PCG Cult: Cal Culpepper Claims The Minister Is The Head Of Single Women And They Should Consider Him Their Husband

Shadows of Authority: The Minister's Claim

A story based upon real events in the Philadelphia Church of God 

by Anon

In the quiet suburbs of Ohio, where winter winds whispered through barren trees, Sarah stared at the faded map on her kitchen table. It was February 2026, and at 32, she had finally mustered the courage to dream of a fresh start. Michigan had been her cage for too long—cold, isolating, bound by the invisible chains of the Philadelphia Church of God. She longed to move south to Oklahoma, closer to a job opportunity that promised independence. But in the PCG, nothing was simple. Independence was a sin, and every decision required the blessing of the ministry.

Sarah had joined the church a decade ago, drawn in by promises of divine order and protection from the "end times." She was single, a status that marked her as vulnerable in the eyes of the leadership. "Single ladies need guidance," the sermons often reminded. And guidance meant control. She picked up her phone and dialed the number she'd been dreading: Regional Director Cal Culpepper.

The meeting was set for a nondescript church hall in Detroit. Culpepper arrived late, his tall frame casting a long shadow as he entered. His face was stern, etched with the arrogance of a man who believed he spoke for God. Sarah explained her plan nervously—the job, the move, how it would allow her to tithe more faithfully. He listened, his eyes narrowing."

You need my permission for this," Culpepper said flatly, leaning back in his chair. "Single ladies like you... you should consider me your husband. The husband is the head of the wife, but the minister is the head of single ladies. Without that headship, you're adrift, open to Satan's influence."

Sarah's stomach twisted. The words hung in the air like a foul odor, disgusting in their presumption. She had heard whispers about Culpepper—stories from the shadows of the congregation, passed in hushed tones after services. But this? This was a claim of ownership, wrapped in twisted scripture.

As she drove home, the weight of his words pressed on her. She remembered the tales she'd pieced together from forbidden glances at online forums like Banned by HWA, where ex-members vented their horrors. Culpepper's trail of destruction was long and bloody. There was Janet De Gennaro, a young woman much like Sarah—devout, isolated. In 2014, Culpepper and his superiors, Fred Dattalo and Gerald Flurry, had enforced a brutal no-contact policy. Janet's brother Robert had been labeled "rebellious" for a harmless Facebook post. The family was torn apart: parents suspended, Janet forced to move out and cut ties. She married under Culpepper's watchful eye, but the isolation broke her. One July day, she ended her life with a gunshot. Her body was shipped back to her grieving family like cargo, cold and impersonal. Culpepper had monitored her every step, ensuring no family reconciliation, all in the name of "God's government."

Sarah shuddered. And it wasn't just Janet. In Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Culpepper's "scorched earth policy" had decimated a once-thriving congregation. Families shattered over petty infractions—teens disfellowshipped for attending a school dance, elders demoted for questioning doctrine. One man, David McClain, the congregation's only Black member, was cast out despite kidney disease, left homeless because Culpepper deemed him unworthy. Fear ruled: attendance sheets tracked like prison rolls, absences leading to suspensions and threats of eternal fire. Snitches lurked in every pew, reporting "nervous" behavior or whispered doubts.

Then there were the marriages Culpepper meddled in. Aaron Eagle had tried to expose the abuse, only for Flurry to demand his wife divorce him. Culpepper enforced it, driving wedges with jobs and privileges. Hypocrisy reigned—Flurry himself married a woman decades younger, while forbidding members similar unions over age gaps or income. One couple, defying Culpepper's veto on their 11-year difference, was disfellowshipped into what they called the "Great Tribulation." Their siblings, loyal to the church, embezzled family money to flee to headquarters, leaving a pregnant woman abandoned.

Even trivial cruelties marked his reign. In one congregation, Culpepper and minister Craig Winters exploded over cookies at a fundraiser, turning a simple event into a power play that left members humiliated. And in 2025, when a grandparent threatened a lawsuit for visitation rights—barred by PCG's damnation threats—Culpepper recoiled, abandoning the family to legal wolves. "The church can't help," he whimpered, his bold facade crumbling.

Back in her apartment, Sarah packed a small bag. Culpepper's words echoed: "Consider me your husband." Disgusting. Predatory. She thought of the young singles in Edmond, Oklahoma, denied love until they bowed to the elite. Of the Scott Flory scandal, where Culpepper's interference led to more broken homes. Of his infamous quip in a sermon: "A wife has to be a whore in the bedroom"—crude, demeaning, revealing the man behind the minister's mask.

No more. Sarah slipped out under the cover of night, driving toward Ohio without permission. She left a note for her few church friends: "The headship I need is my own." As miles blurred, she felt the chains snap. In the rearview, the shadows of Culpepper's empire faded. But for those still trapped, the destruction continued—a minister's claim devouring souls one disgusting decree at a time.

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Based upon two Exit and Support Network letters:

Culpepper Says the Minister Is the Head of Single Ladies:

February 11, 2026

I helped a lady move from MI to OH. She first had to get permission from Cal Culpepper. He told her that single ladies should consider him to be their husband. The husband is the head of the wife, but the minister is the head of single ladies. –Former member of PCG

What Was Told Single Ladies In PCG:

February 12, 2026

I’m responding to the February 11 post about single ladies in PCG. I was also told that and it is a bald-faced lie!!

Ministers in PCG control by any means they can and spy on those suspect of going against their regime. PCG has never been anything but a group of power-minded control freaks. Thousands have been used (without their knowledge) to support their regime. Death and destruction follows wherever they go.

They shall truly reap what they have sown! –name withheld

See more stories on Banned about Cal Culpepper:

Cal Culpepper Continues His Trail of Destruction in the Philadelphia Church of God

How Fred Dattalo, Cal Culpepper and Gerald Flurry Caused The Suicide of Janet De Gennaro

"Gerald Flurry, Fred Dattolo, Tim Oostendarp, Cal Culpepper, Eric Anderson, Jim Cocomise and John Chandler. I hold you responsible for the death of my daughter Janet De Gennaro."

