This material is part of a Field Guide profile of The Worldwide Church of God (WCG) Under Founder Herbert Armstrong. Click here to go to the main page of the WCG profile.

This installment of the Memoir is Part 2 of a 4-Part series.
Click here to go to the Introduction to the series.

 

 

Part Two: The Gathering Storm

 

Herbert W Armstrong (HWA) had written in a co-worker letter (what he called letters to financial supporters of his ministry) on 5/22/53 (emphasis of capital letters was in the original. Bolding and color has been added here for emphasis of relevant phrase):

IF THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES END IN 1982, in October, as Mr. Hoeh has it figured, THE INVASION OF AMERICA AND THE GREAT TRIBULATION MUST BEGIN NOT LATER THAT MARCH-APRIL, 1972!

It could begin sooner. This date is hypothetical, not definite. But apparently it cannot begin LATER than that date. One chronology sets this disaster TEN YEARS from now! But March- April, 1972 is the LATEST POSSIBLE DATE.

 

Indeed A Great Tribulation started "no later than April 1972". But it was not a Tribulation to come upon the USA and Britain--it was a Tribulation that came upon the Worldwide Church of God.

In early May, 1972, my husband George and I received the following shocking letter from Herbert Armstrong.

 

Herbert Armstrong, co-worker letter, April 25, 1972

I have just returned from a most eventful and successful six weeks' trip (which I had expected to last only three weeks) to find that rumors have reached the press concerning the absence of my son, Garner Ted Armstrong, with many false rumors and baseless conjectures. Also many letters from you Co-Workers asking for an explanation.

I hope you will realize that this is the most difficult and painful announcement that I have ever had to make in a Co-Worker letter.

Last autumn I was dismayed to learn that my son had been so overcome with personal, emotional problems, that it led to conduct inconsistent with the high standard of the Work of the Church of God and the scriptural qualifications for a minister of Jesus Christ, and rendered him incapable of carrying on the duties of a minister, and of his responsibilities of Executive Vice President.

The Board of Directors of Worldwide Church of God, and the Board of Trustees of Ambassador College, grieved as we were, had no choice but to remove Garner Ted Armstrong from his office and his responsibilities. Mr. Albert J. Portune was made ACTING Executive Vice President of both corporations, and Mr. Garner Ted Armstrong was granted a leave of absence, hoping that full repentance and overcoming of his personal, emotional problems would allow reinstatement without a long delay, and for the protection of the Work, no public announcement was made.

 

Then followed quotes from an exchange of letters between HWA and GTA. HWA offered encouragement, GTA expressed pain and asked for forgiveness. But HWA's co-worker letter continued:

The Boards and I did, as a result of this letter, receive him back. But subsequent events, attitude and conduct, to our great dismay, demonstrated to the Board members, ministers, and myself that the process of repentance was not yet complete. Even as John the Baptist had required the evidence of fruits to prove repentance and its permanency, so we were obliged -- to uphold the integrity of this Work in God's sight -- to require. And we so advised the entire membership of the Worldwide Church of God. These Board members, ministers and I have worked endlessly to help him. But we had to come to realize, as did my son also, that he must take a considerable period of time to regain his spiritual strength and stability, before he can even contemplate the resumption of his heavy responsibilities, or duties in preaching and broadcasting.

 

We were stunned when we read this letter. When we had first begun listening to the WCG's World Tomorrow (WT) radio program in 1965, it was Garner Ted Armstrong's (GTA's) voice we had heard. When we became members of the WCG in 1968, and began attending the yearly Feast of Tabernacles (FOT) conventions, it was GTA's sermon that was usually the highlight of the Feast.

GTA's articles in the Plain Truth (PT) magazine were often the most fascinating part of the content. We realized that the WCG had been founded by Herbert W Armstrong, and that he had written much of the "basic" doctrinal material (distributed to the public and to members as booklets) that was the foundation of the church's beliefs. But by the time we arrived in 1968, it appeared to us that Herbert W Armstrong was just a "figure head" in the organization, an elder statesman whose heyday was past, and that it was Garner Ted Armstrong who was at the forefront of the church's efforts to reach the world with the Gospel.

And this was likely a typical reaction of the general public. GTA had been for a number of years the chief public spokesperson for the WCG. It was his voice on the WT radio program. It was his face and voice on the WT TV program. It was his presence at public evangelistic campaigns in cities throughout the country. It was his dynamic personality, his personal charisma, that first attracted many people to the efforts of the organization.

And it was all of these things together which attracted donations to the organization from those who were not already dedicated, committed, "tithing" members of the WCG. The donations of these "non-member co-workers" represented a significant percentage of the income of the organization. And therefore when GTA disappeared from the airwaves as a result of the situation described in HWA's letter above, the income of the WCG took a sharp nose-dive. Yes, this became a Tribulation period for the WCG . And given Herbert's comment in the letter about GTA's need to regain his spiritual strength and stability, this Tribulation seemed to be destined to last for a "considerable period of time."

 

We were disappointed and confused and hurt, wondering what on earth the Church was going to do to pick up the slack and continue having an impact on the world. Old radio programs by HWA were certainly not going to do the trick. We had heard some samples, and although he was a better speaker than many religious personalities, his style was "dated," his delivery (he often read his material from a script), although bombastic was much more dry than GTA's--who was a master at extemporaneous speaking. And HWA was not able to speak confidently and knowledgeably on the wide variety of topics that GTA was conversant with … including latest world news and trends, scientific discoveries, etc.

In fact, to put it bluntly, HWA was a crashing bore from our perspective. We had first heard him speak at a FOT in 1968. He used the sermon time mostly to share his memories of the earliest FOT's that he and his wife had attended in the 1930s. This was somewhat interesting the first year. But then we discovered that he gave virtually the same speech every year!

And when he didn't, his "sermon" often consisted primarily of berating the membership that they just weren't "dedicated" enough to "The Work"… shouting some years that many "JUST DON'T GET IT!" and that maybe 50% of the whole church might not "make it" into the Kingdom.

Comparing the content of his messages and those of GTA … who usually gave the most stirring, inspiring, uplifting, encouraging sermon at the FOT … it was "no contest." After the first couple of years, I was glad that they announced ahead of time who the speakers would be for the services each day of the FOT. For then I knew just which mornings I could safely sleep in and not miss anything "new and exciting." I crossed HWA off my list after the second year.

In addition, the only writing for the PT that HWA had done in years seemed to be self-aggrandizing stories of audiences he was having with world leaders--in which he never seemed to mention the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And the only other writing he did was interminable "co-worker/member letters" in which he frequently reiterated over and over how he had begun The Work of the WCG decades before, how much he had sacrificed, and therefore how much current supporters should sacrifice.

In spite of the fact that the vast majority of members were sending a full tithe of their gross incomes (before taxes) to the WCG HQ in Pasadena to support Armstrong's ministry, it was never enough. There was always a financial "crisis" every few months which prompted HWA to write an "emergency" letter demanding more donations "above and beyond" the tithes of the membership. These emergencies were never caused by a drop in income … Armstrong always bragged that the income increased every year. No, they were caused because Armstrong would embark on new projects all the time with no budget planned related to current income. He would, as he would put it, "step out in faith" that the money would be there.

He seemed to imply that since there were new members coming on board all the time that these new tithes would be able to cover such projects. But of course the increase in tithes never kept up with his increase in spending. So he would demand that the membership not "let this Great Work of God fail" and dig deeper and deeper, tighten their belts more and more, and send more and more donations above their tithes.

So the thought that GTA was going to be gone for "a considerable period of time" and there would be no counterbalance to the bombastic pronouncements of Herbert Armstrong was very discouraging.

As it turned out, we needn't have worried about this at the time. It appears that Herbert had no intention of allowing this Tribulation to become a Great Tribulation.

In spite of the high-sounding rhetoric in his 4/23 letter about the "integrity of this Work" and the "scriptural qualifications for a minister," and in spite of the clear statement that restoration of GTA to a role in the WCG would take "a considerable amount of time," Herbert composed the following letter to all of us less than five weeks after his first letter:

5/31/72

Dear Brethren of God's Church:

This letter is being written high in the air, with mingled emotions of thanksgiving and gratitude, hope and JOY! My most fervent heart-rending and prevailing prayers of the last ten months, combined with yours have been answered!

Messrs. Portune, Antion and Dart -- all Vice Presidents, Mr. Stanley Rader and I, are returning to Pasadena from a momentous meeting with my son Garner Ted Armstrong. I had spent the better part of two days with him last week, and I knew then that with God's help, and countless hours of submissive, prevailing prayer on his part, coupled with the prayers of thousands for him, his problems have now been overcome. There is no question in our minds that God is calling him back now, with plans for the greatest lunge forward this Work of God has ever taken. He is like a NEW Garner Ted Armstrong, and we believe God will now use him with far greater power in getting out Christ's Gospel to the world than ever before. We know God has forgiven, and filled him -- and us -- with a completely new dedication for the finishing of the Work for this age.

Plans were made with enthusiasm today for a completely NEW program of getting Christ's Message to the whole world in multiplied POWER! We know God has inspired a wholly NEW format for the television program. It will no longer be just a documentary -- it will get the real MEANING of events and world conditions across to viewers, tied in with PROPHECY, and a dynamic calling of viewers to REPENTANCE and turning to the living CHRIST! There will be no pussyfooting. Ted is simply filled with desire and the urge of God's Spirit to get at this. The same on radio -- and this time, by BOTH of us. I will continue on the air at least once a week, and he probably will carry the radio program six times a week. We're going to make world happenings and conditions MEAN SOMETHING, as GOD sees them from His high heaven, and HIS MESSAGE will come with POWER!

Then, SOMETHING NEW! Garner Ted is going to make personal appearances in many cities in the United States and Canada, in large auditoriums. Instead of running from this recent wave of persecution, God is showing us how to TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT, and make it WORK FOR HIM! It will swell the crowds.

