nations extinguished the voice you’ve been hearing over the air proclaiming the very Gospel of Christ, which HE proclaimed, STILLED the PLAIN TRUTH stopped from publication – Ambassador College, where men called of God, Spirit-filled, consecrated, are being fitted for this precious work of God will be CLOSED DOWN!

That would be the greatest tragedy that could happen!But this precious and powerful work CANNOT SURVIVE ANOTHER MONTH- not even another week – unless somehow with the help of God I can at last AROUSE our co-workers – ALL of you – to be willing RIGHT NOW to make a real financial sacrifice for your Saviour who gave His LIFE for you– for the Christ who loves you so much He DIED for you – and to love HIM enough to come to the aid of His work immediately!

1950's

The SS United States, a truly titanic ocean liner shown departing New York City on its maiden voyage on July 3, 1952. Built for luxury and speed, the mammoth SS United States was 100 feet longer than RMS Titanic.

Note: The June 19, 1954 Good News reported that the membership growth averaged 56% per year from 1950-1954 and the highest income growth occurred during 1942-1955 (well over 30%/year).

1952 Co-worker letter: " ...CO-WORKERS, I MUST ASK YOU TO COME TO THE RESCUE BY RETURN MAIL WITH THE LARGEST SUMS YOU POSSIBLY CAN SEND. It's a dire need. It's an IMMEDIATE and URGENT need. This is the greatest work on earth. We need every dollar"— the widow' mites, and the larger amounts from those who are able."

September 9, 1953: "The Festival is just TWO WEEKS AWAY—we are UNDER PRESSURE—it is now the FINAL, URGENT CRISIS—We simply HAVE to raise this money! I know many of you have done almost more than you could. But somehow we now simply MUST make one last MIGHTY SACRIFICE to put this over the top."

January 15, 1954: "Here is BIG NEWS! It may mean the end of this present world is much nearer than even we had supposed!… "

"Again the need is URGENT! It takes money every day and every week, to operate this greatest work on earth."

February 24, 1954: "Here is I can't hold back the truth from you any longer. I have to tell you we have reached the breaking point---the extreme LIMIT--- in this tight squeeze holding on to the powerful net-work broadcast! Unless God now performs a MIRACLE thru you co-workers, we cannot carry on another week!"

March 17, 1954: "Dear Faithful Co-Workers for Christ: Thank God!--we're still on the air--world-wide! Yes, in this tight squeeze getting the broadcast established on a major network, we have been making it--so far! But now we approach the very crisis bottle-neck of this tight squeeze. Now comes the SUPREME TEST!"

April 4, 1954: "This is a matter of life and death! Even now it may be too late, but I'm rushing this on Sunday---even a day's delay would be fatal. READ EVERY WORD before you lay this down! It's far more than the life and death of any person---we face this minute the death of God's all-important work."

April 26, 1954: Dear Co-Workers: The desperate life-and-death struggle to keep alive this greatly enlarged work of God continues. RIGHT NOW the fate of the work of God is being decided! It is being determined by WHAT YOU DO, these next two weeks! Right now we are at the turning point---one way or the other! It's the supreme crisis---and the answer is either the LIFE, or the death, of this tremendous program into which God has plunged us!"

June 16, 1954: "... This must be short and brief. It's an S.O.S. A drowning person does not take time for many words and long explanations---he just shouts "HELP!" ..." Precious lives for ETERNITY are AT STAKE---waiting on your tithes and EXTRA offerings! This is more important than anything you have to do. It has become a terrible EMERGENCY! "

July 12, 1954: "Never has our faith been so severely tried. This financial "tight squeeze" not only is still on---it is squeezing harder than ever before. Physical APPEARANCES make the situation look hopeless!"

Additional facts

Travel: Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong again traveled in complete luxury throughout Europe for about 6-7 weeks, beginning August 5, 1954. They departed aboard the fastest ship in the world, the S.S. United States, and then returned to the Dorchester hotel, and then traveled all over Europe and the middle east where he stayed at even more expensive hotels. He provided the details in his autobiography later on.

House upgrade: At some point during the 1950's, HWA moved from his large home near Cal Tech into an even larger home on Millionaire’s Row on 363 S. Orange Grove. Then later on, he moved from that home into a 6,450 sq-ft home at 210 S. Orange Grove that was valued at $5.5 million in March 2015 (despite the adjacent subdivisions that have occurred on the old Pasadena AC Campus after it was sold).

Co-worker letter, August 9, 1954. "Dear Co-Workers: God's great work is still in its tightest squeeze. In His great wisdom God is giving us, the family of Co-Workers He has called to His work, a great test of faith to TRY us---to develop PATIENCE---to teach us the great lesson of ENDURING TO THE END--- never quitting or giving up!"

September 18, 1954: "QUOTE BY SPECIAL CABLEGRAM LONDON SEPT 23 MEETINGS HERE BIG SUCCESS GREAT INTEREST AND GREAT WORK STARTED ALL OVER BRITAIN BUT ALARMING LETTER JUST RECEIVED FROM BUSINESS OFFICE IN PASADENA MUST PAY LARGE SUM OWEING XEG XELO AND XERB OR PUT OFF THE AIR. OUR INCOME LAST MONTH NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS BELOW EXPENSES.UNLESS OUR COWORKERS RALLY WITH LARGE INCREASE IN TITHES AND OFFERINGS IMMEDIATELY THIS GREAT WORK WILL STOP THIS IS SUPREME EMERGENCY PLEASE PRAY AS NEVER BEFORE REQUESTS FOR LITERATURE RECEIVED FROM NEW NETWORK LISTENERS GREATLY INCREASING WE MUST HOLD ON."

Co-worker letter, September 30, 1954: "This letter is a matter of LIFE or DEATH -- far more important than any human life -- the very life or death of GOD'S GREAT WORK! Read this carefully and prayerfully. I am on the Atlantic racing home. I have just received word by long distance that the work is in an ACUTE CRISIS. I do not know at the moment whether we are still on the air."

October 25, 1954: "I have returned to Pasadena to findthis LIFE or DEATH struggle to save God's work is still with us---the very LIFE of the most important activity on earth still hangs in the balance!"

November 17, 1954:“I have certainly had my eyes opened these past few weeks! We all need to WAKE UP! We are in a time of DANGER! You are in danger! Our nation is in grave danger! God's great and precious work is in terrible DANGER---unless a very large number of you Co-Workers who have been indifferent or neglectful of GOD'S WORK are reawakened!"

Co-worker Letter April 21, 1955: "HereisthemostimportantnewsIhaveeverbeenableto sendyouCo-WorkersabouttheprogressofGod'sWork! ...LISTENCAREFULLY! Thisis,indeedtheveryCRISISHOURof theentirelifeofthework... THAT'Sthecrisisbottle-neckweface. THEVERYLIFEof theworkofGODdependsonit! THAT'Sthemountainwehaveto hurdle!
...CO-WORKERS,WEHAVETORALLYTOTHISSUPREMEEMERGENCY! If weshouldfailinthis,God'spreciouswork---themostimportantactivityonthisearth---wouldgodown,anddown,---andDIE! NOTHING,now,butSUPERHUMANEFFORTonYOURpartaswellasmine cansavethework!

...AndIFEVERweneededacompleteDELUGEofwidows'mites,thattimeisRIGHTNOW! THISISOURSUPREMETEST!

January 19, 1956: " ...but you Co-Workers will have to BACK me in this tremendous undertaking as NEVER BEFORE! Never before have I had to call on you for such sacrifice—such intensive and earnest and continuous prevailing PRAYER as now!

November 20, 1957: "This is a quick and short EMERGENCY S.O.S.!!! This whole world has suddenly hit a stupendous CRISIS. At the same time, the most important activity on earth—GOD'S WORK—faces a crucial emergency."

January 10, 1958: “Here we are, in 1958! Time is running out on us..." "Brethren, WHAT ARE WE TO DO? We can't go ahead with this Tabernacle unless YOU MEMBERS SEND IN THE MONEY! We cannot take regular tithes and offerings away from the GOSPEL WORK around the world—WE CAN'T STOP GOD'S GREAT GOSPEL WORK—and put that money into the Tabernacle.

WHY, dear brethren, is it that unless I send out urgent appeals, most of you forget all about this great need, and QUIT DOING YOUR PART? W H Y ? Don't you realize that GOD is noting all we do—or fail to do? Don't you know we are to be rewarded according to our works?"

December 8, 1959: "… As world conditions step up toward the grand-smash CLIMAX of world VIOLENCE, and the END of this world, God is stepping up the power of HIS WORK! He is simultaneously blessing His people—CHRIST'S CO-WORKERS—with financial prosperity. AND HE EXPECTS US ALL TO GIVE, GENEROUSLY, FOR HIS WORK ACCORDING AS HE HAS BLESSED AND PROSPERED US—beside paying our honest TITHES which BELONG TO HIM!

...Co-Workers, let us dedicate ourselves right now as Co-Workers together with CHRIST, as never before"

Additional facts

Figures HWA provided in 1978 showed the rate of growth for the income between 1955 and1968 varied from 3.2 to 35%, averaging 26.2% per year. The rate of growth slowed considerably after 1969.

Part 2 will cover the period between 1960 and 1986. Perhaps it is too early to draw conclusions but a thought does come to mind...

"In the beginning the church was a fellowship of men and women centering on the living Christ. Then the church moved to Greece where it became a philosophy. Then it moved to Rome where it became an institution. Next, it moved to Europe, where it became a culture. And, finally, it moved to America where it became an enterprise". Richard Halverson

SUBMITTED BY: California Dreaming

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Rod Meredith/Richard Ames Witch Hunt Against Gay and Lesbian LCG Members

February 22, 2016, 11:34 am

≫ Next: Herbert W Armstrong's Demands for Money by Decade, 1960 - 1986 Part 2

≪ Previous: HWA's Financial Requests by Decade 1934 - 1959 Part 1

I received the above video today from one of my sources. It has long been known in COG circles that Rod Meredith has an intense fascination with homosexuality. There is not a sermon, magazine article or broadcast that Meredith is associated with where he does not get riled up over homosexuality. For decades now he has been seen by many as trying too hard to over-compensate for his own masculinity issues. Meredith would be a good case study for a psychologist.

Living Church of God, as has most all the other Church of God's, have always had gay and lesbian members. Herbert Armstrong had several gay men who worked for him over the decades and as hard as Meredith tried, HWA would not fire the men. All three Ambassador campuses and almost all the faculty homes were designed and decorated gay employees. This always irked Meredith. Imagine having sit in your million dollar home every evening eating dinner on your fancy dining table or watching TV in your richly decorated den or having to write your antigay sermons on a desk bought by HWA's favorite gay employee. That certainly is an ego buster, especially for Meredith

Many gay and lesbian COG members have never understood why some stayed in LCG where they had to listen to the hate filled rhetoric of Meredith and others. It all boils down to fear. Fear has always been the biggest motivator in Armstrongism in keeping members in line. Fear of losing ones salvation because a person is gay was always a big reason so many stayed in the church. The god that COG members were brought up believing in always seemed to be a vengeful, pissed-off, old white guy with his thumb ready to squash you for the slightest infraction. Sadly that is still the god that seems to rule in the Living Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God and the Restored Church of God.

