HWA Banishment Letter To Rod Meredith 1980

This is in addition to the information that Apostle Malm is posting right now about Rod Meredith and how he was being picked on by the big meanies above him.

In reading HWA's letter to Meredith you quickly see where Meredith got his prideful, boastful and condescending attitude from.  HWA had to get in important information about himself and how humble he was while lambasting Meredith.  Meredith was  following the lead of his leader. 

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WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD WORLD HEADQUARTERS
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91123

HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG                                 Tucson, March 14, 1980
President and Pastor

Dear Rod:

Your letters of February 1 and March 7 show, I am sorry to say, that either you still cannot understand WHY the living Head of God's Church, Jesus Christ, had you sent to Hawaii, or you are unwilling to see or admit — and I prefer to believe the former.

There is no point in telling you this letter is written in LOVE for YOU — for you ought to know that without my saying it. But out of love for you, and DESIRE to see you back as PART OF GOD'S TEAM, working in full co-operation and right attitude with the rest o[f] us; I shall take time and space to make it clear once for all this time.

I have tried to hold the mirror up for you to see yourself as others see you. But still you don't see in that mirror the same YOU that others see-or are unwilling — I hope not the latter. But now I must be SURE! I shall speak plainly, candidly. If this letter hurts, I quote from a letter the Apostle Paul sent to brethren at Corinth: "For though I made you angry with a letter, I do not repent... for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance, for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing.

"For godly sorry worketh repentance to salvation ... but the sorrow of the world worketh death." (II Cor. 7:8-10).

Now I'm going to come with plainness of speech as Paul said — in I Corinthians 2.

To overseas audiences, and to Kings, Emperors, Presidents and Prime Ministers, I simmer down the WAY OF GOD and the WAY OF THE WORLD in two very small words — "GET" and "GIVE." This world is geared to the way of "GET." That is the way of VANITY, SELF-centeredness, coveting, lust and greed, jealousy and envy, rebellion against authority, competition which leads to strife, violence and war. The way of "GIVE" is OUT-flowing LOVE, harmonious co-operation, serving, helping, sharing, giving.

In spiritual PRINCIPLE, the latter is the way of God's Law, the Ten Commandments-the former the way of Satan. I tell them that ALL the Unsolvable problems, troubles and evils in the world are caused by the fact the world lives by the "GET" principle.

Rod, WHY have so many who have worked [with you] said that you rub the fur the [w]rong way? You are DOCTRINALLY correct., But in II Corinthians Paul says we are not to live by the strict letter of the Law, but by the SPIRIT or obvious INTENT — the basic PRINCIPLE of it (II Cor. 3:6). You are a model of doctrinal correctness according to the LETTER — the strictness of the letter — but you do overlook the SPIRIT from the heart. You won the mile in a state high-school meet, You had know[n,] as Satan injects into us all from childhood, the spirit of competition. You b[e]came a COMPETITOR. In conversion you learned and accepted the strictness of the letter of God's Commandments. You wrote a good booklet on the Ten Commandments. But now I hold the mirror up for you to see in yourself what SO MANY who know you well see in you — the SPIRIT of COMPETITION is still there!

You are not going to like this, Rod. Members of your family will resent it. But I am the chosen apostle of Jesus Christ and in His name, I have to say these things to you, for I want to have you with us IN GOD'S KINGDOM — and there will be no contentions — no spirit of competition there! No one is going to be there who strives for himself to take over the CHIEF SEAT!

Jesus Christ through me elevated you to the chief seat (which you had come to me suggestin[g] over the ministry of God's Church in what we then called CAD, you were a harsh task-master over the ministers. You, yourself, find it difficult and perhaps impossible to TAKE what you dished out. Dozens of ministers would testify to that. You rubbed the fur the wrong way! That has been your life-style!

In a sense, though I approved it at the time, you came to me [(]when Raymond Cole was trying to administer CAD from Eugene,[)] to jerk the rug out from under Raymond-and he feels that to this day. I knew, as did you, that CAD could not be handled from Eugene, and I approved your suggestion and put you in the driver's seat over the ministers of the Church when it was not yet so big.

