Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web of Corrupt Leaders

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Crybaby Milquetoast Prophet Still Mad A Year Later For Being Called Out As A False Prophet


I just can't win! The sun is shining brightly here in California, and I've gone and caused our crybaby prophet to pitch another hissy fit over a post from a year ago or more. Never has the church had a more delicate and easily offended self-appointed prophet than we have in the Great Bwana Bob Thiel! Sheesh! Grow a pair!

The Delicate Milquetoast writes:

Last year, I saw the following headline from Gary Leonard at the anti-Church of God, Banned by HWA website:

Our milquetoast prophet deceitfully fails to go on and add why he was really upset. There was a video by a pro-HWA group that debunked Bob Thiel claim that he is a prophet when HWA blatantly says there are NO prophets in the church today, but there are a LOT of false prophets!

Holy milquetoast prophet, Batman! Banned has done it again! That Gary is such a BAD person! Stop picking on Bob, you agent of Satan! 
 
Apparently, God's greatest gift to the Church of God popped his self-righteous cork big time over the video produced by a pro-Herbert Armstrong site that took the Great Bwana Bob and other self-appointed COG prophets to the woodshed and gave them all a royal Philadelphian spanking.


This video completely humiliates Bob's claims and correctly points out that since the Bible is complete, there is no need for prophets. The Great Milquetoast Self-Appointed Prophet goes on to sanctimoniously to state this:

Of course, the criteria for a prophet comes from the word of God, the Bible, and not statements from the late Pastor General of the old Radio/Worldwide Church of God, Herbert W. Armstrong.

You can see exactly why no Church of God ever chose to ordain the rebellious anti-government Bob Thiel! Herbert would have kicked Bob's sanctimonious little ass to the curb so fast his big fat Bible would not have had time to hit the ground as he flew through the air.

The Great Milquetoast Bwana then says this while calling out Herbert as being wrong, again. Bob does this in order to stop up his illegitimate self-appointment as a church leader and a prophet.

Now, yes, Herbert W. Armstrong at least once declared that there were no prophets in WCG and no doctrinal need for them. Furthermore, here is what he said in a Bible Study on 1 Corinthians on July 18, 1980:

THE CHURCH IS FOUNDED ON THE APOSTLES AND THE PROPHETS
Paul is speaking to the Church. Now the Church of God was raised up primarily for two purposes: that God could call to lead the Church, apostles, the Church is founded on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, the prophets of the Old Testament; because no prophet in the New Testament has anything to do with infusing doctrine into the Church or with an administrative position in the Work of the Church. No prophet had anything to do with any of that; so, the prophets mean, the prophets of the Old Testament. They did not preach to Israel. Israel rejected their writings, ancient Israel. The writings of the prophets, beginning with Isaiah and even other prophets – no you could say with Moses for that matter, and with David in the Psalms. All were for the New Testament Church, believe it or not, and yet today they want to say that we are a New Testament Church; and we don’t want anything to do with that Old Testament. 
 
Let me tell you this is the book of God. Now the Old Testament Church couldn’t proclaim the gospel. The Old Testament Church did not have the Holy Spirit, that’s true; but the prophets did and they were writing for the doctrines of the Church and much of Church doctrine comes from the writings of the prophets; Christ being the chief cornerstone and the Head of the Church. Now just keep that in the background as we begin to read what Paul is writing to one of the Churches. 
 
The bolded portion above is not biblically correct. The Apostle Paul was a prophet and so seemingly was the evangelist Timothy. So those prophets did have administrative as well as doctrinal responsibilities.

Because the milquetoast prophet self-appointed himself as a church leader, he therefore has administrative and doctrinal responsibilities which PROVES he is a true prophet. Once a liar, always a liar.

Milquetoast Bob then runs to Aaron Dean to find legitimacy.

Furthermore, I did discuss Herbert W. Armstrong’s “no prophet” position with his long time aide, Aaron Dean (who HWA also ordained). Aaron Dean basically told me that Herbert W. Armstrong was annoyed by various ones who contacted him claiming to be a prophet and he wanted people to stop doing that. However, Aaron Dean also said that Herbert W. Armstrong was not intending to teach that there would be no more prophets or that they would not have a role in the church as we got closer to the end.

Milquetoast Bob goes on to thump his puny little chest:

I have never been a false prophet and urge all to check out what I have taught with the Bible. 
 
Because I am an imperfect human being and one may not agree with all of my views does NOT make me a false prophet.

The Great Bwana is like all of the other milquetoast false prophets in the church today. As long as they couch statements with "could be, may be, might be, possibly be's" then their puny little asses are off the hook. They aren't! Every single self-appointed Church of God prophet has been and currently are liars! That is a simple fact that CANNOT be refuted! 

