When Gerald Flurry decided to split off and start his own splinter group, reportedly to "preserve" the perfect words of Herbert Armstrong, little did we know just how hilariously he'd imitate HWA. Oh, his preaching style evolved into a spot-on mimicry, complete with yelling and bombastic threats from the pulpit—because nothing says "divine inspiration" like a good old-fashioned rant. Then he went all out building a college campus with its own "House of God," in a desperate bid to cosplay the Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena. How original!
Lawsuits started flying faster than you can say "copyright infringement" after Flurry began publishing HWA's books, booklets, and articles without so much as asking permission from the Worldwide Church of God. Found guilty—shocker—he ended up shelling out over $3,000,000 for the rights to a myriad of those sacred tomes. Not long after, the PCG "discovered" some major issues between HWA's interpretations and the oh-so-revelatory messages Flurry was getting from his god. Flurry's blatant disregard for his followers, coupled with his stunning lack of transparency and accountability, led him and the Philadelphia Church of God to edit the "divinely inspired" words of Armstrong whenever they clashed with Flurry's divine ego trips.
Armstrong's writings were the icing on the cake for them—until they decided to erect their mini-me Ambassador Auditorium as a gleaming monument to Herbert Armstrong himself. Then, when the WCG decided to sell off items from the real Ambassador Auditorium, Flurry pounced like a kid in a candy store, snagging one of the Steinway pianos and those two Baccarat crystal candelabras from the lobby. He then proceeded to imitate every little thing the WCG had connected to the Auditorium. He started a concert series (because who doesn't love recycled culture?), launched the Armstrong International Cultural Foundation (AICF—how utterly original), and claimed to spearhead humanitarian projects around the world. And that's about as "humanitarian" as they got: some buildings, concerts, and a few thousand dollars tossed overseas into a couple of projects that no one's ever heard of or even pretends to care about.
Exit and Support Network has an excellent article about how "humanitarian" Flurry and the Philadelphia Church of God really are, and it's exactly what you'd expect—pure gold for anyone who enjoys a good laugh at hypocrisy.
Does the Philadelphia Church of God have a humanitarian work?First, let’s define our terms. Merriam-Webster defines humanitarian as “a person promoting human welfare and social reform.”Visit the PCG website, and at the bottom you’ll see an image with the word “Humanitarianism” superimposed over it. Click on that and you’re introduced to the wonderful world of PCG humanitarianism, all of which is framed under their “Armstrong International Cultural Foundation” and Armstrong Auditorium.The PCG gives the following context to their lofty humanitarian activities under the foundation:
The two-pronged concept behind all of the foundation’s goals and activities is: 1) that man is a unique being, possessing vast mental, physical and spiritual potentials—the development of which should be aided and encouraged, and 2) that it is the responsibility of all men to attend to and care for the needs of their fellow men, a precept professed by the vast majority of religions of the world—appropriately summed up in three biblical words: ‘Love thy neighbor.’
Oh, "Love thy neighbor"—what a bizarre, utterly alien concept for any COG group to actually grapple with, right? The tired, worn-out mantra they trotted out as their go-to excuse for ignoring their neighbors was, "Why waste money now when God will fix everything in the Kingdom?" Because, you know, divine procrastination is totally a thing.
Garner Ted tried this noble little outreach in the Pasadena area, using the Student Center as a kitchen to feed the homeless and destitute. Oh boy, did the crap hit the fan on that one—big time! Another minister even teamed up with other Pasadena churches to start a program for people battling addictions. But Herbert slammed the brakes on that real fast. After all, never forget that alcohol was basically the church's second god—priorities, people!
The ESN post continues:
One wonders about all spiritual AND physical aid and help they’ve provided to the impoverished, needy, homeless, widows and orphans! Let’s dig in to see how they are serving their community.
Quick refresher: the PCG headquarters is in Edmond, Oklahoma, in the United States.
Surprisingly, a quick review of the page is startlingly bereft of humanitarian efforts for actual neighbors. Here’s some highlights:
- they did some archeological excavations in… Jerusalem
- they refurbished a Liberty Bell in… Jerusalem
- ah yes, back in 1996 they helped some handicapped children in… Jordan
- they “lent support” to the Petra National Trust (whatever that means) also in… Jordan
You have to keep reading for the real juicy humanitarian efforts, though:
- in 1998, (wait for it) they sponsored a small concert series that attracted tens of thousands of guests
- in 2004 they “obtained some of the treasures” from an old auditorium (you read that correctly)
- in 2010 they completed construction of a new auditorium to house these treasures!
It should be mentioned that they participate in an archaeological dig in Jerusalem at this time, but not as a humanitarian project.
ESN continues:
They incompletely quote this passage: “ ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Absent in this “humanitarian” endeavor is mention of a single dollar, outreach program, or volunteer effort that serves the physically needy who comprise the actual Edmond-based neighbors of the PCG. That’s because they don’t actually do any of that. They don’t donate to food pantries, visit the elderly or sick, provide for those impacted by floods or storms, etc. They don’t help the homeless, victims of domestic violence, or the widows and children of dead soldiers. They give away a LOT of printed propaganda, but they don’t even give away FREE Bibles. I know, because I used to be a member.
One thing that Joe Tkach Sr. had going for him was that he actually donated to various organizations and helped those in need locally in Pasadena and elsewhere, much to the chagrin of some pearl-clutching church members.
The United Church of God does some good works through Vic Kubik's organization, which surprisingly helps non-church members, too. So, hey, there are a few COG groups that do love their neighbors—unlike the four oh-so-elitist COG groups that couldn't care less: the Philadelphia Church of God, Continuing Church of God, Church of God Preaching the Kingdom, and Restored Church of God.
Perhaps they didn’t read James 2:16:
And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
The entire PCG humanitarian “work” is a facade for building their own fame and reputation. Sure, they host a lot of high-class, quality musical performances, but not for free. You have to buy a ticket. And those performances don’t fill hungry bellies, provide shelter from cold and rain, or pay the rent of recently widowed mothers.
Even based on their own standard, the PCG is failing to live up to the biblical principle of “love thy neighbor.”
They are the same as every other grifting church, transferring wealth from the rank and file members to the elites of their gated Edmond compound under the guise of ‘good works’, and even invoking the Bible to do so.
I can only imagine what Christ actually thinks about the PCG.
By Ivan (former PCG member)
July 17, 2025 The Humanitarian Side of the Philadelphia Church of God
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