When you were made second Vice President, it became a standing joke among leaders at Pasadena, the saying, "Well, after all, I am the second Vice President."

Jesus said, "And whosoever of you will be chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even th[e] Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister" (Mark 10:44-45). Jesus said further, "Beware of the scribes which wear long robes, ...and [love] the highest seats in the synagogue, and the chief rooms (offices-ranks-positions), at feasts" (Luke 20:46). Rod, am I qualified to call to your attention, these things? I came into the ministry more than fifty years ago, back in Oregon. I was never a member of the Church of God, Seventh Day, headquartered at Stanberry, Missouri. The church of Dugger and Dodd at Salem, W. Virginia, was an off-shoot, and, like Ted's present "church". Ray Cole's, and other's, NOT the true Church of God. However, I never became a member of the Salem offshoot. Half of the Oregon brethren (while all were in Stanberry) had incorporated as a separate church, "The Oregon Conference." I was ordained by them. Twice I was paid by them-about four months at $20 a week, and 15 mon[n]ths later, from February to July, 1933, at $3 per week.

But I did CO-OPERATE with the Stanberry people, from 1927 until ordained by the Oregon Conference, June, 1931-without salary, I co-operated with the Salem people after the start of the present Worldwide Church Of God (then called the Radio Church of God), and WITHOUT RECEIVING FROM THEM A PENNY OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT in any way, from 1934 (after both the World [T]omorrow radio program was going, and The PLAIN TRUTH was being published) until August, 1937. And after that, while building the present Church of God, Philadelphia era, I co-operated at my own expense with the Stanberry (Sardis era) people until October, 1945.

I DID NOT, as Ted claims (he was 5 years old when I ceased the co-operation with them because of the pressure of the Work in the present Church of God). I did not leave them to start something of my own. I continued working with them-GIVING, not getting-at my own exp[e]nse co-operating — GIVING — as long as my time allowed.

But the point I want to make is this: I SERVED — I HELPED — I co-operated. And I did not have or seek any high position. I always considered myself, just as the Sardis ministers did, that I was the LEAST of the ministers-the TAIL-ENDER!

When I conducted the campaign in the Firbute school house (36 seats) in 1933, I stopped receiving even the $3 per week salary from the Oregon Conference.

As the tail-end LEAST of the ministers, Christ started me in that little 36-seat school house, I constantly suffered persecution-first from Stanberry ministers, then again from Salem, W. Va.-ministers, then again from Stanberry. The 19 members we had from that Firbutte campaign was the START of the present Worldwide Church of God. The brethren at the start were my own converts-my own children in the Lord. NEVER in all my ministerial experience, I once sought a higher position.

Jesus Christ gave me the Pastor position at the start. The Church grew, as I held other campaigns in Eugen[e] and in Alvadore. Finally I appointed and ordained two other elders, one a preaching elder and one a local elder, at Eugene, beside two deacons. In those early years of this, our present Church, I served as pastor of a Stanberry church near Jefferson, Oregon. There I appoin[t]ed and ordained two elders, and two deacons — for THEIR church. All the time I "GAVE" — I did not "GET." Before that I had learned how Paul says, in II Corinthians 3:6, that we must obey the SPIRIT or obvious INTENT of the Law, not the letter. I had dedicated my life to "GIVE" and not to "GET." As the Work grew, Christ used me in founding Ambassador College. After their graduation I ordained m[y] son Dick, Raymond Cole, Herman Hoeh, Raymon[d] Mc Nair and his brother. From there you know the history, Your uncle and yourself came along about next, then others. I ne[v]er sought or moved up to a higher rank or office. Jesus Christ raised up the Church through me. I came to the position I hold as the simple result of what the living Head of this Church raised up through me.

