Flurry needs help to build a “House for God” (i.e., Armstrong Auditorium) where God will live. (February 22, 2007 co-worker letter)
Below will be clips from his letter, along with comments by ESN. (Bolding replaces caps used by GF.) Gerald Flurry’s words will be indented. (Updates on this “House for God” are at bottom.)
“God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth,
dwelleth not in temples made with hands.” ~Acts 17:24
BEGIN CO-WORKER LETTER:
“Time is rapidly running out for us to complete God’s Work!“
Is this Gerald Flurry talking, or Herbert Armstrong? “Time is getting shorter! We haven’t as much time left to complete Christ’s Commission, as we think!” (October 2, 1957 co-worker letter by HWA.) HWA repeatedly in his co-worker letters declared, “Time is running out!” “Time is getting shorter!” “Time is now short!” “There is not much time left!” “We still have much work to do and not much time to do it!” etc.
“One big decision weighing on my mind for months now is when to proceed with constructing the House for God, the auditorium we plan for the Herbert W. Armstrong College campus. … The only thing we lack is funding.”
Guess who is going to pay for it?
“This is not a time for cutbacks–it is time to drive forward with greater urgency and power in God’s Work!“
When has Flurry ever cut back (or waited) on anything he wanted?
“…given what looks to be the very shortness of time we have left, I believe we must position ourselves to begin constructing the house for God as quickly as we possibly can”.
What words were continually repeated by HWA in his co-worker letters from 1938 until 1985? “Time is short!”
“I also believe God wants us to build this inspiring structure.”
God? Or Gerald Flurry?
“He [God] has also given us the concert grand piano and the two candelabra from the Ambassador Auditorium. I believe that these are strong indications God wants us to move ahead with this project.”
“He [God] has also given us the concert grand piano and the two candelabra from the Ambassador Auditorium. I believe that these are strong indications God wants us to move ahead with this project.”
Flurry spent $107,500 for items auctioned off by Worldwide Church of God (which included a Steinway concert piano and two seven foot tall candelabra) and now he wants us to think it was “God” that gave these to him? And that somehow it all correlates with how a “House for God” must be built?
“Shouldn’t we have a house for God, just before the greatest event ever to occur in the universe, the return of Jesus Christ?“
Translation: “Shouldn’t I, the great Gerald Flurry, have a house built for my ego, just like HWA built one for himself? If you members will only sacrifice enough, I shall have it!”
“And money is not our primary need. We need faith to build that auditorium–faith in the living God!”
Of course, faith won’t build it. He still needs your money.
“…Jesus said blessed shall we be, who shall be found diligently doing in His Work, when He comes. Not those who say, ‘Let’s lie down and quit.’ “
Is Flurry reading from a different Bible? Where does it say in Matthew 24:46 and Luke 12:43 that “so doing” means building a House for God?
“…Mr. Armstrong said the Work being done is the whole reason Christ can come back!” [referring to a April 1951 Good News article by HWA]
If this is true, then why doesn’t Flurry furnish a Scripture? Is it because it isn’t in the Bible?
“The Apostle Peter said we could actually hasten the coming of Jesus Christ by how we work today (II Peter 3:12).”
Is this what this scripture really says? That Christ’s return depends on how we work? Or does Flurry want us to tie in his words about “work” with sending in more money to him?
“Mr. Armstrong’s focus was not on a date–“
Flurry is only half right. HWA emphasized dates in order to bring more money in.
“–it was on the Work that had to be done. That will largely determine the course of world events!”
Jesus explained what the “work of God” is and that He finished it: “Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent” (John 6:29); “I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4); “Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work” (John 4:34).
“We don’t need a building program–“
Then why does Flurry have one? Is this more double-talk?
“–we just need to get this message out. But God’s House has its own message! Mr. Armstrong considered the Ambassador Auditorium part of the Great Commission of the Church! It served a role in bringing the world to God–.”
Ambassador Auditorium (i.e., “God’s House”) was part of the Great Commission?? If it served a role in “bringing the world to God,” then what need is there for another one? Did the early apostles need a magnificent building in order to proclaim the Gospel to the world?
“We can also see a parallel between our building program and Noah’s program anciently.” [quotes Hebrews 11:7]
There is nothing in Hebrews 11:7 to make one think there could be any kind of parallel between Flurry wanting to build a lavish “House for God” and Noah building the ark. The ark can foreshadow our salvation in Christ alone.
