Did Church of God International Give Up In Defeat Over Bill Watson?

 

Bill Watson’s Corrupt Leadership

By

Lonnie Hendrix

Apparently, the leadership of the Church of God International has thrown up their hands in defeat and surrendered in the battle that has been raging over that organization’s messaging. As regular readers here know, CGI headquarters has been trying to rein in the overt and highly partisan political messaging of rogue Pastor Bill Watson and his allies for some time. Indeed, the Executive Committee of that church even voted to remove some of Bill Watson’s and Adrian Davis’ controversial messaging on Covid-19 from their platforms! Last month, the church held a ministerial meeting to confront and address the problem, but Bill and his allies were having none of it. Watson insisted that his remarks were completely appropriate – that he was only talking about “policy.”

What makes this writer think that CGI leadership has surrendered to Bill and company? The appearance of Pastor Watson’s latest sermon on their website! In his latest political diatribe, The Leaven of Corrupt Leadership, Watson talks about how the Democrats have caused the soaring inflation currently being experienced by most Americans (no mention of the former Republican Administration’s handling of the pandemic and the current war in Ukraine in this connection). Did you notice that very ACOG theology sounding title for his sermon? I bet some of you are wondering what in the world that has to do with politics. You should never underestimate Bill’s capacity to weave politics into his message!

He begins by stating that Christ’s work isn’t just about salvation and that the first chapter of Acts proves that he was busily telling his disciples about the Kingdom of God before his ascension to heaven! And, yes, in case some of you were wondering, for Bill, the Kingdom of God suggests a political entity or “polity.” Indeed, Bill went on to mock the notion that Christ was dwelling on what he had done for his disciples – making salvation possible for them and the rest of the world. For Bill, the Christian message is inherently political – it’s all about overthrowing this world’s governments and resurrecting the defunct Kingdom of Israel under Christ and his disciples.

From there, Watson launched into another diatribe about how Christ handled the religious leaders of his day – the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, and lawyers. He talked about the contempt that Christ had for them, and how boldly he challenged their teachings and authority (there is no mention of the fact that he told the people that they occupied Moses’ seat and that they should follow their teachings, not their hypocritical behavior). For Bill, both secular and religious leadership in 2022 are full of corruption and incompetence, and it all tends toward authoritarianism.

Need examples? Bill has got plenty of them. He went on to talk about the Durham investigation of the Clinton campaign in 2016, and the indictment of one of her campaign’s lawyers. Next, he mentioned the controversy surrounding Hunter Biden’s laptop. Watson went on to assert that the content of Hunter’s laptop is demonic. He talked about politicians and members of Hollywood’s elite taking advantage of Epstein’s pleasure island. Once again, no mention of the fact that Trump was an associate of Jeffrey Epstein or any of the current investigations surrounding Republican politicians. Are we beginning to discern a pattern in Bill’s remarks?

How on earth does all of this relate to the Days of Unleavened Bread? He says that it’s time for all of us to wake up and not tolerate “the leaven of corrupt leadership” in our society! Bill says that this is all “very appropriate” for him to be talking about because this is “some of the sin we’re swimming in” and “we’re being effected [sic] by it!” Never mind, that these are the very kinds of issues that Bill’s Kingdom of God is supposed to address! For Bill, we (Christians) need to be confronting and addressing this behavior NOW. And, according to Bill, those of us who think it’s inappropriate for Christians to engage in this world’s polity, we are busily burying our heads in the sand. He went on to say that pastors should be condemning abortion, gay marriage, and gender confusion – implying that this should be the focus of Christian pastors, not Christ’s message of salvation!

He said that ignoring all of these reprehensible behaviors is leading to the “reprobate of judgement” – that the ability to discern the difference between “right and wrong is lost in the confusion.” He claimed that ignoring this “leaven” is tantamount to discarding the Bible – the foundation of morality! Of course, Bill means HIS interpretation of what that book defines as right and wrong; and if your understanding differs from his, you’re just plain wrong!

Next, Bill turned his attention to religious leadership, and I must say that I found myself to be in complete agreement with his criticism of the wealth of folks like Kenneth Copeland, Pat Robertson, Benny Hinn, Joel Osteen, and Creflo Dollar. In fairness, unless it has changed, we should also note that Bill Watson is one of the few ministers of CGI who is actually on that organization’s payroll (said to be a modest stipend). He also decried the homosexuality and pedophilia extant within the Catholic priesthood.

Even so, Pastor Watson does not seem to comprehend that God will ultimately address these flagrant departures from the teachings of Jesus Christ – not us. Sure, we should all be spiritually alert and astute enough to not be patronizing these folks, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with pointing out their abuse. However, as in all of the other examples which Bill mentions, God is their ultimate judge – NOT me, you, or Bill!

From there, Bill returned to his theme that pastors have a responsibility to root out all of this leaven and confront it. You see, for Bill, the Church has been commissioned to warn Israel (America) away from their sins. Like the leaders of many of the other ACOGs, he sees himself as the spiritual successor of Herbert and Garner Ted Armstrong. He even concluded his message with a reference to that passage from Isaiah that is very familiar to all Armstrongites – you remember the vision of the “wonderful world tomorrow” with the wolf dwelling with the lamb, the leopard lying down with the kid, the calf and the lion together, and a little child leading them. In other words, the establishment of the physical Kingdom and restoration of Israel is the end game for Bill – not the salvation of humankind.

Finally, although Pastor Watson did reference Christ’s remarks about servant leadership found in the twentieth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, one can’t help but suspect that Tyler’s recent attempts to rein in his messaging were uppermost in his mind. In that passage, we read that Christ told his disciples: “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Verses 25-28) For Bill, the clear implication is that the leavened leadership of the CGI shouldn’t be trying to shape his message or use their leverage to prevent him from talking about political topics!

And by publishing his sermon on their platform, we have to conclude that CGI’s leadership has ceded this ground to Mr. Watson. Bill should be allowed to preach his political message and warn Israel, and everybody in CGI should get on his boat! Never mind that CGI’s has clearly stated on their website that “Our mission is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world (Matthew 28:19).” – [See their Mission Statement] Never mind that their “Statement of Beliefs” contains this bullet point: “The gospel is the message preached by Christ and by His church about God’s coming Kingdom, the restoration of His government on earth, and how mankind can enter that Kingdom and government. It includes the message of what Jesus has done, is doing, and shall do—and ultimately is the message of the entire Old and New Testaments. The primary purpose and commission of the church is to ‘Go ye therefore, and teach [make disciples of] all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.’” I guess they’ve decided that since Bill is preaching part of the gospel (as they define it) that that is good enough!

