Ambassador Reports: Douglas Adams

Those Who Forget Their History Are Doomed

...I feel for you. If it makes you feel any better, I’ve got twenty years’ worth of notebooks filled with Sabbath sermons that are pretty much worthless, except for the margin doodles. And those were only useful to pass the time and keep me from falling asleep — it’s no coincidence the margin doodles increased exponentially in proportion to the actual notes, after the changes!

So, are you going with CoGAmerica, staying with UCG, or doing the smart thing, and staying home, to sort things out for yourself? Hopefully they’ll be too busy to hunt you down, if you choose Option C — they were, when my family left the WCG back in the mid-90s.

Those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it. Only, instead of theological doctrines getting changed, UCG is arguing over governmental doctrines getting changed. Although, as far as the CoGs are concerned, it’s really all the same thing, isn’t it? Government and theology and doctrine and dogma, all wrapped up in a “true Christian” poison pill.

Bleh, that’s depressing. Better, instead, to think about the coming summer (with no sign of Apocalypse in the forecast — again!!), and the lengthening of the days, signifying the return of the light.

May you find light, peace, and hope, in the coming days, in your life...

--PH

"like"

I don’t know about you, but I just don’t see the love when members are being suspended for pressing “like” on a Facebook post. I don’t see the love when ministers are fired for telling the truth about how they feel about certain actions. I don’t see the love when no admission of wrongdoing is ever given, but everyone is just told to shut up and submit.

It is difficult to feel joy in an environment like that. I have actually heard of cases of elders listening in on conversations in order to rat people out. What is this? 1995? PCG?

And, of course it is so peaceful these days.

I don’t see the forbearance when members’ and ministers’ opinions are marginalized and censored. In fact, even the slightest criticism, constructive or not, is deleted or followed up on by threatening letters. And, apparently, the elders have received far worse.

Is kindness where you stand up and tell everyone about love and humility and then tell them where the door is?

--John Carmack

Raising The Ruined

WCG minister David Robinson recounted a bizarre late-night conversation with the then-widowed Herbert during a church festival in the Poconos. Armstrong, who had been drinking, was alleged to have confessed to Robinson that he had molested his daughter between 1933 and 1943. Then, to the astonishment of the younger minister, Armstrong was said to have produced a small black book in which he had carefully documented the many times he had masturbated, a practice he had frequently railed against from the pulpit. "It was a shattering experience for my dad," says Mark Robinson, a Dallas-area businessman, whose father died in 1995. "Until then, he had no reason to doubt Mr. Armstrong's spirituality."

The issue arose again in 1984, during divorce proceedings between Armstrong and his second wife, Ramona Martin, a former switchboard operator 46 years his junior. The breakup, after seven years of marriage, was nasty. Armstrong, playing hardball, had accused her of stealing church property and was pressing criminal charges while refusing to bend to Ramona's demands for a large settlement, including a large amount of cash and the couple's sprawling ranch-style home in Tucson, Arizona. Until, that is, shortly before a court hearing at which her lawyers had threatened to introduce a purported "understanding" between Herbert and his wife regarding the alleged incest. The divorce was quickly settled to Ramona's satisfaction, and the criminal charges were dropped.

--Honey, I Shrunk The Church

Tithing Doctrine Changed

The first time I can remember having a question was in November, 1972. At a Bible Study Herbert W. Armstrong announced changes in the tithing doctrine -- AC and WCG employees no longer had to pay third tithe, and ministers had to pay second tithe. What alarmed me was that he didn't quote one scripture or explain, biblically, the reasons we had been wrong and why we were changing. He only referenced certain budgetary reasons such as insufficient excess 2-T, etc. Something I had been taught as being truth from His Word which wasn't to be taken lightly, was casually changed without so much as a verse being read. Interestingly, a couple of months later the decision regarding 2-T being paid by ministers was quietly reversed because of a deluge of complaints from the ministry.

--Bob Gerringer

Tkach's Disgraceful 2010 GCI Association: Secret Bylaws, Secret Board, Secret Money

In the course of the WCG board's discussions of the new corporate direction, Dr. Schnippert explained what is meant in church documents by the term "the Ass ociation." Most who would have read the legal documents would have concluded that the term referred to the WCG's lay membership, or at least to its full ministry. NOT so, says Schnippert:

The way the board looks at it, "the Association" refers ONLY to the WCG's Council of Elders - ALL of whom are handpicked by Tkach and ALL of whom can be FIRED by him at will.

