Articles
for the Benefit of Members and Ex-Members of the WCG
* * *
29 The Corrupt Leaders of the WCG
Members of the Worldwide Church of God are generally unaware of the
gross corruption perpetrated by those who lead them. If they were, they would not want to be associated with such people! The sins of the leadership
have been covered up or camouflaged and members kept ignorant. As a WCG member, you need to know about the deceivers who lead you!
I recently [early 1995] published some information exposing some of the
heinous sins which the former leader of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG),
Herbert W. Armstrong (HWA), had committed while establishing the church. I
had learned about these alleged misdeeds from issues of Ambassador
Report.1
An acquaintance whom we knew
in the WCG read this material and wrote to me, disgusted that I should
publish such information: "I deplore the vicious attack being made on
the character of a man now dead and unable to refute these degrading
accusations..."
Specifically, I had referred
to sexual immorality consistently and deliberately committed by the former
Pastor General of the WCG. Ambassador Report had uncovered
incontrovertible evidence of HWA's incestuous sexual relationship with his
daughter Dorothy, spanning a decade. This occurred while he was married to
his first wife, Loma Armstrong. His adulterous relationship had been kept a
closely guarded secret. Church members were ignorant of the facts.
When I first became aware of
these allegations, I too was horrified! I didn't believe them. They seemed
too far fetched to be true! However, the evidence is undeniable to any who
have objective open minds. I will cover that evidence later in this article.
Not only was HWA responsible
for corrupt misconduct, unfitting for a man in his capacity, but so too is
the WCG's present leader, Joseph Tkach [who died in September 1995]. He is a
fraud. His duplicity and unchristian character are revealed in further
issues of the Report.1
I replied to the false
accusation that I had made a "vicious attack" on the character of
HWA. It was certainly not a vicious 'attack'. It was intended to
reveal truth that WCG should be aware of. My reply follows:
Thank you for your letter
concerning the recent mailing. I appreciate the sentiments you expressed in
your letter and I understand why you vehemently defend Herbert W Armstrong.
Don't forget that I, too, was highly supportive of the man from 1968, when
God drew me into the Worldwide Church of God. For over 20 years, I would not
have dared say a word against HWA, because I believed he was the end-time
representative of God on earth. You must appreciate that my sentiments in
1989 were precisely those which you are expressing. So, what was it that
caused me to change my appraisal and approach?
In 1989 we noticed WCG
leadership decisions and behaviour that were very wrong. You will recall
that in 1990, Helena and I contested that wrong ministerial behaviour. We
challenged the WCG leaders over decisions they were making, much like Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx did and numerous others before him have done. For challenging the
established authority structure in the church, we were thrown out. You
thought nothing of that at the time. You complied with the ministerial
decisions and refused to have any contact with us. You didn't come and talk
to us about our dismissal. You didn't find out what had transpired. You
merely accepted what happened and cut us off, following the directives which
the church leaders had established in order to maintain strict controls over
members' minds. By isolating us, you never came to know the spiritual issues
which were at stake.
Since then, you have come to
learn of some of the relevant issues through Xxxxxx Xxxxxx's writings. The
Worldwide leadership was cleverly eroding foundational concepts and leading
the WCG away from God. However, there are more issues which even Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx has not yet seen and contested. I am trying to make the church aware
of those. So, please hear me out first before you dismiss what I say.
To come back to Mr.
Armstrong's case, I am not 'slanging' him because he is dead and unable to
defend himself. The allegations of incest were made in a book by a former
WCG minister, David Robinson, (Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web),
which was published long before Mr. Armstrong died. He was not unable to
defend himself! In fact, in 1980 the church tried to legally stop this book
being distributed, but the court did not act in favour of the WCG, instead
it acted in favour of those making the allegations! (This is covered in AR
12 and AR 13 of Ambassador Report.) The allegations were not
denied, when those involved had a chance to deny them.
If the allegations were
untrue, those involved would have fought to clear their names. Mr. Armstrong,
his daughter Dorothy with whom he had committed the incest over a period of
several years, and his son Garner Ted did not deny the allegations.
(Covered in AR 14, 27 and 40). Finally, HWA himself confessed to the
promiscuous relationship which had gone on for about a decade, from 1933 to
1943.
You will doubtless be shocked
at this information! I was, I can tell you!! When I first heard a 'hint' of
anything immoral in Mr. Armstrong's life, I also refused to believe it. That
is a natural reaction. We don't want to think evil of others, especially
those whom we have looked up to as church leaders, who stand before the
flock as examples of Christ. So we shut our minds to such information,
thinking it is wrong to consider it. But it MUST be considered. These are
the fruits by which we can 'test' the spirits.
It is so easy to be duped and
to forget that when Satan comes, he comes as an angel of light. It is easy
to be deceived. And we all were deceived in the WCG about this man's
authenticity as a man of God.
Allow me to quote from
Ambassador
Report (AR 27), April 1984, pages 7 and 8, about these allegations:
Many readers will
recall that when David Robinson's book appeared in 1980, it contained
numerous allegations shocking to even some of HWA's long-time critics. No
accusation was more startling than that found in the book's last chapter.
There Robinson charged that HWA had maintained an intimate sexual
relationship with the younger of his two daughters for a period of
approximately one decade beginning in the early 1930's.
The Armstrong
organization, through surrogates, attempted to use the courts to block
distribution of the Robinson book, but failed miserably (Ambassador
Report, Sept 1980). It is most remarkable, however, that in attempting
to stop distribution of the Robinson book, never once was it asserted that
the incest allegation was untrue. Nor did Dorothy Mattson, HWA's younger
daughter, ever come forth to deny the incest story (and she has repeatedly
refused to respond to queries from the Report regarding the matter.) In
spite of all this, it seems there are still some who prefer to believe that
the incest story was fabricated. Let us briefly review the facts.
In 1971 Garner Ted
Armstrong paid a visit to his younger sister Dorothy. He had long been
suspicious of the kind of relationship his father and sister maintained
during his youth. They chatted over a few drinks and then Ted told her
bluntly of his suspicions. She did more than admit the allegations. With
candor she related detail after shocking detail.
