The 40th Anniversary of Herbert W. Armstrong’s Death: A Legacy Marred by Falsehoods, Exploitation, and Tragedy

On January 16, 2026, the ACOG’s mark the 40th anniversary of the death of Herbert W. Armstrong, the founder of the Worldwide Church of God…

Rather than a time for reverence, this milestone serves as a stark reminder of a man whose life and teachings left a trail of shattered lives, unfulfilled prophecies, and institutional abuse.

Armstrong, who positioned himself as God’s end-time apostle, built an empire on dubious claims and authoritarian control, only for it to crumble under the weight of his own hypocrisies and failures. Born in 1892, Armstrong began his religious career in the 1930s after a series of personal and professional setbacks. He founded the Radio Church of God in 1934, later renaming it the Worldwide Church of God in 1968. His teachings blended British Israelism, a pseudo historical theory claiming that Western Europeans, particularly the British and Americans, were descendants of the lost tribes of Israel with apocalyptic prophecies and strict legalism.

Armstrong’s media empire, including The Plain Truth magazine and The World Tomorrow broadcast, reached millions, but behind the facade lay a pattern of plagiarism, financial exploitation, and personal misconduct that critics have long exposed. One of the most damning aspects of Armstrong’s legacy is his record of failed prophecies. Documented extensively, Armstrong issued over 200 predictions that never materialized, earning him the label of a false prophet.

Let’s review some of his many failures:

In 1934, he proclaimed Christ would return in 1936, a blatant miss.

During World War II, he predicted Mussolini would conquer Egypt and Palestine, only for Italian forces to be routed by the British in 1940.

In the 1950s and 1960s, he repeatedly forecast the end of the world by dates like 1957, 1972, and 1975, including claims that the United States would face famine, invasion by a revived Nazi Germany/EU, and total economic and societal collapse.

None came to pass; instead, the U.S. experienced economic booms and technological triumphs, such as the moon landing, which Armstrong had dismissed as impossible.

These repeated failures not only discredited his divine authority but also induced fear and financial sacrifice among followers, who were urged to tithe heavily in preparation for an apocalypse that never arrived. Financial exploitation was another cornerstone of Armstrong’s operation. Members were required to give multiple tithes up to 30% of their income while living in poverty. One former member shared a typical experience that highlights the stark contrast within the church: After diligently tithing for years, often giving up to 30% of the family’s income, they struggled to survive, living in a rundown home and relying on cheap lentils as a staple meal. Meanwhile, church ministers enjoyed a comfortable, trouble-free lifestyle, complete with a nice church provided home and a reliable car all funded by the the members sacrifices.

This disparity highlighted the hypocrisy: Armstrong lived lavishly, traveling the world and meeting dignitaries, funded by the sacrifices of his flock. This system bordered on spiritual abuse, preying on the vulnerable with promises of protection during the elusive end times.

Herbies behavior paints an even darker picture. In 1978, confronted by his son Garner Ted Armstrong and witnesses, Herbert admitted to committing incest with his daughter Dorothy over a decade, from the 1930s into the 1940s.

This confession, detailed in sources like the Ambassador Report, underscores a profound moral failing in a man who preached family values and divine law.

Accusations of racism also dogged him, with teachings that demeaned non-white races and echoed supremacist ideologies.

Furthermore, Armstrong was accused of plagiarizing key ideas, such as British Israelism, from earlier sources without credit.

The human cost of Armstrong’s church extended far beyond finances and prophecies. Compilations of “horror stories” from survivors detail emotional and psychological trauma, including family breakdowns and isolation enforced by disfellowshipping policies. Policy which continue today in the various daughter churches.

Armstrong was a man utterly without honor, without principles, without a shred of genuine decency or patriotism. He was the ultimate exterminator of religious life for thousands, and the grand compelling creator of a vast army of atheists.

Tragically, the WCG and its splinter groups have been linked to numerous suicides, over 50 documented cases spanning decades and continues to this day. For example, in 2018, a Filipino man committed suicide after his family, following church orders, cast him out as an “act of love.” Even ministers were affected, with cases like a Pasadena pastor jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge in 1991.

Victims, often depressed from doctrinal pressures, job losses due to Sabbath observance, or rejection of mental health care (deemed unnecessary under Herbies teachings), took their lives in despair. I always wondered if Terry Ratzmann had mental health care, if it would have stopped the mass killing that occurred at the Living Church of God church congregation on March 12, 2005, in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

Armstrong’s influence also inspired dangerous criminal terrorist actions. In 1969, WCG member Denis Michael Rohan set fire to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, believing it would hasten the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple and Christ’s return, ideas directly echoed in Armstrong’s publications.

Though Armstrong distanced himself from the act of terror, the incident fueled global tensions, contributing to the formation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

After Armstrong’s death in 1986, the WCG underwent reforms under his successor, Joseph Tkach, abandoning many core doctrines. Yet splintering ACOG groups persist, perpetuating elements of his teachings and the associated harms.

Then we have ministerial apologies acknowledging the damage inflicted upon the membership. The “Hall of Shame” lists these ‘ministers of Christ’ that where employed by the church, that further tarnished its reputation.

Forty years on, Armstrong’s death anniversary is no cause for celebration. It highlights the perils of unchecked religious authority, where charisma masks exploitation and delusion leads to devastation. For the survivors and critics, it’s a call to remember the Painful Truth behind the facade.

Kscribe (Anonymous) will present a story on this subject that you may find of interest on the 16th.