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Herbert W Armstrong's Demands for Money by Decade, 1960 - 1986 Part 2

February 22, 2016, 11:57 am

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HWA's Demands for Money by Decade, Part 2

1960 - 1986

Part 1 covered about 40 of HWA's pleas for offerings between 1934 and 1959 along with supplemental information that he provided in his Autobiography and in the Good News magazine (refer to Feb. 20 post). This post covers roughly 30 more examples. This data was compiled to help resolve my own questions about HWA's sincerity.

1960's

July 24, 1960: "I have just had an urgent long-distance telephone call from Pasadena Headquarters. The SPECIAL offerings for the Building Fund are dropping off alarmingly..." "The NEED is imperative—desperate." "If we do only our own part—what is expected of us—God's Word brands us as UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS. And the unprofitable servants are to be cast into the lake of FIRE!"

January 15, 1962: “I know we can do better than this! WE SIMPLY HAVE TO DO BETTER! Just barely more than HALF of you members have responded-- almost HALF of you have failed to pledge a single dollar! … MANY OF YOU WHO ARE ABLE AND OUGHT TO PLEDGE HAVE FAILED OR REFUSED!

Brethren, do you realize this is the work of ALMIGHTY GOD? Do you realize HE is holding you accountable, according to your ability? It is not yet too late--but if you become a spiritual slacker, there is a Lake of Fire looming ahead, and I say to you in all sincerity and love, and by authority of Jesus Christ, you had better begin to fear and TREMBLE! This is EXPECTED of you, and if we don't do MORE than expected, we are UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS, and Jesus Christ says that the unprofitable servants are to be thrown into the Lake of Fire!”

December 9, 1962: "GREETINGS in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Once again I have to write you about a SERIOUS EMERGENCY. It is MOST URGENT!

I am writing this Sunday morning. Friday evening, just before the Sabbath came on, I stopped in the office of our head bookkeeper a moment. I was startled—almost horrified—to learn that the special offerings for the PROPERTY FUND had suddenly dropped off alarmingly..."

BRETHREN! God's Work is growing. The regular operating expenditures automatically keep increasing 30% a year. The income keeps increasing 30% a year—but that goes for OPERATIONAL EXPENDITURES—and for PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO THE WORLD! It does not provide for these imperative new building operations. WE MUST PROVIDE FOR THESE BY THIS SPECIAL BUILDING FUND. That means extra special offerings, OVER AND ABOVE tithes and regular offerings for operational expenses and the Gospel Work."

June 30, 1963: “RightnowthereisVERYSPECIALANDURGENTNEED! Thisneed,ofcourse,iscontinuous. Butwhenoneoftheselettersis alittleoverdue,thenthousandsofCo-Workersseemtoassumethereisnoneed,andwaituntilmylettercomesbeforesendingintheirofferings. PLEASEDON'TWAITfortheseletters--becausetheNEEDfortheWorkisCONTINUOUS!

July 31, 1963: “Timeisrunningoutonus. OnlyafewmoreyearsremaintofinishGod'sWork!

…Co-Workers,westillareintheslack,difficultsummermonths. IhavetoaskyoutoPRAY--andPRAYMOREEARNESTLYANDDILIGENTLYforthisWorkanditsfinances! Wecanneverslackenourefforts! TheneedisverygreatRIGHTNOW--andwillcontinuetobeuntiltheworkisDONE!”

January 13, 1964: “… ThisremindsmethatIMUSTNOWASKCO-WORKERSTORENEWFORANOTHERYEARyourstatementsofintentionforyourSPECIAL offerings(apartfromregulartithesandofferingsfortheGospelWork)fortheSPECIALBUILDINGFUND. Wemustnotonlykeepthis goingfromyeartoyearforthenextfivetosevenyears--butweMUSTINCREASEITBYATLEAST30%EACHYEAR,TOMEETTHE30%ANNUAL INCREASEINTHEGROWTHOFTHISENTIREWORK!

ForthisreasonIneed,especiallytocallforextraeffortfromallCo-WorkerstobeasliberalasyourabilityallowsinregularofferingsforthebroadcastandGospelwork--andthereisnowSPECIALURGENTNEEDforloansoflargersumsfromthosefewofyouwhohavesuchfundsyouarenotusingrightnow--mayneedinthefutureandthereforefeelunabletoGIVEsuchsumstotheWorkatthistime. Itisaverygreathelpwhenyouletsuchsums...”

February 1, 1965: “ThisisSERIOUS. ThisisURGENT! WefaceanEMERGENCY,andIhavetoaskyoutoreadcarefullyeveryword,takethismatterseriously…”

AlittleovertwoyearsagoIboundthisWorktoayearofausterity--cuttingeveryexpendituretothebone… ThissituationhasbecomeDESPERATE!TheWHOLEWORKOFGODdependsonit!”

YetyouCo-WorkershavebeendroppingoffintheEXTRASPECIALandADDITIONALOFFERINGSFORTHEBUILDINGFUNDuntilitishalfofwhatitwas--andhardlyathirdofwhatitMUSTBEiftheWORKOFGODistokeeponforgingahead!”

…andweneedaBIGINCREASEoverwhattheywere,forthiscomingyearor18months. THEVERYFUTUREOFTHEWHOLEWORKDEPENDSONTHIS!”

March 1, 1965: “ IhavejustreceivedanS.O.S.messagefromourBusinessOfficeatPasadenaHeadquarters. Ithasan URGENT!!incapitalletters,underscoredthreetimes,withtwoexclamationpoints,sayingreceiptoftithesandofferingshasfallen"waydown,"followedbyanotherURGENT!!andaskingmetowriteimmediatelyanotherCo-WorkerLetter.”

February 25, 1966: “Onceagain,IhavetosendoutthecallfortheLOANoflargersumsifyouhappentohavesuchanamountwhichyoufeelyoucannot,atthistime,atleast,give. ManyCo-Workershavesentinsuchsums,sothismoneymaybeatCHRIST'Sdisposal,workingwhere HEworks,andwithHisblessing,DOINGGOOD--untiltheyfindtheyneedit--orpartofit. Ofcoursemanyofthesearelaterchangedtostraightcontributions. ButIF,orwhen,youfindyou mustaskforpartorallofitback,thisWorkispreparedtosend ittoyouimmediately. Aspecialreserveismaintainedto guaranteethis.”

Loss or potential loss of family member’s justification for more donations from members?

The next letter was written just 6 weeks before Loma died of intestinal blockage. For some reason, Loma's condition appeared to be less important to HWA than condemning those that may have been offended about his repeated requests for money.

March 2, 1967: "... Many professing to be Church MEMBERS say, when a Co-Worker letter arrives, in a grumbling, complaining disgust:"Oh, that's another of Mr. Armstrong's REQUESTS for MONEY," and many don't even read the letter! “

Are YOU one of those? If so, LET ME BURN YOUR EARS before the Almighty GOD burns YOU in the Lake of FIRE! If that has been YOUR attitude -- if YOU are only on the GETTING side, and SHUN helping, and giving to the cause of GOD, then I say to you ON AUTHORITY OF JESUS CHRIST, if you don't REPENT and QUICKLY, and change that hostile, despicable, detestable attitude, you DO NOT BELONG in GOD'S CHURCH! You are some of the ROTTEN, PUTRID, spiritual WASTE that has been PLUGGED UP INSIDE OF THE SPIRITUAL BODY OF CHRIST'S WIFE, just as physical waste is plugged up in my dear wife's body! And the living Jesus is just as able to EXPEL YOU from the spiritual Body of HIS WIFE as He is to expel this physical waste from my wife's body!

And if THAT doesn't make your ears tingle, and AWAKEN you, then Jesus Christ says to YOU through me, YOU are in danger of the Lake of FIRE!

… You KNOW that we are on a SEVEN YEAR (or longer) building program, that began less than four years ago, and has three or more years yet to go. And yet, YOU BRETHREN, who call yourselves God’s PEOPLE have dwindled down to about HALF the amount of SPECIAL OFFERINGS for the BUILDING FUND you were sending in a year ago—though there are 30 percent more of us!

THINK OF IT! How ASHAMED God must be with His Church!…

LISTEN, Brethren—and listen HARD! Learn a LESSON that may save you from the Lake of Fire. Learn a basic TRUTH about how you are to develop character and GROW spiritually to INHERIT GOD’S KINGDOM! Learn a GREAT TRUTH! Learn what may mean your ETERNITY!

Read this two or three times! UNDERSTAND IT!

Some of you do not GO FORWARD spiritually with Christ, UNLESS I or YOUR LOCAL PASTOR, or SOMEONE PUSHES YOU! But our PUSHING will never get you into God’s Kingdom. Our PUSHING will never get you to the PLACE OF SAFETY for the Great Tribulation about five years from now…”

If one thinks this had been out of character for HWA due to emotional distress over the potential loss of his wife, consider how he also had turned the pending death of another family member into justification to blaming the brethren for the sad condition of the church and a need to donate more money back in 1958 (when income was growing at 35%). Following is a portion of the letter written when his son Dick Armstrong, was near death after a car accident.

July 17, 1958: “InthemidstofthisgreatabundantHARVESTofpreciouslivesforeternity,OURCO-WORKERSHAVEBEENLETTINGDOWNandbecomingneglectful,thispastmonth. Notallofyou--manyofyouhavestoodloyallybyus,atgreatsacrifice--butmanyothershavebecomecarelessandneglectedtosendintithesandofferingsasyoucould,andshould. InJuneourCo-Workersrespondedtomyappealnobly,butinJulyitseemedlikeareaction,andthereisNOTENOUGHMONEYTOCARRYONGOD'SGREATWORKATTOPEFFICIENCY! Ourbusinessdepartmentisinaterriblefinancialbind.

Co-Workers,WILLYOUNOTONLYPRAYFORMYSON'SMIRACULOUS ANDSPEEDYRECOVERY--butalsoforthefinancialsalvationofthisWORKOFGOD? IbelieveGodallowedthisterriblethingtohappenforthatverypurpose. IamaskingGodtoseethatitreachesyourheart,andtouchesitsothatthoseofyouwhohavebeenneglectfulwillAROUSETOUNSELFISHANDGENEROUSACTIONforthework! Iknowthatthishasprovedaheart-shakingandtremendousprodonallourstaffatPasadena.

In November 1984, things were not much different. Dwight Armstrong died while HWA was out of the country. HWA did not bother to change his travel plans in order to attend his brothers funeral but he did take the time to remind folks to help make up for the typical drop in income that occurred during December (ref. 11/18/84 Co-Worker letter).

Dec. 29, 1967: “ThisisoneofthemostIMPORTANT,URGENTlettersIhaveeverwrittenyou. Ihopeyouwillreadcarefully,prayerfully,everyword...

ThefinancialneedisCRUCIALrightnow--MORETHANANYTIMEINRECENTYEARS! ItisMOSTURGENT! WeareactuallyhavingtotakestepstoMATERIALLYREDUCEOURBUDGETFOR1968! ThisshouldneverBE!”

“GOD'SWORKNEEDSYOUREARNEST,PREVAILING,BELIEVING PRAYERS! ItneedsmorelargeLOANSthaneverbefore! ItneedsaBIGfinancialLIFT…. ItisMOSTSERIOUS! Thereisnotimetolose. ImustRUSHthistoyou.”

Note: In 1968, the church income grew 35% and in 1969 it grew another 31%. Apparently was not enough to avoid another financial crisis.

Sep. 9, 1968:"MANY who DO have the ability [to give]… are GUILTY BEFORE GOD of shirking—of letting the SATANIC attitude of GET fill their minds… The only reward later, will be DEATH in the LAKE OF FIRE!"

