Banned by HWA! News and Observations About Armstrongism and the Church of God Movement

Perpetual Office Managers: The Rot That Afflicts Every Church of God Splinter

2026-06-09T11:03:23.362-07:00

Perpetual Office Managers: The Rot That Afflicts Every Church of God Splinter

The United Church of God’s problems with entrenched, unaccountable Operations Managers aren’t a UCG-only bug. They’re a feature across the entire fractured landscape of Armstrongist “Churches of God.” Nathan Albright’s recent paper shines a much-needed light on the governance failure in UCG, but the same sickness—lifelong administrative fiefdoms, opaque decision-making, and resistance to real accountability—plagues virtually every major splinter. What began as a reaction against Herbert W. Armstrong’s and Joseph Tkach’s top-down authoritarianism has calcified into its own form of bureaucratic permanence. The result? Stagnation, groupthink, silenced dissent, and a leadership class more focused on preserving its own comfort than serving the flock.

As Albright rightly notes in his executive summary:

This paper examines a governance weakness within the United Church of God (UCG): the absence of term limits or genuine accountability for Operations Managers, particularly those overseeing Ministerial and Member Services and Media and Communications Services. While the UCG was formed in response to prior authoritarian abuses within the Worldwide Church of God, its own governing structure has permitted long-term consolidation of administrative power.

Replace “UCG” with LCG, PCG, CCOG, COGWA, RCG, or any of the smaller groups, and the paragraph still works perfectly. The names change, the letterhead rotates, but the pattern remains: a handful of men (almost always the same small circle) dig in for decades, shaping doctrine, ministry assignments, media narratives, and discipline with little meaningful oversight.

The Same Old Story Across the Splinters

UCG’s Council of Elders and General Conference of Elders were supposed to provide collegial balance. In practice, as Albright documents, Operations Managers over Ministerial and Member Services and Media become “semi-permanent and virtually immune to broad accountability.” They control pastoral assignments, credentialing, internal communications, public messaging, and responses to controversy. Dissenting ministers get reassigned, marginalized, or quietly sidelined. Media output stays tightly controlled to protect the approved narrative.

This isn’t unique to UCG. In the Living Church of God, long-serving administrators and headquarters loyalists have maintained tight control over ministerial culture and public image for years, even as membership and income trends tell their own story. In the Philadelphia Church of God, Gerald Flurry’s inner circle operates with even less pretense of accountability—after all, it’s “God’s government” in their telling. David C. Pack’s Restored Church of God takes it to cultish extremes, where questioning headquarters means questioning “God’s apostle.” Bob Thiel’s Continuing Church of God functions as a one-man (plus a few loyal lieutenants) operation where administrative power is simply whatever “Bwana Bob” decrees.

Across the board, the absence of term limits for these key operational roles creates the very centralization the splinters claimed to escape. Albright nails the structural problem in UCG:

The Constitution and Bylaws do not specify term limits for Operations Managers nor mandate periodic reviews or reappointment processes… Long-serving individuals in these roles often shape the institutional culture to their own vision, marginalizing dissent and consolidating influence through internal promotions and informal networks.

The same bylaws-level vacuum (or outright disregard for accountability) exists elsewhere. Presidents, Operations Managers, Media Directors, and “counsel of elders” equivalents become de facto lifelong positions. Fresh ideas dry up. Emerging leaders with different perspectives are either co-opted or pushed out. Innovation dies. The result is the slow-motion decline visible in shrinking congregations, aging memberships, and increasingly desperate fundraising across most groups.

Biblical Leadership: This Is Not

The New Testament knows nothing of perpetual office managers lording it over the saints. As Albright points out:

Scripture consistently presents leadership as a responsibility, not a personal possession. The New Testament pattern emphasizes rotation, plurality, and accountability. Paul and Peter both warn against lording it over the flock (1 Peter 5:1–3), and Christ commands His followers not to exercise authority as the Gentiles do (Matthew 20:25–28).

Instead of servant leadership and plurality, we get administrative permanence that breeds exactly the kind of institutional idolatry and abuse of power the splinters once condemned in the old WCG. Media control becomes narrative control. Ministerial oversight becomes the ability to shape (or silence) theology and discipline. When these powers rest in the same unchanging hands for decades, spiritual vitality suffers and the church drifts toward the very hierarchical model it fled.

Consequences We’ve All Seen

Stifled innovation and fresh voices:

Talented ministers and members with new ideas hit the same entrenched wall.
Lack of transparency: Decisions about discipline, doctrine emphasis, and finances happen behind closed doors with minimal reporting to the brethren.
Groupthink and cover-ups: Problems (doctrinal drift, moral failures, financial mismanagement) get minimized or buried to protect the institution and its long-serving managers.
Declining health: Membership stagnates or shrinks while headquarters empires remain comfortable.

This isn’t servant leadership. It’s bureaucratic self-preservation dressed up in religious language.

Time for Real Reform Across the Board

Albright’s recommendations for UCG apply broadly: term limits (five-year renewable terms with mandatory sabbaticals after ten years), transparent annual reviews with input from field ministers and members, clearer separation of strategic council oversight from day-to-day administrative power, broader involvement in appointments, and a renewed culture of servant leadership.

Until the Churches of God adopt genuine accountability structures—real term limits, independent reviews, and actual plurality—the pattern of “perpetual office managers” will continue producing the same sad results: declining churches run by comfortable insiders who mistake institutional survival for faithfulness to the Gospel.

The original break from the WCG was driven by a desire to restore biblical governance and avoid the abuses of unchecked power. Thirty years later, most splinters have failed to live up to that vision. As Albright warns in his conclusion:

The United Church of God has noble origins in resisting ecclesiastical overreach. Yet without meaningful reform, it risks reproducing the very patterns it once rejected. Operations Managers must not become unaccountable power centers.

The same warning applies to every Church of God group. The brethren deserve better than lifelong bureaucratic overlords. Real New Covenant freedom includes freedom from the heavy hand of perpetual office managers who have confused their own positions with the work of God.

It’s long past time for genuine reform—before more generations are ground down by the same unaccountable system.

Nathan Albright's paper: White Paper: Unaccountable Stewardship — The Structural Problems of Perpetual Operations Managers in the United Church of God

The German Blitz That Crumbled Before It Started – Thanks, Demographics!

2026-06-09T09:55:28.584-07:00

For decades, Armstrongism has clung desperately to the long-held delusion that Germany will once again rise as a military juggernaut, invade the United States, England, Australia, Canada, and other so-called “Israelitish” nations, slaughter a third of the inhabitants, haul off millions of prisoners (especially the young and fit), and ship them across the Atlantic to serve as slaves for their European overlords. It even reached peak absurdity at one point with the claim that when the Germans stormed ashore, they’d be so dazzled by the Ambassador Auditorium and surrounding properties in Pasadena that they’d declare it the invasion headquarters. Heaven forbid they tear it down—after all, why destroy such a fine example of God’s (or at least Herbert’s) handiwork when you could just occupy it instead?

Herbert Armstrong kicked off this paranoid fever dream by repeatedly insisting that Hitler was still alive and hiding out in South America, most likely Argentina, plotting his comeback tour. Then Rod Meredith had what can only be described as a particularly vivid wet dream about Americans being cooked in Nazi ovens, hung on meat hooks to die slow deaths, and—because nothing says “biblical prophecy” like extra cruelty—skin from those with tattoos being turned into lampshades, just like the Nazis actually did in some concentration camps.

Scores of breathless articles flooded the Plain Truth, Good News, and World Tomorrow magazines, warning of the imminent German blitz. And who could forget Gerald Waterhouse’s traveling road show of unhinged stupidity, where he not only regurgitated these delusions but happily invented fresh ones for the flock? Even today, the usual suspects—Bob Thiel (a.k.a. Bwana Bob, the Crackpot Prophet), Gerald Flurry, Ron Weinland, Alton Billingsley, Dave Pack, and a whole clown car full of other self-appointed know-it-alls—continue to peddle this nonsense as if it’s cutting-edge revelation instead of moldy 1930s-era geopolitical fan fiction. It should be painfully obvious by now that mental illness and grand delusions are occupational hazards for far too many Church of God leaders and evangelists.

These Church of God leaders need this German invasion to happen. It simply must occur! Only then can they finally declare victory and prove that every wild-eyed prediction they’ve ever made wasn’t the ravings of paranoid men living in perpetual fear of being exposed as frauds.

All of this stems from their stubborn refusal to leave the Old Covenant behind—those heavy chains of law-keeping, enforcement, and threats used to keep the sheep in line. Armstrongism’s allergic reaction to fully embracing the New Covenant is precisely why they keep recycling this apocalyptic garbage. Instead of finding rest in the One who accomplished it all, they prefer to wallow in fear and cower before imagined divine wrath.

They desperately need to see an invading army of jackbooted Germans marching down the streets of Charlotte or Grover Beach. But not once do they sit down and actually think this mythical scenario through. Germany currently fields around 1,000,000 active and reserve military personnel, while the United States has about 3,000,000. Oh wait, they always have an escape hatch: After Germany miraculously drops nuclear bombs on all the major military installations and cities, the number of defenders will be minimal. And of those who remain, many will conveniently perish from hunger and disease. Armstrongism has a convenient workaround for everything!

One thing these prophetic geniuses never had the intellectual honesty to consider is the current state of Germany’s military. This tidbit was on a German page on X:

“Germany can no longer raise an army, simply because of how many Muslims are now German citizens”

“Now, allegedly, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz has privately admitted that he's worried about the country's ability to raise an army, simply because Germany doesn't want to put weapons in the hands of hundreds of thousands of Muslim Germans. And he'd be right in worrying, because a recent study of young Muslim Germans showed that nearly half expressed latent Islamist attitudes, which are, you know, the kind of attitudes that turn Muslims into terrorists, and more than half said that their religious commandments were more important to them than even German democracy. And if you ask me, these don't sound like the attitudes of Germans. These sound like the attitudes of Germany's enemies”

Let’s get into the facts. A 2025–2026 German government-backed study by MOTRA, Radicalization Monitoring System, involving the Federal Criminal Police Office, found that 45.1% of Muslims under 40 in Germany hold either “manifest” (11.5%) or “latent” (33.6%) Islamist attitudes. This includes preferences for Sharia over the constitution, antisemitic views, and Islamist leanings. When you have a significant population of Muslims who hold a pro-Sharia Law mindset, you can’t trust them in your military.

In the end, the entire edifice of Armstrongist prophecy about a German invasion crumbles under the slightest scrutiny, revealing itself as nothing more than a fear-based control mechanism dressed up in biblical language. While these leaders continue to hype imaginary jackbooted hordes, the real world moves on—Germany grapples with its own demographic and security challenges that make conquering the United States about as likely as Herbert Armstrong returning from Mountain View Cemetery in Altadena to lead the charge himself.

The tragedy is that generations of sincere people have lived in dread, sacrificing time, money, and peace of mind to support a fantasy that has failed spectacularly for decades. The New Covenant offers rest, freedom, and security in Christ, not endless paranoia about European superpowers or nuclear doomsday scenarios conveniently rigged in favor of the “one true church.” It’s long past time for those still trapped in this system to step away from the delusions, embrace the finished work of the Savior, and leave the failed prophets to their increasingly desperate echo chambers. True peace doesn’t come from watching for German tanks on the horizon—it comes from the One who has already overcome the world.

Persecution Coming Within Four Years… Or Eight… Or Twelve… But Definitely Real This Time, Brethren!