Cal Culpepper Destroys Another PCG Relationship

Gerald Flurry Demands That Aaron Eagle's Wife Divorce Him When He Tried To Expose Cal Culpepper's Abuse

Gerald Flurry Gives Aaron Eagles Wife A Job To Further Drive A Wedge In Their Marriage

PCG Cal Culpepper Continues His Scorched Earth Policy and Helps Decimate the Elizabethtown PCG

Philadelphia Church of God: Update on Cal Culpepper/Scott Flory Scandal

Philadelphia Church of God: Where The World Is Celebrated While Simultaneously It Destroys Lives Of Members

PCG: Cal Culpepper and Greg Nice - "These were a couple of the most despicable, disdainful, and creepy goons I ever met"

Cal Culpepper and His Philadelphia Church of God Gestapo Making Life A Living Hell for Members

Philadelphia Church of God: Cal Culpepper, Wayne Turgeon - Gerald Flurry's Gestapo Agents

How Sick Can Cal Culpepper and Gerald Flurry Get?

Philadelphia Church of God Cult: Kicked out of PCG because she was a "threat to their cause"

Philadelphia Church of God: Hypocrisy of Gerald Flurry and Cal Culpepper

Philadelphia Church of God Mantra: Pay Any Price, Sacrifice Any Person, and OBEY Us

Cal Culpepper Continues To Intimidate and Threaten PCG Members

The Most Disrespectful Church of God Dares to Teach About "Respect"

Craig Winters and Cal Culpepper Gets All Crummy Over Some Cookies

Philadelphia Church of "god", Gerald Flurry and Cal Culpepper Destroying Yet Another Marriage

Diabolical Cal Culpepper

Kansas City COG Member Wins 5.1+ Million Dollar Lawsuit For Religious Discrimination Against Emporia State University

 

HUMAN RIGHTS

Kansas Jury Awards $5 Million to Professor in Religious Discrimination Case

On a cold January day in Lyon County, Kansas, a jury delivered a verdict that reverberated far beyond a single campus dispute—awarding more than $5 million to a longtime university professor who said his career was dismantled because of his religious practice.

The judgment against Emporia State University marked one of the most significant religious discrimination verdicts in Kansas higher education in recent memory.

On January 21, jurors found that the university and two senior administrators unlawfully discriminated against Dr. Dusti Howell, a tenured professor of Instructional Design and Technology, after he took time off to observe religious holidays he had marked for decades. The award—$5,181,344.55 in compensatory and punitive damages—followed a trial that began January 12 and traced how routine accommodation gave way to discipline, isolation, and what Howell’s attorney described as a forced exit from academia.
“They just made his life miserable because of his religious practice.”

The verdict carries broader implications at a moment when religious accommodation standards have been recalibrated nationwide. Jurors concluded that Emporia State violated the Kansas Preservation of Religious Freedom Act, the Kansas Act Against Discrimination and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, underscoring that public employers face strict obligations to justify any denial of religious accommodation.

Howell had spent more than 20 years teaching at Emporia State and had held tenure for 12 of them by the time the conflict erupted in 2020. A member of a nondenominational church that observes holidays overlapping with the Jewish calendar, Howell had long taken brief, preplanned absences—an arrangement that had never drawn formal objection. That changed after he returned from observing the Feast of Tabernacles, a religious conference he said he had attended since childhood and throughout his career at the university.

“I came back from a one-week church conference, which I’ve gone to since I was 6 years old and for 23 years at Emporia State,” Howell said. “They said, ‘You can’t do that anymore, not without getting an eight-week, preapproved notice from HR, and the dean and your chair.’”

The contrast with secular travel was stark. When he asked whether attending a technology conference would require similar advance approval, he recalled being told, “Oh, yeah, you don’t even need to tell us. Just go. But if you’re gone for a church conference, gone for one day for church, yeah, you need eight weeks preapproval. We’ll let you know whether you can go or not.”

University officials justified the discipline by pointing to two missed class sessions during Howell’s absence—classes covering green screen technology. Howell said that he had arranged for his graduate teaching assistant to lead those sessions, a practice he described as commonplace in higher education.

“She was probably the best graduate teaching assistant I’ve had there in 23 years,” Howell said, adding that she was a former department head at a university in India. “She was fantastic as a graduate teaching assistant, but I was chastised for allowing a graduate teaching assistant to teach in my class.”

From that point forward, the lawsuit alleged, the university escalated its response. In a letter dated November 4, 2020, then-Dean Joan Brewer disciplined Howell based on claims the jury later heard were factually incorrect. According to the complaint, Brewer asserted Howell had been absent for “weeks,” failed to respond to emails for extended periods and improperly placed himself on leave—allegations Howell disputed point by point. The filing stated that the absences cited were shorter than claimed and that no written policy supported the procedural demands imposed on him.

The dispute widened beyond a single professor. Court filings introduced evidence that Emporia State lacked any formal policy for accommodating religious observances and had previously resisted such accommodations for students. In 2016, the university considered adopting a written policy on religious absences, according to the filings, but the faculty senate declined to enact it, leaving accommodation decisions to ad hoc administrative discretion.

As the case progressed, Howell said the consequences compounded. He was removed from graduate-level teaching, excluded from departmental email chains and later reprimanded for missing meetings he said he had never been informed about in the first place. His attorney, Linus Baker, argued these actions were designed to create a record of noncompliance that would justify his termination.

“It was a constructive discharge,” Baker said, describing a situation in which an employer makes conditions so intolerable that resignation becomes inevitable. “I mean, they just made his life miserable because of his religious practice.”
The verdict does not restore his position, but it does restore, in legal terms, what the jury determined was taken wrongfully.

The legal strategy intersected with a major shift in federal law. Baker asked the court to pause the litigation while the US Supreme Court considered Groff v. DeJoy, a case that re-⁠examined how employers assess religious accommodation. In 2023, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that employers must show “substantial increased costs” to deny an accommodation, rejecting decades of precedent that had allowed denials based on minimal burdens.