We are going to put increased vigor in messages in advertising space we are purchasing in the world's largest mass circulation magazines.

We are not only rejoicing in gratitude, we are also filled with dynamic enthusiasm and dedication to put NEW LIFE into God's Work -- new life I know GOD is giving us!

Brethren, the past ten months has been the most terrible and painful trauma I have ever suffered -- and that in my 80th year. It's been like being under a heavy cloud. But God's Work has had to have leadership, and no matter how discouraging it has seemed, I have had to keep right on the firing line, ENCOURAGING others, tackling additional tasks and responsibilities, driving myself on and on, and at the same time finding more time for prayer than before. No matter how deep this trauma I knew that God is on His throne, and Christ promised He would never leave nor forsake us or His Work, and my faith never wavered, though my spirits could not be those of rejoicing.

But WHAT A LIFT this day has been for all of us! Now there REALLY IS JOY AND REJOICING, AND GRATITUDE AND THANKSGIVING TO OUR GOD!

 

Looking back now, I do not believe we thought very deeply about the implications of the content of these two letters at the time. The first was such a crushing blow that we welcomed the second as the "quick fix" that it was. Neither we, the rest of the membership of the WCG, nor the Armstrongs and the rest of the leadership realized at the time that this letter did not end the Tribulation period of the WCG. Rather, it introduced … and was one of the primary causes of … the truly Great Tribulation period that was to come, from 1972-1982.

In fact, the organization never really recovered from the ravages of this time. There appeared to be a short reprieve from it in the decade from 1982-1992, but that was only an illusion … the seeds of the ultimate destruction of the ministry of Herbert W Armstrong and the institutions he founded were already growing by 1972. But they were not growing out in the sunlight where they could be seen and rooted out. They were growing in dark and shady places.

The 4/23/72 letter from HWA that was such a shock to so many was not the first hint that all was not well at "God's Headquarters" in Pasadena, California. But the hints that had been in evidence in advance were so subtle that most people missed them. Only in hindsight, years later, by rummaging through old co-worker letters, and reading the reports of eye-witnesses who finally came forward with the "rest of the story," can one see the full picture of what had transpired in 1971-1972.

 

 

The Sunshine Before the Storm

The new year of 1971 broke bright and clear for the Worldwide Church of God by all outward appearances. It was an exciting time to be a member of what Herbert W Armstrong always called "The Work of God." The year 1970 had brought lots of exciting news to the members in HWA's co-worker letters about dynamic projects that he and his son GTA had accomplished.

Here, in excerpts from co-worker letters of May and June 1970 is an overview of GTA's exciting year:

May 28, 1970

Dear Friend and Co-Worker:

This is probably the MOST IMPORTANT announcement I have ever made to our Co-Workers in the most important Work on earth today.

We are in the process of intensive preparation for the most POWERFUL worldwide program ever launched to WAKE UP this drowsy, sleeping world BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!

NEVER was the world so acutely SICK! Its leaders say we must adjust to living with these fast-accelerating problems and evils for which there is no solution.

BUT THERE IS A SOLUTION! I, personally, have been applying that solution 43 year! We, at Ambassador College, have been applying it for 23 years! WE DON'T HAVE THOSE FRIGHTENING PROBLEMS, ON OUR THREE AMBASSADOR COLLEGE CAMPUSES! We have P E A C E ! Why should nearly every other college and university campus have dissent, turmoil, rioting? WHY should family and home life be falling apart all over America and the western world? WHY should crime be increasing by leaps and bounds? WHY should people hate those whose skin is of a different color? -- WHY race problems and riots?

We don't have these evils on our campuses. Countless THOUSANDS of you Co-Workers and others who listen to The WORLD TOMORROW and read The PLAIN TRUTH and TOMORROW'S WORLD do not suffer these evils within your own private lives -- though perhaps we all are affected by them from the world outside and around us.

There is a CAUSE for these troubles. There is a CAUSE that will RID this world of its fast-mounting evils!

We are now intensively planning a massive worldwide program to THUNDER this Message to the whole world -- to WAKE UP this world before it's too late.

Don't tell us mankind can't solve its problems. It CAN -- IF IT'S WILLING! We have PROVED that! We are proving it every day. We are the LIVING EXAMPLE of the solution! Our three campuses in California, Texas, and England are living examples of PEACE and HAPPINESS in a world of confusion, crime, sickening immorality, violence and killings.

Now let me tell you what is being planned.

It is starting out with PERSONAL APPEARANCE TOURS, and a dynamic, personal appearance "AMERICA LISTEN -- before it's too late" campaign in two cities. This is already reaching THOUSANDS of important people by PERSONAL CONTACT. It is preparatory to a dynamic worldwide impact by radio, television, and in print -- to reach 150 MILLION PEOPLE on every inhabited continent - in almost EVERY NATION.

Already, in two personal appearances last week and this, my son, Garner Ted Armstrong, has spoken before some 3,500 younger business and professional men and teen-age leaders. Invitations are now pouring in for him to speak before many organized groups in different parts of the United States.

On Wednesday night of last week, May 20th, he gave the principal address at the annual banquet of the Junior Achievement League, a statewide group, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was attended by approximately 1,000 young adults, teen-agers, local and state businessmen and dignitaries. He spoke on this challenging theme with an enthusiastic response.

Next morning, the Tulsa Daily World headlined, on the front page: "BUILD, DON'T RUIN U.S., YOUTH TOLD." The story said "An educator and radio personality told Tulsa Junior Achievement members and sponsors Wednesday night that the earth is a space capsule headed for potential disaster. Dr. Garner Ted Armstrong of Los Angeles gave the warning at Junior Achievement's fourth annual Future Unlimited banquet at the Assembly Center." Ted was comparing the troubles of the Astronauts in the Apollo 13 capsule with humanity's troubles in this world.

Last Saturday night, May 23, Garner Ted spoke before some 2,500 at Tallahassee, Florida. On the Local News front page of Tallahassee Democrat Sunday morning, was a three-column picture of Apollo 13 Astronaut Fred Haise standing beside Garner Ted, presenting an Americanism award to Ft. Myers attorney Joseph Dalessandro.

In the news story, it said, in part: "Guest speaker for the evening was Garner Ted Armstrong, whose voice on The WORLD TOMORROW broadcast is heard by millions daily. Armstrong drew an analogy between the capsule of Astronaut Fred Haise and the capsule of society in which Americans live. 'Our social capsule is just as infinitely limited as Apollo 13,' he said." And so on. I won't take space to reprint the whole story.

Present were businessmen, past and present senators, judges, attorneys and at least 3 mayors.

Next will come the "AMERICA LISTEN" campaign in Nashville, Tennessee and Cincinnati, Ohio. We have booked the 9,000-seat Municipal Auditorium in Nashville for the dynamic four-day campaign starting Saturday night June 20. There will be four evening performances, plus a Sunday afternoon matinee. Students from the Pasadena and Texas campuses of Ambassador College will participate. A college band, selected from members of both bands, and members of the Ambassador Chorale from both campuses will be there. Also our college uniformed ushers.

This will be an inspiring and uplifting rapid-fire four-day program that reaches out on a face-to-face, personal appearance basis in which we take physically and bodily, a sizeable segment of Ambassador College students that thousands in that area may SEE, and EXPERIENCE some of the bubbling-over enthusiasm and happiness that pervades our campuses. Garner Ted's talks will be dynamic -- He will "tell it like it IS" -- showing the shocking state of conditions today, making plain what CAN be done to solve these problems, as well as what WILL BE DONE to save humanity alive by the living God. After each stirring message the students will mix with the audience, answering questions about Ambassador College, and discussing popular issues. Surveys of the Nashville and Cincinnati areas have been made by mail and by hundreds of telephone interviews, and they indicate a very active interest in this personal- appearance "AMERICA LISTEN" campaign.

The Cincinnati campaign will commence Saturday night, July 4th.

But July 3rd and 4th will be two extremely busy days for Garner Ted Armstrong. On July 3rd our Falcon Fan Jet plane will leave Burbank airport (near Pasadena), with Mr. and Mrs. Red Skelton, Mr. and Mrs. Art Linkletter of television fame, besides some of our people, for Oklahoma City. On Friday evening, as part of the regular news hour on WKY-TV, Garner Ted Armstrong will be interviewed in his hotel or motel room by color TV. Presumedly Red Skelton and Art Linkletter will be similarly interviewed.

Then on Saturday morning, Garner Ted is to give the invocation at the dedication of the new 22-acre Stars and Stripes Memorial Park, and the Dwight David Eisenhower Memorial within the Park. This, of course, will be televised. On the afternoon of July 4th station WKY-TV will air, live, on a network, a two-hour television marathon, 3 to 5 p.m. Central time, as a patriotic 4th of July show, an annual event. Last year three ministers -- a Protestant, Catholic and Jewish rabbi -- each participated in the invocation. This year Garner Ted alone is giving the invocation at the beginning of the show. Of course Red Skelton, Art Linkletter and others will then participate in the show.

But Ted will have to leave immediately after the invocation, to fly in our Falcon Jet to Cincinnati where the "AMERICA LISTEN" program has its first performance that evening.

Every TV station in Oklahoma will broadcast the "Stars and Stripes" program live, and some 200 to 300 TV stations in from 40 to 50 states will also air it, some at a later time.

These events are all preparatory to the most INTENSIVE radio, TV, and in-print campaign, WORLDWIDE, ever launched in the history of the world. The intensity of its impact will be progressively stepped up during the next year-and-a-half and two and three years.