2026-06-09T00:12:46.858-07:00

Why Bob Thiel Is Convinced His Tiny Sabbath-Keeping “Philadelphian Remnant” Will Be Persecuted Within the Next Four Years (And Why He’s Been Wrong About Every Single Deadline Since the Last Ice Age)
Oh look, brethren—er, I mean, the three dozen faithful who haven’t yet fled to another city—real persecution is coming. Again. This week’s recommended sermon from the Continuing Church of God’s very own Dr. Bob Thiel (PhD in made-up prophecy) is all about “prophecies related to Sabbath-keepers,” which is Thiel-speak for “please keep tithing while I recycle the same 1970s Armstrongist fear-porn and pretend it’s fresh revelation from God.”
The man who once claimed God gave him a dream that he was the prophesied Elijah-to-come (before quietly walking that one back when it got too embarrassing) is now dusting off Matthew 10:23 like it’s a brand-new text hot off the divine press:

When they persecute you in this city, flee to another. For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

Jesus was talking to first-century apostles. Bob Thiel reads it and hears a personal four-year eviction notice aimed squarely at his living-room Zoom Bible study in Arroyo Grande. Because nothing says “humble servant of God” like turning a travel advisory for the Twelve into a personalized persecution countdown clock that somehow always lands on “within four years… or maybe eight… or twelve… but definitely soon, brethren, send more money.”
But the real comedy gold comes when Thiel drags out Daniel 11:28-35—the passage every failed end-times huckster has been misapplying since the ink dried. The king of the North gets mad, pollutes the sanctuary, persecutes the “wise,” etc. In Thiel’s special translation (the one with the invisible asterisk that says “*This means me and my 47 followers first”), this somehow proves the “bulk of a relatively soon coming persecution (perhaps within four years)” will hit the Philadelphian remnant Christians before anyone else. Why? Because Revelation 3:8 says they have “a little strength” and have kept His word. Translation: Bob’s group still meets on Saturday, avoids bacon, and tithes like it’s 1974, so obviously Satan has them circled in red Sharpie on the global hit list.
The logic is airtight if you’ve had a lobotomy:

Bob Thiel = the Philadelphian remnant (he checked the dream journal).
Daniel 11 says the remnant gets hammered first.
Jesus said flee, so pack the freeze-dried manna.
Therefore, within four years the government, the Vatican, the UN, the Illuminati, and probably the local HOA will burst in demanding Sunday worship and Easter ham while forcing everyone to work Saturdays in matching “666” T-shirts.
Don’t forget to buy Bob’s latest book on the subject. It’s only $29.99 and comes with a free “I told you so” sticker for when it doesn’t happen.

What’s especially hilarious is how Thiel’s four-year windows have the structural integrity of wet toilet paper. He’s been peddling this “persecution is right around the corner” schtick for over a decade now. Every failed prediction gets quietly memory-holed while a shiny new sermon series pops up: “Why the Great Tribulation Is Still Coming—Just a Little Later Than the Last 47 Times I Said It Would.” Some random European law, a papal handshake, a TikTok about Sunday laws, or the fact that Walmart sells hot dogs on Saturday—all of it is “proof” in Thiel’s fever-dream theology. He even wrote an entire article called “Persecutions by Church and State” that’s basically a greatest-hits album of out-of-context Ellen White quotes, Herbert Armstrong fever dreams, and Bob’s own self-referential footnotes.
And the lies? Oh, the lies are the real miracle here. Thiel has claimed divine dreams proving he’s a prophet more times than most people change their socks. He’s predicted specific wars, economic collapses, and end-time events with calendar precision—none of which have arrived on schedule. When they don’t, he simply moves the goalposts, reinterprets the dream, or blames the brethren for not praying hard enough. It’s the prophetic equivalent of that friend who keeps swearing “this time the check is in the mail” while his bank account is overdrawn into next year.
Meanwhile, the rest of Christianity—billions of people who also claim to follow Jesus—gets a free pass until Bob’s elite little flock has been sufficiently thinned out. Because nothing screams “the true church” like believing the entire planet’s apocalyptic drama revolves around whether your micro-group in California gets raided before the Baptists do. The arrogance is almost impressive. Almost.
So yes, real persecution is going to come. Any day now. Within four years. Or eight. Or twelve. Just keep fleeing to the next city, brethren. The Son of Man is right behind you—probably stuck in the same prophetic traffic jam Bob Thiel has been directing since he split off from the Living Church of God because they wouldn’t crown him Elijah 2.0 fast enough.
Pass the popcorn. And maybe some bacon. You know—for the non-remnant who aren’t living in Bob’s perpetual four-year countdown to nowhere

Great News Out Of Edmond, Oklahoma!!!!! PCG Income Continues Spiraling Down

2026-06-08T18:31:01.485-07:00

Courtesy of Dan Moffett

From The Exit and Support Network

June 7, 2026

Fred Dattolo (Chief Financial Officer) recently stated in the June 5 Friday Philadelphian: “Meanwhile, the decline in first tithe continues. Consequently, total income for the year is barely keeping up with last year, while some expenses are rising.”

Then Dattolo added: “So, your generous holy day offerings have been appreciated!” (I.e., members are to “take up the slack.”)

I’ve noticed lately that HQs is talking more and more about “the Work,” telling members to pray for every last thing PCG is doing, or planning on doing. This serves the purpose of keeping members’ minds and prayers continually focused on “the Work.” –[name withheld]

Why Does Armstrongism Obsess Over Irrelevant Topics?

2026-06-08T10:40:34.086-07:00

Why Does Armstrongism Obsess Over Irrelevant Topics?

It's remarkable how Armstrongism consistently busies itself with doctrinal rabbit trails that have little to no bearing on a genuine Christian's daily walk with Jesus. Instead of focusing on faith, grace, love, and the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit, these groups remain fixated on speculative genealogy, obscure prophetic timelines, and Old Covenant shadows. A recent tidbit from the United Church of God's Council of Elders report perfectly illustrates this misplaced priority.

The Doctrine Committee currently has two projects remanded to it by the Council of Elders. “Modern Tribes of Israel” is now under review by the Prophecy Advisory Committee. “The Resurrection at the Seventh Trumpet Within God’s Plan of Salvation” was completed with remarkable speed—after reviewing over 5,000 pages of material. This included historical and current teachings from Churches of God groups, writings by the originator of the Pentecost resurrection theory, and files dating back to 2013. The project was fast-tracked at the request of Steve Myers to address “false teachings” about the meaning of the Day of Pentecost. Mr. de Campos served as lead author, and the committee earned praise for burning the midnight oil to finish in just 20 days.

Let's be honest: no one outside these echo chambers actually cares who the “modern tribes of Israel” are supposed to be. And knowing (or pretending to know) has zero relevance to anyone's relationship with Christ. As the Apostle Paul made crystal clear in Galatians 3:28: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

This British Israelism fixation does nothing but puff up certain people—mostly those in the English-speaking West—with a false sense of specialness. It creates unnecessary rifts and divisions that have no place in the Body of Christ. Christians in Africa, India, Asia, Latin America, and everywhere else couldn't care less about whether Americans, Canadians, or Australians might be distant descendants of ancient Israelite tribes. Their walk with the Lord is refreshingly direct: faith in Christ, empowered by the Holy Spirit, without the need for imaginary national identities to feel significant.

The Pentecost project is equally telling. After more than a century of Armstrongism, these groups still can't get their act together on what the Day of Pentecost truly represents. So they do what they always do: look backwards with longing for the “leeks and garlic” of the Old Covenant, debating resurrection timing and trumpets instead of embracing the vibrant reality of the New Covenant. Jesus promised His followers an Advocate, a Helper—the Holy Spirit—who would guide, comfort, empower, and equip believers to live out their faith and serve others through spiritual gifts. That's the heart of Pentecost, not some convoluted theory requiring 5,000 pages of committee wrangling.

In the end, this endless preoccupation with prophetic minutiae and genealogical myths reveals the deeper problem with Armstrongism: it remains trapped in a legalistic, Old Covenant mindset that distracts from the simplicity and freedom found in Christ. While sincere believers in these groups pour their hearts (and often their wallets) into supporting such scholarly exercises, the average Christian around the world is simply walking with Jesus, loving their neighbor, and bearing the fruit of the Spirit—without needing a Prophecy Advisory Committee to tell them who they are.

It's almost comical after all these decades: the same movement that once confidently predicted the end times in the 1970s is still publishing lengthy reports to sort out basic New Testament realities. One has to wonder how many more thousands of pages and emergency committee meetings it will take before they finally realize that the true “special people” are simply those who are in Christ—full stop. No tribal membership card required. The real power and joy of Pentecost isn't found in looking backward to ancient shadows, but in living today in the light of the risen Savior and the indwelling Holy Spirit. That's a message worth sharing, without the unnecessary baggage.

Yisrayl Hawkins and the House of Yahweh (HOY): Armstrongism, Failed Prophecies, Bigamy, Child Labor, and Abuse Allegations

2026-06-08T09:32:13.141-07:00

Yisrayl Hawkins (born Buffalo Bill Hawkins), leader of the House of Yahweh (HOY) in Eula/Clyde, Texas, positioned himself as a modern-day prophet and one of the "two witnesses" of Revelation. His movement, which emerged from Sabbatarian and Church of God traditions, heavily emphasized apocalyptic end-times scenarios. Like many high-control groups, HOY used urgent doomsday predictions to foster fear, demand total commitment, and retain members. These prophecies repeatedly failed, yet the group adapted explanations or shifted dates—a classic pattern in failed prophetic movements.

A Pattern of Unfulfilled Predictions

Hawkins’ track record of prophetic failure spans decades:

1999–2002: In the 1999 Channel 4 documentary Welcome to Armageddon, Hawkins declared that four-fifths of the world's population would be wiped out between then and mid-2002. When challenged, he replied confidently: "There is no possibility that it could not take place just as I have told you." The date passed without incident.
1993–2000: He tied the Israeli Peace Accord of October 13, 1993, to the start of a seven-year Tribulation, predicting Christ’s return by October 14, 2000. This too failed.
2006 Nuclear War: In a February 2006 newsletter, Hawkins announced that nuclear war would begin on September 12, 2006. When that date passed, he revised the timeline, claiming the war was “conceived” on that date and would be “born” nine months later (June 12, 2007).
2007–2008: That deadline also failed. Hawkins then set June 12, 2008, as the start of nuclear war. After this final major miss, he stopped setting specific new dates for global catastrophe, though the group continued emphasizing imminent end times.

Ex-members described how these shifting predictions created a cycle of heightened anxiety followed by rationalizations: “It was only conceived,” “Yahweh gave more time,” or “The warnings delayed judgment.” One former member noted that the world was supposed to end “at least three or four times” during her involvement, with excuses always provided.

These failures align with Deuteronomy 18:22 in the Bible: If a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord and the thing does not happen, “that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken.” Hawkins’ unfulfilled words mark him as a false prophet by his own scriptural standard.

Ties to Armstrongism

The House of Yahweh did not emerge in isolation. It draws heavily from Armstrongism—the teachings of Herbert W. Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God (WCG). Both stress Torah observance, rejection of “pagan” holidays, British Israelism (or similar identity doctrines), and a strong apocalyptic framework. Hawkins radicalized these elements: claiming to be one of the two witnesses, establishing a physical “place of safety” on the Texas compound, and enforcing stricter controls. The pattern of date-setting, fear-mongering, and post-failure adjustment is a shared legacy.

Bigamy, Child Labor Violations, and Abuse at the HOY Compound

Beyond failed prophecies, the group faced serious legal scrutiny over practices at its 44-acre compound. Authorities investigated allegations of polygamy (bigamy), child labor exploitation, and sexual abuse.

In February 2008, Yisrayl Hawkins (then 73–74) was arrested and charged with four counts of promoting bigamy and one count of practicing bigamy, along with child labor violations.

Prosecutors accused him of performing polygamous weddings and maintaining multiple wives—former members and reports estimated at least two dozen wives. State records showed him listed as the father of children born in 2007 to young women in the group. His initial bail was set at $10 million before being reduced.

The bigamy charges were ultimately dismissed in October 2009 as part of a plea deal.

Hawkins pleaded no contest to four misdemeanor counts of child labor violations involving children working on the compound. He received 15 months of probation and fines. Children were reportedly required to work long hours (e.g., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) in fields, a cannery, and butter operations.

The Case of Yedidiyah Hawkins

The most disturbing incidents involved sexual abuse by group elders. In 2007, Yedidiyah Hawkins (age ~40), an elder in the House of Yahweh and reportedly one of Yisrayl’s associates, was arrested for aggravated sexual assault of a child. He was convicted in October 2008 of molesting his 11-year-old stepdaughter under the pretext of performing “cervical cancer checks.” Testimony revealed he used a gynecological speculum (purchased online) on the girl, with abuse alleged to have occurred over years, beginning as early as age 8. A former member testified that some elders knew and failed to report it.

Yedidiyah was sentenced to 30 years in prison in December 2008. The case highlighted broader concerns about an environment where polygamy was taught as doctrine (with sermons promoting it as early as 1993), young women faced pressure into sanctioned unions, and child protection failures occurred. Civil suits and investigations also addressed failure to report child sexual abuse. These events compounded the human cost: families fractured, children exposed to labor and alleged exploitation, and a culture of control reinforced by apocalyptic urgency. Ex-members described the group as enforcing isolation, heavy tithing, restricted education, and total allegiance to Hawkins.