The Church of God International's Messaging Problem

The Church of God International's Messaging Problem

Over the years since leaving CGI, I have watched the evolution of that organization with fascination. For those who are unfamiliar with this history, CGI began as a reaction to the autocratic and intellectually stagnant atmosphere within the now-defunct Worldwide Church of God. Unfortunately, one of the "founding fathers" of the organization was the morally flawed son (Garner Ted Armstrong) of the autocrat (Herbert W Armstrong) who ruled over the parent organization. Eventually, the moral failings of GTA became so egregious that some folks abandoned CGI (like Ron Dart) while others (like my own father) forced GTA out of the organization and attempted to institute a more spiritual and democratic direction for their organization. It is as they say, however, good intentions so often go astray.

Like many of the other organizations which descended from Herbert's Worldwide Church, CGI began as a mix of true believers who sought to perpetuate the "core" doctrines of Armstrongism and those who recognized that there were real problems with some of the teachings of the parent organization. Over the years that followed those major disruptions within the organization caused by GTA's indiscretions, these two groups grew further and further apart. Unfortunately, the conservative forces within the church (those loyal to Armstrongism) came to be led by Pastor Bill Watson of Ohio. The reformers, on the other hand, were represented by men like Charles Groce, Vance Stinson, and (more recently) Jeff Reed. The illusion of unanimity between the two groups has been preserved by the desire of the men in both camps not to further dilute the already diminished resources and reach of the organization. Both sides recognized that a rupture between them would effectively destroy the ability of the church to promulgate its message to a wider audience.

More recently, this uneasy truce between the two camps has been sorely tested by the radicalization and extreme polarization of American society at large. In short, the larger tensions between liberals and conservatives within the United States have exacerbated tensions between the two camps within CGI. Indeed, the same denigration of the motives, morals, and intellectual capacity of the other side which has characterized the larger society has excited those same kinds of recriminations within the church. The reform camp sees the other side as stubborn reactionaries that are preventing the church from reaching a wider audience. Likewise, the Bill Watson camp sees the other side as being caught up in the same deception and wickedness that is afflicting the larger culture and views them as an obstacle to getting out their message of warning.

Of course, for CGI, this tension is further underscored and exacerbated by the fundamental differences in the way the two camps react to those "core doctrines" of Armstrongism. Watson (and most of his supporters) still embraces Anglo-Israelism and its attendant notion that the church's primary mission is to proclaim a warning to the "nations of Israel" (chiefly the English-speaking peoples of the earth). Hence, for these folks, the message of the church should be one of warning against the evils of socialism, homosexuality, globalism, gender identity, abortion, immigration, etc. In other words, the culture war on steroids! Most of the reformers, however, reject the teaching of Anglo-Israelism and believe that the church's messaging should be focused on the commission to preach the gospel which God gave to his disciples. For the Watson camp, the thirty-third chapter of Ezekiel is paramount. For the Groce/Stinson/Reed camp, the twenty-eighth chapter of Matthew is supreme. Sure, both camps claim that their objective is to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom of God to the world. Nevertheless, we can see that their respective understandings of what that encompasses are fundamentally different.

How have both sides handled this dilemma? Heretofore, the reformers have told themselves that the conservatives are simply stuck in the past and haven't seen the light yet. They pride themselves on being inclusive and not censoring the messaging of the conservatives with which they disagree. The conservatives, on the other hand, feel like they are being stifled and censored! They feel like the impact of their messaging has been thwarted and diluted by the reformers. Of course, for those of us on the outside, it just appears that this organization is speaking out of both sides of its mouth. The messaging is mixed, and both sides have only succeeded in engendering a great deal of cognitive dissonance in their audience!

Addendum:

I just finished listening to a sermon by Vance Stinson that was apparently delivered this past Sabbath titled Shepherding the Flock. In the message, Mr. Stinson directly addressed some of the issues raised in this post about the church's messaging.

More particularly, he addressed just how divisive the issue of mRNA Covid-19 vaccinations has been within the church. In fact, Mr. Stinson pointed out the specific post by Jeff Reed (which referred to the widespread misinformation about the vaccines within America and called them a blessing) that this blogger had previously called attention to as causing so much discord within the church (and within my own family). According to Mr. Stinson, the issue has proven to be so divisive that the Executive Council of the Church has made the decision to not allow ANY further posts regarding Covid-19 mRNA vaccination (anti or pro) on their organization's website.

As I suggested in the above post, Mr. Stinson claims that this step has been taken to avoid dissension and promote unity within their church culture. However, while he insisted that this did not amount to censorship because it would apply equally to both sides, he repeatedly stressed that nothing further would be allowed to be posted on the subject.

Mr. Stinson went on to suggest that there was a strong biblical principle upon which the Executive Council's decision was based: That the shepherds of the flock have a responsibility to forgo their rights to express their own opinions on subjects for the sake of the flock. According to him, the primary responsibility of the shepherds is to promote unity and harmony within the church. In adopting this position, he comes very close to the point which I was originally trying to make with regard to these kinds of issues - that ministers of Jesus Christ had absolutely NO business wading into controversial political and cultural issues.

However, Mr. Stinson failed to address a minister's responsibility to protect his flock from harm and to tell the truth. Moreover, it hardly seems even-handed and fair to this observer to allow all of the many ridiculous statements about social distancing, masking, and vaccinations that had provoked Mr. Reed's post in the first place to stand (remain posted as part of the sermon archive). In other words, in this instance, it appears that those who have made the most noise have prevailed (irrespective of the merits of their objections or the truthfulness of their messaging). And, I'm betting that the Executive Council's decision will NOT satisfy folks in either camp. As John likes to say, time will tell.


Lonnie Hendrix

CGI’s Bill Watson: Pastor or Warlock?

 

CGI’s Bill Watson: Pastor or Warlock?

 

The Church of God International has published an astounding sermon by Bill Watson on their website. The message is titled, The Prayer of Imprecation. For those who may be unfamiliar with the term, a prayer of imprecation is an appeal to God to take down somebody or some organization (a part of Bill’s own adequate definition of the term). In other words, it is the equivalent of calling down a curse on someone or something – the opposite of requesting that someone or something be blessed. Hence, the thesis of Bill’s message is that not only is such a prayer appropriate, but he strongly implies that it may be time for Christians to start hurling curses at “wicked” folks.