Baker told reporters at the time that Emporia State’s own history undermined any claim of hardship. The university had accommodated Howell’s observances for years, he said, and only reversed course after a change in leadership. “That’s something he has practiced habitually since he was there,” Baker said. “When he hired on, it was understood, right? So, I mean, it’s not like he had some epiphany during his employment where he changed the rules of the game.”

Jurors ultimately agreed, awarding roughly $2.1 million in compensatory damages, including for lost pay and benefits Howell would have earned had he not been forced out, along with $3 million in punitive damages intended to sanction the conduct. Additional attorney’s fees are expected, and the university has indicated it plans to appeal.

For higher education administrators, the verdict lands as a cautionary signal. Public universities, often balancing scheduling demands against faculty autonomy, operate squarely within constitutional and statutory civil rights frameworks. The jury’s finding suggests that informal practices and unwritten expectations cannot substitute for lawful accommodation processes—especially when religious exercise is involved.

He resigned after being reassigned to teach only freshman courses, believing termination was imminent. The verdict does not restore his position, but it does restore, in legal terms, what the jury determined was taken wrongfully.

As the case moves toward appeal, its legacy may extend beyond Kansas. In an era of renewed scrutiny on religious liberty in the workplace, the Howell verdict reinforces that accommodation is not discretionary goodwill but a legal obligation.

For institutions navigating cultural and administrative change, the message from Lyon County is clear: Longstanding practice and basic accuracy matter. So does religious freedom—and when it is treated as optional, the cost can be measured not only in reputational damage but in millions of dollars.

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Former Emporia State professor awarded more than $5 million in religious discrimination lawsuit

A former Emporia State University professor has won his religious discrimination lawsuit against the university.

A Lyon County jury earlier this week awarded Dr. Dusti Howell $5,181,344.55 in compensatory and punitive damages, finding the university violated Howell’s rights under the Kansas Preservation of Religious Freedom act and the Kansas Act Against Discrimination as well as Federal Title VII protections.

The jury said Emporia State and administrators Joan Brewer and Jim Persinger now owe Howell some $2.1 million in compensatory damages — pay he would have been entitled to had he not been forced out — and $3 million in punitive damages. That figure will likely go higher when the judge awards attorney’s fees and other punitive damages.

Lyon County radio station KOVE reports an appeal is likely.

Howell, who had been a professor in Instructional Design and Technology at Emporia State University for over two decades — and tenured for 12 years — returned from celebrating the “Feast of Tabernacles” in 2020 to a “conference” with the now-former Dean of the Teacher’s College, Joan Brewer, and now-retired interim IDT department chair Jim Persinger.

“I came back from a one-week church conference, which I’ve gone to since I was six years old and for 23 years at Emporia State — Feast of Tabernacles,” Dusti Howell said. “They said ‘you can’t do that anymore, not without getting an 8-week, preapproved notice from HR, and the dean and your chair.”

“I asked if I could go to a tech conference,” he said. “‘Oh, yeah, you don’t even need to tell us, just go.’ But if you’re gone for a church conference, gone for one day for church. ‘Yeah, you need eight weeks pre-approval. We’ll let you know whether you can go or not.’”

The reason for this? According to Howell, he’d missed two classes — a Tuesday and a Thursday — during which students were to learn to use green-screen technology. However, Howell had already planned to have his graduate teaching assistant cover those days — something common at any university.

“She was probably the best graduate teaching assistant I’ve had there in 23 years,” Howell said, noting that the TA was a former head of department at a university in India and was attending ESU while her daughter was in the nursing program.

“She was fantastic as a graduate teaching assistant, but I was chastised for allowing a graduate teaching assistant to teach in my class,” Howell said. “Wow, really, you can’t use them to teach at all?”

This was the beginning of what the lawsuit alleges is a years-long effort to force Howell out — including multiple false claims against him. (More to this story is on the link above)

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Will You Join The True WCG In Washington DC On May 27, 2026 For The National Day Of Prayer?

 

Samuel Kitchen is graciously inviting all you true Worldwide Church of God members to drop everything and flock to Washington, D.C. on May 27, 2026, for the National Day of Prayer. There, you’ll have the distinct privilege of praying and belting out Dwight Armstrong’s one-and-only true hymns—as a bold witness to the nation of the glorious, unifying truth brought to us by Herbert W. Armstrong himself.

Who knows? Maybe this time the country will finally be spared from being overrun by those dastardly Germans.

Of course, in classic Armstrongite fashion, Samuel insists you must be ALL IN—100% committed, no excuses—or you’re just another pathetic, backsliding Laodicean: weak, lukewarm, and basically phoning it in for Satan. Better pack your guilt-trip bags along with your hymnals.

Add to that, this is a TEST to see if you are rightly discerning the Lord's body!

 

Dear brethren, 

 

I am writing this to ask something special of you, of those who can participate. 

 

As you probably have heard, President Donald Trump had called May 27th this year, a NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER to re-dedicate this nation to God once again. 

 

He has invited Americans to the National Mall in Washington, D.C. for this special occasion. 

 

I have been reading in the literature of God’s Church, how it is is GOOD and PROPER to support one’s country when sanctifying a people to give thanks to God, and this special occasion President Trump has called for, surely gives occasion for God’s people to stand up and support such a right and proper thing! 

 

I am thinking of attending this social occasion in Washington D.C. I also was thinking, if there was a gathering together of God’s people there, and together would sing hymns and thank God and pray for this nation and people. 

 

Jesus Christ is going to CUT the Great Tribulation short, because of THIS CHURCH. And these people, our neighbors and family, are sanctified for a Holy purpose!!!! Through us, do we realize this brethren! As soon as we ARE OUT OF HERE, and in a place of safety, the greatest trouble ever to happen in world history is going to befall the peoples of the English speaking nations. 

 

But Jesus Christ intervenes, and we have a part in its God’s Church. 