Oct. 29, 1968: “Co-Workers—Brethren in Christ—WE ARE ON THE FINAL "GUN-LAP." The "chips are down!" We must give this great work a mighty additional PUSH! The time is short—and it is VITAL. IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN OUR LIVES RIGHT NOW! Soon our money will not help us!

Here is what GOD says soon will happen: As the DAY OF THE LORD approaches…

Never was the need so urgent. Never were sizeable loans more needed—if you have cash not now being used, but which you are not free to GIVE. If you are not able to GIVE it outright at this time, it will help greatly if you PUT IT TO WORK, as a loan, WHERE THE LIVING CHRIST IS WORKING, AND DIRECTING, AND BLESSING!”

Gulfstream II

Note: All the remaining HWA examples provided below were during the years that Mr. Armstrong purchased 2 business jets (1969), constructed fancy buildings in Pasadena, amassed a large bank account, and was spending 3^rd tithe on fancy homes, rare art, and jet fuel. Over a 17 year period, WCG owned the following planes:

1969 Falcon Fanjet $2.5 million (sold in 1977)
1969 Gulfstream II $4 million (replaced in 1985)
Cessna Citation jet
Cessna 182
Cessna 310
Beechcraft King Air (sold 1974)
1985 Gulfstream III $17+ million

February 27, 1969: “This CRISIS we face has been precipitated by TWO factors:

The second one I also wrote you about last month. It is the large amount of loans from Co-Workers that have accumulated on our books. It is absolutely VITAL to the future of the Work, if our financial integrity is to remain high and unquestioned, that we either make a reduction in these, by more and more Co-Workers following my personal example in cancelling the loan, and turning it into an outright donation.

RELIGIOUS LEADERS HELD BACK GOD'S TRUTH, AND PERSECUTED JESUS! Are some of us, who have accepted His draft to become HIS Co-Worker doing the same today?”

March 30, 1970: “But now I have to come to you with the frank statement that drastic action must be taken. About ten days ago I took drastic action — but it was not enough. I started at the top. I made a 20% cut in salary of all top-salaried officials, including evangelist-rank ministers, and a 15% cut in all pastor-rank ministers... I put our airplanes up for immediate sale.

However, this very recession has slowed purchase of planes to a standstill and selling may be difficult. But that still is not enough. The BIG immediate need is extra cash funds — NOW — IMMEDIATE!

The first is, that I am calling for a full day of FASTING AND PRAYER FOR THIS WORK FOR THIS SABBATH, April 4th. That, Brethren, can do more to help this situation than anything else — IF we really take this seriously to heart, and PUT OUR HEARTS INTO OUR PRAYERS in real earnest, and in FAITH BELIEVING!

The second I ask of all who can and are willing. This was suggested this afternoon by Mr. Stanley Rader, our legal counsel and financial adviser. It is that those in position to do so, if willing to do your part for God's Work in this immediate crisis, go to your local bank and borrow whatever you are able — from $100 to $1,000. Some will be able to borrow no more than $100.

Mr. Rader said he would go to his bank and borrow $5,000 to start this plan going. I felt I was the one to set the example, so immediately this afternoon I beat him to it.”

November 2, 1972: "… This Work… is geared to a pattern that demands constant INCREASE. IT CANNOT HOLD EVEN. It either goes on forward, or it goes backward! We MUST… GET THIS GREAT WORK BACK ON THE PATTERN OF A 30% annual INCREASE in power and scope… Brethren, we have to face a VERY SOBERING AND SERIOUS SITUATION. Unless drastic CHANGES take place, we are going to have to reduce many vital phases of the Work, and eliminate others. That means seeing the Work… start going BACKWARD for the first time in 40 years! … Brethren… WE DARE NOT LET THAT HAPPEN! … Brethren, I KNOW the CAUSE of our present situation. WE AS A CHURCH HAVE BEEN LETTING DOWN… That means that NOT ONLY God’s WORK is in danger—MANY of YOU BRETHREN are in MORTAL DANGER! I say to you candidly, I know that some, if not MANY of you are in REAL DANGER of the LAKE OF FIRE!… Let’s not dodge the real issue—let’s not deny the REAL CAUSE—Let’s not PASS THE BUCK! Our own personal, individual SALVATION is at stake…Jesus Christ, has shown me THE REAL CAUSE—not merely of the present situation, BUT OF THE DIMINISHING INCREASE IN INCOME—and—consequently IN THE ENTIRE SCOPE AND POWER OF THE WORK these past three and four years!… I know that the ETERNAL LIVES of many—perhaps more than HALF… are at STAKE…"

February 27, 1973: “UnlessyoustandbackofmeandJesusChrist,theHEADofthisgreatWork,loyallyandgenerouslywewillbeheadingintoaseriousfinancialcrisisinanother30days.”

March 18, 1974: “ I wrote you before that the attempted overthrow of GOD’s work a few weeks ago, would undoubtedly cause a temporary slump in the income for this MOST IMPOPRTANT WORK ON EATH. It has, and I need to ask all loyal Brethren and Co-Workers to make an EXTRA sacrifice right now…”

November 18, 1974: “IMPORTANT! IfyouseektheTRUEVALUES--thethingsWORTHWHILE--whatelsecanbeasIMPORTANTasyourpartinTHAT? THATis"theWORK." Yes, what an AWESOME Work to be PRIVILEDGED to have a part in!

…And itDIRELYNEEDSyourmostintensivesupplicationsandprayers--andevenfinancialSACRIFICENOW,asneverbefore.”

October 8, 1975: “We need INCREASED FINANCIAL SUPPORT! IT IS URGENT!”

March 15, 1976: “ButImustalsosaytoyouwhosharethisfinancialresponsibilitywithme,thatwehaveonceagain,aswehaveatintervalsinthepast,cometothepointwhereIhavetolaytheproblemfranklyandcandidlybeforeyouandaskyouforSPECIALeffortsandforaVERYSPECIALfinancialSACRIFICEfor God'sWork--aspecialandgenerousofferingABOVEregulartithesandofferings.”

March 22, 1977: “This isbyfartheMOSTIMPORTANTWORKBEINGDONEONEARTH. It needsyourEARNESTPRAYERS--andyourmostgenerousfinancialsupport--thatisYOURPART--andyouhaveapartthesameasI. Timeisgettingshorter. PrayHARDERMOREOFTEN! GIVEmoregenerouslyandmoreoften.WEarebeingjudgedNOWandshallbeREWARDEDaccordingtoourworks.”

October 23, 1978: “So, fromhereonin,letusfastenoureyesonJESUSCHRIST--andontheultimateGOAL,orfinishingline. WearerunningfortheGREATESTSTAKESintheUNIVERSE! RememberGod'swayisLOVE--theGIVINGWAY,whileSatan'swayis"GETTING."

Let'srededicateourlivestoGIVINGofourselves! ONLYONETHINGMATTERSfromhereonin! Layasidetheworldlyinterests,thepleasuresofthislife--jettisonallthoseoff--andkeepoureyesontheONEGOAL!

..WebrokerecordsattheFeastinattendance,andinofferings,aswellasinSPIRIT. ButwehaveaONEMILLIONDOLLARBANKLOANduetobepaidbackTODAY! … wearestillabout11/2milliondollarsbehindintheyear'sbudget.”

January 23, 1980: “Overall, THISIS A TRULY GREAT WORLDWIDE WORK! The work is BOOMING! But the time is GWOING SHORT! There is still much to do—and it will take more money!”

We must be willing to SACRIFICE TILL IT HURTS”

December 19, 1980: “Now I am ready to start this expanded campaign. IT WILL COST MORE MONEY! That is YOUR PART!”

March 19, 1981: “Brethren,NEVERwereyourprayerssoURGENTLYNECESSARY--bothforYOUandtheWork--andforme!Mylifehasbeenthreatened--butbyfaithinGoditshallbespared untilmyworkiscomplete.InowhavetoaskyoutosacrificeandsendinspecialEXTRA generousofferingsmorethaneverbefore.Timeisshort.SoonthereshallbeaFAMINEof hearingtheWordofGod(Amos8:11).“

July 14, 1981: “As of the first of this month the income for the work in the U.S. was up some 22 percent… But in the last 30 days—since we entered the summer months—there has been a significant DROP. Now the month to date shows an increase of only 13.5 percent… THAT IS ALARMING!”

July 16, 1982:“NOTHING ELSE MATTERS NOW. We must sacrifice and devote our all… in these closing days.”

Note: The next quote is from a letter written just about 6 weeks before Mr. Armstrong passed away.

Nov 25, 1985: “BUT WE SERIOUSLY AND URGENTLY NEED INCREASED INCOME! I now need you to work harder, more energetically and at greater sacrifice in prayers and extra financial offerings than ever before! A few years ago I wrote you a warning that we must prepare to tighten our belts, and reduce our living standards! This whole nation is going to have to learn to do that! I ask you, brethren, in Jesus' name, to put whatever you are able into God's Work in this crisis hour.”

Gulfstream III

Early on while researching HWA, it became clear that many individuals were of the opinion that that Mr. Armstrong had been sincere early on in his ministry and then became corrupt after his wife had died in 1967. They believed that Loma had been the positive influence that he had needed. Initially, this made sense. However, after reading HWA's own words from 1934 on, it became clear that HWA was actually quite consistent from the beginning of the Radio Church of God to the end of his life. He was quite bold about his training, his purpose, his role, his prophetic knowledge… and in his demands for money.

HWA's requests for donations were unrelated to the rate of growth in church income. In 1958 (one of the best years for income growth), HWA's demands for more donations were quite similar to his requests in 1972 (which was a year with a low rate of growth). In 1958, 17 out of HWA’s 21 Co-Worker letters described how urgently money was needed, how the income had "fallen off", how the income was "in a slump", and how the work was "in a SERIOUS EMERGENCY CRISIS RIGHT NOW". All of these superlatives were offered even though the income was up 35% for that year! It would seem impossible to conclude that HWA had been sincere when writing these letters.

Mr. Armstrong's consistent, guilt-laden demands for money extending over his entire 50-year career, coincident with an escalating personal standard of living that reached absurd levels, does not tend reflect well on his integrity. At a minimum, Mr. Armstrong's claims of pending financial ruin while simultaneously purchasing luxury homes, going on extended first-class vacations, and amassing a personal art collection gave his critics reason to conclude that he was greedy for gain.

Some may even conclude that 2 Peter 2:3 is applicable.

"And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not." (KJV)

Looking back, at a minimum, we certainly had been taken advantage of. Unfortunately; HWA wasn’t the first, nor will he be the last, to do so in the name of religion.

Complied and submitted by California Dreaming

↧

Living Church of God: Rod McNair Waits For Lightening To Strike Him

February 22, 2016, 10:08 pm

≫ Next: Living Church of God members are not happy that church has wasted tithe money on more property for it's pretend "University"

≪ Previous: Herbert W Armstrong's Demands for Money by Decade, 1960 - 1986 Part 2

From an LCG source:

Rod McNair wrote the following in this week's LCG Weekly Update:

We are to use language to give grace and life, as words that are “seasoned with salt” (Colossians 4:6). We are to “be kind to one another, tenderhearted” (Ephesians 4:32), not quarrelsome. Thank God we are learning a different way—a way that strengthens and builds up, that imparts “grace to the hearers” (Ephesians 4:29). As we gather to worship God this Sabbath, let us make sure we are giving the gift of gracious language! Have a peaceful Sabbath,Rod McNair

What a load coming from a man who's renowned for tearing others down to exalt himself! The depravity of Rod McNair's character is matched only by his evil master, Rod Mereidth.