A true prophet would not need to be from a major theological institution, have the most magnanimous personality, or have a large or impressive Church, but would be the type willing to meet in members’ homes. He also does not have to have had a ministerial background. Or does the prophet even, like apparently the Apostle Paul per 2 Corinthians 10:10 and 11:6 or Moses per Exodus 4:10 or Jeremiah per Jeremiah 1:6, need to be a great speaker. God chooses who His prophets are.

God certainly chooses who his prophets are, but you are NOT one. That is a fact and one more thing that CANNOT be refuted! 

Milquetoast Bob then continues to dig the hole deeper with his asinine reasoning:

A true prophet is under God’s authority. A true New Testament prophet has had hands laid upon him/her and received special anointing under God’s inspiration. You can not anoint yourself nor come up with doctrine that contradicts the Bible (cf. Revelation 22:18-19) like at least three self-declared, supposed, COG “prophets” (Gerald Flurry, William Dankenbring, and Ronald Weinland) and false predictors (like Harold Camping) have falsely done. God’s prophets are true to the Bible–“Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35). 
 
It should be understood that although some of the prophets in the Hebrew scriptures did miracles, and some of the apostles in the Greek scriptures were also prophets, not all ever did (e.g. John 10:41). 
 
But God sometimes does things more quietly.
For example, although Elijah was looking for some dramatic sign (1 Kings 19:11-13), instead God used ”a still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12). Although Elijah accepted that God worked that way (1 Kings 19:13-18), most of the Laodiceans do not. Dreams would be consistent with a “still small voice.”

Dreams after a bad night of sushi is not god inspired. 

Milquetoast Bob's anger is not only directed towards little ol'me, he still has a HUGE burr up his butt with Rod Meredith.

Unlike Herbert W. Armstrong who restored truths to the Philadelphia era, and Bob Thiel who added more details to those truths, etc. Dr. Meredith did not do that. Nor did he fulfill the prophetic office. Nor has anyone currently in LCG done so. Yet, Dr. Meredith wrote that someone had to.On October 3, 2008, Dr. Meredith (then Presiding Evangelist of the Living Church of God) called me and said to me, “God may consider you to be a prophet.” It was Dr. Meredith who first brought up the topic about Bob Thiel being a prophet. 
 
Dr. Meredith must have brought it up again as an email I sent him on November 16, 2008 stated, “Now, you have mentioned to me a couple of times that God may regard me as a prophet. And, of course, it was you and not I that first brought that subject up.” 
 
In late January/early February 2009, Dr. Meredith told me over the telephone that if he (Dr. Meredith) raised his title to the office of apostle, he was considering ordaining me (Bob Thiel) as a prophet. He apparently was unwilling to do the ordination without him being above me. But, of course, his position should not have been relevant–but it was to him. 
 
On February 4, 2009, Dr. Meredith told me over the telephone, “You have an in-depth understanding of prophecy and details of church history. You could be a prophet–that may be what God will have you do.” He also asked me to pray then that he would live another 7-15 years then–I prayed and he did (he died on May 18, 2017–just a little over 8 years later). 
 
In the Summer of 2009, Dibar Apartian told me that Dr. Meredith had been stating in top level meetings that Bob Thiel may be a prophet. Around this time, I had a prophetic dream related to Dr. Meredith.

Top people in the Living Church of God have said that Rod Meredith NEVER said Bob was a prophet! Rod Meredith rebuked Bob many times over.

Anyway, no, HWA’s word do not make mincemeat of my prophetic role. Herbert W. Armstrong believed that there would be future prophets, Aaron Dean confirmed that, Roderick C. Meredith said that God may consider me to be one, and that had the concurrence of Richard Ames (who HWA ordained) and Dr. Douglas Winnail (who had some type of ordination when HWA was alive). 
 
Despite improper accusations from various ones on the internet that I am some type of a false prophet, to the best of my knowledge I have never once posted a false prediction (and I do try to indicate when something is speculation), nor do those critics actually post any “false” predictions that I supposedly made and provide proof that even one was false. Thus, those who love the truth will not listen to their false dismissals.

Note that Bob is still lying when he tries to claim Gaylyn Bonjour's blessing set him apart to start a new church, be a priest, etc, things with Bonjour had NO intention of happening. 

This is also consistent with the following from the Apostle Paul:

14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. (1 Timothy 4:14, NKJV)
14 Do not be careless about the gifts with which you are endowed, which were conferred on you through a divine revelation when the hands of the elders were placed upon you. (1 Timothy 4:14, Weymouth)
14 Make use of that grace in you, which was given to you by the word of the prophets, when the rulers of the church put their hands on you. (1 Timothy 4:14, BBE)
6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. (2 Timothy 1:6, NKJV) 
 
The Radio Church of God reported:

God gives special gifts — special powers of His Spirit — to those who are set apart by the laying on of hands. Remember that it was by the laying on of hands that Timothy received the added ability, called “prophecy” by the King James translators. (Ellis WH. Why We Have the Laying on of Hands Ceremony. Good News Magazine April-May 1965) 
 
Furthermore, I did not anoint myself– LCG minister Gaylyn Bonjour anointed me of December 15, 2011 with oil and prayed I would receive a double-portion of God’s Spirit (which he said was reminiscent of the passing of the mantle)–hence I am not self-ordained, but am God-ordained.

