OIU Volume Four
Part 2 of 2
Back to Volume 4, Part 1 and contents:
Some may be wondering why Hank Hanegraaff and Christian Research Institute have not been mentioned yet. Hanegraaff's part in the WCG spiritual fraud warrants special attention and is deserving of its own section and title. The ESN offers considerable reports on the Hank Hanegraaff story that unfolded over the past three years. The ESN, through its investigative research, exposed the inner workings of Hank and his affiliation with the Tkachians. The ESN research was documented as early as January 1994 and was in the forefront of exposing the deceitful shenanigans going on behind the scenes. As in other areas of our investigative research, a few propagandist opportunists used our work to write their reports and claimed it as their own investigative work. They, too, will be exposed in due time for what they are. While the title Hanky and Spanky may spur a chuckle for some, it is not meant to remove the seriousness of what prevailed between these two "religiocrats" throughout 1995-96. When one observes and reviews the deception and manipulation that occurred at the expense of those spiritually and financially victimized, more unchristian terms of expressive quality come to mind. But, for sake of respect for the reader, Hanky and Spanky should depict the image in the likeness of their behavior. Spanky, as you recall, was the Little Rascal always conjuring up plots and often looking a little dumb by the end of the flick because his plotting failed or backfired. The duality of the Hank and Tkach story, although serious, lends itself to the Little Rascal theme. Spanky is Joe, and Hanky… Well, he's a new (age) character. CRI Story:
Those who have followed the CRI
story for the past several years have been most entertained by its main
character, Hank Hanegraaff. Christian Research Institute (CRI) gained a
solid reputation under the direction of it founder, Walter Martin.
Following Martin's sudden death on June 26, 1989, Hank assumed the role as
president of CRI. Hank's takeover
of CRI is shrouded in deception, prompting grave questions about Hank's
history and motive. As a newcomer to CRI shortly before Martin's death,
Hank suddenly moved his way to the top bypassing other commendable CRI
employees who would have been more appropriate for the job. This sudden
climb to the "big boss" position might deem appropriate had
Hank had credentials for the position. Hank's background includes
experience as Sears (washing machine?) salesmen in Florida. Despite what
some may think, Hank had no ministerial credentials, no proper theology
education and a questionable education history. Whatever qualified Hank
for the position of The Bible Answer Man is anyone's guess, and
how in the world Hank wiggled his way into the Presidential position of
CRI is beyond comprehension. Guess you have to live in Southern
California to understand! CRI Asks ESN For Help In April of 1994, Paul called the ESN out of a desperate attempt to gather information for a meeting he was having in Pasadena that morning. You can imagine how surprised we were to learn that CRI would agree to meeting with Joe, Mike and Greg, without any preparation. Paul confirmed that the CRI had no WCG materials on hand other than a few old booklets from the past. He was most grateful for our assistance as he jotted down at least fifteen questions to ask the cult leaders. Paul was anxious that day and very unprepared for a meeting with the skilled con artists. He promised he would call the ESN that afternoon with a follow-up from the meeting, but didn't. A week later the ESN spoke with his assistant and was told the meeting went well. Paul's avoidance of the ESN was a red flag that prompted us to scrutinize Hank Hanegraaff and CRI. Our thorough research has been praised by many and has assisted others who would have been manipulated by this charlatan. The ESN carries files of letters from many WCG exiters who reached out to CRI and requested assistance from Hank. Letter after letter went ignored by Hank, as he consummated his newly formed friendship with the cult's leaders. Why, you ask? Many wondered how Hank Hanegraaff could get sucked into the lies of the cult's leaders. Well readers, Hank didn't get sucked into anything; as we have said in the past, Hanky and Spanky are two peas in a big pod. Hank's widespread corruption exposure might have removed Hank from the WCG eye throughout 1994-95, but Tkach Sr. wasn't cold in the ground before Hank reared his face to the WCGers for a grand appearance. The October 1995 WWN displays the first of many PR pictures with Hanky and Spanky doing their thing. Tkach Sr. had little knowledge of Spanky's games with Hanky. It is unclear at this time who initiated the Hanky Spanky team, but we do know the marriage is self-serving on both parts. Hanky's failure in managing the CRI created a considerable loss of income and reputation for the evangelical counter-cult ministry. It was a downhill battle for CRI to hold together, following the damage from Hanky's managerial deception. Following the published picture in the Worldwide News of Hanky and Spanky hugging at Tkach Sr.'s grave site, [WN, 10-3-95, pg. 8] Hanky started an all out Public Relations (war) campaign about the Worldwide Church of God no longer being a cult, but having embraced "true Christianity." Hanky became the official spokesman for the historic WCG cult turned church. Hank proudly picked up where David Hulme left off. What a commendable replacement for Public Relations man, David Hulme. And what a good job Hanky did. Week after week Hanky used the radio show to propagandize how the wonderful "historic" Worldwide Church of God had turned to God while he credited himself as the one responsible for such an historic accomplishment. Even more laughable, are the carefully crafted letters to his readers blowing his own horn and begging for handouts (donations) so he (the hypocrite) could continue to witness to the "cults and the occult"! Spanky pays
