Articles for the Benefit of Members and Ex-Members of the WCG

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38
WCG: Don't Trust Your Leaders
Part 1

Members of the Worldwide Church of God should not trust their leaders. What they do they do to look good in the eyes of others, but their hearts are far from doing what is right. Here's one example.

In 1992, I published a booklet entitled The Controversy Concerning Law and Grace. At that time there was no controversy in the Worldwide Church of God on this issue. That came three years later when Joseph Tkach made the outrageous declaration that the Sabbath command is no longer relevant under the new covenant. The controversy this has engendered is like a tornado. It has ripped the church apart from within.

In the halcyon years of the eighties no one would have conceived of the WCG storm coming! However, God knew what was to come and He wanted His people prepared for the satanic onslaught about to hit them.

I published a few hundred copies of that first edition and sent them to former friends and associates in the WCG, as well as to all the church offices. At that time, we had about 500 relevant addresses. What became of all those booklets, I don't know. Probably most were binned without a second glance. Some were returned with the ridiculous complaint scribbled on the envelope "Unsolicited Mail, Return to Sender!" But we did receive an occasional positive reply.

A woman of repute who had been a WCG member for upwards of 30 years wrote and thanked me. She admitted that in all her years in the WCG she had never really understood this subject. The booklet made it plain and understandable for her.

Curiously, though, we only heard from her once after that. She stayed in the WCG and her mind was corrupted by the wrong influences in the church. Satan stole away the seed God sowed. I don't know what has become of her since.

Many Are To Stumble

Most underestimate the power and influence of Satan. They don't perceive how cleverly he works, or how they themselves become victims! He chooses the most insidious methods. And, of course, if he can influence leaders, he maximises his harmful impact!

God knew what was looming on the horizon. He knew, even before the WCG was established, what was to befall the church in its latter end. Some folks find it hard to conceive how God can know all the future before it comes to pass, but He does. He even knows what you think before you think it, and can predict inerrantly people's behaviour (Ps 139; Is 42:9; 44:8).

It was no surprise to Him, what was to transpire in the WCG under Tkach's leadership. He allowed it for a purpose. It is part of the fulfilment of Daniel's prophecy of the refining of His people.

Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless... (Dan 11:35, NIV).

How can you be refined unless you are first shown your impurities? How can you appreciate the truth unless you have first experienced deception?

The purpose of the ensuing WCG conflagration is to expose the weaknesses in the system, the errors in WCG thinking and the blemishes in behaviour.

The WCG ministry were warned of what was about to take place. God had me write to them at length and challenge them on their failure to seek justice and practise equity. He also had me warn them of what was to come.

On 31st August 1992, I wrote to a prominent WCG minister in Elstree House. It was not my first letter to him and there were a further 37 letters to follow this one! (That letter follows later.)

I plan to serialise some, or all, of these letters from now on, and also to publish the correspondence I had with other Elstree House personnel. God wants to expose the deviousness and deceit of these men, because they have refused all attempts to repair the breach and seek reconciliation. If you dispute that statement, you will also have to eat humble pie! You have forgotten how Jesus dealt with the religious hypocrites in His day! His words were scathing and uncompromising. Read Matthew 23 for a sample!

WCG Hypocrisy to be Exposed!

Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to His disciples saying: Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. THERE IS NOTHING CONCEALED THAT SHALL NOT BE DISCLOSED, OR HIDDEN THAT WILL NOT BE MADE KNOWN. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops (Luke 12:1-3, NIV).

I said previously in Trial By The Press that what the WCG has covered up in its duplicity and deceit will be exposed in the media for all to see. Since conniving Worldwide leaders would not grant justice to the downtrodden and innocent when it was in their power to grant it, the Press will expose openly before all. The righteous will be exonerated.

Leaders have a greater responsibility than most. They sit in the seat of influence. They can turn the minds of their listeners either one way or the other. But they should preserve knowledge in truth. And they should seek justice and equity. The failure on the part of Israel's leaders in the OT was what jettisoned God's prophets into outspoken action against them. Malachi wrote:

For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, and from his mouth men should seek instruction - because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty (Mal 2:7, NIV).

Members of the Worldwide Church of God look up to their mentors. They have trusted their words. But it is dangerous to trust men when they are not placing their trust in God! When men follow men - when men trust other men above them in a human organisation - warning bells should ring! They are not trusting and following God. They are trusting and following the set-up, which is a human establishment, even though it might bear the name Church of God.

