The ‘Daily Mail’ of Tuesday 11th January 2005 carried a
large advert headed
‘When
disaster strikes – Where is God?
Readers were invited to make
contact either by text, email or snail-mail with a group called ‘The Good
News’ based in the UK in Watford. So who
are this group known as ‘The Good News’. Well
the group based in Watford are the British
Isles base for a worldwide organisation known as the United Church of God. So who are
they and what are their roots. Herewith are some extracts from a brief history
of Herbert W Armstrong’s cult that was known as ‘The Worldwide Church of God’ that are
found on the website http://www.wcg.org/lit/AboutUs/history.htm
‘In the early 1930s, Herbert Armstrong began a radio ministry, a
magazine and a church that eventually became "The World Tomorrow," The
Plain Truth, and the Worldwide Church of God. He had many unusual
doctrines. These he taught so enthusiastically that eventually more than
100,000 people attended weekly services. After he died in 1986, church leaders
began to realize that many of his doctrines were not biblical. These doctrines
were rejected…Many people
considered Herbert Armstrong to be the leader of a heretical cult. Today, the
leaders of the Worldwide Church of God reject Armstrong's doctrinal
errors…Armstrong accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, a substitutionary sacrifice
for our sins, as divine. But he did not have the theological training to know
how to reconcile the biblical data that Jesus is God and the Father is God and
yet there is only one God. He mistakenly taught that God is a family, and that
the Father and the Son are two beings in that family, and that when humans are
resurrected, they will be born again as members of the God Family. Armstrong did not see biblical proof that
the Holy Spirit was a distinct person, so he taught that the Holy Spirit was an
impersonal force…In addition to the weekly Sabbath, the WCG observed seven
annual Sabbaths, based on Leviticus 23. WCG members also avoided pork, shrimp
and certain other meats (Lev. 11). They gave one tithe to support the ministry,
used another to keep the annual Sabbaths, and in some years gave a third tithe
to the church for its poor members…WCG members were not allowed to vote, serve
in the military, marry after divorce, go to doctors, use cosmetics, or observe
Christmas, Easter and birthdays. All this emphasis on rules, however, meant
that grace was rarely mentioned. Many members became legalistic in their own
relationship with God, and judgmental of other Christians. Armstrong viewed himself as God's apostle,
leading the one true church. Armstrong had supreme doctrinal
authority…Armstrong also had many unusual ideas about prophecy, and these may
have been the most attractive doctrines of all. He taught that the United States and Britain are modern descendants of the northern ten
tribes of Israel, and that therefore many biblical
prophecies apply to the Anglo-Saxon peoples. He saw himself as an end-time
fulfilment of prophecy, with a message of warning for the "Israelite"
peoples. The Great Tribulation
would soon start, he warned in the 1930s, in the 1940s, in the 1950s, in the
1960s, in the 1970s, and in the 1980s…In 1986, shortly before he died, Herbert
Armstrong appointed Joseph Tkach (pronounced Ta-cotch) to be his successor…In
1991, Tkach revised the church's explanation of what it means to be born again,
noting also that humans will never become Gods. He also announced a study about
the modern identity of the lost ten tribes, and accepted the divinity of the
Holy Spirit. Membership, attendance, and income began to decrease slowly…But
perhaps the most traumatic change came in December 1994: Tkach announced that
Christians do not have to keep old covenant laws such as the weekly and annual
Sabbaths, two and three tithes, and avoid pork, shrimp and other meats…Many
members did not accept these changes. After decades of understanding their
identity as Christians in terms of Sabbath-keeping, and after making many sacrifices
in order to keep the Sabbath, they could not easily accept the idea that it
really didn't matter.
In early 1995, hundreds of ministers and 12,000 members left to
form the United Church of God
So the group behind the placing of this advert are in
fact those who today wish to perpetuate the cultic teachings of the false
‘prophet’ Herbert W Armstrong. The ‘Fundamental Beliefs’ of this
group can be found on http://www.ucg.org/about/fundamentalbeliefs.htm
Some errors are obvious such as –
‘We believe
in one God, the Father, eternally existing, who is a Spirit, a personal
Being of supreme intelligence, knowledge, love, justice, power and authority’.
–
In this statement there is a clear denial of The Trinity.
‘We believe
that the Father raised Jesus Christ from the dead after His body lay three days
and three nights in the grave, thus making immortality possible for mortal
man’.
This false teaching that
the resurrection of Christ made ‘immortality possible for mortal man’ paves
the way for the false teaching of ‘conditional
immortality’ and ‘annihilation
of the wicked’.
‘We believe
in the commanded observance of the seven annual Holy Days given to ancient
Israel by God and kept by Jesus Christ, the apostles and the New Testament
Church….We believe that those meats that are designated "unclean" by
God in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 are not to be eaten’…We believe God's
purpose for mankind is to prepare those whom He calls, and who elect through a
life of overcoming sin, developing righteous character, and growing in grace
and knowledge, to possess the Kingdom’
These
requirements in relation to ‘Holy Days’ and ‘unclean’ meats are not scriptural
in the light of passages such as Romans 14:1-6 and Colossians 2:16;
20-23
‘We believe
that at the return of Jesus Christ a resurrection to spirit life will take
place for all who have been God's faithful servants. We believe that after
Jesus Christ has ruled on this earth for 1,000 years, there will be a
resurrection to physical life of the vast majority of all people who have ever
lived. We believe that after these people have had an opportunity to live a
physical life, if they become converted, they too will receive eternal life. We
also believe that those who reject God's offer of salvation will reap eternal
death’
This statement
holds out the false hope of ‘post mortem salvation’ and affirms unscriptural
‘annihilation’.