Hanky BIG $$$ Hanky's new WCG PR job gave him the money-producing product he needed, following the mess he made of CRI the previous years. We've learned that Hanky is well paid by Spanky and the gang. Not only did Hanky financially capitalize on all the WCG propaganda, but also Hanky is paid as a Consultant for his appearances that help dupe the public into the big lie. The ongoing WCG financial perks filling the pockets of Hanky must be sizable, as Spanky could not have performed such propaganda hypocrisy without the aid of Hanky. It takes a pro and a big mouth to spread dis-information throughout the land. Hanky must be worth his weight in gold. It's doubtful that those who incorporated the Hanegraaff lies and manipulations knew that Hanegraaff was being paid deceitful bucks from the cult to propagate the good news. Hanky and Spanky needed each other and served each other well. As usual, the propagandists' deceivers and controllers are the winners, and the losers are those caught in the web of despicable, sociopathic, religiously cloned deceit! The CRI counter-cult--cult leader and the WCG cult leader say it best when they call themselves--brothers! In the words of Hanky Hanegraaff in his monthly money-begging appeal letter to: Co- laborers in Christ [: "As I extended my arms
and embraced Joseph Tkach, Jr. at his father's funeral, comforting him
in his great loss and encouraging him in the hope of the resurrection
for all those who belong to Christ, I couldn't help but feel that Walter
Martin, in another place [that's heaven folks], was extending the
same embrace to Joseph Tkach, Sr." Ain't that the truth!!! The following lists some of the Hanky and Spanky propaganda that has taken place since the death of Tkach Sr. (Dad).
As the Little Rascals
continue to be exposed, the more sinister agenda continues to surface.
Hank remains under fire by many in the Evangelical arena not only for
his immoral behavior, but also because of his ecumenical associations
and propensity toward "Catholicism." It turns out Hanky
has much in common with the New Age. His plushy job purporting his
"historic views" on anything and everything gives Hanky
the MO to market a wide variety of slick sales tactics to the
unsuspecting to inspire donations into his pocket. He'll even take your
stocks and bonds and stack the "CRI" portfolio. Hold on to
your hat and money and stay tuned-these Little Rascals have only
just begun.26 The word Armstrongism was coined during the initial counter-cult movement starting in the late 1960s. The intense scrutiny from cult-watchers-secular or evangelical-summed up the WCG behavior and theology with this one word. Armstrongism explained the teachings of Armstrong, Hoeh, Meredith and other old timers who devised the Armstrong package. Most actual teachings, commonly referred to as God's way, was largely derived from many other religious institutions such as Jehovah's Witnesses, Pentecostals, Seventh Day Adventists, Mormons, Quakers, Judaism and so forth. The WCG was confronted on many occasions for plagiarizing doctrines, writings and teachings, while claiming them exclusive. The British Israel (BI) teaching started penetrating the United States when the Ku Klux Klan adopted it as one of its prime “biblical” doctrines to verify that the KKK was actually doing God’s work. As BI gathered popularity in the Protestant arena starting in the 1930s, its understanding was refashioned several times over. Of late, it is popularly known as the Identity Movement. The OIU often uses the term Armstrongism to describe the “teachings” and evolution of the teaching of the Armstrong organization. The error remains when Herbert W. Armstrong is hailed as being the originator of specific Biblical teachings he espoused. For instance, the doctrine of the God Family comes directly from the Mormon church, which may have adopted it from Freemasonry earlier on. Each and every specific teaching had a foundation prior to Herbert Armstrong marketing or packaging it as—his. The HWA teachings or “doctrine” was often used as an authoritarian device to control the membership. The system of new truths, which HWA claimed were given to him directly by God, was, in fact, a package that complemented the totalitarian regime and other agenda, which he headed. Here again lies a duality or duplicity. Those questioning doctrine need to explore the origins and evolution of Seventh Day Adventism, Freemasonry, Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and the Catholic dynasty. It
is often said, “Separate the message from the messenger.”