There you have it! Bow down at the feet of the Doubly Blessed, Self-Appointed, Illegitimately Ordained Holy Milquetoast Bob. He be da man! 





19 comments:

  1. The sheer length of Bob's rebuttal reveals a certain defensive doubt or "am too, am too" on Bob's part

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    1. His rebuttal is insanely long and I can guarantee that 0% of his African followers read that crap. I just scan for key words, the rest is just whining like a like bitch - which does quite well.

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  2. Scripture has prophets and prophetessess inspired by God, but this blog is in same boat with Bob Thiel all men dominated arguing, shaking clenched fists and pointing at each other over doctrine.
    You'd never think that it was God who created men and women.

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  3. Also, asking questions such as "Is , or could, Barron von Sonabitch be the Beast of Revelation?" doesn't exactly come across as prophetic insights, inspiration or prophecy coming alive at last.

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  4. As if it would bolster his own perceived masculinity, Rod Meredith was known to surround himself with pansy-men and closeted homosexuals. Bob fit that pattern nicely. Bob's histrionic posts might not qualify as revealing Histrionic Personality Disorder (he's definitely suffering from Narcissistic Personality Disorder, though), but he flames and flails and whines like a stereotypical pansy-man.

    Despite the grandiosity displayed by a NPD sufferer, one of its symptoms is: "secret feelings of insecurity, shame, humiliation and fear of being exposed as a failure". Bob is so fragile that I'm worried his self-promotion will eventually run out of steam and he will snap, either in Philip Apartian style or Terry Ratzmann style.

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    1. Good comments! I never considered this, but you are right. Bobs effeminate actions are just the kind of characteristics the “ men” who surrounded Meredith exhibited.

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    2. Pansy-men? Reads very 1970's.
      Are people so very easily diagnosed, that person is this and that person is that?
      Are humans taken straight from page 34 of your dictionary of psychology traits? Aren't people more complex than that? Isn't putting people into boxes based on assumptions foolishness? Is that how Jesus treated people?

      I remember a deaconess being indignant with me at Church when I attended with my new born baby. "Well, we where so shocked when the minister said YOU'D had a baby!!!!!" And proceeded to ask several times; "Was this baby planned or was IT a mistake??!!" Why even think like that? Did she leave her manners in the feet washing bowl at Passover? My life had been defined by her (and most probably the Pastor too) and I was in a box and was psychology defined by people who couldn't define themselves, with basic respect and manners towards others, let alone others minds .

      So I'd be careful with nearly accusing Thiel of being a potential killer or murderer. Disagreeing with his beliefs is one thing but proposing your pompous assumptions that's he's going to kill is foolishness.

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  5. Welcome to Armstrongism, where the basic premise is so weak that all the leaders and Bob Thiel must spike it by making unprovable spiritual claims about themselves.

    BB

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  6. Sounds like summer rerun season to me.

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  7. Me and mine see no evidence whatsoever of Bob's claim that he is a prophet. If he has any insight into prophecies, well anyone can study them academically and be detailed about them whether right or wrong. Look at the Late Great Planet Hal Lindsey. Look at Harold Camping and how he ended up camping out. I love his middle name, Egbert. Also Bob equivocates and is vague so that if things do not turn out then he can claim he never said they would. And if things do turn out he can say, see I told you so I'm a prophet. Besides, what is the big deal here. Why is he so hung up on the issue that he is a prophet? What difference does it make to others worshipping?

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  8. Well Bobby boy, the prophets of old were indeed confirmed as prophets, Samuel as just one example. But you, NAH.
    A little shoutout to Dennis and his ‘Barron von Sonabitch’. Was laughing for ages at this gem, thanks. The ‘beasts’ name though is Ivam ze Sonofabitch ha ha.
    And thanks for the post Gary. Great entertainment value besides keeping these individuals on notice.

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  9. This is a really good time to go on record with specificity in prophecy. People just crave answers. Will President Trump use the "bunker buster" to destroy Iran's nuke program? Will Be Be Netanyahu have Mosad kill the Ayatollah? Will the tariffs precipitate a global depression? Are anti-vaxxers going to cause global pandemics involving dideases that had been eradicated? Will those rioting over ICE roundups persist in their activities until President Trump imposes Martial Law, and begins imprisoning the unruly in FEMA camps?