But others have sought higher Position. There has been, it seems, NO END of worldly POLITICS at Pasadena Headquarters. As Christ blessed and prospered God's Church and Work, and we came to have better than $100,000,000 of net worth, and a near $80 million a year income, there devel[o]ped a mad scramble for ever higher and higher rank. Sure, I made some mistakes. I naively TRUSTED men like Al Portune, David Antion, my own son, Wayne Cole, many others no longer with us. But now, f[o]r the first time since about 1967, there is HARMONY and a spirit of Co-oper[a]tion at Pasadena. AND I AM DETERMINED TO KEEP IT THAT WAY!

Now back to you.

You have demonstrated, as seen clearly by many others, a spirit of rank-consciousness. In plain language that is coveting higher authority. I do not think you have coveted more money. I do not think more money is what Ted, Al Portune, Dave Antion, Ray Cole, Wayne or others really coveted. They coveted POWER — more authority — like a 15-year old boy coveting the POWER of a steering wheel and a throttle. We have gone through a House CLEANING. We now have PEACE and CO-OPERATION at Pasadena. And eight to ten others on the executive level there have voiced to me their fears and convictions that if you now come back to Pasadena, that PEACE, and HARMONY, and CO-OPERATION will be turned once again into constant contention, irritation, and HARM TO GOD'S WORK! I do not like to tell you this. I haven't mentioned this to all, but to those I mentioned your return, that is the unanimous feeling.

If I have you come back as Dean of the Faculty, several say you would delegate most or the real duties of the Dean, and devote yourself to trying to make yourself the LEADER and boss of the College, and even of the Chur[ch.] You have — and all are aware of it — been possessed with the idea that I will not live much longer, and that YOU are the "FIRST among equals" to take my place.

Rod, in frankest candor, JESUS CHRIST will NEVER put any one at the head of His Work on earth who is competitive, covetous of power and status, and [self-righteous]. In brutal frankness, you lack the charisma to lead God's work You do not attract-as I said before, you REP[EL-] people. You are a harsh taskmaster over those under you. THAT IS YOUR RECORD!

When I wr[o]te you [<uncertain>] that a change of ATTITUDE is needed, perhaps I have at last made myself clear.

You have said that you only said a few statements you probably should not have made, but you didn't think you had said enough to warrant this six months' leave of absence. Rod, I'm very well aware of the amount of words you said against Christ's chosen apostle. But Jesus said, "of the abundance of the heart (attitude) the mouth speaketh." What you did say, affirmed to me by two witnesses, was sufficient, coupled with many other things, to show me the [a]ttitude back of those words. You try to c[o]nvince me of how glowingly and how numerous were the times you have shown loyalty by the things you have said "hundreds" or "thousands of times". But in this regard your attitude reflected [<uncertain>] OMISSION rather than the sparse and sparing things you did say. Ted was leading a conspiracy to destroy my credibility before the ministers and the brethren by saying nothing about me — as if the human leader did not exist — and blowing himself up. Radio and TV programs went under his name-no longer The World [T}omorrow. He even started correspondence under HIS OWN [Letter head] NAME, rather than that of the Church or College. Now I do not want any of our ministers flattering me, or trying to see how often they can mention my name.

But neither do I want it deliberately AVOIDED in both speaking and writing, as if I did not exist. Jesus Christ — NOT MAN — has made me the human leader under Christ. A leader cannot be a leader if all under him IGNORE his very existence. I never did want anyone to go out of his way deliberately to mention me — as you profess to have done. That is not what I mean. But I do not want the other extreme, caused by a competitive feeling, and deliberate non-mention.

Now another thing you cover in your letters. You imply that in what few things you did say, you were FOLLOWING MY ORDERS. Rod, that is hypocrisy. It is not a matter that I CHANGED MY MIND. Let me tell you how it [ac]tually was. When I told you and Raymond, and perhaps another or two, that IF I were no longer among the living, I wanted you to be su[re] Ted did not slip in and take over. At that time, I had heard SO MUCH talk about my dying right away, perhaps started by Ted, that for a while I was overly conscious of it.

