Comments on Ambassador Watch: Greg's Great Leap Backward

Dear Greg Albrecht, LOL! The PT has an article ...

2009-09-16T03:34:54.432+12:00

Dear Greg Albrecht,

LOL! The PT has an article about a cult. Oh, goody!
Maybe it's to deflect attention, or to make Gracie or PTM seem better in comparison?

I have not read your cover article, and I'm not going to, unless you consider me a "contributor" (for sending you a bean discount coupon, and you send this "contributor" a subscription in hard copy).

For those who will not read the latest issue of your rag, here's just a little info about the cult featured in the PT cover article:

The founders of the cult are William Irvine and Edward Cooney from Ireland, who met in 1897.
They tried not to give their cult a name, but needing to keep their people from being drafted to WWII, clandestinely listed it in official papers as “The Christian Testimony”. They have always kept a low profile.
Irvine supposedly had a “revelation” concerning Matthew 10:8–10, that their members' discipleship was to give up all, and go "two by two", with nothing, to preach the gospel.
They've been known by such names as "go-preachers", "black-stockings", "two-by-twos", "cooneyites", "workers", "friends", "the truth", "nameless church", and "nameless house sect", among others.
They teach that all who are not in their group (and who are disfellowshipped) are going to Hell.
As the cult grew (and spread to all continents), 'Overseers' controlling each district were appointed. These 'Overseers' lived extremely well compared to those under their iron-fisted control.
Eventually, both of the cult's founders (Irvine and Cooney) were both disfellowshipped by the Overseers.
Irvine came to think he was one of the two witnesses in Revelation 11.
The Overseers have eliminated mention of their origins, including the founders Cooney and Irvine, and now claim an origin from the time of Jesus and the apostles.

Does this sound a bit familiar?
Does it seem strange and ironic that that the PT would feature an article about the "two-by-twos" (as if it's a "bad" cult to be avoided), given Gracie's past and their present strategy of distancing itself from the history of their founding- even changing their name and eliminating references to their founding?

Mr. Albrecht, please know this:
Heroin Jeebus is praying for you.
I pray that your wind chimes gently tink from the winds of your stink, and that "Smell's Bells" give you much needed serenity and comfort.
Heroin Jeebus knows that it's not comfortable to hold it in.

Love,
Heroin Jeebus of Megachurch

I remember, from my time in the PCG, hearing in se...

2009-09-15T04:59:19.152+12:00

I remember, from my time in the PCG, hearing in sermons that "You people need to understand that God's Church can be destroyed!"

Huh? by mere men? I guess they don't think God is all that omnipotent, do they?

"Christianity with the religion!" "...

2009-09-15T01:56:35.044+12:00

"Christianity with the religion!" "Cake without any ingredients!"

Well, with postal rates increasing, it's only to be expected that The Plain Truth, already lacking subscribers and support, would have to make these cutbacks. Hopefully in time the useless, unnecessary PT and WCG/GCI will be disbanded.

"What a find! Can you find WCG, UCG ?" ...

2009-09-14T13:52:16.946+12:00

"What a find! Can you find WCG, UCG ?"

Nope. This, despite repeated searches, following the directions Stan posted here. Also note, GCI is NOT registered with the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, which, as members in good standing of the National Association of Evangelicals, they rightly should be. Why are they not?

Someone with more motivation and investment than I, can gank PTM's 2008 return, which will REALLY put the proof to Greg's lie that "The Work is IN DANGER brethren!! SEND IT IN!"

Beans, Beans their good for your heart... The mor...

2009-09-14T05:07:37.535+12:00

Beans, Beans their good for your heart...

The more Greg eats...

The more HE FARTS!

Hey Greg, Save even more. Cut back on the numbe...

2009-09-13T18:32:44.936+12:00

Hey Greg,

Save even more. Cut back on the number of pages some more. Cut back on the number of issues each year. Keep on cutting back until you get to zero pages zero times a year.

Remember, under the Tkachs anything at all that you do produce and mail out will just be a big waste anyway.

In one sense, I do sort of believe you a little bit. You really are, as the old saying goes, "full of beans."

Dear Greg, Has Junior turned off the faucet? Sin...

2009-09-13T18:25:43.585+12:00

Dear Greg,

Has Junior turned off the faucet?

Sincerely,
Heroin Jeebus of Megachurch

I read the Plain Truth cover article The religiou...

2009-09-13T17:31:15.847+12:00

I read the Plain Truth cover article

The religious movement it discusses may be found under the Wikipedia entry: Christian Conventions.

This movement seems to have even effectively wiped out the knowledge of their own origin among themselves. Thankfully the rest of us know precisely where this movement began.

Purple Hymnal said... "PTM's 2007 tax ...

2009-09-13T13:49:15.223+12:00

Purple Hymnal said...

"PTM's 2007 tax return..(PDF) here,"

WOW! ALBRECH's $alary is $120,000 !
The tax return tells a different story than the claims of poverty to his followers.

What a find! Can you find WCG, UCG ?

Whoops, looks like Russ decided to take down ISA, ...

2009-09-13T08:07:58.973+12:00

Whoops, looks like Russ decided to take down ISA, the blog I posted about the PTM's 2007 tax return is borked. See the document in its entirety (PDF) here, or by clicking on my username, above.

The Plain Truth is, to all intents and purposes, d...

2009-09-13T07:55:43.304+12:00

The Plain Truth is, to all intents and purposes, dead.

Yaaaay!

GCI and UCG can't be that far behind. Armstrongism might actually come to an end in our lifetimes.

Awwwww This is so sad. Greg has to eat beans. I g...

2009-09-13T02:20:57.196+12:00

Awwwww

This is so sad. Greg has to eat beans. I guess he's finally having to face the music!

Get a real job, Greg, and quit begging the poor to support your lifestyle.

AnnMarie95

I bipped on over to the PTM website, and under the...

2009-09-12T15:35:12.745+12:00

I bipped on over to the PTM website, and under their advert for a "free" 12 month subscription to the PT was this blurb about the cover story.

"To former members and those who encounter this cult, they are known by a variety of nicknames: 2X2s (two-by-twos), Cooneyites, Irvinites, Dippers, Go-Preachers, the Tramps and the No-Names. It is the very anonymity and simplicity of the No-Names that enables their cult to grow largely undetected, like termites in a home, noticed only when the damage is too costly to ignore."

Talk about the Pot calling the Kettle black...

Most of the magazines that I subscribe to (and pay...

2009-09-12T13:32:45.126+12:00

Most of the magazines that I subscribe to (and pay for) are very skinny these days due to the decline in advertising. Greg mentions a decline in donations but he has probably suffered a higher percentage decline in advertising revenue. By publishing less frequently he hopes to hold on to some of his advertisers.

RIP PT.

Well I prayed about it and God said "Don'...

2009-09-12T11:11:09.636+12:00

Well I prayed about it and God said "Don't feed the pig!" Feed this pig. Click on my name!

Don't feed the machine!

2009-09-12T09:56:17.276+12:00

Don't feed the machine!