Ralph Levy Tells His Tale of UCG Termination

Circumstances of My Termination from Ambassador Bible Center

Since I have been asked on a number of occasions how events led up to my no longer being employed as an instructor at Ambassador Bible Center, I thought it might be helpful to writ...e a short note on the subject.

In the latter part of the year 2010 it was becoming obvious that a major crisis was erupting in the United Church of God, IA. Disagreement over the secret forum, the proposed/rescinded move to Texas, the proposal of a study group to review the functioning of our governmental system, the removal of virtually all of the Cincinnati administration, beginning in late June, the removal of the regional pastors, and the handling of the Latin American situation, all were leading up to very serious difficulties. Along with others I detested the idea of a split, but was coming to see it might be unavoidable.

During all of this I continued to teach my ABC classes, making virtually no reference to the Church situation in the classroom. Aside from occasional requests to the students that they pray about it, I said nothing from behind the classroom microphone. However, in private I did discuss my views and concerns. I was concerned about what I perceived to be a general move to politicization of the Church, manifested in a long list of matters badly handled by the Council of Elders (or, more accurately, by the CoE majority – how sad that term even has to be used!). The word “Church” and the word “politics” should never be mentioned in the same sentence; yet that was precisely what we had come to.

When Mr. Dennis Luker came into office in early July he asked me to be involved in attempts to resolve the Latin American impasse, acting as a communications conduit for him. I also gave my advice and input on a number of occasions from July till shortly after the Feast. I have known Mr. Luker for many years, and, though I didn’t hold out much hope, felt it was worth doing what I was able to try to bring about some sort of reconciliation for Latin America.

Once the Feast had come and gone and there was no direct invitation to the Latin American pastors to come in to Cincinnati to express themselves and to attempt to resolve the crisis in cooperation with the administration and Council, it was becoming clear there was now little hope. It was and is my view that, in order to speak of genuine attempts at reconciliation, it would have been necessary for all concerned to come and confer, with everything out on the table, and to seek a solution acceptable to all. After all, we had said multiple times “United works by consensus,” though sadly there was no such consensus concerning Latin America.

By early December, we were hearing claims from the Council that there had been “multiple attempts at reconciliation for Latin America.” Much as I dislike to baldly contradict other ministers, that assertion is simply untrue. I was present in the meetings with Mr. Leon Walker on August 11, and with Eduardo Hernandez on September 14. Neither of these was a real attempt at reconciliation. Had there been meaningful follow-up, it would have been possible to speak of attempts at reconciliation; yet there was no such.

About December 10 I let my emotions run away for perhaps the first time. I sat at my computer, and posted the following words on my Facebook wall: “Don’t be deceived. There was no attempt at reconciliation for Latin America.” I stand by those words, which were up for two minutes, before I thought better of it and removed the post. In those two minutes, someone read and took exception to the post and it found its way to the Church president.

On December 13, in the first of three meetings involving Mr. Luker, Mr. Gary Antion and me, I was called in. Mr. Luker read the Facebook post to me and I confirmed I had indeed written it. I also told him it was up for only two minutes. I then asked if he wanted me to resign. He did not demand my resignation at that point. I then raised the question of when my departure from ABC should be: January (semester break) or May (graduation). Mr. Luker thanked me for bringing it up, and told me he would put the question to the management team and get back with me.

The second meeting took place on December 21, again involving Mr. Luker, Mr. Antion and me. It was a short meeting in which he told me the management team had decided I would be leaving the employ of UCGIA in January and not in May. I accepted the decision, and that night wrote a letter acknowledging the decision taken, and resigning as an elder in UCGIA (though not as a minister of Jesus Christ in the Body of Christ). I turned in my letter the following morning, and then began to make the decision known.

