THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE
Herbert Armstrong's Empire Exposed
by
John Tuit
(Published 1981)
Renewed Enthusiasm and a New Crisis
JACK MARTIN, CIRCULATION MANAGER OF THE PLAIN TRUTH, had
been appointed publishing director of Quest and had moved into
the Quest offices in New York City. He was a minister in the
Church, and the members were told that he would actually oversee
the affairs at Quest to make sure that the magazine content would
not conflict with Church teachings. Jack Martin is an Englishman
who had a background in business, having been at one time
president of a company which manufactured eyeglass frames in
England. Soon after his baptism, he left his job and attended
Ambassador College in Britain. His business talents were soon
recognized, and it wasn't long after graduation that he began to
rise into higher levels of responsibility in the Church.
As 1977 was drawing to a close, the Ambassador Report faded
further back into a distant memory, and I became more enthused
about getting even further involved in Church activities. Gordon
Muir, who was still in Pasadena, called and asked me to help with
a new program on distribution of returns of Quest magazine. His
plan was to have me obtain all of the newsstand returns of back
issues from the local distributor. Normally these returns would
have their covers removed by the distributor. Then he would send
them to the publisher for credit. The actual magazines would be
shredded in a huge machine for sale as scrap. Gordon's plan was
to have me and other Plain Truth representatives around the
country take these returns and stamp them with a rubber stamp
indicating that they were free sample copies. They were then to
be placed in stores, doctor's offices, and other public places,
in the hope that people would pick them up and perhaps subscribe,
using one of the subscription cards that had been inserted in the
magazine.
Only a few months earlier I had nearly gone into a rage over
the contents of Quest, and now I had become so convinced that it
was going to become a magazine acceptable to Church members that
I was willing to actively engage in the promotion of the
magazine. This additional activity turned out to involve an
additional one thousand magazines every two months over and above
the normal Plain Truth distribution of twelve thousand every
month.
Gordon Muir suggested that I introduce myself to Jack Martin
on one of my trips to New York City, as he felt that it would be
good for Jack to be acquainted with those who were volunteering
their efforts for the Church. Near the end of the year I met with
Jack at his office. A short man of about forty years of age, he
had red hair which seemed to fit perfectly with his dynamic
enthusiasm to make Quest into a magazine that could be helpful to
the Church. He said, "We have talented people here at Quest. Some
of the best in the business. All we have to do is give them some
direction and general guidelines, so the magazine, while
remaining secular, will be in accordance with Church teaching. We
have several ideas for other magazines, plus a book publishing
division that we hope to start up soon. If done properly, this
whole publishing operation will gain the Church a recognition
that it has never had before. The people will be much more
receptive to our main message as we try to bring the Gospel to
the world."
He went on further to say regarding the Church and its
worldwide impact, "Right now the name Worldwide Church of God is
almost a joke. Sure we have scattered Churches here and there
around the world, but we're almost unknown outside of the United
States. We're not really worldwide yet, but we could be." As we
talked further we found that we shared a mutual frustration
because of the constant setbacks the Church had been
experiencing. We felt that with the world events moving as fast
as they were that the world would find itself facing a total
disaster within the next ten to twenty years.
(Once more how that has been proved WRONG!! Dead wrong!! Dead wrong
for many indeed as they now lie dead!! Keith Hunt)
I said, "Jack we're supposed to be God's Church, and we have
this job to do. We're supposed to call the nations to repentance.
We're supposed to sound the warning of the great troubles that
lie ahead. We're supposed to tell the world the truth about
Christ, that He is our Savior and that He will be soon returning
to earth, to save the world at the last moment and establish the
Kingdom of God. Yet, we don't seem to be making much impact,
what's wrong?" I just couldn't understand how with the
approximately 65 million dollar annual income, the Church could
not make a greater impact with its message. I told Jack that I
felt that others such as Billy Graham, Oral Roberts, Jerry
Fallwell, Jimmy Swaggert and even other lesser known evangelists
were making a greater impact with their message than we were, and
they were doing it on a much smaller budget. While it is true
that these evangelists preach about Christ, they all preach a
version of a hellfire and brimstone type of message which is
totally in error and not scriptural. It's a heaven-or-hell type
of message and they ignore the truth that Christ is coming to
earth to establish his Kingdom here. I told Jack I was totally
frustrated with this situation, and while I was very excited
about distributing the Plain Truth magazines, 12,000 magazines
per month in the entire New Jersey metropolitan area, it had
about as much effect as spitting in the ocean. I said in
exasperation "Madeline Murray O'Hare, who is not even on the
radio, is probably better known than Garner Ted Armstrong. I
think more people know about her atheistic movement than know
about this Church's teachings, and she does it all with very
little money but manages to get a lot of free publicity on TV
talk shows and in the press. Why can't we do the same?"
