HWA's
Demands for Money by Decade, Part 2
1960 - 1986
Part
1 covered about 40 of HWA's pleas for offerings between 1934 and 1959 along
with supplemental information that he provided in his Autobiography and in the
Good News magazine (refer to Feb. 20 post).
This post covers roughly 30 more examples. This data was compiled to help resolve my own
questions about HWA's sincerity.
1960's
July 24, 1960: "I
have just had an urgent long-distance telephone call from Pasadena
Headquarters. The SPECIAL offerings for the Building Fund are dropping off
alarmingly..." "The NEED is imperative—desperate." "If we do only our own part—what is
expected of us—God's Word brands us as UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS. And the unprofitable servants are to be
cast into the lake of FIRE!"
January
15, 1962: “I know we can do better
than this! WE SIMPLY HAVE TO DO BETTER! Just barely more than HALF of you
members have responded-- almost HALF of
you have failed to pledge a single dollar! … MANY OF YOU WHO ARE ABLE AND OUGHT TO PLEDGE
HAVE FAILED OR REFUSED!
Brethren, do you realize this is the
work of ALMIGHTY GOD? Do you realize HE is holding you accountable, according
to your ability? It is not yet too late--but if you become a spiritual slacker, there is a Lake of Fire looming
ahead, and I say to you in all sincerity and love, and by authority of
Jesus Christ, you had better begin to fear and TREMBLE! This is EXPECTED of
you, and if we don't do MORE than expected, we are UNPROFITABLE SERVANTS, and
Jesus Christ says that the unprofitable servants are to be thrown into the Lake
of Fire!”
December 9, 1962: "GREETINGS in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ: Once again I have to write you about a SERIOUS EMERGENCY. It is MOST URGENT!
I am writing this Sunday morning. Friday evening, just before
the Sabbath came on, I stopped in the office of our head bookkeeper a
moment. I was startled—almost horrified—to learn that the special
offerings for the PROPERTY FUND had suddenly dropped off alarmingly..."
BRETHREN! God's Work
is growing. The regular
operating expenditures automatically keep increasing 30% a year. The
income keeps increasing 30% a year—but that goes for OPERATIONAL
EXPENDITURES—and for PREACHING THE GOSPEL TO THE WORLD! It does not
provide for these imperative new building operations. WE MUST PROVIDE FOR THESE BY THIS SPECIAL
BUILDING FUND. That means extra
special offerings, OVER AND ABOVE tithes and regular offerings for operational
expenses and the Gospel Work."
June 30, 1963: “Right now there is VERY SPECIAL AND URGENT NEED!
This need, of course, is continuous. But when one of these
letters is a little
overdue, then thousands of Co-Workers seem to assume
there is no need, and wait until my letter
comes before sending
in their offerings.
PLEASE DON'T WAIT for these letters--because the NEED for the Work is CONTINUOUS!
July 31, 1963: “Time
is running out on us.
Only a few more years remain to finish God's Work!
…Co-Workers, we still
are in the slack, difficult summer months. I have to ask you to PRAY--and PRAY MORE EARNESTLY AND DILIGENTLY for this Work and its finances! We can never slacken our efforts!
The need is very great RIGHT NOW--and
will continue to be until the work is DONE!”
January 13, 1964: “… This reminds
me that I MUST NOW ASK CO-WORKERS TO RENEW FOR ANOTHER
YEAR your statements of intention for your SPECIAL offerings (apart
from regular tithes
and offerings for the Gospel Work) for the SPECIAL BUILDING
FUND. We must not only keep this going from year to year for the next five to seven years -- but we MUST INCREASE
IT BY AT LEAST 30% EACH YEAR,
TO MEET THE 30% ANNUAL INCREASE IN THE GROWTH OF THIS ENTIRE WORK!
For this reason I need, especially to call for extra effort from all Co-Workers to be as liberal as your ability
allows in regular offerings for the broadcast
and Gospel work -- and there is now SPECIAL URGENT
NEED for loans of larger
sums from those few of you who have such funds you are not using right now -- may need in the future and therefore feel unable to GIVE such sums to the Work at this time. It is a very great help when you let such sums...”
February 1,
1965: “This is SERIOUS. This is URGENT!
We face an EMERGENCY, and I have to ask you to read carefully every
word, take this matter seriously…”
A little over two years ago I bound this Work to a year of austerity
-- cutting every expenditure to the bone…
This situation has become
DESPERATE! The WHOLE
WORK OF GOD depends on it!”