Pastor Watson looks at the condition of the United States and the rest of the world and says that Christians should be imploring God to “stop the madness.” In the message, he talks about human trafficking and asks if it wouldn’t be appropriate for Christians to begin calling down curses on those who engage in the practice or cover it up. Likewise, he goes on to point out that the legalization of abortion has resulted in the “murder” of millions of babies and asks if we might not be justified in calling down God’s curse on Planned Parenthood. In a similar vein, Watson decries what he sees as the spread of Marxism within the United States; and we are left with the distinct impression that he would like to include the Democratic Party in this mix! Mr. Watson went on to decry the folks who are encroaching on our freedoms and are seeking to advance a globalist agenda. Finally, he concludes his message by offering his listeners several candidates for their consideration (like the United Nations, and the IMF).

Now, while many of us would readily agree with Bill’s consternation at the horrible state of affairs within the United States (and the world at large), I am left to wonder why he didn’t acknowledge the vehicle which Christ gave his followers to address such distress. You remember – the little recitation that most folks refer to as the Lord’s Prayer? Didn’t Christ instruct his followers to pray after this manner: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven!” (Matthew 6:10)

To be fair, the pastor does give a passing reference to one of the numerous scriptures which absolutely forbid Christians from engaging in this kind of witchcraft. More specifically, he tells us that he is aware of what Paul wrote to Roman Christians on the subject. Hence, I think it’s probably appropriate to directly confront that scripture in this review. Paul wrote: “Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.” (Romans 12:14) He went on to say: “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:19-21) Mr. Watson tells us that he is aware of this, but he goes on to suggest that we wouldn’t be taking the action – that we’d be asking God to take action. And, if that reasoning sounds a little dubious to you, it did to me as well!

I was also wondering about a few pertinent remarks by Jesus Christ which did not appear in his message. I’m thinking about passages like this one from the gospel of Matthew: “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you…” (Matthew 5:38-44) OR this one from the gospel according to Luke: “But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.” (Luke 6:27-33)

Unfortunately, however, Mr. Watson ignored all of those scriptures and went straight to the book of Psalms to offer numerous instances of imprecatory prayers offered by King David. And, as we know, these prayers were offered to God when David was feeling threatened or persecuted by his enemies – or in some instances, when he was feeling angry or bitter toward them. In other words, none of these prayers are probably appropriate models for Christians to follow!

From there, Mr. Watson highlighted the really tuff statements that Christ made about the religious leaders of his day (the scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees) – calling them hypocrites and children of the Devil. Likewise, the pastor pointed out that the Apostle Paul twice stated in his letter to the saints of Galatia that anyone who preached a heretical gospel should be accursed. Unfortunately, Mr. Watson doesn’t appear to see any difference in calling someone out for false preaching and asking God to curse them. Many of us, however, do see a clear distinction between the two practices. 

Mr. Watson asks whether his audience might see a need for imprecation. Indeed, he suggests that it may become our duty as Christians to someday offer an imprecatory prayer. He continued: “I’m just saying: Are we bold? Are we brave? Are we courageous? If God’s church doesn’t change, you’re gonna get stepped on.” Really, Mr. Watson? When hasn’t the Church been stepped on? You asked whether or not it might ever be appropriate for God’s people to offer a prayer of imprecation. I’ve got an answer for you: NEVER!

 

Lonnie Hendrix

 

 

CGI'sTony Buchert’s Civil Disobedience

 

Tony Buchert’s Civil Disobedience

The Church of God International’s Medina, Ohio congregation was treated to a discourse this past Sabbath (10/16) on the “proper” understanding and application of the thirteenth chapter of Paul’s epistle to the saints at Rome as it relates to modern Christian resistance to the Covid-19 vaccines. According to Mr. Buchert, Paul’s instructions to the saints at Rome should not be interpreted to suggest that U.S. Christians should conform to government mandates regarding Covid vaccination. Mr. Buchert insisted that those who would dare to employ Paul’s instructions to those ancient folks in their arguments in favor of Christians being vaccinated in the Twenty-First Century are twisting Scripture and attempting to force these “good” people to violate their consciences!

The fact that Mr. Buchert saw fit to address this topic at all suggests that this scripture (Romans 13:1-5) has been troublesome for anti-vaxxer elements within the church. After all, Paul’s language in this instance was fairly straightforward and clear. He wrote: “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished. For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course, you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong. So you must submit to them, not only to avoid punishment but also to keep a clear conscience.” Well, that’s plain enough, right? “Not so fast!” says Tony Buchert.

Mr. Buchert begins his diatribe with a statement of the obvious: This scripture does NOT sanction blind obedience by Christians of every law and edict of the human governments we are currently living under. As he goes on to point out, when some edict/law/mandate contradicts God’s law, Christians should not obey it! Indeed, as Mr. Buchert underscores, to do so would violate that Christian’s conscience and force him/her to violate God’s law. Even so, Mr. Buchert seemed to completely ignore the Christian’s obligation to submit to whatever penalty/punishment that the human government devises for those who would disobey its will. Yes, there are numerous examples of “civil disobedience” in Scripture, but many of the saints who engaged in such behavior often ended up suffering horrendous consequences for their failure to obey. For example, John the Baptist lost his head, and Jesus Christ was crucified! In other words, Christians are still obligated to SUBMIT to the authorities which Paul says that God has placed in charge.

Unfortunately, Mr. Buchert did not confine his arguments in this regard to Scripture. He also chose to introduce things like the Mayflower Compact, Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Federalist Papers into the conversation. In addition to condescendingly implying that the proponents of Covid vaccine mandates are unfamiliar with these documents, he strongly suggests that they buttress his arguments about personal and religious freedom relative to mandates.

And, although he never actually elucidated how those documents support his own views relative to vaccine resistance, he went on to proclaim that government officials must also conform to the Scriptural foundations on which they rest. Did Mr. Buchert forget the concept of the separation of Church and State? Does he understand that many of these secular authorities do not view themselves as serving at God’s pleasure? Does Mr. Buchert understand that the Kingdom of God does not yet currently reign over this earth? And what about the powers that those charters grant to the government (federal, state, and local) to protect the LIFE, liberty, and pursuit of happiness of its’ citizens? Does Mr. Buchert realize that government must be the arbiter when one citizen’s rights conflict with the free exercise of another citizen’s rights?