Meanwhile, I shall be officiating at graduation exercises on the Pasadena campus, Friday June 5th; Garner Ted will officiate at the Texas campus Commencement Monday June 8th, and I again at graduation exercises in England, Friday June 12th. Then on Tuesday June 16th I will fly with 70 students from the three campuses to Jerusalem to get the students off to a summer's work on our great archaeological project in conjunction with Hebrew University of Jerusalem, returning the following Sunday to Britain, June 22nd, and immediately on to Nashville, where I hope to be able to attend the last day of the "AMERICA LISTEN" campaign. It will, indeed, be a BUSY SUMMER for us and for this entire great Work! …

[snip]

… YOU, by being a Co-Worker in this great Work, are HAVING A PART in CHANGING THE WORLD -- in PREPARING THE WAY! And you Co-Workers in the Nashville and Cincinnati areas, remember YOU have already had a PART in these personal appearances -- so BE THERE!

As we step up the pace and the impact of this Work worldwide, expenditures are necessarily stepped up also. We must not let the NEEDS outstrip the income! There is no need SO GREAT -- so URGENT. There is no place where every dollar ACCOMPLISHES SO MUCH! There never has been a more TRYING TIME, financially, than now. God is BLESSING US for our dedication, our sacrifice, our generosity for His great Work. Please PRAY for this Work, and for your fellow Co-workers in it -- as well as for me and my son Garner Ted. Your continued faithfulness will be rewarded. It is sorely needed NOW, and during the months to come.

Sincerely, with love, in Jesus' name,

Herbert W. Armstrong

*****

June 29, 1970

Dear Friend and Co-Worker:

A month ago I wrote to you with the MOST IMPORTANT announcement about the dynamic PERSONAL APPEARANCE program for Garner Ted Armstrong for this summer.

Now I want to tell you a bit about the AMERICA LISTEN program at Nashville, Tennessee. It was held the four nights and Sunday afternoon beginning Saturday night June 20, in the great 9,000-seat Municipal Auditorium.

Thousands came. Thousands heard the inspiring news that THERE IS A SOLUTION for the fast-mounting evils in this sick, sick world.

WHY should family and home life be falling apart all over America and Canada? WHY should crime be increasing by leaps and bounds? WHY should we have race problems, with rioting and violence? WHY all the protest, rioting, destruction and violence on college campuses? We don't have any of that on the three Ambassador College campuses.

Garner Ted took along more than a hundred Ambassador students -- ushers, chorale and band -- to let the people SEE a few of the alert, vigorous, smiling, happy students who are applying the SOLUTION to all these evils.

The Nashville campaign was a smashing success -- met with a moving response -- in spite of just about every obstacle that could have been thrown in the way.

First let me give you a few words my son Garner Ted wrote from Nashville on the third day of the campaign, June 22nd:

He wrote: "I have never been so sick since I spent four days in bed about six years ago. It just races up and down and back and forth through me. I don't know exactly what it is, but I always, miraculously, just barely have enough voice for the actual program, and then it falls apart afterwards. I've got a terribly swollen throat and tonsils, a violent headache and sinuses."

This very same afternoon, a week ago today, last Monday June 22nd, I myself arrived at Nashville airport, having left our campus in England at 9:15 that morning. Ted and several others were at the airport to meet me. Ted had to speak in a whisper. It was about 4:00 in the afternoon. Do you believe in prayer? With two other ministers who had flown from England with me, I anointed my son and asked the Great God our Father to give him his voice for the Message that evening. I had the privilege of attending that one meeting. Ted's voice came strong and resonant, and never have I heard such speaking! Do you believe in answered prayer? Not many do today. But SOMEONE heard and gave him his voice not only, but dynamic and moving INSPIRATION besides!

Ted had been telling the audiences at Nashville about the fast-accelerating evils that threaten to DESTROY our beloved country. Let me give you here, a little of the closing words of WARNING of Garner Ted Armstrong's first Message Saturday night.

He said: "I would rather see America on her knees before her God than I would on her knees before her enemies!

"It's ABOUT TIME we began to rub our noses and rub everybody else's nose in the meaning of America -- and that includes the pornographers and the purveyors of filth. It's time we quit being the so-called 'silent, uninvolved, detached majority,' quietly letting the problems and the rest of the world go by. It's time we got active, and we rolled up our sleeves and we did something about it.

"You know Jesus Christ was so jealous of that temple, he cast the money changers out. It's time we weren't afraid to carry a Bible openly on the streets, time we weren't afraid to read it. It's time we quit shuffling our feet in embarrassment, looking down wondering whether to close our eyes when somebody gives the invocation -- and it's time invocations were not poetry and speeches and were genuine pleas to God to save this country of ours too!

"I want to quote something that a great President of this country said years ago -- and if it was so true then, how much truer is it today -- a proclamation from Abraham Lincoln, April 30th, 1863. He said, and I quote, 'We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven. We have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity, we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God! We have forgotten the gracious Hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us. And we have vainly imagined in the deceitfulness of our own hearts that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity for redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!

"'It behooves us then to humble ourselves before the offended Power to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.' Then that President set aside a national day of prayer and fasting!

"I want you to all rise and join us up here in singing and feeling and meaning as we close tonight. Let's sing God Bless America -- and this time let's mean it!

(After a verse or two of the song, and with its music in the background, this prayer -- )

"O, God -- make America worth blessing! Make us, Father in heaven, get on our knees before You, and let You bless us, because we know You'll never bless anybody that You can't rule and who won't obey Your Law! Bless us because we can deserve a little more of Your Blessing, and not some of the curses we've been under. Help us solve pollution and racism and hatred and pornography, and all the crime! Oh, God, bless America, save this country. Get us on our knees before You and don't make us fall before our enemies! Save this country of ours before it's too late! Make us somehow, God in heaven, dedicate ourselves to You."

The Cincinnati campaign will open this coming Saturday night, July 4th. There is vital need for the fervent and believing prayers of all who BELIEVE -- that GREAT GOOD may be accomplished.

[snip]

Time is now RUNNING OUT! We are getting this dynamic Message to the whole WORLD with POWER! Thousands ARE listening, heeding -- their lives being CHANGED! It is the greatest Work on earth today! Every dollar placed in it GOES FARTHER than any other place I know. Read the "Personal" in the next PLAIN TRUTH -- off the press in a few days. It shows how, in this Work, today's 18 cent dollar GOES FARTHER than the 100 cent dollar went in 1902! In this Work, YOU, as a Co-Worker, are having A PART in changing thousands of lives every year -- having a PART in CHANGING THE WORLD from one of sickness and evils into a happy, JOYOUS, PEACEFUL WORLD TOMORROW! We are PREPARING THE WAY!

The financial need was never so GREAT! Your continued faithfulness is sorely NEEDED now, and in the difficult days, weeks, and months ahead. And YOUR EARNEST PRAYERS added to financial sacrifice will MULTIPLY wonderful results!

Sincerely, with love, in Jesus' name,

Herbert W. Armstrong

 

It is hard to over-exaggerate the feeling of exhilaration of many in the WCG at this point in the organization's history. For many years, the church's only public outreach had been the TV and radio programs. These did eventually bear fruit in that people heard the program, started getting the literature, and some might eventually request baptism and begin attending church. But this process for the average person lasted years from first hearing the program to showing up in a church service.

And thus the average church member had very little feel for the impact of any one radio or TV program … it was all quietly going on in people's private homes. The America Listen campaigns, however, finally brought this process out in the open where members could see immediate response. There were big billboards announcing the campaigns outside the major cities where the meetings were planned, with GTA's picture on them and the caption "America Listen--before it's too late!" Members in local areas like Nashville could attend a public meeting of thousands of people, and hear that public express appreciation for the message sponsored by the WCG with thunderous applause. In many ways it seemed to make the mission of the WCG more "real" and "significant."

It wasn't just a banner year for GTA--HWA himself had been the busiest he'd been in years, jetting around the world and having private audiences with governmental leaders of many countries. Here, in a February 1971 co-worker letter, he re-caps his activities of 1970 and early 1971 (color added to emphasize the main highlights of these trips):

February 27, 1971 Dear Co-Worker with Christ:

I have just returned to my hotel from a 45-minute audience with His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince of Japan. Last Tuesday and Wednesday I was in Okinawa. I had gone there at the suggestion of Prime Minister Sato of Japan. It may well be called one of the trouble spots of the world.

When I was here in December an anti-United States riot occurred there on the day of my arrival. Okinawa is the principal U.S. military base between the U.S. and the Vietnam war. Entire island is under U.S. military government. Some 800,000 Okinawan citizens are Japanese people. The whole government is scheduled to revert back to Japan next year.

I interviewed the Japanese Chief Executive there, Lt. General Lampert, who is High Commissioner and President of the University. I also spoke at a banquet there to some 35 leading citizens and their wives. I will say to you what I said to them:

I am now completing my third round-the-world trip in six months. Everywhere I find troubles, high tensions, frightening evils, problems that governments CANNOT SOLVE!

In Jerusalem I had a long talk with Mrs. Golda Meir, the Prime Minister. She explained the high tensions between Israel and the Arab nations merely in an armistice. Actually the '67 war has not yet been settled. Jerusalem, as I have told you before, will be the number one news source in the world from now on.

At New Delhi last December, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, the Prime Minister, explained to me in a half-hour interview the overwhelming problems of starvation and death, poverty, illiteracy, filth and squalor. And besides, thousands of refugees pouring daily into India from both East and West Pakistan -- poverty stricken and needing to be taken care of. It is a pitiful and hopeless situation.

In Nepal I had interviews with both the King and the Crown Prince. They told me of their insolvable problems of getting education and other help to the isolated mountain people.

At Bangkok I had a fantastic audience with the King of Thailand -- formerly Siam -- in, which for an hour and a half he poured out his heart to me of the problems in his country. It was a heart-rending, emotional experience, difficult to keep the tears back. He said nobody could help him with these overwhelming problems and burdens unless I, perhaps, personally could. He said, with some emotion, he would welcome any ideas, suggestions, or help I might be able to give and asked me to come again.

At Manila, in September, President Ferdinand Marcos told me of the serious problems they have in the Philippines and what he is doing to help. But, of course, it is only a start. Everywhere I find on personal contacts with heads of nations, the world's troubles, problems and evils are completely beyond the human ability of Kings, Presidents, Prime Ministers or their Governments to solve. It is like the U.S. News and World Report said more than a year ago. It seems now that the only hope of preventing the erasing of all humanity from the earth lies in the intervention of an unseen strong hand from someplace.