Yet you Co-Workers have been dropping
off in the EXTRA SPECIAL and ADDITIONAL OFFERINGS FOR THE BUILDING FUND until it is half of what it was -- and hardly a third of what it MUST BE if the WORK OF GOD is to keep on forging
ahead!”
… and we need a BIG INCREASE over
what they were, for this coming year or 18 months. THE VERY FUTURE
OF THE WHOLE WORK DEPENDS
ON THIS!”
March 1, 1965: “ I have just received an S.O.S. message
from our Business Office at Pasadena Headquarters. It has an U R G E N T !! in capital letters, underscored three times, with two exclamation points, saying receipt
of tithes and offerings has fallen "way down," followed by another U R G E N T !! and asking
me to write immediately another
Co-Worker Letter.”
February 25, 1966: “Once again, I have to send out the call for the LOAN of larger sums if you happen to have such an amount
which you feel you cannot, at this time, at least, give.
Many Co-Workers have sent in such sums, so this money may be at CHRIST'S
disposal, working where HE works,
and with His blessing, DOING GOOD -- until they find they need it -- or part of it.
Of course many of these are later changed to straight
contributions. But IF, or when, you find you must ask for part or all of it back, this Work is prepared
to send it to you immediately. A special reserve
is maintained to guarantee this.”
Loss or potential loss of family
member’s justification for more donations from members?
The next letter was written just 6 weeks before Loma died of intestinal
blockage. For some reason, Loma's
condition appeared to be less important to HWA than condemning those that may
have been offended about his repeated requests for money.
March 2,
1967: "...
Many professing to be Church MEMBERS say, when a Co-Worker letter arrives, in a
grumbling, complaining disgust:
"Oh, that's another of Mr. Armstrong's REQUESTS for MONEY," and many
don't even read the letter! “
Are
YOU one of those? If so, LET ME BURN YOUR EARS before the Almighty GOD burns
YOU in the Lake of FIRE! If that has been
YOUR attitude -- if YOU are only on the GETTING side, and SHUN helping, and
giving to the cause of GOD, then I say to you ON AUTHORITY OF JESUS CHRIST, if
you don't REPENT and QUICKLY, and change that hostile, despicable, detestable
attitude, you DO NOT BELONG in GOD'S CHURCH! You are some of the ROTTEN, PUTRID, spiritual WASTE that has been
PLUGGED UP INSIDE OF THE SPIRITUAL BODY OF CHRIST'S WIFE, just as physical
waste is plugged up in my dear wife's body! And the living Jesus is just as
able to EXPEL YOU from the spiritual Body of HIS WIFE as He is to expel this
physical waste from my wife's body!
And if THAT doesn't make your ears
tingle, and AWAKEN you, then Jesus
Christ says to YOU through me, YOU are in danger of the Lake of FIRE!
… You KNOW that we are on a SEVEN YEAR
(or longer) building program, that began less than four years ago, and has
three or more years yet to go. And yet, YOU BRETHREN, who call yourselves God’s
PEOPLE have dwindled down to about HALF the amount of SPECIAL OFFERINGS for the
BUILDING FUND you were sending in a year ago—though there are 30 percent more
of us!
THINK
OF IT! How ASHAMED God must be with His Church!…
LISTEN,
Brethren—and listen HARD! Learn a LESSON that may save you from the Lake of
Fire. Learn a basic
TRUTH about how you are to develop character and GROW spiritually to INHERIT
GOD’S KINGDOM! Learn a GREAT TRUTH! Learn what may mean your ETERNITY!
Read
this two or three times! UNDERSTAND IT!
Some of you do not GO FORWARD
spiritually with Christ, UNLESS I or YOUR LOCAL PASTOR, or SOMEONE PUSHES YOU!
But our PUSHING will never get you into God’s Kingdom. Our PUSHING will never get you to the PLACE OF SAFETY for the Great
Tribulation about five years from now…”
If
one thinks this had been out of character for HWA due to emotional distress
over the potential loss of his wife, consider how he also had turned the
pending death
of another family member into justification to blaming the brethren for the sad
condition of the church and a need to donate more money back in 1958 (when
income was growing at 35%). Following is
a portion of the letter written when his son Dick Armstrong, was near death after
a car accident.