For a number of years
GTA kept the information to himself. But Dorothy did not. She divulged the
same information to many others including David Antion (GTA's brother-
in-law) and Lois Chapman (who had been married to the late Richard
Armstrong, Ted's older brother.
Dorothy's story as
related to Ted and others was that Herbert had begun fondling and heavy
petting her in 1933 when she was thirteen years old - around the same time
that HWA now claims God was using him to found the modern era of the only
true church. But he did not begin to "go all the way" with her
until three years later. One day Dorothy returned home from a date with a
young bank teller to inform her father that she had just been
"half-raped". To her surprise, Herbert was actually
"elated" over the news. Herbert decided it was time to show her
how it was really done. From then on Herbert went "all the way".
The year was 1936; Dorothy was 16 years old. Strangely, Dorothy has claimed
Herbert later went on to become a good friend of the bank teller.
The incestuous
relationship went on for years, but it was apparently not mutually
enjoyable. Dorothy has related to friends how on one occasion in a hotel
room she so strongly protested Herbert's abuse that the manager knocked on
the door and asked what the reason was for all the noise. Herbert was quick
to inform him that his "young bride" was a bit uncooperative due
to inexperience. Satisfied with the alibi the manager left. Dorothy has
claimed that Herbert then overpowered her, and after tying her to the bed
and gagging her, proceeded to rape her. It's a pity Herbert neglected to
include this incident in his book God Speaks Out On The New Morality.
During those years,
besides taking her on supposedly church or ministry-related business trips,
it was not uncommon for Herbert to take Dorothy out dancing on Friday
nights. On one such occasion she asked him if he ever worried that one of
his church members would see them. He told her no, because, in effect, they
were too stupid to be out dancing on Friday night and that he had them
well-trained (in keeping the Friday sunset to Saturday sunset Sabbath).
These incidents were
but a part of the awful truth Dorothy related to Garner Ted and others. In
spite of church upheavals, arguments with his father, personal emotional
problems and considerable notoriety about his own sins, Ted said nothing
about his father's shameful past. Not until 1978.
That year, during a
heated argument between GTA and his father, HWA threatened to
"destroy" Ted through making public certain information about his
personal life. But Ted responded in kind saying he could destroy HWA with
the information he had. Ted charged his father in no uncertain terms,
yelling: "You fucked my sister!" Herbert, shocked at Ted's
knowledge of the incestuous relationship, could only reply, "Well -
there have been times in my life when I have gotten far away from God."
The conversation - overheard by GTA associate Benny Sharp - was the last
face to face meeting between the two men. And Ted has since related how the
hateful look he saw in his father's eye made him suspect they would never
see each other again.
As was covered in
great detail in our 1977 issue, during the early '70s Garner Ted Armstrong
became highly infatuated with an Ambassador College coed. The resulting
affair caused great confusion in the higher echelons of the WCG. Former WCG
evangelist David Antion recalls how, at the time, he discussed the problem
with HWA. Antion was for years perplexed by the almost Freudian analysis
offered. HWA told Antion that Ted was simply fantasizing the younger woman
as being his own daughter. The statement made no sense to Antion until years
later. (As an aside, it is interesting how Ramona has claimed that HWA has
been, over the years, very jealous of GTA's supposed sexual prowess.)
The last meeting
between GTA and his father in 1978 was not the only time HWA confessed to
the incest allegation. In 1980 Henry Cornwall, then an aide to HWA, read the
Robinson book soon after it appeared and asked HWA directly if the chapter
on incest was accurate. HWA told him it was. He then instructed Cornwall
that his wife Ramona was not to see the book or learn of the incest story.
Unfortunately for Herbert, Ramona already had a copy of the book and was in
the next room listening to the Cornwall-HWA discussion. Shortly thereafter,
she too confronted HWA about the incest allegation. And once again, HWA
admitted it was true, but begged and pleaded with Ramona not to let this
fact get in the way of their marriage. The cause of the problem, he said,
had been Loma, his first wife. Considering the perversity of Herbert's past,
is it any wonder Ramona's love would begin to wane?
One can only speculate
on how much Herbert's first wife Loma knew of what had transpired for ten
years between her husband and her younger daughter. But some individuals who
were then close to the Armstrong family did notice that toward the end of
her life, Loma was not on good speaking terms with Dorothy and that during
the last year or so of her life she appeared to have lost almost all will to
live. She died in 1967 after an illness that many say could have been cured
by medical science, had she availed herself of that help. It is interesting
to note also that HWA's great preoccupation with world touring began right
around that time.
Ramona has reported to
friends how the Robinson allegations preoccupied HWA's mind for a
considerable period. She has also reported seeing a typed statement intended
for Dorothy's signature. It stated that she (Dorothy) had never had a sexual
relationship with her father. The document was, and we'd be willing to bet
still is, unsigned. Dorothy undoubtedly knows that
to sign such a statement would prove financially costly, removing any
leverage she still possesses over her father. (On a recent trip to Big
Sandy, Texas, HWA was quoted as saying his daughters show him very little
affection and care only for his money.)
Dorothy has stated
that her sexual relationship with her father continued into the early
forties. In 1943 Herbert officiated at the ceremony in which Dorothy was
married to Vern Mattson, who soon afterward was to serve overseas in the
U.S. Marines. We have no information that the incestuous relationship
continued beyond that point. However, Dorothy has related to friends how,
around the time of her engagement, Herbert told her that her marriage need
not put an end to their own special relationship.
Shortly after Vern's
discharge from the military, Herbert was able to provide him with employment
within his growing organization. Although Dorothy drifted away from her
father's church by around 1951, Vern continued his association. He was the
organization's business manager before the Albert Portune era.
What caused him to
leave the Armstrong corporation? Was it then that he discovered the awful
truth about his wife and father-in-law? The following quote taken from the
transcript of one HWA deposition provides a clue (Ramona's lawyer is asking
about Dorothy's house being sold to the WCG):
Q Did she sell it to
the church?
MR. BROWNE: Objected to
as being irrelevant and immaterial and constitutionally impermissible.
Transactions between third parties and the church are none of anyone's
business in this particular case and instruct you not to answer.
THE WITNESS: I refuse
to answer.
MR. DECKTER: Okay.
Where did you provide her with living accommodations?
