Aaron Dean on Family, GTA, Rader and HWA & Romona

More from Aaron Dean:

Hello All,

A bit of history...My mom came into contact with the church in 1953, the year after I was born and with my Dad's death a couple years later was told to move to Big Sandy to be with "the widows".  So I knew all the Hammers and Armstrongs and others as "Uncles and Aunts" though not blood relatives. In 1960 my mom moved to Pasadena where I finished Imperial with all the evangelists kids (Huntings, Portunes, etc) in or around my age, often spending the night in their homes.

I started AC in BIg Sandy then unusual events made me transfer to Pasadena after 1 1/2 years where I graduated. I was asked by HWA to fly on the G-2 on graduation day and we flew to Bricket wood 2 weeks ahead of their graduation. (I had been there the year before when going to the "dig" and knew many of those there. Paul Hunting had been in my class in Pasadena before they moved to England.  So I already knew the 'players' on all the campuses which was of a great help with my job. 

I became HWA's aide and VP for the last 5 years and member of the Council of Elders (ACE at the time) but kept a low profile seeing others rise and fall with positon often going to one's head.  So I worked with HWA for the last 12 years of his life, and HWA made me promise to be Mr. Tkach's aid after I talked him out of making me Pastor General right before he named JWT. He made a number of promises to HWA, all of which he broke over the next few years.

It was awkward for him and me both as HWA made me promise to "tell JWT when he is wrong". I said 'you are asking me to tell my future boss when he makes a mistake?"  He responded, "You did me".  I had been very honest with him as I saw what the many lies or misinformation had done to him and the church.  I kept this promise till JWT's death...again awkward for us both. I told him I wouldn't lie for him and finally in frustration he said "why don't you just say you didn't spend that much time with HWA".  I had to laugh.

Anyway, I do read a lot of the forum messages when I have time since I am on all 3 forums (Pasadena, BS, BW).  I believe people are very sincere in what they believe, and perception is indeed reality for them and often reinforced by others with the same perception.  As Dean said, I was 'in the room' for many years and set up some of the meetings with heads of state and ran some of the very budgets discussed in some comments. So many things said are simply factually wrong.  It comes from a void of info and sincere speculation and often beause some wanted people to believe certain things while others just create something that seems a logical ending to fill the void and create a reason. 

Interesting in this context is the book "Against the Gates of Hell" mentioned on this forum.   SRR didn't even write it.  It was ghost written for him since at the time he had been made an Evangelist (a mistake HWA realized later) and was deliberately trying to soften his image for future agrandizement.  I was interviewed by the author since I was at the center of the Recievership and no way SRR could say what happened there.  The appendix are very true as court transcripts, but much of the rest is a play to make certain people look good or bad.  Some used for political purposes later.  

Other examples are things I read are about HWA changing D&R so he could marry Ramona.  My first trip in May June '74 took me all over Europe and the Middle East. It was supposed to be 3 weeks, but 6 weeks later I had to fly back from Paris to get married to Michelle.  Anyway, Ramona had become Gotoh's secretary doing set up for him. She had to bring him something and we were in Madrid. She couldn't get a flight to Paris (our next stop) so Gotoh asked SRR if she could fly with us.  HWA saw her on the plane, and asked "Who is the lady flying with us."  I gave him her name, and he said, "Didn't she used to be the PBX operator at the switchboard in the 1960's whose husband had left her with a baby?"  At that point he went back to talk to her and became attracted, mostly because he had been kept away from almost anyone since his wife died and he was travelling all the time. (The G-2 logs show we were out of the country 312 days in 1975 - with other years being close) 

Anyway..since the D & R decision was done in April '74 during my senior year, and HWA's contact with Ramona began in June of '74 the decision was not made for him to marry her or anyone else.  He hadn't even considered it till a year of so later after getting to know Ramona.  (He also realized later that this was a mistake - but he was very lonely since Loma's death.)

There are so many things as to events, money and motive that are simply perceptions.  SRR got rich on the church while HWA left everything to the church.  I liked GTA (and even flew with him for a year when HWA had the heart attack) but he manipulated things as well.  He and SRR tried to sell HWA's G-2 when he had the heart attack although both denied it. Even so GTA told me that my job wouldn't stop, even though my wife worked in FInancial Affairs and saw my termination papers signed by GTA.  GTA and SRR hated each other, but they did agree on keeping HWA away from HQ - each for their own selfish reason - GTA beause of moral problems on campus and SRR because of Financial things he didn want HWA to find out.

Anyway, I bear no ill for what people believe, but often the wrong people get blame or credit as the case may be, and the motives attributed are very often wrong.  But again, that would only be known by someone "in the room".  I have always been willing to answer question honestly as truth is always the best answer. Sorry this is a bit long.

Aaron