During the 1970s, soon after Mrs. Armstrong's death, Mr. Armstrong vigorously went abroad to speak with foreign leaders, actively working towards the fulfillment of Matthew 24:14 ("And this gospel shall be preached into all the world as a witness unto all nations"). Herbert W. Armstrong regularly stated that his wife was the best judge of character, while he himself was not. After Mrs. Armstrong's death, Herbert Armstrong was fooled by many people pretending to be true servants of God who later surrounded him like vultures in his latter years. During the 70s many took advantage of Mr. Armstrong's absence and worked to introduce false doctrines into the Church. The administration of the Worldwide Church of God became exceedingly corrupt. There were false ministers throughout the church, some being called "Sheriffs" instead of Shepherds. Mr. Armstrong returned to 'get the Church back on track,' and this process included trials such as removing his own son, Garner Ted Armstrong, from the Church for sexual misconduct.
It was in the 1970s that many became incensed with Mr. Armstrong and actively sought to tarnish his credibility in any manner possible. This activity has been going on for 30 years now, and is moreso alive today than ever, even in the splinter churches that claim to hold fast to Mr. Armstrong's teachings. Allegations of mass corruption, the squandering of tithes, and even the claim that Mr. Armstrong had sexual relations with his own daughter in the 1930s all came out and continue to circulate today. Many of these claims were proven to be lies authored by bitter men, others were not. The sheer volume of accusations made it impossible to answer them all. It's important to realize that Mr. Armstrong grew up in a different America than we live in today, one that refused to dignify ignorant and unfounded accusations with a response. This had led some to believe Mr. Armstrong really did do many of the things he has been accused of, when that is simply not the case.
During the timeframe of the late 1970s up until Mr. Armstrong's death in 1986, Mr. Armstrong was in a very poor condition of health. Numerous men surrounded him as 'advisors', biding to be his replacement when he died. There are recorded accounts when Mr. Armstrong and his associate Mr. Aaron Dean feared for their lives because of how those men around them acted in regards to certain church doctrines and Mr. Armstrong's stubborn adherence to the truth. Many of those same men hold positions of leadership today in the hundreds of splinter organizations that exist. Access to Mr. Armstrong from outside of his residence was extremely limited because of those individuals that surrounded him. It has been recorded that both his son (GTA) and his daughter (Dorothy Mattson) didn't know if their father was alive or dead because they could not get ahold of him for extended periods of time. All information regarding the allegations, law suits, and problems in the church were filtered through mainly one man: Stanley Rader. Stanley Rader served as both accountant and lawyer for the Church. He handled all the money, in the name of Herbert W. Armstrong, and Mr. Armstrong has gone on the record defending Stanley Rader before.
It remains amazing to the author of this document that people persist in propogating these lies of corruption and fiscal abuse when facts such as these are readily accessible on the internet and through a number of brethren in the scattered churches today. Mr. Armstrong's children both have stated many times that they've seen documents supposedly written and signed by their father, but the content of the document was clearly not in the distinct style that their father wrote in. Mr. Armstrong's signature was forged numerous times, and some of those instances involved massive sums of money (God's tithes) going to places they shouldn't. The main culprit behind these practices was Stanley Rader, who in the 80s Mr. Armstrong had step down because of the reality of his fiscal abuses. This proves Mr. Armstrong was not a sound judge of character. It amazes the author even further that individuals persist in the lies about Mr. Armstrong's sexual misconduct with his daughter. Keep in mind it is factual Garner Ted Armstrong, his son, was indeed sexually promiscuous, his father was NOT. These allegations, along with many other sick and perverted lies were published in a book "Herbert W. Armstrong's Tangled Web" by David Robinson (a minister long disfellowshipped before the writing of his book). In a court trial between Worldwide Church of God and Philadelphia Church of God, this matter was brought up. It was the WCG officials, the very ones that ripped apart the teachings of Mr. Armstrong, that publically decried the book by Mr. Robinson and stated the accusations made in it (including the incest allegations) were unfounded lies. Yet these lies continue today.
Another accusation against Mr. Armstrong, the Worldwide Church of God, and even many splinter groups that now exist is that they establish a culture of fear under manipulative, authoritarian coercion. This is simply not the case. People such as those belonging to the Exit & Support Network will state that people believed if they left the Church they were doomed to hellfire. On the contrary, people have always been free to leave when they so choose. First of all, Mr. Armstrong never taught that anyone goes to Hell as traditional Christianity depicts it. He taught of a Lake of Fire where people simply perished, not tormented perpetually. Second, from a strictly impartial perspective, the teaching that "If you are not a member of this organization, you're going to Hell" is certainly not uncommon in the many other religions out there, so why use it against Mr. Armstrong and the Church? Third, the Church has always taught that if you are in the Church you were called to it by God, if you are not in the Church then you would rise again in the second resurrection. The teaching of the 'unpardonable sin' has never been adequately touched upon, however the doctrine states that if a person willfully rebels against God and their mind becomes so distorted and hostile against God that they will not repent, then they will simply cease to be. This is true for people who left the Church and people who have no contact with the Church (though all will be given a chance to repent and live God's way). How is this harsh and controlling? This doctrine is of a second chance for all, even those who 'fall asleep' and leave the Church out of simple weakness. That is far more hope than any Traditional Christianity denomination gives, where if you do not accept Christ you are automatically condemend to hellfire. The accusation that the Worldwide Church of God as a whole was a manipulative sect is absurd and outlandish. Now, were there some abuses by certain ministers? Of course. People have been hurt by abusive ministers and that is a tragedy. This happens in every religion all throughout the world, though, and not grounds to brand the Worldwide Church of God as a whole or Mr. Armstrong as manipulative and mind-controlling. Sadly some of these ministers are still in organizations like the Philadelphia Church of God and the Restored Church of God, and they give everyone else a bad name.