You and I are shouldered with that gigantic commission to prepare the way for the intervention of that strong hand that will usher in at last the happy, joyous and peaceful WORLD TOMORROW. You and I are having a part in changing the world and in saving the whole world before all human life is blasted from this earth!

Isn't that honor and responsibility worth sacrificing for? NOTHING else is important anymore.

I am doing my utmost to carry out my part. Giant doors are being opened before me and I am walking through them. But I can only do my part as you make sacrifice and generously do your part. It is URGENTLY needed in the most important work on earth!

 

"Photo-ops" showing HWA shaking hands with kings, prime ministers, presidents and other national leaders were the focus of Plain Truth covers during the time period of several years before and after 1970. "Personal from the Editor" columns by HWA in the magazine, and glowing reports in co-worker letters, gave some of the details of these visits. It certainly was impressive at the time to see the amazing number of famous men and women that HWA got in to see.

But after a while it became puzzling when reading his reports that it didn't appear that his audiences with such leaders had much of anything to do with the "Gospel" message that was in the church's literature or on the church's radio and television programs. At the time, I suppose many church members assumed that these were just "preliminary visits," which would open the door for later actual opportunities for Herbert to do just what the Apostle Paul did--actually witness for Christ to powerful men at the head of governments. Later installments of this Memoir will investigate the validity of that assumption.

 

 

1971 Marches On … the Skies Darken

HWA had included a few carefully-worded "cautionary" comments, in a few letters from 1969 and 1970, about assuming "too much" regarding prophetic fulfillment in 1972 (in the midst of a lot of not-so-cautious bombastic speculation which mostly drowned out the fudge-words like "possibly" and "probably" in those few cautionary comments).

But it seems he could not resist starting out 1971 once again with some very un-cautious statements--which were sure to be taken by most of his readers as giving strong credence to the speculations that had been rife since the astounding "19 year Time Cycles" had been announced in 1953.

After reading this kind of hype, is it any wonder that many members still expected to be leaving for "the Place of Safety" by early 1972? … in spite of the fact that later in this same letter he goes back to hedging his bets! It was extremely difficult for the average member during these years to keep the constant on-again-off-again expectations juggled in his mind.

1/21/71

Well, Brethren, THIS is the year when we must expand our television coverage to blanket all markets over the entire United States -- IF we are to finish the present phase of God's Work before the Great Tribulation stops us. We already have coverage in nearly every major market in Canada.

THIS is the year when, if ever, we MUST reach all the rest of the world.

[Snip]

 

But then came the jangling confusion again … a pitch for a new building program for more buildings for the church HQ in Pasadena! After outlining the building plans, came the financial pitch for an increase in "special" building fund donations (which were always to be "above and beyond" one's "regular tithes and offerings.")

… So it appears now, that we can finance this building project in one big package PROVIDED we can bring the SPECIAL CONTRIBUTIONS for the building fund once again back up to a live, active fund.

This will inject NEW LIFE AND VITALITY into God's Work! TIME is now mighty short -- we don't know HOW short! If we are to GET THE JOB DONE, we must be UP and AT IT! The Work of God NEEDS this new spark to come in on the home stretch of the Work.

I want to hear the living and soon-coming Jesus Christ say: "WELL DONE, GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT!" Don't YOU? Do you want it enough to PUT YOUR WHOLE HEART INTO THIS -- AND INTO YOUR PRAYERS -- and to sacrifice for it? Don't make the mistake of setting dates, and foolishly (as the William Miller people did in 1843 and 1844) selling everything you have in order to put it into the Work. Our Work could still be brought to a stop a year from now, until after the tribulation. But that does not seem so likely now. We may have only one more year -- we may have two years -- we may have five. I DON'T KNOW and YOU DON'T KNOW! We are laying plans for the next TEN years, if God grants that much more time.

What I DO KNOW is that Jesus said, in regard to knowing or NOT knowing the time of His coming: "Who, then, is that faithful and wise steward, whom his Lord shall make ruler over His household . . . ? Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord when He cometh shall find SO DOING."

If Christ should yet cut our work short one year from now, I want Him to find me SO DOING carrying on His Work right up to the last minute!

We must PLAN AHEAD as if we have another ten or twenty years -- or more. But we must be as close to GOD, and as READY, as if He were appearing at His second coming, in the next moment!

Let me say, as I did once before, that even though we have been willing to give up having our own local church buildings IN ORDER TO LET THAT MONEY BE USED IN GETTING THE GOSPEL TO THE WHOLE WORLD, God has shown us that we DO WELL in desiring to have ONE "HOUSE FOR GOD" at His present earthly Headquarters of His Work -- ONE HOUSE we can all look to from around the world, WHERE GOD IS HONORED. And, where God and the living Christ actually do MEET, in Spirit, WITH THE BRETHREN OF THE HEADQUARTERS CHURCH.

Now, after so many delays and disappointments, IF the income for the Work keeps up, and IF we bring up the SPECIAL offerings for the Building Fund, we can break ground for that fine building by July!

 

Yes, indeed, it was very hard in these times to get one's mind around the kind of "A.D.D." thinking that could jump from gun-lap/home stretch, "we MUST reach all the rest of the world this year" hype, to taking on long-term debt to build an "auditorium." And after this auditorium was, indeed, built at a cost of many millions of dollars, it was even harder to get one's mind around the actual use to which it was primarily put in later years.

For, as later installments of this Memoir will document, it did not function as ONE HOUSE where "God and the living Christ" would "actually… meet in Spirit with the brethren of the headquarters church." Although church services were indeed held in the building, it was most prominently known as a venue for public concerts of totally secular music by secular artists. In fact, church employees at times found themselves "breaking the Sabbath" according to their own standards by being forced to work to get the auditorium ready for Saturday night public concerts!

By April, HWA was stepping up the hype more and more strongly to emphasize how important and world-shaking his own activities were. His letters from this point on spoke less and less of the PT magazine or the WT programs or public appearances by his son GTA. Instead they became massive public relations blitzes for his around-the-world trips. Here are excerpts from examples of this in letters from April and June, 1971. (color added to emphasize significant statements)

Jerusalem, Israel

April 12, 1971

Dear Co-Worker in the Greatest Mission on Earth:

Once again, I am in this remarkable "new" country, ISRAEL. From now on, Jerusalem will be the pivotal CENTER of world news. While here, I want to bring you up-to-date on the almost unbelievable, exciting, and momentous things now happening in this great Work.

GIANT doors have been opening before me, one after another, with invitations for personal conferences with heads of state -- presidents, kings, prime ministers -- and many others in high offices of POWER, in many countries around the world. The remarkable thing is that I did not seek or initiate these meetings -- not once! I was invited.

Do you realize how IMPOSSIBLE it is for anyone, except those in official capacity, to initiate and obtain a personal private conference with a chief of state? These people occupy offices of GREAT POWER in the world. They are all surrounded by the most effective and well organized security systems. NO ONE except their own closest secretaries or ministers is ever allowed to contact them direct, either in person or by telephone. NOBODY, except those in official office with official business, ever gets to see them, unless personally invited by the head of state, or unless most carefully screened, checked on, approved by secretaries, and then, finally, approved by the chief of state. If I, by my own initiative, had tried to arrange all these many personal meetings and conferences, it would have been utterly IMPOSSIBLE!

Mr. Unofficial Citizen doesn't just take the telephone, dial directly into the private office of an overseas chief executive, get him on the phone, and say: "Hi, King old boy! I'm coming right over to see you." He would never get to the king, the president, or the prime minister.

Even though the time has come, in this great Commission, when it is necessary for me to have these personal meetings, there is absolutely NO WAY I could have taken it into my own hands and accomplished it. It had to come like a continuous chain of MIRACULOUS occurrences. And it is having TREMENDOUS SIGNIFICANCE to the finishing of this most important Commission on earth in 1900 years!

Of course you've been reading, in The PLAIN TRUTH, of some of these meetings with the world's rulers. And many more such articles and reports are coming in future issues. Then later, I will take you into my confidence and give you the exciting facts of the incredible circumstances, and the surprising providential manner in which these giant doors have opened before me, one after the other in time order.

These very important meetings have suddenly catapulted the entire Work up onto a new and higher plateau! The Work has moved suddenly into a TOTALLY NEW PHASE! These providential new developments signal the warning to YOU and to me that we do not have much time left to get done THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB ON EARTH IN 1900 YEARS! We have now been moved into the last and final phase of the Work for this Age!

Before I tell you more of that, however, I want to inform you of the tremendously important happenings to the Work right here in Israel.

I am here this time to make final arrangements for the arrival in June of 75 of our Ambassador College students. They are coming to work for the summer on our huge archaeological project in Jerusalem. As you know, we are in joint participation with Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Israel Archaeological Society in the largest, most important such project of our time -- probably of all time.

We are not only uncovering 3,000 years of buried history. We are clearing off the accumulated rubble, decay and debris -- some 50 to 60 feet high -- over the very THRONE OF DAVID -- in the original Jerusalem of 3,000 years ago, also known, then, as the City of David. The Biblical prophecies of Isaiah 9:7-8, of Luke 1:30-33, and of Amos 9:11, say that the Messiah -- the returning Christ in supreme and total supernatural POWER and GLORY -- is soon, now, to RULE THE ENTIRE EARTH -- ALL NATIONS -- from that very spot! What a providential thing it is, that WE are clearing it off -- preparing the way for His coming, in this, as well as in other ways.

And here's another exciting and important development: I am here also to confer with officials of the Hebrew University Institute of Urban and Regional Studies. Ambassador College now is in a joint-participation with this institute in a city-planning project, designing and planning the JERUSALEM OF THE FUTURE! The probability is that for the remainder of this age, the government will adopt the planning we recommend.