A. I provided her with
living accommodations ever since, on and off ever since - Now, wait a minute
until I think of the year. Let's see, I don't know. Began back in the
1950's, ever since Vern Mattson resigned from being business manager of the
church.
Before leaving the
subject, one other deposition excerpt is worth quoting. Ramona's lawyer was
asking HWA some background questions concerning his health:
Q And do you suffer
from any other diseases or chronic problems other than what we've discussed?
A Not that I know
of.... I have had difficulty sleeping for the last, oh, let me see, ever
since 1933.
That was the year HWA
began abusing his own daughter. Is it any wonder he hasn't slept well since?
(From Ambassador Report, AR27, April 1984, pp. 7-8.)
The allegations of incest are
true! These were not momentary slips in which Mr Armstrong fell in sin and
later repented. He didn't repent. He knew he had done wrong, but he only
tried to cover it up and hide the truth from the church. HWA was a highly
deceitful and clever individual who hoodwinked most in the church to give
the impression he was a man of God. Even he himself was deceived about
himself. (The wicked don't know they are wicked - Jer 17:9.)
So, please understand, I
don't enjoy 'slanging' him or anyone. I am merely speaking the truth, so
individuals who have been duped by him can perceive the truth and learn to
discern the spirits (I Jn 4:1).
Jesus warned us to beware
being deceived (Matt 24:4) by men who come in His name. HWA deceived us. Or
rather, the devil deceived us through him. He has got Gerald Flurry well and
truly deceived also. Gerald Flurry worships HWA!
Jesus told us we would not
necessarily recognise false prophets by the doctrine they preach (all preach
a mixture of truth and error), but that we would know them by their fruits
(Matt 7:16,20). You must not close your eyes to the true fruits of this
man's life which have been covered up and hidden. The truth must be exposed
for all to see clearly. I pray that you will have the courage to do so and
warn others also, so they can see the truth.
If you are prepared to read
what I have written in the last missive I sent you (Worldwide Church of
God, Where Do We Go From Here?), it should be clear that HWA was not
the prophesied 'Elijah' to come at the end. HWA had no miraculous testimony
to speak of to accompany his ministry (II Cor 12:12). Jesus has not come
yet, so HWA could not have been the 'Elijah'... Flurry's claim that he is
the 'Elisha' is not scriptural and is ridiculous. He is deceived and a
deceiver just like Armstrong, being used by Satan without knowing it.
The tragedy in all the
teaching of the WCG and the PCG is that, although some truth is taught, it
is so mixed with error that it is highly dangerous. The greatest danger lies
in the fact that it leads you to believe that you have found God's one and
only faithful remnant Church. You then close your eyes to what anyone
outside is saying, and are psychologically trapped within that organisation...
looking down on others outside because they don't have 'the truth' which you
assume you have. (There are many other true Christians
elsewhere. Possessing right doctrine is not the indicator of a true
Christian. Right spiritual fruits reflect who has God's
Spirit.) With such a blinkered approach, you cannot learn from any other
Christians.
By perpetuating the same
exclusivist arrogance which the WCG began under HWA, the PCG exerts the same
psychological controls which hold members in demonic bondage. They cannot
see it because it is so subtle. They are deceived.
Beware Being Deceived!
The New Testament is replete
with warnings for us to beware deceivers in the Church. Naive Christians
think that the deceivers are in other churches; never their own! They always
assume that its the 'other guy' who gets deceived, not themselves.
But a deceived person
does not know he is deceived. That statement was made countless
times by HWA, who was himself deceived about where the true Church was. He
assumed that all others outside his organisation could not be part of the
true Church. Not only that, but he was deceived as to his own spiritual
state.
How can you avoid being
deceived?
Peter provides the answer. He
also reveals why deceivers become deceived, and continue deceiving others.
Notice what he says in his second epistle. The simple answer to why people
become deceived is because they allow themselves to become corrupted by the
temptations in the world through evil desires (2 Pet 1:4).
For this very reason, make
every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to
perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to
brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing
measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in
your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet 1:5-8).
The problem is, church
leaders can slip away from God as the physical pressures on their time
increase. As their organisations grow, so their vanity and pride can grow
too. The bigger their organisations get, the 'bigger' they get. Of course,
that is an illusion: they are actually diminishing,
spiritually!
Satan's main target is the
Church. He wants to deceive the Church. He can do so if individuals allow
him to.
If church leaders have
character weaknesses that have not been 'crucified', such as greed or other
physical lusts, the temptations of this evil world can overwhelm them. Satan
is a mastermind at tempting people into sin, and deceiving them that it
doesn't really matter.
This is what happened with
HWA. He became corrupted by evil desires. Even before the money came rolling
in, in later years, temptations of the flesh overcame him. Satan got him
trapped!
Later, he became vain and
proud of the organisation he had established. Although he paid lip service
to God - he would say, "Jesus built this church, not me" -
psychologically, he had succumbed to pride. This was a weakness which had
been with him from the beginning. He had always aspired to greatness.
Perhaps it was that evil desire which he failed to crucify, which led to his
downfall.
Watch Out For Deceivers!
Peter warns us to beware evil
men in the Church who can lead us astray. How can we tell who are evil?
Jesus told us to examine the fruits of their lives (Matt 7:16,20).
He didn't say look at their
accomplishments or exploits. A man may be a hard worker, but he may do it
for selfish ends. He may be clever. He may have a good personality. He may
be an accomplished orator. He may have built a big organisation through his
efforts, even sacrificing to do so. Those are not the fruits Jesus is
talking about. They can all be achieved humanly, through selfish motive.
The fruits He is telling us
to be aware of, in assessing a person's real character, are the spiritual
fruits of their living. Those are listed in Galatians 5:22-24:
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its
passions and desires (v 24).
Conversely, false ministers
do not do so.
[They follow] the corrupt
desire of the sinful nature, and despise authority [the rightful authority
of the Holy Spirit; they don't submit to God]. Bold and arrogant... these
men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute
beasts, creatures of instinct... They are blots and blemishes, revelling
in their pleasures while they feast with you. With eyes full of adultery,
they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in
greed - an accursed brood! ( 2 Pet 2:11-14.)
They... are slaves of
depravity - for a man is slave to whatever has mastered him (v 19).
