Forty years after Herbert Armstrong's death, despite hundreds of splinter groups all proclaiming themselves as the one true Philadelphia church, not a single one is able to attract and maintain members. Sure, there are the dubious reports by Crackpot Bob about amazing growth in Africa, but it is all unsubstantiated and depends upon a tight-knit group of church-hopping former Adventists/COG7/Armstrongite leaders. Bob's numbers are as dubious as Wade Cox proclaiming that half of Africa has joined his cult, including scores of Muslims. If we were to believe either self-appointed nutjob, the entire continent is now Church of God members. How are they all going to fit in Petra?
When the church imploded, there was no unified exodus to one church. Hundreds of competing self-righteous know-it-alls set themselves up as HWA's rightful heir of the one true church. Disgruntled members of these groups also church-hopped from one group to the next until they found one that best fit their feelings.
More and more people are seeing through the lies of COG leaders and continue to drop out of church groups. Plus, the foundation of all of these splinters is former WCG folk who are now in their 70s and 90s. As more members die each month, no new younger people are joining. Why should they? Younger people have search engines. They can read the history, the failed dates, the leadership scandals, the endless “we are the one true remnant” press releases, and the critical archives in an afternoon. The internet did not just expose the remnants. It made joining them look like volunteering for a retirement home with extra prophecy charts.Greetings from Charlotte,
The Council of Elders met online Wednesday to gain a quick overview of trends within the Church around the world. We are seeing new members come along—some brand new and others coming to us with a WCG background or from other fellowships—but growth is slow, in large part due to having to replace those who have finished their race. Several members died recently, including our longest ordained minister, Mr. James Wells in Kansas City. I’ll be traveling there for his funeral. We still struggle to reach a younger demographic, but there are congregations that have significant numbers of children and teens. Many young couples are having three or more children, and it does not take many child-bearing couples to significantly impact a congregation. Dr. Wilner Pierre reports that all our members are safe following a gang raid in Haiti, near Port-au-Prince, that left at least 47 dead and 50 kidnapped. With such violence, along with earthquakes, fires, floods, and other natural disasters, let us remember to pray for one another.
—Gerald E. Weston
ReplyDelete“We are seeing new members come along—some brand new and others coming to us with a WCG background or from other fellowships—but growth is slow, in large part due to having to replace those who have finished their race.”
Roderick C. Meredith liked to claim that his little GCG/LCG splinter group was reaching brand new people who had no Worldwide Church of God background. RCM tried to make it sound like almost nobody had ever heard of Herbert W. Armstrong and the work he had done, but that RCM's little GCG/LCG splinter group that came out of the much larger WCG was somehow going to “shake the nations.”
Rod should have given his own head a shake.
ReplyDelete“LCG is not going to grow any more than Samuel Kitchen's group is.”
Samuel Kitchen has a huge percentage advantage. If he can get even just one other person to join with him, he can then brag about the 100% growth rate of his splinter “group” for at least one year. Of course, if that person ever left him, it would be a 50% decline in his splinter “group.”
Telling, they have admitted what most already know. As to congregations with significant numbers of children and teens, they’re only there because mum and dad attend. And when old enough they will disappear. If indeed most of Africa have converted, Petra is going to be full. Perhaps one of the branches of the one true church would persuade the Jordanian authorities to start a building programme there. 5 star of course, at least to house the ministry. I can imagine Cox and Thiel fighting for the best housing in Petra, and to the death lol.
ReplyDeleteHas any preacher ever told the truth about anything?
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ReplyDeleteLots Of BAD Splinter Groups To Choose From
There is not really much for “larger” WCG splinter groups: COGWA, UCG, and maybe LCG. Each one is less than one-tenth of the size of the Worldwide Church of God at its peak, which had about 150,000 people at its Feast of Tabernacles. None of these three splinter groups seem to be growing. Of course, no other splinter group seems to be growing either. Even worse, the UCG is full of many godless and sinful people, and the LCG is wacky with the pet heresies of its little “big” shots.
There are some much smaller, and much more satanic, splinter groups, like Flurry's PCG or Pack's RCG, but going to them could mean the eternal death of you, after being devastated and left destitute in this current life. Flurry's PCG is so evil that it has been in continual decline for over 25 years now. The RCG saw Pack lose all his marbles over a decade ago and go into decline too. Do not try to stop these declines by being stupid enough to join these crazy groups.
