Herbert W. Armstrong was an American evangelist who founded the Worldwide Church of God (WCG). An early pioneer of radio and television evangelism, Armstrong preached what he claimed was the comprehensive combination of doctrines in the entire Bible, in the light of the New Covenant scriptures, which he maintained to be the restored true Gospel. These doctrines and teachings have been referred to as Armstrongism by non-adherents.
Grace Communion International (GCI), formerly named the Radio Church of God and the Worldwide Church of God (WCG), is a Christian denomination based in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA.
Garner Ted Armstrong was an American evangelist and the son of Herbert W. Armstrong, founder of the Worldwide Church of God, at the time a Sabbatarian organization that taught observance of seventh-day Sabbath and annual Sabbath days based on Leviticus 23.
The Living Church of God (LCG) is one of several groups that formed after the death of Herbert W. Armstrong, when major doctrinal changes were occurring in the former Worldwide Church of God (WCG) during the 1990s. It was after its founder, the late Roderick C. Meredith, was fired by board members of the Global Church of God (GCG), that he went on to found, for a second time, a new organization in 1998. It is just one of many and varied Sabbatarian Churches of God groups that have sprung up from the former Worldwide Church of God, known today as Grace Communion International (GCI). The US membership of the LCG is claimed to be around 11,300 with about 5,000 of that total number being claimed international members. From the LCG organization, several additional split-off groups have resulted over the years, each one headed by a former LCG minister.
The Churches of God (Seventh Day) is composed of a number of sabbath-keeping churches, among which the General Conference of the Church of God, or simply CoG7, is the best-known organization. The Churches of God (Seventh Day) observe the Sabbath on Saturday, the seventh day of the week.
Armstrongism refers to the teachings and doctrines of Herbert W. Armstrong while leader of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG). His teachings are professed by him and his followers to be the restored true Gospel of the Bible. Armstrong said they were revealed to him by God during his study of the Bible. The term Armstrongite is sometimes used to refer to those that follow Armstrong's teachings. Armstrongism and Armstrongite are generally considered derogatory by those to whom it is applied, who prefer to be known as members of the Church of God (COG). These doctrines were also espoused by his sons Richard David Armstrong and Garner Ted Armstrong with slight variations.
The Global Church of God (GCG) is a Sabbatarian church based in England. It was founded in Glendora, CA in 1992 by Roderick C. Meredith. Following the dissolution of most church operations in the United States, GCG's operations shifted to the United Kingdom and reestablished a presence in North America under new organizational identities.
The World Tomorrow is a half-hour radio and television program which was sponsored by the Worldwide Church of God led by Herbert W. Armstrong. It originally ran from 1934 to 1994. A 15-minute version of the radio program was broadcast in the French, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish languages.
The Plain Truth was a free-of-charge monthly magazine, first published in 1934 by Herbert W. Armstrong, founder of The Radio Church of God, which he later named The Worldwide Church of God (WCG). The magazine, subtitled as The Plain Truth: a magazine of understanding, gradually developed into an international, free-of-charge news magazine, sponsored by the WCG church membership. The magazine's messages often centered on the pseudo-scientific doctrine of British Israelism, the belief that the early inhabitants of the British Isles, and hence their descendants, were actually descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.
Ambassador College (1947–1997) was a four-year liberal arts college run by the Worldwide Church of God. The college was established in 1947 in Pasadena, California, by radio evangelist Herbert W. Armstrong, leader of what was then the Radio Church of God, later renamed the Worldwide Church of God. The college was approved by the State of California to grant degrees.
Stanley R. Rader, was an attorney, accountant, author and, later in life, one of the Evangelists of the Worldwide Church of God, then a Sabbatarian organization, which was founded by Herbert W. Armstrong.
Ernest L. Martin was a meteorologist, minister in the Worldwide Church of God and author on Biblical topics. He is best known for his controversial works on the Star of Bethlehem and the location of the Temple in Jerusalem.
The Church of God, International (CGI) is a nontrinitarian Christian denomination based in the United States, an offshoot of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) founded by Herbert W. Armstrong. It is one of many Sabbatarian Churches of God to separate from WCG.
The United Church of God, an International Association is a nontrinitarian Christian church based in the United States.
Joseph W. Tkach was the appointed successor of Herbert W. Armstrong, founder of the Worldwide Church of God. Tkach became president and pastor general of the church upon the death of Armstrong in 1986. Tkach spearheaded a major doctrinal transformation of the Worldwide Church of God, abandoning Armstrong's unconventional doctrines and bringing the church into accord with orthodox evangelical Christianity. His son, Joseph Tkach Jr., continued his work and in 1997 the Worldwide Church of God became a member of the National Association of Evangelicals.
The Philadelphia Trumpet is a magazine published by the Philadelphia Church of God (PCG), based in Edmond, Oklahoma. Launched in February of 1990, it initially focused on the doctrines of Herbert W. Armstrong's "Plain Truth" magazine after Armstrong's death in 1986. The magazine primarily features articles about current events, societal commentary, and Bible-themed self-help topics, often interpreting Biblical writings as prophecies relating to world events.
Beyond Today is a free religious magazine published bimonthly by the United Church of God (UCG). Subscriptions and printing costs are covered by tithed donations from UCG's members and employees. Subject matter includes Christian living, Bible prophecy, warnings to the English-speaking world, social issues, defense of creationism against evolution, world news, and prophecy, as interpreted by UCG's fundamental beliefs. Articles are exclusively written by the church's ministry.
The Philadelphia Church of God (PCG) is a sectarian splinter group from an American evangelical New Religious organization called Grace Communion International, formerly Worldwide Church of God (WCG). The PCG was founded by ex-WCG members Gerald R. Flurry and John Amos in 1989. The PCG was named for the church of Philadelphia, one of the "seven churches" in the Book of Revelation, and claims itself as "the true church". Its headquarters is in the city of Edmond, Oklahoma.
Dwight Leslie Armstrong was an American composer of hymns based upon texts from the Psalms and other books of the Christian Bible. He was the younger brother of Worldwide Church of God (WCG) founder Herbert W. Armstrong, and uncle of American WCG evangelist Garner Ted Armstrong. He was married to Karen Hill Armstrong and was the father of one daughter, Deborah.
Historically-speaking, in the former Worldwide Church of God an "evangelist" was a high ranking minister under governance of the Pastor General, Herbert W. Armstrong from 1934 to 1986, then under Joseph W. Tkach, from 1986 until his death in 1995. Higher ranking positions being; "apostle" (first) and then "prophet" (second) as stated in Ephesians 4:11. In the WCG, which was later renamed and is today known as Grace Communion International, the biblical term "evangelist" is no longer used as a ministerial title, although certain denominations with roots in the former WCG organization, such as the Living Church of God and the Philadelphia Church of God, still use the term.