If sinful human desires are
not mastered, they will master you. This is what happened in the life of
Herbert W Armstrong, so-called 'apostle of God'. He was nothing of the sort.
He was a capable man, a clever man, but a deceived man. He was conquered by
Satan, and because he was so deceived, he deceived many others.
Never underestimate the power
of Satan. Never underestimate that he could conquer you, if you don't strive
to conquer sin in your life. Jude wrote assertively:
For certain men whose
condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among
you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a licence
for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord [they
deny Him by their lifestyle] (Jude 4).
Sexual immorality was one of
the sins which caused the downfall of Sodom and Gomorrah (v 8). Natural
instincts "- these are the very things that destroy them" (v 10).
But some ardent supporters of
HWA will protest that he was a good man. "After all, he sought truth.
He taught people about God and preached the Gospel of the Kingdom."
Yes, he may have appeared
a good man. However, satanic tools come as angels of light (2 Cor
11:13-15). It is difficult for the undiscerning to see through them. They
give the impression that they are altruistic, and that they fear God. They,
themselves, even think they do! The truth, however, is
different. Their hearts are not right before God.
These men are... shepherds
who feed only themselves. [They only really care about themselves.] They
are clouds without rain [they don't have the Holy Spirit living within
them], blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and
uprooted - twice dead (Jude 12).
The fruit they should have in
their personal lives has withered because "they follow their own evil
desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own
advantage (v 16). They... follow their own ungodly desires. These are the
men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the
Spirit" (vs 18,19).
Ironically, false ministers,
whose hearts are not right with God, will still be used to preach the
Gospel. They preach a mixture of truth and error. Sons and daughters of God
are even called through their ministry. That does not mean that the
preachers are of God. It means God is capable of using them to perform some
things He wants accomplished. God will use dirty vessels as well as clean.
How much He can use them depends on their submission to the Holy Spirit.
In the end, whether they are
accepted or rejected depends upon the fruit they have borne in their lives.
"Unless you change and become like little children, you will never
enter the Kingdom of heaven" (Matt 18:3). Sadly, HWA was arrogant. He
did not have child-like humility. His life's ambition, it would seem, was to
make a name for himself and to establish his organisation. Paul had
previously warned:
Guard yourselves and all
the flock... I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among
you and will not spare the flock. Even from among your own number men will
arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after
themselves (Acts 20:28-30).
HWA drew away disciples after
himself. He did what he did to gain a following. He did not co-operate with
other ministers, except where they submitted to his
authority. Some have called him egocentric, even an egomaniac. Jesus had
cautioned His disciples:
Watch out that no-one
deceives you. For many will come in My name, claiming 'I am the Christ',
and will deceive many (Matt 24:4,5).
HWA deceived many by subtly
causing them to follow him. His followers regarded him like many Catholics
regard the Pope. He became 'God' to members of the Worldwide Church of God.
Some 'old-timers' still
idolise him! They regard his words equal to, if not sometimes more important
than, the Bible! They don't perceive their behaviour and mental approach as
blasphemous. Why can't they see it? Because they are deceived!
The 'man of sin' Paul
describes in second Thessalonians 2 may well be the end-time false prophet,
who leads the great false church at the time of the final resurrection of
the Roman Empire. But the same trait is evident in others who claim to be
Christ's representatives, but who are fakes.
When a man exalts himself and
supplants God (2 Thes 2:3,4), no matter how subtly, he is guilty of
blasphemy against God! Why is that power of lawlessness described as
"secret"? (2 Thes 2:7.) Because it is not perceived.
People are easily deceived by
deceivers! And a deceived person does not know he is deceived. Many in the
WCG have been deceived by HWA! Have you?
Early 1995
* * *
The Truth About Joseph Tkach
Although there are many other
instances we could quote to illustrate the wrong fruits of HWA's life, these
have already been exposed through the pages of Ambassador Report.
We would encourage you to obtain relevant issues for yourself and study them
objectively. A summary of the issues to date is provided for you at the end
of this article. Please consider the financial needs of those providing this
information.
Also, please note that we do
not concur with everything contained in those reports. The views expressed
are not mine. While I have objectively considered the facts presented
therein, I do not agree with all the conclusions of the editor, nor do I
endorse all the doctrinal statements of others which appear within those
pages.
You must allow the Holy
Spirit to lead you, and make up your own mind about what you read.
In Ambassador Report,
Joseph Tkach is revealed as having a chequered history. The appearance you
see of a wonderful 'man of God' leading the end-time 'Church of God' is not
accurate. It is a gilded version, specially decorated to attract admiration
and loyalty from Worldwide members.
To maintain this false
self-image, Tkach has had to lie to members. For example, he has told the
following untruths:
- 1. He claims he was
brought up in a rough area of Chicago, requiring "pugilistic skills
for survival". The area where he grew up was NOT rough! Two
reliable witnesses testify. He was not the tough-guy he made himself out
to be (AR 41, pp 3,4).
- 2. The Worldwide News
(Jan
27, 1986, page 3) claims Tkach established 10 churches for the WCG in
the 1960s. He didn't establish them! He may have
preached there from time to time, but he did NOT establish
them. (AR 41, p 5).
- 3. Tkach claimed he was a
supervisor at Hupp Aviation. He was not! He also claimed he was sacked
for keeping the Sabbath. He was not! He also claimed that 2,000
employees came out in sympathy for him to be reinstated. They did not!
The company only had a few hundred employees! Evidence provided by a
long-time Hupp employee (AR 41, pp 5,6).
- 4. The Pastor General of
the WCG claims to have taken courses in "industrial management,
industrial safety and human factors in industry" at Illinois
Institute of Technology. IIT has repeatedly been unable to find any
trace of Joe Tkach in their records! The claims are FALSE! (AR 41, p 6).
- 5. In a bizarre incident,
related much more fully in AR 41 pages 7 and 8, a homeless WCG member -
'Jack' - was disfellowshiped by Tkach when he realised there was much
corruption in the WCG leadership. A friend who had put him up in his
flat because he had no home of his own, was told to get him out or he
would be fired from the church's employ. "That evening 'Jack',
penniless, found himself literally on the street!"
- 6. Tkach has been hailed
by certain WCG ministers as a World War II Navy hero. The accounts are
FALSE! (See AR 41, p 8. AR 42, p 1.)
