Mental Illness begins in the Church

The following is not only a reflection of the membership of the Worldwide church of God, it is a commentary on some of the lowest behavior a human being can exhibit.

 

The leadership of the various Churches of God have a guilty secret they do not want you to know. In fact, they may not know it themselves–though you should not bank on their ignorance and naivete . There is a disproportionate number of people in the churches who have certifiable mental illnesses right out of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) and Shadow Syndromes. While spouting scripture about “the Spirit of God is not a spirit of fear, but of love and the power of a sound mind,” the ministers themselves suffer as much or more than the people they are supposed to comfort.

There is an uneven dispensation of “truth” when a minister stands up in front of a congregation and admits: “My mother is a drunk, and my father is an alcoholic.” This is not only a clear violation of the dictum of the Fifth Commandment, “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the earth,” it is also unethical, immoral, hurtful, self-serving, and down right destructive. And apparently a formula for a short life. For someone.

The destructiveness comes in engaging an entire congregation for years and years to participate in the guilty family secret to the point that everyone is entirely comfortable in feeling sorry for the man. He is validated. He is loved. He is comforted. He is satisfied that his descriptions of abuse during his childhood and teenage years will “help” others to come forward and condemn their parents. They can admit their sins. They can then explain why they have no choice why they behave the way they do. They are adult children of alcoholics, and may be alcoholics themselves. Their childhoods explain their dysfunctional behavior. They can be vindicated and forgiven because they were abused. They can form support groups and be supported by recounting their miserable fortunes.

Not only that, but they are paving the way for severe mental illnesses.

Consider the baptized son of a prominent evangelist who was complaining of having severe problems, and was “in counseling.” Not a problem. Just pray, study, fast [Fasting increases your mental health!?! Not in my experience!] His mother came home one afternoon to see the shotgun on the living room floor, the legs, the torso, the blood.

Most mental illnesses are marked by extreme selfishness. Egocentricity causes a complete breakdown of good judgement. Self-will leads to extreme abuse in the form of either assault or neglect. A minister pandering to a na

But then, by the Worldwide Church of God doctrines and teachings of the past, doctors are evil practitioners of Satan’s malevolent witchcraft.

Consider that the Worldwide Church of God attracted mentally ill people who hoped that they would get something for nothing. They were attracted to the power from a helpless and powerless existence.

Ministers by their definition are supposed to, well, minister to the needs of others. To abandon this duty is insanity.

It was late 1975, a year of prophecy for sure, that a 38 year old man called a minister in pain and terror. Envision the telephone conversation: “Mr. Perfect (sic), this is Bruce Becker and I need help.” “What’s the problem, Bruce?” “I think I have a blood clot and it is travelling up my leg. It is very painful and I can barely stand it.” “Well, now, Bruce, it may not be that big a problem.” “Mr. Perfect (sic–and you know who you are), I think I’m going to die!” “Bruce, if you think that, perhaps you should go to the emergency room….” Bruce called for a taxi, for you see, he could not drive because he had tunnel vision. This fact was known to the minister. He went to take a shower. He never finished. In the autopsy, the medical examiner found no uncoagulated blood in his heart: He died of a massive cardiac infarction so pronounced there was no part of the heart that did not have a blood clot.

What happened shortly thereafter, was truly amazing.

Bruce was well known to the members of his church in that area. He had been a roommate of one of the deacons at one point. He had supported a church family sponging off of him in his apartment while he had no job himself, and the man of the family was too lazy to get work. He helped the widows and fed the fatherless. He helped people financially and with service in various ways, even when he was on unemployment.

This is not say that he was perfect, even after his one year at Ambassador College, but he had a sincere dedication to his church and loved the people in it.

He was very generous and gave people the fruit of his hobbies: He gave people polished stones from the polisher he had built, he loaned people his telescopes that he built himself by actually starting with the glass and forming and polishing it by hand, he served people his home made wine made from the fruit and berries he gathered in the area by going about on his bicycle, he loaned people his cameras he had rebuilt. Bruce also loaned all of his retirement funds and savings to his church for a period of time. He had also loaned his 35 millimeter slide collection of over 6,000 incredible slides, some of which were used in the Plain Truth and the Good News.

He was a highly skilled technician–which was one of the reasons Garner Ted Armstrong himself suggested that Bruce could “serve the Work better by working in the world,” rather than at Ambassador College, and thus sent him packing.

