Today, while researching some historical anecdotes on the Church and College, I came across a bit of interesting information from the Los Angeles times, dated January 12, 1985.
It seems that a book, entitled "The Firm Bond", which was written by Robert Kuhn and Goerge Geis, may have triggered Geis being called into Headquarters and asked for his resignation. Granted, this was an allegation purported by Garner Ted Armstrong:
Soon after the book, published in October, appeared in Vroman's bookstore in Pasadena--where it is enjoying brisk sales--Geis was called in by Worldwide authorities and asked to submit his resignation. Apparently, according to Ted Armstrong, "people (church leaders) thought they saw themselves in the book." The Worldwide Church of God is not mentioned in the book, nor does it reveal the connection of either Geis or co-author Robert Kuhn, a former top Worldwide official who has also been disfellowshipped, with the church or college.
The book in question was thought by GTA to be a problem with the Church, probably because of it's content:
A section of the book (Praeger, $21.95) deals with personal meaning and entrepreneurial drives within an unaccommodating structure. "How does one deal with such people and pressures?" the authors ask.“The easy answer--get rid of them!--deprives the company of innovative potential. On the other hand, strategies that allow for the expression of such needs promote mutual benefit for employee and organization.”
"The resignation was his (Geis') choice; the book was something he chose to write," said La Ravia, the Worldwide Church press secretary, who would not explain the reasons for the dismissal.
One of the reviewers of the book was from Harvard Business School - C. Roland Christenson. He writes:
This is a book not simply to be read, but to be savored. It poses for the reflective practioner the question of relationship between religion and economic creativity and productivity. It gives practical suggestions to any leader on the achievement of that critical motivational force--the linkage between personal inner needs and corporate mission.--C. Roland Christensen, Harvard Business School
One of the reasons why a business may possibly terminate an employee is if they, without authorization, released or revealed confidential intellectual property to the public. If this book revealed some of the internal corporate strategies used within the Church - it could well explain a possible reason why Gies was terminated from the Church. In a response to questions by the TImes concerning his termination, Ellis LaRavia said, "He chose to write the book."; seemingly confirming that the book did have something to do with it.
Or, it could have just been because he was collaborating with a disfellowshipped individual outside of the Church - the co-author, Robert Kuhn, something that he, as a minister of the Church, would have been looked on as an act of rebellion, since disfellowshipped members were to be shunned and avoided.
This book is available at Amazon for 12.95. As of this writing, 37 New and Used copies are available.
submitted by SHT
36 comments:
I remember when this book came out. We were told not to buy it, as was the routine command for any church member who wrote a book that was critical of HQ.
When/why was RLK booted?
The fact that the author of the book was disfellowshipped without even mentioning the church shows guilt on the part of armstrong(s). That wouldn't fly today. He could file a law suit of wrongful termination.
In nearly all corporate structures, one is not rewarded for risk taking or for innovating. Rather, your job is to "not make mistakes". This stifles any creativity, or entrepreneurial spirit, and ends up being a major reason why companies lose their cutting edge and fall hopelessly behind newer and more nimble completion. Take Sears or JC Penny as examples.
This is the main reason that even the more liberal corporate COGS, like Cogwa or UCG , are stuck going nowhere, appearing very aged, and stale. Music or dress innovation, or any type of sociological progression or modernization get lost in the hierarchy of permission asking and fear of failure.
It is my understanding that Kuhn was viewed as a "liberal" and as someone who had influence on GTA. No place for that under the HWA "back on track" pogrom in the early 1980s.
Glad to see that GeIs did pretty well for himself after leaving the WCG...
George T. Geis teaches at UCLA Anderson in the areas of mergers & acquisitions, financial modeling, entrepreneurship, and accounting. He has been voted Outstanding Teacher of the Year at UCLA Anderson five times. Geis has also served as Associate Dean and Faculty Director of UCLA Anderson's Executive MBA program. He is currently Faculty Director of Anderson's Mergers and Acquisitions Executive program.