- 7. His claims that he was
a heroic gunner who gunned down many kamikaze Japanese pilots, are
nothing but fantasy. Yet, WCG 'evangelist' Gerald Waterhouse has
publicized fictitious stories of bravado by Tkach as if they were
gospel. The lies eulogizing his activities are seemingly endless! (Read
AR 42.)
- 8. Not only is the WCG
leader a LIAR, but substantial allegations of criminal activity have
been made against him: "allegations that in the past Tkach misappro-
priated for his personal use thousands of dollars of church funds set
aside for the poor, that Tkach was once a fence (one who disposes of
stolen property), and that he has had dealings with numerous criminals
including professional hit men" (AR 43, p 1).
- 9. Worse than that, former
associates who knew Tkach well, confided to John Trechak, editor of Ambassador
Report, that Joe Tkach's fruits testified that his motives were not
laudable. Self-interest and lust for power topped his agenda, not true
love for the brethren.
- 10. The evidence and
witness corroboration point to Tkach being sexually IMMORAL, a seducer
or ADULTERER!
Lord Acton is well quoted as
having declared: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts
absolutely." Tragically, that statement is not more true than in the
lives of those who have wielded absolute power in the Worldwide Church of
God!
The Evidence Against Joseph Tkach
There is a plethora of
information which the investigations of Ambassador Report have
unearthed which exposes the real fruits of the current leader of the WCG. In
this short expos‚, I can only cover excerpts. For a comprehensive
explanation of how the data was gathered and more background information, I
would encourage you to obtain the complete accounts from Ambassador
Report [please send the editor a donation to cover his costs.]
Before we relate some of
these details, what is noteworthy is that Tkach and his lawyers refused to
be interviewed by Ambassador Report. If you are innocent, you want
to defend yourself. If you are trying to hide something, you stay quiet!
Tkach's reticence, unfortunately, reveals much. Secondly, Peter warned us
about the traits of...
....false teachers among
you. They will secretly bring in destructive heresies [that is transpiring
now in the WCG, even more than formerly], even denying the sovereign Lord
who bought them... Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the
way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit
you... (2 Pet 2:1-3).
Of course, false teachers are
not stupid! They will cleverly try and cover up their greed. But the facts
cannot be hidden indefinitely. Jesus promised that whatever is concealed
will be disclosed (Luke 12:2). He said this in the context of religious
hypocrisy!
Misappropriation of Church Funds
John Trechak states:
"The allegation that Tkach in the past misappropriated to himself
church funds set aside for the poor comes from numerous sources. In our
March 1982 issue [AR 19] I published a lengthy letter that had been
written by the WCG attorney-accountant Jack Kessler to the WCG's board of
trustees. The Kessler letter recounted numerous ethics violations by top WCG
executives. The letter contained the following statement:
According to Mr.
Robin Webber, Mr. Joseph Tkach apparently felt justified in giving himself
from a trust fund he controlled a little advance of $5,000.00 as a
"needy Church member" to take advantage of a special investment
in unregistered securities then illegally being pedalled (against advice
of counsel) by the Dean brothers.
"In early 1982 I wrote
both Tkach and the WCG's legal department, asking if they wished to comment
on the Kessler allegation. Neither replied.
"Beginning during the
early sixties, when he was still in Chicago, Tkach's superiors often gave
him responsibility over the 'poor fund', or 'third tithe' accounts of local
congregations. Earl Timmons, for a decade a confidant of Tkach, told me that
Tkach would often siphon off funds by making loans to needy
church members, then labelling the loans on the books as gifts paid out, and
finally pocketing the loans when they were repaid. I personally recall how
during the early seventies, a number of my WCG friends, unemployed at the
time, went to Tkach for assistance. In each case they were granted a few
hundred dollars. They were startled, however, when Tkach informed them that
the amount they received was only a loan and that the loan had to be repaid
to Tkach personally in cash.
"I asked one former
church secretary, who had known Tkach quite well during the seventies, if
she believed Tkach had siphoned off funds meant for the poor during those
years. She told me, 'Oh sure he did. But so what? In those days a lot of the
ministers were doing the same thing.' Perhaps that is so..." (AR 43, p
1.)
Tkach's Connections With 'The Underworld'
"The allegation about
Tkach having once been a fence was contained in a Feb. 1, 1981 telex from
WCG attorney Stanley Rader to church founder Herbert W. Armstrong. As I have
quoted in past issues, Rader's exact words were:
With respect to Joe
Tkach, I recommended him. Although I did not know about his connection
with Mr. and Mrs. Timmons (two of the relators in the lawsuit), I did not
find out the full details concerning his illegal fencing activities until
they surfaced recently when we were preparing our civil rights case.
"Rader is not the only
one who has made such allegations. It was in January 1979, as I waited to be
interviewed for a TV news segment about the WCG receivership, that Earl
Timmons first mentioned to me how Tkach had knowingly dealt in stolen
property. Whether the item was a refrigerator for a church member or gold
rings for his daughter Tanya's wedding, Tkach apparently had no qualms about
buying or selling goods that his friends warned him were stolen. According
to Timmon's wife, Shirley, Tkach would rationalize such dealings by saying,
'If you don't know where it comes from it's not wrong.' " (AR 43, p 1.)
The same Report
continues to uncover questionable details about Joe Tkach's social life:
"Two ex-WCG members who
knew Tkach back in the sixties... recalled how, at some juncture, Tkach
gained a reputation as one with contacts in organized crime. Said one
ex-member, 'I seem to recall it was Alan Manteufel who started that rumour.'
(Manteufel was a WCG minister who died in 1978 - from alcoholism, some say.)
"Whether it was because
of Tkach's visits to his imprisoned brother-in-law, or because of an
overactive imagination on the part of Manteufel or someone else, the rumour
of Tkach's Mafia connections became widely accepted as fact in WCG circles.
As for Tkach, not only did he make no effort to dispel the rumour, he
encouraged it. Ken Nagele, a former WCG member who once worked for Tkach,
told me, 'Joe Tkach even used to kid about his old Mafia connections.' A
number of former members also recall how Tkach had a 'Mafia Car Sticker' on
the black sedan in which he used to visit members. While many undoubtedly
took the sticker as a joke, others did not. Some have since noticed in the
news how one major crime figure apprehended not long ago in Southern
California also had such a 'humorous' sticker on his car.
