Philadlphia Church of God Cult: Kicked out of PCG because she was a "threat to their cause"

We have had a lot on here over the years about how the PCG and particularly Cal Culpepper and Wayne Turgeon have treated members like dirt. Both of these men are particularly despised in PCG circles for their extreme nastiness and unbiblical ways of dealing with people. 

Exit and Support Network had this letter up from a young woman who was kicked out of PCG by Culpepper over mental health issues. 

The Church of God over the decades has treated members with mental health issues in appalling ways. From being told they are possessed by demons, telling them that medicines that could assist them were wrong, to outright kicking them out of the church because they "looked bad". The church looked down on mental health professionals and called them all kinds of names and disparaged their professions all the while claiming that all a person needed to do was to draw closer to God and stop sinning because that was the main issue of their mental health issues.

I Was Described as a Threat to PCG’s Cause:
August 15, 2021 

 

I am a child who was mentioned in Case #3 in “Abuses I Was Aware of in Philadelphia Church of God.” I would like to elaborate on that story and talk about where I am now. 

 

The reason I was thrown out was because of my mental health. I was deeply depressed, self harming nearly every day. It got to the point that I was admitted to a hospital. When the PCG found out what happened, my dad read a letter that was addressed to me. PCG described me as “a threat to their cause.” 

 

I had so many friends that I deeply miss from my time there, but I know I’ll never see them again. As far as my life after this, I’m finally getting help and going to therapy. I tried to go to a church to appease a friend, and as soon as I entered I felt an overwhelming sense of dread. I haven’t been back since. 

 

I don’t know if I’ll ever heal from it, but I’ve at least accepted that it happened. –Child survivor of PCG [name withheld]

Case #3: [This was as recent as 2013] 

This concerns a member from Louisville, KY. This man was a loyal servant of the congregation. He went to all of the PCG activities. He did the garage sale for the building fund, was in Spokesman’s Club, went to the cookouts, picnics, etc. He had joint custody of his 15 year old daughter. The girl was torn between her dad and mom. Cal Culpepper verbally abused the girl at a PCG activity in Ohio. The girl was then condemned by Culpepper and told to not come to services. The father was told not to have any contact with the girl (15 years old) at all. The man refused and was disfellowshipped. 

 

There are many more cases like this but these three will suffice to give a picture of the unbiblical and illegal practice of abandoning your minor teens. 

 

In a recent PCG sermon it was stated how the non-PCG performers who do the Concert Series at God’s House [Armstrong Auditorium] gush and rave telling the HQ people how they were “treated like Kings” with fine dining and accommodations while they stayed at the Auditorium. I wonder if these people were told how minor age children were being tossed out in the street by orders from PCG ministry? Would they still be willing to perform for the Philadelphia Church of God? 

 

I have witnessed much suffering amongst the youth in PCG. One girl in the congregation was told by Wayne Turgeon she could not go to the college because she was “too fat” and did not “fit the proper image of the church.” Many of the youth are leaving PCG. 

 

There are a lot of people with drinking problems in the PCG. One “contact person” in a Kentucky congregation sometimes comes to services high. But he attends Spokesman’s Club and is in good with the regime. 

 

There are ministerial scandals (especially in the North West region) going on. One minister was carrying on a two year affair with a woman in a congregation! He tried to get his wife to leave him. When that did not happen, he tried to convince the PCG that she was “crazy or demon possessed.” He took it to HQ and they suspended the wife. Then it came out about the affair and they kicked him out and let her back. 

 

Also, J. C., a member, was doing security detail at a HQ function in Edmond, OK a few years ago. Grant Turgeon1 (son of Wayne Turgeon) came into an area off limits to people. When confronted by J. C., the little Turgeon said, “Do you know who I am? My father is Wayne Turgeon.” Later, this member was accosted verbally by Wayne Turgeon for telling his son where to go and was suspended not long after. 

 

Whenever I walked into services, there would be no warmth at all; no encouragement from the podium, no mention even once that God loves us–just law, judgment, threats, and doom.

By Chris

For more first hand abuse check put these addtional letters and articles on Exit and Support Network:

Recommended Material:

Profile on a Sociopath (A number of abusive, religious leaders may exhibit many of these behavioral characteristics)

Grant Turgeon Has an Attitude (2013 letter to ESN)

Crazy statement by Wayne Turgeon (What Wayne Turgeon once said)

Related Testimonies:

Cal Culpepper Continues to Threaten and Intimate Members (5-14-14 letter to ESN)

Fear and Dread in PCG (5-24-13 letter to ESN that covers Culpepper)

Frightening Incident With Cal Culpepper (4-29-13 letter to ESN)

Why I’m Ex-PCG (8-28-14 testimony; cruel and cold-hearted abuse by Culpepper)

True Love Lacking in PCG Members (3-6-07 letter to ESN)

Footnote by ESN:

1 Read: Grant Turgeon Has an Attitude (1-3-13 email to ESN)

Philadelphia Church of God: Hypocrisy of Gerald Flurry and Cal Culpepper

From Exit and Support Network:

GERALD FLURRY REMARRIES — HYPOCRISY FROM THE TOP

I find it ironic that the 85 year old Flurry can take a wife 30 years his junior1 by divine fiat while so many other PCG people are denied the right to marry or have had their marriages broken up by Flurry’s direct orders. Flurry has hypocritically stated officially to the PCG members that they need to stop focusing on their own selfish, self-centered pursuits/goals and concentrate solely on “The Work.” Flurry also has stated to the PCG members that family comes second after a commitment to “the Church.” If that is the case, why is it OK for the Octogenarian leader to marry a much younger woman while so many fit, healthy PCG members still in their prime are not allowed to marry and forced to be single? What hypocrisy from the very top of the PCG food chain. 

