The End Of The World And The Profits of Doom

When a naive minister in a doomsday cult becomes a father for the first time, his wife implores him to seek a transfer from England, where their American religion is based, back home to Australia. Upon their return, the wife’s sister dies during pregnancy and the couple soon suffer another tragedy when they lose premature twin babies: all three deaths a direct result of the cult’s rejection of modern medical practice.

In an effort to escape the fear, guilt and anger he increasingly feels, the minister continues preaching about the End Time while struggling with the harsh discipline his church believe is the best way to raise children. After two prophecies for the end of the world fail, the minister’s misgivings drive him to question the core of his spiritual beliefs. However, his wife responds to her grief and confusion by committing deeper to the ever-changing cult dogma.

Eventually the troubled minister can no longer ignore the widespread rumours of sexual and financial corruption in church leadership, and, in a desperate effort to learn the truth, moves his family to church headquarters in California. Enlightened by what he uncovers the minister confronts the cult founder and resigns, ignoring threats of personal retaliation.

Finally, the ex-minister returns to Australia once again, where his long suffering estranged mother is patiently awaiting a long dreamed for reconciliation; still unsure if she will ever get to meet her daughter-in-law, the grandchildren she had been forbidden to see and the son she hasn’t seen since he left home to join the cult.

Based on a true story...

In the last summer of the ‘Summer of Love’, I was born in a cottage on the edge of Manchester. My father was a newly ordained minister in The Worldwide Church of God and had moved to England, as my mum had done, to study at the church’s college. Before my first birthday we moved back to Australia where Dad continued to preach and prepare for The Great Tribulation. This so-called ‘End Time’ was to see the entire world destroyed in 1972 (the final year later amended to 1975), while only members of God’s chosen church would be safe, tucked away in Petra, Jordan - otherwise known to followers of cult leader, Herbert W. Armstrong as - ‘the place of safety’.

Benjamin Grant Mitchell

It's Dennis!

Graemme and Lynn Marshall of Ottawa, Canada complain in a lengthy letter here why they resigned from the disintegrating UCG ministry. They confess,

“In good faith and conscience before God we could not sit by and remain as if all is well and nothing has changed. We left WCG in ’95 and considered it was no longer God’s Church. We leave UCG similarly and await whatever might emerge as a new organization that not only is pledged to integrity, honesty, transparency, and accountability – but actually will do it.” 

Will others now  follow the example of the Marshalls, ballot with their feet, and leave the UCG? Time will tell. One can only hope some in the  WCG/GCI ministry also have enough personal integrity to resign, as 'employee' Tkach Jr. continues to hide his pay package from the membership, annual budget, financial statements, missing board, current church Association bylaws, and where the millions donated went. Honestly. 

A new International Ambassador Outreach (IAO) religious 'charitable' corporation (meaning charity for the COG) was created in Plano, TX with Leon Walker as one of five current directors. The IAO board photos and bios may be seen here. Walker presented a budget for $30,000 dollars to be sent to the Church in Mexico, which the IAO board approved. 

United Church of God Elder Arnold Mendez, Sr. of Corpus Christi, TX was suspended by UCG Ministerial Services as the crisis continues to impact the Church. To add insult to injury, the  UCG Council of Elders  axed his ministerial credentials on August 12, 2010. Apparently, Mr. Mendez wanted to freely exercise his 1st amendment rights, while a member of the UCG -a private, international church Association. Find out more about it here.