There have been several reports over the years about the Philadelphia Church of God telling members to not own smartphones. Even the younger people at Herbert Armstrong College are not supposed to have them unless of course, you are a child of one of the elite leaders (Turgeon) and all of them have smartphones.
In spite of all of this idiocy, the PCG sure loves to use all of the current social media platforms to spread their fake gospel message around on.
March 30, 2021
Smartphones were forbidden to be used by those on campus last year (read November 19, 2020 letter: “PCG Ruling Says No Smartphones Allowed“). It was January 24, 2020 when Andrew Locher gave a sermon about “Technology Use” where he said using smart devices will “destroy our teenagers.” That was the time G. Flurry put in place policies that would eliminate Smartphones on campus to “set the example for the brethren,” even though some did not obey that policy at the time.
The February 21, 2020 phone policy update said full time ministers were “expected to switch from their Smartphones to a future phone.” However, if some needed a Smartphone for their business, that was okay. G. Flurry “approved” the use of i-pads if you needed one. Then the April 2020 Pastor General’s Report reiterated again that the cell phone policy for ministers was that ministers should not be using Smartphones unless they were required to use one for their business. There were no exceptions for this policy. Minister’s wives were likewise expected to make the transition away from Smartphones.
Not all members have been following this policy because this subject about Smartphones was brought up again at the recent PCG Ministerial Conference when Stephen Flurry gave a lecture. He talked about what he called “the signs of warning and danger” for the congregation if they used Smartphones. One of the warning signs he said was “too much technology.”
Wayne Turgeon on day two of the conference gave a lecture on “Materialism” [Note by ESN: Why then did Turgeon in a 2021 sermon refer to all the materialism, riches and luxuries at HQs as “perks and fringe benefits” for being the few first fruits on this earth?] and said, “Materialism [not Charles Darwin] is the father of evolution and what we call human nature is really Satan’s nature. [Note by ESN: Human nature is that which makes us distinctly human] … People change a little at a time in the direction of the masses as they are influenced a little at a time.” This sounded to me exactly how PCG members change a little at a time as they are influenced by the leader’s mind control.
I know several members in PCG who all have Smartphones. But if G. Flurry continues his crack down, the day could come when we’ll see them with a flip phone again. It’s ridiculous to what lengths PCG will go to in order to keep members from finding out the truth about PCG. I know GF is also worried about someone recording their sermons with these Smartphones.
Members have been told that if they want to overcome they must hear what God (i. e., PCG government) is saying about this.
Members, however, are still using Smartphones. –[name withheld] Gerald Flurry Cracks Down On Smartphone Usage By Ministers and Church Members