 

I want to get a census of how many of you would be willing to go to Washington D.C with me, on May 27th to stand up together as God’s Church, to pray for this nation and its leaders, and to dedicate them to the Great God of Heaven and Earth? This would be about SANCTIFICATION, to set this nation and people apart for HOLY USE by God. 

 

And wouldn’t it be wonderful for God’s people to come together, at such a time as this, to THANK & PRAISE GOD for His plan for this nation and people, to pray for their repentance and for their turning unto the true God in obedience? 

 

They do not know the true God, but we do brethren, and like the Athenians who had an altar unto the unknown god, Paul had the opportunity to witness for Christ. So do we also have an opportunity to witness but Christ here. 

 

Pray about it brethren. Take it to God and get stirred up! Are you ALL IN to be part of this great Work of God? Or are you lukewarm, kind of guessing, holding back, and not wanting to participate until you see clear skies and easy roads? 

 

This year’s Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread are going to be probably the most important we are going to experience by far! One year closer to Christ’s return! And a test whether we are rightly discerning the Lord’s Body! If we aren’t here to do the Work of God and we hold back we are NOT rightly discerning the Lord’s Body! Let be sure we are! 

 

In Christ’s service,
Samuel W Kitchen

Crackpot Prophet Doubles Down As The Big Mean Dream Machine

It's another gloriously sunny day in California, because nothing says "end times" like waiting for the weekend rainstorm while our resident Crackpot Prophet doubles down on how utterly magnificent his dreams are and how tragically stupid everyone else is for daring to ignore them.

After all, his nighttime fantasies are clearly just as vital and legitimate as those of biblical Joseph or Loma Armstrong—you know, the kind of divine VIPs whose visions actually mattered. Back when the Holy Family was in the early planning stages of creating this whole world thing, they apparently gathered around the heavenly kitchen table one lazy Sunday morning, strategizing the entire end-times script and assigning all the major players. In a moment of pure serendipity, the Holy Spirit chuckled and said, "Hey, we need some sort of Bob character to pop up in the last days and absolutely amaze and astound the world. We'll hook him up with visions and dreams so people will believe him. Remember, the Laodicean attitude is going to deceive tons of folks, and they'll blow him off—so we've got to make him look way more legitimate than all those other Church of God leaders." The whole God family apparently lost it, laughing hysterically while munching on their heavenly chocolate croissants and sipping that divine brew.

Fast-forward a casual 5980 years, and voilà—here we are with the world's most astonishing dream machine himself: the Infallible Great Bwana Joshua, Habakkuk, Elijah, Elisha, Joseph, Bob Thiel strutting among us in the flesh. Sadly, things aren't unfolding quite as splendidly as the Holy Family had scripted. People just aren't paying proper attention to his dreams, and that's simply not kosher!

Everyone fails to recognize that right in their very midst walks the single most theologically accurate man who has ever twisted the Bible to perfectly match his own worldview. Forget Dave Pack and Herbert Armstrong—the Great Bwana is clearly the man!

And here he is today, once again moaning into his herbs and potions about how today's True Christians stubbornly refuse to acknowledge his greatness. Poor thing. How ever will the world survive without bowing to his nightly reruns?

When believers read about dreams in the Hebrew scriptures, they realize that God has actually used them. 

 

But, some in the various COGs have commented that they do not care to know about dreams in this century. 

 

Do dreams and prophets have any place in the Christian Church today? 

 

Did any dreams precede the start of the old Radio Church of God? What about the Continuing Church of God (which did not officially form as a declared entity until December 28, 2012)?

Our Great Bwana has placed himself as part of the Armstrongist trinity of dreams, Loma, Herbert, and Bwana Bob.

I had a couple of dreams prior to the start of the Continuing Church of God, and also two people I did not know, one who lived in New Zealand and one in Kansas, had dreams prior to that start as well. 

 

Though many discount all dreams, many also forget that Herbert W. Armstrong believed that his wife Loma D. Armstrong had a dream from God...

The Great Bwana continues with this:

Loma and Herbert W. Armstrong were married in 1917. They were specifically told that they would have a work to do. Furthermore, the bright lights in the dream may have had to do with doing a work (cf. Matthew 5:16)–a work that seemed to vanish and return (flash). 

 

Thus, there was a dream from God given to a woman in the 20th century that preceded the start of the old Radio Church of God that Herbert W. Armstrong led. The Radio Church of God represented the start of the Philadelphia era and the Philadelphian work–a work that is not finished (cf. Matthew 24:14-15)–and Herbert W. Armstrong claimed that a dream given to his wife was from God, prior to the start of the Philadelphia era. 

 

The Bible says:

8 So Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him. 9 Then Joseph remembered the dreams which he had dreamed about them … (Genesis 42:8-9) 

 

Notice that after events that occurred years later confirmed Joseph’s dreams, then he remembered them. When events confirmed Loma Armstrong’s dream, she and Herbert W. Armstrong remembered them. 

 

Now, consider that since the Philadelphia era was raised up after Loma Armstrong’s dream, a question to ponder is, would God do anything similar to point to the continuation of the end-time COG remnant of the Philadelphians? 

 

Oh, the sheer desperation oozing from Bwana Bob as he clings to the Armstrongs for any scrap of legitimacy—it's almost touching. Apparently, the only way to justify raising up yet another tiny splinter group is to hitch his wagon to the same old family legend. Because nothing screams "divinely appointed" like recycling someone else's decades-old dream.

Yes, folks, according to our infallible prophet, the mysterious second part of Loma Armstrong's famous dream—the one nobody else seems to remember quite the same way—was secretly about him and the Continuing Church of God. Not Herbert, not the original work, not even the entire end-time drama... nope, it was a cryptic prophecy pointing straight to Bwana Bob Thiel in the 21st century. The mental gymnastics required to arrive at that conclusion are truly Olympic-level. Mind-boggling doesn't even begin to cover it.

Truly, the delusion is strong with this one. Keep dreaming, Bwana Bob. The world is clearly just too Laodicean to appreciate your starring role in Loma's extended director's cut.