Unlike his citation of those august documents of American democracy, Mr. Buchert did actually employ the material of two extreme right-wing sources to support his anti-vaxxer views. Indeed, it came as no surprise to me that Mr. Buchert used material from Culture Watch and Project Veritas to buttress his message to his mentor’s (Pastor Bill Watson) congregation. On the Culture Watch website, we find the following headlines: “Do you think Biden should officially resign?”, “Pope Francis just put a big smile on Dr. Fauci’s face with this pro-vaccine demand”, and “A judge just smacked Planned Parenthood with the worst news they’ve ever gotten.” Likewise, on the Project Veritas homepage, we find headlines like “PFIZER LEAKS: Whistleblower Goes On Record, Reveals Internal Emails from Chief Scientific Officer & Senior Director of Worldwide Research Discussing COVID Vaccine ... ‘We Want to Avoid Having the Information on the Fetal Cells Floating Out There’.”

Obviously, Mr. Buchert is comfortable with sources that deal in conspiracy theories, misinformation, lies, and overt support of extreme political ideologies. For him, these voices should be given the same “rights” in the marketplace of ideas as those of scientists and public health officials! But I guess the end justifies the means – right? After all, Mr. Buchert points out that God rewarded the Egyptian midwives for lying to Pharoah when he questioned their disobedience of his edict regarding the murder of Israel’s male babies!

This is an example of what the Church of God International is currently allowing to be preached from its pulpits? Just when I was beginning to be encouraged by the voices of Jeff Reed and Vance Stinson within that organization, we have this! I guess we should all thank Mr. Buchert for giving voice to all of those poor Christians who are being asked to receive this wicked jab in their righteous arms!

Lonnie Hendrix

CGI Texarkana: Numerous Members Infected At Hot Springs Feast Site

 

An anonymous source sent in several items of documentation concerning the Church of God International Texarkana church. Quite a few of its members have been infected with COVID at the Hot Springs Feast site. The interesting thing is that the Texarkana official church site makes no mention of this, but the private Facebook group has numerous members asking for prayers as they deal with COVID infections. The Hot Springs Feast organizer is one of those infected.

The source mentioned this:

My guess is that many Armstrongites got Covid at the feast, but they do not want to admit it publicly, only to other church people privately.

And I am not suggesting that the church leaders are necessarily behind this cover up. I think these people are simply embarrassed because they have fought hard and long against vaccines, masks, and social distancing. And now they contracted Covid at the Feast, where “God placed His name!”

And So It Begins: Church of God International, Another Petri Dish Feast Site

From Church of God International:

Subject: Fwd: Sabbath Services Cancelled

Hello Everyone,

Hope all are safely home from the FOT and doing well. However, due to an abundance of caution, we have decided to cancel Sabbath services tomorrow. Some of those who attended the FOT at Hot Springs have tested positive for Covid and many others have been in close contact and others are not feeling well and are otherwise potentially symptomatic.

We plan to resume our normal schedule with a great service, including a pot-luck and Sabbath School next Sabbath (10-9-21).

Please spread the word to anyone you think might not receive this email.

Thanks and see everyone next Sabbath!

Larry & Kitty

Headline Theology: The Modus Operandi of the Church of God Movement

 

A reader here sent me this comment about Jeff Reed's recent article on Church of God International's website, The Dangers of Headline Theology.

Jeff Reed is really asking for it now by debunking headline theology. Not only are the Bill Watson minions within CGI going to be mad. But so are all the other Armstrong COGs who rely on headline theology to scare people into sending money.

Anyone who has spent even a minuscule amount of time in the Armstrong Church of God movement knows by now that headline theology is how the church operates. Headline theology is also the main method that the churches use to scare people into sending in every hard-earned dime they have.

Jeff Reed has become a rare breed in the church, kind of like Ian Boyne was. Here are some of the things he said:

“Headline theology” can be defined as searching out sensational headlines in the news upon which to base one’s biblical theology. Many supposed modern-day prophets find joy in connecting world events to their prophetic scenarios even though they continually are proven wrong and continue to move the goalposts of their predictions. 

The COG over the decades has been filled with these types of ministers and church leaders. Today in the COG the biggest adherents of this theology are Dave Pack, Gerald Flurry, Bob Thiel, Ron Weinland, and Alton Billingsley. These men use headline theology to try and pump up their self-appointed  "prophethood" status. That doesn't mean that lesser men like Gerald Weston, Victor Kubik, Jim Franks, and the leaders of other small COG groups don't do the same thing, it is just that they hide their adherence to this kind of theology undercover.

We in the Church of God International may occasionally look at world events and examine them through the lens of God’s law or prophecy. Still, we carefully avoid making dogmatic statements and identify our observations as speculation. Those who practice “headline theology” go much further. They may predict specific days or years as an absolute fulfillment of prophesied events. Or they may suggest that the end is only a few years away.

While the history of the CGI is also filled with men in the past who practiced headline theology, they currently are not setting dates like today's splinter group leaders are. CGI is not immune to do this and will skirt this issue in the days and years to come by claiming that certain events "seem" to fit certain prophecies.

Reed then goes on to say what happens to church members who are fed this twisted way of thinking on a weekly basis:

One of the dangers of this mindset is paranoia. We are told in Philippians 4:6-7 to “not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Looking at every new war, earthquake, natural disaster, social trend, or political change as a fulfillment of prophecy can cause anxiety.

Not only are the members being whipped into a constant state of frenzy with daily doses of doom and gloom, but the biggest adherents of headline theology are some of the most paranoid and narcissistic men the church has ever seen. Not confident to rest in the assurances of the One they claim to follow, they lash out and condemn anyone who disagrees with them by labeling it persecution. Persecution has rarely if ever, come upon the Armstrongite Churches of God from the outside. Only when some catastrophic event happens are COG groups brought into the limelight and the public hears about them does the world even know who they are. 

If someone were to conduct a survey of how many in the world even know about the COG the chances are billions to 1 that no one has. At least with Herbert Armstrong, he traveled the world and had his face plastered all over the news of those countries, unlike today when COG leaders sit in the "headquarters" or storefronts and bellow, bluster, and babble incoherent nonsense as if God was speaking to them. The same goes for CGI. Ask any person on the street who CGI is and what they preach and no one will have any idea. However, those in Jamaica might, as many of their leaders are active in politics and other public service areas and actively work in their communities for good. Those other COG leaders living lives of luxury in the United States and pampered with every imaginable good fortune at their fingertips do absolutely NOTHING for those in their own communities and the world around them. All any of them do is condemn.