Students of European history will notice that, viewed in that light, the WCG's current system of governance is virtually identical to that of the Roman Catholic Church where the Pope handpicks the College of Cardinals and the College then picks his successor. The WCG system is also akin to that reportedly found in some secret societies. We therefore don't hold out much hope that Tkach is serious about implementing changes that would be of real benefit to current, let alone past, WCG members. (AR68-1998)

SO WHO VOTED IN GODFATHER JOE JR. AS WCG-GCI POPE ETERNAL?

It's such a blessing to have the RIGHT TO VOTE. But it has little value unless we exercise it. The Bible teaches us to be responsible citizens, and in our democracies, part of being a responsible citizen is to exercise our right to VOTE. The right to VOTE goes hand in hand with FREEDOM, as well as helps ensure another cherished right, our right to worship as we see fit.
--Joe Tkach Jr.

Nobody voted Tkach Jr. multimillionaire cult president for a lifetime. (At least not in this century.)

And his so-called Board of Elders - if there is a working Board of Elders, governing the millions sacked away in his designer GCI church Association- is completely AWOL from the GCI website.
Also missing are the Tkach's honest balance sheets from last twenty-five years. And the written GCI Association bylaws legally governing Tkach Jr.'s Association powers are the same as when Armstrong ruled the WCG abusively with his infallible rod of iron. Tkach Jr. says he has changed. Really. Has Tkach substantially hanged from the corrupt governance methods of his sordid past?

The Only Members of the United Church of God Who Really Count - The Ministry Class!

According to UCG Corporation Bylaws, WHO legally are the only members of United?

6.1 MEMBERS OF THE CORPORATION The General Conference is the ONLY class of members of this Corporation. Qualifications of members and terms of membership are those described in the Constitution. Members shall have the rights enumerated in the Constitution. In addition, they shall have the RIGHT TO CAST BALLOTS on the disposition of all or substantially ALL OF THE ASSETS of the Corporation and on any election to DISSOLVE the Corporation.

The ONLY MEMBERS of the United Church of God Association are United's ordained ministers in good standing, which include the exclusive Council of Elders authority. If you are not an ordained UCG minister, then, guess what? YOU aren't a corporate member of the United Church, an International Association. And if you aren't a corporate member of the United Association, your opinions, voices and ballots don't count at the Milford, OH headquarters.

Garner Ted's Memorable Missing Dimension

WARNING: Exercise your own moral discretion as GTA video may offend! Mostly covered-up at the time, GTA took carnal knowledge of women handpicked for AC admission, seducing many curvaceous, attractive, and memorable Ambassador coeds, women married in the Church of God. Finally cornered into a meeting by COG hierarchy, he began speaking in his own native tongue, recalling his numerous, but by then undeniable sexual affairs. An angry GTA boastfully admitted to the facts, before kept long under cover- slickly using his Bible to convincingly persuade these attractive, young AC college coeds to have sex with him! HWA and others were kept faithfully informed about these many, ongoing ministerial sexual escapades over the years. Even though kept fully informed, nearly every chance he had, strangely Herbert would repeatedly ignore and liberally excuse GTA's sexual misconduct. Those loyal ministers who happened to find themselves under the wrath of Herbert's mercurial rod usually proved not so lucky, getting axed on a whim. Others might suffer through fully-paid COG 'Siberian' internal exile on the beautiful, tropical island paradise of Hawaii, until Herbert cooled off.

But after the ministerial meeting confronting broadcast Ted, incestuous sexual libertine Herbert, given his own sordid personal circumstances, had to play his trump card. He was finally forced to excommunicate his own son, moneymaker Ted, and blow their mutual covers off! A frustrated Herbert literally had no choice left, but to blow his own stack over Ted's own missing dimension! But in this case, it may be said the apple didn't fall very far from the rotten trunk of the original tree.

The Case of The Prophetic Profit

I remember in the 1930's Herbert Armstrong was prophesying that Mussolini was leading us to Armageddon, as could be seen by the earlier Plain Truths. And then in the 1940's it was Hitler who was going to be the great Beast. Then in the `50's Hitler was still believed to be alive, but it was the seven times prophecy of Leviticus 26 that would leave the U. S. highways desolate in 1965, and World War III in 1972. And up until just a matter of months prior to 1972, Herbert Armstrong still thought there was better than a 50/50 chance we would flee in `72.