July
17, 1958:
“In the midst of this great abundant
HARVEST of precious lives for eternity, OUR CO-WORKERS HAVE BEEN LETTING
DOWN and becoming
neglectful, this past month. Not all of you--many of you have stood
loyally by us, at great
sacrifice--but many others
have become careless
and neglected to send in tithes and offerings as you could,
and should. In June our Co-Workers responded
to my appeal nobly, but in July it seemed
like a reaction, and there is NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO CARRY ON GOD'S GREAT WORK AT TOP EFFICIENCY! Our business department is in a terrible financial bind.
Co-Workers, WILL YOU NOT ONLY PRAY FOR MY SON'S MIRACULOUS
AND SPEEDY RECOVERY--but also for the financial salvation of this WORK OF GOD?
I believe
God allowed this terrible thing to happen for that very purpose. I am asking
God to see that it reaches your heart, and touches it so that those of you who have been neglectful will AROUSE TO UNSELFISH AND GENEROUS ACTION
for the work!
I know that this has proved a heart-shaking and tremendous prod on all our staff at Pasadena.
In November 1984, things were not much different. Dwight Armstrong died while HWA was out of
the country. HWA did not bother to
change his travel plans in order to attend his brothers funeral but he did take
the time to remind folks to help make up for the typical drop in income that
occurred during December (ref. 11/18/84 Co-Worker letter).
Dec. 29, 1967: “This is one of the most IMPORTANT, URGENT letters I have ever written you.
I hope you will read carefully, prayerfully, every word...
The financial need is CRUCIAL
right now -- MORE THAN ANY TIME IN RECENT YEARS! It is MOST URGENT! We are actually
having to take steps to MATERIALLY REDUCE
OUR BUDGET FOR 1968! This should never BE!”
“GOD'S WORK NEEDS YOUR EARNEST, PREVAILING, BELIEVING PRAYERS! It needs
more large LOANS
than ever before!
It needs a BIG financial
LIFT…. It is MOST SERIOUS!
There is no time to lose. I must RUSH this to you.”
Note: In 1968, the church income grew 35% and in
1969 it grew another 31%. Apparently was
not enough to avoid another financial crisis.
Sep. 9, 1968: "MANY who DO have the ability [to give]… are GUILTY BEFORE GOD of
shirking—of letting the SATANIC attitude of GET fill their minds… The only reward later, will be DEATH in the
LAKE OF FIRE!"
Oct. 29, 1968: “Co-Workers—Brethren
in Christ—WE ARE ON THE FINAL "GUN-LAP." The
"chips are down!" We must give this great work a mighty
additional PUSH! The time is short—and it is VITAL. IT IS
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN OUR LIVES RIGHT NOW! Soon our money will
not help us!
Here is what GOD says soon will happen: As the DAY OF THE LORD
approaches…
Never was the need so
urgent. Never
were sizeable loans more needed—if you have cash not now being used, but which
you are not free to GIVE. If you are not able to GIVE it outright at
this time, it will help greatly if you PUT IT TO WORK, as a loan, WHERE THE
LIVING CHRIST IS WORKING, AND DIRECTING, AND BLESSING!”
Gulfstream II
Note:
All the remaining HWA examples provided below were during the years that Mr.
Armstrong purchased 2 business jets (1969), constructed fancy buildings in
Pasadena, amassed a large bank account, and was spending 3rd tithe
on fancy homes, rare art, and jet fuel.
Over a 17 year period, WCG owned the following planes:
- 1969 Falcon
Fanjet $2.5 million (sold in 1977)
- 1969
Gulfstream II $4 million (replaced in
1985)
- Cessna
Citation jet
- Cessna 182
- Cessna 310
- Beechcraft
King Air (sold 1974)
- 1985
Gulfstream III $17+ million
February 27, 1969: “This CRISIS we face has been precipitated
by TWO factors:
The second one I also wrote you about last
month. It is the large amount of loans from Co-Workers that have accumulated on
our books. It is absolutely VITAL to the future of the Work, if our financial
integrity is to remain high and unquestioned, that we either make a reduction
in these, by more and more Co-Workers following my personal example in
cancelling the loan, and turning it into an outright donation.
RELIGIOUS LEADERS HELD BACK GOD'S TRUTH, AND
PERSECUTED JESUS! Are some of us, who have accepted His draft to become HIS
Co-Worker doing the same today?”