What happened when he died was that his mother came down to take care of the arrangements and while she was there, a long procession of church members who had known Bruce came by his apartment. They came by, not to give their respects, but to ask his mother for any stuff, like his cameras, precious stones he collected, his telescopes, his wine, or anything else she might be willing to give to them.

She also received a letter from the minister, Mr. Perfect (sic), outlining the telephone conversation he had with Bruce the night he died. Mr. Perfect (sic) never mentioned that he offered to help get him to the hospital, even though it was clear Bruce would need help. He didn’t offer Bruce any support or sympathy. He didn’t even offer to come and anoint Bruce. He did offer him some very good advice: Go to hospital emergency.

There were other letters from the leadership of the church to which Bruce belonged. They asked of his mother whether Bruce had left any will. They made it clear that they “knew” that Bruce had a lot of money squirreled away, and they were equally certain that he had left it all to them. It should be noted: No, and no.

Your head should, at this moment, be pounding with cognitive dissonance. Here is a Church that claims to care. It claims to be preparing people to lead in the world tomorrow in an environment of love and peace, of unselfish outgoing concern and sacrifice. It is a church which is supposed to teach people to be caring, after all, some day all the people who have ever lived will be brought up and have to be taught how to live, forgive one another, learning to overcome the abuse while living with the abusers–to live together forever in harmony and joy. Sounds crazy doesn’t it?

It was, oh, about 1981 or so [could be a year off either way] that Herbert Armstrong blew into Seattle, huffing and puffing about makeup. None of us who were there could ever forget the sermonette by Robert Fahey about obedience to God’s Apostle. The sermon itself was insignificant, all things considered in retrospect, and just about what you would expect. No, what was significant was what happened after the sermon in the x hours long meeting that Herbert Armstrong had with his minions, uh, make that ministers, for minions has an unfavorable connotation in this context.

Never let it be said that the ministers of the Radio / Worldwide Church of God lacked for lung power. If there is anything the leadership of the xCoGx[,xxx] can be proud of is their ability to speak loudly and carry a small stick. Several ministers commented that “it’s what’s up front that counts”, which, these days, refers to their ample guts, not their diaphragm. Herbert yelled loudly for some hours at a particular minister for being so disloyal as to suggest that women could wear makeup. Ever. One needs to have compassion for this particular man, for his transition from the abuse of his alcoholic father to the abuse of the cult in which he became entangled. The ministry was highly trained to say, “Yes, sir!” to the most asinine accusations. This occasion was no exception. Herbert ranted and raved interminably, publicly humiliating a perfectly honest and dedicated sycophant, at least as far as was possible in this venue. For those not familiar with cults, “Combatting Cult Mind Control” by Steven Hassan should be enlightening as to how cults control their myrmidons through abusive guilt.

Later, of course, the whole doctrine was done away with and women were able to “paint their faces with colored dirt like whores!” again.

In fact, protestations about changes in fundamental doctrines in the Worldwide Church of God in the last, say twelve years [the minute the body of Herbert Armstrong was cold] are quite delusional. The Radio / Worldwide Church of God has always been changing its pathetic little mind about doctrines and what is really important. Could you wear clothes of wool and linen? Maybe. Maybe not. There were silly rules about mixed properties of cloth for man-made fibers: Could you wear polyester wool or polyester cotton? Just what did that Scripture about “Thou shalt not seethe a kid in its mother’s milk mean”? Did that that mean mercy to a nanny who would be uncomfortable with all this milk if you killed the kid while it was still nursing? Or did it mean you couldn’t fry meat in butter? The ministers could visit you in their Fury, which mightily polluted the air with leaded gasoline, but you couldn’t eat white sugar or white flour. An important question was where you could get your raw honey. There were questions about where you could get raw milk [Brucillosis be damned!]

If you can picture the hilarious scenes of the Seattle Bible Study on Wednesday night at the Norselander, you will picture raw milk. Mr. Corth, being the servant he was, brought his flat bed truck every week with fresh raw milk direct from the farm. Listen to the clinking of the glass bottles in their wire carriers as members exchanged empty bottles for full ones. Money also exchanged hands. Mr. Corth was a good guy and never made a penny from the exchange. He just charged others what he had been charged. I really liked Mr. Corth–and his milk! This drama played for several years until the rattling and clanking became too much for the minister. He then invoked the scripture about making God’s temple a house of merchandise and made the exchanges to cease without delay. The Norselander was a restaurant, for heaven’s sake, not God’s temple! Oops. Sorry to offend those with tender sensibilities. And anyway, everyone was quiet during the BS. It was just before and after that there was any noise. And make no mistake, the minister was an ex-marine and could shout with the best of them–except Herbert and a few evangelists had him beat!