It is not that later I changed my mind. But as time went on I began to realize very deeply that God has not prepared ANYONE to take my place. You, Rod, could never take it. I know that is 100% contrary to your own estimate of yourse[l]f. You have a WILL to lead, but not the qualifications. I came to realize that God raise[d] me [from the dead-f]rom total heart failure-in August, 1977, FOR A PURPOSE.

I have felt like the Apostle Paul, when he said earlier in life it would be more profitable for him to depart this life — and in the next split-second of consciousness, be with Christ in the resurrection, but it was more needful that he stay.

I did not CHANGE my mind. I did come to realize, as God caused me to realize, that He had raised me up as His instrument to raise up His present Church and Work — and that Work is not finished. So after my heart had completely stopped, my breath — no pulse — no blood-pressure — by mouth-to-mouth resuscitation I was br[o]ught back. I have not said I now believe God will keep me alive until Christ comes. I have said and I say now again, I do believe He will keep me alive AS LONG AS HE NEEDS ME!
You have taken the attitude that "some one GOT [you]." No one did but your own self.

I have tried here to make clear what I mean by a CHANGE OF ATTITUDE. I sincerely hope you "get the message" this time. Self-pity is not your need. A change of ATTITUDE from "GET" to "GIVE" is! If this letter does not get through to you, I shall not try again. So far you have not admitted a wrong attitude. Your RIGHTEOUSNESS you have maintained! But it has been only so much "filthy rags" to GOD! God said-rather, Christ to His disciples, that he who would seek the top seat should be the SERVANT of all. We should be as a little child.

So far, four months or more of your leave of absence has profited you NOTHING! Rod, in a candor, HAVE YOU EVER REALY REPENTED? To repent means much more than being sorry, or remorseful. It means a CHANGE OF HEART — a CHANGE OF ATTITUDE — a CHANGE FROM "GET" TO "GIVE." From competition, vanity, coveting power and position, to harmonious co-operation. BELIEVE ME, there is PEACE, and HARMONY at Pasadena now. Our men there do not want it disturbed. I have held up the mirror with BRUTAL frankness-in LOVE not only for you but also for GOD'S WORK! The Work is getting along wonderfully well now-without you. It can go on growing and pleasing Jesus Chris[t] an[d] prospering under His blessing WITHOUT YOU. I have written you are not coming back until I am CONVINCED BY THE FRUITS of a real REPENTANCE, and CHANGE OF ATTITUDE. I hope at last I have MADE IT PLAIN.

In deep LOVE as a father to a son,

In Jesus' name.

Herbert W. Armstrong

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Aaron Dean, Herbert Armstrong’s Personal Aide, Confirms Accuracy of Above Letter on the alt.religion.w-w-church-god Forum, January 8, 1999:

I have nothing to hide and don't mind if people ask what HWA thought. Some have asked and I have answered these same questions before. People should not be allowed to rewrite their own histories to their own ends.

What happened in GCG is precisely why I couldn't join Global. I wish I had been wrong. If it will help people find God and Christ instead of men, feel free to use my post. It will probably bring some hate mail, but I have gotten use to it as I am sure some of you are. I wish people could become zealous instead of zealots. I have found you can become zealous for God, but only zealots for men.

Regards,

— Aaron

ps. I edited my note a bit for clarity. It is below.

AKDean@aol.com wrote:

Hi,

That is the letter that was in Mr. Armstrong's files. HWA did talk to not only RCM [Roderick C. Meredith], but others about how he was wrong about Stan [Rader]. Mr. A didn't apologize to people, and had other ways of apologizing—some of which could be misinterpreted. His discussion with Rod about SRR [Stanley R. Rader], I imagine Rod took to be an apology. Of course he wanted to see it this way. To RCM it seemed either he was right or SRR was right. Since SRR turned out to be a 'bad guy' RCM assumed he was vindicated. This helps to justify why he maintains he should be in charge. He never understood the issue was not about him and SRR, but him seeing himself as next in line.