March 30, 1970: “But now I have to come to you with the
frank statement that drastic action must be taken. About ten days ago I took
drastic action — but it was not enough. I started at the top. I made a 20% cut
in salary of all top-salaried officials, including evangelist-rank ministers,
and a 15% cut in all pastor-rank ministers... I put our airplanes up for
immediate sale.
However, this very recession has slowed
purchase of planes to a standstill and selling may be difficult. But that still is not enough. The BIG immediate need is extra cash funds
— NOW — IMMEDIATE!
The first is, that I am calling for a full
day of FASTING AND PRAYER FOR THIS WORK FOR THIS SABBATH, April 4th. That,
Brethren, can do more to help this situation than anything else — IF we really
take this seriously to heart, and PUT OUR HEARTS INTO OUR PRAYERS in real
earnest, and in FAITH BELIEVING!
The second I ask of all who can and
are willing. This was suggested this afternoon by Mr. Stanley Rader, our legal
counsel and financial adviser. It is that those in position to do so, if
willing to do your part for God's Work in this immediate crisis, go to your
local bank and borrow whatever you are able — from $100 to $1,000. Some will be
able to borrow no more than $100.
Mr. Rader said he would go to his bank and
borrow $5,000 to start this plan going. I felt I was the one to set the
example, so immediately this afternoon I beat him to it.”
November 2, 1972:
"…
This Work… is geared to a pattern that demands constant INCREASE. IT CANNOT
HOLD EVEN. It either goes on forward, or it goes backward!
We MUST… GET THIS GREAT WORK BACK ON THE PATTERN OF A 30% annual INCREASE in
power and scope… Brethren, we have to face a VERY SOBERING AND SERIOUS
SITUATION. Unless drastic CHANGES take place, we are going to have to reduce
many vital phases of the Work, and eliminate others.
That means seeing the Work… start going BACKWARD for the first time in 40
years! … Brethren… WE DARE NOT LET THAT HAPPEN! … Brethren, I KNOW the CAUSE of
our present situation. WE AS A CHURCH HAVE BEEN LETTING DOWN… That means that
NOT ONLY God’s WORK is in danger—MANY of YOU BRETHREN are in MORTAL DANGER! I say to you
candidly, I know that some, if not MANY of you are in REAL DANGER of the LAKE
OF FIRE! …
Let’s not dodge the real issue—let’s not deny the REAL CAUSE—Let’s not PASS THE
BUCK! Our own personal,
individual SALVATION is at stake… Jesus Christ, has shown me THE REAL CAUSE—not merely of the
present situation, BUT OF THE DIMINISHING INCREASE IN INCOME—and—consequently
IN THE ENTIRE SCOPE AND POWER OF THE WORK these past three and four
years!… I know that the ETERNAL LIVES of
many—perhaps more than HALF… are at STAKE…"
February 27, 1973: “ Unless you stand back of me and Jesus Christ,
the HEAD of this great Work, loyally
and generously we will be heading
into a serious financial crisis
in another 30 days.”
March 18, 1974: “ I wrote
you before that the attempted overthrow of GOD’s work a few weeks ago, would undoubtedly cause a temporary slump in
the income for this MOST IMPOPRTANT WORK ON EATH. It has, and I need to ask all loyal Brethren
and Co-Workers to make an EXTRA sacrifice
right now…”
November 18, 1974: “IMPORTANT! If you seek the TRUE VALUES -- the things WORTHWHILE -- what else can be as IMPORTANT
as your part in THAT?
THAT is "the
WORK." Yes, what an
AWESOME Work to be PRIVILEDGED to have a
part in!
…And it DIRELY
NEEDS your most intensive supplications and prayers -- and even financial SACRIFICE NOW, as never before.”
October 8, 1975: “We
need INCREASED FINANCIAL SUPPORT! IT IS
URGENT!”
March 15,
1976: “But I must also say to you who share this financial responsibility with me, that we have once again,
as we have at intervals
in the past, come to the point
where I have to lay the problem
frankly and candidly
before you and ask you for SPECIAL efforts
and for a VERY SPECIAL
financial SACRIFICE for God's Work--a special and generous offering
ABOVE regular tithes and offerings.”
March 22, 1977: “This
is
by far the MOST IMPORTANT
WORK BEING DONE ON EARTH.
It needs your EARNEST
PRAYERS--and your most generous financial
support-- that is YOUR PART--and
you have a part the same as I. Time is getting shorter. Pray HARDER MORE OFTEN! GIVE more generously and more often. WE are being judged
NOW and shall be REWARDED
according to our works.”