At times this is most helpful; however, with the incredible
deception that has been bestowed upon all those who espouse the message
once delivered, one should start looking deeper into what was taught
then and what is being taught today by their respective minister.
More often than not, it is old Armstrongism rehashed over and
over and over again for the same (incredulous) purpose it was packaged
in the first place. And
that has nothing to do with truth. [UPDATED NOTE: There has always been a "true faith"--the faith once delivered--and a "false faith or false Christianity." It is important to discern the difference." (Jude 3)] One famous ESN quote is, “The story is not about doctrine.” THE
HISTORY CHANNEL When Prophecy Fails The OIU Volume THREE detailed the chronology of events that occurred starting from December 1995 with the departing of the United Church of God, an International Association (UCG) from its mother, the Worldwide Church of God. The OIU carefully documented the events and highlighted key characters involved in the setting up of the UCG. A 300 page Document Package supporting the OIU was made available for those who requested it. A future COP-AID investigative and research report will offer a biography of the men controlling the main extension groups and will expose many of the sinister or dual workings that have occurred behind the scenes. There is no question in the minds of those who have investigated the total unfolding of events, that the United Church of God was uniquely orchestrated and contrived. The plan that manipulated and captured WCG members was targeted to those prone to adhering to the Armstrong doctrines--without question. You may recall, shortly following the traumatic Tkach video series there was a barrage of rumors, disinformation, propaganda, and blatant lie--following lie--following contradictions--about everything from tithing woes to ministerial defections. All this sudden confusion was swiftly targeted toward the same members suffering traumatic affects following Pastor General Joseph W. Tkach’s New Covenant sermon. With the passing of time, more individuals are realizing that the United Church of God, spearheaded by David Hulme, was not an innocent defection from the naughty mother-church, but rather an intentional deceptive development to manipulate the 50% membership that would continue to adhere to Armstrongism. With approximately 35,000 members on the WCG roster pre-1995, it took about eight weeks to usher 17,000 of them over to the "United Way." David Hulme, one of the main architects if the WCG divide (and Ruth Tucker’s chummy friend), was awarded the title of leader (Pharaoh) of the United COG pyramid shortly after sudden doctrinal panic. By July, the WCG “operation Divide and Conquer was accomplished. Any local WCG church that could carry at least 50% of their membership into the UCG was carefully and timely shuffled into the new WCG clone (UCG) with the aid of the local minister. The Tkachians continued inflicting the psychological trauma on church membership with the continued doctrinal contradiction and dis-conformation. As the dedicated members (victims) were dissociating through cognitive dissonance caused by the deceptive scrambling programming,28 the Tkachians continued traumatizing the flock with the careful division and fragmentation plans for dismantling the sixty-year old organization. The slick leaders knew full well they would succeed with their plans years before carrying out the event. The facts cannot be distorted through careful scrutiny of the events despite the revision attempts by those involved in the deception. As one person stated it well, “The fact that they lied and lied and lied is proof enough for me that the leaders from the WCG and UCG have clandestine motives and have proven themselves heartless hypocrites, as they continue to manage with deception and abuse!” As the book When
Prophecy Fails demonstrates, when dis-conformation is suddenly
inflicted on a given membership, the adherents will regroup and continue
to espouse the leaders' original teachings and messages often leaving
those traumatized, more fanatical and militant than previously
practiced." Be it Jonestown, Omen Reike, Branch Davidians, Heaven's
Gate or Herbert W. Armstrong the bulk of surviving members will continue
proselytizing the message once delivered without questioning the messenger
or the origin of the message. The Flock
Scatters!!! One of the big propaganda distortions (lies) the Tkachians often repeat is that the WCG:
All of the above claims are grossly false, but necessary statements on behalf of those masterminding the multiplicity agenda. Firstly, the Tkachians must convince the "public" that the membership was far greater than it actually was. As stated in past OIUs, if the truth about the actual membership was revealed, many questions regarding the annual multi-million dollar income would be asked by anyone caring about waste, fraud and abuse or other mishandling of non-profit 501(c)3 organization money. It seems doubtful the Tkachians forethought that the many false representations of actual church membership count would, in fact, be noted by others, or they would have been more careful-at least consistent with their statements. "Oh what tangled webs we weave, when first we practice to deceive!" says Shakespeare. It is often stated that one trips over his own lies mainly because he forgets them, or covers them up with new lies. When we view the enormity of the duplicity and contradictions put forth by the Tkachians since the day they "took charge," we are reminded how simple honesty really is, as it often makes sense and leaves little doubt for skeptical review. We might be entertained or distracted by propaganda, but eventually questions and doubt arise inspiring exploration of the questions. Recently, the ESN
noticed an increase of inquisitive minds that are now realizing that their
WCG role to, "be like children" was just rotten
manipulation that inhibited them from questioning "God's
Government." Years of fear/threat phobia management inflicted on the
members served the WCG mind control
program, which kept faithful
eyes-ears-and mouths shut! For those who wish a hint, let it be said that the real Worldwide Church of God is alive and well, its new name is the United Church of God. The Divide and Conquer strategy, which separated WCG, positioned the bulk of members under the umbrella of UCG and allowed the same sinister-covert operation to maintain business as usual. All it needed to do was go underground with a new name. Thanks to the Tkachians, the UCGers were well protected and few of the counter-cult researchers knew what was going on. And who was going to tell them? Don't count on Larry Stammer from the LA Times. He is going to write what the cult leaders tell him too. That's the routine. The few super-duped, well intended, counter-cult researchers, such as ex-Mormon, Janis Hutchinson, took whatever the cult leaders said at face value when they were charmed by the priestly Tkachians. Hutchinson, like others, figured the WCGers rebelled against the new teachings by storming off in a bitter and angry manner about the changes, leaving themselves "unchurched." Like many other evangelicals unqualified to work with cults, Janis Hutchinson, when seduced by the cult leaders, parroted every word the Tkachians said--perks included of course! [Read ESN's Letters to Janis Hutchinson concerning the WCG changes.] And Another Thing… One would think the Tkachians would be very concerned over the 18,000 Armstrongites "turning from Christ" to join a deceived group like the UCG. Just think what Mr. reborn again Tkach could have done to elicit help from their Evangelical cult-watching friends like Hank Hanegraaff or Ruth Tucker. With the vast printing press ability of the WCG, wouldn't it have made sense to have published a truth and honesty publication in hopes to save all those poor and deceived UCG brethren from following Armstrong apostasy? But nothing. Nothing was done in thought, word and deed to reach out to the poor and deceived UCGers. All was quiet. Just as quiet were the financial deals going on behind the scenes with termination payments, computer give-aways and extra cash allotments for UCG ministers bringing at least 50% of the WCG congregation with them. Oh, there was something for everybody at the time of the great divide. Some have wondered why at least ten or twenty ministers didn't stand for justice to reclaim their church. Few could bring themselves to believe that the same ministers who moved into UCG did so by deceiving their members and by withholding the overall plan from them, as the ministers continued to fill their pockets with money, money, money! The Machiavellian ministers, at the expense of the spiritually vulnerable and ignorant, pulled off one of greatest robberies in history. That is what is meant by: Without Conscience! The Cream of the Crop Throughout 1995 and 1996, Ruth
Tucker and Hank Hanegraaff were publicizing their deceptive
propagandist publications and writings supporting the Worldwide Church
of God. They should be hailed as the chief architects of the New
Age WCG transformation of "God's great plan" for
transforming the cult to a Christian Church. Without Hanegraaff and
Tucker, the WCG conglomerate would not have been a bride made ready for Billy
Graham and team. It would not have been possible to join hand
in hand with Promise Keepers, work with Chuck Colson's
Prison Ministries, sell and market Pat Boone videos,
or to occupy various seats on National Association for Evangelical
(NAE). Tucker and Hanegraaff took the lead in publishing WCG history
revision and absolute propaganda into the mainstream community. The Key players in the WCG conglomerate are as follows:
Other Adventist groups that are considered part of the ecumenical agenda of the COG conglomerate are: Church of God, Seventh Day There are over eighty small breakaway groups. The ones listed above is what the ESN considers part of the COG conglomerate and overall COG ecumenical plan. In
Transition??? Have you stopped to think how the great divide would have turned out without the help of the publication, In Transition? Suddenly appearing in May 1995, just as UCG was forming, is a well-planned newspaper stating a goal of helping all the scattered brethren who have been hurt and scattered around the land by the big bad WCG. Hot off the press was a lengthy professional newspaper reporting all current news of COG developments. This pro-UCG publication spent its first several issues highlighting Garner Ted Armstrong with his Church of God International. [Update: Garner Ted Armstrong died of pneumonia at age 73 on 9-15-03.] Month after month this well staffed, well-funded, ecumenical COG publication was published by John R. Robinson, son of the late David Robinson. Many exiters have read Herbert W. Armstrong's Tangled Web, written by David Robinson, and published in 1980. [See Booklist] Well, John R. Robinson just happens to be David's son. Strange it may seem to some people, John Robinson made little, if any, mention of his father's death in the Fall of 1995. Even stranger was the fact that since David Robinson was so thorough in exposing the works of Herbert W. Armstrong, why, one would think, did his son John spearhead a revisionist publication to further deceive the flock? In Transition ranks with the best of propaganda publications. Why? Every issue has been filled with distortions of events, half-truths and history revision. Some questioned where John Robinson received the funding to produce a monthly magazine devoted to the WCG conglomerate. We asked John Robinson about this, but never received a reply. Knowing how costly it is to run the ESN on the few donations it receives, we were amazed to see the expedient, flashy and timely publication hit the presses just in time to keep the flock together, or from drifting from the "truth once delivered." The ESN was flabbergasted to see the In Transition getting off to a smooth start in May 1995; this startup coincided perfectly with the WCG/UCG Divide and Conquer operation. Within months, the In Transition newsprint inspired a closer monitoring not only for the discrepancies it was reporting, but also for what is was not reporting. It was obvious to many readers that In Transition was very pro UCG, but its overall appeal was to capture the attention of the "Sabbath Keepers" with timely information needed for all those leaving the WCG and looking for a new Armstrong home. In Transition had an important role in managing the fragmentation. If an ex-member did not automatically run into the comfortable "Arms" of the UCG, the master-minds could be assured that the stragglers could be herded into the Armstrong fold through In Transition propaganda newsprint. When Prophecy Fails, the bulk of the members of a given group will stick together and support one another on the faith once delivered. In Transition provided the necessary link to do just that!30 Had it not been for the works of John Robinson, his old time cronies would not be filling their pockets today with the sheep's' desperate attempts to stay as close to the vine as possible. Issue after issue methodically propagated history revision at its best. Those without critical information to compare what was written were at a great loss and subject to re-victimization. Had there been an ounce of truth in John Robinson, or his investors and staff, just think about what could have been done to stop the great divide and hypocrisy that was permeating the whole WCG conglomerate. Few faithful readers knew who John Robinson was and his long history with the WCG. The OIU will feature his biography along with his significant accomplishments attributing to the divide and conquer. The first issue of In
Transition was launched on May 5,1995 and included this statement: "With change of this magnitude, where do members go who believe the Sabbath is different from other days of the week and who believe that the Holy Days are to be observed? Where can a disenfranchised member look for positive developments in the realm of fellowship, worship and understanding? Several groups formed over the years trace their origins to the Worldwide Church of God, the most prominent of which have been the Church of God International and the Global Church of God. However, new groups based in Alabama, Texas and California have formed congregations." "In an effort to furnish church members with information to help them make informed decisions, the publisher presents this newspaper. It is our belief