Today's COG leaders think that the constant bombardment of doom and gloom headline theology is essential for their votaries' spiritual understanding. All of them are so arrogant and narcissistic in their views of themselves and what they preach that they can't comprehend why anyone would ignore them or ultimately abandoned their churches. Reed writes:

Another danger with “headline theology” is that it may cause some to lose their faith. Many over the years have put their hopes in a prophetic fulfillment that never comes to pass. Church leaders have unwisely predicted specific dates for the return of Christ or have implied that it would occur within a certain number of years. This date-setting has caused disillusionment in many former Christians. Faith in Christ becomes entwined with faith in their leader's predictions. Once these predictions ultimately fail, they can have a devastating effect on those who gullibly believed them.

Reed goes on to mention the ultimate example of  headline theology by mentioning the great, great, great, grandfather of the COG movement, William Miller:

William Miller predicted that Jesus would return to earth by 1844. He was so wrong in his calculations that the ensuing failure has been labeled the “Great Disappointment.” This failed prediction caused many to abandon their faith entirely and others to refer to this event as a reason to not even consider Christianity. Since then, many others have made similar predictions based on faulty calculations and their perceptions of world wars, disasters, and other dramatic events. They have all been wrong, and some of the fallout has been many people losing faith entirely. This also hurts the credibility of organizations and preachers, making their ensuing evangelistic efforts less effective.

The Church of God movement has been forever damaged by the failed prophecies of Herbert W Armstrong, Garner Ted Armstrong, Herman Hoeh, Gerald Waterhouse, and others, in addition to today's current crop of self-appointed theologically bankrupt church leaders.

In one of Reed's closing paragraphs he states:

The final danger of “headline theology” is that it can shift our focus away from what is fundamental to Christianity. Calculating dates, proof-texting, deciphering prophetic puzzles with world events, and other related activities take away our time from what is important. The Apostle Paul made this clear to the Ephesians. “For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ” (Ephesians 4:12-15).

Headline theology takes away church members' focus upon the One they should be following and places the emphasis on that human leader, without whom no one would have any understanding, or in Bob Thiel's case, know when it was time to flee to Petra. 

Christians down through the centuries who have had a direct relationship with Jesus in their lives did not have any need to worry about the crap that COG leaders pump out on a daily basis. Their confidence and faith were in the One who assures them, is by their side no matter what. This is what those Christians in Iraq and now in Afghanistan understand as they are being hunted down and slaughtered. Christians outside the COG have understood this for millennia. Sadly not so much for COG members.

Ask any COG member about the law, clean and unclean meats, and dress codes and they can rattle it off for you immediately. Ask any of them about Jesus or grace and they are at a loss for words. Ask them about justification and sanctification and they will stare at you blindly or accuse you of being a "graceite", "so-called Christian", or a "Christian in name only". They cannot explain any of these theological concepts because they have never been taught to them in the church by today's COG leaders. These men can not teach it because they themselves do not understand it. 

Thanks to the headline theology prophets in the COG today, today's Church of God movement is an utter disaster that is leading to its rapid decline. Their focus is on ultimately unimportant things instead of on the One who they should be following. Just take a quick cruise through Bob Thiel's websites and you will see this in action. Nothing he says is ultimately important or relevant to any Christian who is standing assured in Christ. Not one thing!  The same goes for Dave Pack and Gerald Flurry as they wait for the imminent return of their creature called "christ" while spending millions in tithe money on infrastructure at their headquarters. 

None of these men care about what Jesus teaches or the rest that comes from him. All they are concerned about is taking tithe money from their followers to build world-class buildings and campuses that immediately erect walls around them to keep the public out. Christ never left anyone outside, not so in the Churches of God.

Today's Church of God member is tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of these men, with all their cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. Not one of these men leading COG today can bring the rest and peace that comes from the assurance of following Christ, a simple understanding Christians outside the COG have understood for centuries.

 

A Tale of Two Churches - Headline News Preaching

 

A Tale of Two Churches

By

Darrell’s Chickens

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way…” –from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

The current situation within the Church of God International evokes some of the characteristics of the classic novel that inspired the title of this piece. Indeed, two pastors of that church have put forth two very different visions of what their message to the world should look like. Pastor Bill Watson’s latest offering in The International News is a textbook example of “Headline Theology,” and Pastor Jeff Reed’s latest blog post condemns that kind of messaging. And while the irreconcilable gulf between the two views is apparent to almost everyone else, the leadership within that organization seems oblivious to the fact.

In The Dangers of Headline Theology, Pastor Reed observed that Headline Theology “can be defined as searching out sensational headlines in the news upon which to base one’s biblical theology. Many supposed modern-day prophets find joy in connecting world events to their prophetic scenarios even though they continually are proven wrong and continue to move the goalposts of their predictions.” He went on to note that “We in the Church of God International may occasionally look at world events and examine them through the lens of God’s law or prophecy. Still, we carefully avoid making dogmatic statements and identify our observations as speculation.” Pastor Reed also pointed out that setting dates or implying that “the end” is just around the corner can lead to all kinds of problems for any church which engages in such behavior. According to him, Christians can succumb to anxiety and paranoia about the future, “that it may cause some to lose their faith” (because their expectations are never satisfied) and that it can divert a Christian’s attention away from the fundamentals of his or her faith.

Ironically, in the current edition of The International News, Pastor Bill Watson’s China: The Emerging Red Dragon stands in stark contrast to his friend’s blog post. In the piece, he relates how China’s activities mesh with those of the Marxist/Globalist leaders whom he claims are currently running things in the United States. Pastor Watson goes on to suggest that the “mark of the beast” may somehow be related to vaccine mandates. In fact, he makes clear that he sees the pandemic as a tool in the hands of China and these Marxist/Globalist leaders to take down the United States. Pastor Watson underscores China’s current bad behavior in seeking to undermine the U.S. (cyber-attacks, stealing technology, the “Wuhan” virus). He continues: “Further, evidence appears to be growing that seems to indicate China—in combination with hundreds of non-profit Foundations and USA corporations, politicians, and a multitude of government operatives—helped hijack and rig the 2020 USA Presidential election, for their own self-serving gains and additional infiltration and control of the United States government. IF—and I emphasize IF—this is true, we may very well be seeing the beginning of the end of the world’s balance of power and the taking down of the last powerful birthright nation of God’s promise to Abraham! If that happens, the world without the United States will be a very different place!”

After going on to underscore that he believes American freedoms are under assault, Mr. Watson asks “So What Can We Do?” His answer: “The United States is under attack from within and without. There are people, private interest groups, non-profit foundations, politicians, entertainers, and athletes that would like nothing else but to see the United States collapse, or be destroyed. This is a time to make a stand, ‘pick a lane,’ and be brave, courageous, and bold in your faith for our families, our country, and of course, the work of our God!” The pastor continued: “Keep in mind, there is nothing sacrilegious about being patriotic. It is okay, as a Christian, to express your disapproval when it becomes apparent our freedoms are being jeopardized and our families endangered. Remember, it is never too late to appeal in prayer to God for mercy upon our land. Even Abraham attempted to beseech God, hoping to rescue Sodom and Gomorrah, as evil and corrupt as they were.”

