Below in the video is Michael C. Garrett.
Mr. Garrett was a student at Ambassador college from 1969 – 1973 and was a minister from 1978 until 2013 within the Garner Ted church regimes. He has seen much of the behind the scenes of just how the Armstrongās are.
He has know Mark Armstrong since 1969 had a fall out with him in 2013. Since then he has gone on an all out attack against Mark to expose him and his Intercontinental church. Although he has a church, with different doctrines from the old WCG, he greatly uses his platform to expose the old WCG, and most of all, Mark Armstrong and the ICG.
Currently he is doing a series on exposing Mark and his son Micheal. You can follow him on YouTube at the following page : Owensboro Church of Jesus Christ.
The Worldwide church of God attempted to annihilate peoples personality, individuality, will, and character. The stranded souls that hitched their wagon to this organization unknowingly supported a power-hungry pharisaic and fastuous authoritative cult leader and his son, Garner Ted Armstrong. For all the alarums and excursions, the fact remains that without knowing it, we nurtured these two ungrateful incubi's. For that I can only ask for forgiveness.
After my WCG experience, I went to college to educate myself so I would have a greater understanding of the world about me and to understand why I ever fell for HWA's scam religion. This lead me to the conclusion that the appropriate action to take, in my judgment, is to provide people with opportunities to learn, develop, and exercise their potential as human beings, by freeing them from men who exploit and abuse them. This website and others are my vehicle to do just that.
This provides yet additional excellent insights into more of the ways in which Armstrongism has always created and played to the fanatical extremes deep within its participantsā lives.
Generally, the extremes are expressed through different more commonly recognized patterns, such as those weāve witnessed through Roderick Meredith, Gerald Waterhouse, Herman Hoeh, and their latter day counterparts such as Gerald Flurry, David Pack, and Ron Weinland. False prophecy, authoritarianism, and financial exploitation have always been in the forefront of the Armstrong movement. Church members are induced into checking their minds at the door, to surrender and participate in the group think that has always been Armstrongism.
I had wondered, after reading Markās weekly messages to his members which are provided as a public service by Redfox on the Living Armstrongism Blog, how the members of Garner Tedās old ICG church that Mark inherited would be reacting to Markās off-balance views. Now, we know. Apparently the congregation gives him a round of applause! If they are lucky, some of these hapless individuals will one day embark on a lifetime of unlearning character flaws which have been embedded into them through false religious training. Or not. Some of the damage and hatred that Mark is inflicting may end up being permanent.
This spawned a search. I wanted to see if there were any videos of Mark himself addressing a church audience. When I eventually found a Feast of Tabernacles 2015 video, it reminded me of several years back, when I had watched some Chad McQueen films. Chad did a really accurate impersonation of his father, Steve. But from my standpoint as one of Steveās fans, it felt like a diminishment. There was a certain je ne sais quois quantity or quality that was somehow missing. That sometimes happens when a āthingā transfers between father and son. Of course, there are always exceptions. Hank Williams Jr., in many ways, took what his father had done just a bit further.
One can readily imagine the sense of nostalgia that ICG members may feel while watching Mark. However, if one accepts that these might be the end times, there would be the natural assumption that as we progressed towards the end, āleadersā from the gate-keeper group would of necessity be upping the ante. You would expect a stronger leader with each generation, not a minimal clone.
Mark perceives an apocalypse in the same ways that a white supremacist might see it. It is as if somehow something superior, created by white people, was about to be toppled and destroyed, and the white people (who are seen as the only ones really knowing what was going on), are overrun, mongrelized, and punished. This, of course, as ther talking heads foresee a world of inclusion, a new level of understanding, somewhat akin to what we saw portrayed on Star Trek in its various incarnations. The thing we have to ask ourselves is this: Who appears to be the ignorant sticks in the mud, and who is it that appears to have the skill set to advance to the next level?
Excellent observation Bob. Mark’s concern about the ‘mongrelization’ of America is no doubt part of his racist paranoia that was injected within his family and spread into the families business, the WCG .
Add to the mix, the race hustlers like Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson who got rich off the fear they produced in the black community, has added to Mark’s fears of a race war or even the persecution of white people someday in the future.
While this could happen (look at south Africa) I believe most mature Americans see this as a divide and conquer technique engineered by the politicians of this country, and would have nothing to do with it. It is the young uneducated people in the inner cities who are targeted with this race baiting that would concern me.
