Tuesday, August 29, 2017

William Dankenbring Dies


William Dankenbring has died.  Dankenbring was a prolific writer while he was in the Worldwide Church of God and after he left.   I remember his books displayed in Jekyll Island the year after he was kicked out.  The ministers stood on stage and demanded that church members not buy his books.  He had negotiated deals with gift shops, liquor stores to display and sell his books during the Feast.  People bought them anyway.

He has a web site here:  Triumph Prophetic Ministries (Church of God)  His site is heavily into conspiracy theories and other wild diversions.




He died today, August 29, 2017, around 1:00 pm. of congestive heart failure and renal failure.

He has lived the past few years in Omak, Washington.




26 comments:

True Bread said...

I fellowshipped with Bill and his group for several years, he was a nice man with a wonderful wife....I left after not being able to discuss with him my views on prophecy and my distain for kabbalah and bible codes, but I learned a lot from him...he will be missed.

Unknown said...

Bill Dankenbring was definitely one of the more prolific writers that the COG ever produced. Certainly colorful, and full of speculations, guesses and rumor, but never boring and amusing in a sort of National Enquirer type of way.

One thing he never did was make any apology or cover up for either GTA or HWA for their egregious lifestyles and openly discussed those issues in his publications.

Sweetblood777 said...

The growth of WCG was to a large extent due to William's writings in the Good News magazine. I found that his writings were always up lifting and easily under stood. ill did have problems with his speech leading me to discern that he had heart problems before he found out, and many did not like this as he was coughing and made one feel like gaging.

Some years later his voice improved and but I had stopped listening since I disagreed with his position of switching from Yahweh to Yehovah.

Though I didn't believe everything that he taught, I did study out the Passover and Pentecost, positions.. I appreciated the fact that he did not apply positions and ranks for himself, as others like Pack did.

Anonymous said...

Prayers for Cappy and his family. I met him at a WCG Feast in the Ozarks - he had a lot of zeal and much to give .... hope to see him in the resurrection. He definitely will be missed. A friend just called me from Texas and told me the news of his passing.

Anonymous said...

Prayers for Cappy and his family. I met him at a WCG Feast in the Ozarks - he had a lot of zeal and much to give .... hope to see him in the resurrection. He definitely will be missed. A friend just called me from Texas and told me the news of his passing.

Anonymous said...

Did this guy have a church or just an Internet presence? Whatever the case, it's another bad day for what's left of Herbism because his followers will disperse into the woodwork. If they were Bills followers, I can't see them going back to a COG and as far as I know there was no heir-apparent or second in command. Correct me if my impressions are wrong.

Anonymous said...

Note to Bill's followers:

Condolences on your loss. Whatever you do now, don't get involved with that Gerald Flurry fruitcake. But Bill's followers are probably too smart for that anyway.

Anonymous said...

I worked with Bill many years in Letter Answering. He could crank out any written material prodigiously. I never was tempted by his interpretations and extreme approaches. Just another saddening passing of a former fanatical colleague.

Allen C. Dexter

Byker Bob said...

I only know his name from some of the people on the forums and blogs who apparently found some of his writings of interest, and credible. As nearly as I can tell, his teachings were a derivative of Armstrongism, although I never heard of anyone who committed 100% to what he taught.

I'm guessing another member of the old guard has passed on?

BB

Redfox712 said...

My condolences to his family, friends and those who knew him. May William Dankenbring rest in peace.

Hoss said...

From the early years of receiving the PT, I can remember seeing the byline William F. Dankenbring, but I can't really recall any of the articles he wrote.
From one of his websites, I remember reading an account of how HWA decided to start a religious enterprise, but I could never get any validation of the story. According to Bill, when HWA was selling aluminum pots and pans, he also sold aluminum siding. Apparently an SDA minister, some distance away, wanted a quote on siding, and HWA, needing the cash, reluctantly traveled to the man's home. HWA was said to be impressed by a minister having such a beautiful home in the depression, and being able to afford aluminum siding. The minister said it was all paid for by his congregation's tithes. The story ended with HWA announcing to Loma that his new business was religion...
Again, don't know Bill's source and veracity of the story, but it certainly seems to fit.

Anonymous said...

He was a great guy and will be missed. His writings encouraged me to study the new testament and get out of WCG and I found Church Of God Of The Abrahamic Faith to fellowship with.

Hoss said...

And Bob Thiel chimes in by saying all his experiences with Bill were negative, and includes a copy of one of his articles of denunciation.
But he reminds us that it's the fourth anniversary of Dave Pack's prophesied (and Council of Agreers Approved) Day that Nothing Happened.

Anonymous said...

In honor of this occasion, I think it only fitting that I offer the latest and TRUTHIEST conspiracy theory-

(Of course, this is only for those who have ears to hear.)

William Dankenbring did not die.
He had to fake his own death and flee the country because he dared to speak the TRUTH!

He is alive and now living in Argentina under the assumed name of, "The Mysterious Mister D.", where no one will find him or have a clue as to his true identity because he now sports a mustache and sells empanadas from his cart on a street corner and hands out balloons to children.

Acts 2:21 said...

Bill remained faithful to God after being kicked out of world wide and was given much much more than HWA and his minions . I did not agree with Bill on many things , but for over 30'years He preached on the accurate timing of Passover and all the appointed times according to the Word of God and not the word of man , something the world wide church NEVER understood due to their arrogance and Nicolaitan doctrine . Thank you Bill for being a Lamp and a voice in this wilderness of sin. Peace and Love to Bill's Family .

Anonymous said...

The Church Of God Of The Abrahamic Faith is another mind-trap. Run for the doors and save yourself!