McNair came to LCG HQ's around 2007 but he has quickly risen in power because old Spanky can really respect how well McNair uses his power to abuse the members. McNair has become Chief of the Gestapo and is willing to interrogate and accuse anyone who dare question ministerial authority, doctrinal upgrades and/or other "loose bricks". He's also the keeper of the not-so-secret member files wherein he keeps spy information on tithing records, Facebook posts, private Bible study attendance, and possible involvement with deemed "trouble makers" (aka people who aren't drinking enough Kool-Aid), etc. Nothing will earn Meredith's respect faster than a spy who isn't afraid to bully members into submission, even if that means bending the truth to serve his purpose.

I only hope McNair realizes how full of doo doo he is. It would really be pathetic if McNair believed in his heart that he was "kind and tenderhearted, not quarrelsome".

Although, self awareness is often grossly lacking in LCG ministry who feel they have been chosen by God to act as intercessors. Poor confused little men.

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Living Church of God members are not happy that church has wasted tithe money on more property for it's pretend "University"

February 23, 2016, 8:49 am

≫ Next: Philadelphia Church of God Tells Singles What They Can Talk About On Dates

≪ Previous: Living Church of God: Rod McNair Waits For Lightening To Strike Him

This in from Charlotte:

LCG just completed the purchase 2 additional pieces of property in Charlotte for use as Living University dorms. Many LCG members are already annoyed at the vast amount of tithe payer money being hemorrhaged into LU. The brethren were already grumbling about the money being spent for accreditation This will surely send many of them over the top. The majority in LCG believe "freely you have been given, freely you must give" and are in disagreement with LCG charging members to be taught from LU classes. LCG brethren in large numbers believe that the primary mission of the church is to do "the work" which is to "preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God" NOT to bolster egos within the church with their efforts to re-create AC. Just think how much "preaching the gospel" could have been funded with money (over 1 million dollars easily) that Meredith and Winnail have spent on Living University.

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Philadelphia Church of God Tells Singles What They Can Talk About On Dates

February 23, 2016, 11:30 am

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If you thought the fun loving group ensconced in the middle of Oklahoma couldn't get any crazier, get a load of the latest talking points that Joel Hilliker has laid out for PCG single members who might think about going on a date and carrying on a conversation.

Apparently PCG singles are sex crazed nymphomaniacs who get sexually turned on by conversations and it has to STOP! Conversations lead to emotions and emotions are a DANGEROUS things in the PCG. We just CANNOT have that!

Conversation between a man and a woman is wonderful. The two can help each other in so many ways: develop their personality, sharpen their social skills, grow in compassion and empathy, broaden their perspective and so on.

When a spark of romantic interest enters a relationship, this can also be wonderful. But it also complicates matters somewhat, and, handled poorly, can lead to problems.

Why problems? Because emotion—though a tremendous blessing when guided and channeled properly—is not necessarily helpful. The wrong kind of conversation between a man and a woman stokes emotion, feeds infatuation, and clouds your ability to maintain wise objectivity.

Of course one of the old standbys that leads to sexual licentiousness is music. This time its pop music.

Just listen to pop radio, and you know it is easy to say things that get the juices going: I love you! I can’t live without you! I would walk 500 miles just to be with you!

Apparently Celtic dance music with bouncing babes is OK, but no so with pop music and "walking 500 miles. But that's another subject when it comes to PCG.

Lil' Joel continues on with this:

We are subtler about it, but we can still stir up emotions in ways that seem gratifying but turn out to be harmful. In some situations in God’s Church, men and women are saying things to one another aimed at getting something from the other rather than really showing outgoing concern. Remember, you must give account before God for every idle word! (Matthew 12:36).

So what is so bad with singles conversations that it warrants Lil' Joel interfering? What is this deadly trap that singles fall into when they talk to each other?

This:

This is discussion about the two of you—about your developing relationship—about how much you enjoy your time together (I’m not talking about, “Thanks, I had fun”—I’m talking about a conversation about how much fun you have together, what wonderful companions you are for each other)— about the possibility of you sharing a future—about whether you’re spending enough time together—or whether you wish you could spend more time together—or how someone else asked you out but you wish you could have gone with them—etc. ad nauseam. There are thousands of variations on this theme. Whatever it is, it’s a comment or discussion that puts focus on your friendship, or your relationship.

I’m telling you, this is a trap.

So what is this disgusting emotion that conversations like this cause?

Why have this conversation? Because you like the little hit of excitement it gives you. But the only purpose it serves is to stir up your emotions and to feed infatuation. Such discussion also tends to have a snowball effect. Once “us” becomes a topic of discussion—it can become a greedy monster.

A little later Lil'Joel describes the consequences of such licentious conversations. Once you start talking like this there is no turning back. The next step is breeding like rabbits in the John Amos Field House.

In a sense, a statement like that is a promise. Every step you take toward intimacy is a step you cannot untake. That statement took you closer to full intimacy. You devoted a little piece of yourself—and you probably took possession of a little piece of the other person too. Think about it: Either you’re going to end up marrying that person—or not. It is either going to lead to another step, and then another, toward marriage—or at some point you are going to have to painfully back away from it. But you cannot undo it.

So what is a poor PCG members opposed to discuss? Here are the conversations starters:

• Talk about God’s Work and God’s truth.

• What is his/her attitude toward serving: volunteering for jobs, joining Spokesman Club, driving an extra two hours to pick someone up or visit a shut-in?

• How important is hospitality to him/her?

• Does he/she prefer having a lot of people around, or spending more time in solitude?

• How important is work to him/her?

• How important is time management? How motivated is he/she to make productive use of free time?

• How important is it to him/her to continue their education?

• How much energy does he/she have? Does he/she always crave activity, or does he/she need a lot of down time?

• What is his/her attitude toward money? Is he liberal or frugal? How important are quality possessions and a high standard of living to him/her?

• How important is it to him/her to take care of his/her things? Is he/she a do-it-yourself-type person?

• What priority does he/she put on proper diet and exercise?

• What value does he/she put on friendship? What about loyalty?

• How important is open communication and honesty to him/her?

• Is he/she a positive, upbeat person? When trials hit, how important is it to him/her to react positively? To not complain? To have joy?

You can read the entire article by Lil' Joel here: Do NOT have this conversation with your date!

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Greg Nice Admits Philadelphia Church of God Doesn't Play Nice...God Told Them Not To

February 23, 2016, 11:15 pm

≫ Next: Leviticus

≪ Previous: Philadelphia Church of God Tells Singles What They Can Talk About On Dates

Ever since Gerald Flurry dreamed up his "no contact" policy as a method of controlling Philadelphia Church of God members he has had to be on the defensive. As he struggles to find scripture to back up his insane rants he also has to deal with the backlash from PCG members and ex members.

Since so many find Flurry's excuses to be highly offensive he has has to turn to one of his abettor's to do his dirty work. That lackey ended up being Greg Nice who ultimately proves there is nothing nice about the guy at all!

Nice wrote the following article in July of 2010. The PCG has reposted this in order to keep the grumbling members under control. Must We Avoid Them?

Nice gets right to the point in the very first paragraph. This should leave no doubt in any PCG members mind that Gerald's god is directly behind this teaching.

Some of God’s people outside and perhaps even inside the Philadelphia Church of God think that the pcg has established a policy regarding cutting off fellowship with members who leave the faith—those the Bible describes as Laodicean—even their own family members. Not having fellowship with Laodiceans is not a policy established by the pcg. What the pcg does is teach and obey the doctrine established by God. Because this is a doctrine of God, it is therefore a policy of the Church; that is, the Church follows God’s commands about restricting fellowship with people He has called and impregnated with His Holy Spirit and who then choose to walk contrary to their covenant with God.

The doctrines of the Church of God come directly from the Word of God. Not having fellowship with those who turn away from God is directly commanded from one end of the Bible to the other. The doctrine predates mankind and will continue into the Kingdom of God.

Why would any PCG member ever doubt Flurry again after reading this? The very first two paragraphs are laden with fear tactics meant to enslave and subdue.

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Leviticus

February 24, 2016, 9:23 am

≫ Next: UCG Meeting To Determine What It Is They Actually Are Supposed to Be Doing

≪ Previous: Greg Nice Admits Philadelphia Church of God Doesn't Play Nice...God Told Them Not To

↧

UCG Meeting To Determine What It Is They Actually Are Supposed to Be Doing

February 26, 2016, 11:07 am

≫ Next: Living Church of God: We Will Soon Be Banned! (Though not by this Banned...)

≪ Previous: Leviticus

UCG Council of Elders

A person would think that after 20 some years of claiming to be the only true church doing the work of God on the earth that the United Church of God knew exactly what it was they were supposed to be doing. Apparently not.

UCG will be meeting in Cincinnati this coming week to examine their mission statement, which apparently not too many of them pay much attention to.

Robin Webber writes

The Council of Elders (CoE) of the United Church of God meets in Cincinnati from Feb. 29 to March 3. We are called together once again to ascertain and oversee how we might diligently fulfill the mission statement of the United Church of God “to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God, make disciples in all nations, and care for those disciples.” As followers of the Son of God we are to humbly yet boldly follow in His footsteps when He said, “I must be about My Father’s business” (Luke 2:49). He went on to further say in John 9:4“I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.”

Ever since UCG was started in back room shenanigans in the SOG Apartments in Pasadena, it has been trying to find its identity. Even though we live in the 21st century and have new ways of communication and media, UCG still tries to emulate it's mother church. The Worldwide Church of God's model was based upon Herbert Armstrong's early 20th century advertising techniques and how the church operated on the financial economic excess of the 1980's. The WCG was truly an American made sect who failed to adjust to the peoples they tried to convert around the world. Whether you were in Oklahoma, France, South Africa, or South America, church members dressed, acted and did exactly the same things that the mother church in Pasadena did.

Flash forward to 2016 and look at UCG today. It cannot relate to the citizens in it's own city, state or country. It's magazines no longer draw members or coworkers in. It has had a string of epic failures in personal appearance campaigns, outrageously expensive billboard campaigns and public "Bible studies."

UCG is out of touch with the concerns of the people around them and of the world. It cannot relate to African Americans or Latin Americans who make up a broad swath of American society today. UCG is still a white man's church that is run by American white men who promote subtle racist beliefs though Anglo Israelism specialness It's no wonder that in 2016 they have to continually meet to determine just what it is they are supposed to be doing.

Where is the humility in the UCG power structure? Where are the serving servants who get down other knees and wash the feet of the homeless or immigrants that does their landscaping? Where are the humble men in the UCG? These are men who are going to be god's one day, don't forget!

These two fundamental scriptures keep us in alignment with our purpose for meeting, and reminds all of us of the spiritual fervency needed now more than ever as we plainly see the ever-encroaching darkness of this age of man that confronts God’s desire for all humanity. What is “our Father’s business”? What has He granted us to understand by His grace? How does Scripture inform us what to believe and therefore what to do whether as members of a council or individual members within the Body of Christ? What spiritual principles guide the Council of Elders as we strive to determine with God’s guidance: 1) How to share precious spiritual truth and understanding both to the world and those in our midst, 2) How to best utilize the gifts and talents of the precious resource of our membership and ministry throughout the world, and 3) How to wisely utilize the faithful donations of our members and coworkers to this end to bear spiritual fruit?