Videos and Documentaries

Several documentaries and interviews expose these dynamics:

How I Escaped My Cult (Freeform, 2025 episode on HOY) features ex-member Debby detailing life inside, apocalyptic preparations, control tactics, and her escape.
The 1999 Channel 4 Welcome to Armageddon documentary includes direct interviews with Hawkins making bold predictions.
YouTube hosts ex-member testimonies, news segments on the 2006–2008 dates, the 2008 arrests, and discussions of compound life.

Exposing the Lies of Armstrongism

The repeated failures of Yisrayl Hawkins, combined with the documented legal issues of bigamy promotion, child labor, and sexual abuse cases like Yedidiyah Hawkins’, stand as a stark warning about the dangers of date-setting, rigid prophetic speculation, and unchecked authority in high-control groups. Armstrong’s system and its offshoots promised unique “revealed truth” — yet foundational predictions collapsed, requiring constant reinterpretation, while members paid a heavy personal price.

True biblical prophecy does not rely on shifting timelines or human leaders’ charisma. It calls for discernment, testing spirits, and fruit that lasts (Matthew 7:15-20). Movements like HOY demonstrate how mixing legalism, isolation, apocalyptic fear, and authoritarian control can harm vulnerable people seeking meaning. Hawkins is gone, but the cautionary tale remains: Beware any group that claims exclusive access to God’s timeline while demanding your total allegiance and isolating you from accountability.

Silent Pilgrim

Restored Church of God: David C. Pack is a Lying False Prophet

2026-06-08T00:20:45.188-07:00

David C. Pack is a Lying False Prophet

David C. Pack is a lying false prophet. To believe otherwise requires willful foolishness and stubborn denial of the overwhelming documented facts that are freely available to all who care to examine.

It would be far too kind to describe David C. Pack as being the least truthiest minister in the COGs. The stark reality is that the Pastor General of The Restored Church of God is a bald-faced liar. He does not just issue verbal mistakes or fumble into biblical whoopsie daisies, but he intentionally deceives the brethren whom he professes to love.

As a Christian impostor, he counts on his mind-numb worshippers being so mentally exhausted that they will fail to realize the numerous contradictions and intentional lies he utters ex cathedra. The human idol and Pope of Wadsworth makes up his own rules as he goes along, ignoring Bible verses he claims to uphold.

The only escape David C. Pack has from being a certified prolific liar is if he turns out to be a theological moron with a neurological condition that prevents him from remembering anything longer than 30 seconds ago.

The only rational conclusion any critically thinking human being can conclude is that, with the preponderance of the evidence, David C. Pack is a lying false prophet.

This video provides a fraction of the receipts:

Dave’s delusional prophethood was extensively covered in the 2024 article, “Prophet David C. Pack,” but due to his most recent declarations, an update was in order.

I would like to see Bradford G. Schleifer try to grease his way out of this one:

Part 579 – June 7, 2025
@ 57:01 And it would be easy to throw my hands up and just say, “No man knows the day of the hour.” And oh, do the mockers love to hit me on that. “Oh, this man is a false prophet.” I've never claimed to be a prophet.

Part 447 – June 6, 2023
@ 2:02:42 Now, the fact that He's [God] revealing this to me, I have to be a prophet.

@ 2:02:58 I have to be Elijah now.

Part 27 – May 7, 2016
@ 1:46:53 I knew I understood I was Elijah.

Part 273 – December 12, 2020
@ 2:29:03 That prophet has to talk about it. If it's not me, brethren, then you better go looking for him.

David C. Pack was so convinced that he was the Elijah to come that he preached that God would destroy the earth if his commission was stopped.

First a Moses, Now Elijah—130 Proofs! (Part 3) – January 24, 2015
@ 1:16:51 Or is it something bigger that causes the devil to want me dead above all human beings on earth? If Elijah's commission is stopped, God said He would destroy the earth, brethren. Now, if you’re uncomfortable with me holding that job, it couldn’t be as much as I am.

Ah, shucks, fellas. If you keep me from doing my job, the entire earth blows up. Gee whiz.

No wonder David C. Pack called me "That devil, Marc Cebrian" at the supper table during the Feast of Tabernacles in 2023:

@ 1:16:58 If the devil can kill or discredit or block me using every means possible, he can make God put God in a position to destroy this planet.

My apologies to the inhabitants of the earth. The purpose of exrcg.org was not to annihilate the globe. But fear not, people of the little blue dot, for even David C. Pack came to his senses and agreed with me. He undeclared he was a prophet.

Part 291 – February 27, 2021
@ 1:02:14 I am not Elijah. Not yet. But as an apostle, the Bible does say, Paul did say, “For we know in part and we prophesy in part.”

Unfortunately for Dave, only God installs men into positions of authority. Humans cannot do that. Either David C. Pack was never a prophet to begin with and presumptuously stole the title for himself, or he is a prophet ordained by God and has since proven himself to be false.

Which is it, Brad? You can rope Ed in on that one and confer. I will eagerly await your generic non-answer excuse why it is okay to allow that blaspheming liar to continue as RCG’s figurehead.

Dave walked back being Elijah, but held onto his "prophesying" assertions by altering the meaning to be "just teaching what the Bible says." But slathered with healthy portions of wishy-washy verbiage.

Part 501 – March 30, 2024
@ 27:42 So, it's possible, it's possible, I guess, I'll just say, maybe that I'm prophesying things that are gonna happen.

Part 583 – July 12, 2025
@ 01:30 Now, I’m not setting a date. I’m presenting an immensely powerful pile of evidence for examination… If a date is set, the material will do it. Not me.

So, the material has been wrong 144 times since August 30, 2013, and not David C. Pack. Gotcha.

Even after unlawfully revoking his own Elijah status, Dave continued to lie to the church while claiming God’s authority and speaking in His name.

Part 471 – September 30, 2023
@ 1:43:41 I just don't know. And I’m not here to tell you the day. I’ll never do it again. I’ll never do it again.

Did Dave learn his lesson?

Part 602 – October 18, 2025
@ 1:49:40 Now, if the three bedrock points covered today… can all be wrong, all of it's just all wrong, we can just acknowledge together today that I couldn’t possibly ever offer another date in their place. Could never be done.

Did David C. Pack stop lying?

Part 617 – January 17, 2026
@ 1:31:48 It wudden’t Trumpets. And it wudden’t Abib 1, and it wudden’t Tevet 10, and I was trying to figure—we got it. We got it!

Daniel’s 1335 did not begin on February 2, 2026, on Shevat 16, but that was the sermon that invented the hilarious Regret-O-Meter. I would also like to formally thank David C. Pack of The Restored Church of God for providing this immortalized moment of raw hubris and a supreme vanity.

Did Dave finally realize how awful he was at his self-assigned job and come to a horrific realization that God is not backing up anything he preaches?

Part 631 – April 11, 2026
@ 1:49:45 I know the exact date, absolutely, 1000% that the Kingdom is coming, and you know it can't be later than the Second Passover, and that's 19 1/2 days away.

Dave tries to utilize gaslighting and lies to erase the past. Only an enemy of the church would dare write down what he said and remind you about it. Contrary to his assertions, I do not want anyone in RCG dead. I just want them to remember.

Part 634 – May 2, 2026
@ 1:39:35 But Elijah the Prophet has not yet appeared. I am not Elijah. Nobody is.

David C. Pack circumvents scripture to once again manifest his own “because I say so” theology that conveniently excuses his perpetual failings. Using self-serving logic, he conjures biblical excuses without being able to quote a verse or provide any proof.

Just like any false prophet would.

@ 1:39:43 I’m still a messenger and an apostle, and I can err. I can get dates wrong… Surely, everyone knows I can err.

This is an admission of defeat without assuming any accountability.

@ 1:40:20 But, I can err. A prophet, when Elijah is raised as a prophet, a prophet cannot err because he gets the words directly from God’s mouth.

@ 1:40:51 I’m not getting any words from God’s mouth.

So, that makes preaching 144 wrong dates since 2013 perfectly fine now.

David C. Pack currently denies that he is a prophet and is not Elijah. Because he is “just an apostle,” he self-pardons himself from past responsibility and is perpetually excused for making prophetic “mistakes.” But boy, if one of those dates popped, he would be hopping up and down while pissing himself with excitement that he finally got one right, and crying out at the top of his lungs how right he was.

Dave often teaches that a carnal mind has an amazing ability to find a way to justify sin and disobedience. His ego cannot let him consider that he is doing this right now. By claiming he is not a prophet, he desperately tries to defuse the accurate observation that he is a false prophet.

There are no "take-backs" in Bible prophecy, Dave.

In this way, the Pastor General is retroactively excusing his fraudulent declarations by hiding behind a non-existent biblical loophole. On August 30, 2013, David C. Pack had a singular opportunity to be proven legitimate. And he failed. Which is why he will continue to fail into the grave.

David C. Pack is a hypocritical blaspheming liar, false apostle, false teacher, and false prophet. He discredits himself, and his own words dissolve all of his credibility. He does not speak with God's authority or on God's behalf. The Holy Spirit does not inspire David C. Pack to preach what he does.

No amount of lying or gaslighting will change the reality that David C. Pack is a false prophet.

Marc Cebrian

See: David C. Pack is a Lying False Prophet

The Immense Pentecost That Never Was

2026-06-07T13:57:13.864-07:00

Elisha’s Double Portion vs. Thiel’s Double Fantasy – A New Covenant Reality Check

2026-06-07T10:32:56.723-07:00

Bob Thiel's "Double Portion" Claim Falls Apart Biblically (and by the Fruit Test).

Bob Thiel repeatedly points to a December 15, 2011, anointing by LCG minister Gaylyn Bonjour. During a routine laying on of hands, Bonjour (moved, he said, by the Spirit) prayed that God would grant Thiel a "double portion" of His Holy Spirit—explicitly likening it to Elisha's request from Elijah in 2 Kings 2:9. Thiel has treated this as divine validation of his prophetic office, a mantle-passing from Herbert W. Armstrong's era, and proof of special end-time anointing for his "work" in the improperly named "Continuing" Church of God (CCOG).

1. The OT "Double Portion" Was About Inheritance and Succession—Not a Bigger Dose of the Spirit

In 2 Kings 2:9, Elisha asks for a "double portion" of Elijah's spirit (ruach). This was the legal right of the firstborn son (Deuteronomy 21:17)—a double inheritance share. Elisha was requesting to be recognized as Elijah's prophetic successor, not "twice the Holy Spirit power."

Elijah's ministry involved dramatic miracles (fire from heaven, drought, etc.). Elisha did perform notable acts, but the Bible doesn't frame it as "twice the Spirit"—it was about carrying forward the prophetic office in a new era.

This was a unique transitional moment in Israel's history under the Old Covenant. It has nothing to do with New Covenant believers claiming graded levels of the Spirit.

Thiel (and some in COG circles) rips this out of context and treats it like a magical upgrade prayer that magically confers super-prophet status. That's not how Scripture works.

2. The New Testament Knows Nothing of a "Graded" or "Double" Holy Spirit

One Spirit: Ephesians 4:4 – "There is one body and one Spirit..."

Given without measure: John 3:34 (speaking of Christ, but the principle applies to the Spirit's fullness in the new era).

All believers participate equally: 1 Corinthians 12:13 – "For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body... and all were made to drink of one Spirit."

Varieties of gifts, same Spirit: 1 Corinthians 12:4 – Different manifestations, but the same Spirit distributing as He wills. No hierarchy of "Spirit levels" among believers.

Poured out on all flesh: Acts 2:33, Joel 2:28-29. Pentecost was a historic outpouring with signs appropriate to that moment in salvation history—not a model for individuals claiming bigger helpings later.

Jesus Himself: "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:13). No fine print about "double portions for self-appointed prophets only."

The New Testament presents the Holy Spirit as the same undivided gift to all who believe (John 7:38-39; Romans 8:9, 14-16; Galatians 3:2-5; Ephesians 1:13-14). There's no biblical category for "double portion," "triple anointing," or any such invented hierarchy. It's a human invention—often used in charismatic or restorationist circles to claim special status. God the Father isn't bound by our formulaic prayers. The Spirit blows where He wishes (John 3:8).