For Mr. Watson, these circumstances clearly warrant immediate action on the part of the saints. He concludes: “So brethren, in today’s environment, God’s Church needs to step up and be courageous, brave, and bold—a prayerful and an outspoken people! This is not a time to be fearful, timid, or tacit about the things you know are not in the best interests of you, your family, communities, and religious freedoms.” In other words, CGI needs more of Pastor Watson’s messaging, and God and country needs their help!

Is anyone experiencing a little cognitive dissonance and whiplash at present? Pastor Reed warns of the dangers of “Headline Theology,” and Pastor Watson turns around and offers a full serving of it! Yes, CGI is truly simultaneously experiencing a “spring of hope” and a “winter of despair.” Will they continue to be of two minds? Are they metaphorically headed for heaven or the other place?    

Church of God International Continues To Hide Or Minimize Differences In The Church

 

From a CGI source:

I just noticed that CGI has removed all of the comments associated with Jeff's post from their website, and they have removed Jeff's post and the 90+ comments associated with it on their Facebook page. I can think of a number of reasons for doing this (none of them very good). It does appear from Mr. Stinson's and Mr. Reed's comments that they were particularly sensitive to the characterization of their organization as being bitterly divided over the issue. Whatever their reasoning, I think that it is dishonest and futile to attempt to hide or minimize the differences within the church on this issue (and very reminiscent of how the old Worldwide Church handled anything which presented the church in a negative or unfavorable light).

See this article that spurred it on:

Church of God International Internal War Over COVID Continues

Jeff had even commented on the above article on this blog and then deleted his comment after CGI officials deleted his articles and all of the comments. It is amazing how COG leaders work so quickly to silence people but yet take forever if at all, to assist members when they are in need. Just more proof of the downward spiral of the Armstrong Church of God movement.

How quickly things change. From having the full support of CGI and the publication of his well-written article to his articles and comments being deleted. The COG, as unified as ever! 

Jeff has left a new comment on your post "Church of God International Internal War Over COVI...": 

Nothing that I have written previously or in the current article should be interpreted as some sort of civil war in the CGI. The real war we face is against Covid. As an elder in God's Church, I have a responsibility to teach our membership and others Biblical truths that can save lives. Especially when that information is currently critical.

My article "Pandemic Fiction" addressed the false information that has been responsible for so many people unnecessarily getting sick and dying. These are real-world scenarios proving that God's instructions about blessings and cursings are true. If you believe and follow lies, you will experience "curses" in your life. 

I wrote this follow-up article, "Delta Isolation," after several well-meaning people commented to me that they heard Covid is more severe when you are vaccinated. Where did they hear this? All of the data is exactly the opposite of this. I was barely sick myself but tested positive enough to spread the disease. This is what was learned from the outbreak in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Of the 374 vaccinated who tested positive, there were only 4 hospitalizations with no deaths. That number would normally be around 10-20 percent in the unvaccinated and around 2 percent deaths. The majority only suffered very mild symptoms similar to my own. So with this easily available information, why would some in the church believe the opposite?

The church of God culture has some who from previous affiliations are very anti-medicine. And they get their bad information from conspiracy sources such as Natural News or Infowars. This is also true of a growing number of evangelicals.

This is not the teaching of CGI. Some quotes from our Systematic Theology Project of what we teach:

"The scientific and technological progress of the health sciences has been remarkable, especially over the last few decades, with increasing sophistication and effectiveness of technique, combined with a decreasing incidence of complications and side effects. For such achievements man should give God the credit; for it was God who created the human mind, empowering it with the creative brilliance to constantly attain to new heights of achievement in the physical world."

"What about medicines and drugs? Revelation 21:8 says that “sorcerers” (Greek, pharmakos) shall have their part in the lake of fire. The clear evidence indicates the word pharmakia referred to cult worship and the use of drugs to induce spells, rather than modern medicines and drugs. Medicines used to heal sickness are not condemned in the Bible."

"When one seeks professional medical help, he should select the most competent within his means. There are different specialties and different degrees of competency among individual practitioners just as in any profession."

It is my intention to direct the Church of God to professional, competent health sources and away from the false information that can lead to misery, suffering, and death.

Many so-called "alternative medicines" are, in fact, not medicine at all. It is either medicine, or it is not. Much of "alternative medicine" is related to occult and pagan ideas about magic, amulets, etc. For example, the founder of chiropractic got his information from necromancy.

The first chiropractor was a Canadian who claimed he received a message from a ghost

And creating magic potions from over-diluting substances, combining essential oils, or redirecting your chi is just a waste of time and could cause serious problems to go untreated.

Church of God International Internal War Over COVID Continues

Delta Isolation

Facebook comment:

"This is what a luke warm church sounds like...sad to see a Church of God promoting the end time pharmakiea that deceives the nation's and makes the merchants of the world rich. 

Revelation is being fulfilled befor your eyes and you praise the beast that is rising. 

GOD help you when the False prophet and Lawless one arise."

CGI’s Civil War Continues!

The Church of God International recently posted another article by Jeff Reed about his personal experiences with Covid-19 on their website and on their Facebook homepage. In the article, Mr. Reed wrote: “I’ve been in isolation since testing positive for Covid last week. I am blessed to be vaccinated, so my symptoms were very mild. My God-given immune system had a blueprint for defeating this pathogen quickly. It felt like a head cold except less of an inconvenience. Head colds usually stay with me for up to two weeks, and this infection was gone in a day and a half. I continually praise God for His guidance and protection in my life. Understanding His Word can help us avoid and mitigate a lot of problems we face in life.”

He went on to share his reasoning for self-isolating: “I’m in isolation because it has been confirmed that a small percentage of vaccinated individuals can get mildly infected with the Delta variant and be contagious to others. I am one of those individuals, and I want to do all I can to protect those vulnerable to sickness and death. In the past few weeks, Covid has hit many hard in the Church of God. Many CGI congregations have also been affected.”

Readers will recall that Pastor Bill Watson’s Medina, Ohio congregation was hit particularly hard by the virus and has been at the center of the storm over Covid-19 within the church. In fact, the reaction to Mr. Reed’s last article was so negative from that direction (Ohio) that the elder decided to take a much softer and more humorous stance in this post.