The craziness continues.

In 1984, after the shouting session in Seattle, and much unpleasantness over the murder of a young lady by another church member, I wrote a letter to Herbert in my innocence. This was a time that potential future leaders of the Worldwide Church of God were apparently looking for ways to “get the goods” on the other ministers so one of them could arrange it to become the fourteenth apostle. One man apparently wanted to have blackmail material to prove to Herbert that only he was fit and qualified to take the lead. To this end, Mike Feazell and David Albert were sent to my home.

Come a midnight dark and dreary, came a rapping and a tapping at my chamber door. Actually, it was 2 AM. They worked and probed from 2 AM to 4 AM, poking and prodding to find out if I had any real dirt on a minister who was particularly threatening to the possible rise of ultimate power–whom I never mentioned in the letter at all. Then they left with a caution that I never tell anyone of their midnight, err, 2 AM visit on a week night. Well, sir, you can see how well that works–the truth will come out eventually, no matter how hard you try to hide it.

But even this was not to be the end of the craziness.

It seems on a certain venture, a man who will remain nameless, but who was prominent in the Worldwide Church of God, partly because he had attended West Point–the real one, not Ambassador College–wrote a 12 page letter accusing various people of a variety of disloyalties toward Armstrong. This was an environment of paranoia, fear, ruthless abuse, wild accusations, and downright skullduggery–by the leadership. The times that Herbert publicly accused ministers at the Feast of Tabernacles of being disloyal had merit [with those three fingers pointing back!]. There was a massive power struggle in Pasadena and Big Sandy, of the which we will not discuss here, but for those who want details, there is the complete history of the debauchery in “The Ambassador Report” [Thanks John!]. No this was a private little party, not seen by much of even the inner circle.

Many things happened as a result of this letter. One of the most significant was the story of a poor lady who had done nothing. She was brought into the second in command’s office to be yelled at for five solid hours! Whether it was a nervous breakdown or a psychotic break she had shortly after this is not clear. What is clear is that she was devastated and was pretty much left as little more than a vegetable afterwards. The Pasadena ministry also got involved in the shouting matches with others. Some were only two hours. Others were one or three. A man of real lung power, went for at least three hours, one on one.

In the end, the man who wrote the letter was proved to be wrong. [So much for establishing accusations in the presence of two or three witnesses!] The ministry in Pasadena didn’t just shoot themselves in the foot, they crippled others. Their motto seemed to be “Ready, fire, aim!”. One is not sure whether they were half-cocked or not.

Then there was the craziness involving the CIA, world leaders, money, power politics, international intrigue, lust and human passion, murder, lies and secrets, betrayal, theft, powerful personalities and weak ones, the rich and famous, the poor and weak. If you want more detail, you can read the back issues of “The Ambassador Report.”

For real craziness, bipolar [or perhaps it was monopolar hypomania–for further details consult Manic-Depressive Illness by Fredrick K. Goodwin and Kay Redfield Jamison] Herbert seems to have had a deal with the CIA–how else could he have flown directly from Egypt to Israel? Aren’t the deaths of world leaders three weeks after his visits rather suspicious? There were lots of photo ops with world leaders. Sometimes the photo ops were replete with Herbert handing over a $100,000 check to a world leader who didn’t need it, but was drooling over it–how’s that for craziness! The Worldwide Church of God has taken an average of over $100,000 from each household since its inception. For Lust, one need go no further than Garner Ted Armstrong’s crazy seductions of over 200 women in 20 years [a conservative estimate.] Theft: Where did some of the paintings from Rembrant come from–the Jewish Holocaust? This is all nuts! How do you bend explanations to account for the lavish spending to account for “doing God’s work”! Remember the absolute craziness of 1975 in prophecy? All those predictions? That never, ever, came true! They were sinfully inaccurate.