Still another very important development here: I am here also to consult further with Mayor Kollek of Jerusalem. He was our guest at Ambassador College in Pasadena only eleven days ago. And also with officials of the government's Ministry of Education, concerning the distribution of our booklets here in Israel. For some months our Professor Paldi (formerly of Hebrew University) and Dr. Robert Kuhn have been at work in Pasadena translating some of our booklets into Hebrew. Think what a great milestone in the Work this is!

It's hard to realize how this Work -- in which you and I are privileged to be Co-Workers -- has grown to such worldwide POWER and SCOPE! It is exerting tremendous IMPACT on more than 150 MILLION PEOPLE around the world. That is about every TWENTIETH person on earth!

 

This assertion that the "Work" was having a "tremendous IMPACT" was never really substantiated. Having a broadcast and a magazine that is available to 150 million people is certainly not the same thing as having "a tremendous impact" on those people.

But this kind of inflated claim had been typical of HWA's public relations assertions for many decades. Even among those who actually read the magazines (the fact that someone was on the mailing list was surely no surety that they ever even read it), the response level of those "impacted" enough to seek membership in the WCG was miniscule. I do not doubt that the vast majority of those who read the magazine viewed it as just another magazine in their collections of magazines.

For instance, after we had been members of the WCG for six years, I found in my own grandfather's garage a stack of Plain Truth magazines from the 1960s--from even before I had heard of the Armstrong movement! I mentioned this in surprise to my grandfather, and he informed me he had listened to the WT for years, and had received the magazine. Had it had a "tremendous IMPACT" on him? No. He found the prophetic speculations and the commentary on world events and trends mildly interesting, but seemed to know nothing about the "theology" behind the organization.

In fact, my own husband had taken the PT from 1958 (when he was in high school) until 1965 when we got married … and had never sent for another booklet, had never bothered to use the Radio Log printed in every issue to try to find the WT broadcast. He also had just found the prophecy and commentary mildly interesting. It was only my interest in the PT collection that he shared with me after our marriage that led us to pursue more information about the Radio Church of God (as it was then known).

The PLAIN TRUTH and TOMORROW'S WORLD have become mass- circulated magazines -- now among the world's largest. The PLAIN TRUTH, especially, is gaining worldwide recognition and prestige as a high quality authoritative magazine -- even in top circles of government and education in countries all over the earth.

For example, our readership in India alone is more than a quarter million -- and among the educated classes. In Australia, another quarter million! In the Philippines, 260,000! In New Zealand -- a small population country -- 50,000. That many people, in one place, would make a fair sized CITY! THINK OF IT! In Malaysia and Singapore over in the Far East near the equator, a readership of 156,000 people! Miscellaneous others in the Far East, 23,000. This makes NEARLY A MILLION PEOPLE in India, the Far East, Southeast Asia, and Australia and New Zealand! Perhaps this will help you to better understand WHY heads of governments over in that part of the world want to take time to tell me of their problems, and to exchange views. Their people read what I write!

I think perhaps MOST of those who are Co-Workers IN THIS WORK have never fully realized HOW MANY people all over the world are reading The PLAIN TRUTH and TOMORROW'S WORLD.

Let me give you further facts. Holland is a comparatively small country. Yet the Dutch-language edition of The PLAIN TRUTH, circulating mostly in Holland, is now being read by approximately 52,500 people! The German edition, circulating mostly in Germany, northern Switzerland and Austria, has a readership of approximately 180;000! The Spanish edition, circulating primarily in Mexico, Central and South America, is read by 234,000 -- nearly a quarter million people! The French-language edition in France and western Switzerland -- 114,000; in eastern Canada 63,000; and in the Caribbean Islands 18,000.

Now look at the circulations of the English-language edition in still other countries around the world. In Britain, our readership is 456,000 -- nearly half a million Briton!' In Scandinavian, other European, and North African countries, 84,000. In the British West Indies, 78,000. In islands out in the Pacific -- such as Guam, Wake, Okinawa -- 30,000. In Canada, not counting the eastern Canada French edition circulation, 500,000 -- A HALF MILLION!

Now look at the United States. The PLAIN TRUTH has a readership of 4 to 5 MILLION people, and TOMORROW'S WORLD 1 1/2 to 2 MILLION."

 

Note that HWA is here using the phrase "readership" when referring to US figures, while the word "circulation" in other countries. This is likely because these figures were an "estimate" of the number actually reading the magazine, not the number of magazines in circulation monthly in the US. I don't have the exact figures for the year he is speaking of, but these appear to be at least double the actual circulation. (Circulation in the December 1969 PT is listed as 2.1 million.)

 

Add to all this the broadcasting by radio and television, and the vast number reached all around the world by our double- page and full-page advertising space purchased in Reader's Digest, LIFE, LOOK, The LONDON TIMES, T.V. GUIDE in the United States, and other leading mass-circulation magazines and newspapers in Germany, South Africa, the Philippines, Australia, etc., and the Work is reaching, worldwide, between 150 and 200 MILLION PEOPLE! And soon, now -- Japan and the few remaining countries of this earth!

With so many MILLIONS of people being reached all over the world, it has become NECESSARY to the Work that I, as well as my son, Garner Ted, and others on our editorial and research staffs, maintain a grasp and insight into world conditions such as is possessed by few on earth! As Editor of The PLAIN TRUTH and TOMORROW'S WORLD -- with such multiMILLION readerships -- these personal conferences with rulers of nations around the world are providing very important material for articles. Still more, they are giving me increased UNDERSTANDING and insight into the problems faced by many of the world's chief rulers, usually not disclosed to reporters, correspondents or editors of commercial magazines or newspapers.

Until recently we had reached, in this Great Commission, primarily the grass roots -- the masses of the common people -- the RULED. But in this greatest Mission in 1900 years, it NOW has become NECESSARY that we get directly to those in TOP POSITIONS OF POWER -- AT THE TOP -- THE RULERS! The Work had, of necessity, begin where it did. The time NOW has come when those who wield the POWER must also be reached! Of myself -- or with the HUMAN ability of our entire organization -- it would, indeed have been IMPOSSIBLE!

 

HWA never made it clear just why it was "necessary" to reach those in positions of power. If it was so that they could be convicted of the Gospel and share it with their peoples, the mission failed miserably. Later material in this Memoir will chronicle a surprising number of significant leaders of countries who were dead within a short time of Armstrong's visit!

But -- and I want you to REALIZE THIS SOBERLY -- once that unseen Hand from Someplace, as spoken of by The United States News and World Report, had miraculously OPENED THESE DOORS, if I had not walked on through them in faith, ANOTHER WOULD HAVE BEEN RAISED UP WHO WOULD WALK THROUGH THEM.

 

This phrase "an unseen Hand from Someplace" was first used in HWA's co-worker letters in January 1971. It appears that he had already by then been using it in his talks with world leaders. It is puzzling why he would not just use the term God or Jesus Christ in his talks. It is even more puzzling why he would even choose to use the term here, in a letter to his loyal supporters who obviously believed in and worshiped God … why the "coy" term? That question will also be addressed in later installments of this Memoir.

As usual, this letter ends with mention of a new crisis, and a desperate need for increased offerings once again:

THINK what a great Work has been generated! And yet, WHAT A SHAME that I have to tell you it is facing a financial CRISIS, in which we may even have to STOP publication of The PLAIN TRUTH! I'm not going to say any more. God's people don't beg! To just simply state the NEED -- the critical CRISIS NEED -- ought to be enough.

In the June number of The PLAIN TRUTH -- and I HOPE we'll be able to print and send out such a vast number of copies -- I'll give you my report on my conference with Mrs. Golda Meir, Prime Minister of Israel, and also of Mrs. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India. I will give you my own close-up personal portrait evaluation of those two outstanding women -- sitting in seats of TREMENDOUS POWER in a very sick, war-inflamed world!

Until next month, when I will reveal to you, in confidence, the incredible circumstances by which these giant doors have opened before me, I leave a mighty serious crisis-decision in your hands.

With sincere love, in Jesus' name,

Herbert W. Armstrong

As promised in the April letter above, HWA shared in his June letter some matters "in confidence" with his readers:

June 28, 1971

Dear Inner Family of Co-Workers:

I want to tell you, privately and in confidence, that many men high in the governments of Germany, Belgium, India, Israel, Japan, Singapore and such nations around the world, have recently been visiting Ambassador College campuses.

Last month I told you of the almost unbelievable manner in which giant doors have been opening before me for personal meetings with kings, presidents, prime ministers, and other high government officials. But now, more and more, WORLD LEADERS are coming themselves to visit our campuses -- to see for themselves the EXAMPLE we are setting for bringing about WORLD PEACE!

World rulers are beginning to realize that this Work -- in which YOU are a Co-Worker -- is making the greatest contribution toward WORLD PEACE in our time! All through history, nations and their governments have been striving for WORLD PEACE! But their striving has led only to wars -- and more wars! There is the Biblical truism: "The WAY of peace they know not." For 37 years, we in this Work have been proclaiming to the world THE WAY to world peace. And on three Ambassador College campuses in the United States and Britain, we have been SETTING THE LIVING EXAMPLE of PEACE!

Until the past three or four years, instead of this kind of recognition, we had only persecution and opposition from the world. Of course, there is still the persecution, misrepresentation and opposition. But also NOW, there is coming to be RECOGNITION, APPROVAL, RESPECT in many high places of the world. Now, more and more, men who rate very high in the world are coming to visit Ambassador College campuses. And always they are tremendously -- and FAVORABLY -- impressed!

[snip]

 

Let me tell you of a few specific instances.

In November, 1968, when both Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Ambassador College were considering the joint participation in the huge archaeological project, Dr. Benjamin Mazar, former President of the University, and Dr. Joseph Aviram, Dean of the College of Humanities at the University, visited the Pasadena and Texas campuses. They were much impressed with what they saw. Several others from Hebrew University and the Israeli government have since visited various ones of our campuses. Ambassador College is highly respected and honored in Israel.