WCG leaders should have clung to truth....

But you have turned from the way and by your teaching have caused many to stumble; you have violated the covenant... (Mal 2:8, NIV).

Instead, WCG leaders have fostered heresy and caused many to stumble, as Daniel predicted (11:35). Daniel's words indicate also an intensifying of this conflict in the days ahead, due to other heretics.

What did God say through Malachi would be the outcome for the leaders who promote heresy?

So I have caused you to be despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not followed My ways, but have shown partiality in matters of the law (Mal 2:9, NIV).

HUMILIATION is on God's agenda!

I told this particular minister in Elstree House that one day he would be humiliated, along with all the infidels who have mocked God by their hypocritical responses. I will reveal all that I wrote to him in due course. First, however, here is that letter I wrote to him in August 1992.

31st August 1992

I am writing to you, not to scare you but to prepare you.

I was recently informed of the fact that unethical and incorrect statements were made about me to the congregations of the Worldwide Church of God. I have on tape one of those announcements which were probably made throughout the country in Worldwide congregations: it happens to have been Andrew Silcox in this instance who was responsible for making the announcement about so-called "dissident" literature.

Because what was said about me was untruthful, I have asked for a retraction to be made before the church congregations where he made the announcement. I trust that I have made that point suitably clear to him. I enclose a copy of my letter to him. I am also formerly requesting a retraction and complete correction of misleading and slanderous statements made about me wherever those untrue statements have been made about me, slandering my motives and character.

If you also have been party to such calumny, may this letter serve as a warning to you also, although I am hopeful of more objective standards from you.

I have mentioned to Andrew some pertinent prophetic statements and facts which I hope will help him to get all these matters into perspective, and I encourage you both to exercise living faith in God at this juncture, for it is only God who can solve this one. I would just like to repeat some further prophetic statements, issued by the same prophet, which are intended to help you understand the purpose God is working out through all this mess. If you would like to know the source of such prophecies, do write [he didn't] and I can give you further information. My purpose is not to hinder, but to help. However, I think you should know me well enough by now, that if I have to tread on a few toes in order to achieve God's objectives, I have no qualms about doing so.

The whole text of what God said to this prophet is as follows:

• 1. Tell My people everything that can be shaken will be shaken.
• 2. Tell them to fix their faith.
• 3. If their faith is not fixed during the crisis, they will not stand.
• 4. They must fix their faith on that which is infallible, and that which is impregnable.
• 5. They must have a fixed point for their faith.
• 6. That fixed point is the Word of God.

Specifically what should concern the Worldwide Church of God at this juncture are the following prophetic statements:

There are people right now who are straddling the fence, trying to ride the middle of the fence."... They have one foot here and one foot there, and God is letting them straddle the fence. They will not be able to straddle it much longer."

"A clear line is going to be drawn... it is going to separate the real, the genuine from the fuzzy and uncommitted, the grey area."

The two things which concern the Worldwide Church of God most are fear of the loss of money, and fear of the loss of power. It is for these reasons that loyalty to the church has been stressed, even demanded by the controlling authorities of the organisation. (This part of the prophecy has been paraphrased for clarity.)

"When the shaking comes, that power structure is going to crumble. The centralisation of power in (the church) is going to be broken. The power structure that demands that either everybody bow to it or be ostracised is going to be broken through the persecution and trial that is coming."

Finally, I would like to repeat one thing further. "God's real people will make every effort to reach the lost and build up the Body of Christ under extremely trying conditions."

God is aware of what the motives of all of us are and what we are all doing in His service. I hope you are with us and not against us, just as we are with you and not against you. None of us need be shaken by what is about to transpire.

Sincerely, in Jesus' name,

Malcolm

I dare say some shallow-thinking or ignorant people will think that I was being dishonest in saying I was not against this individual. If they were party to all the facts, they would understand that I gave the church my wholehearted support for over 20 years until a false minister in the church picked a spiritual fight with me. He falsely accused me and slandered my character from the pulpit. When I sought redress from other ministers I was vilified further!

Later, God showed me why He allowed it all to transpire. I had to write a record for our brethren of what went wrong and why, so all our brothers and sisters trapped in the WCG can see and learn - and move on spiritually.

The booklet The Controversy Concerning Law & Grace was one part of that legacy written ahead of time for those who will listen and learn. Few have heeded, but hopefully more will wake up in time.

To be continued...

Malcolm B Heap, 11 March 1998