Jack agreed that there were a lot of problems to overcome.
He said there was a lot of turmoil and power plays were
constantly going on at headquarters, and this certainly had to
have a negative influence on the work of the Church. He said that
he felt encouraged, however, and tried to encourage me, as he
felt that the coming ministers conference early in January 1978
would set a new forceful direction for the Church. He said that
the Church had many good people with many good ideas, but that
initiative tended to be stifled due to the hierarchical structure
of the Church. He said further that this was one of the points of
constant dissension between Herbert Armstrong and Garner Ted,
with the father wanting to retain a tight iron-fisted control of
the Church and Garner Ted wanting to have a less rigidly
controlled organization.
I felt encouraged by the fact that a man like Jack had been
placed in charge of Quest and eagerly looked forward to the
Church making a great impact in the near future. It certainly was
to make a great impact in the future, but not in the way we had
been hoping for.
Paula and I eagerly awaited the outcome of the ministerial
conference. We were hoping to hear that the Church would really
get its act together and strike out with renewed vitality in a
way that the entire membership could feel that the message of
Jesus Christ was being preached to the world with full power. We
had always been told by the Armstrongs that we were specially
called by God to be a part of His great Work now. We were what is
depicted in the Bible as the first fruits. The early harvest, so
to speak. The very first ones called to bring the final end-time
message to the world. Yet paradoxically, we were told by our
ministers that we could not conduct any local evangelistic
campaigns without approval from headquarters. And of course that
approval required an evangelist to be sent from headquarters to
do the speaking. When you got right down to it, it was quite
obvious that the Armstrong interpretation of willing workers for
Christ meant that our sole duty was to send in as much money as
we could sacrifice to support them in what they called the Work.
Yet, believing that this was the work of God and not knowing of
any other church with the truth that we had, what could we do but
stick it out?
After the ministerial conference in early January 1978 there
was renewed enthusiasm among the members. Announcements came
through the local ministers and by way of Church publications
that the Church was going to get into fighting trim and get the
message out to the world as never before. Garner Ted Armstrong
was to begin doing live radio broadcasts on the West Coast, with
tapes of those broadcasts being played in other stations around
the country only a few days later. In this way, it was explained,
the prophetic message could be tied into current news events in
order to heighten their topical interest. It was expected that
ultimately the programs would be broadcast live throughout the
country. Both the broadcasts on radio and TV, in addition to the
content in The Plain Truth, were to have heavier emphasis on
Scripture. For some time the soft-sell approach had been used to
some degree in order to attract an audience without sounding too
religious. Now finally, we were told, the Gospel was to be
preached boldly and with full power.
As part of this new program Garner Ted Armstong had made
arrangements with Ed Libov Associates, Inc. of Los Angeles to
become the new advertising agency buying all of the radio and TV
time for the Church. We were told that this was one of the
largest time-buying agencies in the country and that as a result
they would be able to get us the best time slots at the most
attractive rates. This meant, of course, that Worldwide
Advertising would no longer be the time-buying agency for the
Church. What few people realized at this time was the fact that
Garner Ted had been successful in his first step to dismantle
Stanley Rader's financial empire. Worldwide Advertising was a
corporation controlled by Stanley Rader and his accounting
associate Henry Cornwall. Cornwall was not a member of the
Church, but wielded considerable influence. This arrangement was
far from an arm's length transaction and certainly had all the
makings of a potential conflict of interest situation. With
Rader, an employee of the Church, also legal counsel, holding an
interest in Worldwide Advertising with Cornwall, it was at best
highly inappropriate and at worst contained all the potential
elements for self-dealing. While Rader, at this time, was no
longer officially involved with the accounting firm that still
bore his name, his true involvement there remained a matter of
question.