3. Thiel's Claim Collapses Under Biblical Tests for a Prophet

Even if we grant the 2011 prayer happened exactly as described, the fruit and fulfillment tests destroy any claim of special anointing:

Deuteronomy 18:21-22: If a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord and the thing does not happen, he spoke presumptuously. Thiel has a documented track record of failed predictions, date-ish hints, and "strong possible" scenarios that fizzle, which we have chronicled here extensively

Matthew 7:15-20: "You will recognize them by their fruits." Look at the scandals in CCOG's African congregations (adultery, persecution of Priscilla, witchcraft allegations, arrests, cover-up accusations involving named leaders like Evans Ocheing, etc.). Thiel's responses often involve deflection, attacks on critics, and doubling down rather than humble repentance or correction. Narcissistic patterns, heavy emphasis on his own dreams/interpretations, and authoritarian top-down control don't scream "double portion of the Spirit of Christ" (who was meek and lowly).

Galatians 5:22-23: The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Contrast that with the biting, accusatory tone often directed at ex-members, other COG groups, and anyone questioning his office.

The very minister involved, Gaylyn Bonjour and LCG leadership, later distanced themselves from this mythical double portion and Thiel's delusion that he was a prophet. Thiel ran with it anyway and built an entire identity around it.

4. It's Just Another COG "Mantle" Fantasy

Armstrongism has a long history of claiming special succession, restored truths, and unique anointings while rejecting the plain New Covenant reality: the veil is torn, the Spirit is poured out on all believers (Jew and Gentile, male and female, great and small), and we are all priests in Christ (1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6). No need for modern "Elijahs" with double scoops of Spirit to mediate.

Thiel's "double portion" is self-serving mythology—much like other failed prophets in the movement who invoke dramatic Old Testament imagery to prop up their authority. It becomes meaningless theater when the life, teachings, and outcomes don't match the New Testament pattern of the Spirit-filled church.

Bottom line: The Holy Spirit isn't a quantifiable resource you level up like a video game character. He's a Person—the same for every believer who asks in faith. If Bob Thiel did receive the Holy Spirit, he received the same offer as every other Christian. The evidence shows he hasn't operated in any special double-portion power. The biblical record, the fruit, and the failed prophecies prove it.

This fits perfectly into the broader pattern of Armstrongist leaders inventing extra-biblical mechanisms to claim superiority. The real freedom is in the New Covenant: one Spirit, full access through Christ, no graded anointings required. Keep exposing the wackiness—it's a public service.

hat tip to a commenter here:

The notion of a double portion of the Holy Spirit intrigues. The phrase “double portion” comes from Elisha’s request to Elijah: “Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit.” (2 Kings 2:9 )

As a double portion was the legal right of the firstborn son (Deut 21:17 ).
Elisha was asking: to be Elijah’s successor, to inherit the prophetic office. This is not the same as asking for twice as much of the Holy Spirit. Something entirely different.

In the NT in areas where we read of the Holy Spirit we see: One Spirit (Eph 4:4 ); Poured out (Acts 2:33 ); Given without measure (John 3:34 ); All believers drink of one Spirit (1 Cor 12:13 ) - there is no hint or record I can find of a double portion or a triple portion or any such notion of a graded amount.

SO one must conclude It all seems to be an invention of men . One is left wondering whether prayers invoking a ‘double portion’ etc have any theological meaning at all? God the Father is the One who gives the Spirit, and does not get bound by some prayer of mere men. It becomes meaningless. The Spirit given is the same for all. “The Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.” Jesus said. (Luke 11:13 );

(“There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.” (1 Cor 12:4 ) and at Pentecost what is evident was a burst of manifestations appropriate to that moment in salvation history. The signs increased, not the Spirit Himself. So again there is no biblical record of a ‘bigger Spirit,’ a ‘double portion,’ or any graded hierarchy of Spirit‑levels. The Spirit remains one, undivided, and given without measure.)

Bob Thiel’s Masterclass in Meekness: How the Humblest Man Alive Heroically Resigned from LCG the Exact Second Before They Could Kick His Mantle-Bearing Behind Out

2026-06-07T00:07:09.161-07:00

Bob Thiel, the Paragon of Meekness and God’s personally anointed mantle-bearer, so graciously left the Living Church of God before those spiritually bankrupt Philistines could summon the audacity to kick him out.

There have been these dreadfully improper reports circulating about me — Bob Thiel, the meekest, most truth-obsessed volunteer doctrinal advisor the Church of God has ever been blessed to endure. Some petty, truth-hating, Laodicean little souls have actually dared to whisper that I was kicked out of the Living Church of God. How delusional! Allow me, in my trademark overflowing modesty, to correct the record once again with yet another lovingly exhaustive manifesto proving, beyond any reasonable doubt, that I heroically stormed out first — before those clueless, mantle-less wonders could possibly have the nerve to show me the door.

The simple reason I left?

LCG had tragically, pathetically lost the Philadelphia mantle. You know, that sacred, invisible, ever-shifting divine participation trophy that somehow always ends up pinned to the chest of whoever writes the longest self-congratulatory article. They simply didn’t value truth the way I value truth — which is to say, they didn’t immediately rewrite every booklet the instant Bob Thiel sent a strongly-worded email. And when a church has the sheer gall to disagree with me, what’s a truly humble servant to do? Stay and work through it like some pathetic, compromise-loving Laodicean? Don’t make me laugh. The only righteous, Spirit-led response is to declare the whole rotten outfit cursed (Jeremiah 48:10 — suck on that!), fire off a resignation, and found your own church within hours. Because nothing screams “I’m doing this purely for doctrinal purity” like birthing a rival organization before your old one even finishes printing the letter that called you out.

Let’s rewind to 2005, when the great Dr. Roderick C. Meredith himself — presiding evangelist, no less — personally recruited little old unpaid me to play hall monitor for the doctrinal committee. How unbelievably gracious of him. For years, I patiently, repeatedly, endlessly reminded them (with the loving persistence of a dripping faucet) of all the promises they’d made to fix their literature, doctrines, prophecy disasters, and historical howlers. Did they keep them? Of course not. These arrogant, promise-breaking ingrates actually had the nerve to keep teaching things they knew were wrong.

Imagine the sheer, satanic wickedness of leadership that doesn’t drop everything to obey Bob Thiel the moment he points out a theological comma out of place. Shocking. Appalling. Practically criminal.

By 2011 the mask had completely disintegrated: these people treated Matthew 18 like it was some optional suggestion for the little people. Instead of following proper biblical protocol — privately confronting poor, innocent, flawless me first — they had the breathtaking, jaw-dropping temerity to criticize me publicly. In writing. To the entire church. Without first booking a sacred Bob Thiel reconciliation summit and offering me a foot massage. The absolute horror! So, rather than stoop to ordinary church discipline like some common, spineless compromiser, I concluded that LCG had forfeited the “pillar and ground of the truth.” Time to pack my bags, hit send, and launch the Continuing Church of God on the internet that very afternoon. Because the most humble thing any man can do when he disagrees with leadership is immediately start his own religion and crown himself the new Philadelphian gold standard.

Then came the unforgivable “falling away” doctrinal shift. LCG had the nerve to teach something I disagreed with — something that didn’t perfectly echo my personal, infallible exegesis of what Herbert W. Armstrong really meant. They even had the audacity to imply that dissenters had a “spirit of error.” How dare they suggest I might be the one mistaken! Clearly the sacred mantle could not possibly survive in an organization so willfully blind to the blazing, radiant light of Bob Thiel.

I also learned, to my profound and deeply wounded shock, that LCG leaders were reluctant to proclaim certain doctrines boldly because they feared losing TV stations or their precious little 501(c)(3) status. What pathetic cowards. What sniveling, compromise-ridden compromisers. Meanwhile, I, the fearless lion of Judah, was ready to roar… the moment I had my own YouTube empire and website, naturally. They even spent money trying to slow me down. The betrayal! The sheer, ungrateful audacity!

And then — the final, glorious, smoking-gun proof: December 28, 2012. Dr. Meredith sent me a letter absolutely dripping with “improper railing accusations” and “false witness.” After reading this vicious, unchristian assault on my flawless character, I did the only truly Christ-like thing possible: I called my local pastor, declared my moral inability to remain one second longer, fired off my resignation, and officially launched CCOG within hours. See? I left first. Purely voluntary. Anyone who calls this an expulsion is a filthy, truth-suppressing liar spreading improper reports. Case closed, you miserable slanderers.

But we mustn’t forget the mandatory mantle-passing fan fiction, because what would a Bob Thiel article be without it? Multiple LCG evangelists — including Meredith himself — repeatedly told me God “may consider” me a prophet. One even accidentally bestowed a “double-portion” anointing straight out of 2 Kings 2. I responded with the perfect, jaw-dropping humility you’d expect by spending the next decade meticulously cataloging every whispered compliment, complete with timestamps, screenshots, email chains, and solemn declarations that it was definitely God, not my ego the size of a small planet, at work.

Oh, and the fruits — never, ever forget the fruits! While LCG was pathetically groveling on its knees begging God for a measly 15% growth, CCOG exploded like a doctrinal supernova — fastest-growing xWCG group in the 21st century, touching 220 countries, millions of views, etc. Clearly God’s personal, glowing seal of approval on my decision to leave before those mantle-less heathens could kick me out. (Dr. Meredith even emailed me in February 2013 begging me to come back. Proof positive I wasn’t expelled! Who on earth pleads with a kicked-out heretic to return? Exactly.)

So here’s my humble little challenge, you remaining LCG holdouts still foolish enough to imagine they might have the Philadelphia mantle: read every single article I’ve ever written, watch every single video, study every doctrinal nit I’ve ever picked, and then admit I was right all along. Or keep wallowing in your pathetic Laodicean delusion, you poor, deluded, blind-as-bats sheep.

In summary, I — Bob Thiel, anointed prophet, mantle-bearer extraordinaire, fastest-growing-church founder, and the only man humble enough to start an entire new organization the same day he dramatically quit the old one — left LCG because of their shocking lack of integrity, their stubborn refusal to bow before my corrections, their blatant violation of Matthew 18, and their unforgivable failure to recognize that the mantle had obviously, gloriously, and permanently passed to me the moment Gaylyn Bonjour muttered “double portion.” I was not kicked out. I left voluntarily, like the noble, self-sacrificing hero of every single Armstrongist splinter story ever written.

You’re welcome, Church of God world. The final phase of the work is now safely in the only hands pure and humble enough to handle it.

Why There is NO NEED For Prophets In The New Covenant and Any COG Leader Today Who Claims They Are One, Is A Liar

2026-06-06T18:27:29.852-07:00

Biblical Tests for Prophets: Straight from Scripture, No Loopholes Allowed

The Bible doesn't leave us guessing on how to identify a true prophet versus a false one—especially crucial when Armstrongism's landscape is littered with self-proclaimed "Elijahs," "Zerubbabels," and "prophets" whose track records read like a comedy of errors. Deuteronomy 18:15-22 is the gold standard for the office. God promises a prophet like Moses, but the test is ironclad: "When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him" (Deuteronomy 18:22, ESV). One miss, and they're out. No "it was conditional," no frantic booklet revisions, no "well, it partially came true in a spiritual sense." True prophets get it right—100%.

Deuteronomy 13 adds another layer: Even if signs or wonders come to pass, if the "prophet" leads you after other gods or away from God's commandments (as revealed at the time), they're false. In the New Covenant era, this translates to anything contradicting the finished work of Christ or adding to the closed canon. Jesus Himself warned, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:15-16). Fruits include doctrine, character, financial integrity, and whether their message produces freedom in Christ or bondage, fear, and tithing pressure.

The New Testament reinforces this. "Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21). "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1). Testing involves alignment with Scripture, the fruit of the Spirit (not narcissism or control), and consistency with the gospel of grace. Prophets in the NT church (Ephesians 4:11) were foundational for the early era, often involved in forth-telling truth or specific guidance, but the office isn't a perpetual hierarchy demanding ongoing "new truth" beyond the Bible. The completed canon and indwelling Spirit equip every believer (2 Timothy 3:16-17; John 16:13).