Then there were the lies about a certain apostle’s wife. She was reported by the prophet of the watermouth that “She had just bombed out from heavy duty counseling.” From various reports she lived in abject fear of her strong-willed apostle husband, locked away in her own home. There was even a rumor that she stood in the middle of the Pasadena Campus naked. My wife observed that, if true, it was to get her husband’s attention! All of this salacious nonsense does have a point. She seemed OK from the videotape taken at her husband’s funeral, although it is difficult to tell how she COULD have reacted to one of the eulogizer’s comment to his mistress that “He loved you very much.” How does someone maintain sanity when it is widely known your husband leader of a significant number of people has openly committed adultery? Was this a sane act? How can a leader of a church get away with this?

Let’s go back to local craziness.

In a particular area, which will remain nameless, there was a congregation of approximately 150 members. Remembering that severe bipolar disease involves at most one to two percent of the population, there were at least seven people with severe cases of manic-depressive illness. There was one highly schizophrenic person wandering around before, after, and during services. The alcoholism rate was 18%–10% is the national average [for more formation on alcoholism, read Under the Influence by Dr. James R. Milam and Katherine Ketcham and also visit the Rational Recovery web site at http://www.rational.org/recovery/index.html ] There is also the fascinating story about a wheeler-dealer psychopath who eventually ended up on the front page of the local newspaper–for making fake Maseratis! Unfortunately, there are no reliable statistics about psychosis.

But for self-delusion, believe it or not, to this day, people are still looking for the place of safety in their futures, and there is a resurgence of interest in prophecy! Of course, small groups are now meeting within churches to discuss disaster preparedness! Nothing like not taking anxious thought for the morrow for earthquakes, tsunamis, snowstorms, floods, power outages, the year 2,000 and the like. In this case you might blame it on the spate of disaster movies–maybe. Or prudence, perhaps. [Remember the days when we were encouraged to stockpile? And then the article in The Good News by GTA not to!?!] By the way, where is your faith?

The situation with the Worldwide Church of God was nuts! Absolutely crazy! There isn’t one shred of a sound mind in any of this [including mine, but my memory is coming back, and the attendants here say that I will be able to have sharp implements to write with in a few more weeks, that I’m making real good progress!].

This is also frighteningly true–all of it! [Except that last part. I don’t think they ever will let me have any sharp objects!]

There is a remarkable new book called When Smart People Work for Dumb Bosses–How to Survive in a Crazy and Dysfunctional Workplace by William Lundin, Ph.D. and Kathleen Lundin. Given the Corporate nature of the body politic of the xCoGxxx,xxxs, the description of dysfunctional abusive organizations and people in power is apt, and I quote: “Dumb behavior is motivated by self-love and ego, which block the capacity for empathy.”

Funny thing about mentioning about self-love, ego, and empathy: That’s just the description found in Without Conscience–The disturbing World of The Psychopaths Among Us by Dr. Robert D. Hare.

Many of the crazy and dumb behaviors exhibited by the ministry that are aptly described in When Smart People work for Dumb Bosses. The attempts to cope with the stresses of dysfunctional environments are a basic cause. How do ministers deal with their superiors yelling at them? In a loving environment!?!! How does it come that image is more important than caring? How do you deal with the outrageous coverups of people in power? When you believe that God, Almighty, Himself, is backing them up unconditionally, no matter what!?! Give us your money, or else!!! How do you react rationally in a completely insane situation?

And the most important question of all: How can you help others achieve mental health when you are mentally ill yourself?

I would submit to you that the ministry and leadership of the xCoGxxx,xxxs have not a clue. They are still trying with all their might to bring the craziness back! And they are reaping what they sow!

Never let it be said that you don’t have some action items before you leave this forum. I wouldn’t want ministers to be mad at me for whining and complaining without giving some constructive points. So here they are:

Case 1:

If you are a minister in the xxxCoGxxx,xxx and you no longer believe in God. I advise you to leave the ministry immediately. Many nice jobs await you, such as construction, gardening, and landscaping. Many who have left the ministry before you have been highly successful in the field of insurance sales. Some have even suggested while that they were ministers they were fire insurance salesman–meaning, of course, insurance from the fires of hell, gehenna, or the lake of fire. Pundits contend they were arsonists. Be that as it may be, you may also consider becoming a brewmaster by setting up a micro brewery making wine and beer, but do be careful, since so many of you are alcoholics, you could drink up all the profits [not prophets (sic)]. Please do not even consider continuing as a minister, since you don’t even believe in God: That is the ultimate in hypocrisy and it is doubtful you could provide anything to your already ailing congregation.