He continued: “As an elder in the Church, I have no expertise or business giving anyone medical advice. We believe the choice to receive medical care or vaccination is solely left up to the individual. I did speak to a Church elder who is a medical professional, and his warning to the Church of God is to take this Delta variant seriously. It is very contagious and is spreading quickly among the unvaccinated population of our country.” This comment was followed by a retelling of the joke about the man in the house in the midst of a flood who refused the help of a jeep, boat and helicopter that God had sent to rescue him (all the time professing his faith that God would save him).

However, even with this softer voice and a touch of humor, the rancor from the other side was not restrained. The most virulent comments appeared on Facebook. One commentator wrote: “I am out, I have been following the Church of God International for over 25 years … God I pray for the Christ followers all over the world, to See what is happening. God bless” Another wrote: “Amen, I am not taking their shot!! I am almost 65 years old, praise God, If more would trust in god and put their faith and trust in him and his hands!! There would be no sicknesses or diseases!! Praise the Lord, he is the only truth, way and light in this dark world! He is the true life, unto man!! We are only passing through. With his blood covering us!! I praise you JESUS!! And I thank you for your protection!! Amen!!”

And, if those comments weren’t bad enough, there were many more in the thread that were even more egregious! One man wrote: “This is what a lukewarm church sounds like...sad to see a Church of God promoting the end time pharmakiea that deceives the nation's and makes the merchants of the world rich. Revelation is being fulfilled before your eyes and you praise the beast that is rising. GOD help you when the False prophet and Lawless one arise.” Another lady observed: “Read Psalm 91. God is our healer. One has no idea how they would have dealt with covid without the vaccine. Doctors have told me all my life there is nothing you can do for a virus but let it run its course. The vaccine is NOT stopping people from getting covid any more than mask wearing is.” And this one was priceless: “I THOUGHT THE SABBATH KEEPING CHURCHS OF GOD WERE INSTRUCTING BREATHEREN NOT TO TAKE MURDERED, WEE ABORTED BABYS TISSUES, /// VACINES INTO THERE BODYS.......” (Many of the spelling and grammatical errors were retained to demonstrate the level of the discourse on the topic).

Poor Jeff! My own thoughts and comments were a little different from the ones quoted above. The comments which I posted on CGI’s website were as follows:

“May God speed your complete recovery from the infection, and may He bless you for your care and concern for those around you. I very much enjoyed that joke you related - it has been around in various forms for many years, and the spiritual lesson is sound. Our faith must allow for whatever means God chooses to address our needs, and we must be willing to admit that God's help may not always arrive in the way that we expected it to appear. God's thinking is superior to ours, and we must not fall into the trap of trying to make/imagine Him in our own image (we are a reflection of Him, not vice versa).

Opinions are great - everybody has them, but truth is supreme! God expects Christians to be humble and care for each other. Moreover, as long as the laws and demands of human government do not contradict God's laws and will, the New Testament makes plain (Christ and Paul) that God expects His people to respect and follow those dictates. God also makes clear in Scripture that He expects His people to take care of themselves and exhibit proper care and concern for those around them.

Public health measures (vaccines, masks, distancing, cleaning) are designed to mitigate the impact of disease - not to curtail rights or freedoms. Moreover, our failure to follow that guidance may be symptomatic of attitudes that are inappropriate in a Christian (willfulness, rebellion, haughtiness). There are numerous things that governments do to protect their citizens from harm (like requiring them to stop, yield or wear seat belts when riding in a car). We can refuse to follow those directives, but a number of very negative consequences may follow (like citations, crashes, injury, or death).

You are to be commended for the good example which you have set in this matter - an example that is consistent with sound Christian theology and teachings. Likewise, Mr. Vance Stinson is to be commended for giving voice to your perspective. I hope and pray that ALL of our brothers and sisters in Christ will take note of these examples and follow them. May God continue to bless us and help us through this current scourge.”

At any rate, let’s hope that the common sense and Christian love exhibited by Mr. Reed and Mr. Stinson prevails in CGI. The physical and spiritual lives of their membership may depend on it!

Lonnie Hendrix

The Failure Of The Church of God To Turn Hearts In The Right Direction

Back in March of this year, Banned by HWA posted a piece by me entitled Why must your son be so disrespectful of you and your religion? In the post, I took my father's CGI "friends" to task for bringing to his attention everything I write about Armstrongism, CGI, or Pastor Bill Watson. I thought that it would shame those individuals into refraining from causing him distress, but apparently a few of those fine folks continue to delight in stirring the commode!

A few days ago, I received a notification that my brother had left a nasty comment about something that was posted on Banned on May 26th of this year: Church of God International's Civil War Over Covid-19. When my brother informed me about it, I asked him why he was commenting on something which had been posted over a month ago. He informed me that some of my father's church "friends" had brought it to my dad's attention, and that it had upset him so severely that he couldn't catch his breath (my father is chronically ill). Moreover, my brother went on to inform me that my father would not be attending his wedding reception because I was planning to attend!

After hanging up the phone with my brother, I couldn't help but think about two verses at the end of the Old Testament which Herbert Armstrong and the old Worldwide Church loved to quote. You probably already know the ones I'm referring to: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." (Malachi 4:5-6) More proof that that verse had/has absolutely NOTHING to do with Armstrongism! Yeah, their turning hearts, but they obviously aren't turning them in the right direction!

Unfortunately, my family's rupture over Armstrongism is NOT unique in this regard. Even a cursory review of the comments and posts of those who have left Armstrongism over the years will demonstrate this sad reality. Indeed, when we survey the broken marriages and families directly attributable to Armstrongism, it is hard to imagine a more disastrous record with regard to interpersonal relationships, families, Christian love, and fellowship - the very things which they are supposed to represent and protect! Moreover, many of these folks have the audacity to turn on their critics and accuse them of causing dissension and disunity (talk about the pot calling the kettle black)!

And let's not forget that this particular splinter (CGI) claims to be very different from the Worldwide Church of God and to have moved beyond the teachings of Herbert Armstrong. If that is truly the case, then why do they keep repeating so many of his mistakes? Why do families like mine continue to suffer the recriminations and heartaches that were so much a part of Worldwide's legacy?

Now, while those "friends" probably (hopefully) didn't intend to inflict this kind of damage on my family, we (me and my loved ones) must all live with the fallout of their pathetic attempt to exert pressure on me through my dad to silence my criticism of their church. And, just for the record, on the other side of that wreckage, it didn't work! In fact, I am more motivated than ever to point out just how destructive and harmful Armstrongism has been to so many people.