Geis has taught mergers and acquisitions at the Haas School, UC Berkeley. He has been a visiting professor at Bocconi University in Milan, Italy as well as at the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia.
Dr. Geis is an expert on M&A activity in technology, communications and media markets. His latest book, Semi-Organic Growth, provides an in-depth analysis of Google's innovative approach to M&A. Geis' research interests include market modeling for M&A-related strategies as well as venture initiation and growth processes.
A National Science Foundation and Woodrow Wilson Honorary Fellow, Dr. Geis has extensive consulting experience and has published dozens of professional articles and six books. He is the recipient of the Financial Executives Institute Award for outstanding achievement in finance. In 2013, Geis was a Batten Fellow at the Darden School, University of Virginia.
Dr. Geis taught in the LEAD Summer Institute for minority youth for more than 10 years. He has provided management education for directors of Head Start programs nationwide as well as for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in UCLA's Entrepreneurs' Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities. His 16- tape lecture series on "Statistical Analysis in Business" appeared as part of the Teaching Company's Super Star Teacher series.
Geis is editor of trivergence.com, a web site that provides a visual analysis of M&A deals in technology, media and communications markets. He also writes a blog entitled M&A Professor.
Geis received a B.S. "summa cum laude" and with "honors in mathematics" from Purdue University , an M.B.A. from University of California, Los Angeles, and a Ph.D. from University of Southern California.
Connie
I believe that UCG, Cogwa and others go nowhere because they are charities. Charities are notoriously inefficient because they do not have the carrot and stick of financial profit and loss. Which is why, in the west, for every dollar donated, only 10 cents typically gets to the claimed recipients, with the rest going to administration. Within the ACOGs, it's typically 20% efficiency.
Another consideration is that Christian churches world wide try to attract members by creating a alternate reality where members feel comfortable. This means pandering to the older generation who contribute most financially. Hence the old peoples cloths and music. Home, sweet home. Pull out Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, if they could get away with it.
6:48, Unless Geis were fired for being a member of a protected class, for whistleblowing or perhaps a few other protected activities, he would have no grounds for a lawsuit even under today's (increasingly business-friendly) laws. An employment contract would have perhaps provided some protection but it is unlikely that he had any kind of contract as a WCG employee.
If he were still a member of the teaching faculty at that time, he probably had an annual contract with the college for that portion of his work. But the college was under no obligation to renew a faculty contract so this would have provided him on protection beyond the end of that academic year. There was never any form of tenure offered to faculty so a faculty member was employed on a year-to-year basis. As a former faculty member, I can assure you that this is true.
12:01 asked, When/why was RLK booted?
If I remember correctly, RLK was one of four people put out of the WCG in January 1979 because they were rumored to have played some part in the Receivership (I spell it with a capital R). Another was Wayne Cole. I seem to remember that Charles Dorothy might have been a third, but don't remember who the fourth was. Does anybody have more information?
looks like people have snapped up all the cheaper copies already.
Is anyone aware of any church of God groups that have servant leadership (as Christ told the disciples the leaders should be)?
Plus they should put God first and not be tied to HWA - not because I don't like him - but we are not the church of Peter or Paul or HWA.
Paul wrote the head of man is Christ - I don't think that has changed.
TLA, you wrote at 12:33PM...
Is anyone aware of any church of God groups that have servant leadership... they should put God first and not be tied to HWA
HWA is the one who added the "Petrine primacy" doctrine on top of his COG7 foundation, along with his adoption of annual Holy Day observance and various other ACOG distinctive. In other words, it's not just that the ACOGs keep an annual Pentecost Holy Day, it's that they keep it on the day HWA chose, and they changed when he changed.
Many who basically like the ACOG approach but want more room for individual autonomy have found comfort in a Church of God, Seventh Day congregation. Watch out, though, as the COG7 congregations that are led by former WCG people are often more WCG influenced than COG7.