Ah yes, the world is coming to an end and we have a message of hope to bring to the world, but first we need to tell you about all the death, doom and gloom that will befall you if you ignore us.

How has scripture informed the United Church of God when it ignores or puts Jesus on the back room as an inconvenient awkward relative they want to keep out of sight? Much like that they do with their beliefs on their website, conveniently hidden from view.

After a list of things that UCG claim to believe in (but doesn't practice), Webber has this this comment:

This is “our Father’s business” and what we will discuss in preparing Strategic and Operation Plans and Budget touching on all these spiritual needs for the GCE’s consideration in May. These guiding principles touch all that we will do and decide next week in regards to reviewing doctrines and teachings and wisely placing them under the light of Scripture; producing and promoting evangelistic tools such as the Beyond Today magazine and program, our Internet home page, and public appearance programs so that God’s ageless truths and values might become personally relevant to today’s audience; assuring that our congregations on all six inhabitable continents have pastoral care; and focusing on the needs of our youth to learn God’s ways and to create and maintain meaningful bonding programs for them that will stitch the Church together in the years to come.

Twenty years down the line and a few years after a major church break off, UCG is reviewing doctrines to change. One must not forget that all of these men in charge UCG were the very same men who disfellowhippeed and rebuked WCG members during the doctrinal changes when members disagreed. These very same men were enforcers of Tkach's reforms until it was obvious that the gravy train they were on was going to be soon be brought to an end. Money was too important to them. They could not step out in faith from the very first as they planned a new church, but instead had to connive and plan for months and moths while still on WCG payroll. Even today these very same men, after one epic church failure after another, still stay in power as UCG dwindles slowly down, refusing to do what is right.

Browsing through their magazines, web site and booklets a person has to look really hard to find anything specifically on Jesus Christ. That inconvenient dude is usually only invoked in the last few paragraphs of any article as an afterthought...IF...he is mentioned at all. Its only Hebrew scripture heroes and prophets who get the headline articles. Its Hebrew scripture personalities that make the magazines articles and web site stories. Jesus be damned when Abraham, Issac and David can be invoked!

Perhaps the UCG leadership should focus entirely upon on Jesus for week and see what they might discover.

You can read UCG's "mission" here: Robin Webber Letter

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Living Church of God: We Will Soon Be Banned! (Though not by this Banned...)

February 26, 2016, 4:58 pm

≫ Next: From the First to the Last: The Destruction of the Church

≪ Previous: UCG Meeting To Determine What It Is They Actually Are Supposed to Be Doing

An LCG member contacted me about the constant fear mongering that Rod Meredith fills all of his sermons and articles with lately. Members are getting sick of hearing it.

Some of the things they pointed out are:

According to Rod Meredith, terrible times lie ahead for Living Church of God members. Intense persecution and suffering is shortly around the corner. This persecution will be like none other in history and because LCG is the ONLY true church the earth those 7,000 people will soon be made to suffer. Fear seems to permeate every one of Rod Meredith's articles now.

Rod Meredith writes:

It is obvious that mankind cannot solve the problems of human nature—vanity, jealousy, lust and greed. It seems the U.S. is destined to continue as the most visible target for cowardly terrorist attacks since it is now, almost by default, the enforcer of whatever world peace and stability there is. But what about spiritual Israel (cf. Galatians 6:16)—the true Church of God? Will we somehow escape all the madness and be “whisked off to safety” with nary a scratch or a bruise?

No, indeed!

Even apart from the true Church, professing Christians around the world are suffering increased persecution. News reports tell us of more and more horrifying instances of their being tortured, killed, raped or even sold into slavery in many non-Christian lands.
And now there is a movement in many European countries to crack down on virtually all religious groups that are not in the “mainstream.” These groups include Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists and others. Clearly, as the Living Church of God gains worldwide recognition and prominence for doing the Work of God, we too will be restricted—maybe banned!—and eventually persecuted in many nations around the world.

Clearly, since the Living Church of God has NOT gained worldwide recognition and prominence, I wonder where this intense persecution is coming from? For the last 60 some years it has been living in Rod Meredith's head, that is for sure.

Even though LCG now is on Apple TV, Roku and other streaming sites where it sits along side numerous other religious group streaming sites, it is still is a minor blip on the radar screen. People who stream movies and sports are not sitting there streaming Living Church of God videos. Fact.

Even as much as Rod Meredith hates this blog and warns his members to steer clear, nothing presented here is persecution, even though he counts it as persecution.

Although Christ’s zealous and faithful servants will be taken to a Place of Safety at the very end of this age (Luke 21:36; Revelation 12:14), Scripture makes it quite clear that we all will have trials, tests and at least some degree of real persecution before this deliverance. For God inspired the Apostle Paul to warn us, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Timothy 3:12–13).

The only people I see suffering REAL persecution are the REAL Christians in the middle east being killed for their beliefs.

12 Christians Brutally Executed By ISIS Refused to Renounce Name of Christ, Died Praying, Reciting Lord's Prayer
Syria's beleaguered Christians

Christians almost completely destroyed by ISIS fanatics in Syria, says Aleppo Archbishop

For a church that faces so much persecution it sure seems to finds time to dump more hard earned tithe money into its little so-called "university" for dorms, redecorating offices and buying expensive furniture to please Lil Jimmy's exquisite tastes. Since intense persecution is rapidly approaching I would think LCG would be funneling money into accounts where it could help its persecuted brethren around the world. But no, sadly it's not.

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From the First to the Last: The Destruction of the Church

February 26, 2016, 5:29 pm

≫ Next: Greg Nice/PCG: Being Happy Is Pagan!

≪ Previous: Living Church of God: We Will Soon Be Banned! (Though not by this Banned...)

This is the very first building that the church bought in Pasadena that held the offices and classrooms for the fledgling college. This was the old Ambassador library building. This was also the very first building to be demolished on the property. It occurred at Feast time in 2012.

Then we move to 2016 and the demolition of the Hall of Administration. This was the seat of the power that controlled the church and established doctrines. It was also the seat of those that abused the members so terribly. It's fitting that this is the last building to be demolished. From the first to the last. Its a fitting epitaph of the state of the Church of God today leading into Passover season.

A pile of wrecked debris, unsalvageable.

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Greg Nice/PCG: Being Happy Is Pagan!

February 27, 2016, 11:02 am

≫ Next: Glynn Washington weaves his childhood in the WCG into his stories on PBS

≪ Previous: From the First to the Last: The Destruction of the Church

This is a comment from the thread on Greg Nice justifying shunning of family members.

Can this man truly be this stupid?

A couple years ago when Greg was at HQs for the birth of his grand baby, he graced us all with his presence and gave a sermonette. He spoke about "happiness" and how being happy is pagan! He said the origins of happy came from China and no where in the Bible is happiness mentioned and that we should never strive to be happy. I just remember staring at that doofus in absolute disbelief!

His daughter in law almost died during childbirth and he was rambling on about how it wouldn't make any difference if she lived or died because all things work out for the good.

He's a very callous man!

But then, the PCG teaches us all to be callous and cold, it's all part of the grand Brotherly Love Plan!

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Glynn Washington weaves his childhood in the WCG into his stories on PBS

February 27, 2016, 6:35 pm

≫ Next: Reactions to the Pasadena Rubble

≪ Previous: Greg Nice/PCG: Being Happy Is Pagan!

Glynn Washington has a highly successful radio program that is known around the country. He weaves his story of growing up in Armstrongism into many of his broadcasts.

Glynn Washington adding diversity to radio one story at a time New York AmsterdamNews

"On this night, Washington opens up about his childhood in Pasadena, Calif., which was spent in the now infamous Worldwide Church of God, headed by the apocalyptic radio evangelist Herbert W. Armstrong. Many, including Washington, called the church a cult.

I don’t know how this is possible, with the sadness and seriousness that was woven throughout the story, but laughter erupted in the room. Here is this man telling us that when he was a 9-year-old, he was going to school and telling his best friend goodbye, sleeping in shoes and trying to get right with Jesus so that he wouldn’t perish in the rapture. He was surrounded by adults who were doing the same thing. His family was almost convinced to send their lifesavings to Armstrong, then pick up and leave their home to follow this self-proclaimed prophet to a “safe place” before God’s rapture came, and we were all laughing. This is a true story, but we can laugh because it’s a part of his life that he has come to terms with. Now he is sharing it with us, so that we can take from it what we need or want."

NPR’s Great Black Hope The Atlantic

"That was 1997, when This American Life, Glass’s public-radio show, was just two years old, and people were beginning to suspect that his style of curated storytelling might be radio’s next big thing. Now Washington, a proud student of Glass’s, is the next big thing. In its first three years, Snap Judgment, Washington’s fast-paced, music-heavy, ethnically variegated take on the public-radio story hour, has spread like left-end-of-the-dial kudzu. It is on 250 stations, reaching nine of the top 10 public-radio markets, and its podcast is downloaded more than half a million times a month. And while there has long been minority talent on public radio—a realm that includes National Public Radio and other producers of non-commercial radio, like American Public Media and Public Radio International—Washington is the first African American host to swing a big cultural stick, the first who seems likely to become a public-radio superstar on the order of Glass or Garrison Keillor."

"Many NPR hosts come from NPR-ish families. Not Washington. “I grew up in a cult,” he told me. His parents were members of the Worldwide Church of God, a sect founded by Herbert W. Armstrong, an apocalyptic radio evangelist based in Pasadena. Washington got out—a story he tells with an escapee’s pride—and went on to the University of Michigan and its law school. He studied in Japan, then worked for the State Department, then ended up directing a program at the University of California at Berkeley. Some of the best Snap Judgment segments are drawn from his own life, and you get the feeling he could carry several episodes a year by himself."

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Reactions to the Pasadena Rubble

February 28, 2016, 6:51 am

≫ Next: Herbert Armstrong: TO BE ENFORCED! Ruling On Women's Dress

≪ Previous: Glynn Washington weaves his childhood in the WCG into his stories on PBS

The reactions have been swift at the latest photo's of the demolition of the Hall of Administration. This meme was done by a child of the church (an actress) who's life was screwed up because of it. Others have been moved to tears at seeing the debris because they have been hurt so much by the church, yet still identify with it.

Broken families and marriages, suicides, and mental disorders have been a result of the church and its teachings. Some have been scared for life by the church and so many want to sweep it all under the rug and act like nothing bad ever happened, and if it did, it was the person's fault for being weak and not the church.

On the Banned Facebook page and the FB pages the following comments have been made:

Reminds me of the destruction of The Temple signifying the end of the Levitical Priesthood and the daily sacrifice and how many still insisted on living in OT OC times. The splinters are in denial of this being a significant sign, Armstrongism is dead...

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I fight very hard not to be bitter because it is counter productive. That said, after a 50 year exposure to that hot mess, I can't help not be angry. It was bad enough being raised in it, but now, in my early 60's, I have no hope of ever retiring, a still live paycheck to paycheck. After all, we should be in the Millennium, right? Who needs IRA's and Social Security when we are all now in the Wonderful World Tomorrow!

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Many lives and careers are a pile of rubble just like that. it is not so easy just to sweep away the damage done to children and marriages. I contributed thousands of dollars and there it is in a pile of trash.

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I'll say it again. That pile of rubble was what was stolen out of our mouths as kids, was stolen of our backs. That building, was built and paid for by people like my parents with the thousands of dollars they didn't have to spare which they sent to Pasadena every paycheck. It seems a waste to see a beautiful building that my parents in part paid for laying there as a pile of rubble. I don't miss the organization but to see the sacrifice decimated is a hard pill to swallow. Just my thoughts and feelings on this.