It is a fact, however, that at the time Worldwide
Advertising was established in partnership with Cornwall, Rader
was an active partner officially in the accounting firm with
Cornwall. Rader had found out many years ago where all the ripe
plums were, and finally it appeared that Garner Ted was going to
stop him from picking them. But what was Garner Ted's true
motivation? Did he want to eliminate self-dealing and conflicts
of interest, or did he just feel that outsiders such as Rader
should not be eligible to participate in such activities? Was
high living off the Church wrong in his eyes, or was it just
wrong for some but acceptable to others, such as God's specially
chosen ministers, as the Armstrongs viewed themselves.
At any rate, these questions were not even in my mind at
that time and these new developments sounded very encouraging.
Members were told that they would now be encouraged to get
involved in local Church activity in an attempt to reach the
local public. Members were encouraged to become active in the
Plain Truth distribution program. Even if they could only take a
few copies and drop them in some local store, this was to be
encouraged. They were even to invite interested people to Church.
Ministers were finally going to have their phone numbers
listed in the phone book. Finally it appeared as though the
Church was coming out into the open as it should have been all
along. There was even talk of local evangelistic campaigns where
the local minister would do the speaking and the lay members of
the Church would have an opportunity to assist by counseling with
and talking to those who would attend the meetings. I was even
able to get permission to arrange for a booth at the Monmouth
County Fair that coming August. We were to have a complete
display of our literature, and the booth was to be staffed with
members of the Church.
All this sounded very encouraging and the Church membership
seemed to have a renewed zeal and enthusiasm. However, behind the
scenes, Rader was not about to have his heavy influence over
Herbert Armstrong undermined by Garner Ted. It wasn't long before
confusion was to reign supreme over the entire organization.
After years of attempting to obtain accreditation for
Ambassador College, the entire matter was dropped. Herbert
Armstrong, in letters to the members, attacked the entire
accreditation program as Garner Ted's attempt to secularize the
college. Even though he originally himself desired accreditation
and authorized the accreditation program, he was now saying that
such mixing with the world was satanic and referred to it as "the
leavening of intellectualism."
Herbert Armstrong said that the use of non-member
instructors at the college was resulting in students being taught
to lean to their own understanding, which was Satan's way.
According to Armstrong the only instructors qualified to
teach at the college were those who had been personally trained
by him or by those who had received their instruction from him.
According to him, only through this continuous chain could God's
revealed knowledge be passed down to the students.
Armstrong's idea of a college was not one where students are
taught to reason and use their minds and to think, but rather a
scheme of institutionalized programming.
In the coming weeks no one knew from week to week which
campus of Ambassador College, if any, was to remain in operation.
First it was announced that the campus at Pasadena was to be
closed with the entire college operation being moved to Big
Sandy, Texas. No longer were there to be two separate campuses.
The Pasadena location was then to be used as just a Church
headquarters operation.
Shortly after that announcement, Stanley Rader announced
that the Big Sandy campus was to be closed and all Ambassador
College operations would be conducted at the Pasadena campus.
Then after another short period of time, Herbert Armstrong
instructed Garner Ted by letter to reopen Big Sandy. Now there
were again to be two campuses. A battle was in full swing. Garner
Ted had begun to chip away at Rader's influence and control, and
Rader was retaliating. There was no way after twenty years that
Rader was going to let go of the Worldwide Church of God. After
all, he recognized an opportunity at the beginning of his career
and had patiently and masterfully moved himself into a position
of power. He was not going to lose it.
Milton Scott, owner of Milton Scott Associates, an
advertising agency in Los Angeles, remembers Rader's beginnings
very well. Over twenty years ago, Scott was handling the
time-buying for the Church's radio programs. Rader at that time
was a junior accountant with the firm retained by Scott. It was
actually Scott who introduced Rader to Herbert Armstrong. It
didn't take Rader long to recognize an opportunity and Scott
recalls Rader saying to him, "There's a gold mine out there. If
you want to get rich, go into religion."
In rapid order Rader managed to favorably impress Herbert
Armstrong with his capabilities and came under retainer to the
Church. Scott recalls with anger how quickly Rader moved in. Said
Scott, "I trusted Rader to handle my books and prepare all my tax
returns. Soon after he began working for the Church I found
myself involved in a heavy tax audit, which resulted in my having
to pay several hundred thousand dollars in back taxes and
penalties. Rader called this to Armstrong's attention and told
him that anyone who is in trouble with the IRS cannot be trusted
in any way to represent the Church in time-buying. Actually, the
tax problems were not my fault as I trusted Rader to handle those
things for me. I believe that he set me up. Well, it wasn't long
after that and I found myself out and Rader and Cornwall had
organized Worldwide Advertising to handle all of the Church's
time-buying."