Consider that in Loma Armstrong’s dream that there were two sets of flashing stars–there were two parts to the dream. Herbert W. Armstrong is now dead and there was a pause between the work God had him to do and the completion of the final phase of the work to finally fulfill Matthew 24:14 (cf. Isaiah 29:14). 

 

Herbert W. Armstrong mentioned the dream from time to time publicly, here are two nearly identical accounts:

I’m usually pretty skeptical about God speaking to anyone today in visions or dreams. God speaks to us thru His Son, Jesus Christ — the WORD of God — and the Bible is the written Word. I didn’t really believe it then, 38 years ago, but subsequent events have verified that God did speak to my wife at that time, shortly after we were married, revealing thru an angel that He was calling us to the mission of WARNING the world of the fast-approaching END OF THIS WORLD, the Coming of Jesus Christ, and the world-ruling Kingdom of God. At the time I was unconverted, not bothering to attend church, interested only in business and making money. I was embarrassed — a little awed — but immediately tried to put it out of my mind. But at age 30 God took away my business, struck me down, took away my idol of money-making and business prestige. (Armstrong HW. Co-worker letter, November 25, 1955) 

 

I’m usually pretty skeptical about God speaking to anyone today in visions or dreams. God speaks to us thru His Son, Jesus Christ — the WORD of God — and the Bible is the written Word. I didn’t really believe it then, 38 years ago, but subsequent events have verified that God did speak to my wife at that time, shortly after we were married, revealing thru an angel in a vision that He was calling us to the mission of WARNING the world of the fast- approaching END OF THIS WORLD, the coming of Jesus Christ, and the world-ruling Kingdom of God. At that time I was unconverted, not bothering to attend church, interested only in business and making money. I was embarrassed — a little awed — but immediately tried to put it out of my mind. But at age 30 God took away my business, struck me down, took away my idol of money-making and business prestige. (Armstrong HW. Co-worker letter, February 21, 1956)

Notice that the dream was to go until the end of the world and the coming of Jesus–since Herbert W. Armstrong has been dead since January 16, 1986–if the dream was from God then, does it not make sense that the second half of the dream would be fulfilled by another? Like in the 21st century? We in the Continuing Church of God are fulfilling that second part of the stars.

Perhaps it should be mentioned, Herbert W. Armstrong had more information about what I am referring to as the first set of stars in the dream. He wrote:

It was a dazzling spectacle … People by the hundreds came running into this broad intersection looking up to see the strange phenomena … A vast multitude of eyes were upon us … I have only come to believe that this dream was a bonafide call from God in the light of subsequent events. (Armstrong HW. The Autobiography of Herbert W. Armstrong, 9th installment. Plain Truth, August 1958, p. 18).

Eyes of a vast multitude suggest that the dream was saying, that the work to be done was to have a witness to many. This happened with the old Radio and Worldwide Church of God under Herbert W. Armstrong’s leadership in the 20th century. The second set of stars in the dream, which he did not mention in the August 1958 Plain Truth, article, but did in his published Autobiography, may pertain to what I have called, for years, The Final Phase of the Work. But even if it had applicability to the ministry of Herbert W. Armstrong only, the dream, which shortly before his death he confirmed he believed was from God (per Aaron Dean, who I discussed this with on October 30, 2015), shows that one did precede the Church of God work he was involved in. 

 

Consider that Herbert W. Armstrong concluded that his wife Loma’s dream was from God. He also believed the first part of it had to do with the start of the Philadelphia era of the Church of God via the Radio Church of God. He did not discuss the fulfillment of the second part of the dream directly, however he taught another work would be done. 

 

Buckle up, brethren—here comes the undeniable PROOF straight from the Great Bwana himself that he is, without question, the legitimate next big thing in the Church of God universe.

Even Herbert W. Armstrong—yes, the very same one—mentioned him! Not by name, of course (because why be specific when you can be mysteriously prophetic?), but as a shadowy “second mighty work” that was supposedly destined to arise. Forget actual quotes, clear context, or anything remotely verifiable. No, no. HWA dropped a vague, throwaway line decades ago, and Bwana Bob has heroically decoded it to mean: “Behold, I am that second mighty work. Bow before my YouTube sermons and my endless stream of dreams.”

It’s the theological equivalent of finding a cryptic fortune cookie message and declaring yourself the Chosen One because it vaguely mentioned “a great leader will rise in the West… with excellent Wi-Fi.” 

The mental contortions required to turn a generic end-time comment into a personal bat-signal are nothing short of breathtaking. Truly, only a mind as uniquely gifted as the Infallible Bwana could crack that code.

So yes, everyone—pack it up. The case is closed. Herbert basically named him in code. We can all stop doubting now and get in line behind the world’s most self-anointed “second mighty work.” History will surely thank us for not laughing too hard.

Herbert W. Armstrong’s part of the work lasted over 50 years, and he seemingly felt that the “short work” would be much shorter than his work. And that is correct.

Here is what was in Herbert W. Armstrong’s last letter:

The greatest work lies ahead … Never before in the history of the Church has it been possible to reap so great a harvest. It has only been made possible through modern technology, beginning with the printing press, radio, television ... Each of you must commit yourself to support God’s Work … God’s work must push ahead as never before. God is opening up new doors in television (Letter, 1/10/86).

Consider that since Herbert W. Armstrong did not teach that the second part of his wife Loma’s dream was fulfilled and that he also taught a greater work was going to happen after his death. It is greater because it will fulfill Matthew 24:14, etc. That is the work that we in the Continuing Church of God are leading. It appears that the second part of Loma D. Armstrong’s dream was pointing to the Continuing Church of God–the group that best represents the remnant of the Philadelphian portion of the Church of God. As far as radio and new doors in television and other media, check out the CCOG Multimedia page. 

