Herbert W. Armstrong

Herbert W. Armstrong (July 31, 1892 – January 16, 1986) was the founder of the Radio Church of God / Worldwide Church of God; self-appointed chancellor of unaccredited Ambassador College; publisher of The Plain Truth magazine in several languages; presenter of The World Tomorrow radio and television programs; father of radio-television evangelist "Garner Ted Armstrong"; president of the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation; self-styled as Ambassador for World Peace and patron of the Ambassador Auditorium concert series.

Character and Reputation

There have been many claims made about the public image of former advertising salesman Herbert W. Armstrong. Among these allegations are incest, alcoholism and financial wrongdoing including, but not limited to, misappropriation of third tithe funds gifted specifically for the monetary support of poor church widows and orphans. Further, critics point out what they consider to be a string of inaccurate prophetic claims made by Armstrong and his spinoffs over the years http://home.datawest.net/esn-recovery/artcls/dates.htm.

Related Topics:
Incest - Alcoholism - Financial wrongdoing

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The allegations of Herbert Armstrong's incest with his own daughter, alcoholism, and conversion of church funds have been published by various contemporary associates of Armstrong. One of the sources of these allegations is a 1981 letter of resignation sent to the entire Board of Directors and Elders of the Worldwide Church by former insider, Ambassador College graduate, and USC attorney-at-law, church CPA Jack Kessler http://www.herbertwarmstrong.com/ar/AR19.html. Another published source is a 1980 book, Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web, written by Armstrong confidant David Robinson, onetime former Ambassador College student, ordained Worldwide minister, then faculty member at its Ambassador College campus in Big Sandy, Texas http://www.ondoctrine.com/1armsh01.htm, http://www.herbertwarmstrong.com/ar/AR61.html.

Related Topics:
1981 - USC

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However, a published article, in a pro-Church of God publication, deals these many of these allegations and refutes several of them http://www.cogwriter.com/hwaacc.htm. In addition to dealing with 15 specific accusations against Herbert W. Armstong, that author also tried to remind people about accusations against Jesus by writing: " Jesus was falsely called "a glutton and a winebibber" (Luke 7:34), was implied to be a child of fornication (John 8:41), falsely accused of having a demon (Matthew 12:24), questioned about whether he paid taxes (Matthew 17:24;22:17), and was falsely accused of breaking the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-14). He was correctly called (by some of the same accusers) "a friend of tax collectors and sinners" (Luke 7:34), called the leader of people accused of transgressing the "traditions of the elders" (Matthew 15:2), one who had many false witnesses rise up against him (Matthew 26:59-60), recorded to have demonstrated public anger and outrage (Mark 11:15-21), reportedly arrested as if He were a robber (Mark 14:48), and crucified with thieves (Matthew 27:38)). Jesus was even "numbered with the transgressors" (Luke 22:37), yet Jesus was the Son of God. People attacked Jesus personally because they did not want people to heed His message--that appears to be a leading reason for the accusations against HWA."

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In 1979 a State of California court placed the church into financial receivorship to investigate charges of financial illegalities based on sworn affidavits of former church membership (note: if this claim is true, they were not truly church members as members of that church were prohibited from swearing). Stanley Rader, Armstrong's personal confidant, CPA and attorney-in-law, was the architect of most of the legal and accounting strategies the Church used for decades. He arranged for a legal strategy to prevent the Church or Armstrong from revealing all financial information. A two million dollar bond was posted as security, pending outcome of appeals http://www.herbertwarmstrong.com/ar/AR9.html. Church members and Ambassador College employees were told not to cooperate with the court order. Los Angeles area riot police squads were summoned as Church families, including women, infants and children, barricaded themselves in at Ambassador to prevent any access to church documents, income and expeditures, bank records, or computer drives. Fortunately, a direct confrontation was avoided.

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Rader then vigorously litigated in many venues against a receivorship investigation. Utilizing various arguments, he appealed from the Courts of Appeal up to the California Supreme Court numerous times. He even litigated the receivorship in the United States Supreme Court, where famed Harvard law professor Laurence Tribe tried to argue on behalf of the church to put an end to the receivorship. The USSC, for a third time in a row, denied the church any relief from the Office of the Attorney General of California investigating the abuse of church funds. Frustrated by getting nowhere with his final legal appeals, and denied any legal relief from the pending financial investigation, Rader, as a last resort, lobbied the California state legislature for passage of a special bill exempting the Worldwide Church of God from financial examination by the California Attorney General which, after passage, was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown.

Related Topics:
Harvard - Laurence Tribe - USSC - Worldwide Church of God - Jerry Brown

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