It did not change RCM's problem, as you can see from the letter RCM's problems stemmed from well before SRR. The fact that HWA never reappointed RCM to a position of power shows that he knew RCM still had the problem. The COE [Council of Elders] was never a power body, although many seemed to see it as that.

RCM took the fact that those he disliked (and it is interesting to note they were always the ones between him and the top) turned out to have problems, so it seemed a vindication of his problem. Mr. Armstrong still felt the same way about RCM up until his death.

One thing HWA did say, was that "Rod will be personally loyal to me" (HWA). Of course RCM wanted that same loyalty to himself, never realizing that what HWA really wanted was loyalty to GOD. That is why HWA, amid the confusion of the receivership did appoint RCM over Church Administration in '79.

Unfortunately RCM began immediately to try to solidify his position as heir to the church, and had to be removed within the year, and was never reappointed to a high administrative position. It was RCM's own words that caused him to be sent to Hawaii, not anyone else. I pray that he eventually can come to see himself, just as I pray for so many other self appointed leaders.

— Aaron Dean

Apostle Malm on Rod Meredith

The Apostle has started a series of articles detailing, as he assumes, the infiltration of evangelicalism into the Worldwide Church of God under Tkach Sr.  Malm's article is filled with some truth, lots of half truths and several blatant lies.

One of his lies is his description of Rod Meredith and his banishment to Hawaii.  While it may be partially true that Rader was behind part of that decision, HWA was the one who made the final decision after countless complaints by Church members and ministers on how Meredith was treating them.

When Meredith was over Church Administration he ruled with a heavy hand that was filled with viciousness at times.  Meredith tended to be very vindictive towards many members and to many ministers.  Meredith was still living in the 1950's mode of the Church in the 1970-1980's.  Hard line  legalistic control was his weapon of choice.

Meredith broke up hundreds of marriages, disfellowshipped countless people, and made life miserable for most who came into contact with him.  The reports were constantly crossing HWA's desk which ended up culminating in his banishment to Hawaii. 

Rod and Malm like to blame it all on Stanley Rader.  While Rader found Meredith to be a condescending jerk, it was not Rader that sent him off to a year of luxury in Hawaii, expenses paid.

The Apostle writes:

Rod Meredith has been called a tyrant by his enemies [as part of a political struggle] and much has been said about him that is in error and uncalled for.

To set the record straight;  Rod was removed and sent to Hawaii [by Stan Rader]  because of his loyalty to HWA and Herbert’s post 1974 teachings, in the same manner that C Wayne Cole was fired for his loyalty to HWA at the beginning of the Receivership.  They were both victims of the Rader struggle to defend himself from the lawsuit investigation; and later on [in Rod's case] Rader’s efforts to take full control of the WCG.

Rod Meredith is an Armstrong loyalist with something of HWA’s leadership style.  Yes he is a dominating authoritrian leader;  but he is by far the closest to the post 74 HWA doctrinal teachings. (Note that the die-hard Armstrong loaylists are now movign the date

 He was removed from that position to be replaced by Joe Tkach, in a Rader power grab designed to replace any HWA loyalist heading the ministry with his own man.  Rod was then sent to Hawaii to remove him from any influence on any in the ministry, until Tkach could get well settled in and start promoting those persons with his evangelical agenda.   (Meredith's banishment letter to Hawaii is in the next post)  Tkach at this point in time was having to clean up the trail of destruction that Meredith had left in his wake.  Tkach had no idea how much damage Meredith had done till Rod was ensconced in Hawaii.

As for Rod being a tyrant; he was loyal to HWA and his post 74 teachings; and those who were strong HWA loyalists supported him, while of course those who were of the evangelical persuasion hated his insistence on adhering to the post 74 HWA teachings.

 It still amazes me after all these years the number of people that want to white wash Rod Meredith as a wholesome, godly person who walks in humility before God.  Ask most people that had to work around him in Pasadena and they will tell you otherwise.

Apostle Malm is still under the impression that COGWA will eventually unite with Living Church of God and that the  only thing holding them back is the leadership issue.