Late in 1969 Willy Brandt replaced Kurt Kiesinger as Chancellor of West Germany. Soon after, Chancellor Kiesinger's Press Secretary and Public Relations Officer, Dr. Alf Enseling, flew to Pasadena to spend two days on our campus. Then he spent one day on the Texas campus. Returning to Bonn, he held a press conference. His first words, as reported to me, were: "Gentlemen, I have just returned from Paradise!"

A little later, spring of last year, the "strong man of Europe," Dr. Franz Josef Strauss, former Finance Minister of West Germany, with his wife and secretary, spent two days on our Pasadena campus. At the close of the first day, he commented that he had just spent the happiest day of his life. The PEACE and happiness here are contagious! Dr. Strauss drank it in. Herr Strauss said, "We need an Ambassador College in Germany."

He was flown in our jet plane to our Texas campus, then to Houston to inspect the giant moonshot Space Center, then to Washington, D.C. for important conferences. But from our Texas campus he sent his wife back to Pasadena to enjoy another day on the Ambassador campus.

 

My husband and I were shocked when we read the first reports, in 1970, of Strauss visiting the WCG Headquarters. And we were equally puzzled by this glowing report of the event in 1971. For, you see, for some time before that visit, WCG writers had been speculating that Strauss was going to emerge as the actual "Anti-Christ" of the prophecies in the Bible … the "Beast" prophesied in Revelation to rule the world! In fact, they had published a large magazine-size booklet answering the question "Who is the Beast?" which had a portrait of Strauss on the cover.

In the Book of Revelation, a prophesied "False Prophet" is to force everyone in the world to receive the "Mark of the Beast" or else be unable to "buy or sell". And this Beast is prophesied to bring about a persecution and martyrdom of the Saints of God.

Given these facts, we were even more astonished to hear of the "gift" that was presented to Strauss by Garner Ted Armstrong in honor of Strauss's visit to Ambassador College--a high-powered hunting rifle! This visit by Strauss to AC was during the time when the Beast booklet was still in circulation, and there were later reports that students and teachers on the AC campus had to frantically hunt down any copies and put them away before Herr Strauss arrived. In spite of the almost glowing, brotherly account given of Strauss and his visit above, the church continued to speculate about Strauss as the Beast right up to the time that Strauss's death made the speculation null and void. Even after all these years the bizarre irony and surrealism of this whole scenario is mind-boggling to me!

[snip]

Can't we see that this world is fast approaching a CRISIS? Can we sleep on, in such a world?

There is but the ONE VOICE crying out in this worldwide chaotic wilderness, proclaiming THE WAY to PEACE, HAPPINESS, WELL- BEING! That is the powerful VOICE OF THIS WORLDWIDE WORK!

ONE VOICE proclaiming the way that will CAUSE peace -- ONE WORK that is PREPARING THE WAY for the supernatural intervention that MUST COME to save humanity ALIVE! And YOU are having YOUR PART in that great WORK! …

 

But what of Garner Ted in all of this excitement? You will note that none of his activities are mentioned in these letters. And, as a matter of fact, none of them were mentioned in any of the letters from January to September 1971. Looking back in hindsight at all the co-worker letters from 1971, it becomes painfully obvious how puzzling at best … or suspicious at worst … the following announcement, which appeared near the end of HWA's regular monthly co-worker letter, should have seemed at the time. But as I look back, I believe that I, along with most church members, took these comments at face value:

9/26/71

… My son, Garner Ted, has been doing the jobs of five or six high-executive-caliber men. He does a half-hour radio broadcast DAILY -- seven days a week, a half-hour TELECAST every week, besides meeting many speaking engagements before business men's conventions and other groups, doing special programs AT radio stations in which listeners may telephone in and ask him questions which he must be prepared to answer on the spot; traveling over much of the world for important radio and television interviews -- in Africa, in Jerusalem, and other places -- writing articles, doing an immense amount of study, research, fact-finding, keeping up with world happenings to comment on in the radio and TV programs, speaking at college forums before our students, and, lately he has been taking about 95% of my executive duties as President of the colleges and the Church.

He is forced to go at high tension -- drive! -- drive! -- drive! Some three or four weeks ago, he said to one of our Deputy Chancellors that if he had the audacity, temerity, or nerve, he would ask me if he might take a leave of absence for a few weeks, for complete relaxation, out from under the high tension and constant pressure almost night and day, and rest tensed and taut nerves, recharge spiritual batteries, so he could come back FRESH. He didn't ask me. But I was told of the comment. I had not realized the effect this terrific pressure had had on him.

When I returned from the last round-the-world trip last Thursday, I decided to make whatever arrangement must be made to give him that opportunity. He wanted to keep right on, but finally agreed to take his first leave of absence for total release from so many major responsibilities. He whipped through a number of television programs -- three in one day -- so they may keep being released weekly for several weeks. He has never had a real vacation. He has gone hunting each autumn after the Feast of Tabernacles the past few years, but even on a few days off for hunting, he still carries the responsibilities in his mind, and he even hunts in high tension.

Even Jesus Christ needed to get away from tense strains and rest. He said to His disciples: "Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest awhile: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat."

Plans had been made for him to speak at every U.S. and Canada Feast site again this year. I decided it was just too much high pressure, and we cancelled out these engagements. I want him to take possibly a couple months of complete relaxation from such high-paced and strenuous activities, and when he comes back he will be ready to go into high gear again, on the home stretch until our GREAT COMMISSION is finished! We will "GET THE JOB DONE" much better this way.

Brethren PRAY FOR HIM -- and for me, too, that this great Work may continue going out in greater and greater power -- under the POWER of God's Holy Spirit.

Please keep tithes and generous offerings coming in -- BESIDES a liberal offering on each Holy Day at the Feast. "SEE YOU THERE" -- at the Feast!

 

Compare the comments above with HWA's admission in April 1972:

Last autumn I was dismayed to learn that my son had been so overcome with personal, emotional problems, that it led to conduct inconsistent with the high standard of the Work of the Church of God and the scriptural qualifications for a minister of Jesus Christ, and rendered him incapable of carrying on the duties of a minister, and of his responsibilities of Executive Vice President.

 

Later evidence, discussed below, shows that HWA was fully aware, at the time of the September letter, of the true nature of GTA's "problem". And thus his insistence in the September letter that GTA just needed to "rest tensed and taut nerves, recharge spiritual batteries" can only be seen as an outright lie. It was certainly not necessary for him to go into the sordid details of the problem. But neither was it necessary to totally misrepresent it and put it in an almost "noble" light.

And … It is even more disgusting to note that he compared GTA at this point to Jesus Christ Himself! "Even Jesus Christ needed to get away from tense strains and rest."

HWA continued the charade in his October letter:

October 14, 1971

Dear Brethren of GOD'S CHURCH:

I have just returned from visiting the Feast sites again this year.

A short time ago I sent a general letter to the Church membership explaining the serious need for Garner Ted Armstrong to be allowed a leave of absence by reason of ill health -- not physical, but frayed nerves and excessive high tension which has built up over a period of years due to the heavy and crushing responsibilities of his office.

After starting his leave of absence, he felt he would be up to making the circuit of the Festival sites. He felt the imperative duty to speak at these sites. I agreed. But after Squaw Valley, his fourth site, tensions had built up until his nerves-were at razor-edge, and he could not continue.

He is now on the leave of absence. It may take some weeks for full recovery. Therefore I have this morning called board meetings of both the Church and the College, at which we made official the relieving of all responsibilities from my son Garner Ted until recovery and return. The Boards have acted on my appointment of Mr. Albert J. Portune as acting Executive Vice President of both Church and College, and as Vice-Chancellor of Ambassador College.

I feel few if any realize the crushing superhuman load Garner Ted has been carrying. The many hours at high tension to accumulate facts, knowledge of conditions, material, for a half- hour radio broadcast daily, seven days a week, a half-hour documentary telecast every week, many lectures before many outside groups, much travel to make radio and television interviews in various parts of the world, the writing of so many articles, reports to field ministers, so many sermons. This is all STRENUOUS, high-tension, hard driving work, much harder than physical labor. He has had to drive himself entirely too hard. In addition to the above, he has been interrupted by a constant succession of problems to solve and questions to answer in the executive capacity, from both the college and the Church. He has had to carry a good share of my chief executive responsibilities.

He will be going hunting as soon as the season opens, after which he will seek quiet and calm out in the wide open spaces.

I have been shocked to learn that there have been many rumors circulating among members in regard to my son. These could not be more FALSE!

Shame on those who PROFESS to be God's people, and are willing to circulate rumors AGAINST one God has used so mightily -- INSTEAD OF PRAYING FOR HIM! I call on you, by authority of Jesus Christ, to SPIKE any such rumors that may come to your attention.

Do you believe this is the very WORK OF GOD? Do you KNOW it? Do you KNOW that the living Jesus Christ is the HEAD of this Work, and that He has called and chosen me as His human leader here on earth? Do you have FAITH that Jesus Christ is DIRECTING HIS WORK, and directing me, and that you can RELY on this LEADERSHIP? In the name of Jesus Christ, STOP suspicions, questions, surmisings, evil rumors! Instead PRAY for my son Garner Ted, and for the WORK OF GOD!

How much time are YOU spending daily ON YOUR KNEES? I call for MORE PRAYER -- and more EARNEST, CONTRITE, PREVAILING and BELIEVING prayer -- for my son, for me, and for more TOGETHERNESS in God's Work!

 

Given the April 1972 letter, this letter is even more ludicrous. The rumors "could not be more FALSE!" eh? As will be seen by the details which came to light later, HWA could have eliminated any "false rumors" by dealing up front and honestly with the real situation which had developed.