“How many lives will be impacted–even while this structure is going up? How many will be moved just by simply seeing the resources we put into making God’s house a reality? It is a special means of proclaiming God’s message of hope, pointing people to the day when God will transform the world into a Garden of Eden.”
Flurry previously told us he saw a “parallel” between his building program and Noah’s. Doesn’t he know that no one outside Noah’s family believed? So how will lives be “impacted”? What good will it do for people to be “moved” if they don’t hear about the salvation that is offered through Christ? How will seeing all the money that has been thrown into a building project proclaim that God is going to transform the world into a Garden of Eden someday?
“Perhaps we can see the need for buildings for our staff and students to work in and dwell in, but what about a place for our great God to dwell in? “
Isaiah 66:1 says, “Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?” How can Flurry talk about building a place (house) for the majestic God (who is a Spirit) to dwell in?? It is God who dwells in His children through His Spirit.
“… At this point, I believe the urgency of the times does not negate the fact that we need this building to proclaim God’s message. It just means we have less time to build it!
In other words, the time is short, but it doesn’t cancel out that this house needs to be built, because that’s how Flurry is going to “proclaim God’s message.” Which of the early church fathers ever said that they needed a building in order to proclaim “God’s message”? What is Gerald Flurry’s focus? Is it not on a building instead of the Gospel?
“As I wrote in Daniel Unlocks Revelation: ‘God also had Herbert W. Armstrong build a physical house to help keep His people’s minds on Him and His Work.’ “
Do we need something physical to keep our minds on God? Is this what the Bible says? “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him” (John 4:23).
“We need it in order to understand our vision of the World Tomorrow better. We need it to build our faith.”
Need it?? “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1) “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
“We all need more faith than what we have right now. I believe building the auditorium will be a major way God builds our faith for what is coming!“
So building the “House for God” (Flurry’s auditorium) is supposed to build everyone’s faith? How much faith do we need? If we have faith in Jesus Christ, isn’t that enough? “Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers” (Ephesians 1:15-16). And doesn’t Flurry teach that all loyal Philadelphians are going to a “place of safety” to escape that which is “coming”?
“Our enemies are always trying to marginalize us and to make us appear as some deranged cult. How they possibly succeed when people see God’s magnificent house rising from the Oklahoma landscape?”
There are many different types of cults, not just “deranged” ones. Captive Hearts, Captive Minds by Madeline Tobias and Janja Lalich includes several categories: Eastern meditation, religious, political/racist, commercial, psychotherapy/human potential, New Age, occult/satanic, one-on-one and cult of personality. Isn’t it the leaders of some cults who have been labeled “deranged,” such as Jim Jones of People’s Temple and David Koresh of the Branch Davidians? [Read how David Koresh’s belief system was very similar to that of Gerald Flurry’s Philadelphia Church of God.]
“We need to follow Mr. Armstrong’s faithful example.”
For more on HWA’s “faithful example,” see articles and testimonies under Herbert W. Armstrong (especially the ones on the incest under “Questioning HWA’s Fruits”).
“God’s house shall be a message of awe-inspiring hope for this world!“
The Lord Jesus Christ is the only hope for this world that the Word of God proclaims!
“And, after God’s house, I don’t believe God will want us to build anything else of significance on His property. We are so close to the end of this wretched age…”
“And, after God’s house, I don’t believe God will want us to build anything else of significance on His property. We are so close to the end of this wretched age…”
After “just this one” expensive structure, we’re to believe that Flurry won’t ask for anymore.
“And if God wants us to build Him an auditorium, then we must not slow Him down.”
How can anyone “slow God down”? Evidently (according to Flurry) they can, if they don’t send in enough money for “God’s House.”
“Having the honor to build a house for God is truly inspiring! And we are quickly running out of time to be able to do this.”
Couldn’t “God’s money” be spent for far more important things? How much more can people give than they are already giving? Nevertheless, Flurry wants readers to know “we are quickly running out of time” so they better hurry and send those donations in.
“Immediately after Mr. Armstrong died, we entered into a time of ‘no more delay” (Revelation 10:6).
How long is “no more delay” supposed to last? While Flurry feels it is now, what did HWA say about Revelation 10:6? The following is taken from Herbert Armstrong’s November 11, 1976 co-worker letter:
This mighty angel in the second half of this inset prophecy, beginning verse 6, swears by the Eternal GOD there shall be “time no longer” (A.V.–marginal translation–‘no more delay’). …
Could it be possible, after proclaiming the Gospel of THE KINGDOM OF GOD, as well as Ezekiel’s warning to the people of Israel, that, beginning January, 1972, when my PRESENT CAMPAIGN of walking through the doors God said He would open (Revelation 3:8) to KINGS, and many NATIONS of DIFFERENT LANGUAGES commenced, that it is the FULFILLMENT OF THIS PROPHECY OF REVELATION 10?