 

My wife and I were very much in love and wanted to get married “the right way” by counseling with the ministers and going through the proper channels. We were still drinking the Kool-Aid back then–early 2005. Gerald Flurry and Cal Culpepperthought our match to be “inappropriate” because I did not make enough money and there was an 11 year age gap between us. We got married anyway and Flurry and Culpepper “disfellowshipped” us out of the PCG and into the Great Tripburation to die by the hands of a European Beast power. We were only miraculously let back in 6 months later by Marvin Campbell to spite Cal Culpepper as they were in a power struggle at the time for the North East Church area. But even then, while grudgingly allowed back into the PCG, we were looked upon as slightly unclean for being “out of the Church.” You never live that stigma down. 

 

Flash forward a few years and my wife was 8 months pregnant with our second child when her brother and sister abandoned her and their little niece to run off to the promised land of Edmond, OK. They did this knowing my wife was still recovering from the untimely death of her mother from a brain aneurysm a few years earlier and needed their support. My wife (having no mother) really could have used the help of her siblings with the new baby and looked forward to a baby shower with her family and church brethren. Not to be. The lure of being in the presence of the anointed King Gerald Flurry was too strong. Ironically not only did my brother and sister and law walk away from their family but they also embezzled $10,000 in cash from their father’s business to finance their trip and relocation. So much for the Philadelphian standard. Oh…as far as that baby shower my wife looked forward to? Culpepper said no baby shower. We had gotten married without King Flurry’s approval and we had to pay. 

 

Now it is 2020 and my wife has very recently seen how her brother and sister are faring in the promised land of Flurryism through the aid of various social media sites. Both have not been allowed to marry as of this writing. They are both in their early 30s and still in their prime. You see, if you don’t brown-nose the right minister or get into the right clique at Edmond, things just don’t go well for you. There is definitely a hierarchy at the Edmond PCG compound. There is the “in” crowd and there is everyone else. If you are in good with the inner clique of the Edmond power elite then you are on the gravy train. For example: If you are a single woman and you babysit the Flurry’s grandkids, or perhaps help clean their house and toilet for the Holy Days, they may throw you a bone and allow you some perks. If you really play your cards right you may be allowed to date for marriage. But…..If you don’t pay your dues, then you are single until the Second Coming.

You can read the rest of By Brett Streutker's letter here: GERALD FLURRY REMARRIES — HYPOCRISY FROM THE TOP

Philadelphia Church of God: Father Pleads For Contact With Children Inside PCG: "TELL MY CHILDREN I LOVE THEM, PLEASE!"

I received the following from visitor here who is a father with children inside the Philadelphia Church of God. If you have been a reader of this blog you will see Cal Culpepper mentioned a lot with postings describing his vile behaviour towards PCG members and his enforcement of PCG's "no contact" policy.

I’ve been out of the PCG for 6 years now. I was put out by the demon Cow Cultpecker. 

Since then my two children who remained in the cult have been forbidden to talk to me. 

Thankfully 2 of my children have come out and I am able to see them. 

In an effort to help cut off funding and make people aware of that this evil group is doing, I have been sending a message to all churches in Edmond and Oklahoma City. 

The easiest way I’ve found to do this is through Facebook. 

I’ve sent the following message to many churches. I’ve received positive supportive messages in  return.  

People are agreeing to boycott events at Armstrong Auditorium. 

I did include full names in the message. 

I hope many will do the same to help warn local people that attending events at Armstrong Auditorium is supporting this family destroying cult.

Thank you for all you do to help members and ex members of the PCG.

----------------------------------- 

Please help a grieving father.  

My wife of 36 years died 8 years ago and now Gerald Flurry and the Philadelphia Church of God have taken my children from me. 

I wish I could hear from them on Father's day. I haven't heard from them in 6 years. They are in the Philadelphia Church of God. A controlling cult that cuts children off from parents and parents from children. The dictatorial leader Gerald Flurry has issued an edict that says members can have NO contact with family members that have left the church. If you go against his rulings you will have to go through the tribulation and be cast into the lake of fire. Members have committed suicide because of this evil family destroying ruling. My oldest son Nathan M. and my youngest daughter Elise M. are in the cult and have been prevented from contacting me, my youngest son, my daughter and granddaughters. The cult has destroyed my family. When my oldest daughter and her family were told that they could have no contact with me, and told I was not allowed to see my granddaughter, they left the cult. 

When you attend events at Armstrong Auditorium you support the family destroying cult. They don't allow interracial dating or interracial dancing. They believe they are God's ONLY TRUE Church and Gerald Flurry is THAT PROPHET, he is THE APOSTLE, God’s only representative  on earth. 

Please do not support the evil group by attending events at Armstrong Auditorium  

TELL MY CHILDREN I LOVE THEM, PLEASE!