Best of the Letters From 2025
Taken Me Awhile to Untangle My Beliefs:
February 11, 2025
I am interested in your website.
I was raised in Melbourne Australia where there is a modest UCG congregation among other “church of God” offshoots.I stopped attending about ten years ago, in my early twenties, but it has taken me until now to really untangle what I do and do not believe and what happened to me. I feel like I am seeing things clearly at last. –Formerly in UCG
Thank You for Your Article on the True Church:
February 12, 2025
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for the article entitled “Where Is the True Church?” It is well thought out and pertinent.
As a Sabbatarian looking for an acceptable congregation, I contacted a pastor of the local Living Church of God. He seemed protective of his congregation in a way that appeared unwelcoming. It was a very strange response. It did sound quite controlling. What bothered me was that it is the opposite of a hospitable and loving God. –[name withheld]
Comment: This person received a personal reply. LCG’s original and first name was Global Church of God. Here is our article on them: Living Church of God (Gerald E. Weston).
What deceptive groups do is to convince you that God led you to “the truth” and to His “one true church.”
We have spent a great deal of time and effort researching the background of these groups and the methods employed in deception. Unfortunately, power, control and exploitation are what these groups are about.
We pray others will be discerning in making a wise decision about any involvement with LCG.
Those That Worry About Escaping the Tribulation:
March 2, 2025
The fear that these false teachers put in people concerning the Tribulation is horrible. I think when we are saved, we don’t fear these things any longer because we know we are destined to be with Christ. It doesn’t matter how we die, whether by accident, illness, war, or the Rapture, we know we are secure in Him. Contrast that with always worrying about “escaping” the impending Tribulation. I think the whole emotional strain about packing up and leaving at a moment’s notice, “flying” to Jordan, or wherever, and then living in the wilderness is very stressful. I think leaving an unconverted mate, or grown children behind would have to cause some terrible emotional distress. I would rather die right beside my family than out in some wilderness away from my family. –Former WCG member
I Was Slow to Learn WCG Was a Cult:
March 6, 2025
I went to WCG for 36 years and stopped attending services in 2010 so it was a slow process to break the habit. In 1972 there were two warning signs I ignored that showed WCG was a cult. February 1972 Tomorrows World magazine had an article by Herbert Armstrong explaining why the 1975 prophecy failed. Later on that year I read the article in Time magazine with the headline Garner Ted Where Are You? I never forgot these two articles but pushed them to the back of my mind. About 6-7 years later G.T.A. [Garner Ted Armstrong] came to Melbourne Australia for a combined Sabbath service. He revealed how his father made so many predictions during World War 2 that did not come to pass. I never forgot that sermon. Did it stop me from attending the cult? As you can see, I am a slow learner.
In the early 1980s I started to dislike attending F.O.T. [Feast of Tabernacles] To me it seemed to be a huge waste of money and attending services for 8 days irritated me. About the same time Herbert Armstrong came to Melbourne Australia for the last time before he died. I have always found his sermons very boring and this one was no exception, It was same silly things he always says. It turned out that a lot of people complained after that sermon because he had nothing new to say. My minister was rebuking all those people for saying that. I did not realize it at the time that it led me down the path of questioning WCG doctrines. So early 1986 Herbert died and to me it was not a great loss.
When Mystery of the Ages came out, I read about 20 pages and never looked at it again. Fast forward to the early 1990s. F.O.T became such a despised thing to attend. In the 1994 F.O.T. I walked out mid services on the Last Great Day. It felt great doing that. Not long after that came the famous sermon saying that holy days were optional. WOW! I never attended any holy days again. WCG was very dishonest and so are the breakaway churches [offshoots] so I never had any desire to go to them.
I have been reading the posts on your site for years which has helped me to recover from the cult. I will have to admit reading all the information about Herbert Armstrong on the Internet was another reason why I left WCG.
–Former WCG member (Australia)
Religious People:
March 18, 2025
Some of the most vicious people I have ever known were very religious. As a former police officer, I handled religious people that had murdered someone. I also once worked for a religious sub-contractor and he was very dishonest in many ways. His brand of religion did not reflect the light of Jesus Christ in any way, although he would claim it did. The Pentecostal church I grew up in was full of extremely religious members, but some of them would give others a “piece of their mind” in (so called) tongues.
I felt uncomfortable in churches after leaving WCG. There were beliefs in some of those churches that I found to be unscriptural. One minister insinuated we should not be with the means of self defense within our homes. I did not go back. However, I made it clear to him that I do have such.
Having a relationship with God is more important than religion. –Former WCG member
Wonderful Material You Offer:
March 18, 2025
I just found you all so I am going to begin reading all the wonderful material that you offer. Thank you so much! I have been in therapy and just got to the place in my soul where there is religious damage. Your site is excellent and I know the Holy Spirit led me here. –J. (experienced past spiritual abuse)
Battling Various Sins:
March 27,2025
i came across your site. I am battling porn, depression and lust. Could you offer me counsel and resources. –[name withheld]
Reply: This person has received a personal reply. We recommend this book on Amazon: The Bondage Breaker by Neil T. Anderson, 2019 (revised & expanded) You Can Break the Chains Holding You Captive. (Overcoming Negative Thoughts, Irrational Feelings & Habitual Sins.)