Once the students heard of my impending removal, two of the student leaders sought an audience with Mr. Luker, and on December 23 (I think that date is correct) spent some time with him (I was told their meeting lasted some 75 minutes), requesting I might be permitted to remain till graduation in May. Subsequent to this I was informed the decision was to be “reviewed,” and that Mr. Luker wished to talk to me at the Winter Family Weekend in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Louisville event was busy so we never got to talk there. Once back in the office, in the last days of December, I requested another meeting to settle the matter. For everyone’s sake, not least the students’, it had to be decided once and for all.

The third meeting took place on the last day of the year, December 31. Mr. Luker asked me what I thought. For not the first time, I stated I was willing to remain with ABC to teach the students till graduation in May. I would not use the classroom mike to discuss Church matters, but people would know privately where I stood. Mr. Luker then informed me the question had gone to the Council of Elders and they had decided my employment was to end on January 14, 2011.

So, was I fired or did I resign? Since I offered more than once to remain till May, and those offers were declined, I believe it more accurate to say I was fired from my teaching position at Ambassador Bible Center, after 11 ½ years.

On a more positive note, I am certain that education programs in God’s Church have not come to an end. As events unfold, we will see new (and, hopefully, better) education programs for the Church of God. Let’s all keep education in the Church on our prayer list. The best is yet to come!

Ralph Levy

Clean and Unclean Meats

Peter Ditzel has a new article about Armstrongism's fascination with unclean meats. When  you  look on-line you can find huge lists of forbidden meats that UCG and others put out to regulate people's lives.  Yet, this is just one of many list of rules and regulations that Armstrongism pick's and chooses from.  It's ok to live in homes with mold, wear mixed fabric's, stone your rebellious children,  not kick your wife out of the home during menstruation, etc., etc.,.

The Real Poison of Biblical Dietary Laws and "Health Secrets"

Peter Ditzel

Is the Bible a health manual? Are the dietary laws found in the Bible God’s ways of telling us what is healthy and unhealthy to eat? Or did God have an entirely different reason for putting these laws in the Bible? What’s more, do these laws given to ancient Israel have anything at all to do with Christians today?

Herbert W. Armstrong, the late founder and "apostle" of the Worldwide Church of God, taught that Christians must obey the laws of clean and unclean meats found in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. On page 18 of Principles of Healthful Living, he wrote: "This is a basic law—a revelation from God to man about which kinds of flesh will properly digest and assimilate in the human system, and which will not" (Principles of Healthful Living [Pasadena, CA: Worldwide Church of God, Chapter Three 1958, 1978; Chapter Four 1979], version 1.0, May 1990 printing).

As might be expected, most of the splinter groups of the Worldwide Church of God that continue to follow Armstrong’s teachings have their requisite publications on clean and unclean meats. More surprising, perhaps, is the number of others—including physicians, dieticians, and cooks—who have written popular books that claim to reveal the health secrets God has stashed into the pages of the Bible. And, being the narcissistic, health-crazed society we are, these books sell well. In fact, it has become common for many Christians who do not strictly follow the Old Testament dietary laws to nevertheless think of them as health guidelines. They believe the meats listed as unclean in the Old Testament are not as healthful as other meats, and they also think that the Bible contains many other health secrets.

Clean and Unclean Meats

Florida Drops Lawsuit Against COGaWA, Attorneys Going After Complaintant

Someone is going to be in deep doo doo!

From Abigal Cartwright's blog:

Update Regarding False Allegations Against CGWA. Today, the appropriate agency of the State of Florida contacted legal counsel for the Church in writing, and following their review of the Church's February 1, 2011 response to the fraudulent consumer complaint, the matter has been promptly closed, in favor of the Church. The Church will continue with its investigation to identify the harasser and will take appropriate steps to address any and all acts of harassment and defamation. The Church will also cooperate with any investigations by law enforcement to identify the suspect.

COGaWA Swiftly Responds To Accusations Made by "Sarah Luther"

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Division of Consumer Services

Re: Complaint From Sarah A. Luther Against
Church of God, a Worldwide Association, Inc.