To me it comes as a STARTLING, AMAZING EYE-OPENING NEW LIGHT DIRECT FROM GOD!
Then in a January 20, 1980 co-worker letter HWA said:
The Laodicean era of the Church shall rise OUT OF, through and in the latter part of the Great Tribulation. They shall be IN it, and turn to God out of and during it (Revelation 7:9-15). They come out of the Great Tribulation and are converted as a result of it, which will open their eyes to the fact that what the Philadelphian Church proclaims was true, although now, while we proclaim it, they are not heeding. …
So Revelation 10 shows that when our Work appeared to be close to finished and there should be no more delay in God’s intervention, God did hold up world events, and I was commissioned to NOW go with the Kingdom Message to many KINGS, or national leaders, of many nations, speaking different languages. That is what, as I now look back in retrospect, I have been doing since 1970 and especially since 1972. So perhaps our Work would have been completed by 1972, except for this special commission.
While there is no mention of “Laodiceans” in Flurry’s February 22, 2007 co-worker letter, one can ascertain from the above words of HWA that he would disagree with Flurry’s assessment of Laodiceans being the WCG, offshoots, or anyone who has left PCG or rejects the “government” God taught through HWA.
“Many people can see that something is horribly wrong in this world. But they don’t understand why.”
So along comes PCG (and similar cultic groups) that offer people black and white answers to life’s problems, showing them the way out of this messed up world. (Few know this “knowledge” Flurry dispenses comes with a high price.)
“Our time is also extremely short.”
Time has been “extremely short” for a very long time. In an August 23, 1945 co-worker letter HWA said, “It’s a NEW AGE—but one destined to be of extremely SHORT DURATION.”
“God has promised to protect the people who are doing His Work.”
Where does it specifically say in the Bible that it is those “doing His Work” that shall be protected? Jesus finished “His (the Father’s) Work.” (John 4:34) “Work” is a buzzword for the needs and wants of Gerald Flurry.
“Also, we plan to completely renovate our pcog.org website to provide visitors a much more complete picture of the great many positive and hope-filled activities and projects the Philadelphia Church of God is involved in.”
Will Flurry let visitors know that if they get involved with PCG they will have to cut off from all their loved ones and family (especially if they were ever in WCG or offshoots)? For other things that will be expected of those who join PCG, read: Without My Informed Consent!
“Most of our enemies’ attacks will be directed at the office God has given me.”
Is it really the office God has given Flurry, or a lofty office he has assumed for himself? The “office” Flurry talks about is tied in with “the government of God” which PCG emphasizes and which no one dare question without fear of disfellowshipment.
“…we have decided to transform True Education into an Internet-based magazine rather than a print magazine, which will eliminate printing and shipping costs. … Putting the magazine online will enable us to give our young people a large variety of content–including, possibly, occasionally virtual “fireside chats” with our headquarters ministers…”
NOTE: It was Ellen G. White (co-founder of 7th-day Adventism that HWA copied from) who spoke much about “true education” in her book Education. She even had a “True Education Series.”
Will they be able to raise any kind of doubts with the HQ ministers? For instance, can they ask questions about Scriptures that disagree with PCG’s doctrines?
“We took out a five-year loan for our Hall of Administration. I have made it our goal to pay it off within the next 12 months… And unless God directs me otherwise, as soon as that loan is paid we plan to break ground on the house for God! Again, given the urgency of the times, we want to begin that construction as quickly as we possibly can.”
In other words, it is the members’ responsibility to make sure this loan is paid off within the allotted time.
“The only other period during which we received more calls was in the few months after we announced winning the copyrights to Mr. Armstrong’s literature, almost four years ago.”
Winning the copyrights? It was a settlement and PCG paid WCG $3 million for the copyrights. Read: PCG Did NOT Win a Victory in the WCG vs. PCG Court Case (February 23, 2007 letter to ESN from Attorney at Law).
“…it does humble me to see how much you are sacrificing for this Work and putting your hearts into it!”
How true that the members are sacrificing more than ever. But would they do it if they weren’t browbeaten into it?