The reality is that humans are tribal. We hang with those we are most comfortable with. To overcome this basic behavior one must intellectually look at the issue and overcome their base human thoughts and behaviors. A example of this is sex. When enticed by someone who you desire, one must exercise control or they will resort to primitive behaviors.
Mark Armstrong runs his branch of the family business now. It is his responsibility to run it in such a way that brings people together instead of dividing. Leave division to the scumbag politicians.
Hate can be a great propaganda tool and there will always be a following that will support and enrich those who spread it. How very sad.
Fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse of ICG. Thanks for this post.
I appreciate the speakerās condemnation of racism.
And i appreciate his condemnation of using church resources to promote right wing politics. I can think of a few other COGs that could use this advice. I heard of one minister who admonishes other ministers, āIf you aren’t promoting politics from your pulpit, you are not doing your job!ā
Really?!? Isn’t there enough great stuff in the Bible to talk about in sermons? Or have they gotten bored with the Gospel message?Or is their promoting of politics a cynical ploy to titilate and to attract weak-minded and like-minded bigots.
Some COGs promote the left while some are promote the right. If a person wants to involve himself in politics, go for it. No problem. But when i show up for church, i want the worship environment to be free of politics. Is that asking too much?
āWes White
“Or have they gotten bored with the Gospel message?”
I think so.
All the ACOG’s seem to miss the point of scripture. How long will it take before they convert to a extremest fringe group, or have they already arrived at that point?
Thanks, James, amazing. From Mike’s account, Bubble Boy Mark sounds much, much more obnoxious than his Seinfeld namesake. Mark’s profile is much as I imagined it from reading his vitriolic weekly updates, at the ICG site, or in Redfox’s analyses…
Yes, I do read Redfoxes comments on Mark.
For those who are not familiar with Redfox, you can find his website here: http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com
Itās a shame that Mark is so infected with uber-right biases. Taking a good objective look at how he has mastered his dadās style, and giving credit where credit is due, there is no doubt that he would be gaining more traction if only he had also learned from people like Ian Boyne and Ron Dart. Thatās not to say that I endorse Armstrongism, itās just an observation that Mark, if he played it differently, could be part of bringing Armstrongism to a broader audience. As we all know, the world is much better off with him marginalizing himself, rather than actually becoming the heir that he could be.
In 1972,about a year after I moved to Los Angeles,California my father and his second wife drove across country to visit me and her cousin on her cousin’s son-in-laws estate at either 640 or 648 Loma Vista Drive in Beverly Hills,Ca.The owner was second in command of the World Church of God who moved shortly after to Waverly Place in Pasadena,California.His first name was Stanley.I forgot his last name.Would you know his last name.Both he and Herbert Armstrong are buried in the same cemetery in Pasadena,California.
This provides yet additional excellent insights into more of the ways in which Armstrongism has always created and played to the fanatical extremes deep within its participantsā lives.
Generally, the extremes are expressed through different more commonly recognized patterns, such as those weāve witnessed through Roderick Meredith, Gerald Waterhouse, Herman Hoeh, and their latter day counterparts such as Gerald Flurry, David Pack, and Ron Weinland. False prophecy, authoritarianism, and financial exploitation have always been in the forefront of the Armstrong movement. Church members are induced into checking their minds at the door, to surrender and participate in the group think that has always been Armstrongism.
I had wondered, after reading Markās weekly messages to his members which are provided as a public service by Redfox on the Living Armstrongism Blog, how the members of Garner Tedās old ICG church that Mark inherited would be reacting to Markās off-balance views. Now, we know. Apparently the congregation gives him a round of applause! If they are lucky, some of these hapless individuals will one day embark on a lifetime of unlearning character flaws which have been embedded into them through false religious training. Or not. Some of the damage and hatred that Mark is inflicting may end up being permanent.
BB
This spawned a search. I wanted to see if there were any videos of Mark himself addressing a church audience. When I eventually found a Feast of Tabernacles 2015 video, it reminded me of several years back, when I had watched some Chad McQueen films. Chad did a really accurate impersonation of his father, Steve. But from my standpoint as one of Steveās fans, it felt like a diminishment. There was a certain je ne sais quois quantity or quality that was somehow missing. That sometimes happens when a āthingā transfers between father and son. Of course, there are always exceptions. Hank Williams Jr., in many ways, took what his father had done just a bit further.