Dear (name withheld):

Please be advised that this office represents Church of God, a Worldwide Association, Inc. (“Church”;), a Florida not-for-profit corporation. This communication is offered in response to a January 24 complaint against the Church by an individual who goes by the name “Sarah Luther” (Sarah). By all appearances, Sarah Luther is a phony name, and the Church is presently unable to ascertain her true identity.

The allegations made in the complaint are outrageous, false, and defamatory. Basically, the individual has made up these allegations out of whole cloth, and this appears to be a simple prank designed to harass innocent people. I realize that you do not often get situations that simple. Often times, agencies such as yours will receive consumer complaints that may have a kernel of truth, or some side of the story that is open to interpretation. This is not one of those complaints. This is complete fabrication designed to harass the Church, damage its reputation, and interfere with its finances. Unfortunately, the individual who filed the complaint has also wasted the time of your agency by causing you to take time away from your legitimate complaints and investigations.

For the past few weeks, Sarah has been emailing various congregants and ministers around the country who either are, or plan to be, associated with the Church. We have become all too familiar with her antics. In each instance, the individual uses her fraudulent name and does not disclose her true identity. Each time this is done, a variation of the same sensational allegation is offered to the recipient (essentially, she is alleging that “officials” with the Church stole donations from another church organization). Even today, my office has received several calls and email messages from pastors from around the country concerning this ongoing harassment.

To be sure, please refer to the data she provided under the “Consumer Information” section of the complaint. The address she provides, 104 E. Main St., St. Petersburg, Florida 32040 is a nonexistent address (a simple Google search will verify). Also, the zip code “32040” is not even in the St. Petersburg area. Rather, the zip code is for a small town named Glen St. Mary, Florida, near Jacksonville. Thus, in addition to fraudulent allegations, “Sarah” has given you a fraudulent name, a fraudulent street address, and a fabricated e-mail address which has been constructed for the purpose of propagating defamation and harassing communications. If we identify this individual, the Church will be vigorously pursuing appropriate civil and criminal remedies in a court of competent jurisdiction.

In our investigation, we talked to the pastor of the Tampa Bay congregation of the Church, Mr. David Treybig. Mr. Treybig was also the pastor of the United Church of God congregations in the Tampa Bay area for approximately ten years prior to December, 2010. He does not know an individual by the name of Sarah Luther. We have no donors or congregants by the name.

I will now turn my attention to the substance of the allegations. The stated product or service involved is “assistance to ministers.” The date of the alleged offense is June 1, 2010, and the amount she gives as being in controversy is $150,000.00. You should note that the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, Inc. was not incorporated until December 23, 2010, which is approximately six months after the date of the offense which she gave. Thus, even based on the fraudulent information she has provided, the allegations are impossible. An entity is not capable of stealing money before it even exists. Further, the first organizational and planning meeting for the Church was on December 20, 2010. This entity was not planned or approved prior to that date. Finally, the figure “$150,000.00” appears to be yet another fabrication. In order to explain these figures and other allegations, Sarah’s true identity will have to be ascertained, and she will need to be interviewed. Unfortunately, she appears to have quite an imagination.

Going further to her allegations, Sarah states the following: “Multiple sources indicate that the Church of God—a Worldwide Association (cogwa) may have diverted a portion of donations sent to their previous employer, United Church of God (UCG) while they received a paycheck from UCG. It is believed these funds were used to finance their new organization, cogwa. Monies illegally set aside constitute one definition of embezzlement or theft by deception. (This complaint was completed at the recommendation of the Florida Attorney General).”

As these allegations are defamatory, it is understandable that this individual fails to identify her “multiple sources.” She also fails to identify the “previous employer” of the Church. She does offer a delusional and speculative (yet unsupported) belief that certain funds were used to finance the Church, and she goes on to offer the unsupported legal opinion that her allegations amount to embezzlement or theft by deception, which are allegations of criminal activity. Of course, the complexion of the latter allegations only raises the stakes for our anonymous complainer, as the inference of criminal activity makes the false statements defamatory per se (damages to the plaintiff are presumed in situations of defamation per se. See, e.g., Fun Spot of Florida, Inc. v. Magical Midway of Cent. Florida, Ltd., 242 F. Supp. 2d 1183 (M.D. Fla. 2002); Thompson v. Orange Lake Country Club, Inc., 224 F. Supp. 2d 1368 (M.D. Fla. 2002).