that we have brothers and sisters in many of the groups formed in recent decades. Our goal will be to reach out to those who share so many beliefs." So, with that said and right on the heels of the first United Church of God conference in Indianapolis, the COG ecumenical push was on. Once again, the sheep were being herded for the COG corral. God forbid that too many escape to freedom. There are still bucks to be snatched deep down in the pockets of the sheep and you can count on the WCG wolves to suck up every penny. While John Robinson and staff typed up the next moves and manipulations for the WCGers, David Hulme was transforming his personality again as he assumed his new role as chairman of the board for UCG. And what was David Hulme's main message to the Indianapolis crowd at the first UCG Regional meeting? UNITY! Lots and lots of UNITY! The first issue of In Transition gave Hulme lots of space for his unification message. The first In Transition issue also gave priority space to Garner Ted Armstrong. The CGI Articles of Incorporation were listed with a positive emphasis on CGI doctrinal beliefs. It was obvious from the first issue onward, that Garner Ted was being hailed as a Church of God success. The first two issues of the In Transition laid the groundwork for the ecumenical move and history revision for the COGs. UCG developments and CGI's credibility was the focus right from onset of this "well funded" publication. It was the In Transition that introduced the timely arrival of Samuele Bacchiocchi. John Robinson writes: "During our
conversations, Dr. Bacchiocchi talked about his background and life's
work. He said he is the first non-Catholic to graduate from the
Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He received a gold medal from
Pope Paul VI for earning the academic distinction of summa cum laude in
his class work and dissertation on the change of the day worship from
Sabbath to Sunday." This Italian Seventh Day Adventist "Vatican Scholar" suddenly assumed the position of hero, or scholar of doctrine on the seventh-day Sabbath.31 The immediate and timely introduction of Bacchiocchi was strategic in countering any possible critical thinking by ex-WCGers. Bacchiocchi's Adventist spin provided the necessary distraction preventing WCGers from exploring the WCG origins of God's Way of living. WCG never considered itself "Adventist." The main WCG message was molded around The Missing Dimension of education. Armstrong theology had nothing to do with Adventism. Nonetheless, with the introduction of Bacchiocchi, came a pseudo doctrinal foundation for the past Worldwide Church of God teachings. In Transition served as the main propaganda vehicle that kept the traumatized WCGers distracted while it fostered continued codependency on the Armstrong system. In Transition was the vital tool that would anchor the exiting WCG members symbiotically together while the pre-planned, behind the scenes preparations were moving toward a Church of God unification. "Birds of a feather
flock together, and people settle down into predictable patterns. The
bonding of the Spirit takes place as we fellowship together. People like
you might help by establishing new connections between people otherwise
not connected." Ron Dart--Internet [Dart is mentioned in our expose` article on GTA.] [Note: Ronald Dart founded Christian Educational Ministries and is airing on Christian radio with "Born to Win" radio program. He also founded Independent Church of God. He continues to teach many of Herbert Armstrong's doctrines.] Armstrongism Even the staunchest Armstrong
supporters are not aware of the subtle changes that are occurring within
the Armstrong arena. The ESN often recommends George Orwell's classic
books: 1984 and the other, Animal Farm.
These brief books succinctly teach many vital lessons about the subtly
of propaganda and manipulation. Just as enlightening is the instruction
pertaining to human nature. Those unaware of the tactics, or trusting in
the authority, are often lead astray by the exploiters. Animal Farm
demonstrates how all the animal members of the farm slowly incorporate a
new way of thinking through slow conditioning implemented by the leader
of the farm. In this case, it is a pig. The ESN highly recommends
reading it! "There are groups with which we would not desire to fellowship because of their disfellowship status and their divisive teachings. However, the Church of God (Seventh Day) is not one of those groups. It is important to realize that we hold a majority of doctrinal beliefs in common and share the same organizational roots." Joe Tkach Jr. Oh really? Why then had the WCG
leaders kept this a secret for sixty years? Through innocent ignorance,
along with the insidious mind control seduction, those baptized into WCG
accepted the lies purported by God's inspired ministers and Apostles.