Rader had handled Milton Scott in the past and now he was
going to take care of Garner Ted. The fact that he had supported
Garner Ted on his return from exile in 1972 meant nothing. His
support of Garner Ted at that time was only a practical
consideration, since he realized that someone would have to be
the front man for the organization and it may not be Herbert
Armstrong for much longer. It was easy for him to support Garner
Ted's return at that time knowing of his weakness for women, as
this would be a tool that he could use to manipulate and control
Garner Ted. But now things were different. Rader and Garner Ted
had locked horns, and Rader was determined that this would be the
last time.
On a Thursday, early in May 1978, Rader instructed Dr.
Germano, the dean of Ambassador College, to call an emergency
faculty and student meeting, complete with newspaper coverage.
Garner Ted was never informed of this meeting. Germano then
announced that the entire Ambassador College operation at both
campuses was to be closed. This was the final blockbuster. No
board meeting had been called, no vote taken on this move. Yet
Ambassador College, a separately incorporated non-profit
organization, was being capriciously closed at the whim of one
man. Student acceptances were cancelled and faculty members were
to be terminated.
The following day, unaware of all that was taking place, I
called Mark Armstrong to discuss a new idea that I had to improve
the Plain Truth newsstand program. He said, "John, I can't even
discuss that, I don't even know if we are going to be in business
tomorrow. Everything is going crazy out here. Stan announced that
the college is to be closed and my dad doesn't know anything
about it. There are rumors flying all over the place. The press
seems to know more than we do." Mark was nearly crying and was so
upset he could hardly talk. I was shocked. Here we had been
lifted to the height of enthusiasm only a few months earlier,
only to descend into the despair of confusion with the on again,
off again college announcements. And now this blockbuster.
Mark went on to say, "There are even rumors that Grandpa is going
to take Dad off the air. Now that he's recovered from his heart
attack, he seems to think that he can do a better job than my
Dad. Mom and Dad are trying to find out what's going on and they
just can't get through to Grandpa. I think Stan is blocking off
all contact. I just don't know what's going on. Oh, what's going
to happen, what's going to happen? I just don't know, I just
don't know."
That evening Herbert Armstrong arrived in Pasadena. A large
crowd gathered at the auditorium to hear him speak at what was to
be a Bible Study. Strangely, Armstrong did not even mention the
closing of the college, nor did he mention anything about Garner
Ted being taken off of radio and TV. He just went on and on
incessantly about his world travels, his visits to world leaders,
his planned trip to dedicate a children's park in Jerusalem, but
no mention of the college or his son.
More confusion; who was really calling the shots here?
Herbert Armstrong or Stanley Rader? Amidst all of this confusion
an announcement was made that Garner Ted was being placed on a
leave of absence. No reason was given and one could only
speculate what was behind it all.
In a letter dated May 21, 1978, Herbert Armstrong wrote to
the members, "God's great Work to the whole world - is truly
going ahead now as never before, with A NEW START!" He then went
on reminding us of his greatness: "Soon you will hear NEW
PROGRAMS from me, on both radio and television. Just as Moses,
the man of God, had not abated in his strength of mind and
spirit, in leading the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage
into the Promised Land, after 80 years of age, so the SAME GOD
has sustained my mind, energy and power for the completion of His
work in this world."
Herbert Armstrong always likes to compare himself to Moses.
Of course, he tends to forget that while Moses did lead the
Israelites to the Promised Land, God did not allow Moses to cross
over, and he died in the wilderness. If a righteous man such as
Moses was not permitted to cross over into the Promised Land, one
must wonder how a man like Armstrong could even begin to compare
himself to him.
Armstrong continued to boast of his coming visits overseas,
including a visit to Jerusalem, where he was scheduled to co-host
the opening and dedication of Liberty Bell Park with Mayor Teddy
Kollek. As part of his continuing campaign to bring the message
of Christ to the world, he referred to a trip planned later in
the year to Japan and also again to Israel. "December 1st, the
Israeli government is planned a celebration in my honor." This
was typical of Armstrong's boasts of events being conducted in
his honor. The emphasis of honor to himself is quite contrary to
the message that he claims that he was bringing to these nations.