Bob Thiel's Claims as a Case Study in Failing the Tests

Bob Thiel (Bwana Bob, the self-styled Crackpot Prophet of the Continuing Church of God) provides a textbook example of why these tests matter—and why modern claimants fall flat. He has an in-depth article on his sites titled "How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God," where he lays out criteria, cites dreams, anointings, comments from Roderick Meredith, and more to justify his role.

On December 15, 2011, I was anointed with oil by a Living Church of God minister (Gaylyn Bonjour) who prayed God would grant me a 'double-portion' of His Holy Spirit. This was not planned by him in advance, but happened after I asked for prayer related to some meetings I was to have. He later confirmed that what he did could not be undone. I also had dreams consistent with how God says He communicates with prophets (Numbers 12:6; Acts 2:17-18). Dr. Meredith had earlier stated that God may consider me to be a prophet. ... In my case, I have not made false prophecies, but have had the relatively few I have made confirmed... On October 3, 2008, Dr. Roderick C. Meredith... stated that God may consider me to be a prophet... In late January/early February 2009, Dr. Meredith told me over the telephone that if he (Dr. Meredith) was raised to the office of apostle, he was considering ordaining me (Bob Thiel) as a prophet... The CCOG has the signs/fruits and fruits of Acts 2:17-18, including the fruits of a prophet... CCOG has been the fastest growing COG in the 21st century.

But apply the actual biblical tests, and it unravels. His framework rests on Herbert W. Armstrong's discredited British Israelism, failed 1975 prophecies (which he defends or reinterprets), and a legalistic Old Covenant shadow that the New Covenant renders obsolete. Dreams and vague "warnings" about geopolitics are spun post-hoc as fulfillment—classic false prophet tactics. Deuteronomy 18 demands precise predictive accuracy, not elastic news analysis that can be retrofitted. His "fruits"? Division, attacks on critics (including ex-members exposing scandals like those in Kenya), heavy emphasis on tithing and his unique role, and a track record of propping up a system rife with authoritarianism and unfulfilled end-time dates across COG splinters. Jesus said you'd know them by fruits, not by self-published articles defending one's own prophethood or membership tallies that ignore quality, doctrine, or the New Covenant's freedom from such hierarchies. Thiel's approach sidesteps the New Covenant's sufficiency, turning "prophecy" into a perpetual fundraising and control mechanism rather than pointing to Christ's completed work.

This isn't unique to Thiel—it's the Armstrongist pattern: endless "prophets" chasing relevance through speculation while ignoring the clear biblical verdict on their predecessors' flops.

Resting in the Superior New Covenant Reality

In the end, the proliferation of "crazy men" in Armstrongism isn't a bug—it's the inevitable feature of clinging to an outdated, hierarchical model that the New Covenant explicitly surpasses. Hebrews 1:1-2 declares it plainly: God spoke through prophets in the past, but now He has spoken fully and finally through His Son. Jesus is the Prophet par excellence (Deuteronomy 18:15 fulfilled), the Great High Priest, and the King whose kingdom is not built on endless middlemen but on direct access for all believers. The New Covenant, promised in Jeremiah 31:31-34 and unpacked in Hebrews 8-10, internalizes God's law on our hearts, ensures we all know Him without a special class of intermediaries, and secures complete forgiveness—rendering the old system's shadows (including ongoing prophetic offices for new revelation) obsolete.

The foundation of apostles and prophets (with Christ the cornerstone) was laid once for all (Ephesians 2:20). We build on it today through teaching, pastoring, and the ordinary gifts of the Spirit, not by awaiting the next "Elijah" to rewrite doctrine or set dates. The canon is closed; adding to it or claiming extra-biblical authority invites the warnings of Revelation 22:18-19. The Holy Spirit, given to all at Pentecost, guides, convicts, and equips—no need for self-appointed watchmen demanding allegiance and cash while their predictions crumble or their "double portions" and dreams conveniently affirm their own authority.

Armstrongism's endless parade of false prophets—like Thiel's elaborate self-justification via anointings, selective Meredith quotes, dream interpretations, and growth stats—exposes the bankruptcy of that system: it produces fear, division, financial exploitation, and disillusioned lives rather than the freedom, joy, and fruitfulness of resting in Christ's finished work. Sarcasm aside, it's heartbreaking—families fractured, vulnerable people exploited (including those African congregations dealing with real scandals), all in the name of "restoring" something Jesus already perfected. The biblical tests exist precisely to protect us from this. Test everything against Scripture. Hold fast to the good. Reject the wolves in prophetic sheep's clothing who fail Deuteronomy's accuracy standard and Jesus' fruit test.

The beauty of the New Covenant is this: You don't need the latest COG "prophet" to navigate the times. You have the living Word, the indwelling Spirit, and the completed revelation in Christ. That's abundance, not lack. Walk in that freedom, expose the wackiness where it persists, and let the clown car of self-proclaimed Elijahs—complete with their in-depth articles proving their own specialness—fade into irrelevance. The true Prophet has spoken—everything else is just noise.

Look at Me! I’m an Intellectual! Crackpot Bob's Latest Sabbath Persecution Factoid Frenzy

2026-06-06T10:43:30.150-07:00

Crackpot Bob, the self-anointed greatest prophet in the entire annals of Christian history (according to the only person who matters: himself), has blessed the world with yet another sermon on Sabbath Persecution. What a shock! These COG "prophets" really do have the creative range of a broken record player stuck on "fear, doom, and send in more money." Can't let the sheeple get too comfortable, after all. Got to keep them whipped into a perpetual state of paranoia and tithing frenzy. It's the standard operating procedure for these groups—same sermon, different title, endless reruns.

This latest masterpiece is classic Crackpot Bob: pretending to be some towering intellectual while desperately papering over the vast empty spaces in his knowledge with an avalanche of disconnected factoids. Forget developing three or four solid points and actually delving into them with depth and clarity. No, that would require real preaching skill. Instead, Bob machine-guns his listeners with trivia, historical scraps, and speculative "what ifs" until their eyes glaze over. Even the old Worldwide Church of God, that one holy catholic Mother Church of Armstrongism, laid this out plainly in their Spokesman Club Manual—which, according to multiple accounts, our double-blessed wonder never quite managed to finish.

But of course, every Crackpot Bob sermon must ultimately circle back to the main attraction: Bob Thiel. Look at me! See how much I pretend to know! Aren't you impressed by my research? God gave me a double blessing so I could share all this truth with you lucky few! Aren't I just the greatest thing since sliced unleavened bread? It's less a sermon and more a prolonged humblebrag wrapped in end-time paranoia.

Anyway, as Crackpot Bob loves to drone on, here are the "points" from his sermon:

Jesus said His followers would face persecution and should pray that their fleeing would not be on the Sabbath. The Bible clearly teaches that those who keep God’s commandments will be persecuted (Revelation 12:17; 14:12-13), and the Sabbath is one of them (Exodus 20:8).

In the 19th century, Seventh-day Adventist Ellen G. White predicted that a ‘National Sunday Law’ would originate in the United States which would result in the persecution of Sabbath keepers around the world–is that consistent with Bible prophecy?

The original Christians kept the Sabbath. When and why did the Greco-Roman Catholics adopt Sunday?

Was cowardice during the reign of Emperor Hadrian a factor?

What about the sun worshiping, cross promoting, Emperor Constantine and his ‘Edict Against Heretics’?

Were the faithful grouped with the unfaithful by him?

Did Pope Gregory I denounce Sabbath promoters as the “preachers of Antichrist” in an official papal pronouncement?

Were many supposedly killed as Jews during the Spanish Inquisition actually Christians and others who kept the Sabbath?

Have some Greco-Roman Catholic prophecies related to the final Antichrist been misapplied to be against Jesus when He returns?

Might some of them also been misapplied by referring to the coming two witnesses of Revelation 11 as false prophets?

Does the New Testament enjoin the Sabbath?

Are Gentiles prophesied to keep the Sabbath?

Do some Greco-Roman Catholic prophecies teach that those who have crosses on their foreheads will fight against those who do not have them?

Is there an Eastern Orthodox prophecy against a former Roman Catholic who lived in the ‘five cities’ who advocates the Sabbath?

Is a public executioner of the Sabbatians (Sabbath keepers) prophesied?

Do the prophesies in Revelation and Daniel support the view of two different times of murderous persecution, with the second period lasting 3 1/2 years (time, times, and half a time) or 42 months?

Does the Bible show that true Christians will be beheaded in Revelation 20?

Does the Bible show that true Christians (such as Philadelphian ones) will be burnt to death?

If so, are there any Greco-Roman prophecies or past practices consistent with that?

What is the only doctrine of Antichrist listed in the latest ‘Catechism of the Catholic Church’?

Are there ties between the Sabbath and the millennium and a 6000/7000 year plan?

Did the old Radio/Worldwide Church of God tie the prophecies in Daniel 11:32-35 to end time Philadelphian Christians?

Could the ‘Great Monarch’ of Greco-Roman Catholic prophecies be the coming European King of the North Beast power that the Bible warns against?

Will there be false Christians who pretend that they are real true Church of God Christians?

What day of the week did the original catholic church honor?

When will persecutions against Sabbath keepers end?

Does the Bible show that Jesus will return, establish the kingdom of God to rule the earth, and bless those that keep the Sabbath?

Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more.

And more... and more... Who the hell is still paying attention after the first twenty factoid dumps?

In the end, this is why the old Worldwide Church of God, the Global Church of God, and the Living Church of God all refused to ordain him. They knew the truth that his loyal followers refuse to admit: Bob Thiel is simply not an effective speaker or leader. He couldn't preach a coherent, engaging sermon to save his life, let alone build and shepherd a healthy congregation. So instead of accepting that reality, he declared himself a prophet, started his own group, and now floods the internet with these rambling data dumps disguised as divine revelation. It's the same old Armstrongist playbook—fear-mongering about persecution that never quite arrives on schedule, mixed with self-promotion and historical trivia that mostly proves one thing: Crackpot Bob can copy and paste better than he can preach.

Meanwhile, actual New Covenant believers rest in the finished work of Christ rather than obsessing over which day of the week will trigger the next Inquisition. The real tragedy isn't the supposed coming Sunday Law—it's how many sincere people are still trapped listening to this endless parade of speculation, propping up a man who was rejected by every major COG organization for good reason.

Keep watching, brethren. The only real persecution here is what Crackpot Bob's sermons inflict on common sense and attention spans.

The Real Story of the First One Hundred Years of the Church

2026-06-05T19:57:23.100-07:00

The Real Story of the First One Hundred Years of the Church

Lonnie Hendrix

Shortly after Herbert Armstrong became affiliated with the Church of God, Seventh-Day in Oregon, two of his associates collaborated in writing A History of the True Religion From 33 A.D. to Date. Andrew Dugger and Clarence Dodd published their work almost one hundred years ago, and it has largely remained the way that these Sabbatarians recount the history of their organizations since it was published. Unlike other Sabbath-keeping Christians (e.g. Seventh-Day Baptists and Seventh-Day Adventists), these folks have insisted on claiming that there has always been a group of Christians who kept the Sabbath – from the Church’s foundation up to the present time. The premise is that those Sabbath-keeping folks constituted the “true” Church down through history, and that all Sunday-keeping Christians represent a “false” brand of the faith.

In Dugger’s and Dodd’s words:

A history of the true Church of God could not be written without taking into consideration the lives and work of the outstanding leaders of the Gospel Age, that is, the apostles Paul, Peter and John; for by, or under their direction, most of the New Testament Scriptures were written, and the fortunes of the church advanced during the first century, and fashioned for future centuries.

While there is nothing wrong with this statement, Dugger and Dodd used it to wipe out a great deal of real Church history. After going through a brief summary of the work of those three men, they wrote:

It has already been shown that the New Testament name for the true church organized by Jesus Christ was the ‘Church of God,’ and as we leave the New Testament writings and launch out into secular history, which we must do, as the New Testament narrative only carries us to about 96 A.D., we will find the same name brought to view down through the Gospel Age. These people, however, have always been called, by their enemies, by other names. The name ‘Nazarenes,’ applied to them by the world, during the first period following the days of the apostles, will be considered first.

Did you catch that? They want to start their history in 96 A.D. – assuming that the writings of those three men support their position, and that nothing else happened between 33 A.D. and that year to contradict their narrative!