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Herbert Armstrong: TO BE ENFORCED! Ruling On Women's Dress

February 28, 2016, 11:37 am

≫ Next: Hall of Ad Demolition

≪ Previous: Reactions to the Pasadena Rubble

Herbert Armstrong writes:

And I want to say, before quoting from the former article, that God’s ministers are quite frequently embarrassed, while preaching in the pulpit, by women wearing too short skirts that do not cover their knees, sitting with their knees spread apart at least eight or ten inches. Usually the careless ones are middle-aged or elderly women. Just once, I believe, have I personally noticed this inexcusable carelessness on the part of a college girl. This happens REPEATEDLY. Personally, I have not wanted to publicly embarrass these women. But if, after this article has appeared in print, such carelessness occurs again in my sight, I shall personally reprimand such women regardless of the painful embarrassment it may cause them !

Apparently the "men" who masqueraded as ministers were having issues with elderly women spreading the legs in front of them during sermons. What kind of nonsense is that?

To show these apostate elderly women who is in charge, HWA says that they are to be told ONCE and then punished if they do it again. Armstrong was like most other patriarchal men when it came to women in the church. Women were nothing more than "children" in his sight, under contestant need to be controlled and disciplined. Women are too stupid to know right from wrong and need a REAL man to tell them what to do. Of course only real men could be found within the Church of God.

In our teaching on child rearing, based on God’s Word, we teach parents to speak plainly JUST ONCE-and then punish. The women guilty of this neglect are old enough to know better, but they are our spiritual children,and I am instructing all ministers to PRACTICE WHAT WE PREACH, and ENFORCE this ruling!

Herbert was especially disgusted by women's knees. What could be more revolting?

It is embarrassing to me, personally, when I see a woman in constant embarrassment tugging away at her skirt while she sits, to make it cover her knees when it simply is not long enough to cover them. Or, as so often happens, now, because her skirt comes merely to her knees when sitting, but leaves them completely exposed, she continually tries to pull her skirt tightly around her legs just above the knee, fastening the skirt underneath. between her legs and the chair.

So what was a poor woman to do in the church? Herb has the answer:

Women who care more for what GOD thinks than what this rotten, filthy, doomed WORLD thinks, will immediately let out any skirts shorter than that. Those who care more about what THE WORLD thinks than God will mark themselves as PART OF THE WORLD and NOLONGER MEMBERS OF GOD’S CHURCH.

So what else ticked off HWA? Tight skirts! Women who wore tight skirts deserved to be SPANKED! Now we know here Spanky Meredith got his deviate passion from. Meredith frequently bragged about how he spanked his wife and daughter when they were rebellious.

Since the last article on this subject, the Ruling has been so flagrantly ignored or disobeyed that the time has come TO ENFORCE this Ruling. God’s Ministers are instructed to act accordingly.

And THIS INCLUDES THESE TOO TIGHT SKIRTS.

By that, I mean these skirts taken up just below the hips, so they FORM-FIT the buttocks, clinging tight behind and under the place where they OUGHT to be SPANKED! I know that nearly all skirts are made that way today.

It seems that HWA thought most women in the church were walking harlots.

Candidly, when I see a female with a skirt tight enough to call attention to the shape of her hips, especially when tight below the hips and under the buttocks, I know that she is either care- less and needs sharp admonishing or else she is wearing it deliberately to attract male eyes and arouse lust toward her in men’s minds.

It's not the men's fault their tongues hang out in lust, but the women's fault for making the men sin.

HWA continues with his desire that women be spanked because they are nothing more than common prostitutes:

Do you want to know my personal reaction when I see such an example? It makes me feel that such a girl or woman needs either a good lecture driven home by a sound SPANKING of what she so brazenly displays, or to be classed as a fallen woman and a common prostitute.

THAT IS PLAIN LANGUAGE! I mean it to be plain, and I want the women in God’s Church to know it is coming from God’s Minister, who speaks by Christ’s authority!

Recently some of our girls and women have been wearing skirts that are entirely TOO SHORT! Often I have felt I ought to speak personally to some of you. If this article does not quickly correct this EVil-AND IT IS A N EVIL! -God’s ministers will be instructed to begin speaking personally and in a manner that ought to cause a deep sense of shame and produce a very red face on any girl or woman who invited such sharp rebuke from a Minister of God!

Even Herbert's god is embarrased by those knees:

When many of you women wear skirts as high as (and now above) the knee, and which completely expose the knees when sitting, your skirts are an abomination in GOD’Seyes. I wonder, frankly, if God doesn’t blush when HE sees you! Are you women who do this, deliberately trying to tempt men into breaking the spirit of God’s law against adultery? Are you trying to make yourselves adultresses ? Are you not breaking the very spirit of that law, yourselves?

Again, its the women's fault, not the poor over-sexed men.

Lest we think Herbert only looked at knees; he also was disgusted by breasts. It must have been a real struggle for him and other ministers to have to preach every week looking out at all of these spread legs and boobs hanging out of dresses.

More than once I have seen a few of our women, in evening dress, exposing entirely too much female breast-with neckline cut so low as to show a goodly portion of breasts, with a crease in the middle. On one or two occasions, I have instructed Mrs. Armstrong to speak to such women, telling them plainly that their necklines are too low.

Women’s breasts, in plain language, were designed by God to nurse babies- not to be flaunted immodestly to arouse lust in men.

Can you imagine the catatonic fit HWA would go into today when he saw a woman nursing her baby!

Herbert has this final thing to say:

In the matter of too-tight skirts around the hips, the excuse often is that the girl has taken on weight-and she protests that she cannot help it. But she can help it, and if she is to remain in God's Church or enter into God's Kingdom, she must-one of two ways: either don't remain over weight (fasting and proper diet will cure that quickly). or let the seam out.

It is the over-emphasis of lust-arousing portions of the female body that MUST BE CORRECTED.

The only over-emphasis that I have ever seen in the church has come from the top down. Men who can't control their lusts or perversions.

Male cult patriarchy it its finest!

You too can read this absurd article here: TO BE ENFORCED Ruling on women's dress

↧

Hall of Ad Demolition

February 28, 2016, 1:49 pm

≫ Next: EXCLUSIVE BREAKING NEWS: Rod Meredith and Rod McNair Being Sued For "Defamation of Character "and "Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress"

≪ Previous: Herbert Armstrong: TO BE ENFORCED! Ruling On Women's Dress

↧

EXCLUSIVE BREAKING NEWS: Rod Meredith and Rod McNair Being Sued For "Defamation of Character "and "Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress"

February 28, 2016, 5:21 pm

≫ Next: Living Church of God Lawsuit: Bob Thiel and James Malm Broadsided

≪ Previous: Hall of Ad Demolition

Proverbs 22:8 “Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity,

and the rod of his fury will fail”

This just in from my LCG source:

For over a year there have been rumors floating around in LCG that Patrick and Elizabeth Scarborough were going to sue the church. The rumors surfaced big time at the LCG Winter Family Weekend in 2014 but then nothing seemed to happen so they died down again. A few Sabbaths ago the rumor started to reemerge. I called a few of my friends in the ministry but they said they hadn’t heard anything about it. Then I called a friend who is on LCG’s Counsel of Elders. He too had not heard anything about it. My source (an LCG member with family working at headquarters) was pretty confident which got me wondering so I decided to investigate further.

I started with a call to the Mecklenburg County Courthouse and much to my surprise they confirmed that LCG is being sued but they were unwilling to give me details over the phone. They suggested that the file is a matter of public record and said I could read it myself. I made the drive to Uptown Charlotte and got the gut wrenching surprise of a lifetime.

LCG is being sued for “The Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress” and both Rod Meredith and Rod McNair are being sued personally and in their official capacities for “Defamation of Character” (Slander) and for the “Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress”. The complaint made for jaw dropping reading and it went on and on and on. There were close to 150 items listed. It looks like they also tried to sue Bob League but that part of it was dismissed or withdrawn.

Mr. Meredith has clearly been hiding this information from his ministers, the Council of Elders and all of us tithe payer members who are now paying the bill for 2 lawyers (there were 2 LCG lawyers names and signatures) in a large and expensive looking Charlotte firm (Hedrick Gardner).

I guess we now know why Mr. Meredith is extra desperate for members to send in more money.

I guess we all now know why Mr. Meredith keeps alluding to the fact that the church is about to “suffer persecution”. It looks like he’s going to try to blame this lawsuit on “persecution” instead of his own harshness and unwillingness to behave in a Christian manor.

I have slowly become more and more aware of the complete lack of the fruits of the Spirit in my church leaders. I have watched as they bully and manipulate. I have seen these men that I once held in such high esteem, destroy the lives of good people I have known and loved without so much as a glance backward. I have observed the apparent and complete lack of mercy, justice and fairness in these leading men who are supposed to exemplify “Christ living in them”. It has been disappointing and heart breaking.

The lawsuit was initiated in September of 2015 and they have already gone to court once. It looked like LCG tried to get everything dismissed but was mostly unsuccessful.

I’m left wondering who will be called in to questioning when depositions start because so many of us in LCG were friends with the Scarborough’s. Many of us still wonder and talk about why our ministers treated them the way they did. Several of us have questioned but have never been given a solid answer. It makes it seem like they never really had a good reason to do what they did to these people that so many of us knew and loved. Many of us still miss them and think of them every day. If we are called in for questioning and we speak well of the Scarborough’s, will we be kicked out of church and lose all of our friends? Are we expected to lie and cover things up?

I’m also left wondering, why didn’t Mr. Meredith try to work things out with them before it got to this point? I would think it wouldn’t be worth the huge amount of money and negative publicity that it will cost LCG in the end (no matter what the verdict is).

Is Mr. Meredith’s unwillingness to be a peacmaker going to bankrupt the Living Church of God? Is the stubbornness and unfair action of one or two men going to ruin the organization that thousands of people love? How can they allow this to happen?

I am sharing this information with your readers because the LCG tithe-payers they deserve to know that their hard-earned money is lining the pockets of worldly lawyers when it could be used to preach the gospel to the world.

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Living Church of God Lawsuit: Bob Thiel and James Malm Broadsided

February 29, 2016, 11:04 am

≫ Next: Living Church of God: The Story Behind the Lawsuit...The Scarborough Letter

≪ Previous: EXCLUSIVE BREAKING NEWS: Rod Meredith and Rod McNair Being Sued For "Defamation of Character "and "Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress"

James Malm and Bob Thiel both got blindsided yesterday by the exclusive release here of the letter confirming that the Living Church of God, Rod Meredith and Rod McNair are being sued for "defamation of character" and "intentional emotional distress". They both are taking the letter released here and spinning it as if they knew about this all along, which they did not. Neither one of them have the wherewithal to provide a link that they got their info from here. When I find tidbits of info on their sites I almost always provide a link. James Malm is particularly guilty of this since he will sometimes quote word for word things that people have only sent to me as if he wrote it.

Bob Thiel owes Connie credit for her posting of the lawsuit document that he copied and pasted to his blog as if he discovered it.

Both Malm and Thiel have reached out to LCG for confirmation as to the legitimacy of this lawsuit. Its going to be fun to sit back and watch them both play their deceitful game as tools of the LCG spin machine. It will be interesting to see what Malm and Thiel report back since even some of the Council of Elders did not know about the lawsuit. There has been a wide coverup of this lawsuit by Meredith and a select few.