Case 2:

You still believe in God, and you believe you have a calling. Shame be upon you. No, I really mean it! You probably knew about the shenanigans of Herbert Armstrong. How is it you did not have the Faith to quit and let God take care of you? Were you too afraid!?! Don’t play games with us. You deserve excoriating rebuke. If this evokes a self-recognition, you may be perfectly miserable knowing how much harm you have done. Of course, if you did not know, you are better off, but then not knowing may mean that you are not qualified to teach the truth, since you are the last one to recognize it.

Here are my recommendations:

  1. Keep the Commandments and teach others to keep them. There is nothing wrong with honoring your father and mother, there is nothing wrong with not committing adultery–although some of the ministers raised to a high art form to the extent that it could shame our President–there is nothing wrong with doing no murder, nor is there anything wrong with not stealing, lying or coveting. The first four should be according to your conscience and to what your church formally believes in terms of doctrine.
  2. Humble yourselves and stop devouring your flocks–after all devouring your flocks eats up the profits.
  3. Learn what is REALLY wrong with you and stop assuming you are OK or think you might know what is wrong with you. You are in denial. Fix it.
  4. Get professional help. (We know you have a psychotherapist consultant associated with the church. Get one with more objective ties, please.)
  5. Take appropriate action and stick with it. Consistent habits are the only key to success here.
  6. Once you heal yourself, work to heal others.
  7. Abandon all self-delusion and seek the truth.

Case 3:

If you are the leaders of xxxGoGxxx,xxx and still believe in God. You’d better seek to join all the splitoffs right away. Do you want to face the judgment day and have to explain why you led your little group when you could have given up all power and privilege and led your flock to refuse to join together with other true believers? How are you going to answer for the pain separation has created in those for whom you are to give account!?! If you really believe, you’d better work fast, you may not have much time. If what you believe is true, you are really, really, really going to pay for what you have done.

Now see, I’m not advocating division at all.

Think for one moment: How has the Worldwide Church of God and it’s offspring contributed to your mental health?

Some of you have written about how miserable and guilty you feel about even thinking about leaving the xxxCoGxxx,xxx. Is God going to get you? Are you going to lose out on salvation? What if these things are really true? What will I miss?

First of all, you WILL miss many things. You will miss bondage. It is uncomfortable to leave slavery and be free. How will you be spiritually fed? How will you live your life now? Who will comfort you?

There are two ways to answer this. First of all, you have probably been severely, and I mean SEVERELY abused. Some have been publicly humiliated. Some have been physically and mentally assaulted. Remember that neglect is abuse. Did you EVER get the feeling that ANY of the PAID ministry really, truly cared about you? If so, you were a rare aberration! You probably need healing. Your minister cannot help you–he, his wife, his whole family, and most of his friends need professional help. They were abused too. The guilt you feel for thinking about leaving is a normal function of being brainwashed. You have been conditioned. Consult “Combatting Cult Mind Control” by Steven Hassan. Purchase all of the back issues of “The Ambassador Report”. Satisfy yourself that there was not one shred of sanity in the ravings of the lunatics at Pasadena. Look at the evidence of failed prophecies, then compare what is said in Scriptures against what you have experienced.

Then conclude this: They didn’t teach the truth. It’s that simple. They didn’t teach the truth. Oh, there may have been grains here and there, but it was all perverted and corrupted. Know and accept the fact that they didn’t teach the truth. If it was not reality, and you believe the lies, you have NO basis for sanity! Expose the lies and demons for what they were!

The next thing depends upon whether you believe in God or not. If you do not believe in God, just quit. Find something better to do with your time. Visit the fatherless and widows. Go to nursing homes and visit the abandoned. If you have a family, seek comfort in dedicating the rest of your life to them. What every you do, abandon self-delusion. It wasn’t real and it never will be. Focus on what is important. If you have no one, then get a pet. Write a horror novel. Bank your retirement. Invest. Do something! But don’t go back. It’s insanity to go back!

If you believe in God, then sincerely, humbly, without seeking any selfish motives at all, ask for guidance. Pray for the truth. Ask God to show you the boundaries of the continuum of mental health between the medical and the spiritual. Seek to discern between the moral and the physiology wrapped in the biology. Realize that you are probably mentally ill, at least to the extent of having a shadow syndrome and that you may need to do research or seek professional medical mental health. [There are a few professionals out there who really do care–seek them with great care.] Realize that the Worldwide Church of God aggravated and magnified anything that might be wrong with you. You can also visit my web site at http://mind-set.com Reject delusions. Expose the deceivers. Get off drugs and booze, stop abusing others, lose some weight, get some exercise, sleep and eat right, get your finances in order, and care about others.