Perhaps this is why the local churches in the NT were led by multiple elders, with no one elder being "first among equals." Imagine if HWA had a real board of directors to keep him from extremes. I think his wife Loma was such a person. HWA had total control and if you displeased him, its off to Bricket Wood for you. The homes on Waverly Drive, the nice office and access to the Gulstream and the boss were huge incentives for everyone to group think with HWA. Say, that sounds like a start of a song, "Groupthink with HWA." Perhaps it could be added to the purple hymnal. Quick, someone call Dwight and tell him we need another song. Oh, I forgot, Dwight is dead. How about Monty Python? You remember some of their hits, don't you? "Every sperm is special" and "Isn't it nice to have a penis." Then there is the other one sung while people are being crucified.
There are other groups who keep the annual festivals that did not originate from WCG and sometimes not from COG7 either.
Very few groups keep the annual festivals, but it is not exactly rocket science to make the connection from the annual festivals to the plan of God as laid out in the Bible.
Has anyone here had any experience with any of them?
BTW the Petrine primacy is hard to explain in conjunction with Act 15 where James (Jesus' brother gives the final decision). Looks like all the leaders actually got along with each other and took Jesus' admonition seriously not to be like the worldly leaders and lord it over their followers.
"Very few groups keep the annual festivals, but it is not exactly rocket science to make the connection from the annual festivals to the plan of God as laid out in the Bible."
This depends on what "version" of God's plan you are referring to.
The Plan that Armstrong and Co. espoused by their interpretation of scripture via Hoeh and others?
Or the plan of God as defined by the Gospel of Christ?
'groupthink with HWA, page 129."
O Come, let us in thoughts with Herb,
Our cheerful yes men think!
With joyful thoughts let us come up
with nothing new to see!
Before Herb's presence let us come
with thoughts you know he'll approve!
Let us give thoughts that Herb will like
Thoughts that are quick to behoove!
When Geis was at AC, he was big into marriage and family relations. Taught a course in it. I remember Ted saying in a sermon (around 1978/1979) that he wanted his new organization (CGI) to have a Family Relations Center. I believe CGI’s original bylaws actually called for one.
At the time, the guys running the college looked at all this as being Ted’s way to entice Geis (and perhaps the other liberal ministerial faculty members) over to CGI. Geis, wisely, did not take the bait. He stayed on the AC payroll as long as he could, even though he did not agree with the new Raymond McNair administration set up in 1978/1979.
I remember McNair and (Dean of Faculty) Meredith wanting to get rid of liberals like Geis, Oberlander, and Grabbe right off the bat when they took over. But HWA thought more strategically. He knew that, in the long run, it was better to keep these guys in WCG for the time being while Ted was still a possible threat. HWA told McNair and Meredith to fit these guys in somewhere at the college. HWA would up the budget to cover their salaries.
I remember around 1980 that Dean of Students Greg Albrecht was furious that Geis’ kid was in a school Xmas production where he sang, “I Want a Hippopotamus For Xmas.” Yes, Greg was a conservative in those days.
I left in 1981. Apparently, by 1984 WCG no longer looked at Ted as much of a threat and had no fear of letting Geis go. I think his being fired because of the book was just a pretext. The conservatives (who could only think tactically) wanted Geis out all along. So did HWA, but he understood the principle that timing is everything.
I've wondered why members would run and tell their minister every single detail of their personal life. I NEVER told the minister or any other member of the church anything of my private life that happened outside the church. My minister back in WCG never knew what type of books I read, what type of music I listened too, or what tv shows I watched because it was none of his business.
Interesting backstory, Wes. Thanks for that!
Seems like the internal strategizing in AC certainly wasn't at a loss, that's for sure.
About Geis' kid in the Christmas school musical; there's no doubt the common lay member would have been duly disciplined for allowing such rebellion to occur within the Church. But if my understanding is correct, the children of the evangelists/HQ staff/AC Faculty could get away with far more than the children of the lay members could under the watchful eyes of the local Pastors.