It truly is sad that LCG members have to come to this blog to find out truths about their own church. Truths written by fellow members who feel they are not being heard when they air their grievances. The internet has become the enemy of the Church of God because it allows free flow of information that the leadership restrict. This lawsuit is just the tip of the iceberg of the type of corruption that is rampant in the Living Church of God and the broader COG communities. If the Scarbouroughs prevail, it will set a precedent in other COG's for abused members to sue Gerald Flurry, Dave Pack and others. LCG will fight this with everything they have and will do everything in their power to smear the reputation of the Scarbouroughs.

Rod Meredith did this exact same thing when he lied about Leona McNair in front of 800 Worldwide Church of God ministers. He blatantly lied about Mrs. McNair in order to make Raymond look like the persecuted one. Leona sued, WCG spend hundreds of thousands of dollars defending Meredith. They lost and had to pay Leona a substantial amount of money. It was not long after this that Meredith then jumped ship to Global Church of God. He stayed in the WCG long enough of for the church to defend him and pay for the lawsuit. How ethical is that?

For a man who claims to never have committed a major since since baptism he certainly has proven to be one of the most unethical ministers the church has ever produced.

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Living Church of God: The Story Behind the Lawsuit...The Scarborough Letter

February 29, 2016, 1:28 pm

≫ Next: Living Church of God: Satan Is Cleverly Deceiving LCG Members By Trying to Divide Us From Within

≪ Previous: Living Church of God Lawsuit: Bob Thiel and James Malm Broadsided

This is the letter that the Scarboroughs sent out in March of 2015 detailing what the Living Church of God, Rod Meredith, Bob League and others did to them.

Dear Brothers and Sisters In Christ

Patrick and I have recently run into several of the Charlotte LCG brethren in different places while running errands around town. We were shocked to learn that they consistently believed that we had left the church and didn’t want to come back. I’m not sure if these was assumption on their parts or, if that is what people are being lead to believe from leadership. Nonetheless, we wanted to clear things up so you would have our side of things to put an end to the speculation once and for all.

We love and miss ALL of our LCG brothers and sisters more than you will ever know. We think of little else. We truly considered all of you to be our family. We love you so much. Patrick and I have mourned the loss of our church and our friends like a death. The last 6 months have been absolutely awful. I cannot count the times I’ve cried or verbalize to you the profound gut wrenching sadness we have experienced over this loss. Our hearts are truly broken. We NEVER WANTED TO LEAVE LCG. We never even knew we were in threat of being dis-fellowshipped.

There have been many rumors as to why we were marked and dis-fellowshipped. At first, they believed we gave Cogwriter information about Mr. Apartian’s negative views of LCG at the end of his life which were posted on his blog. LCG called Bob Thiel and he fully exonerated us of all charges.  Next they believed that we had tried to get Charles Ogwyn to leave Living and to start a new church with us.  Again, there was not a shred of truth in this. Patrick spoke with Mr. Ogwyn and he confirmed that he had absolutely NO RECOLLECTION of any such conversation. He told us that he was going to tell Mr. McNair that his information was inaccurate and he is an honest man so we can only assume that he did exactly that. Next we were accused of causing division in the Charlotte congregation. There is again, no truth in this. I told them that they could interview all 250 Charlotte brethren and not one of them would say that Patrick and I were divisive. We fully agree with church doctrine. These offenses would possibly have been worthy of dis-fellowshipping but we were not guilty of any of them.

To this day, 6 months later, we have still never been given so much as one truthful reason that warranted receiving the worst, most strict punishment available to LCG leadership; being completely cut off, being robbed of all our friends, having our names and reputations dragged through the mud for THINGS WE NEVER EVEN DID WITHOUT SO MUCH AS EVEN ONE COUNSELING SESSION.

Initially, we truly believed that LCG had been given mis-information and that as soon as they became knowledgeable of our innocence they would make everything right and we would once again be in the fold of LCG brethren. Sadly, this didn’t happen. They are now fully aware that we had no hand in these things. Many of our friends all over the US have been questioned by church administration about our character, attitudes and loyalty. All have attested that we were not in any way divisive or in opposition to church doctrine.  Again we hoped that coming into that knowledge would soften them and help us return to the fold. Again, it had no effect.

For reasons that we do not understand, Mr. Meredith and Mr. McNair have hardened their hearts toward us and it appears that no amount of truth revealed can change their minds.

I have written literally DOZENS AND DOZENS OF LETTERS pouring out my heart, begging for forgiveness for whatever offense I committed, pleading for them to at least meet with us to talk. We have called over and over again beseeching them to counsel with us. We even called Mr. Meredith directly one day (he knows the extension from having once worked at headquarters) but he said “I can’t talk” and hung up on him.  How can you mark someone you’ve never even spoken to? One would think that marking would be a last resort after trying repeatedly to work things out! There are even men who have, in fact, left LCG to form their own groups taking with them LCG members; and THEY aren’t marked but we are.

We met with Mr. League and Mr. McNair one time the week we were dis-fellowshipped. It wasn’t a counseling session but more of an interrogation session. There were a lot of things going on at the time and they asked us of our involvement in them (we weren’t).  I fully admitted to having had a negative attitude over things that had happened to me in the past. I explained why we had been attending outlying congregations and why I didn’t like attending in the Masonic Temple but I also explained that I had IN NO WAY BEEN TRYING TO GET OTHERS TO STOP ATTENDING IN CHARLOTTE. There are others, including ministers, who share my discomfort of worshipping the Almighty from a Pagan Temple. Dr. Winnail told me specifically, in writing, that others shared my concerns. They didn’t get dis-fellowshipped. There is an altar filled with ash from offerings right behind the curtain where ministers are standing to preach to us every Sabbath. The hall is a temple. One only has to scratch the surface of research to discover the abominable things that happen there. There are so many scriptures that outline what God thinks about being worshipped from Pagan temples (Deut 12:2 , Exo 23:24, Exo 34:13, Psalm 78:58 , Deut 7:5, 2chron 31:1, 2kings 18: 4, 1corin 10:20 ). I never judged others for attending in that temple.  I never tried to cause division over this issue. I just quietly made the personal decision not to attend in Charlotte after studying my Bible on how God feels when His people worship from Pagan temples. I was told from an evangelist AND a high ranking minister at headquarters that there was NO RULE THAT I HAD TO ATTEND MY LOCAL CONGREGATION and that it was okay if we kept the Sabbath in outlying congregations if it made us feel more comfortable.

That night, Mr. League and Mr. McNair never alluded to the fact that we were in any trouble; never hinted at dis-fellowshipment or even suspension. In fact, Mr. McNair said that 100% of the people he had talked to corroborated that we were in no way involved with any of the divisions or heresies that were going around at the time. As a side note, the people that were involved ARE STILL SITTING IN THE CONGREGATION. They were willing to write over $20,000 in checks to earn forgiveness and avoid being kicked-out while others guilty of the same beliefs and behaviors that had no money were dis-fellowshipped.  In order for “justice” to appear to be fair, the same crimes have to have the same punishments. Otherwise it looks like favoritism or vendetta.  Proverbs 11:1 says, “Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, but just weight is His delight”.

As we left the meeting we were all hugging and talking about plans for the Feast which was just a few weeks away. We had no idea that we were going to receive a phone call from Mr. League and Mr. McNair the next morning saying that we were dis-fellowshipped per Mr. Meredith. We were caught completely off-guard and totally devastated. There was no mention of being marked. But then, two days later we were marked from the pulpit by Mr. McNair without ever being told. We found out from a shocked member of the congregation who immediately sent us a text message notifying us of the marking. We subsequently received a Fed Ex’d letter a few days later notifying us of the marking. By this time we had already begun to call and write feverishly begging for counselling; begging to work this out as Christians, as brothers and sisters. None of our letters were replied to. None of our phone calls returned. However, they hand wrote this at the bottom of our marking letter so at least we know they were aware of the fact that we wanted to counsel.

We didn’t let the letter discourage us. We continued to believe that this was all just a big mis-understanding and that eventually we would be called in to talk. I continued to write them on a nearly weekly basis; always begging for forgiveness; always pleading for mercy, love and grace; always expressing how much we love LCG and want to be a part of it; never getting a reply. Everything in us wanted to be back in our church; back with our brothers and sisters. We told them that we were “willing to do anything to clear our names”. They jumped to the conclusion that that meant we were going to sue them and so they started to spread that rumor throughout the church. To clarify, WE ARE NOT SUING THE CHURCH.

As the 6 months drew closer, we were excited and hopeful to finally begin to work toward reconciliation. I wrote Mr. McNair again telling him how hopeful we were that we could work things out in time to keep the spring holy days with LCG. Again I poured out my heart in apology for my negative attitude and outlined many of the lessons this trial has shown me in my pre-Passover examination. My last letter got a reply, but not the one for which I had been praying for months. Rod McNair writes, “We are recommending another six months for you to examine yourselves, pray, fast, and ask God to grant you repentance”. ANOTHER 6 MONTHS?!? It was like being punched in the stomach.  How do you tell someone, we understand you want to counsel toward reconciliation but we’ve decided that we won’t even speak to you for AN ENTIRE YEAR??? Actions speak louder than words – their actions say “we don’t want you, stop begging to be back in the church”! The act of making us wait an entire year before even having a conversation with us is not love. It’s not shepherding. It doesn’t show mercy, kindness, forgiveness or any other attribute of Christian character. It’s hard and it’s mean spirited. God tells us in in John 13:34 that we are commanded to love one another and in that love He will know we are His disciples. Do LCGs actions toward us show this love John speaks of?

God says that He doesn’t even want to lose one! The job of a shepherd is to go after lost sheep, help them and counsel them so that they can remain with the flock. Not push them off the edge of a cliff, never looking back. Ezekiel 34:4 is about irresponsible shepherds and it says, “The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them”. I feel that this scripture perfectly describes what happened to us.

Even if the church truly believed that they had a genuine grievance with us they are incumbent in the spirit of Matthew 18 to at least TRY to work things out as brethren. Simply refusing to talk to us or return our emails is not a demonstration of following Christ. We should know the accusation and be given the opportunity to face our accusers, if for no other reason, than to be able to apologize to them.

God says in Romans 12 that Christians are not to repay evil for evil. Verse 18 says “if it possible live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay” says the Lord. Therefore if your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good”.  If the Living Church of God really thought we were in trouble or slipping in anyway, the Bible instructs that they should have helped us. Matthew 5:43 admonishes us to do good to those against us. If LCG felt we were enemies worthy of marking, they should have showed us the love, mercy and “goodness” that Christ is speaking of AND THEN GONE THE EXTRA MILE. They should have showed us the fruits of the Spirit in kindness; NOT throw us out to the world to die. Again I tell you, WE NEVER WANTED TO BE OUT OF THE CHURCH.

Forgiveness opens the door to reconciliation. An unforgiving spirit blocks the flow of God’s Spirit in our own lives. An unforgiving heart is paramount to the unpardonable sin. Mercy acknowledges that mistakes have been made BUT FORGIVES ANYWAY. True leadership is character in action. 1 John 4:20 says that if someone says ‘I love God’ but hates his brother, he is a liar. Mr. Meredith and Mr. McNair may say they love us, but their actions show otherwise. Friends who have dropped us like lepers may say they love us, but their actions say otherwise.