Lonnie Hendriks

Letter to Bill Watson: "Can’t Say He Didn’t Try!"

BANNED COMMENT: The above picture is by us snarky jerks here at Banned, not Lonnie. That being said, what you will read below in the comments by Bill Watson is the most appalling mess of lofty elitist points of view which are filled with a condescending demeanor that drips with self-righteousness. This is exactly why so many church members refuse to counsel with ministers in the church. Never once does Watson exemplify a Christlike attitude or even mention the guy. It's all about himself and his lofty words. No COG minister is preaching with as much gusto and truth than Watson is doing. CGI wonders why they loose members, this is why! The Jamaica CGI should count their blessings they are so far away from Watson! Ian Boyne would be appalled at what is happening!

Can’t Say He Didn’t Try!

As an outgrowth of the recent skirmish in CGI over what constitutes an appropriate Christian response to Covid-19, I decided to reach out to Bill Watson in an attempt to reach some kind of understanding or accommodation regarding some of his more extreme messaging of the last few years. And, while that effort was sincere and intended to be private, the response which I received has prompted me to share part of that correspondence with a wider audience. I do so to graphically demonstrate what appears to be a common reaction of Armstrong Church of God leaders to anyone who disagrees with them or has the audacity to challenge them on some point. In the interest of full disclosure, the quotations which follow are accurate and complete representations of everything in that correspondence; but I have reserved the right to keep private anything which specifically referenced or involved my own family.

My letter to Pastor Watson opened with this paragraph:

“For several years now, I have chosen to confront your messaging from a distance. Recent events, however, have compelled me to reach out to you personally. I have a number of fond memories of my acquaintance with you and <wife> from thirty-five years ago, but I have watched with some dismay now for a number of years as you have drifted into what I consider to be some very extreme views. In particular, I'm referring to your very vocal stances on political and cultural issues. I remember a time when you preached the gospel and liked to discuss spiritual topics, but it seems that for these past ten years or so you have become increasingly focused on political and cultural themes.”

Likewise, the final paragraph from my letter to him reads as follows:

“In short, I'm asking you directly to be more cognizant of the fact that not everyone will agree with you. Moreover, that disagreement does not automatically make them bad or evil. My support for masks and vaccines does not make me a socialist … I am hoping that we will be able to reach some kind of understanding and equilibrium going forward. Contrary to what you may think, I derive no joy from publicly opposing you ... I'm not suggesting that you change your opinions or beliefs - I'm wondering, however, if you would be willing to acknowledge that the pulpit may not be the best forum for all of them? If so, you would never have to worry about another public challenge from me.”

What follows are some excerpts from Pastor Watson’s reply to my outreach to him:

“I too, have some "fond" memories of you out at Gargus Hall with Greg Sargent and Robly Evans and so many others. You were quite the ‘ideal teen example’ back then––a lot of people had high hopes for you. But, to my dismay as well, over the years the ‘unfortunate truth’ of your dysfunction, struggles, and confusion caused you to drift into some dysphoria that sadly, messed with your sexual orientation. The disappointment of those that mentored you when you were young––would today, be devastating to them if they only knew how far you have drifted and abandoned the God you once knew so well.

I'm not sure as to just what recent events compelled you to reach out to me as you claim, but I'm stunned as to how ‘myopic’ you perceive my subject material to be. I'm…probably one of the more prolific topical presenters, comparably speaking within the C. of G. culture…and if you can lay your bias down about things you're at odds with me, you will see the variety of subject materials I cover are just exactly what you said I use to preach on, which you said was about the gospel and spiritual subjects––and I submit to you, I haven't Changed a bit on the varieties of topics I address! This is why it is hard to reason with you because you are in such a ‘closed minded, mind set’––a very stubborn man––and you're not honest with me, yourself, or your family…

Lonnie you speak from a lofty elitist point of view with a condescending demeanor that drips with self-righteousness. I am stunned that regardless of whether you accept the God of the Bible anymore or not…”

In most of the next two paragraphs, Pastor Watson tells me that I should be “happy” that my family members are still involved in Armstrongism,

Continuing with Mr. Watson’s reply:

“But sadly, those that don't see the hand of God in the lives of their loved ones are still entangled in the aberrant dysfunction of the generational curses of the family they're in––and Lonnie that is clearly and sadly pointing right at you!” 

More of the same

“So, getting back to your ‘conversation’ about your apprehensions and concerns––and the bias described in your second-last paragraph and the appeal outlined in your last paragraph–– all I can say Lonnie is shame on you for using me to deflect from your own ‘personal intimacy issues and ‘emotional dysfunctions’ in your own life. My positions on the ‘policies’ of the day within the geopolitical realm we operate in means nothing in this grand scheme of the Hendrix family curse. And Lonnie, it's up to you––that's right––you are accountable to determine what your going to do about your family issues…not to mention your own family challenges that continue, due to patterns that repeat so cycles ‘stay in play.’

Lonnie, stop the foolishness. Chasing me and attempting to undermine my ministry will only serve to embarrass and insult yourself and reveal who you really are. You have no moral ground to stand on predicated on the Bible (Rom. 1:24-25 & 26-32). My positions within the political arena, though they deal with ‘policy,’ not party politics––never-the-less, remains only a distraction between us. It helps you to cope with the Hendrix family curses by obfuscation. The real issues you need to face are the confused and aberrant intimacy dysfunctions within your own tabernacle Lonnie––that is where the demons lie––deep in those insecurities. The question is do you have the courage to face them in all their rotten, smelly, and perverted forms, taking them on to break the family curses these demons have plague your families for centuries––do you have the courage to change the patterns and break into new cycles?” 

 

After some more familial advice, he concluded his letter by telling me to

“get on with your life and do some good, as opposed to being an accuser of the brethren and your family, which you are doing every time you make an effort to spin me in some Satanic way that makes you feel good. Lonnie, you'll only continue to play into the hands of the devil and that is a dangerous game to play! I pray for you Lonnie. But, you really need to stop deflecting and grow up and face the dysfunction, anger, and disappointment in your life; only then will you be set free from the bonds you refuse to let go of.”

Other than affirming my continued belief in the God of the Bible and my undiminished love for my family, I will not offer any assessments of my own with respect to the relative merits of my original outreach or Mr. Watson’s reply. I am content to let our readers evaluate our messages and reach their own conclusions about them. However, whatever conclusions you reach about this correspondence, I think that this is a classic example of how Armstrongites have responded to their critics for the last eighty years. What do you think?

--Miller Jones or Lonnie Hendrix