"SHT said...
"Very few groups keep the annual festivals, but it is not exactly rocket science to make the connection from the annual festivals to the plan of God as laid out in the Bible."
This depends on what "version" of God's plan you are referring to.
The Plan that Armstrong and Co. espoused by their interpretation of scripture via Hoeh and others?
Or the plan of God as defined by the Gospel of Christ? "
Me thinks you all give herbie too much credit! He got the Feast days and British Israelism from G.G. Rupert, and according to the last Journal he got the God is a family, God is only calling firstfruits now and the rest of mankind will receive their chance at salvation in the Great White Throne Judgement from Charles Taze Russell.
Kevin McMillen
"TLA said...
but it is not exactly rocket science to make the connection from the annual festivals to the plan of God as laid out in the Bible."
Nope, not rocket surgery nor brain science, especially when Paul said they are shadows of things to come.
Kevin
“I Want a Hippopotamus For Xmas.” - one of the all time great songs even if you don't keep Christmas.
If you have never heard it, look for it on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49LAPkV9xJg
""""Anonymous TLA said...
“I Want a Hippopotamus For Xmas.” - one of the all time great songs even if you don't keep Christmas.
If you have never heard it, look for it on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49LAPkV9xJg""""""
You mean the most annoying song. ☺
My favorite is The Little Drummer Boy.
Kevin
Kevin,
On the other hand, you might be giving Herbie too little credit. No matter who originally gave him the ideas, he evaluated the feast days, BI, and the first fruits with the bible. And made his decisions. It's like that with most people in everyday life. Including readers of this blog.
""""Anonymous said...
Kevin,
On the other hand, you might be giving Herbie too little credit. No matter who originally gave him the ideas, he evaluated the feast days, BI, and the first fruits with the bible. And made his decisions. It's like that with most people in everyday life. Including readers of this blog.
October 9, 2018 at 2:50 PM""""
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Nah, I don't think so. Maybe if he'd have acknowledged where he got those doctrines then I might give him a little more credit, but since he insisted that God revealed them exclusively to him, he deserves no credit.
Especially since G.G. Rupert and Charles Taze Russell were both part of the Millerite movement, I would say the "unique" combination of doctrines had already been "codified" long before herbie. Nothing new under the sun!
I for one will not demonize nor idolize ol' herbie but I do know that nothing original came from that man.
The sooner the cog eliminates the name of Armstrong from the movement the better. IMNSHO (in my not so humble opinion)
Kevin
HWA did never claim to have invented new ideas. Rather his claims were "restoring" what had been lost for a while and "selling" that better than anyone before. Even better and farther than jesus who had a donkey a the roman empire, while hwa lived in the times of g3 and the infrastructure of the american empire.
Many times he said that if he had found a truth his copywriting skills would sell them better than the original source. "Uniquely equipped/prepared for the job, were his words. Not "the founder of a unique religion. You lying twisters of history.
Nck
"""nck said...
HWA did never claim to have invented new ideas. Rather his claims were "restoring" what had been lost for a while and "selling" that better than anyone before. Even better and farther than jesus who had a donkey a the roman empire, while hwa lived in the times of g3 and the infrastructure of the american empire.
Many times he said that if he had found a truth his copywriting skills would sell them better than the original source. "Uniquely equipped/prepared for the job, were his words. Not "the founder of a unique religion. You lying twisters of history.
Nck
October 10, 2018 at 12:57 PM"""
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He claimed to have restored what had been lost for 1900 years, and his claim was that God revealed what was lost exclusively to him.
If it takes lying and twisting to get to the truth then so be it.
Kevin
Yes. The "total package."
In the sense of "lost car keyes." Even if lost for 20 years, they are still around its not Harry Potter. Moreover they can be reproduced any time by consulting the producer so the car can still run on its basic functions. (hence the "church era" teaching).