 

As far as the greatest work, consider that the Continuing Church of God has had its English language booklet, The Gospel of the Kingdom of God, translated into over 1500 languages and dialects. This has NEVER been done before in the nearly 2,000 year history of the Church of God.
Furthermore, dreams are a sign that God has used to confirm ‘Philadelphia.’ 

 

No other Church of God group has ever dared to publish a book so gloriously stuffed to the gills with theological heresies. Not a single one. And yet, somehow, here we are, blessed beyond measure with this unparalleled masterpiece of doctrinal creativity.

Truly, it's a miracle of modern prophecy: a tome so densely packed with eyebrow-raising interpretations that it makes the rest of the COG literature look like dry, boring orthodoxy by comparison. Who needs boring old consistency when you can have page after page of bold, boundary-pushing "truth" that somehow only one very special man on the planet has managed to uncover?

We should all be taking notes. This isn't just another book—it's a landmark achievement in the fine art of saying things that make even the most die-hard Armstrongites do a double-take. History will remember it fondly… or at least as the moment everyone else quietly backed away.

Oh, and because one dream interpreter in New Zealand just wasn’t enough cosmic validation, the Great Bwana now ascends to the next level of self-congratulation: he dreams about Rod Meredith.

Yes, you read that right. In what is surely the most humble and understated move of the century, Bob Thiel’s subconscious decides the best use of his prophetic nighttime bandwidth is to stage a personal cameo from the late Dr. Roderick C. Meredith himself. Because nothing screams “I’m the legitimate successor” quite like your own brain casting a dead former boss in your fan-fiction sequel.

One can only imagine the scene: Rod appears in glorious technicolor dream-vision, perhaps giving a solemn nod of approval, or maybe handing over a glowing scepter labeled “Second Mighty Work,” or—let’s be real—probably just standing there looking mildly confused while Bob narrates how this obviously confirms every single thing he’s ever claimed. Divine endorsement level: expert.

The rest of us are left to marvel at the sheer convenience. When your real-world followers won’t give you the respect you so richly deserve, why not have the next best thing—a literal ghost from COG past—drop by in your sleep to tell you you’re special? It’s efficient, it’s cost-free, and best of all, Rod can’t talk back or fact-check you.

Truly inspiring stuff. Keep those dream logs coming, Bwana. At this rate, your next blockbuster revelation might feature Herbert Armstrong himself showing up with a PowerPoint titled “Why Bob Was Right All Along.” We’re on the edge of our seats.

Many years ago I had a dream, which while I did not understand it at first, as it became more and more fulfilled over the years, I remembered it, began to understand it, and believe it was from God.

I was 50 at the time (which essentially makes me an ‘old man’ per Numbers 8:25; cf. John 8:57). In my dream, there seemed to be two parallel lines. Living Church of God (LCG) evangelist Roderick Meredith was on the top line and I was on the line much below. In the dream, I kept calling up to Dr. Meredith, but he never would respond. This lack of response made no sense to me during the dream. Then after what seemed to be a long time, the lines-crossed with his line dropping and my line going up.

One reason that I did not understand it at the time was that I was on relatively close speaking terms with Dr. Meredith then (he repeatedly told me he considered me to be his friend, plus he had appointed me an adviser to LCG on matters of doctrine and prophecy), so that aspect of the dream made no sense at the time. Also, since I had no intentions of leaving Living Church of God then (and certainly no plans to start a separate church), it was not clear what the dream was saying. Another reason I was unsure about the dream then was that I had not had any anointing for the Holy Spirit beyond baptism when I had that dream.

But these matters changed eventually. For one, I was unexpectedly anointed for a ‘double-portion’ of God’s Spirit (cf. 2 Kings 2:9) on December 15, 2011 by an LCG minister named Gaylyn Bonjour.

Furthermore, the following year Dr. Meredith became more distant from me, would not keep various promises to me, and ultimately stopped speaking with me. And after I got a letter from him on 12/28/12, it was clear to me that there was no way that the Philadelphia mantle could be with him or any of his leaders or remain in LCG. I remembered my dream as these subsequent events showed me that the dream was being fulfilled.

In late 2020, I had another dream that was fulfilled. In 2022, CCOG evangelist Evans Ochieng had another dream that was confirmed. 

 

Poor Bwana Bob—nothing quite frosts his delicate little butt like the fact that every other Church of God group continues to treat him and his sacred dream journal with the respect they reserve for random spam emails. How dare they!

The audacity! The sheer, unmitigated gall! Here he is, the self-proclaimed second-mighty-work-in-chief, graciously dropping divine revelations left and right, and these ungrateful Laodiceans just… keep on ignoring him. They won’t acknowledge his dreams, his YouTube empire, his endless stream of “proof texts,” or his starring role in Loma Armstrong’s extended remix. It’s practically persecution. Nay, it’s worse—it’s disrespect.

Clearly, the only logical explanation is that the entire rest of the COG world is spiritually blind, deceived, and too busy sipping lukewarm Postum to recognize the greatest prophetic gift since Herbert himself. Meanwhile, Bwana sits there, cheeks aflame with righteous indignation, wondering why no one else has the good sense to bow down and say, “Yes, sir, your nighttime brain movies are definitely from God, and we were fools to ever question it.”Truly heartbreaking. Someone fetch the man a fainting couch and a fresh batch of heavenly chocolate croissants—he’s suffering, people. He’s suffering.

Despite what the Bible supports, most Church of God groups do not seemingly accept that there are any prophets today, nor do they seem to accept that God actually sometimes speaks in dreams in the 21st century–some, oddly, seem indignant of the very idea. Part of the reason for this is that those self-proclaimed ‘prophets’ outside of the Continuing Church of God have tended to be proven to be false. 

 

Oh, and then—because why stop at self-referential prophecy when you can outsource it?—the Great Bwana trots out yet another golden nugget: a dream one of his loyal acolytes in New Zealand supposedly had about him. 

Double blessed, triple confirmed, quadruple ignored.