Similarly, in his booklet Where is the True Church? (1984), Herbert Armstrong wrote:

So it was, that before A.D. 50 (the Church had been founded in A.D. 31) a fierce controversy arose as to whether the gospel to be proclaimed was the gospel OF Christ, or a gospel ABOUT Christ. Soon the curtain was wrung down on historic records of the Church. It evidenced the fact that a vigorous cooperative and systematic effort was made to destroy historic records of church happenings of the next hundred years. It was the ‘LOST CENTURY’ in church history. When the curtain of history is raised about A.D. 150, it reveals a church calling itself ‘Christian,’ but one totally different from the Church Jesus founded through his apostles in A.D. 31.

Now, once again, the reader will notice that Armstrong ignores a century of Church history and doesn’t support any of his statements with any sources or evidence!

Even so, Mr. Armstrong’s successors among the Armstrong Churches of God have adopted a similar narrative about the origins of their organizations. In his Where Is the True Church? and Its Incredible History! (June 2026), David Pack wrote:

John’s death, in about AD 100, ended the apostolic era and what constituted most of what is considered the Ephesian Era. We have covered some of the details of where the apostles served and aspects of their work. Polycarp introduces the Smyrna Era, but we need to backtrack and summarize certain events of the Ephesian Era, and consider their implications.

Like his mentor before him, Pack believes that the seven churches of the book of Revelation represent seven church eras. In fairness to Dave, he does go back and mention the great fire in Rome (64 CE), and Nero’s persecution of Roman Christians. Likewise, he does also mention the Roman war against the Jews, but he minimizes its impact on the Church. He went on to write:

The majority of the Church, who were so willing to give up the truth they once embraced, proceeded to shun and condemn those who held fast to what they had all formerly believed. Those ‘Nazarenes’ who chose to remain loyal to the teaching of the apostles were accused of being divisive—deemed guilty of creating ‘schisms.’ We will see that this pattern reappears much later, near the book’s conclusion.

Once again, for Pack, these Nazarenes constituted the “true” Christians – everyone else was an apostate!

Next, we will take a brief look at the self-proclaimed Armstrong Church of God expert on the early history of the Church, Bob Thiel. In his History of Early Christianity, Thiel wrote:

According to the New Testament, true Christianity was practiced throughout many areas of Asia Minor in the first century (this area is now in the country of Turkey). Most (between 14-20) of the 27 books of New Testament were written to or from church leaders in Asia Minor. (Even Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox leaders recognized that Asia Minor had early "apostolic succession"; essentially what they refer to as the early "apostolic see of Ephesus.")

What scripture clearly shows, is that although there were Christians in various areas, the focus for the New Testament writers were the churches in Asia Minor. And interestingly, the last book of the Bible is specifically addressed to the churches of Asia Minor (Revelation 1:4,11). The last of the original apostles to die, John, died in Asia Minor and his disciple Polycarp of Smyrna was a major leader there. Those there also taught the true gospel of the kingdom and opposed others who promoted a different gospel. There were actually two major groups that claimed Christianity in the late second century that claimed succession from the apostles, and only one of them has remained faithful--for some further details, please see Early Church History: Who Were the Two Major Groups Professed Christ in the Second and Third Centuries?” Later, in the same article, he wrote: “While scholars have a variety of opinions, this page itself will simply mention the following beliefs held by true Christians in the second century, with links to highly documented articles on each subject (which are primarily based on the Bible and early historical writings). Amazingly, a leading Protestant scholar (H. Brown) has admitted: It is impossible to document what we now call orthodoxy in the first two centuries of Christianity (Brown HOJ. Heresies: Heresy and Orthodoxy in the History of the Church. Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody (MA), 1988, p. 5). In other words, much of what now passes for ‘orthodox Christianity’ did not exist in the first two centuries after Jesus was crucified and resurrected. This is basically because while there was only one original church, another major group emerged in the second century who changed certain original Christian practices and became what most now seem to feel represent ‘orthodoxy’ (for details, please see Early Church History: Who Were the Two Major Groups Professed Christ in the Second and Third Centuries?)”

OK, I gave Bob a little more space just because he claims to be an expert!

Unfortunately, all of this Church “history” from Dugger and Dodd to Bob Thiel is inaccurate and misleading – and I’m being generous! Instead of historically accurate accounts of Church history, these men have carefully crafted historical fiction and propaganda to support their narrative that they alone represent the “TRUE” Church. By the way, a good rule of thumb: history written with an agenda or to prove a thesis never turns out to be historically accurate. The folks who write this kind of “history” are looking for evidence which supports their beliefs, and they ignore any and all evidence which contradicts their narrative!

For those of you who may be interested in the real story of what happened during the first one hundred years of the Church, I’d like to invite you to read my twelve-part series on my own blog. My narrative is evidence-based. It presents an extensive exploration of Scripture and looks at the other sources available to us from that period (e.g. the epistle of Barnabas, epistle of Clement, epistles of Ignatius, epistle of Polycarp, The Didache, The Shepherd of Hermas, Josephus, etc.) This evidence-based perspective concludes: 1) that First Century Christians were familiar with most of the writings which became our canon of the New Testament, 2) that the vast majority of Gentile Christians NEVER kept the Sabbath, Holy Days, or clean and unclean meats, 3) that Jewish Christianity was largely destroyed by the events of 70 A.D., 4) that most Christians, Jewish and Gentile, gathered on the Lord’s Day (Sunday) to fellowship and worship, 5) that pagan influences on the early Church were minimal at best. Don’t believe that my summary is accurate? I invite you to take a look at the evidence and decide for yourself.

The First One Hundred Years of the Church (Part 1)

The First One Hundred Years of the Church (Part 2)

The First One Hundred Years of the Church (Part 3)

The First One Hundred Years of the Church (Part 4)

The First One Hundred Years of the Church (Part 5)

The First One Hundred Years of the Church (Part 6)

The First One Hundred Years of the Church (Part 7)

The First One Hundred Years of the Church (Part 8)

The First One Hundred Years of the Church (Part 9)

The First One Hundred Years of the Church (Part 10)

The First One Hundred Years of the Church (Part 11)

The First One Hundred Years of the Church (Part 12)

COGWA’s Epic 15-Year Glow-Up: From Rebellion to “Look How Virtuous We Are!”

2026-06-05T18:06:17.000-07:00

Gather round, scattered sheep of the former Worldwide Church of God empire. Pull up a folding chair in your living-room Sabbath service and prepare to be blessed by the latest self-congratulatory press release from the one, the only, the truly virtuous Church of God, a Worldwide Association. Because according to their latest elders’ letter, COGWA has spent the last fifteen years radiating nothing but peace, productivity, and pure, unadulterated service—the noble opposite of that ugly selfishness they heroically fled from back in 2010.

From their sparkling headquarters in McKinney, Texas (because nothing says “humble service” like a slick corporate campus with assigned pastors guarding every flock), they now “serve” 104 U.S. congregations and 166 international ones—270 total little kingdoms. They even planted shiny new flags in Uganda and Australia this year. Finances? Up every single year since the split—small but consistent growth, they boast. New doors for preaching the gospel? Wide open. And for fifteen glorious years, they’ve enjoyed “peace and productivity,” which they graciously pray will continue… provided everyone keeps remembering how much holier they are than the selfish monsters they left behind.

Cue the world’s tiniest violin.

Let’s rewind to the actual origin story these folks love to airbrush. December 2010: COGWA didn’t “apostatize” in some noble doctrinal rebellion—nope, doctrines are basically identical to UCG’s. It was a classic power-grab soap opera over governance and authority. UCG’s General Council of Elders had just elected a new council more sympathetic to a less autocratic, more collegial model (you know, the whole “Council of Elders” thing they’d bragged about since forming in 1995 to avoid Herbert Armstrong-style one-man rule). The “old guard”—including future COGWA heavyweights like Jim Franks, Mike Hanisko, and Leon Walker—didn’t like it one bit. Cue the immediate triggers: personnel reassignments, communication blackouts, and demands for ministerial loyalty oaths. Hanisko later admitted the real reasons were “unethical, sometimes sinful conduct” by UCG leadership and “ungodly treatment of brethren.” (Translation: “How dare the council try to curb our hierarchical vibes?”) Earlier, when they controlled UCG, they’d already divided no fewer than 22 congregations to crush local advisory boards, building funds, and any whiff of congregational input—hundreds of elders bailed then too. But sure, now they were the selfless heroes.

The damage was biblical in scale. Over 170 elders and ministers walked out between June 2010 and March 2011 (roughly half the full-time paid pastors). About 40% of UCG’s membership—thousands of people—followed, swelling COGWA to around 8,000 attendees and 170 elders by early 2011. Congregations split right down the middle. Families stopped speaking. Friendships evaporated. The “great work” of preaching the gospel? Yeah, that took a backseat while lawyers, dueling websites, and angry Feast-of-Tabernacles meltdowns took center stage. Real servant-hearted stuff, right? Families torn apart so a few ministers could keep calling the shots.

But here’s the punchline that turns this into pure comedy gold: COGWA is UCG with a fresh coat of paint, better branding, and the exact same attitude of selfishness—just rebranded as “service.” Same legalistic checklist—keep the Sabbath, Holy Days, tithes, clean meats, and the full Armstrong starter pack or you’re not really “in” and definitely not making it into the Kingdom. Same top-down structure where “assigned pastors” make sure the sheep stay in their assigned pens. Same endless chest-thumping about numbers, money, and “new doors” while pretending it’s all about humble service instead of empire-building. They just swapped the acronyms and the zip code.

Fifteen years later and they’re still patting themselves on the back in their annual letter: “One of the key elements for maintaining peace and productivity is the concept of service, which is the very opposite of selfishness.” Translation: “We’re not like those guys. We’re the good ones. Please keep sending in those tithes so we can keep growing our little 270-congregation empire and reminding everyone how selfless we are—unlike the UCG we fled because they tried to make governance slightly less heavy-handed.”

Spoiler alert: It’s selfishness with a smiley-face emoji. Same attitude, different headquarters. Another splinter from a splinter from a splinter, all claiming to be the one true continuation of Herbert W. Armstrong’s legacy while the rest of the scattered brethren watch the same tired soap opera on repeat—complete with the same governance fights, the same loyalty tests, and the same “we’re the virtuous ones” press releases.

So the next time COGWA pats itself on the back for its “spirit of service,” just remember: they didn’t leave UCG because they were holier. They left because they wanted to be the ones in charge—exactly like the UCG leaders they accused of the same sin. Fifteen years later, they’re still exactly the same—only now they get to write the press releases.

Service?

The show never ends.

From our headquarters in McKinney, we serve 104 congregations in the U.S. and 166 outside the U.S. for a total of 270 congregations. Each has an assigned pastor. This past year we added new congregations in Uganda and Australia. Each year since our beginning we have seen increases in our finances—small but consistent growth. We have also seen the opening of new doors for preaching the gospel. So, what will this new fiscal year bring for the Church?
For 15 years, we have seen peace and productivity in the Church of God, a Worldwide Association, and we pray that this will continue. But we must never take it for granted. We must continue to work to promote this atmosphere in the Church throughout the world. One of the key elements for maintaining peace and productivity is the concept of service, which is the very opposite of selfishness. Whenever we focus on serving others instead of ourselves, good fruit is produced.

Are you playing games with God?