In the BI book (fiction or not) hwa says about three times that "the idea" preceded him.
Nck
Kevin McMillen said...
Nah, I don't think so. Maybe if he'd have acknowledged where he got those doctrines then I might give him a little more credit, but since he insisted that God revealed them exclusively to him, he deserves no credit...I for one will not demonize nor idolize ol' herbie but I do know that nothing original came from that man. The sooner the cog eliminates the name of Armstrong from the movement the better. IMNSHO (in my not so humble opinion)
Agree!
And so long as they revere him or his books or his dogma and traditions (despite acknowledging or dismissing the multitude of errors in his eclectic theology) and still refuse to repent (or change) they never really will learn or grow spiritually (Eph. 4:15). They’ll be stuck in a kind of time warp with mini-HWA clones preaching his 1950s American-centric “end time” message that has well and truly past its sell-by date. And for definitive proof of where such Armstrongolatry will lead to one need look no further than the demented Gerald Flurry and his PCG cult. SMH
Kevin McMillen said...“If it takes lying and twisting to get to the truth then so be it.”
If that be true Herbert W. Armstrong would’ve made an excellent Jesuit seeing he successfully put into practice their old maxim, “The end justifies the means.”
"""Anonymous said...
Kevin McMillen said...“If it takes lying and twisting to get to the truth then so be it.”
If that be true Herbert W. Armstrong would’ve made an excellent Jesuit seeing he successfully put into practice their old maxim, “The end justifies the means.”
October 10, 2018 at 8:40 PM"""
---------------------------------
Hopefully you were able to recognize the sarcasm that was intended in that comment of mine, seeing that nck said that history was being twisted and lied about.
Kevin
Kevin
It's not a bad remark seeing that some sources claim that the Jesuits started as Crypto Jews hiding under the cloak of catholicism, the first scolars being genetic jews under sentence of dead if returning to judaism.
As in working within christianity and trying to preserve as much intellectual culture to change to or retain judaism.
Not unlike wcg working 70 percent of its assets for the preservation of the state of israel, the new world order (UN system), the thesis that 40 percent of mankind was actually israelite and judaizing christianity with universal (budhist) appeal.
Try and deny each and every point in the above paragraph. It can't be done,, because it is an exact defenition of "the work" that each was called to support in each and every co worker letter. Not try and work out salvation, since that was defined as a gift between the creator and yourself. Whatever you guys want to make of it.
nck
"""nck said...
Yes. The "total package."
In the sense of "lost car keyes." Even if lost for 20 years, they are still around its not Harry Potter. Moreover they can be reproduced any time by consulting the producer so the car can still run on its basic functions. (hence the "church era" teaching).
In the BI book (fiction or not) hwa says about three times that "the idea" preceded him.
Nck
October 10, 2018 at 7:23 PM" ""
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That's the thing nck, you don't know if herbie restored the "total package". You don't have a clue about what was being taught back in the 1800's among the Millerites, nor do I.
Herbie restored nothing nck, if you think he did, well........we won't go there.
Kevin
""""""nck said...
HWA did never claim to have invented new ideas. """
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By the way nck, who said or even implied that herbie ever claimed to invent new ideas? I never said that. I said that herbie claimed that God restored lost, for 1900 years, knowledge to him and him alone.
If you deny this I don't know who you were reading.
Herbie plagiarized everything. Everything!
Call it lying and twisting all that you want, it's still true!
Kevin
Please Kevin,
I'm talking about "The Jerusalem Church" package. Not the Millerites.
Herbie plagiarized NOTHING,NOTHING. I know this since I know the law West of Pecos.
I'll explain. Herbie repackaged data in an atractive formula.
nck
nck said: “Herbie plagiarized NOTHING,NOTHING.”
LOL! You sound like Warden Norton from Shawshank!��
12:53
Well, you're catching my drift. Not being obtuse here. Hut by a train and dancing round here in the fire.
Nck
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