Name changed to Grace Communion International
When I took a look at Worldwide Church of God’s “About us” page and read the first paragraph, I noticed that they tell the viewer that their beginnings began in 1933. Their opening words in the paragraph state that they are “a Christian denomination.”1
I would think that this disclosure would be a very important sign of whether they really repented. When the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, he told him in 1 Timothy 1:15, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief,” he was demonstrating his conversion from that life of sin.
The WWCG (Worldwide Church of God) refuses to say that they were not Christian in the past. They instead point to Herbert W. Armstrong as “a man of God.” They are quick to defend HWA as wrong in some areas but nevertheless a man of God, when in fact he has been proven a false prophet and a heretic! Did the booklet 1975 in Prophecy2 come true, is the Holy spirit a power, will all Christians “become God, as God is God”?3 Will those that do not keep the Holy days be thrown into the lake of fire, as he taught?
Is it a sin to be in the armed forces, celebrate birthdays, to worship on Sundays instead of Saturdays [the Sabbath], eat unclean meat? Is going to a doctor sin? Is going to the doctor for treatment a sign of a lack of trust in God as HWA taught? Can the WWCG deny that these are the things that HWA taught? A better question would be, do you think a Christian organization would want to cover all this up, and when they are questioned about it want to defend their founder? Knowing all these things, why would this organization say as they have said, “God wants you to stay where you were called, right here in the WWCG?”4
The Bible tells us what to do when we find those out that “have a form of Godliness.” 2 Timothy 3:5 tells us, “from such turn away.” The WWCG. fits the “turn away” from category to a tee that is talked about in 2 Timothy 3:1-9. They have been there, and done that, and are continuing to do it.
The WWCG has ruined thousands upon thousands of lives, some have committed suicide, some have no retirement, some have family members that have died that were not in the faith. Some will recover in a short time, others will not ever recover.5 Some will reject the true Gospel because of them, and others will never listen to anyone again that tries to bring the Gospel to them, because they do not trust anyone any more when it comes to God.
The more I think of the ruined lives that the WWCG left behind the more I hate Satan and his false churches and leaders. I don’t hate the people, I hate him which they follow, that being Satan.
I pray that God would shake the WWCG to their foundations! That the leadership will be brought down in shame before the living God. That He would expose them for what they are, that they would repent. That the members would be fed the truth of the Word of God and those that are staying there for fear of leaving would receive strength from God to leave if the leadership does not genuinely change. This is my prayer.
By John Miller, Jr.
August 2003
NOTICE: In April 2009 Worldwide Church of God changed their name in the United States to Grace Communion International. (Some local church areas and countries may still carry the former name or a different one.) They have since gone on to embrace New Age teachers and philosophies.
Related Articles/Letter:
What in the World is Grace Communion International Doing Now?
Worldwide Church of God Whitewashes Herbert Armstrong After New Changes
Includes quotes from GCI’s 2019 booklet.
Worldwide Church of God’s Faulty Orthodoxy
Also read the following by John Miller, Jr.:
Suffered a Terrible Ordeal (testimony)
The WCG Has Changed Little in Their Tactics (October 3 2003 letter to ESN)
Grace Communion International and Their Evolutionary Views (letter sent to HQs)
Grace Communion International and Their Universalism Views (letter sent to HQs)
Footnotes by ESN:
1 Worldwide Church of God Whitewashes Herbert Armstrong After New Changes
2 Basil Wolverton was drawn to HWA’s radio broadcast, The World Tomorrow, in the 1930s. He was baptized in the WCG in 1941 and ordained an elder in 1943. After HWA moved to Pasadena, California in 1946, he let Basil Wolverton pastor a congregation in the Portland, Oregon area. Wolverton went from comics to artistic work in horror and sci-fi comics in 1952. From 1954 to 1955 he worked for Mad magazine and then retired from comics until the 1970s. During the 1950s HWA had Wolverton draw a series of horrifying and grotesque scenes which depicted the “end of the age.” These drawings were first featured in the Plain Truth and then later placed in six volumes of The Bible Story (the early edition he also wrote; the installments of The Bible Story were published in the Plain Truth, beginning in November 1958). These soft bound volumes were published by Ambassador College from 1961-1968. The illustrations were later reprinted in two booklets, 1975 in Prophecy! and The Book of Revelation Unveiled at Last. All during the 60s and 70s he remained active in the local WCG ministry while he worked on The Bible Story (which covered the Old Testament only). He had a stroke in 1974 and died December 31, 1978. Read: Basil Wolverton and “The Bible Story” (December 2, 2004 letter to ESN).
Note: Monte Wolverton (son of Basil) says that HWA asked Basil Wolverton to draw horrifying pictures for his 1975 in Prophecy! booklet. This site shows most all of the drawings in that booklet which you will not find in most of the booklets online as they have been removed. The 1956 booklet was in black and white.
Monte Wolverton is son of Basil Wolverton. Monte was a local elder in Pasadena in 1988 and in 2005 was managing editor (later was associate editor) of Plain Truth Ministries (PTM). He also has a cartoon site of his own and is a freelance writer. Greg Albrecht, president of Plain Truth Ministries was, at that time, promoting Monte Wolverton’s books.
3 Quotes where WCG/HWA said we would be become God are in “Mystery of the Ages” (a critical review), chap. 6, pt. 5, Footnote #9 (PDF).
4 Members were told to “stay where God has placed you,” they were “not justified in leaving,” and if they do leave, they were “seeking an easier road,” and “bailing out on the God of grace and love.” Also, “We have an obligation to the denomination into which God called us.” (The Worldwide News, 11-29-94, Personal, p. 2; The Worldwide News, 12-13-94, Personal, p. 5) [Note: In February 2005, The Worldwide News in the United States was changed to WCG Today. In May 2006 it was changed to Together. A few years later Together was no longer available Then from 2005 to 2015 they had Christian Odyssey. Today it is Equipper (a monthly e-magazine).
5 The only time someone fails to recover if when they don’t come to understand the methods of mind control that were used on them and then begin to work hard at recovery, which includes replacing the lies with the truth.
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