"...But is there any
real substance behind the image of an 'Apostle' with lots of gangland
friends? One man who answers unequivocally in the affirmative is Earl
Timmons... A WCG member since the early sixties, he was a very close friend
and confidant of Tkach from 1969 through 1978. The two were so close they
would get together almost daily over coffee. Shirley Timmons was also close
to the Tkach family, as she was one of the church women who, for years, took
care of Tkach's ailing wife.
"Because of his plumbing
business, Timmons came in contact with many Los Angeles County businessmen.
One was George Pappageorge... however, Pappageorge was not just a legitimate
businessman, but the central figure in a major crime ring. Timmons alleges
that Pappageorge and his associates were involved in burglary, robbery, and
interstate trafficking in stolen cars and other merchandise...
"Court records show that
Timmons' allegations should not be thought of as fantasy. George Pappageorge
and two accomplices... were convicted in 1974 on multiple counts of
kidnapping (at gunpoint), robbery, burglary, and conspiracy...
"From reading the court
records it becomes obvious that Pappageorge and his many associates were
involved in a very wide range of criminal activity. Yet, according to
Timmons, George Pappageorge and his associate Kenny Moran were very close
friends of Joe Tkach. Timmons is sure of this, he says, because he
was the one who introduced Tkach to Pappageorge. From then on, says Timmons,
Tkach would often spend time socially with Pappageorge and Moran. Why?
According to Timmons, 'Joe just liked them. He'd go out to restaurants with
them and he liked their company.'
"...The statement by WCG
attorney Stanley Rader that Tkach once engaged in 'illegal fencing
activities' raises a number of questions. During the early seventies, the
WCG started a local discount store for its members in the Southern
California area. Called the Crown City Commissary, the Pasadena store was a
pet project of Pastor Al Carrozzo who saw it as a way for the WCG to give
something back to its members. But when Carrozzo left the WCG in late 1973,
Tkach moved into the vacuum caused by Carrozzo's departure.
"Some now wonder if
Tkach was fencing through the Commissary. They recall how the Commissary
often had on sale, for very low prices, huge lots of some items (sporting
goods, for instance) for which there was very little demand among church
members. Some also remember how the Commissary was abruptly shut down in
mid-1974 amid rumours that 'hot stuff' was being sold there. Former WCG
minister Howard Clark remembers how in early 1974 Timmons (who had been a
contractor for the remodelling of the Commissary building) told him he was
providing Tkach's Commissary with 'merchandise'. Timmons denies he did
anything illegal in those days, but he does not make the same denial for
Pappageorge and Tkach." (AR 43, pp 2,3)
The Sad Story of Tkach's Wife
John Trechak continues to
relate in Ambassador Report: "During the mid-sixties Tkach's
wife, Elaine, suffered a devastating mental breakdown from which she never
fully recovered. Eyewitnesses have told me how for many years she seemed to
be in a 'trance-like state', behaving 'like a zombie', and 'not in reality'.
Some who have known her well say that at times she complained of 'atomic
bombs going off in her head'. Some talk of how she has roamed around
Ambassador's Pasadena campus in only a robe and slippers. Others have told
stories of incredibly destructive rampages in the Tkach residence that led
to her being forcibly confined to her room for months at a time and never
left unattended.
"One individual, close
to the Tkach family, has written me that since HWA's death Elaine's
condition has improved. And a number of people have reported how she is now
able to go shopping on her own. (Any appearance of improvement may be due to
the powerful drug Haldol...) However, when I recently saw Mrs. Tkach
wandering about in Pasadena, she still seemed to me to be very disturbed.
"...according to some
who have known the Tkach family, Tkach is convinced his wife is demon
possessed. Many other WCG ministers are similarly convinced. Yet neither
Tkach nor his subordinates have the ability to cast out the demons in the
Apostle's wife.
"...Among those who've
personally known the Tkach family, Elaine's affliction has been attributed
to a number of supposed causes. One WCG member, a long-time friend of the
Tkach family (and one who views Tkach as a dedicated servant of God), wrote
me:
I have never known a
woman more outgoing and filled with Christian love and God's Spirit than
Elaine. In her quest for the truth, she gained a knowledge of the
Scriptures that surpassed that of many of the ministers. And what she
learned, she put into practice. Besides serving her husband and children,
she helped many families in the Church. During the Feast days she would
serve another dozen or so who stayed at their house. The Evangelist in the
area [Dean Blackwell] would take her along visiting, as would her husband.
Her entire life for about a ten-year period was dedicated fully to the
service of God and His people.
After they moved to
Pasadena in 1966, it did not take Elaine long to discover the true
character of the Armstrongs. In less than two years she started staying
away from services due to headaches. Then she started to proclaim that
both Armstrongs were 'inhumane'. After that she became overly quiet and
withdrawn. She is the first Church member I know to have come to the
discovery that the Armstrongs were not what they claimed to be. This
knowledge was too much for a woman so filled with Christian love and
dedication and good works. Part of her died. She is no longer the same
person. Her human spirit was crushed. Part of her brain was damaged by
this intense emotional realization and disappointment. Another precious
life ruined by the lies and hypocrisies of the Armstrongs.
"A few, who have
personal knowledge of the situation, have speculated that Elaine's condition
was exacerbated by Joe's domineering insensitivity and by the intermeddling
of church official Roderick C. Meredith in Tkach family matters during the
mid-'60s. However, almost all the WCG old-timers I talked to were convinced
that there was a connection between Elaine's condition and a sexual
relationship she allegedly had with evangelist Dean Blackwell, her husband's
superior in Chicago during the early '60s.
"The Tkach
administration now wants the Blackwell affair downplayed as having been
merely verbal overtures by Blackwell. With only one exception, however, all
the WCG old-timers I talked to said their understanding was that the
Blackwell affair was out and out adultery - at the very least.
And significantly, that widespread perception in WCG circles arose as a
result of statements made to numerous individuals by Joe Tkach himself. When
I suggested to former WCG pastor Al Carrozzo that Blackwell's romantic
relationship with Elaine Tkach was now being portrayed as only verbal, he
replied, 'That's not the way Joe talked about it years ago. He believed Dean
Blackwell had gone to bed with his wife.'