Finally, on the second page of the letter, Armstrong addressed
himself to the matter regarding his son, Garner Ted. He said
"There was not, and is not, any 'power struggle' for control of
God's Church and His Work. JESUS CHRIST IS IN CHARGE!"
He then reproduced a letter dated May 19th, addressed to his
son. In it Herbert Armstrong replayed his standard line telling
how God had called him to raise up His Church to fulfill the
great commission. He then went on to say, "In due time, you, my
son, came into the Work, but unfortunately you DID NOT AGREE with
the WAY Jesus Christ had been leading me. You came to a good
knowledge of the Bible - of God's TRUTH, doctrinally. God had
given you exceptional talents for broadcasting and telecasting.
At first you followed the same style on the air that Christ had
used in me - totally DIFFERENT from THE WAY the 'expert'
commercial broadcasters used. People could not tell whether it
was you or I speaking - even I couldn't until I listened some 5
minutes. You signed off, 'This is Garner Ted Armstrong speaking
for my father, Mr.Herbert W. Armstrong.' Then you changed in your
delivery. You copied the commercial broadcasters, became more
'expert' in delivery. In due time you no longer were speaking for
your father but for Garner Ted. You did not agree with THE WAY in
which Christ was building the college and the Work through me.
You even said to others that you would not have built the college
THE WAY I did through Christ's guidance. In due time, I turned
'more of the reins' of authority over to you. You began changing
WAYS and personnel over to YOUR WAY."
It was becoming more and more obvious that Herbert
Armstrong's ego problem did not allow for the sharing of the
limelight with a son who had an ego just as large as his. Herbert
Armstrong wanted his son to be a carbon copy of himself in all
areas - except ego. He expected a grown man of forty-eight to
say, in effect, "This is Sonny speaking for my Daddy." Herbert
Armstrong seemed to feel that whatever he did was inspired
directly by Christ, and that anyone else who did not do it his
way was falling into the ways of the world.
In 1973, after Garner Ted had been back from exile for some
months, Herbert Armstrong, in turning over the reins of authority
to his son, referred to Garner Ted as his "anointed heir." Now
here is the great patriach five years later complaining that the
anointed heir to whom he had given authority is making decisions
on his own. Herbert Armstrong, the self-appointed apostle over a
multimillion-dollar church, is trying to run the organization as
though it were a candy store, exhibiting the best in
tree-housemanagement mentality.
Herbert Armstrong continued, "I have had to step in and take
over the reins completely to save the Church of God and His WORK.
You, of course, will not agree with any of this, as you have
never agreed with your human father."
Regarding the radio programs, Armstrong wrote to his son,
"You COULD be used in this."
Clearly, there was no room for two monumental egos in the
Worldwide Church of God. And certainly there was no room for
three monumental egos. On the ecclesiastical side, there was the
ridiculous picture of father and son vying for position and
authority, and on the administrative side, an even more
ridiculous picture of the son vying for authority with the
father's chief aide, who in reality was the boss over the entire
organization.
All this was taking place at a time when the movie Star Wars
was tremendously popular. Perhaps in referring jokingly to
Stanley Rader as Darth, as many had begun to do, after the evil
character Darth Vader, they were speaking more truth than they
realized.
In this same letter of May 21st, Armstrong did his best to
impress everyone with his own greatness. He said, "July 8th, I am
scheduled to co-host an important premiere of a charity motion
picture to raise funds for the handicapped children in Britain.
Queen Elizabeth II has promised to co-host this premiere and
banquet-and in the event she is unable to be present, either
Prince Charles (the next King) or Prince Phillip will be there."
Such a statement served to impress the membership with the
fact that God was opening many more doors before Herbert
Armstrong so that he could take the message of Jesus Christ to
world leaders. This announcement did not make many points with
Queen Elizabeth 11.
In an article in the London Sunday Times of July 2, 1978,
reporter John Clare wrote, "Buckingham Palace have never heard of
the man, 86-year-old Herbert Armstrong, head of the California
based Worldwide Church of God. And the Queen will not even be at
Thursday's premiere in London of the adventure film, The Wild
Geese, staring Roger Moore and Richard Harris." The article went
on to quote Evan Lloyd, producer of the film, who said, "Mr.
Armstrong and Mr.Rader had been invited to attend the premiere as
representatives of the Ambassador International Cultural
Foundation, a charity of which Mr.Armstrong, he's chairman of. We
know nothing about the Worldwide Church of God. It was originally
hoped that the Queen or Prince Phillip would attend the premiere.
