In the depths of religious history, there are organizations that stand as beacons of hope and enlightenment, and then there are those that shroud themselves in darkness, leaving behind a trail of twisted beliefs and unspeakable atrocities. The Worldwide Church of God, a seemingly harmless name for an entity with a dark past, belongs to the latter category.

Founded by a charismatic and enigmatic figure, Herbert W. Armstrong, the Worldwide Church of God (or WCG) emerged from the shadows in the mid-20th century. Armstrong, a man with a tendency for prophecy and an uncanny ability to blend fact with fiction, set the stage for what would become one of the most controversial religious movements of its time.