    The ACOG "prophets" will go out on no such limbs because they realize that since God is not really working through them, they will blow it bigtime, exposing the fact that they are in reality false prophets. Or, they will say nothing, or make deliberately vague statements, and then claim that they had gotten it 100% right. S.O.S., different decade!

    BB

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  10. Bob is such a tool! No one in the church sets themselves up to be mocked more than Bob does. Even Pack, as crazy as he is, pales to the sheer volume of lies Bob tells.

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  11. Good points raised BB @ 7:02:03. They, the powers to be, were blindsided when the USSR fell apart and by the Gulf Wars 1 & 2 etc etc. I remember Raymond McNair trying to explain that the USSR would remain as is, and trying from scripture to explain to us here ( Auckland New Zealand) the Gulf conflict. I smelt something was not right, and the scriptures used did not point to the Gulf War at all. None of these 'prophets' foretold the Gaza tragedy, Hezbollah war or the present conflict with Iran. Or know its outcome. No one foretold the Ukraine Russia war. Or the stunning inability of Russia to subdue Ukraine. And Russia is supposedly Gog/Magog? No one knew of the rise of a nuclear armed North Korea. Or noticed the remarkable return of Israel back to her ancient homeland Zion, and it continues to this day, in large numbers; in spite of the threats hanging over her. Or the massive rise in anti semitism globally, and the real fear many Jews feel in Israel and outside in the diaspora, as per Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. The bus has left the bus stop and they are not on it. And their own failures prophetically, speaks volumes against their wish to be confirmed in leadership roles within Christendom. They have nothing to offer us.

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    1. I really get around to a lot of different companies, and get to work with a broad cross-section of humanity. About twenty years ago, I was speaking with an IT guy about proper formats for the incoming data for our equipment. The guy was Russian. In the course of our conversation, being friendly, I used the term "Soviet Union". His ears perked up, and he replied, "Oh, Bob, Soviet Union has not existed for many years now!" Turns out he was into cars, so I asked him about the classic car scene in Moscow. At that time, there were no web sites which featured classic Russian cars. Now, there is interest, and you can learn about the ZILs, used by high party members, the GAZ Volga and Pobeda cars, used by the proletariat, and others. Some of the original ZILs were essentially reverse-engineered Packards, nearly hand-made. The Volgas looked like scaled down '55-56 Packards.

      I had another customer from Bulgaria. I showed her a picture of a Volga for sale in our local Craig's List, and she smiled, and told me that in her country people would laugh at you if you drove a car like that today. Apparently German cars are currently very popular in Bulgaria.

      I also recall reading much about Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, and his enlightening comments about the Soviet Union. He won the 1970 Nobel Prize in literature, most of which was dissident with regard to the Soviet Union. After living in the USA, he actually warned that repression was on the upswing in the USA, even as it was trending downward in Russia. That would have played into the Armstrong narrative, but then came the dissolution of their "Gog and Magog", which definitely did not, at least until we learned the Armstrongite takeaway: God had miraculously made possible the reunification of Germany. It had initial sizzle, but has somehow has never come to a full boil.

      I do not know how widely the ministers or members of Armstrongism read, or the basis for many of their opinions, but we seemed to hear things that never rose above cliche level during sabbath sermons, and in the Plain Truth. At the end of each PT article was the standard disclaimer, "There is no real solution until the soon coming return of Jesus Christ!"

      Empirical evidence collected from decades of observing Armstrongism suggests that the leaders have no particularly accurate insights into prophecy. In spite of epic failure, they remain defiant! They continue to recite the mantra, and hope that at some point it will be fulfilled.

      BB

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  12. Nothing beats UCG's Jan/Feb edition of Beyond Today 2020 magazine which had the bold statement 'Are you ready for the 2020s!'
    Then in house they'd been planning for months ! months!!!! i tell you !!!!, for the big, BIG!!! 25th UCG anniversary plans at the 25th GCE that year....Pastors couldn't get there fast enough. ..it was all they cared about.... and some were vocal in informing the members so......

    Alas, not a prophet in sight there warning of the dangers emerging in China.
    Was God making fools of lofty, high minded COG anointed men and women? Not one had a dream, not one a warning. Not even a slither of discernment. Does God care about their power? Some took no notice even of news reports on China. Was God bringing lots of religious leaders low? Exposing them ? Of course God hasn't done that before has he?

    But now five years later when the exact same people speak and decide their decisions are from God, on behalf of God?

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  13. Prophecy is a waste of time because nobody ever gets it right.

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  14. Bob is one smart prophet. He's into the easy money and gets a lot of respect from his blind Californian followers (even if not the Africans). Nice life if you can get it. Pretending to be a victim helps. It works for plenty of other little groups.

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  15. Let me guess, some current event is a "prelude" (its always a prelude with Bob).

    (Checks website)

    "Muslim world, including Pakistan, condemns Israel–a prelude to Psalm 83 and the coming King of the South?"

    Im a better prophet than he is.

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