"Carrozzo is known for
his frankness. He is a man that does not mince his words. His understanding
of the Blackwell affair with Elaine Tkach, however, is very mild compared to
what some others have said. For instance, at least one WCG evangelist has
described the Blackwell-Elaine trysts as 'wife swapping'. When I first
became aware of this accusation I assumed the evangelist was confusing Dean
Blackwell with Blackwell's brother, Lowell, who was put out of the WCG
ministry years ago because of alleged wife swapping. That sordid business
was actually detailed in a turgid open letter written to the entire
WCG ministry by church administrator Roderick C. Meredith in the early '70s.
But a similar accusation against Tkach has now come from other sources as
well.
"In March I was
contacted by Indiana businessman Robert Skaggs, who had been a WCG member in
the Midwest during the early '60s. He had then been involved with the WCG's
visiting program and had been very close to both Tkach and Blackwell. Skaggs
claims that when he knew him, Tkach was not genuinely interested in
religious truth, but was possessed by a lust for power. Skaggs told me that
in his quest for power Tkach stooped so low as to allow evangelist
Blackwell, then his superior, to sleep with Elaine, his wife. In return for
this favour, says Skaggs, Blackwell had Tkach ordained into the WCG
ministry.
"When I was told this, I
pointedly asked Mr. Skaggs, 'Are you saying that Joe Tkach was ordained in
return for participating in some kind of wife-sharing arrangement?' His
answer: 'Absolutely!' Skaggs went on to state that Blackwell had at least
one other man ordained for the same reason.
"As shocking as they
are, Mr. Skaggs' accusations regarding Blackwell are in step with
Blackwell's reputation among many former colleagues. Former church
administrator Gary Arvidson told me, 'Yes, Dean Blackwell had something of a
reputation. Without going into details, let's just say he was known as
someone who really knew how to bring relief to the widows.' Another former
WCG minister recalled how Blackwell repeatedly had to be brought into
headquarters for periods of moral rehabilitation. Some such periods
culminated in pulpit pronouncements by Blackwell (somewhat akin to those of
Jimmy Swaggart) that he had finally repented and learned his lesson.
"Another former WCG
minister who commented to me about Blackwell's reputation is David Robinson.
He recalled how, in the fall of 1971, WCG minister Don Wineinger confessed
how he had obtained a quick promotion to the rank of preaching elder.
Wineinger said he became aware of Blackwell's double lifestyle and
threatened Blackwell with exposure if he wasn't raised up a notch in rank.
Within days, Blackwell had Wineinger ordained a preaching elder. I would
have liked to have verified this information with Wineinger. Unfortunately,
Wineinger committed suicide in 1978 after murdering his wife at a Spokane,
Washington divorce lawyer's office. As for Blackwell, my letters to him,
asking for an interview, were never answered." (AR 43, pp 3,4.)
Other Women in Tkach's Life
"Because of his wife's
condition, friends say, Tkach was deprived of a normal marital love life.
For female companionship he was forced to look elsewhere. He didn't have to
look far, however. The WCG has always had its share of ministers' groupies -
lonely females romantically attracted to authoritative 'men of the Word'.
And so it was with Tkach...
"One former church
employee of the early '70s wrote me:
My recollections of
Joe when I knew him are not favourable to him. I was concerned for his
heart because he drank so much coffee every morning, sitting in our CAD
[Church Administration Department] office talking to Mr. Cole's secretary.
One morning I came to work an hour early and discovered Mr. Tkach had left
a gigantic bottle of champagne on [Miss X's] desk. Being a naive
individual, I couldn't put it together. [Minister] Fred Coulter later
remarked to me: 'Didn't you know Mr. Tkach is having an affair with Mr.
Cole's secretary?' Then it all made sense. Mr. Tkach had an invalid wife
and was very friendly with women, too friendly. I hope he has repented of
his problem. According to Mr. Cole, you can never accuse someone of
adultery unless you were in bed with them. But in this case, there was an
appearance of evil, even if they didn't go all the way. I can just imagine
how my wife would feel if I gave my secretary a big bottle of champagne!
"I was able to locate
Miss X; I wrote her and left messages on her phone answering machine. To my
requests for an interview I never received an answer. A friend of hers said
that although Miss X, in the past, admitted she tried to get Tkach in bed,
Miss X claimed Tkach was 'too self-righteous to do anything'. Earl Timmons
says, however, that Tkach's affair with Miss X was 'hot and heavy'. Timmons
told me, 'I used to let them use my house in the afternoons so they could be
alone together.'
"Others have talked
about Tkach frequenting Pasadena coffee shops and flirting with waitresses.
One former church employee wrote me of how Tkach was frequently overly
helpful to 'church widows'. In the last few years I have been told
repeatedly of Tkach's relationships with a number of church secretaries. I
wrote to three of them asking for an interview and, as usual, received no
reply.
"One of those women
deserves special mention. 'Mrs.' Ellen Escat, a divorcee, is regularly
quoted and shown in church publications. When quoted, she is often
describing Tkach's sermons in glowing terms. When shown or reported on, it
is usually in regard to her accompanying Tkach to some important function.
Described by one WCG insider as 'a domineering woman prone to temper
tantrums', Mrs. Escat is Tkach's top female assistant and, as such, has
considerable influence in the WCG power structure.
"... she first came to
the attention of church employees in early 1979 when, according to
eyewitnesses, she and Joe Tkach were seen on numerous occasions holding
hands in public and appearing romantic towards one another...
"... the question
naturally arises: Where is Mr. Escat? A story told among top headquarters
personnel is that in 1980, when Mr. Escat discovered the relationship his
wife was having with Tkach, he angrily confronted Tkach and other top WCG
leaders about the matter. In return for his pledge of silence, so the story
goes, he was granted some type of beneficial arrangement.
"As Mrs. Escat never
responded to any of my letters, I decided to contact Mr. Escat. Although he
was not listed in any phone directory, through a bit of detective work, I
discovered Eugene Baptiste Escat Jr. was a retired businessman living alone
on Pasadena's wealthy southwest side. I drove over to his home, noticed a
for sale sign out front, and found Eugene working in his garage. He was a
trim and well-dressed gentleman who appeared to be in his mid-fifties.