Yet, again in October he felt it necessary to totally misrepresent the situation as merely a case of "overwork" for GTA:

10/27/71

… My son, Garner Ted, recovering from a near breakdown from overwork and too heavy pressures, seems to be making good progress. In spite of the heavy traveling I have had to do these past fifteen months, with up to an 8-hour time-lag on a single plane flight, my own health is holding up well. A year ago I was becoming concerned with overweight, but I have gotten rid of a good share of excess avoirdupois, and feel that I am in the best physical shape in recent years.

 

On October 17, Herbert Armstrong had asked:

 

Do you KNOW that the living Jesus Christ is the HEAD of this Work, and that He has called and chosen me as His human leader here on earth? Do you have FAITH that Jesus Christ is DIRECTING HIS WORK, and directing me, and that you can RELY on this LEADERSHIP?

 

The full story of this incident of deception and distortion, and many, many more like it, finally came to light in later years. At that point, it became painfully obvious to many who were willing to face the unvarnished, Plain Truth that the answer to those two questions would have to be a resounding "No!" Unfortunately, it was to be a number of years before many of those who put their trust in Herbert Armstrong's self-proclaimed "calling from God" as "His human leader here on earth" learned that they had misplaced that trust.

 

 

Out of the Shadows

By 1974, many in the ministry of the WCG knew some of the more sordid details of exactly what had transpired in 1971 and early 1972. But it was not until 1977 that the information became more widely known by some of the membership of the church.

The 1977 issue of the Ambassador Report, a magazine created by former AC students and others in order to bring to light many serious problems they perceived in the organization, carried two stories chronicling what had gone on behind the scenes in 1971-72. Yet even then, the vast majority of the membership of the WCG did not have access to this magazine. It was condemned by the leadership of the WCG at the time as part of a "Satanic attack" on the very "Work of God." Members were sternly warned to not even open the envelope if a copy of the magazine came to their home, and to report to the ministry anyone who attempted to circulate copies of the magazine personally within a local congregation.

Most loyal members believed the allegations that the magazine contained only lies and distortions concocted by "dissident former members" of the WCG. And thus, although the magazine did have some impact among a few thousand readers at the time in 1977, it has only been in the past few years that the information it contained has become widely disseminated. The Internet has made it possible for large numbers of former WCG members to have access to these old records documenting the shadowy history of the WCG.

And thus many have been shocked to discover that they had been lied to by the leadership of the WCG … from HWA on down. The Ambassador Report did not contain baseless rumors and lying accusations by a few "disgruntled" former members of the WCG. It contained extensive documentation of very real problems. And it contained first-hand accounts by people in a position to know about many troubling incidents within the church's hierarchy.

One of these first hand accounts was that of Al Carrozzo:

Al Carrozzo became a baptized member of the Worldwide Church of God in 1956 and was soon ordained as a deacon. In 1961 he sold his profitable plumbing contracting business and came to Ambassador College in Pasadena. He was ordained to the ministry and was eventually elevated to the rank of pastor. Later he was appointed regional director over the western half of the WCG's U.S. ministry and churches. At the same time he was director of the counseling and guidance office in Pasadena, district superintendent of the headquarters district, and director of the housing office. He also served as an instructor at Ambassador College, teaching the epistles of Paul. On Nov. 13, 1973, after giving over $60,000 to the WCG, he severed his relationship with Ambassador College and the WCG, declaring: "I cannot compromise with the Word of God!"

 

The mini-biography above is the introduction to the 1977 Ambassador Report article titled "The Profligate Son" by Carrozzo. The full text of this article can be seen at

http://thepainfultruth.org/ar/Profligate.html 

As can be seen by the bio above, Carrozzo could not be accused of just being some "nobody" fringe member of the WCG with some personal agenda to attack the organization with baseless accusations. The WCG had provided his livelihood for many years, and he had devoted his time, energies and many of his resources to the organization.

Many others over the years have substantiated the claims which Carrozzo makes in this article. Below are a few excerpts from the article which call attention to the extent of the lies and distortions perpetrated on the membership of the WCG in 1971-1972 in the matter of Garner Ted Armstrong's temporary "exile." Please note that, as always in this Memoir, ellipses ( … ) are entered wherever breaks in the flow of the original article occur.

… In spite of repeated public denials, Ted has privately admitted that he has been guilty of flagrant, continuous adultery and fornication for almost a quarter of a century-as a church member, an executive, and an evangelist!

I first learned of Ted's licentious activities in 1965 ...

Ted's Problem Surfaces Again. In 1967, when the upset husband of one of Ted's victims informed me that his wife had had sexual relations with the handsome radio evangelist, I listened incredulously. I thought it had to be sour grapes or perhaps professional jealousy that motivated this allegation. But when the husband heatedly insisted that his complaint was true, I began looking further into the matter and finally went to Ted and talked to him personally. Ted openly and readily admitted to me that he had conducted an affair with this girl, but he exclaimed that the girl had repeatedly pursued him by showing off her shapely legs, flaunting her exciting body suggestively, and giving him the overt "come on" until in desperation and weakness he gave in. Ted expressed that he hoped his father (Herbert Armstrong) didn't have to be advised of this because this knowledge would "break his heart." (Little did I know then that his father had been aware of his son's adulterous affairs since the early 1950s, but his father had chosen to ignore that side of Ted's character. In fact, Herbert often refers to Ted before church audiences and remarks, "This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.")

Ted then elaborated to me in his defense that he felt he was specially "called" to preach his father's gospel. He declared that he must preach against adultery in others, even though he, himself, was personally guilty. "Put me behind bars, slip my food to me, keep me in solitary confinement," he said dramatically, "but put a microphone in front of me because I must preach this message to the whole world!" Once again I wrongly concluded that Ted had slipped under "emotional pressure." Sadly I walked away and tried to forget it.

Later it dawned on me that Ted is a sterling actor, a powerful persuader-one who can make you feel guilty for even approaching a delicate subject. One Worldwide Church evangelist summed it up succinctly: "Ted can charm the rattle off a snake." Unfortunately, he charms people too. Glib as an orator and possessing awesome mental dexterity, Ted can change black into white, turn silk into wool, and refine sin into baseless allegations and rumor. …

The Plot Thickens. Ted's problem surfaced again in mid-1971 when Al Portune Sr., then vice-president of financial affairs for the church and college, regretfully informed me of a serious problem in the "Work." He exclaimed that this problem "could destroy the Work!" This was the beginning of the unfolding of an almost unbelievable series of events. It is indeed a telling commentary that the Armstrongs were able to keep this problem hidden so long from the eyes of the public.

By July 1971 Herbert Armstrong could no longer contain Ted's promiscuity nor hide it from certain top administrators. It was then that Herbert decided to send Ted on a leave of absence. When Ted returned in about two months, Herbert was evidently not satisfied with Ted's repentance, so he once again exiled his son. Members of the church, however, were led to believe that Ted had been removed for health reasons. …

Shortly after the letter [the 9/26/71 co-worker letter quoted above] had been mailed out, Ted convinced his father to allow him to speak at the Worldwide Church of God's (WCG) Feast of Tabernacles after all. Ted then proceeded to preach to the church members gathered at Big Sandy, Mt. Pocono, and Jekyll Island and then flew over to Squaw Valley where I was preaching.

What the World Needs Now Is Love, Sweet Love. I sat enraptured with thousands of other church members in the Squaw Valley arena as Ted preached a very persuasive sermon entitled "What the World Needs Now Is Love, Sweet Love." He was indeed preaching his "commissioned" gospel. Little did all of us realize that this powerful orator would spend the entirety of that very night with an Ambassador College stewardess in a Tahoe cabin loaned by a WCG member.

Garner Ted was "found out" and his father was notified. Herbert and a few fellow ministers immediately flew to Penticton-Ted's next stop-and there intercepted Ted, forbidding him to continue his festival preaching circuit. On October 9, 1971, Herbert relieved Ted of his executive duties and responsibilities at Ambassador College and in the Worldwide Church of God. In the hopes of covering up Ted's problem, Herbert again informed the gullible church membership in an October 14, 1971, letter that the young Armstrong was overworked and needed relaxation: …

In another two months or so, Ted was again brought back. But once again, Ted's adulterous affairs were discovered, and again Herbert Armstrong was forced to take action.

The Confrontation. On January 30, 1972, he and a few select men went over to Ted's home. Around 10:30 p.m., Garner Ted came home from a Los Angeles Laker basketball game and was stunned to find his father, most of the headquarters leadership, and Stan Rader waiting in his living room. Upon learning the purpose of their visit, he flew into a reactionary rage during which he openly admitted he had had illicit sexual relations with some 200 women-and that was his "conservative estimate"-during his two decades of association with his father's church. Among his consorts were literally dozens of youthful, wide-eyed coeds, plus several who became executive or ministerial wives. On this occasion Ted was given an official letter of disfellowship.

Upon disclosure of the shocking magnitude of Ted's adulterous activities, top personnel at Ambassador College rushed home to interrogate their spouses. Many a disillusionment yet lingers with them to this day.

This drastic action by Herbert Armstrong came after Ted had been forgiven on several occasions. But it seemed that every time Ted repented, he repeated his immoral activities until they were again uncovered. Actually this repent-repeat-reprimand cycle had been going on for years.

During the January 30, 1972, confrontation with his father and the leading ministers, Ted also confessed to having an intimate sexual relationship with an Ambassador College stewardess. His relationship with her allegedly began in the summer of 1970. …

I was stunned to learn the gross extensiveness of Ted's sexual looseness, but, as a result of the events on January 30, 1972, when Herbert Armstrong disfellowshipped his son, I honestly felt Herbert was "dealing with the problem." Rather than being discouraged, I was somehow reassured that Herbert hadn't spared even his own son, but had dealt strongly with adultery within the ministry of Jesus Christ.

Ted in Exile. During Ted's exile at the Colorado A-frame, Dave Antion, a WCG evangelist, was commissioned by Herbert Armstrong to write a paper about the qualifications for Christ's ministry. Antion's thoroughly researched paper left no doubt that, in accordance with numerous biblical injunctions, Garner Ted Armstrong had irrefutably and permanently disqualified himself from ever again assuming the position of minister of Jesus Christ.