Thank You:
(2nd email from person above)
March 28, 2027
This is great, thank you so much! –[name withheld]
The Best Answers Are the Simple Ones:
April 13, 2025
I was going to WCG assemblies about 30 years ago. Some people had a good attitude and love but most of the time I didn’t feel it. When I found out about Stanley Rader I never went back. I feel they hid that lie pretty good, or bad, I should say. To me the best answers are the simple ones. The true church is God knows who are his. –V.
Comment: Stanley Rader is covered in many places on our site. Just do a search for his name. Yes, God knows those who belong to Him and He will never forsake us.
Extravagant Lifestyle in WCG:
April 14, 2025
One of the first things I noticed about the WCG was that they were always begging for money. I read the article in the 15 May 1972 Time magazine titled “Garner Ted Where Are You?” The part that annoyed me the most was how much HWA would spend on himself; i.e., $2000 for a set of cufflinks (1972 money). At the time I had started to send in offerings from my low paying job so it was nice to know that some of my money paid for those cufflinks.
After I started to go to sabbath services in Australia, long time members would put a lot of pressure on me to buy the ENVOY. It was the year book for Ambassador College students. To me this was a scam buying a year book from a college I never attended. It took me seven years and a better paying job before I bought one. The purchase price was 20% of one week’s wage at the time.
Many years later I went for a tour of the A.C. [Ambassador College] campus in Pasadena and was shown the faculty dining room. It blew my mind on how expensive the cutlery, furnishings and everything else was compared to the students’ dining room at Pasadena. It left a lasting impression on me on how extravagant and wasteful WCG spent members tithes.
In 1992, I had a look at the Big Sandy campus. Wow! The money that was spent on new buildings so it could become a university and a few years later it was shutdown! By this time I was becoming very cynical about what was happening in the WCG and speaking to some of the employees there they had the same view. It was no surprise that when tithing became optional most members stopped tithing and then they [WCG] had the biggest financial crisis ever.
It has been 30 years since I have tithed and given offerings so now in my retirement years I am financially secure. Think very hard about giving your hard earned money to the offshoot churches. Don’t be like a member I knew that sold his house in the early 1970s and donated all the money to the WCG because 1975 was not far away. He and his wife lived in poverty in their retirement years. –B. S.
Guarding GTA’s Plane:
May 20, 2025
I was in WCG back when GTA was a prominent figure and would often fly around to various Feast sites in his plane. During those times, some of us men who had been assigned to “security” might be chosen to “guard GTA’s plane.” This was considered a very important position. Thinking back about that now, this was absolute crazy because did any of us have a gun or other weapon we could use in case someone from the “outside world” came around to cause trouble? Were we told to phone the police in case of a suspicious person? Not that I remember. Then how were we supposed to “guard the plane”? I think it was only to make us feel that GTA was a very important person. –Former WCG member
WCG Convinced My Dad to Leave the Military:
May 29, 2025
My dad returned from Vietnam in 1968. After visits from 2 ministers from WWCG, they convinced my dad, an Air Force TSgt, that he must leave the military, with only 18 months left until retirement. My dad made an announcement one Saturday morning that we would start [attending] a new church. I was 10 and my brother 13. No more playing outside or watching cartoons on Saturday. Life began the downhill slide. –[name withheld]
King James Bible Hard to Understand at Times:
June 16, 2025
Most people use the old King James Bible. Since it not the way we talk today, Is it the only version to use? is the New King James Bible a good version to use? The King James Bible is hard to understand at times without me reading the verses over. What version should we use today? –S. N.
Comment: For those who are interested, we have added the following book to our Booklist: The KJV Dictionary (“Noah Webster’s 1828 definitions of all uncommon, doctrinal, and thematic terms in the King James Version Bible… Over 2000 [words] clearly defined.”) There are also lists online. This one is very good: King James Bible Word List & Definitions Revised & Updated. They say: “Of the around 12,000 different words found in the KJV, only 300 or so could truly be considered ‘archaic’ or obscure in their meaning.”
Life So Much Better After Leaving Restored Church of God:
July 20, 2025
I left the doomsday cult RCG over 4 years ago. My life is so much better than it ever was in that poisonous organization. Same as an article in your website, nothing was “FREE.” I figured after about 10 years of tithing (nowhere in NT church doctrine) and offerings, the “FREE” cost me also about $60,000. The ministers had the worst attitudes, not all, but enough of them. Such “lords of the Gentiles.” The selfish Christianity the cults practice is repulsive. No help to the people outside of their cult, some individuals do as I was aware of, but collectively, no. And they think they will rule the world? Tremendous arrogance! Nothing but financial, mental and emotional vampires that suck the life out of people to become a drone and a clone of the cult to continue its toxic existence. I am free and independent and life is incomparably better now! –Former RCG member
Let Go From RCG; Made to Feel I Was Worthless:
August 3, 2025
I attended an RCG congregation when I could between April 2023 to September 2024.