2026-06-05T09:27:27.556-07:00

Truly, nothing screams “New Covenant freedom in Christ” quite like a 2,000-word manifesto demanding that every Christian on Earth must kneel at the spiritual altar of Herbert W. Armstrong, join the one-and-only reincarnated Worldwide Church of God (or else), and treat a mid-20th-century radio preacher as the guy who personally restored “apostolic rule” while everyone else is just “playing games with God.”
Jesus must be so relieved that you cleared this up for Him. After all, in Matthew 16:18 He only said He would build “His church”—not “churches,” you see. So obviously that means one single, visible, headquarters-based organization with a top-down government structure, tithe-collecting conferences, and a guy in Pasadena (or wherever the latest splinter landed) holding the divine copyright on truth. Because when the Son of God said “church,” He clearly meant “denominational franchise with membership cards and a loyalty oath to a dead apostle’s successor.” Anyone who thinks otherwise is calling Jesus a liar. Got it. Solid exegesis.
And that Elijah prophecy in Matthew 17:11? Kitchen’s got it locked: Jesus was totally foreshadowing Herbert W. Armstrong restoring “the government of God” exactly as it existed in the first century (you know, the one where Peter was the rock and nobody ever disagreed or started new works). Never mind that Jesus Himself already told us John the Baptist fulfilled the Elijah role for the first coming (Matthew 11:14; 17:12-13). Details, details. Armstrong gets the sequel because… fruits? Ordination by the Oregon Conference? A handful of guys laying hands on him in the 1930s while the other Church of God factions were declared spiritually dead by divine fiat?
Nothing says “law, not grace” like tying your eternal salvation to whether you stayed inside the right splinter after 1970s schisms. Ministers who left? Spiritually sealed for death. Members who remain? They alone get to ordain the Two Witnesses and hold the Philadelphia candlestick. Everyone else is either Laodicean lukewarm or headed for martyrdom-as-repentance. Because the New Covenant is totally about God running a cosmic game of musical chairs where the prize for leaving the “true church” is a ticket to be beheaded so you can maybe get grafted back in.
Kitchen even gives us the eschatological bonus round: the Worldwide Church of God (his version) goes to a “place of safety” (Revelation 12:14-17, of course), the Two Witnesses tag-team in Jerusalem as the first witness’s hype men, Herbert himself gets resurrected as a “sport God being” (I assume that’s “spirit God being”—autocorrect is brutal), and the whole thing reboots Ambassador College in the World Tomorrow. It’s all one program, you see. One spiritual Temple. One unbroken chain of government. Jesus isn’t a liar, the Word cannot be broken… and apparently neither can the organizational chart.

Here’s the actual New Covenant problem with all this:
The New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:6-13) is explicitly not like the old one. No more central physical temple, no more Levitical priesthood, no more “one visible headquarters on Earth” model. The church is the body of Christ—every believer indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 4:4-6). Authority flows from Christ the Head, not from an unbroken chain of ordinations that somehow survived from Peter through the Sardis-era Oregon Conference to HWA. The priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2:9) means you don’t need a special class of “government of God” ministers to mediate between you and Jesus.
The idea that salvation and truth are locked inside one human organization with a divine government structure is classic Old Covenant thinking dressed up in Revelation 2-3 proof-texts and historicist-era labels. It’s the same error the Pharisees ran with: “We have Abraham as our father” → “We have Herbert as our father and the Philadelphia candlestick.” It turns the gospel into geography, membership rolls, and loyalty to a man’s “fruits” instead of faith in Christ’s finished work.
So no, Samuel, people aren’t “playing games with God” by refusing to join your reincarnated WCG and bow at the Armstrong altar. They’re simply living in the New Covenant reality where Jesus built His church out of living stones—scattered, imperfect, arguing, and still loved—without needing a single organizational franchise to keep the franchise alive.
The real game-playing is pretending the New Covenant is just the Old Covenant with better branding and a radio program. Jesus isn’t a liar. But this theology sure treats the cross like it was optional.

Priscilla Mulozowa’s Stand for Truth: How Hope of Israel Malawi Is Defending Its Members Against Bob Thiel’s Aggressive Poaching and Coerced “Reconciliation”.

2026-06-05T00:24:57.126-07:00

In the small but fiercely contested world of Armstrongist Church of God splinters operating in Malawi, one woman’s courage is exposing a troubling pattern of spiritual manipulation, hypocrisy, and member-stealing. Priscilla Mulozowa—mother, former deaconess, and longtime believer—has become the unwilling focal point of a high-profile campaign by Bob Thiel’s Continuing Church of God (CCOG). Rather than respecting her autonomy after years of documented personal betrayal, Thiel and his top lieutenant, Evans Ochieng, have resorted to personal texts, voicemails, staged meetings, and alleged incentives to drag her back into a marriage she has every biblical and moral right to leave.

The story is as heartbreaking as it is revealing. For roughly four years, credible reports have detailed how Radson Mulozowa—Bob Thiel’s hand-picked pastor in Malawi—has been living openly with another woman, Patricia Sambani, while maintaining additional relationships. Priscilla, along with their children, publicly shared the pain of the adultery, financial strain, and family destruction it caused through videos and statements condemning Radson’s actions. When she and several deacons (including John Machemba and Louis Wahela) sought refuge in the Hope of Israel, they did so because that group offered genuine pastoral care and refused to sweep serious moral failure under the rug for the sake of “growth statistics.”

Yet instead of honoring Priscilla’s decision and the clear scriptural teachings on divorce and remarriage in cases of sexual immorality, Bob Thiel has now escalated. In a move that even his critics describe as surreal, the self-proclaimed “prophet” personally texted and left voicemails urging Priscilla to return to Radson “as a good little wife.” This happened even though Radson has been settled with Patricia Sambani for years—a fact repeatedly documented by this blog and eyewitnesses since the early 2020s.

As one observer aptly put it:

Picture this: Crackpot Bob, in all his prophetic glory, personally texting and then voicemailing the ex-wife of one of his top ministers, earnestly pleading with her to go back and be a good little wife again. How touching. How spiritual. The only minor detail? Her ex-husband, Radson Mulozowa, has been cozily settled with a new wife (Patricia Sambani) for years.

This sudden burst of “family values” from Thiel rings hollow. For years, he and Evans Ochieng reportedly ignored or downplayed the scandal, prioritizing CCOG’s claimed African membership numbers over biblical integrity. Now, with some of those same members having found a safer home in Hope of Israel, the strategy has shifted to outright reclamation—complete with Evans Ochieng’s recent trip to Malawi alongside Radson himself.

According to multiple reports, the delegation’s mission was twofold: pressure Priscilla into a public reconciliation photo-op and lure disaffected Hope of Israel members back to CCOG with offers of financial support, motorcycles, cell phones, and other inducements. Meetings were reportedly arranged, only to be canceled or disrupted when word spread. Hope of Israel leaders have stood firm, refusing to let their congregation be treated like pawns in a numbers game.

Priscilla’s refusal to be coerced speaks volumes about her character and the support she receives from Hope of Israel. She has made her position unmistakably clear through both public actions and official channels. When she, deacon John Machemba, and others were taken to the police station in Phalombe and questioned about certain letters and communications claiming they wanted to return to CCOG, Priscilla and the group explicitly refused to acknowledge them. In the presence of Constable Matipwiri, they stated they were “not aware of this” and denied authoring or standing by any such statements. As one report summarized their unified response at the police station: “We refused that we are not writing.” This was not a one-off; it echoed earlier denials when similar claims surfaced.

Priscilla has not issued a personal press release, but her consistent actions—remaining with Hope of Israel, supporting her children’s public condemnations of the adultery via video, and rejecting false narratives of reconciliation—speak louder than any staged photo. She is not a “prodigal” returning to a faithful husband; she is a survivor who has already endured public humiliation, family disruption, and now renewed pressure from powerful church figures thousands of miles away.

Hope of Israel Malawi emerges from this saga as the clear voice of integrity. Founded in part by leaders who left other splinters over similar issues of accountability, the group has prioritized caring for its Malawian members without the grand prophetic claims or empire-building tactics seen elsewhere. They welcomed Priscilla and her family when CCOG leadership failed them. They have refused to participate in the back-and-forth poaching that has characterized relations between these tiny factions. And they continue to uphold biblical standards on marriage—recognizing that forcing a woman back into an adulterous union is not “reconciliation”; it is spiritual abuse.

Bob Thiel’s COGwriter website has responded with photos of group meetings and emails from others (Evans Ochieng, Radson, Machemba, and Wahela) claiming Priscilla begged to return. Yet Priscilla herself has never personally confirmed any of these communications. The pattern is familiar: staged images and carefully worded statements from Thiel’s representatives that critics say do not reflect the full reality on the ground—or Priscilla’s own documented refusals before authorities. Independent reporting has consistently shown that these “returns” often collapse under scrutiny, with the same individuals later reaffirming their departure or denying the authenticity of the communications.

In the end, this is not merely a turf war between two small African church groups. It is a test of whether self-appointed leaders will respect the dignity and conscience of individual believers—especially women like Priscilla who have already suffered enough. Hope of Israel’s steadfast support for Priscilla demonstrates what genuine shepherding looks like: protecting the vulnerable rather than exploiting them for growth metrics or public relations victories.

Priscilla Mulozowa deserves to live free from harassment, manipulation, and public shaming. The members of Hope of Israel deserve to worship without fear of being bribed or pressured away. As this story continues to unfold in Malawi, one thing is clear: truth and integrity are not found in desperate texts and phone calls from California or photo-ops arranged by traveling pseudo-evangelists. They are found in the quiet resolve of a faithful woman who has repeatedly said “no” through her actions and official denials—and in the local church that has the courage to stand with her.

Anonymous

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Big Show Evans Malawian update came in about 45 minutes ago. Mr Evans and Radson sent the Village chief over to Priscilla's house to demand she and the children come to the bribe show. Evans wanted the Chief and others that were bribed to Manhandle Priscilla into submission and of course make up stories that her and Radson have sorted the mess and that she's the one who chased Radson away and must now Reconcile. Priscilla was out of town, so she know they can't touch her. Her Uncle gave a strong warning to her Children not to attend any meeting with Evans or Radson, so hopefully they won't be forced in the usual picture is worth a thousand word B.S.

Well time for another Big Show Evans Malawian update. Mr Evans sent the Village chief to Priscilla's house and demand she and the children attend Evans meeting. Problem was Priscilla wasn't home , she had just left town. She didn't want anything to do with Evans or Radson. Priscilla's Uncle did warn Priscilla's children not to attend as he knows the treacherous behavior and lies of Evans and Radson. The meeting was set up as a big Bribe fest with the Chief and others to make Priscilla submit to Stupid stories and threaten her possibly into reconciliation with Radson. Bob spent thousands to get this meeting arranged as he's in Panic Mode since the article on Banned appeared. He can't handle and accept the truth that Radsons Adultery and abuse caused the divorce and he won't accept Radson is married to Patricia Sambani, the woman that Bob believes is Radsons kissing cousin. Anyway it was also reported Machemba has arrived and possibly Wahela, also Motorcycles maybe? Ccog members should question Bobs spending tithe money on such an unchristian event. You heard it here first on Banned- Total Farce-Stay tuned for more Big Show Evans bribe fest

Crackpot Bob Continues to Insist on Carrying Stone Tablets into the New Covenant

2026-06-04T14:39:52.963-07:00

Crackpot Bob of the improperly named "Continuing" Church of God has once again graced us with his latest missive, solemnly informing the world that the Apostle Paul didn’t do away with the Ten Commandments. As if anyone with a functioning New Testament was under the impression that Paul ran around with a chisel trying to erase the Decalogue. While Crackpot Bob correctly observes that Paul quoted and upheld God’s moral standards, his selective, proof-text-heavy presentation is the theological equivalent of a magician pulling rabbits out of a hat while ignoring the elephant in the room: the entire New Covenant.

Armstrongism’s Strict Law-Keeping Emphasis and Its Gloriously Ineffective Salvation Plan

Herbert W. Armstrong and his devoted followers proudly proclaim that real Christians must meticulously observe all Ten Commandments—especially that sacred Saturday Sabbath—plus Holy Days, clean/unclean meats, multiple tithes, and various other Old Covenant accessories. They treat this spiritual checklist as the indispensable key to salvation, spiritual maturity, and dodging divine wrath. Miss a Sabbath? Apparently, you’re on the fast track to the Great Tribulation and the licking flames of the Lake of Fire.

This heavy-duty legalism is nothing more than a recycled form of the very “yoke” the apostles fought so hard to keep off the necks of Gentile believers (Acts 15). And here’s the delicious irony: Armstrongism’s strict law-keeping cannot save anyone — not even a little bit. It’s spiritually impotent.

As the Bible so inconveniently states:

For by grace you have been saved through faith… not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

A man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ… for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified (Galatians 2:16).

Even if you could keep the law flawlessly (no one in the Churches of God ever has and never will), it still couldn’t save you. The law’s job is to expose sin and drive you to Christ, not to serve as your eternal to-do list for earning brownie points with God. Turning the gospel into “grace plus mandatory Sabbath-keeping plus Holy Days” isn’t just misguided — it’s the very “different gospel” Paul cursed in Galatians 1:6-9. But by all means, keep polishing those stone tablets.

Jesus’ Teachings: Affirmation and Fulfillment (Without the Legalistic Overkill)

Jesus affirmed the moral depth of the Ten Commandments but had the audacity to act like He was Lord over them. He boiled them down to loving God and loving your neighbor (Matthew 22:36-40) and then raised the bar to the heart level in the Sermon on the Mount.