COGWA was formed for the very purpose of loyalty to the Armstrong post 74  teachings; and it is quite natural that they would align themselves with Meredith’s LCG.  This process is ongoing and LCG has been working to set the conditions for a rapprochement between the two groups. 

While Tkach was no innocent party in this matter, Meredith is not the poor picked upon servant of God.  Far from it!

You can read the rest of Apostle Malm's half truths here:  Rod Meredith and the WCG power struggle

Van Robison on "The Magnetism of Charismatic Public Speakers"

The Magnetism of Charismatic Public Speakers

There is no doubt that some human beings have charisma.  Herbert W. and Garner Ted Armstrong both had that quality.  Public speaking with a sense of authority can be very captivating.  Apparently the "apostle" Paul
had that same quality, because his writings or speeches have influenced a multitude of people.  Some sources actually state that some of the writings attributed to Paul were penned not by Paul, but by unknown sources.
Nevertheless, it is true that the voice of some human beings is very captivating.  This is true of many who sing and have beautiful voices.  Politicians and preachers have a lot in common in that they seek to influence
people to see their point of view.

There is indeed something in the human voice that can persuade others, even when that voice is propaganda or not true.  The "news" media and movies are powerful agents of persuasion, even though the astute know
beyond doubt that these sources are major players in the world of disinformation, falsehoods and out and out lies in many ways.  Those who control the "news" and movie industries are not naive and gullible about the
power in their hands to persuade.  It has been said that if a lie is told often enough, that lie is believed by many to be "truth."  It then becomes next to impossible to persuade people that the lie they have believed as being "truth" is really a lie.  Many will think that a lie is truth and that real truth is a lie as a result of being brainwashed.

When you listen to a public speaker it is easy to believe that what they are saying is the "truth."  This is more than evident as many listening to the "World Tomorrow" radio broadcast of the Worldwide Church of God
found that they accepted and believed what Herbert W. or Garner Ted said on those programs.  Believing what public speakers say often causes people to become followers of those who speak.  It is not only true in the world of religions and religious beliefs, but also in the world of politics.  There is indeed a magnetism in many people that will cause many others to follow those individuals.  It matters not whether the magnetic personality is "Christian" or not, people will fall in line and become believers in charismatic and persuasive personalities.

The obvious danger in thinking that persuasive personalities and public voices are somehow the voice of "truth" is that many have been led astray by wolves in sheep's clothing.  A voice can seem believable, but that does not necessarily make that voice truth.  Some voice was the beginning of the Roman Catholic Church, another voice was the origin of the Mormon Church, and yet another voice was the origin of the Jehovah Witnesses.  It goes on and on endlessly.  The voice of Herbert W. Armstrong was the origin of the Worldwide Church of God.  Another voice was the origin of the Seventh Day Adventist group and yet another voice was the origin of "The Family" (or the "Children of God"), which was the deceased David Berg.  Every voice that originates a church or religious group eventually returns to dirt and ends in the grave yard.

There was a voice that initiated the Methodist Church, another that was the origin of the Baptist Church and yet another that is the voice of the Pentecostal group.  Another voice is Amish, another Mennonite and another voice that of the "Sacred Name" groups.  These voices are like the sand upon the seashores and they are many.  The same is true of the splinter groups of the original Worldwide Church of God.  One voice is that of Rod Meredith, and another that of Gerald Flurry and yet another that of David Pack, and the voices are many.

That anyone would follow any of these voices is really quite astonishing, from the stand point that all these voices are mere human beings who are all without exception very fallible and subject to human nature the same as all other human beings.  No man or woman is God and yet millions worship at the feet of these charismatic public speakers as if there are.  A MAJOR mistake!  Like lemmings multitudes of human beings rush headlong over the bluff and drown in the sea of false beliefs, following their human leader who is also self-deceived and indoctrinated by his or her teachers.

The Worldwide Church of God has led many into destruction as lemmings.  The problem with human lemmings is that they follow men instead of Jesus Christ.


Van Robison