“Let us get on our knees and beseech God to help us work more powerfully and more efficiently for Him. Pray that God would provide the wherewithal for us to hasten the completion of this Work and usher in the return of Christ…”
Let us all pray that more members would have the strength to see how much they are being exploited and deceived and that they will choose to leave the PCG and be set free in Christ.
By D. M. Williams
Exit & Support Network™
“We’re gonna have the honor to build a House for God to dwell in on this campus.”
(Gerald Flurry, December 3, 2007 sermon, “Elijah Family Vision”)
UPDATES:
PCG broke ground for this “House for God” in January 2008. At that time, it was stated that it would cost $15 million to build. However, in July 2010, when it was finally finished, it was said to cost $20 million. Then in a 2012 co-worker letter Flurry told members that the building actually cost $25 million because they had not included the cost of landscaping. (December 26, 2012 letter to ESN) This eight story, Armstrong Auditorium (patterned after HWA’s Ambassador Auditorium) seats 800 and has been “dedicated to Herbert W. Armstrong.”
In his June 6, 2009 sermon Gerald Flurry boasted that this would be the last and only House built and God “would dwell there forever.”
Gerald Flurry Purchases the Big Sandy Swan Sculpture for his Armstrong Auditorium) (April 18, 2009 letter to ESN)
In a 2011 co-worker letter Flurry laid a guilt trip on members because the Building Fund for his extravagant Auditorium was down and he still owed over $7 million on it. (Read December 1, 2011 letter to ESN: Flurry Getting Desperate For Money and also the two letters following: “No Proof of What Gerald Flurry Says” and “Cash in Accounts and Investments to Pay off the Auditorium.”)
It appears that Gerald Flurry is beginning to sound more and more like Herbert Armstrong in how he is able to extract money out of members. Notice what HWA said in 1958:
“Some few have written that they have been thrown out of jobs. That only means that the rest of us ought to sacrifice all the more to make up for it. I KNOW THAT SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN DOING THAT. But the facts themselves tell us that MOST of you have not been doing all you could!” (March 5, 1958 co-worker letter from Herbert Armstrong) [emp. ours]
Be sure and read: Herbert W. Armstrong: The Rich Apostle which includes at end another quote by HWA from his December 24, 1941 co-worker letter stating the amounts of money he “must” have.
How do all these building projects correlate with Gerald Flurry telling members
that they are in the “last hour” and “time is short”?
Flurry’s reasoning is similar to what Herbert Armstrong said. He would plead with co-workers and members to help him build more and more “necessary” buildings. Then he would try to correlate it with how he said they only had “a few years left.” However, at other times members were told in sermons, Bible studies, etc. that the “buildings that remain will be for a witness to others in the Tribulation.” Somehow they are supposed to cause those outside to wake up and recognize that they were “God’s true church.” Plus, all these buildings and assets are to somehow “enable them” to get the gospel out in this present age about the soon-coming Kingdom. Many old time members in WCG should remember hearing this from HWA and ministers.
The following is excerpted from one of Herbert Armstrong’s Co-Worker letters (bolding ours):
December 17, 1962 Co-Worker letter:
Even if the buildings in which our growing staff must DO the work should be bombed out of existence at the time when our work is finished. THAT WORK OF GOD CANNOT BE CARRIED ON AND FINISHED, UNLESS the trained workers who DO the work have room and facilities with which to do the work! I say this, because some unthinking Co-Worker is bound to find fault and say we are putting up buildings we may not be able to use after nine, ten, or twelve short years from now.
The point is, the BIGGEST part of GOD’S GREAT WORK remains yet to be done, dear Co-Workers. This is the MOST IMPORTANT thing on earth today! Sure, I keep telling you, with emphasis, we may have only another nine or ten years in which to do it. We are near THE END of this world. TIME IS SHORT! Well then, shall we lay down on the job, and FAIL to let Christ do GOD’S WORK through us, because the few buildings we must have to do it in might be of no further use to us after our work is done? We are not concerned, now, with what happens to these buildings AFTER the finishing of GOD’S WORK, which Christ started 1935 years ago and now is finishing through us. WE ARE TO BE CONCERNED, above everything else in our lives, WITH GETTING THIS STUPENDOUS JOB DONE, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!
Note by ESN: In May 1963 HWA launched his multi-million dollar building program. Decades later and after numerous failed prophecies, the campus and other buildings were sold. Members never received any type of compensation for the hundreds and thousands of dollars they sent in. Today history is repeating itself with Gerald Flurry’s building program.