Exit & Support Network, amongst others, also distorts the teaching of tithing that the Church has adhered to. Yes, 10% of net income is to go to the Church. Once it was taught that gross income is what should be tithed but that changed. It is not 30% goes to the Church. Second tithe is saved to cover living expenses for the Feast of Tabernacles. This does not go to the Church's bank, but covers hotel expenses, food, gifts, recreation, etc. The Feast of Tabernacles is an assembly commanded in Leviticus 23. At one point in time the Church practiced third tithe. Every seven years another 10% was set aside and sent to the Church. This money went to support widows in the Church who could not afford basic living necessities. Again, this money did not go into the Church's bank account. The Church only collected 10% and free-will offerings. The claims that Mr. Armstrong demanded 30% of people's income to fund 'his' Church is also absurd.
The children in the church have long been called the "Future of God's Church," and justly so. However they live in an era where ministers who claim to be faithful stewards of God's truth (which was restored by God through Mr. Armstrong) despise God's end-time apostle so much that they refuse to even mention his name at Church services. Some ministers have been pulled from the speaking list in one prominent splinter Church, United Church of God, for refusing to cease in their discussion of Mr. Armstrong. Many of the youth do not know what Mr. Armstrong did through God's power, many have only heard his name in passing reference but nothing more. Others know only the abhorrent lies spoon-fed to them by individuals that despise Mr. Armstrong for things he did not do. Some are bitter towards Mr. Armstrong because of the sheriffing their former ministers did in Worldwide. It is sad that the future of the Church does not know the truth of the Church's End-time Apostle and the one who came in the power and spirit of Elijah as Christ fortold. They do not realize that Matthew 24:14 was fulfilled by one man and the work God did through him at the end of this age. Some say that Mr. Armstrong never said that Matt. 24:14 was fulfilled, yet it was spoken plain as day (as can be heard in this audio clip from 08-10-1984) and stated in Mystery of the Ages on pages 290-291. Many of the future of God's Church don't even know about the book Mystery of the Ages, the one book that sums up the entire ministry of Mr. Armstrong. Why do they not know it? Because the people charged with the task of teaching them have failed them mightily. So much of the scattered church today persists in repeating the work of Mr. Armstrong because they feel he didn't finish it, when that job was for him alone and has already passed. Would God send a man to do a job and have him die before he could finish it? The commission after Mr. Armstrong's death was not to continue in his steps, but to hold fast to the things we were given and take care of the sheep. This has proved to be a greater test than ever expected, proven by Worldwide's failure to do so and the failure of many of the splinter groups that broke away from Worldwide to do so. Thousands have watered down the truth and even changed it like Mr. Tkach Sr. did, the one later revealed as the Man of Sin written of in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4.
There have been a number of individuals who discredit the fact that Mr. Armstrong was the end-time apostle. An apostle is defined as one sent by God, an envoy of God. Mr. Armstrong was used very powerfully to resurrect the church from the Sardis era, where it was dying out and only retained a small number of basic foundational truths. Mr. Armstrong was sent to restore those truths, just as Jesus Christ said one would come in the spirit and power of Elijah to restore all things before the second coming of Christ (Matthew 17:11). John the Baptist also came in the spirit of Elijah, but did not restore anything. Mr. Armstrong was the end-time Elijah, there will be no other to come in like manner. Some have attempted to discredit Mr. Armstrong by stating his earlier teachings contradicted his teachings later in his life. It is important to realize that God did not reveal all truth to him all at once. As Mr. Armstrong grew in the truth, the Church grew in the truth. By the time of his death, ALL foundational truth had been restored to the Church.
Mr. Armstrong was also sent by God to lead the Church. 1 Corinthians 12:28 outlines the hierarchy within the Church, and apostle is the first on the list. There is no doubt that Mr. Armstrong was the physical leader of the Church, under its' head Jesus Christ, during his time on Earth. Some attempt to discredit these facts by bringing up how Mr. Armstrong was sometimes wrong on matters of prophecy. As aforementioned, Mr. Armstrong was an apostle, not a prophet (defined as in the New Testament as one given inspired interpretation of prophecy). Much of prophecy was not to be revealed until after it had already been fulfilled, and indeed much of it has already come to pass. At the time of this writing we have already gone through the opening of the first six seals of Revelation. This information was not to be understood until now, not by Mr. Armstrong. This does not discredit his position as the Elijah to Come or the end-time Apostle. For more information on Mr. Armstrong being the end-time Elijah, the opening of the seals of Revelation, and Mr. Tkach Sr. being the Man of Sin causing the great apostacy the author encourages you to read "Time Has Run Out" by Ron Weinland. His articles and sermons can be found on this CD set.
With the vast amount of misinformation and lies about Mr. Armstrong out on the internet, it is the sincere hope of this author that some of them can be dispelled with this document. Please don't misunderstand the intentions of the author. Mr. Armstrong was indeed a man, and every man makes mistakes. He was not a perfect individual, no one is. However many have strived for years to paint a picture of a money grubbing sexual deviant when that is simply not the case. Mr. Armstrong's name will become far more widely heard in the coming months and years as two witnesses preach to the world that the witness of mankind at the end of this age has indeed gone out, and it testifies that man is the same in this age of technological wonder as he has been for the past 6,000 years, in rebellion towards God his creator, and the man that brought them that witness, the end-time Elijah, was Herbert W. Armstrong.