The little sliver groups and micro-dust groups do not seem to be amounting to anything. Why join any of them? Why not just start your own little micro-dust size group? Be in charge, and make up your own pet heresies, and tithe to yourself, instead of listening to, and submitting to, and tithing to, some other little idiot that nobody ever heard about or ever will hear about?
And there is our resident COGWAd troll.
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DeleteAnonymous on Monday, August 31, 2026 at 8:03:48 AM PDT said ... “And there is our resident COGWAd troll.”
8:03 AM, “You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God.” (Acts 8:21, NIV).
8:03 AM, “I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin” (Acts 8:23, NIV).
Aaaand ,you just proved me right.
DeleteBased on your previous posts it is you who are full of bitterness. You and/or those you know and love were hurt, no doubt. But your broad-brushing of anyone not in COGWA is not only physically and emotionally taking a toil on you, it is also sin. And, I’m talking about the broad-brushing.
“But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.”
Romans 14:10-12 NKJV
Three chillins, Come on young people in the church we need you to start having more babies. "That's how we are going to grow."
ReplyDeleteI gotta good idea, LCG should take your ministry to China or India. Lot's of people over there. Perhaps a place of safety is over there.
What is up with people bragging about growth in Africa? You go to Africa to help the severely impoverished. Staking claims is ignorant.
ReplyDeleteDid anybody else notice a new shorcut to growth? Actually not a shortcut, The long game of deliberately planning large church families, not that most members could afford them. Those who suggest this are forgetting that kids leave just as soon as they discover the facts which they have been prevented from hearing. Besides, there is no way possible to make Armstrongism cool.
Yea the long game is more rational but then do they have time for that with their framework of prophecy gospel (every month is late breaking news)? Their last minister was like “in the next 5 to 10 years.” One of the major issues with what I find about LCG and the older generation in this group and others, is their ignorance or the avoidance of bringing up the cost or the economy compared to when they were in their prime age. They are talking about birth rates now in their message, but what they refuse to talk about is the money and the cost of things now.
DeleteAnd correct 11:15, the kids may be brought up, but then they have the wonderful opportunity to look stuff up on the internet and the ACOG timeline. The kids are like,” this guy he had this organization then he has a couple of colleges, then he had a son that was kicked out, then this organization implodes and then there are all these different groups. On top of that they have to enter a world that is much more complex than what their parents entered as adults.
One shortcut they try is having those “singles mingles” events. This may have been cool, but this is ONLY one group. What if there were singles events for all ACOGs, but then that would disrupt each group once marriages started happening. A couple would just choose one group to attend and tithe to.
Woe is you !! Misery does indeed like company!!
ReplyDeleteIs the article author a manic deppressive?
Or a hollier than thou one? Or both?
For you leave God out. Is he dead to you ? Faith is none existent in this dark future, hope is lost and love nowhere to be found.
But God is not dead to us. He is alive and kicking and worthy of worship. Whilst there is still breath in our bodies the people of God will forever muster the courage against the darkness of doubt, the doomslayers and haters, the bullies and manipulators to go on.
To go on turning up for God on the 7th day Sabbath, to sing praises in hymns and to learn about God from scripture. To participate in communal opening and closing prayer. To love God, be inspired by his word and love his plan of salvation shown in God's Holy days.
With the Feast of Tabernacles only weeks away how many shall rejoice in worship to God. What joy, what happiness and genuine peace!
Yeah we may be sat on foldable, stackable chairs, yeah there will be grey hairs around but never doubt the churches of God's brethren's faith, our love of God. We exoect a bright tommorrow, so snicker and mock away, you always do.
You should write comedy or country western songs, 11:22! That's about the most hilarious comment we've had around here in years!
DeleteSnicker and mock away, you have zero character except bullying to offer.
Delete11:22 I don't think it's misery, or you wouldn't be here. If you think it is, think about what you wrote: "Misery does indeed like company", what key is that in?
DeleteWhy don't you think about the insults you dish out to people without a second thought. The biased way you favour some and spirtually murder others.
DeleteHow funny! Everyone around here knows that I only dish out insults to people who deserve them! The insults are generally really well thought out, too.
DeleteWhat is the true membership number for LCG? I estimate less than 1000.
ReplyDeleteThe latest published figures are about 12,000.
DeleteThank you for posting this. Mr. Wells was my first "Pastor" during a summer when I secretly attended WCG in Topeka, KS during college. I had not known whatever happened to him, or that he had died..
ReplyDelete"And this Gospel of the Kingdom of Armstrong shall dribble out and go a little bit here and a little bit there, here a little, there a little signifying nothing. And then the income don't come in nor the growth grow"
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