At the time, the leading ministers and I all thought Herbert really wanted to know about Ted's qualifications, but later we found out he was trying to learn all the main arguments against his son's return so he could persuasively refute them. Herbert forwarded Antion's paper to Ted, who promptly dismissed it, claiming the biblical arguments didn't apply to him because he had been "called to preach the gospel from his mother's womb." This defense, then, turned out to be Herbert's argument in favor of Ted's return to full status and authority, in spite of Herbert's earlier pronouncement that Ted, even if returned, would not occupy ministerial office.

Garner Ted Reinstated. In late May 1972, Herbert met with his son privately for 7 hours, and on June 7, Herbert Armstrong, Al Portune Sr., Dave Antion, Ron Dart, and Stan Rader flew to Ted's Colorado retreat to see if Ted seemed to be repentant enough to be allowed to resume his duties. Ted put on a convincing emotional display of typical Ted Armstrong repentance. Besides, most of those present were convinced that Garner Ted had to return. Too much time had already elapsed, causing the organization's income to plummet by the millions. Ted's hands had been dutifully slapped, and ministerial outrage had begun to show signs of assuaging.

So on June 8, Herbert's "womb-sanctified" son was reinstated in the WCG, restored to an elevated position (in spite of an earlier promise from Herbert Armstrong that this would never happen). Once again, Ted was allowed the make radio and television broadcasts purporting to be a minister of Jesus Christ. Just 42 days later, on July 20, 1972, Ted was totally reinstated to his full evangelist rank in the ministry, he was placed back on both college and church boards, and he was named executive vice-president of the Worldwide Church of God. This was done in spite of ministerial disapproval among a few high-ranking holdouts and without any public announcement at all. 

 

The study by David Antion regarding the "qualifications of the ministry" requested by Herbert Armstrong was excerpted in another article in the 1977 issue of the Ambassador Report. Author Margaret Zola provided a more complete profile of the whole career of Garner Ted Armstrong in "Son of the Legend."

Below are a few excerpts from this article, summarizing David Antion's findings and chronicling the response of HWA.

Qualifications. Shortly after this, Herbert Armstrong commissioned David L. Antion (WCG evangelist and GTA's brother-in-law) to research and write a paper regarding the biblical qualifications of a minister. In a nine-page memo dated April 24, 1972, Antion argued the question of whether or not a man can "sin as to disqualify himself from the ministry even though he might repent and be reinstated in the Church as a member" (Antion Qualifications Memorandum, p. 1). Antion then listed the character requirements of a minister of the Church of God.

"Timothy 3:1-7....'A bishop must be blameless.' The word 'blameless' means 'irreproachable' or 'above reproach. The Amplified Version says, 'Must give no grounds for accusation but must be above reproach.' The Phillips translation says, 'Must be of blameless reputation.'

"Here is what the Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words has to say about this word. It literally means 'that he cannot be laid hold of, hence, not open to censure, irreproachable.'

"There is an entirely different Greek word used in Titus 1:67. It is also translated 'blameless' but it has a slightly different meaning. It 'signifies that which cannot be called to account, i.e., with nothing laid to one's charge (as a result of public investigation). It implies not merely acquittal, but the absence of even a charge or accusation against a person. This is to be the case with elders.' (Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, p. 131.)

"Hence a minister must give no cause-nor can a reason for accusation be found in his conduct.

"The reason for this qualification is important. A minister represents the Church. If his conduct can be attacked-if his life and character are liable to investigation and accusation through misconduct-the whole Church of God can be accused!"

On page three he also stated:

"Though a minister does not get his authority from the people-he still must have a good report of the people. And it should be as much a good report from the outside as it is within the church when it comes to his sincerity, integrity, and moral life....

"It is made clear that there is an active devil. He is waiting for the Church to appoint a man to the office of the ministry whose reputation is questionable.... The only defense here is that a man be chosen who is ABOVE REPROACH-one with a good report from without-honest, moral, faithful, etc .

"These qualifications are not some lofty set of standards.... they are the minimal character requirements for God's ministers.... it is insistent and imperative that God's ministers have these as the minimum requirements." [The report then cited and expounded over 20 scriptural references.]

Antion concluded his paper, touching briefly on the case of King David, and showed that the issue was qualifications, not whether or not a man repented and was forgiven.

"David did commit adultery. Though God winked at his taking a number of wives which he married and to whom he performed all the functions of a husband-support, children, conjugal dues-his greatest sin was the taking of the wife of Uriah and the murder of not only Uriah but of several men along with him. In the light of this colossal sin many of us ask, 'How can David be a man of God-a man after God's own heart?'

"But here is what we know from the scriptures. First, David did repent bitterly of this sin - i.e., he never did it again! Second, he repented permanently the first time it was brought to his attention by a true servant of God. He did not argue or excuse himself in anyway or justify his sin by new doctrine or any other excuse....

"God's servants are His human leaders of the people. Their example of leadership, their character, their lives should be of the highest qualifications. If the leaders fall below what is expected even of their followers then disrespect ensues-loss of confidence occurs-people look for other more sterling leadership.

"To date in the Church of God-no minister has ever been restored to office who has disqualified himself and was once removed from it. This list includes [ministers' names deleted]....

"The same basic principle has applied generally to deacons....

"Again, the question is not one of repentance and forgiveness. It is a question of qualification and what the word of God says about returning to the highest office of all-the ministry of Jesus Christ" (Ibid.. pp. 8 and 9).

Crisis Management. Of course, Herbert decided to ignore the evidence presented by David Antion because that was not what he wanted to hear. He needed a way to solve the crisis in "the Work." 1972 had not started off well, and it was progressively getting worse. When the church didn't "flee" to a place of safety many members lost their apocalyptic zeal. Then Ted was banished soon after, leaving many in a state of confusion and low morale. Also, because Ted was "out of the church," he was no longer making broadcasts. All this added up to a significant drop in income. Herbert needed Ted back in order to get "the Work" back on its financial feet.

In late May 1972 (only one month after David Antion had submitted his paper on qualifications), Herbert met with Ted. Several days later (June 7, 1972) Albert Portune, Sr., David Antion, Ron Dart and Stan Rader accompanied Herbert back to the A-frame in Colorado and discussed the situation with Ted. The men returned to Pasadena, and the board voted to reinstate Ted in the church and allowed him to make broadcasts once again. Soon after this meeting, he was awarded full reinstatement to the ministry, and he returned to his former executive duties.

After all the problems, how did they manage to ignore the issue of Ted's qualifications? Easy-Herbert asserted that his son was above the pronouncements of scripture. Albert Portune explained the situation at a meeting in Kansas City several years later.

"But let me tell you what the answer is to that and what Mr. Herbert Armstrong has legislated.... Ted is above the scripture. These are his [HWA's] words. I sat there and lived through them. Ted was divinely called. He [HWA] proves that by the fact that Ted could not speak for two years and was given a voice... that Ted has these gifts and all of these other factors... therefore Ted is above the scripture. We can't judge Ted like we judge any other minister. We can't judge Ted by Timothy and Titus. You have to judge Ted only by divine calling. Then he has vague references to vague scriptures back to Hosea..." (Kansas City meeting, Sept. 22, 1974, tape 3, side I, ref. #066).

 

In essence, HWA had declared his son "above the Law" … the Law of God. In later years, many people have tried to exonerate Herbert W Armstrong from any guilt in the matter of his son's illicit activities over the years. All condemnation, in their eyes, is held for GTA because he was the one who had given in to desires for sexual conquests.

But the record of the whole sordid mess makes it very clear that Herbert Armstrong was fully aware of the moral and biblical issues involved, and absolutely refused over and over to exercise Godly leadership and deal with the situation. The ends … continued income to support his own grandiose schemes … justified the means … continued tolerance of behavior which, in any other minister, would have meant immediate termination of his ministerial credentials and permanent termination of his employment by the organization.

 

No, the reality is that both of the Armstrongs long ago were clearly disqualified from the ministry of Jesus Christ--through the series of events described here and many like them. Yet Herbert Armstrong continued to refer to himself as "God's Apostle", and to retain total dictatorial power as the "human leader" of what he declared to be the One And Only True Church of God on Earth right up to the time of his death in 1986.

And to this day, there are church organizations that have spun off the Worldwide Church of God which look to HWA as a true spiritual giant, a "Holy Man of God," the actual embodiment of the prophecies of "Elijah the Prophet" who was to come before the Return of Christ. The leaders of these organizations use the memory of the myth of HWA to validate their own activities and ministerial credentials. (For details on this phenomenon, see the section of this Field Guide on "Herbert W Armstrong, the Myth and the Man.")

 

And Garner Ted Armstrong went on ultimately to found another church organization in 1978, the Church of God, International, in which he exercised almost total dictatorial power … until more sexual escapades in the 1990s finally disgusted even his most loyal associates and supporters. Yet even after they attempted to encourage him to get help for his obvious sexual addictions, and tried to work with him toward a real spiritual restoration, he totally resisted any and all such efforts. And abandoning the organization he founded, he went on one more time to gather naïve supporters in one more attempt at building "a Work." He became the head of the "Intercontinental Church of God" and was once again, in the eyes of his loyal supporters, "above the Law" right up to his death in 2003.  

 

More memories about and evaluation of the Time of Great Tribulation in the WCG, and the path that led from 1972 to the present are in Part 3 of this Memoir.

 

 

 Unless otherwise noted, all original material on this Field Guide website
is © 2001-2011 by Pamela Starr Dewey.

Careful effort has been made to give credit as clearly as possible to any specific material quoted or ideas extensively adapted from any one resource. Corrections and clarifications regarding citations for any source material are welcome, and will be promptly added to any sections which are found to be inadequately documented as to source.

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Personal from the Webauthor:

Memoir of the Tribulation

 

A personal perspective of the  1972-1982
"Tribulation Time" of the Worldwide Church of God