He proceeds to quote this second-hand nighttime fan fiction in exhaustive detail, as if it's the missing chapter of Revelation that finally explains why everyone else in the COG universe is too spiritually dense to recognize his greatness. More whining ensues about how tragically overlooked he is, how the Laodiceans just won't wake up and smell the prophetic coffee, and how dare the rest of the world not immediately fall to their knees over a dream some follower had halfway around the planet.

Truly groundbreaking stuff. Nothing says “legitimate end-time apostle” like leaning on the subconscious ramblings of your own fan club for validation. At this rate, the next big proof will be his cat having a vision about him while napping on the keyboard. Keep 'em coming, Bob—we're all riveted.

He ends with this:

Satan and his allies do not want you to believe that God has actually been using dreams–he wants you to rationalize away the prophecy in Acts 2:17-18–otherwise you might take action he opposes. 

 

Can you believe?

Well, Bob, after surveying the full panoramic sweep of your prophetic portfolio—from heavenly kitchen-table brainstorming sessions with chocolate croissants and the Holy Spirit's chuckle about needing “some kind of Bob character,” to the mind-bending decoding of Loma Armstrong’s dream as your personal origin story, to the outsourced New Zealand acolyte visions, the subconscious Rod Meredith cameo, and the endless frostbitten indignation over every other COG group’s refusal to genuflect—yes, we can believe. We can believe it all right.

We can believe that in a world where the most theologically creative book of heresies ever published by a COG splinter sits proudly on the shelf, where vague Herbert Armstrong comments become coded bat-signals for your “second mighty work” status, and where the late Rod Meredith apparently moonlights in your dreams to hand out approval stamps, the one constant is the tragic, unforgivable oversight of everyone else failing to recognize the Infallible Bwana Joshua-Habakkuk-Elijah-Elisha-Joseph-Thiel as the greatest unappreciated prophetic gift since… ever.

So when you warn that Satan and his minions are desperately trying to get people to “rationalize away” Acts 2:17-18 (you know, the part about dreams and visions in the last days), the irony is thicker than heavenly brew. Because if anyone’s been rationalizing—twisting, stretching, outsourcing, and dream-logging their way into legitimacy—it’s the man whose entire ministry seems built on the premise that if enough people dream about you (or your followers dream about you dreaming about someone else), reality must bend to match.The rest of the COG world? They’re just too Laodicean, too deceived, too busy ignoring the double-blessed evidence to see the obvious: that God Himself scripted your starring role millennia ago, complete with cameos from dead leaders and prophetic fan fiction from Down Under. How else to explain the deafening silence from everyone except your own echo chamber?

Can we believe? Oh, we believe the script you’ve written for yourself is one for the ages—equal parts tragic, triumphant, and hilariously self-referential. Keep warning about Satan’s plot to make people doubt your dreams, Bob. Meanwhile, the world keeps not paying attention, the weekend rainstorms keep coming, and your delicate little butt keeps getting frosted.

History (and probably a few more dreams) will sort it out. Until then… sweet dreams. 

Don Billingsley Predicts a Fun 2026!

2026 promises to be an absolute blast of a year, according to the ever-reliable Don Billingsley. Who needs boring old normalcy when you can have apocalyptic excitement?

Just a friendly tip: steer clear of those highways, brethren! The moment those divine instructions drop to hightail it to the airports and snag your one-way ticket to Petra, it's going to be pure, unadulterated chaos. Picture this: highways gridlocked with desperate drivers, airports on full standby with hundreds of planes lined up like obedient little soldiers, all ready to whisk the select members off to safety in Jordan while the rest of the world burns.

Imagine the scene at the terminals: people clawing, fighting, and probably straight-up killing each other just to board one of those precious flights as bombs rain down overhead. Screams, shoving, luggage flying—total Mad Max meets end-times rapture fantasy. And yet, the Armstrongites somehow never quite factor in the minor detail that the rest of humanity might not politely step aside for their exclusive evacuation party.  They see everything as normal until they depart the runways of the airports, then all hell breaks loose.

Here we are in February 2026, and—surprise, surprise—the highways are still drivable, the airports aren't running a secret COG shuttle service to Petra, and the bombs aren't falling (yet?). If this is the "fun" apocalypse Don Billingsley prophesied, it seems the divine evacuation memo got lost in the mail. Maybe next year they'll update the timeline... again. Until then, I'll keep my calendar clear for something a little less dramatic—like, say, a quiet cup of coffee. Way fewer casualties that way.

Don writes: 

The 9th of Av, Tisha b'Av, commemorates a list of catastrophes so severe that it's clearly a day set aside by God for suffering. The following momentous years are for the United States, beginning in this end time with the year 2026. End of quote.

Within the next few short years, possibly three years, it will bring about the closure of the curse, the 9th of Av, Tisha b'Av, when America and Britain will no longer exist as nations.

May God have mercy on the people who live in those nations.

Just before Germany launches a blitzkrieg attack on America, the chosen people of God are directed to prepare their minds to leave their homes and board flights to Jerusalem. Jeremiah 51:50 “You who have escaped the sword, get away! Get away! Do not stand still! Remember the LORD afar off and let Jerusalem come to your mind.”

There will be little time to flee, for at that time the highways and airways will become desolate:

Isaiah 33:8 The highways lie waste; the traveling man ceases.

Just before this takes place, the people of God will have boarded passenger planes with Jerusalem as their destination.

Dave Pack: There is a Bible Prophecy That Foretold Me Being Held Back From Speaking...And Now I Can't Shut Up!

 

Courtesy of @exRestoredCOG on YouTube

Decades ago, the American Psychiatric Association published a book on mental disorders that has since become the textbook for diagnosing and treating these conditions in people. It's now in its DSM-5 edition (with updates continuing). 

Sadly, in Armstrongism, seeking help from psychiatrists was often looked down upon—and outright forbidden by many Worldwide Church of God ministers. Part of the issue? That very book accurately describes the mental disorders exhibited by far too many ministers and Church of God leaders over the decades. If members truly understood what was wrong with their leaders and some ministers, they might lose power and control. Gasp! People might even start questioning them! Jumping Jehoshaphat—they couldn't have that!

