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.

Death and aftermath

On January 16, 1986 the death of Herbert W. Armstrong was announced. Under prearragement made prior to his death, control of the church he had founded passed to former AC attendee, evangelist Joseph W. Tkach. It has been suggested that Joseph W. Tkach at one time was a loyal associate of Stanley Rader.

Related Topics:
January 16 - 1986 - Joseph W. Tkach - Stanley Rader

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Tkach, new leader of the Worldwide Church of God, then commenced a doctrinal review process which over time disavowed many of the central beliefs and doctrines that the church had developed under Herbert W. Armstrong. The World Tomorrow broadcasts were terminated and The Plain Truth magazine was spun-off to an affiliated organization which shared few of the doctrinal positions held by Armstrong. This process included a decision to withhold from further circulation all previous publications that had been authored by Herbert W. Armstrong. A dissenting splinter church that had spun off of the Worldwide Church of God during the doctrinal changes began republishing Armstrong's books, a practice that the Worldwide Church of God challenged on copyright grounds. The splinter church eventually paid damages and purchased additional rights to several more of Armstrong's publications from the Worldwide Church of God for three million dollars, effectively ending the copyright ownership dispute.

Related Topics:
The World Tomorrow - The Plain Truth

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Following the major changes in doctrine and practice by the Worldwide Church of God, many members left the Church, resulting in a dramatic fall in church donations. Joseph W. Tkach Sr., Armstrong's handpicked successor as church leader, died in 1995. Under plans made by Tkach Sr. prior to his death, his son Joseph Tkach Jr. inherited the office of Pastor General and assumed control of the Worldwide Church and its affiliated Ambassador College. Under the direction of Tkach Jr., the church closed its affiliated Ambassador University in Big Sandy, Texas. The church's Ambassador Auditorium, located at the Pasadena campus was mothballed and eventually the entire Pasadena headquarters of the church was sold off in parcels. The church has now moved from the campus in Pasadena to an office building in Glendora, California.

Related Topics:
Ambassador University - Big Sandy, Texas - Ambassador Auditorium - Glendora, California

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Splinter groups

Because of the schisms in the church founded by Herbert W. Armstrong more than 300 splinter groups have formed. A few hold to certain doctrines, views and values of Herbert W. Armstrong; only a few of these groups claim more than 5,000 members. These churches and organizations include the United Church of God, the Living Church of God, and the Philadelphia Church of God. Most groups range down in size from a few hundred members to a few families.

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The church today

Today the Worldwide Church of God considers itself to be and is mostly viewed as a part of the greater Christian community. In 1997 the Worldwide Church of God was accepted as a member of the National Association of Evangelicals. See Worldwide Church of God for more of its own timeline of change in recent years.

Related Topics:
1997 - National Association of Evangelicals - Worldwide Church of God

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