The WCG was supposedly the one and only true church because it was the
only true Sabbath keeping church and all its "truth" was
delivered to HWA right from the top of the pyramid of the Government
from the top down. What pyramid you ask? The one with the all-seeing-eye!
The 1970s exodus of over 7000
WCGers demonstrated that the teachings of HWA had many faults. Most
exiters at that time easily discarded Armstrongism for mainstream
teachings or for more modified forms of Sabbath Keeping understanding.
When the Tkachians started introducing the Seventh Day Adventists, it
was the first sign that preparation for something coming was in the
works. The Greatest
Plans of Mice No one deserves more credit for
introducing Adventism to the scattered flock than Dr. John Merritt. Dr.
Merritt deserves all the credit for introducing the Friends of the
Sabbath. Dr. Merritt initiated the expedient coming together of the Jubilee
`95-The Sabbath in the 21st Century. Samuele Bacchiocchi was the
featured guest at these "historic" Friends conferences
starting as early as May 1995. Merritt's unique ability to organize and
plan proved beneficial for the Adventist supporters, as the many
conferences under the heading of Friends of the Sabbath proved to
be perfect vehicles for gathering the flock and programming the sheep
with Adventism and history revision galore. We can only assume that
Merritt was the busiest of the architects as he frequented Big Sandy for
meetings with GTA more than a few times for special dinner meetings to
discuss future plans. Without knowing the full details of these
meetings, one must question why Merritt had much to talk about with GTA
during a time when Merritt was fully involved in a lawsuit between
Ambassador University and Russell Duke. Dr. Merritt was again in the
spotlight as he marketed Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi as the famous SDA
scholar and professor of church history and theology from Andrews
University, Berrien Springs, Michigan. Internet forums were ablaze with
the new doctrinal distraction by the SDA superstar. Dr. Bacchiocchi's
presence was enhanced by the many articles circulating from In
Transition and in the COG "flagship" publications.
RE: DR WARD HIRED!!! Hi everyone, This is an exciting
development by the Friends of the Sabbath. ********************** The following will demonstrate what has been happening with the Friends of the Sabbaths. There have been many meetings throughout the US and now in the UK. Attendees pay tuition and local church areas cover the costs of the speakers' room, board and speakers' fee (which usually include Bacchioccio and Dart). They are real moneymakers and the scattered brethren who have just a tiny part of the whole story support the efforts of the Friends of the Sabbath. RE: FRIENDS OF THE SABBATH UNLEASHED IN AUSTRALIA! By Craig White It was all over in a flash.
All the hard work, sweat, trials and energy paid off for the first ever
inter-Sabbatarian conference to be held in Australia, as well as the
first ever Friends of the Sabbath to be held outside of the USA. We had
the most unifying and uplifting conference possible. I personally
received amazing complements from about 30 people over the last 2 days
after the conference and together with phone calls and e-mails since
plus feedback from others, it turned out to be much more successful than
we could ever have imagined. In addition the survey forms handed in at
the end of the conference indicated OVERWHELMING support for the
continuation of the conference series and for it to be held in Sydney
again next year. But all praise MUST be directed to God our Father for
His inspiration and backing to the conference. After the conference Dr Bacchiocchi sent the following to the SDANET, an Internet forum: "It was by far the most successful Sabbath conference I attended. The participants came from all over Australia and New Zealand. Over 100 were told not to come because of the space limitations of the convention hall. The planners had not anticipated such an overwhelming response." Audio and video tapes (in
PAL format) of the conference will be available soon. For further
information write to: Australian Friends of the Sabbath, GPO Box 864,
Sydney 200. Or ring (02) 9745 2964. In the USA they will be available
from Friends of the Sabbath, 27068 La Paz, #500, Laguna Hills, CA 92656
(the videos will be available in both PAL and NTSC format). Recently, the ESN attended a committee meeting with individuals from many faiths taking a stand against spiritual deception and abusive churches. I was introduced to a Pastor from a Messianic Church in New England. After a brief conversation, this Messianic Pastor relayed that there was a big Sabbath Keepers convention held in Hartford, CT that past weekend, but he was unable to attend and was very disappointed about that. His statement was made shortly after he spent several minutes descriptively discrediting Herbert W. Armstrong (without prodding). You can imagine how difficult it was to hold in a big roaring laugh, as I carefully explained that the people behind the Friends Of The Sabbath Seminars were Armstrong followers in all their glory. His reply, "You've got to be kidding!" That same response came from a supporter of the Friends of the Sabbath when I told him that the Messianic Jews and Seventh Day Adventists were Trinitarians through and through. And that's the way the
propaganda goes folks!
