Check out a well researched article by Jason about the demise of Armstrongism on A Cult In Decline – Armstrongism In The 21st Century
The Culling of the FlockRecruiting however, was only one side of the coin. Once the recruit was in place, great effort was made to keep them attending and to keep them loyal. The WCG was undeniably a very successful church in its day. If the numerous co-worker letters are to be believed, the WCG grew at a steady rate of 30% a year. It would be fantastic if these claims were verifiable, (especially turnover figures) sadly however, they are not.
What we do know is that during the entire course of Herbert Armstrong’s reign, there was never a shortage of members who became unhappy and left the cult. Whether it was because they took issue with doctrines like D&R and makeup, or because they became disillusioned with HWA’s heavy-handed leadership and his constant requests for money, people were always leaving. The never-ending battle waged by those in power was one of damage-control: a constant search for the disaffected, a race to find these “rotten apples” and stop the spread of their discontent before it could affect others.
In the end, the tactics of selective recruiting & culling the herd left the deck stacked highly in Armstrong’s favor. As the years progressed, the group grew to become something other than just a religion. Eventually, it became – at least to the vast majority – a Cult of Personality.