Matt 5:23 says not to make an offering to God if you remember that your brother has something against you. First we are to make peace with our brother and then return to the alter to make the offering. This is God’s instruction, not our opinion. Not working to make peace is a direct violation to obedience to God.  Matt 22:9 says that the greatest commandment is love. The entire law and commandments are based on love. It’s legalistic to strictly keep the Sabbath and Holy days but to completely neglect the weightier matter of the law. THAT IS WHAT THE PHARISEES DID.
The God we worship cannot be pleased. The Christ I know prayed “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”. In His love and mercy He found forgiveness for the very men that were calling for His death!  His disciples betrayed Him, denied Him AND YET HE FORGAVE THEM. He is our perfect example. Yet LCG can’t find forgiveness for Patrick and me AFTER 6 month of shameless groveling, begging, pleading, praying for the trite crime of having a negative attitude???

Mr. Meredith used to always say, “follow me as I follow Christ”. I tell you brothers and sisters, Biblical principles HAVE IN NO WAY BEEN FOLLOWED in this situation.  Matthew 18 was not adhered to. As I mentioned, we still don’t even know what the accusation worthy of marking/dis-fellowshipping is. We were never given the opportunity to face our accusers or the opportunity to try to work things out as brothers in Christ through counselling or conversation.

We have been shocked at the number of very close friends who have completely severed ties with us to follow Mr. Meredith’s instruction even though they know we are good people, totally converted and not guilty of any crime worthy of the punishment we have received. I ask you, is that Godly character? Is it better to follow a man or to follow the instructions that our Savior left us with in His short time on earth? Christ preached that love was more important than even faith and hope. Christ preached that love covers a multitude of sins. Christ preached that we are to forgive our brother 7 times in a day if he repents and asks forgiveness.  We have felt completely abandoned by so many that we believed were true friends. It’s been devastating.

I understand and respect government but if what they are telling you to do is un-Christian and un-Biblical should you blindly follow? They are trying to put government over God’s written instruction. God is grace, mercy and abounding love and fairness. What is more important, man’s government which is tainted with ego, pride and self-will, or the Word of God? If a fallible man tells you to shun us but you know that it’s wrong, will you do it anyway? If they tell you we are bad but you have never seen evil in us, will you believe what they say or what you know based on personal experience? Sometimes God puts us through trials not just to see our reactions but to see if others will do the right thing. Will you stand for what is right or condone questionable behavior in blind submission? If you know the truth but don’t act on it God says you are just as guilty as the one telling the lie.

Many of you will say, “I want to be faithful to the church, that’s why I’m choosing to shun you”. Faithfulness means to God, not to an organization of men. To confuse that can cost you your salvation! They do not speak for Christ. There is but one mediator between God and men and it’s not LCG. It’s Jesus Christ (1 Tim 2:5).

As individuals we ask you to remember what you know of our character, review what God says about forgiveness and then decide if you are going to believe that we are enemies of Israel, dangerous and to be avoided; or, if we are begotten children of God, your brother, your sister; worthy of your love and your friendships. We love you all so much and pray you will choose the latter.

We have come to the sad realization that LCG does not want us based on their actions and refusal to speak to us for a minimum of one year. We have done everything we know to do to try to get back into the church. I can’t force them to meet with us or forgive us any more than I can change the orbit of the earth. We have prayed our hearts out. Many friends have also prayed their hearts out. For reasons we may never understand, it is now clear that we won’t be allowed back into LCG.

Many have advised us that we should not attend with other groups as it will prove our loyalty to LCG. We have 2 children at impressionable ages so we must attend church. We have attended with COGWA and UCG and had excellent sermons across the board. It is clear that they too are God’s people. There are good and bad in every group but the good by far outweighs the bad. We can’t tell our kids that we have to obey God by keeping the Sabbath and the holy days and then stay home alone. We want them to love God and keep His ways so we need to set the example. Again, expecting us to stay home from church for AN ENTIRE YEAR would be suggesting that we put the word of man above the word of God. That is something that we are not willing to do. Besides, we will all be judged as individuals, not a group or corporate organization.

We love and miss all of you so very much. We realize that you cannot openly be our friends out of fear of retaliation from the authority. Ruling by fear instead of leading by example is a scary precedence.  People have literally told us that they want to see us and that they love us but that THEY ARE SCARED THAT THEY WILL GET IN TROUBLE if Mr. McNair or Mr. Meredith find out.  I don’t think they realize how crazy that statement sounds. We are each responsible for our decisions and our friendships. They do not have the authority to scare you into staying away from converted brothers and sisters for unfounded reasons. There are multiple members of the council of elders who know our character and know that we are not guilty of any offense worthy of dis-fellowshipping but they too are scared to openly defend us.  It leaves us wishing that people had more courage but that is beyond our control. Will no one stand up when they see blatant injustice?

Hearing those types of words definitely throws up red flags. Telling members that they can’t fellowship with us even after they know we are not guilty of causing division is very much like the obedience demanded by people like Gerald Flurry. Members being “scared” of the ministry is cause for question. Anytime friendship is contingent on membership in the same group, it’s cause for alarm. Shepherds are to teach you right from wrong ACCORDING TO THE WORD OF GOD and then trust that you are mature intelligent adults capable of discerning good from bad, right from wrong. You should all be free to make your own decisions. It is a shepherd’s responsibility to seek out the truth; to be slow to act; to avoid false accusations of the brethren. Only pride, arrogance, inability to admit they have made a mistake and plain out-right meanness is to blame for the refusal to show Philadelphian love; the refusal to be peacemakers.

Over the years we have been completely dedicated to the Living Church of God. I used to spend hours baking so that I could fill each hotel room with snacks and bottled waters when there was a ministerial conference. Patrick worked at headquarters at his own expense for nearly 5 years. He provided computers, paid for all his own business expenses for trips to set up Feast sites and to attend  the Religious Conference Meeting Association conference each year to network for better deals for the church and its brethren. We used our personal vehicles as a church taxi service for years at all hours of the day or night, rain, sleet, ice or snow anytime anyone was in need. I would make snack packs for ministers to enjoy as they arrived to their 2^nd or 3^rd Feast site completely worn out from travel and work. I hosted cocktail parties and dinner parties, not for myself, but so that visiting members would have a place to fellowship instead of being stuck in a hotel room with nothing to do as was often the case. We opened our home like a bed & breakfast FOR YEARS to visiting ministry. We single-handedly paid for the Tomorrow’s World television program to air on Kansas City channel 29 for a long time. We helped brethren be able to attend the Feast of Tabernacles when they otherwise would not have been able to afford to attend. Patrick paid to hire a software programmer to develop what you know as the Festival Registration Program when the church was stuck in the dark ages using paper registration forms that had to be manually entered to figure out how to plan on the correct numbers of brethren at each Feast site. Patrick has always been there when ANYONE needed him. He took care of widows, installed fireplaces, laid carpet, graded backyards with a Bobcat, cleaned houses, poured yards and yards of concrete to build patios, towed cars, fixed cars, picked up brethren the side of the highway after they totaled cars, etc, etc. The list goes on and on. We have always tried to be there for our brothers and sisters in need. We did these things NOT because we are enemies of the church trying to cause division but rather because we loved the church, believed they were doing the Work and loved our brothers and sisters.

Some will say that this very letter is divisive. That is not the message we hope you take away. We feel we have a right to say our side of events without being accused of causing division. After all, they proclaimed their side when they stood in front of 250+ members and read our names as enemies of the church. Justice is blind. One should have both sides prior to making a determination. Shining the light on how wrongly this situation has been handled will likely upset them.  They don’t want you to know how hard we have fought to be back in the church because it makes them look bad. We have not attempted in any way to cause division. Separating best friends, brothers and sisters... that’s divisive. Not following Matthew 18 and not showing mercy and love to fellow begotten children of God… that’s divisive. If anything, THEY are causing division by acting unfairly and unequally with the brethren.

We didn’t leave LCG and we never committed any crime worthy of being dis-fellowshipped or marked. We pray you will remember who we are, truly are, instead of believing the false narrative that is being portrayed. We treasure our friends and understand the fear that many have expressed regarding openly being our friends. We would love nothing more than to continue positive brotherly private relationships with our LCG family members; summer BBQ’s, boat rides and family fun. We love you all!

Patrick & Elizabeth Scarborough

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Living Church of God: Satan Is Cleverly Deceiving LCG Members By Trying to Divide Us From Within

March 1, 2016, 11:12 am

≫ Next: Why the Two Witnesses Will NOT Come From A Church of God

≪ Previous: Living Church of God: The Story Behind the Lawsuit...The Scarborough Letter

Rod Meredith is back with a new post on LCG's web site talking about a recent Family Weekend that was such an outstanding success that Satan is now extremely pissed off and is attacking the church. Satan is soooooooooo mad that he is resorting to little tricks in order to deceive LCG members.

The entire weekend was inspiring and brethren were very vocal about how much the outstanding seminars helped them, along with the special Bible Studies held on Friday night and Sabbath morning, and then the final sermon on Sabbath afternoon. So we have much to be thankful for, but we certainly need to ask God’s direct blessing on the “follow through” of this presentation so that people around the world may be moved to act on the Truth—not just hear about it and enjoy it.

However, brethren, a very real Satan the Devil is fully aware of what we have been doing. More than most humans, of course, Satan knows where God’s Work is being done in a powerful way and where the greatest impact is being felt in His Work around the world. I am sure that he was not pleased at what we were doing at the special weekend event. He is not pleased that we have been growing through our increasing impact on the Internet, our outstanding television programs, our large circulation of Tomorrow’s World magazine, etc. In his time, Satan will react and try to “bring us down” if he possibly can.He always tries to divide and conquer. We know that. So we should all be praying fervently for God’s protection and deliverance from his vengeful attacks against God’s people and God’s Work.

The question that needs to be asked right now, is Satan really ticked off at LCG for the family weekend or are the problems LCG now currently facing a result of the looming court trial hanging over Rod Meredith's head? The church has always used Satan and other issues to divert attention away from controversies that the church brought upon itself. Many think this is exactly what Meredith is deceitfully talking about here.

Rod Meredith wants all LCG members to believe he is the most humble and most sinless Church of God leader to ever have trained at Herbert Armstrong's feet. It's always important when a Church of God leader writes an article or preaches a sermon to invoke Herbert Armstrong. People are supposed to be impressed. The problem with Meredith is that Herbert Armstrong did not think Meredith was a good leader. HWA rebuked him many times, even sending him to Hawaii for a year for his continual bad attitude. When HWA was looking for a successor Meredith was deliberately overlooked because of his atrocious treatment of church members.

Meredith has never taken any responsibility for his abusive actions and mistreatment of members. Instead he blames everything on Satan. Satan is the one currently confusing members with the lawsuit. This lawsuit is happening because Satan is trying to divide the church.

Through the decades I served in God’s Work under Mr. Armstrong—and ever since, as well—I have often noticed how Satan is able to confuse people and somehow divide them if he possibly can. He will cause many to become upset about basically little things, and yet turn them aside from their part in God’s Work. Satan is extremely clever at this!

Who really is dividing the LCG right now? Satan, troublemakers or abusers of the brethren from within the organization?

You can read his entire letter here: Personal: Overcome and Grow In Unity. Its the usual rant where gays, Muslims, and rampant sexual immorality are his target. For some reason he always glosses over the rampant sexual immorality going on right under his nose or has covered up the sexual improprieties of his children that are well known throughout the LCG. Meredith needs to get off his sex bandwagon. 60 years of these endless rants prove there are deeper issues going on with the man than any of us have ever thought.

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