As a former prosecutor, I occasionally had the distinction of interviewing delusional individuals such as this who would fabricate patently ridiculous allegations and then ask me to act upon them. Thus, it is no surprise that the Florida Attorney General sent this individual elsewhere when she took her fish story to them. However, I would be surprised indeed to learn that they asked her to present her pitch to your agency and waste its resources.

You may be interested in noting that the Church was incorporated as a result of a disagreement with another church organization. Following a good faith disagreement with the leadership of the United Church of God, a contingent of pastors from that church organization voluntarily resigned (December 2010) and took steps to form the Church. However, in the process of doing this, the pastors left everything behind and did nothing to disturb the assets of their former organization. As is typical in church schisms and splits, some congregants chose to remain with the established organization, while others decided to associate with (and support) the newly-formed organization. In the case of the Church, congregants and donors who identify with the mission and cause of the Church have seen fit to voluntarily donate to the Church. It is likely that others, who continue to support the mission and leadership of the established organization, have continued in their financial support of that organization. Obviously, the Church does not sanction any unethical financial dealings. The leadership of the Church is unaware of any situations that would be even remotely consistent with the anonymous individual’s false statements. However, be advised that no such behavior would be tolerated or allowed within the Church. Interestingly, the separation between the United Church of God and the Church has been generally peaceful and respectful. While some individuals have been angry and hostile regarding the separation, these occasions have been isolated. For the most part, a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation has prevailed between the two entities. Nearly all of the ministers and congregants in the two entities continue to have friends and family in both church organizations.

In conclusion, it is regrettable that the Church has been put into a position of having to respond to bizarre, ridiculous, and defamatory allegations such as this. It is also disappointing to realize that the resources of the State government have been wasted in furtherance of what appears to be a prank designed to harass individuals who are simply trying to worship and conduct their lives in peace.

Occasional harassment like this is to be expected by organizations such as the Church. Once a defendant is identified, the Church will be pursuing appropriate legal remedies in order to compel this individual to cease and desist from his or her wrongful acts, among other possible remedies. As you stated in your January 27, 2011 letter that accompanies the fraudulent complaint, it is the province of your office to protect businesses, including not-for-profit organizations, from groundless complaints. The Church respectfully asks that you seek any appropriate remedies against the anonymous individual who entered this groundless complaint. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me for further discussion.

Very Truly Yours,

Jason M. Ranew
Attorney at Law

"...and the rest of the world are Muggles"

Here is an ex-COG member who is reaching more people in his weekly show than all 700 of the various splinter cults of Armstrongism are doing combined!

Felix ran a blurb on his blog a while back about this guy.  He is in the news again.

Here's the story of Glynn Washington.

Glynn has one of the fastest growing shows on National Public Radio.  Over 100 stations air it weekly and another 160 some are using excerpts from it as 'speicals.'  All of his shows are downloadable on iTunes.

Glynn was a product of Armstrongism and it's myriad of myth's, legends and stories of doom and gloom about the end of the world.

Washington believes his early passion for storytelling has something to do with growing up in an apocalyptic cult called The Worldwide Church of God. As a child, he was told that you had to be ready for the return of Jesus and the end of the world. Washington says that his time with the group meant that he heard many good storytellers explaining why doomsday had been postponed again.


“In a lot of ways, it was maybe good for me because it let me see the world a little bit differently, ” said Washington, who left the cult when he was 19. “You grew up thinking that you are Harry Potter, and the rest of the world are muggles. ”

Glynn had better be careful, diehard legalist Armstrongites consider Harry Potter a tool of  Satan.  They will not like his comment at all!  :-)


Read the article here:  Glynn Washington Takes His Oakland Based Radio Show to the Top