October 23, 1978: “So, from
here on in, let us fasten our eyes on JESUS CHRIST-- and on the ultimate GOAL, or finishing line. We are running
for the GREATEST STAKES in the UNIVERSE!
Remember God's way is LOVE-- the GIVING WAY, while Satan's
way is "GETTING."
Let's rededicate our lives to GIVING of ourselves! ONLY ONE THING MATTERS
from here on in! Lay aside the worldly interests, the pleasures of this life--jettison all those off--and
keep our eyes on the ONE GOAL!
..We broke records at the Feast in attendance, and in offerings, as well as in SPIRIT. But we have a ONE MILLION
DOLLAR BANK LOAN due to be paid
back TODAY! … we are still about 1 1/2 million
dollars behind in the year's budget.”
January 23, 1980: “Overall,
THISIS A TRULY GREAT WORLDWIDE WORK! The
work is BOOMING! But the time is GWOING
SHORT! There is still much to do—and it will take more money!”
We must be willing to SACRIFICE TILL IT
HURTS”
December 19,
1980: “Now I am ready to start this
expanded campaign. IT WILL COST MORE MONEY! That is YOUR PART!”
March 19,
1981: “Brethren, NEVER were your prayers
so URGENTLY NECESSARY--both for YOU and the Work--and for me! My life has been threatened--but by faith in God it shall be spared
until my work is complete. I now have to ask you to sacrifice
and send in special EXTRA generous offerings more than ever before.
Time is short. Soon there shall be a FAMINE of
hearing the Word of God (Amos 8:11). “
July 14,
1981: “As of the first of this month
the income for the work in the U.S. was up some 22 percent… But in the last 30 days—since we entered the
summer months—there has been a significant DROP. Now the month to date shows an
increase of only 13.5 percent… THAT IS ALARMING!”
July 16, 1982:
“NOTHING ELSE MATTERS NOW. We must sacrifice and devote our all… in
these closing days.”
Note: The next quote is from a
letter written just about 6 weeks before Mr. Armstrong passed away.
Nov 25, 1985:
“BUT WE SERIOUSLY AND
URGENTLY NEED INCREASED INCOME! I now need you to work harder, more
energetically and at greater sacrifice in prayers and extra financial offerings
than ever before! A
few years ago I wrote you a warning that we must prepare to tighten our belts,
and reduce our living standards! This whole nation is going to have to learn to
do that! I ask you, brethren, in Jesus' name, to put whatever you are able
into God's Work in this crisis hour.”
Gulfstream III
Early on while
researching HWA, it became clear that many individuals were of the opinion that
that Mr. Armstrong had been sincere early on in his ministry and then became
corrupt after his wife had died in 1967.
They believed that Loma had been the positive influence that he had
needed. Initially, this made sense. However, after reading HWA's own words from
1934 on, it became clear that HWA was actually quite consistent from the
beginning of the Radio Church of God to the end of his life. He was quite bold about his training, his
purpose, his role, his prophetic knowledge… and in his demands for money.
HWA's requests for
donations were unrelated to the rate of growth in church income. In 1958 (one of the best years for income
growth), HWA's demands for more donations were quite similar to his requests in
1972 (which was a year with a low rate of growth). In 1958, 17 out of HWA’s 21 Co-Worker letters
described how urgently money was needed, how the income had "fallen
off", how the income was "in a slump", and how the work was
"in a SERIOUS EMERGENCY CRISIS RIGHT NOW". All of these superlatives were offered even
though the income was up 35% for that year!
It would seem impossible to conclude that HWA had been sincere when writing
these letters.
Mr.
Armstrong's consistent, guilt-laden demands for money extending over his entire
50-year career, coincident with an escalating personal standard of living that
reached absurd levels, does not tend reflect well on his integrity. At a minimum, Mr. Armstrong's claims of
pending financial ruin while simultaneously purchasing luxury homes, going on
extended first-class vacations, and amassing a personal art collection gave his
critics reason to conclude that he was greedy for gain.
"And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make
merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their
damnation slumbereth not." (KJV)
Looking back, at a minimum, we certainly had
been taken advantage of. Unfortunately;
HWA wasn’t the first, nor will he be the last, to do so in the name of
religion.
Complied and submitted by California Dreaming