But there was never any question of either Mr.Armstrong or Mr.
Rader co-hosting the event. They are just ordinary guests and
will be treated in the normal way."
Millions of dollars of Church money are being spent to fly
Armstrong and Rader around the world, allegedly to bring the
Gospel of Jesus Christ to other nations. Yet the people
conducting the events which he is attending have never heard of
the Worldwide Church of God and only know of the Ambassador
International Cultural Foundation, into which money from the
Church has been funnelled for what it would appear to be purposes
quite contrary to that for which the Church was established.
The reaction from the Queen was even more interesting. Her
Majesty's secretary wrote in a letter dated July 7, 1978 to Mrs.
M. Jones of Ambassador Report, "The Queen has commanded me to
thank you for your letter of 22nd June and the enclosed article
from the Time magazine. The activities of Mr.Armstrong had
already been brought to Her Majesty's notice. There is no truth
whatever in Mr.Armstrong's claims to be associated with the
Queen, Prince Phillip or indeed any other member of the Royal
family in sponsoring a project in this country. The Queen was
most interested to read your letter, and asked me to express her
sympathy to you in the distress caused by the activities of the
Worldwide Church of God."
With Herbert Armstrong spending millions of dollars to bring
embarrassment upon the Church in this way, the problems were much
more serious than just the power struggle taking place in
Pasadena.
During his leave of absence, Garner Ted and his wife,
Shirley, went into seclusion at the summer camp maintained for
the youth of the Church at Orr, Minnesota. The situation
continued to deteriorate as the behind-the-scenes battle for
control of the Church continued.
Herbert Armstrong, in a classic attempt to rally support,
wrote a letter on June 13, 1978 to the membership. In it he
stated, "Satan has been doing his utmost to deceive and mislead
God's Church into SECULARISM - into material and worldly interest
- into going as far as possible into THE EVIL WORLD'S WAYS, while
we may still try to keep one foot in God's Church so that we may
make it into THE KINGDOM OF GOD. This Church has been IN MORTAL
DANGER!"
The same man who was writing this was the one responsible
for the incredible lie about his pending meeting with Queen
Elizabeth II. The same man who was criticizing Satan's deception
and misleading of the Church into secularism, was the one
responsible for going around the world hiding behind the shield
of a secular organization, the AICF. This is the very same man
who said he was embarrassed to present himself as a minister to
world leaders. Now all the troubles that he has brought upon the
Church are being blamed on someone else. Herbert Armstrong, the
apostle, would remain solidly before the people as their idol as
he continued to manipulate their minds.
Then, further on in the letter, still claiming to be a
special representative of Jesus Christ, Armstrong said,
"Therefore in HIS NAME, as His apostle, I am calling for a day of
FASTING AND PRAYER throughout the entire Worldwide Church of God
on Sabbath, June 24th." The calling of a fast by Herbert
Armstrong was always an effective way to cause the Church
membership to feel as though they were responsible for the
problems in the Church. Armstrong, of course, never did anything
wrong. The reasons for the problems were always, according to
him, a result of God withdrawing his blessings from the Church
due to the spiritual laxity on the part of the Church membership.
Translated, spiritual laxity means inadequate financial support.
Actually this entire matter of a fast was part of a conditioning
process to prepare the membership for the next event soon to take
place; it was all to set the stage for an announcement that would
be made to the membership the following Sabbath which would cover
the events of the intervening week.
On June 26th, Herbert Armstrong wrote to his son, "Need I
say it was with heavy heart and in deepest regret that you have
forced me to send you this letter. In spite of your continual
disagreement with the way the Living Jesus Christ has been
building and conducting God's Work through His chosen apostle, I
have at all times done my best to hold up and protect your name.
But you no longer permit me to shield you. You have:
1. Disobeyed my directive by going to Orr, Minnesota,
2. Contacted members you were forbidden to contact,
3. Contacted United States Postal authorities in the unethical
and unscrupulous effort to intercept corporate mail and thus
divert corporate funds illegally into your private, personal
hands, and,
4. Finally, giving the Los Angeles Times (and perhaps other
media) distorted and false accusations against your father, God's
apostle.
You have dishonored your human father and the Living Christ, the
Head of God's Church.