One can readily imagine the sense of nostalgia that ICG members may feel while watching Mark. However, if one accepts that these might be the end times, there would be the natural assumption that as we progressed towards the end, āleadersā from the gate-keeper group would of necessity be upping the ante. You would expect a stronger leader with each generation, not a minimal clone.
Mark perceives an apocalypse in the same ways that a white supremacist might see it. It is as if somehow something superior, created by white people, was about to be toppled and destroyed, and the white people (who are seen as the only ones really knowing what was going on), are overrun, mongrelized, and punished. This, of course, as ther talking heads foresee a world of inclusion, a new level of understanding, somewhat akin to what we saw portrayed on Star Trek in its various incarnations. The thing we have to ask ourselves is this: Who appears to be the ignorant sticks in the mud, and who is it that appears to have the skill set to advance to the next level?
BB
Excellent observation Bob. Mark’s concern about the ‘mongrelization’ of America is no doubt part of his racist paranoia that was injected within his family and spread into the families business, the WCG .
Add to the mix, the race hustlers like Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson who got rich off the fear they produced in the black community, has added to Mark’s fears of a race war or even the persecution of white people someday in the future.
While this could happen (look at south Africa) I believe most mature Americans see this as a divide and conquer technique engineered by the politicians of this country, and would have nothing to do with it. It is the young uneducated people in the inner cities who are targeted with this race baiting that would concern me.
The reality is that humans are tribal. We hang with those we are most comfortable with. To overcome this basic behavior one must intellectually look at the issue and overcome their base human thoughts and behaviors. A example of this is sex. When enticed by someone who you desire, one must exercise control or they will resort to primitive behaviors.
Mark Armstrong runs his branch of the family business now. It is his responsibility to run it in such a way that brings people together instead of dividing. Leave division to the scumbag politicians.
Hate can be a great propaganda tool and there will always be a following that will support and enrich those who spread it. How very sad.
Fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse of ICG. Thanks for this post.
I appreciate the speakerās condemnation of racism.
And i appreciate his condemnation of using church resources to promote right wing politics. I can think of a few other COGs that could use this advice. I heard of one minister who admonishes other ministers, āIf you aren’t promoting politics from your pulpit, you are not doing your job!ā
Really?!? Isn’t there enough great stuff in the Bible to talk about in sermons? Or have they gotten bored with the Gospel message?Or is their promoting of politics a cynical ploy to titilate and to attract weak-minded and like-minded bigots.
Some COGs promote the left while some are promote the right. If a person wants to involve himself in politics, go for it. No problem. But when i show up for church, i want the worship environment to be free of politics. Is that asking too much?
āWes White
“Or have they gotten bored with the Gospel message?”
I think so.
All the ACOG’s seem to miss the point of scripture. How long will it take before they convert to a extremest fringe group, or have they already arrived at that point?
What is Mark’s church called?
Intercontinental Church of God
Thanks, James, amazing. From Mike’s account, Bubble Boy Mark sounds much, much more obnoxious than his Seinfeld namesake. Mark’s profile is much as I imagined it from reading his vitriolic weekly updates, at the ICG site, or in Redfox’s analyses…
Hoss,
Yes, I do read Redfoxes comments on Mark.
For those who are not familiar with Redfox, you can find his website here: http://livingarmstrongism.blogspot.com
Itās a shame that Mark is so infected with uber-right biases. Taking a good objective look at how he has mastered his dadās style, and giving credit where credit is due, there is no doubt that he would be gaining more traction if only he had also learned from people like Ian Boyne and Ron Dart. Thatās not to say that I endorse Armstrongism, itās just an observation that Mark, if he played it differently, could be part of bringing Armstrongism to a broader audience. As we all know, the world is much better off with him marginalizing himself, rather than actually becoming the heir that he could be.
BB
In 1972,about a year after I moved to Los Angeles,California my father and his second wife drove across country to visit me and her cousin on her cousin’s son-in-laws estate at either 640 or 648 Loma Vista Drive in Beverly Hills,Ca.The owner was second in command of the World Church of God who moved shortly after to Waverly Place in Pasadena,California.His first name was Stanley.I forgot his last name.Would you know his last name.Both he and Herbert Armstrong are buried in the same cemetery in Pasadena,California.
That would be Stanley Robert Rader who as you correctly noted, is buried at the same cemetery as Herbie.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8387915/stanley-robert-rader