There were a number of issues communing with others due to distance from my home, the mixed company of people from different places, and my family had asked me to carry a tracker device, concerned about my safety every time I boarded a train or carpooled to the meeting location (or locations).
I had a job in the hospitality industry for half of the tenure, which I ultimately quit because the environment I worked in overloaded my sense of sight and hearing on the job. Also, the work schedule I was provided week to week was very, very, unpredictable.
I was not able to secure another job in 2024 because the economy was showing faint signs of “cracking” and instability, which continues to this day.
Long story short, after a year and a half of struggles, I was let go in September 2024 for not being “mature enough”, and that hurt because I live with a hormonal condition that can affect my energy levels and emotional state for up to one week per month.
This year, I am still unemployed and questioning my worth in the world after being betrayed so badly by what I thought was a welcoming spiritual environment.
I might never be part of another church group again after having my needs and my hurt emotions ignored for so long, or being provided platitudes instead of adequate understanding and advice.
Now that I finished my condensed tale of the RCG experience, I see that the Toros [Nestor Toro and wife] are on the formerly employed. What happened since early 2025 to the both of them since Mr. Toro had been promoted to Elder status (in 2023)? Did the couple quit the organization? Were they fired? Had they left because of qualms with the pastor general?
I do not know because when I was removed, I was never allowed to contact the congregants I knew again (except a pastor). Now it appears I’m alone on an island with very few tools to reach out, concerned about how I may be treated if I connect with others. –F. C.
When Will UCG and COGWA See That What They Have Taught and Believed Was Corrupted From the Beginning? (A Weak Tree and Weak Fruit):
September 27, 2025
I saw the list of ex-RCG ministers and saw quite a few familiar names. This is true with Flurry’s group and others as well.
It shows a lack of discernment to join with these false teachers. Yet, they were part of the “revered” Worldwide Church of God.
The Armstrongist COGs such as UCG and COGWA try to separate themselves from these groups as being more balanced. Yet they hearken back to the Armstrongist days when the ministry consisted of many of the ministers in these “unbalanced” COGs and those that recognized the Armstrongist errors and left in 1995.
Those in COGWA and UCG are very defensive about criticism of the old WCG yet it was composed of ministers and people that they would say were not “of the right stuff” as they either followed weirder Armstongist cults or turned away from Armstrongism altogether.
Surely, from their perspective, logic would tell UCG and COGWA that the golden WCG was very flawed as were the people from the current COG perspective and positioning.
A corrupt tree bears corrupt fruit…how else could they account for the vast majority that turned from Armstrongism or joined the likes of David Pack or Gerald Flurry.
Obviously, they will explain that it was deception, the great falling away, Satan, etc.
Yet, that still indicates a weak tree and weak fruit based on such an explanation. Why didn’t the tree produce better fruit if the tree was so good?
It’s been over 30 years since WCG broke up and almost 40 years since Armstrong died. Multiple generations or almost two generations, surely the great falling away would precipitate a return of Christ much closer to the falling away. Yet, generations are passing.
When will UCG and COGWA see that what they have taught and believed was corrupted from the beginning? It isn’t easy; it was difficult for me. But, having a true understanding and relationship with our Lord is worth it even if it involves some pain. –C. P.
RCG Has Ruined My Marriage and Life:
October 1, 2025
When I married my husband, he was an atheist (he said). About 10 years into the marriage, he proclaimed that he was going to join this strange “church” called the Restored Church of God. He had been reading their garbage online and had convinced himself that this was the “one true church.” Over the next few years, he proved that he was unable to separate truth from fantasy by listening to those crazy sermons almost nonstop.
From that day on, my life and my marriage have been pretty much taken over by RCG. They demand money we don’t have, they insist that he attend their “church services” every Saturday (no vacations), and they demand that he attend their feast every fall. My husband has given them thousands of dollars, and every year this feast puts us further in debt. He decided he wanted to retire at 62, and he gives RCG every dime of his Social Security, leaving me to work and pay all the bills. No holidays can be celebrated because of this “church,” so he has alienated his family and mine.
He believes now that everyone else besides himself and his “church” friends is stupid (including me), and he has no problem calling every woman not in his “church” a whore (including me). It is impossible to have a conversation with him without listening to his “church” nonsense. He openly degrades everyone not from his “church” and picks apart everything he hears to make it comply with the obscene sermons of that madman, David Pack.
He has always been gullible, but the people at this “church” feed his ego and pick his pocket every chance they get.
RCG is all about the money, and they want to isolate everyone so that all they have is their horrible cult. –[name withheld]
Neil Earle’s Obituary Leaves Out Pertinent Information:
October 8, 2025
Hi. I read Neil Earle’s obituary and it says nothing about Herbert Armstrong, WWCOG, or Ambassador College. I thought GCI was a continuation of WWCOG, so I’m wondering why the obituary omitted these things? –P. K.
Reply: The reason I think the obituary omitted those things was they didn’t want people to know he was associated with WCG or Herbert Armstrong or to find our article about how he whitewashed HWA, as it would be embarrassing