You have caused divisions and offenses in the Church of God and
now you force me, reluctantly, according to Romans 16:17 to MARK
YOU before the Church and to inform you that you are forthwith
disfellowshipped from the Church and terminated from all
authority in and employment by the Worldwide Church of God and
its affiliate operations.
In deepest sorrow and, in Jesus' name, (Signed) Herbert W.
Armstrong."
It is difficult to imagine the mentality of a man who thinks
that he has the unique position as God's apostle. In fact, to
make such a statement is blasphemy as Christ is the only one who
ever was God's apostle. The only other apostles in all of history
were Christ's apostles or, in other words, those sent by Christ
to spread the Gospel. Christ was the only one sent by God and,
therefore, the only one entitled to be called God's apostle. What
must a man think of himself when he feels that he can forbid his
forty-eightyear-old son to be in contact with certain
individuals, and then to accuse his son of attempting to
intercept corporate mail, when in fact Garner Ted had merely
written the Post Office asking that mail addressed to his
personal attention be held for pick-up by someone on his behalf.
Then on June 28th, a letter from Herbert Armstrong was sent
to the membership. He went on to say that he was setting the Work
back on the right track and restoring harmony and peace in the
Church, but that the members should be alert, as Satan was going
to try to deceive the people of God. The letter continued for
seven legal-sized pages, where he wallowed in self-aggrandizment,
reminding everyone as to how he built the Church over the past
many years. He then dragged his son through a recapitulation of
the events covering 1972 through the 1974 Rebellion. Regarding
the rumors that Stanley Rader was actually in charge of the
Church, Armstrong said, "Brethren, I brand that as a Satan LIE!"
And then referring to Quest Magazine, he apparently had forgotten
his statements of only a couple of years earlier where he said
that he needed such a magazine to represent the Church in a
non-religious way. Now Armstrong was saying, "I was never
enthusiastic about this magazine, but I went along with it under
the understanding that I was to write the LEADING ARTICLE in
every issue. I said emphatically at the beginning that the
magazine could not succeed otherwise. But men of SECULAR
EXPERTISE hired to run it deceived Mr.Rader. The magazine now is
showing a slight profit through advertising sales and
subscription price, but I have given a firm order which Mr.Rader
will at once follow: 'SELL IT OR GET RID OF IT.'"
All wrapped up in one paragraph Herbert Armstrong says that
the magazine could not succeed without his writing the lead
article in every issue, and then goes on to state that the
magazine is showing a slight profit. Commercially, the magazine
would be a resounding success if it were showing a profit after
only one year in operation. Strangely enough, as this is being
written, Quest has not yet been sold.
Finally, after nearly seven legal-sized pages of mind
conditioning, Herbert Armstrong came to the main point of the
letter: "Yesterday, I sent to him the official letter,
heartbreaking as it was to me, disfellowshipping him from the
WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD. That means, brethren, that on pain of
being themselves disfellowshipped and PUT OUT of God's Church,
you are all, according to CHRIST'S COMMAND, restrained from
contact with, or conversation with, Garner Ted Armstrong - no
longer a member of this Church!"
One must wonder what type of a man this is, who, as a result
of personal differences and jealousies, would ever treat his son
in this manner. These developments, coming as they did only a few
short months after everything seemed to be going so well in the
Church, must make one wonder about the influence of Stanley Rader
over Herbert Armstrong. What was it that enabled Rader to have
his major threat, the son of the apostle, removed by that very
same man?
Not mentioned by Armstrong was the fact that the Big Sandy
campus was apparently a major point of contention between father
and son. After being given the leave of absence, Garner Ted wrote
to his father on May 24th, regarding the closure and planned sale
of the campus. Referring to the intent to sell the campus he
said, "Dad, I do not believe it is morally or spiritually correct
to turn your back on the great commitment you made to multiple
thousands of the Church people through all those years of the
explosive growth in God's Church and sell these grounds where you
insisted to so many thousands, 'God had PLACED HIS NAME!' This
only further hurts your own credibility in their eyes. I feel
that if Big Sandy goes then the Feast of Tabernacles as we have
known it will also go. This means that your own personal
dimension and position of authority and control over the Church
will be seriously diminished."
Interestingly enough, Garner Ted did not question the
philosophy of his father regarding authority and control over the
Church. While it would later become popular for him to attack
such authority, it would appear that as long as he felt himself
to be a potential heir to such a position it was something not
worthy of attack but rather worth fighting for.
........................
To be continued with "Basis For Action"
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