With the passing of two years since the UCG departure from WCG, many WCG members and past affiliates are now starting to realize that there is much more to the great divide than meets the hand of God. It is difficult for some to discern the possibilities that their leaders are anything but spiritually minded. Time and again we see adherents with allegiance to a particular organization or man defend their allegiance at all costs as they shut out critical information necessary to scrutinizing the total picture. When one has the opportunity to
view the incredible evidence and documentation of WCG history, it
becomes evident that the entire WCG story is enmeshed in a web of
sinister, destructive behavior. Sadly, we at the ESN have had an inside
view of the depth of deceit that permeates the entire conglomerate, from
the most heinous sexual crimes involving pornography, child molestation,
and trauma-based abuse to the intentional psychological mind manipulation on
the innocent, spiritually seeking person. Few can believe that well
trained men with polished speaking skills could pose as ministers of
Christ, when in reality are vindictive perpetrators managing a
multi-million dollar religious scam with numerous business and political
agenda. The WCG empire has a new image. His name is William (Billy) Graham--King of Evangelical Establishment. It's only the beginning for Plain Truth Ministries (PTM). As the deceptive architects continue their history revision and close the book on the Worldwide Church of God as most knew it, we will see the remaining members fade into oblivion, illnesses and all. The real WCG has gone underground; it is called United Church of God, an International Association. A small cash cow, as far as church business is concerned, but you can rest assured there are significant plans for the 450 well trained ministerial agents that cover this globe and are stationed in the most strategic areas to get the job done! Plain Truth Ministries will be a publishing and production arm for the New Age one world religion and ecumenical movement of the Catholics and Evangelicals. We just may see the million dollar computers, printing facilities, marketing connections, mail order facilities and media studios will be cranked up again. It's just a matter of time. And, as we've often warned throughout these past years, hold on to your children, because the beast's power is after them. As the old WCG dogs fade away (you can't teach an old dog new tricks), the membership list will be replaced with energetic young folks all hootin' and hollerin' for Jesus--The NEW AGE JESUS! One can't help but wonder if all this is "the incredible march toward a changed, realistic and peaceful world tomorrow," as the booklet, This Is The Worldwide Church Of God (1970-79) so clearly states: These people are members of
the Church of God, known in our day as the Worldwide Church of God. This
Church is unique in practicing Christianity as A WAY OF LIFE, as well as
a faith-even as it did originally in the day of the first-century
apostles. [Excerpts from: This Is The Worldwide Church of God. Emphasis HWA!] This time around, the mission
will be spearheaded by the King of Evangelicals, Mr. Billy Graham,
alleged 33° Mason. [Read about Graham's
has ecumenical connections.] Stay tuned
for: Part Two of the Those interested in understanding the reasons behind the events might find the following reading exceptionally educational and as a preparation for Part Two of OIU FOUR.
New Neutralism II:
Exposing The Gray of Compromise The Tragedy of
Compromise: The Origin and Impact of the New Evangelicalism The Deadly Deception Please Tell Me--Questions
People Ask About Freemasonry--and the Answers There are many excellent books on the market on Freemasonry. The above two picks are well written and easy to understand. WCG/COGers need to learn who the real Great Architect of the universe is--Freemasonry knows the answer. These two books offer a thorough introduction. Emissary Publications Catalog offers many excellent books pertaining to global issues and New Age agenda. Request your copy from Des Griffin, 9205 SE Clackamas Rd., #1776, Clackamas OR 97015, or call, (503) 824-2050. [Disclaimer: The ESN does not endorse all books on this website.] The goal of the OIU is to share our perspective as we put the reader in the center of our research. We publish information we hope is useful toward critical thought. *************** Part TWO was
released as OIU Part FIVE, Dec. 1997
25
The
CRI Documentation Report is in the ESN files. It details Hanegraaff history and
all the allegations against him.
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