In the `60's, of course, the 19-year time cycles were emphasized, and these were basically based around Herbert Armstrong's private life. Absolutely no Biblical proof for it. And I've heard various analogies, all of which have been proven false. But how many lives were damaged in the meanwhile?

--Ken Westby

There's An Ulterior Motive

JMF: I know that many of the pastors that I’ve worked with have a sense of “we need to grow, we need to get the gospel out.” And they put together programs or ideas about how to reach out into the community, how to hold a supper for disadvantaged people or put together a food drive or whatever. And their goal is to bring people, or attract people to the church and they get very excited if one or two people say, well, hey this is a nice church, maybe we’ll attend. And a couple of people might attend, they might attend for a week or two and then they’re gone. And with all the programs that have been put out and tried, and to be honest there’s an ulterior motive – it isn’t just, well, people need help and we’re going to help them. It’s we hope that this is going to draw people into the church. - Feazell to Elmer Coyler

Did Cultmeister Tkach Lie About Reforming 2009 Still Secret WCG/GCI Church Association Govt Bylaws?

Joe Tkach Jr: Yeah. I would have to, if the board disagreed, under this scenario, I would have to, uh, terminate everyone's responsibility on the board and do that myself.

Larry Mantle: Stuff like that has happened before.

Joe Tkach Jr: Yeah. I don't think I would get away with it.

Larry Mantle: Who would stop you though? If it is in your bylaws allowing you to do it?

Joe Tkach Jr: My family would stop me.

Larry Mantle: Okay. And the bylaws are going to change that? You're NOT going to have that level of authority?

Joe Tkach Jr: As my book tells in the last chapter, that that is something that we have said we are going to do and that is something we are working on. Yeah, I think it is something that we will have completed this year.

Larry Mantle: Okay.

Joe Tkach Jr: When I say this year, I mean 1998.

Absolute Power

Despite whatever they may say to gloss it over, Joseph Tkach has absolute power.

He is on the Doctrinal Advisory team.

He is chair of the Board of Directors. and,

The Pastor General chairs his own Advisory Council of Elders (ACE).

He can rearrange the international churches anyway he wishes, governmentally, doctrinally and financially. And I believe he is the head of every Board of Directors internationally.

Transparency as to how things are done are solely at his discretion.

Members can play church locally but that's as far as they can go.

WCG HQ expects a whole lot of accountability upwards. The Administration Manual is riddled with it.

Joseph Tkach, under the present system, is accountable only to God ... and the government should he break any "man made" criminal or civil laws.

Anne

Herbert Armstrong's Most Destructive Doctrine

Prospective members should know though that despite the friendliness of some there is much more to the "Worldwide Church of God".

If they enter there they will find no financial accountability or say for tithes and offerings sent to HQ. Correct doctrine has no protection. The inner goings on are not for public viewing. And among other things ... it all hinges on one man with over ruling power.

Dr. Tkach is holding onto Herbert Armstrong's central and most destructive doctrine ... the power of the Pastor General .... with a death grip.

--Anne

How Long Does It Take?

It is stated in there that you control the board of directors of the church. So you can pick and choose who is going to be the board of the Worldwide Church of God. That board controls the church and its assets. As a result, effectively you control the church's assets. Is that accurate?

TKACH JR: Ah, not entirely, no. Ah, first of all, I'd mentioned that we are currently in the process of revising our bylaws so that the position I hold is elected ...
December 4, 1997

Has Junior now trashed his promised church elections?

3/20/2011

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Those Who Forget Their History Are Doomed

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Tithing Doctrine Changed

Tkach's Disgraceful 2010 GCI Association: Secret Bylaws, Secret Board, Secret Money

SO WHO VOTED IN GODFATHER JOE JR. AS WCG-GCI POPE ETERNAL?

The Only Members of the United Church of God Who Really Count - The Ministry Class!

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COGs: Unaccountably Burning Up Your Third Tithes

Garner Ted's Memorable Missing Dimension

Steuben

Send ALL of GOD'S tithes to ME

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Times Of Your Life

The Case of The Prophetic Profit

There's An Ulterior Motive

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Did Cultmeister Tkach Lie About Reforming 2009 Still Secret WCG/GCI Church Association Govt Bylaws?

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