Lake of Fire Church of God said...

Hoss said, "Again, don't know Bill's source and veracity of the story, but it certainly seems to fit".

MY COMMENT - This is the same narrative I have written of here on Banned and on Gavin's Ambassador Watch. I heard this from someone in the Worldwide Church of God in the 1970s before the internet and NOT sourced to William Dankenbring. I never met or heard the man. Perhaps we had the same source. Who knows? This occurred about the same time Loma met Mrs. Runcorn and Loma's subsequent Sabbath challenge to Herbert. It was also around the time Herbert did his intense 6-month study in the Public library.

I read many of William Dankenbring's articles in the Plain Truth and Tomorrows World Magazines during the 1960s/early 1970s. I can't remember if he was an ordained minister of WCG as I do not ever remember hearing him speak from the pulpit. From what I remember, publishing a religious oriented book on his own without WCG permission helped him to be shown the exit door by the WCG.

Richard

Anonymous said...


“Dankenbring was a prolific writer while he was in the Worldwide Church of God and after he left. I remember his books displayed in Jekyll Island the year after he was kicked out. The ministers stood on stage and demanded that church members not buy his books.”

“He has a web site here: Triumph Prophetic Ministries (Church of God). His site is heavily into conspiracy theories and other wild diversions.”



So, the WCG ministers who warned people not to buy Dankenbring's books were actually right. Those who ignored the WCG ministers and bought Dankenbring's books did end up getting carried away with “conspiracy theories and other wild diversions.”

Typical end result.

Anonymous said...

Bobs COGWriter site has a lengthy article on Bill. He quotes Bill as initially claiming that he is the new apostle after Herbs death, and that his breakaway group is the only one true church. He also taught that Christ is the arch angel Michael. That's a very big negative. Bills prophesy speculations rival Daves. It doesn't look good.

Pam said...

Here's what I wrote about Dankenbring on my Field Guide to the Wild World of Religion website in 2009 or so:

Bill Dankenbring made it very clear in 2008 where he believes his ministry fits in the greater Plan of God on Earth when he announced on his website,

“TRIUMPH PROPHETIC MINISTRIES CHURCH OF GOD is the ***‘only’ remnant body in the World,*** of “Jesus Christ,” the Church He said He would “BUILD” which preaches what He, the twelve apostles, and the apostle Paul, all faithfully taught.”



… a loyal supporter writing to Bill's Prophecy Flash in the mid-1990s noted that he had no one else in his local area who adhered closely to Dankenbring's teachings. He wondered if it would be OK to look for Christian fellowship with others who at least held similar beliefs, particularly Sabbath and Holy Day observance.

Dankenbring's answer was NO. It would be best not to risk being tainted by those who didn't understand what the reader understood from studying under him.

So for fellowship on Sabbath, he literally suggested such folks ought to "fellowship" with Dankenbring's tapes!

This is surprisingly reminiscent of Herbert Armstrong. When asked a similar question in the 1960s, Armstrong forbade his followers from either gathering in informal fellowship and Bible Study without a minister, or attending any other kind of church. He rather recommended that those who could not fellowship with an official Radio Church of God congregation endorsed by Armstrong in their own area for Sabbath worship services should sit respectfully in front of their radio on the Sabbath and listen to the World Tomorrow Broadcast.

the Ocelot said...

While I did not agree with much of Bill's teachings,I believe he was a lot better than any of the freaks out there today

IP Shears said...

I was quite emotional when I heard yesterday (15th Nov, 2017) of Mr Dankenbring's death. I think I was greatly affected when he got into trouble ca. 1974. I hope God will be merciful to Mr Dankenbring - He can. It is too much to see a man struggling as honourably as he could. I hope the anti-Church of God scum out there with their critiques and hatred can someday see Mr D in his right mind showing them the true love of God.I am truly upset.

Anonymous said...

I studied with Mr. Bill Dankenbring for a few years after leaving Worldwide in 77 and the Church of God International, in about 1994, after Ted did his last swan dive. I donated to Triumph Prophetic Ministries, but did not regularly tithe to them. I ordered some books from Bill and attended his Feast site in Rapid City, South Dakota in 1995 and 1996. I found Bill to be pleasant enough, but somewhat suspicious of new attendees. Having attended Ambassador for two years in the early 70's, I thought I might find a permanent home. He was kind enough to let me give a Sermonette during one of the services. Later though, after he hadn't heard from me in awhile, he mailed me a pair of women's slippers instead of the literature I requested. I called the office wondering why, thinking it was some kind of mistake. Later, I reasoned, it was his way of telling me that I had been slipping up on my tithes to TPM. Bill was clever and had a sense of humor to go with it. He will be missed. Sincerely, John Bunion

Anonymous said...

I think most don’t think what the Bible says about Trumpets and the Day of Atonment. Think think think dosen’t the Bible say a single trumpet at Christ’s return? Isn’t there a single at the Jubalee Atonement? Dankenbring knew this and is unique in Church if God. Read his article while it can still be found.

On the other hand I don’t agree or even understand many things he proclaimed. I once tried to talk to him and explain that Rabies proclaimed the prayer Shall because there was no more four cornered garnets and it is only by Rabbinic proclamation that a prayer shall complies with Numbers 15. And it is wrong to take from another religeon. I know a Jew who resents it. -Rod Koozmin

starwarsandmoreart said...

Can you share all of his books with me or is there a way that I could buy all his books because I’m having a really hard time finding them and I think all of his websites are closed

NO2HWA said...

Check out Alibris used books:

https://www.alibris.com/booksearch?mtype=B&keyword=William+dankenbring&hs.x=0&hs.y=0&hs=Submit