Above all, realize it was NOT YOUR FAULT!

As you realize that, you must also take ownership–take responsibility. It is your life [in spite of your conditioning] and only you are going to be able to go forth and initiate solutions to your problems. You have to build consistent successful habits. You need to acknowledge and tightly embrace the truth.

At this site, we keep saying, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

For your own sanity, isn’t it time you did something about it? After all, once you lose your mind, you’ve lost everything.


Article by Douglas 2002

21 Replies to “Mental Illness begins in the Church”

  1. Since the only “name” given on this theoretical and opinionated and exhaustingly critical – um – article, is “Douglas”, I will leave MY first name only as well. You see, I call OUT people who tell LIES about the WWCG. I remind people that God is calling SINNERS – not perfect people like Douglas. The main words that are missing in this ENTIRE ARTICEL ARE : “So and so **SAID** that this or that happened”. EACH AND EVERY “event” or “incident” is unfounded and more than likely – UNTRUE. Why would I say that? BECAUSE I WAS THERE …. My first feast was as a child at Jekyll Island in 1974. I slept in my OWN little tent (I was a hunter raised in North Georgia mountains. I would rather sleep there than in a hotel. I fished with my fishing equipment that I brought to the feast. God’s people are CALLED – and NOT – they are NOT born or raised *** INTO *** the church. I know MANY children of ministers today living less than perfect lives … addicted to alcohol. A man that is the son of the minister than performed the marriage of my sister to my brother in law. A minister CANNOT *CALL* his own son or daughter …. that is GOD’S choice ….

    1. Trey, I know the author. The stories are true and acutely reflect HWA and his cult. As far as God goes, God had nothing to do with Herbert’s religious family business.

      Just because you say you were there does not mean you had the intellect to see and understand what the hell was going around you. Your idea that God calls the children are your ideas and do not reflect the reality of those kids who hate their parents for putting them thru all the crap they experienced.

      1. Thank you for agreeing with me in your final paragraph. “… kids hating their parents for putting them thru all the crap” A man’s enemies will be those of his own family …. You agree with me that people are not “born into” the church (as children).
        Here are all of your opinions (in your own words) : #1 The stories are true and acutely reflect HWA. Are you a psychologist? #2 His cult. (Give me an example of a non religious cult today… show me your definition of a cult in other words) #3 As far as God goes, (Are you intimately aware of God’s intentions for mankind as a whole? I remember it saying somewhere He is calling sinners to repentance. Hey, I know I fit that description. And you ?) #4 God had nothing to do with Herbert’s religious family business. (God is involved with everything on this earth – His creation.) He has created both the good and the evil – for reasons of growth and education. Since I dissected the short first paragraph, I will save space and not cover the second paragraph, that simply contains more opinionated speech and fallacies.

        1. My brother was a member of this cult back in the day. Him and his wife were excommunicated. My brother was married and left his wife to marry someone else. I guess this was not okay, except for the womanizer Garner Ted who got a pass for many years. My brother’s girls were denied a childhood of birthdays! It was shameful. I hated that church. Anyway my brother is gone now and his wife is a widow. And the religious cults proliferate in America. It’s a way to get money and power. While Jesus cries……

    2. Trey, your comment is filled with nonsense that is on a grand scale that rivals that of the lies which spewed from HWA on mouth.

    3. Trey claims as of March 16, 2021 that he is a “Happy WWCGMember”. Our question to him is, how is that possible?

      The Worldwide Church of God doesn’t even exist any longer. But here we are: Someone gone mental and as those with the suspicious point of view do, demands proof while hoping that no one catches on to demand proof from them. And as usual, doesn’t give us much to work with. Fished with fishing equipment brought to the Feast at Jekyll Island in 1974? Did he catch any fish? What sort of fish did he catch and did his family eat them? And was 1974 (one year away from the delusional 1975 in prophecy) a year that Jekyll Island had a hurricane rip through before or after the Feast? Was the tent blown with high winds and pelted with rain?

