"An Analyses of Worldwide Church of God Strategy/Planning"

Opinion, not inside information.

by Mary S.

When papa Joe was running the show, he really cut down Armstrong.
After he died, I think junior and co. (with the help of consultant Carl George) had it all figured out as such:

 

• They figured most of the hard-liners would pack up their Herbie paraphernalia and run to the offshoots in droves, and good riddance anyway.
• They figured the congregations would dwindle, so that was a good time to axe the local church hall building program and introduce the house church. This would also alleviate payment on rental halls.
• It was through these house churches that God was going to bring the golden age as he multiplied the numbers of new converts like loaves and fishes.
• The house churches in major cities would grow big enough to establish meta-churches which would support themselves and HQ.
• With that support, plus community outreach programs and the predicted profitability of PT magazine, Joe and friends could drop anything Worldwide Church of God once and for all and side-step over to the waiting arms of the new and improved PT Ministries.
• No more dinky, scattered congregations with leftover Herbie co-dependants and over-priced meeting halls to worry about. They would be in the big leagues with the likes of James Dobson.

  But what went wrong was:

• Members had the audacity to quit sending money even if HQ did say they didn't need to tithe. (Deluded HQ actually thought members would start sending MORE than 10%).
• HQ response: The infamous 1997 tithing letter threat.

• The house church idea flops because there was too much disagreement, plus the co-dependants couldn't bear to have a service without the presence of a minister.
• HQ response: keep your halls, but get out there and raise funds. And you MUST send your proceeds to HQ first.

• Members not interested in soliciting new converts through community outreach.
• HQ response: Then go and reclaim the wandering, blind unaffilated that we told to leave if they don't like it. And bring 3 new friends to services.

• Unfed new covenant believers leaving in droves while too many pesky Herbie co-dependants hung around waiting for Worldwide Church of God to get "back on track".
• HQ response:"Those @&%*! hangers on are the only ones still tithing, so here goes (twist my arm a little harder Greg): "Welll . . . Herbie wasn't such a bad guy after all (oh, ouch!).
• We'll allow him to loom in the shadows as some kind of misguided - albeit sincere and Bible believing - historical figure. I suppose we'll have to let you keep your feasts too, but you're going to pay for it yourself (at least we'll still get the offerings). Keep your sabbath, but we're going to have services on Sunday too, darn it!
• "God is just testing our suffering quotient, but our prayer circles and healing miracles will prevail! It's just a matter of time before we unload our white elephant in Pasadena, then you Herbie hangers are outta" here!
• And as for you internet rumor-mongers . . . Jack! Hank! NAE! Azuza! Heeeeellllllllpppp!"