"Eugene gave me a
cordial greeting. But when I explained that I was with Ambassador Report,
he became visibly nervous. Hoping to gain his co-operation, I gave him a few
back issues of our publication. I then noticed a curious thing. In a nervous
reaction, he rolled up the issues as one would large building plans, and
held them at chest height with both hands. As I talked about Tkach, his face
contorted into a deep frown and his trembling hands began to squeeze and
twist the rolled-up issues almost as though he was strangling the neck of a
chicken.
"Eugene then blurted
out, 'I've met Tkach. He's weak! Very weak! I can't
believe he's in charge over there.' He went on to say how he had also met
with and had had business dealings with church attorney Stanley Rader. But
when I pursued the matter, Eugene checked himself and said, 'I better not
say any more.' He then hastily retreated into his home and bolted the door.
"It's too bad we
couldn't have talked further because I would have liked to have asked how it
was that he achieved such a favourable divorce settlement with his ex-wife.
In looking over the 1981 Escat divorce papers at the Pasadena court
building, I noticed that even though the Escats were married for 12 years
and even though California is a community property state with 'no fault'
divorce, Ellen came out of the marriage with little more than her personal
belongings. Eugene on the other hand, did very well indeed. He got their
entire house (which he recently sold for $425,000), and he was not required
to pay one penny of alimony.
"Perhaps that's just as
well. As one of the WCG's most important personnel, Ellen receives a
generous salary from the WCG. And in 1987 Tkach had Ellen moved into a
luxury condo almost directly across the street from his own church
residence. Explained Tkach to one volunteer mover, 'I want Ellen to be close
to her work.' " (AR 43, pp, 4,5.)
Don't You Be Fooled!
Of course, loyal members of
the WCG will protest that all this is reading far more into things than is
warranted. Many would rather condone the behaviour of the leaders, than
admit to their inadmissible failings!
Yet such failure to admit is
a denial of a command Jesus gives His followers: Do not be deceived... (Gal
6:7). If you choose to shut your eyes to truth, you will be deceived. The
devil has no favourites! There is a penalty for sin. Unrepented sin brings
tragedy and suffering. The greatest tragedy is that it is often the innocent
who suffer.
Mrs. Elaine Tkach is paying
the price for her husband's failure to submit to God. Either you submit to
God, or you submit to the devil. There is no 'halfway house' (Jas 4:6,7;
Matt 12:30). James says aptly: You adulterous people, don't you know that
friendship with the world is hatred towards God? Anyone who chooses to be a
friend of the world becomes an enemy of God (Jas 4:4.)
If you welcome the devil
inside, as Joseph Tkach has done, he will take over! The Bible says quite
clearly to those who tolerate sin:
You belong to your father
the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire... there is no
truth in him... he is a liar and the father of lies (Jn 8:44).
Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but
inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognise
them (Matt 7:15,16). You won't recognise them by their words; but by their
fruit!
You must
assess their fruit. Liars and adulterers are not being led by the Spirit of
God, but by demon spirits.
The Spirit clearly says
that in the later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving
spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through
hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared with a hot iron...
If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister
of Jesus Christ (I Tim 4:1,2,6).
WCG loyalists criticise and
condemn me for repeating such allegations against their idol and mentor,
just as they have criticised John Trechak and others who have also sought
objectivity before me. However, unless they are willing to bury their pride
and prejudices, they will follow false ministers into perdition.
You can believe what you
like, but know this, that for what you accept you will be judged. Not
everyone who says to Jesus, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but only he who does God's will!
Marriage should be honoured
by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer
and all the sexually immoral. Keep your lives free from the love of
money... (Heb 13:4,5).
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not
be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers...
nor the greedy... nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God (I Cor
6:9,10).
When such sins are openly
repented of by church leaders, and you see evidence of good fruit in their
lives, then and only then, can you know that they have truly repented. Until
then, you are to have nothing to do with them (2 Tim 3:5).
Malcolm B Heap,
Early 1995
* * *
Summary
&
Why
This Was Written
Members of the Worldwide
Church of God are generally unaware of the gross corruption perpetrated by
those who lead them. If they were, they would not want to be associated with
such people!
The sins of the leadership
have been covered up or camouflaged and members kept ignorant. As a WCG
member, you need to know about the deceivers who lead you!
HWA was a sexual deviant who
did not repent of his misdemeanours. If you don't believe me, you don't
believe the truth.
Jesus says a bad tree bears
bad fruit (Matt 12:33). If you don't believe HWA was a bad "tree"
you don't believe Jesus' words.
Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing but
inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognise them
(Matt 7:15,16).
Will you?
Don't be deceived. The
sexually immoral will NOT inherit the Kingdom of God! (I Cor 6:9).
Joseph Tkach is a liar. He
has lied to bolster his image in the eyes of members. No such liar has the
Holy Spirit living in him!
Joseph Tkach has pilfered
church funds. He has expropriated tithes belonging to the Worldwide Church
of God for his own use. That is called stealing!
WCG lawyer Stanley Rader once
told Herbert Armstrong that he had discovered Joseph Tkach was a 'fence' (he
disposed of stolen goods).
According to a reliable
report, Tkach allowed evangelist Dean Blackwell to 'sleep with' Tkach's
wife. In return for this favour, Tkach was ordained by Blackwell!
Tkach has had other
adulterous relationships. I am not rumour-mongering. Read the facts for
yourself in Ambassador Report.
You must assess the fruit of
church leaders. Liars and adulterers are not being led by the Spirit of God,
but by demon spirits.
Malcolm B Heap
1 Ambassador Report is a factual quarterly publication which
investigates and reports on past and present irregularities and changes in
the Worldwide Church of God. Founded in 1977 by a group of Ambassador
College alumni, Ambassador Report's publishing association has
since exposed numerous scandals which have not been made known to the
members and financial supporters of the WCG. It is thoroughly researched,
frank and shocking. If you want to know the plain truth behind the Plain
Truth, write to Ambassador Report, P. O. Box 60068, Pasadena,
CA 91116, U. S. A
* * *
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