      Apparently, he knew some of the boozing alcoholic minister’s children. Was the minister himself a boozing alcoholic? There were a lot of them. In fact, he doesn’t mention his own dad. Are there guilty secrets there? Was his own dad a boozing alcoholic adulterous loser? No mention of his mom. In fact, is Trey a boozing alcoholic now?

      How can we be sure that poor Trey does not have a lot cognitive dissonance? And what of his ‘friends’ he grew up with in the WWCG? He doesn’t mention anything about them. Did he have any friends? Did they keep in touch? Or is he an antisocial loner, a hunter who would like nothing but to be alone? Or did he lie? Is he really a hunter (hopefully not a Hunter Biden)?

      As comes to cast aspersions on the author of the article, he lets us know nothing of his own status. Does he attend a spit off, or is he just a great pretender? Is he gone mental? Is he delusional? These are obviously rhetorical questions which will have no answers.

      At least Bruce appeared in a copy of the Ambassador Envoy. His obituary appeared in the Worldwide News.

      Let Trey come with his own proofs. We’d like the entertainment.

  2. “I know MANY children of ministers today living less than perfect lives … addicted to alcohol.”?

    Most of the ministers themselves were boozing alcoholics, including Herbert Armstrong, Garner Ted Armstrong, most of the Evangelists, pastor ranked ministers, local elders, elders and deacons, not to mention the whole of most congregations.

    Now many of these people never drank before they entered the WCG. So if God was calling people into the WCG, he was setting them up to become horrible evil people, some of whom caused auto accidents and not just killed others, but left many maimed and killed.

    And even as this article is written, there are any number of WCG congregants now in mental institutions because they were among those the minister raped when they were teens.

    The WCG was an ugly corporatist invention which brought out the worst in people, seducing them to defile their own consciences.

    Unfortunately, the non Armstrongist churches of God know this. Those in the Church of God Seventh Day occasionally discuss what happened in the WCG. Why? Because some of the ministers there are trying to help those heal from the poisonous fruit of the poisonous tree and its roots.

    The very fact that the WCG no longer exists is evidence that it was not of god, for if it were, wouldn’t god make sure it continued? The CoG7d existed long before the WCG and is continuing long after — having at least 5 times the membership the WCG ever had.

    Yeah. God has not been with the WCG, no much someone might have enjoyed his childhood in it — with all the distorted perceptions that is burdened with as excess baggage.

    We don’t expect religions to have perfect people, just viable ones; and those making false allegations certainly aren’t viable….

    1. Hi, Alexia,
      I was a member of wcg for many, many, years, working for AC press in the UK for 7 of them. I saw and experienced many things during my time, both as a member and as worker inside.
      From about 1969 I began to have reservations – particularly in regard to child rearing at first. (I was baptized in 1967).
      I came gradually to understand that Armstrong preached his own hybrid New/Old covenant with particular emphasis on our guilt.
      I was very zealous in bible study and prayer – and I still am – energy permitting – I am now 74yrs old.
      The main thing to realise in regard to wcg and indeed any of the very many deceived and deceiving churches, is the statement in the bible, ‘Let God be true and every man a liar’. Romans 3:4, Irrespective of ministers, the word of God remains true. Every single church has got some truth. It is the vital ingredient that enables those looking for the answers to life’s problems, to see credibility in that church to which they go in hope of help. Which fact becomes the bait to catch us unless we ask God to show us who, and what, is true.
      The credibility of God’s word validates only Almighty God – no one else; but the new member searchers don’t usually understand that and take on the erroneous personal opinions and damaging falsehoods along with the precious truths of God.
      Satan’s lies to Eve are therefore seen to be exactly this same formula -lies and truth together, which is how lies become credible by association with the truth.
      A great deal of what was taught by wcg was true.
      BUT the context was not Jesus at the centre of all, and Him in us, as being the answer to all. We were taught to look to wcg ministry and to practically worship Armstrong.
      However God was, and still is, working with me, and with others, whom I am trying to support with the truth and genuine encouragement of the very precious word of Jesus.
      I was used to preach in church both sermons and many sermonettes, while simultaneously struggling with my own weaknesses and sins. I was not alone in that. That is quite obvious from the various reports from hurting and regrettably bitter people.
      The answer to those weaknesses and sins can only be found in Christ – not His old covenant – which could never do the job. Jeremiah 31 31-34 Galatians and Hebrews particularly show that.
      It has taken me decades to get to grip with it all
      and I am still learning.
      The factor which still seems to reinforce pro-Hwa people in their state of slavery (for that is what it is), is that the Romano Anglican religion has an almost wholly pagan context and therefore quite unacceptable to them. Indeed, their falsehoods are still unacceptable to me, but I am not their judge. Because Hwa was wrong in his emphasis does not make the others right.
      Satan has ensured that there is as much confusion as possible.
      The people of Jesus – not recognizable by a church title – are described by Jesus in John 10:1-5 ….16 . They are recognizable as listening to Jesus’ voice, not the voice of wolves – exploiters and damagers. And God’s children look after one another – indeed it is the true visible outward sign John 13:35 which admonition is repeated by all the apostles in one way or another, particularly John and Paul.
      You do not say in what way you need help. I am probably not even on the same continent as yourself but the prayers and the word directed by Jesus, from his children are not limited by distance one bit; and can accomplish a great deal.
      My email, if you feel it helpful to correspond is following
      May God bless you richly.