The
Herbert W Armstrong ‘connection’ is clear to see when reading the personal
profiles of the ‘Council of Elders’ as this example will
demonstrate –
Aaron Dean was born on September 20, 1952, which he later learned was the feast
of Trumpets. His mother was listening to Mr. Herbert W Armstrong but was not
yet a member. Aaron's father died in a construction accident, and at that point
it was suggested that his mother join the "widows" in Big Sandy, so
his family moved. All his schooling was Church related, beginning with the
church's Imperial Schools in 1958. In 1960 a friend convinced his mother to
move to Pasadena, California, where Aaron
finished Imperial and then attended Ambassador College. He graduated from
Ambassador in 1974. Mr. Armstrong
shocked him with a phone call on graduation day and asked that he become part
of his traveling group and not go on to the pre-arranged ministerial trainee
assignment. "They will understand" he said. He left the next Monday
morning on a "three week" trip! "Six weeks later" Mr. Dean
left the traveling group in Paris to fly to New Jersey to marry his
fiancée, Michelle Gemon. Aaron says: "Michelle has been my greatest asset,
since she came to College knowing almost nothing about the Church or the Bible,
and her Lutheran background taught her nothing of the Sabbath or Holy Days. She
has been able to give me a perspective that I wouldn't have had as a 'Church
kid.' "In Church affiliation, I witnessed much in the 70s, both good and
bad. I do understand the complaints made by many of those years, although I
know most do not understand the why's and often apportion blame to the wrong
people. I watched God do a lot in those years, but also witnessed some of the
manipulation and misinformation, which in spite of the success and growth, cost
much in human and physical resources." “After the legal battles with the
State of California in 1979, and the
subsequent 'putting the church back on track' by Mr. Armstrong, it was
requested that I become his personal assistant. I refused three times, but he
was decided that declining was not an option. I have learned from Scripture and
personal observation, that if God makes you do something you will not fail, but
if He doesn't you will pay a dear price. I think this is part of the 'fear of
God' which is the 'beginning of wisdom.'" Mr Dean wore many "hats"
up until Mr. Armstrong's death in 1986. Earlier travel involved being away from
home around 300 days a year, and usually involved a dozen countries per year.
The 80s schedule was 100 days per year and nearly a dozen countries per trip
with a 75 percent reduction in cost. Indeed it was God who helped a 92-year-old
man in his last year visit nine countries in 24 days. Along with setting up
campaigns and meetings, Mr. Armstrong allowed Aaron to negotiate the student
projects in foreign countries, which were so effective in demonstrating a way
of life where other means were nearly impossible. Indeed, he was kept busy
seven days a week, usually 20 hours a day. Being home from traveling in the
later years of his life allowed Mr. Armstrong more involvement in day to day
direction of the church. Because of his age and physical weakness He used Mr.
Dean as his eyes and ears in personal as well as administrative service. Of
necessity, Aaron dealt with all aspects of the organization, whether church,
college, or foundation, and in all countries. He served on the Council of
Elders, and most of the boards of the corporation. Mr. Armstrong only allowed
him one outside duty, that was a request of him by King Leopold III of Belgium that he serve on the board of his Belgium foundation. Mr Dean
adds: "I was saddened at the death of my mentor in 1986. Michelle and I
wanted a family, and God granted us a son, Aaron Jr., and daughter, Crystal
Michelle. They truly filled a void for us. "I completed an MBA and began
teaching business administration at Ambassador University until its close in
1997. I truly enjoyed teaching our young people and was able to minister to many, who were losing their direction." Aaron now
works near his home in Gladewater, Texas, for a small
agricultural company that deals in soil fertility. In addition to helping the
company market products in the United States, he is making
contacts and opening up work in foreign markets. This has allowed him to visit
scattered members in other parts of the world. Mr. Dean writes that, "In
times of few resources, my being a 'tent maker' in an unusual position
hopefully will prove helpful in my service to God. Mr. Armstrong's final
request was that we 'prepare the bride of Christ.' I believe this is done on a
personal and not a corporate basis. We can't afford personal complacency with
the job Christ is about to give to us at His return. We must be prepared to
teach. "I hope to add to our world a perspective of the spiritual organism
and to the personal growth of God's children, and most of all to be willing to
follow where Jesus Christ, the true head of the church leads according to God's
will and not our own, which so often creates confusion and division." Mr.
Dean concludes: "I allowed my name to be placed on the Council ballot, and
accepted my appointment to the Council, with much prayer and some concern.
Council service is very demanding, and I must consistently pray my job allows
me the blocks of time off to be helpful and effective. More importantly, many
years have taught me that you are only effective if God places you in a
position when He wants something done, even when your intentions are noble.
I am not for one moment calling
into question the zeal and sincerity of the likes of Aaron Dean and the
other elders whose profiles are listed on http://www.ucg.org/about/council/index.htm
but the reality is that they are seeking to perpetuate the unscriptural errors
of the false prophet Herbert W Armstrong and these are teachings that have been
and are leading precious souls to a lost eternity in hell. The cry must go up -
“Take Heed”!
Cecil
Andrews
‘Take
Heed’ Ministries
13 January 2005