Because so many self-absorbed leaders were in charge, the membership was exposed to malignant narcissism and subjected to authoritarian control tactics—patterns that still persist today in the various splinter groups. We see leaders who are extremely self-focused in their sermons and writings, all placing themselves smack in the center of God's end-time plan, which apparently He can't pull off without them. That's precisely why they lash out so frequently at anyone who dares question them.

When they're exposed, they immediately start gaslighting members. Every failed prophecy magically transforms into a "learning experience" or proof that "God has revealed deeper insight" to them. All these endless "new understandings" are supposedly to benefit the church and help it grow in grace and knowledge. But more importantly, they're trotted out to show members how being accused of being a false prophet actually proves their importance. How convenient.

Dave Pack and his little lap poodles strongly reject these characterizations and immediately frame any criticism as persecution from those who "left God's truth" or as satanic attacks. He's constantly portrayed as the faithful leader restoring truth amid all the COG apostasy.

In spite of all that, most people now see through his endless failed predictions (including the fresh batch in late 2025 and early 2026 that fizzled spectacularly) and his self-aggrandizing, almost psychotic behaviors. They recognize him for what he is: a liar, a false prophet, and a genuine cult leader. Shocking, right?

Infallible Bwana Bob Lustfully Crying Over Valentines Day, Again....Demons! Demons Everywhere!

Does anything ever pierce the perpetual gloom of the soul of the Great Infallible Bob? While the rest of us pathetic mortals are out there having a nice meal with someone we love and maybe—gasp—exchanging sweet little cards on Valentine's Day, our irrepressible, utterly infallible Great Bwana is gleefully taking his annual ceremonial dump all over the holiday. Heaven forbid you accidentally bought your spouse a card and some flowers. Because if you did, congratulations: you're now officially cavorting with demons that apparently live inside Valentine's Day cards and bouquets. Truly terrifying stuff.

And let's not forget the pièce de résistance of their airtight theological case: Valentine's Day is nothing but a sneaky revival of the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia—that wild, sensuous pagan fertility rite held on February 15 (or so they insist, conveniently ignoring that the dates don't quite line up and the rituals involved goat sacrifices, blood-smearing, and men whipping women for fertility blessings, not exactly Hallmark-card material). In classic Armstrongism fashion, they trot out this "pagan origins" smear—straight from old Worldwide Church of God articles quoting outdated encyclopedia entries—to declare the whole thing idolatrous and demon-infested. Never mind that modern historians largely debunk the direct Lupercalia-to-Valentine's link as a romantic 18th–19th century invention with little real evidence beyond the calendar proximity; the connection is tenuous at best, more myth than history.

Bob Thiel, ever the faithful echo of Herbert W. Armstrong's playbook, keeps recycling the same tired trope on his COGwriter site and in his publications: Valentine's Day = Lupercalia = pagan = bad, end of story. He waves around the same selective quotes about "sexual license" and "name-drawing" lotteries to prove it's all a Catholic plot to sneak heathenism into Christianity. Because nothing says "true biblical Christianity" like cherry-picking ancient Roman festivals to demonize greeting cards and chocolate while conveniently overlooking how similar logic could trash weddings, wedding rings, neckties, or pretty much any cultural practice that isn't explicitly commanded in Leviticus.

Remember, brethren, in the exalted theology of Armstrongism, Satan is the strongest, most unstoppable force in existence—so powerful that even God Himself cowers in the third heaven. No wonder Jesus is taking forever to return; clearly, the adversary has Him on lockdown. 

Over a decade ago, a reader sent the following, which is such a classic, I would like to post it again:

February 10, 2014

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend and I have been together for 2 1/2 years, living together for two. He says Valentine’s Day is a made-up holiday to get people to spend money. I told him every holiday is geared toward people spending money. I find myself feeling angry and hurt that I’m not receiving anything for Valentine’s Day. He never buys cards or flowers for me. How do I communicate to him that this is important to me without making things worse? — CRAVING A LITTLE ROMANCE

DEAR CRAVING: Your boyfriend may be cheap, but he also has a point. According to a report on npr.org, the celebration of Valentine’s Day started in ancient Rome and contains elements of both Christian and pre-Christian religions. In the third century A.D., two men named Valentine were executed by the emperor Claudius II in different years on Feb. 14, and a few hundred years later, a pope (Gelasius I) combined St. Valentine’s Day with Lupercalia — a fertility feast — to replace the pagan ritual. (Research this online if you wish, because I found it fascinating.) The holiday didn’t become romanticized until the Renaissance.

That said, allow me to point out that there are few things more unpleasant than feeling forced to give someone a gift.

‘Abby’ had several helpful points that all should consider. The woman that wrote her the question, should also consider the following scripture:

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

Her lust for the things of the world is not Christian.

Valentine’s Day has pagan origins with direct ties to idolatry. All who profess Christ should consider what the Bible teaches about such practices:

29 When the LORD your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, 30 take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.’ 31 “You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. 32 Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it (Deuteronomy 12:29-32, NKJV).

2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe (Jeremiah 10:2-3, KJV).

Notice also want the New Testament teaches:

…abstain from things offered to idols (Acts 15:29, NKJV).

14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. (2 Corinthians 6:14-16)

19 What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. (1 Corinthians 10:19-20)

But because most who profess Christianity do not heed these warnings, they are disobeying God’s instructions. 

While normal people are just trying to enjoy a box of chocolates and not get demon-possessed by a $4.99 greeting card and a $150.00 steak dinner, the Great Bwana and his Armstrongist heirs are out here bravely fighting the good fight against the invisible Lupercalia demons hiding in pink hearts and roses. Because apparently the real spiritual warfare isn’t against sin, death, or Satan’s actual works—it’s against February 14th stationery and overpriced long-stemmed flowers.

Truly, the most powerful force in the universe isn’t love.

It’s the annual Valentine’s rant that keeps Jesus stuck in traffic somewhere outside the third heaven.