      1. WOW. Thank you. Though your reply was not meant for me there was alot in it that I benefited from. Hope you are doing well.

  3. I grew up in the WWCG and Trey’s confrontational and angry post is a reminder of why I left. I’m guessing this site is for those that have left the WWCG to share experiences. Not everyone had a great experience and yes, you can retort with some kind of justification or (in true WWCG)” fashion) throw mud to try and discredit, but I don’t think people are showing up at your services being abusive so have a little respect for others that didn’t have the same lovely experience as you. I’m pleased Trey that you and a good experience, your very fortunate.

    1. Basildon,
      Trey is bitter perhaps because he saw his church, the wcg, disintegrate before his eyes. With that comes a shit load of personal turmoil as many questions arrive into the mind with no answer. It took years for the answers to be researched to my satisfaction.

      The real problem for these humans is to admit they were very wrong about the church and its doctrines. That is a step that cannot be jumped over and forgotten. To overcome this, humility is required, apologies will follow.
      After that comes self forgiveness, because you now understand how you were originally conned into the organization in the first place.

  4. I grew up in the WWCG from a young age. I really don’t have many memories from before my parents joined the church. I can say unequivocally it ruined my childhood. I remember sitting in services and listening to the sermons and thinking I would never see my 16th birthday much less grow up, get married and have children. That’s a heavy load for a little girl who is only five or six years old at the time. It’s only recently that I’ve come to know a lot about the church I grew up in and it explains a lot of the things that my parents did that I’m sure they were ordered to do by the WWCG. When I was a freshman in high school my older sister and I told my parents we did not want to be in the church anymore because we wanted to go to football games on Friday nights, cheer on our team and be on the drill team. Surprisingly they allowed it. We didn’t ask questions. We just thanked our lucky stars because we couldn’t believe they agreed. And guess what year that was; it was right around 1975. Right about the time all the sh$t hit the fan in the church. None of my siblings (there are seven of us) went back to the church, but my parents eventually did. My dad has passed on but my mom is still in one the church’s splinter groups and tells us on a regular basis how disappointing she is in us and that she knows we will burn in hell. In my mind I have a hard time understanding how she can still be loyal and faithful to a church when she knows so much evil happen behind the scenes.

  5. I got interested in The World Tomorrow, Herbert W. Armstrong and Garner Ted. I read the articles, booklets, heard the World Tomorrow broadcasts and even put them on the air when I wsorked at a few radio stations back in the 60s and 70s. Eventually I got the sack from broadcasting mainly because at the time I was a so called member of the Worldwide Church of God. Anyway I have moved on from then and now retired all I can do is look for work but nobody will hire me because I am old and ugly living in Perth Western Australia. Give me a call if you want to discuss fake religious systems or even genuine ones. Raymond Conder [email protected]

  6. If you dont like HWA and his teachings, fine.
    Why make it a personal mission and purpose to trash him?
    You think you are going to change people’s minds?
    You ripping other churches that you dont agree with or just sticking with the original WCG?
    I, like hundreds of other people, came and went in the WCG.
    You people need to get a hobby, better yet, get a life!

  7. Was not a member of the WCG, but do get literature from one or more of the splinter groups…. in my opinion, only time will tell if they were accurate about future events! The important thing is to watch and pray as God commands, As for the shenanigans that went on behind the scenes of the wcg, I can only say I wasn’t there, so I can’t say one way or the other, but wouldn’t be surprised since, ,any cults seem to follow the same pattern.

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