On the Sabbath? Jesus casually healed people and let His disciples snack on grain, declaring, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27-28). Take that, rigid Sabbath police. Armstrongism’s obsessive elevation of Saturday rules above mercy must have given Jesus a headache.

Paul’s Balanced Teaching: The Law Is Good, But We Are Not Under It (Sorry, Bob)

Paul did call the law “holy, righteous, and good” (Romans 7:12) and used it to expose sin. Thiel loves quoting those parts. What he conveniently downplays are statements like

Romans 6:14: “You are not under the law, but under grace.”
Galatians 3:23-25: The law was a temporary guardian. Now that Christ has come… buh-bye.
2 Corinthians 3:3-9: The old stone-tablet covenant was a “ministry of death.” Ouch.
Colossians 2:13-14: When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.

Crackpot Bob desperately tries to claim the “handwriting of requirements nailed to the cross” doesn’t include the Sabbath. Too bad the very next verses (Colossians 2:16-17) explicitly say not to let anyone judge you regarding… a Sabbath day. It’s a shadow. Christ is the reality. The mental gymnastics required to miss this are Olympic-level.

Paul even gave Christians freedom on sacred days (Romans 14:5-6). But sure, let’s pretend Paul’s synagogue visits were a binding command for all time instead of basic missionary work.

James’ Perspective: Moral Obedience Flows from True Faith (Not Checklist Religion)

James reminds us that loving your neighbor is the “royal law” and that faith without works is dead (James 2:8-11, 14-26). Excellent. But he never demands a return to the full Old Covenant package. Heart obedience, not Armstrong-style external scorekeeping.

Addressing Crackpot Bob's Key Errors

Crackpot Bob's article is a masterclass in cherry-picking. He waves around Paul’s moral exhortations while sprinting past the clear declarations of freedom from the law’s condemnation. His use of “all have sinned” actually proves his system’s failure: the law shows our bankruptcy, not the need for more law-keeping. The Jerusalem Council and the book of Hebrews (old covenant = “obsolete,” Hebrews 8:13) bury the Armstrongist position.

The New Testament does not throw out God’s righteous standards. Idolatry, murder, adultery, theft, lying, and coveting are still sins. Christians should live holy lives and practice regular worship and rest.

However, Armstrongism’s obsessive, burdensome demand for strict old-covenant law-keeping — with Saturday Sabbath as the ultimate loyalty test — is a theological disaster. It’s a system that cannot save, burdens consciences, distorts the gospel, and turns the liberating work of Christ into another exhausting religion of “do more, try harder.”

True New Covenant living is gloriously different: saved by grace through faith, empowered by the Holy Spirit to love God and neighbor. This actually fulfills the heart of the Ten Commandments far better than any legalistic checklist ever could. As Paul so elegantly put it, “Love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10).

Believers should reject the heavy yokes that Crackpot Bob and Armstrongist groups so confidently peddle. These systems promise spiritual superiority but deliver only shadows and frustration. The reality is Christ. Walk in the Spirit, enjoy your freedom, and live out the royal law of love.

That’s the gospel. Not the one that requires you to earn what Jesus already accomplished.

“Line Upon Line, precept upon precept” Is Not What You Think — The New Covenant Warning in Isaiah 28:10

2026-06-04T00:52:43.401-07:00

UCG Council of Elders is getting ready to present to their followers a doctrinal paper on Isaiah 28:10.

Isaiah 28:10 (in context) does not teach “line upon line, precept upon precept” as a positive Bible-study method under the New Covenant. That is a common modern misapplication. Here is the accurate meaning, including its New Covenant fulfillment.

The Original Text and Context (Old Testament)

Isaiah 28:10 (NIV): “For it is: Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; a little here, a little there.”

KJV: “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little.”

This verse sits in Isaiah 28, a chapter of judgment against the drunken leaders and false prophets of Ephraim (Israel) and Judah. In verses 7–9, the priests and prophets are staggering from wine and strong drink. They mock the true prophet Isaiah, treating his clear messages from God like baby talk or gibberish—repetitive, childish commands (“do and do… rule on rule”). The Hebrew sounds like nonsense syllables (tsav lātsāv, tsav lātsāv, qav lāqāv, qav lāqāv), similar to “blah blah blah” or “da da da.”

God’s reply (verses 11–13) is that because they rejected His clear word, He will now speak to them through “strange lips” and a “foreign tongue” (the invading Assyrians). To them, God’s word will sound like the very mocking babble they used—leading to their downfall (“they may go and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken”).

In short: Verse 10 is mockery and judgment, not a recommended way to study Scripture.

New Covenant Meaning (New Testament Fulfillment)

The New Covenant (established by Jesus’ blood—see Hebrews 8:6–13, Luke 22:20) does not change the original meaning of Isaiah 28:10. Instead, the Apostle Paul directly applies the surrounding verses (especially Isaiah 28:11–12) to the New Testament church in 1 Corinthians 14:21–22.Paul writes:

In the Law it is written: ‘With other tongues and through the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people, but even then they will not listen to me,’ says the Lord. (1 Corinthians 14:21, quoting Isaiah 28:11–12)

Then Paul explains:

Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is not for unbelievers but for believers. (1 Corinthians 14:22)

What this means under the New Covenant:

The “strange lips / foreign tongue” of Isaiah 28 becomes the gift of speaking in tongues in the early church.

Just as the Assyrians’ foreign language was a sign of judgment to rebellious Israel (who refused to hear God’s clear prophets), tongues serve as a sign of judgment to unbelievers—especially unbelieving Jews in the first century who rejected Jesus.

If unbelievers hear tongues without interpretation, it sounds like chaotic babble (echoing Isaiah 28:10’s “precept upon precept” mockery). It confirms their hardness of heart, just as the foreign invaders confirmed Israel’s rebellion. Paul is correcting the Corinthian church: Tongues are real and from the Holy Spirit, but they are not primarily for showing off or for believers’ personal edification in public (without interpretation). They point back to this Old Testament pattern of judgment on those who refuse God’s clear message.

This is the direct New Covenant application—not a method for gradual Bible study, but a warning about how God can use unintelligible speech as a sign to the hard-hearted.

Why the Popular “Line Upon Line” Teaching Is a Misunderstanding

Many preachers today quote Isaiah 28:10 positively (“we study the Bible line upon line, precept upon precept”). While the principle of progressive, careful learning is biblical elsewhere (e.g., Hebrews 5:12–14; 2 Timothy 2:15), Isaiah 28:10 itself is not teaching that. It is the drunk mockers’ words (or God’s ironic judgment using their own phrase against them).

The New Testament never uses it that way. Paul’s quotation in 1 Corinthians 14 confirms the context is about unintelligible speech and judgment. Under the New Covenant, we have the completed revelation in Christ and the indwelling Holy Spirit. We grow “from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18), but the specific verse you asked about points us to the proper, orderly use of spiritual gifts rather than a study technique.

The True New Covenant Meaning of Isaiah 28:10

Isaiah 28:10 is not a divine blueprint for “line upon line, precept upon precept” Bible study, as it is so often misquoted today. In its original context, it is the mocking, drunken ridicule of rebellious religious leaders who treated God’s clear prophetic word like childish gibberish—“Do this, do that… rule on rule… a little here, a little there.” Their contempt invited divine judgment: God would now speak to them through the “strange lips and foreign tongue” of invading armies, turning their own scornful phrase back on them as the sound of impending doom (Isaiah 28:11-13).

Under the New Covenant, this passage receives its definitive interpretation through the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:21-22. Paul quotes Isaiah directly and declares that the “foreign tongue” has become the New Testament spiritual gift of tongues. Far from being a personal prayer language or a sign of spiritual maturity for believers, tongues function as a sign of judgment—exactly as the Assyrian invasion was a sign to hard-hearted Israel. When unbelievers hear uninterpreted tongues in the assembly, it sounds like the very babble the drunkards once hurled at Isaiah. It confirms their refusal to hear God’s plain message in Christ, just as the foreign invaders confirmed ancient Israel’s rebellion.

This is the heartbeat of the New Covenant application: God’s Word is no longer veiled or piecemeal. In Jesus, the full revelation has come (Hebrews 1:1-2). The Holy Spirit now indwells every believer, making the Scriptures clear and accessible. Progressive learning is certainly biblical (Hebrews 5:12-14; 2 Timothy 2:15), but Isaiah 28:10 was never the proof-text for it. Instead, the verse stands as a sobering warning against treating sacred things lightly—whether through mockery, drunkenness, or charismatic showmanship without order.

The enduring New Covenant lesson is this:

When people reject the simple, Spirit-illuminated gospel of Christ, God can sovereignly allow their own confusion to become the instrument of their judgment. Yet for those who humble themselves, the same God who once spoke through “strange lips” now speaks with unmistakable clarity through His completed Word and the indwelling Spirit. The call remains: hear clearly, repent fully, and walk in the freedom of the New Covenant—where the veil is removed and the truth sets us free (2 Corinthians 3:16-18; John 8:32).

Silent Pilgrim

RCG Newsflash: The Cleveland Scene Exposes David C. Pack & The Restored Church of God

2026-06-03T15:05:59.357-07:00

Newsflash: The Cleveland Scene Exposes
David C. Pack & The Restored Church of God

The Cleveland Scene news site is shining a light on the shady religious practices of Pastor General David C. Pack of The Restored Church of God. Released online on June 3, 2026, the expose is titled, “Former Members of the Restored Church of God in Wadsworth Say They Were Left Financially and Spiritually Bamboozled.”

Reporter Mark Oprea called me about this time last year to ask questions about the exrcg.org website and my motivations behind exposing an obscure church operating out of Wadsworth, Ohio. We have since spent hours on the phone and in person discussing the theological nightmare that is The Restored Church of God. He had access to sermons and videos posted on the YouTube channel to confirm what is reported about David C. Pack is accurate.

I proved to him that the best way to discredit David C. Pack is to listen to David C. Pack.

Mark interviewed dozens of former RCG members on the record, including Kevin Denee, Elizabeth O’Leary, and Peter Baerg. The article covers a variety of topics, including the financial fleecing of the brethren via Common, failed dates for the arrival of God’s Kingdom, the self-proclaimed divine authority of David C. Pack, and the cancerous religious roots planted by Herbert W. Armstrong and the Worldwide Church of God.

The story about how RCG offloaded $3.1 million in corporate debt onto the members, including some widows, was oddly absent from the final article. Overall, those close to RCG who have read it acknowledge it is well-written and are pleased with how the Cleveland Scene covered the story.

Mark reached out to RCG directly to interview them with prepared questions. They hid behind the front gate and issued a generic, authorless response. It is too risky these days for a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization to attach a real name to a public statement.

Their laughably faceless “Communications Team” is really just Edward L. Winkfield cowering behind his desk with Bradford G. Schleifer hovering over his shoulder.

This is RCG’s official non-statement:

Hello Mark,

Thank you for your questions.

Information regarding The Restored Church of God, including its beliefs, history, sermons, publications, and teachings, is available at rcg.org for those interested in learning more.

With respect to your questions concerning the Church’s teachings, we teach biblical tithing and voluntary giving principles based on scripture, consistent with longstanding Christian teachings regarding supporting the Word of the Church. We also teach the gospel of the soon-coming Kingdom of God as preached by Jesus Christ (Mark 1:15)—a future world-ruling government that will bring peace, restoration, and righteous leadership to the Earth, in which faithful Christians will ultimately rule and reign with God and Christ (Romans 8:16-17).

RCG’s focus remains on preaching the gospel, providing free educational resources, and helping individuals and families live more stable and successful lives.

As a general practice, we do not comment on private member matters or internal administrative affairs.

Public tour dates are announced periodically on social media or at rcg.org. At this time, we are not participating in interviews.

Regards,
RCG Communications Team

The highlights noted are mistruths and flat lies.

“is available at rcg.org”

A few select sermons are, but mysteriously absent is “The Greatest Untold Story!” Series that just recorded Part 636 this past weekend. There is also a long list of discontinued literature that is not available on their website, including Is "That Prophet" Alive Today? The Rise of False Prophets, The Bible’s Greatest Prophecies Unlocked!, How God’s Kingdom Will Come—The Untold Story!, The Bible’s Difficult Scriptures Explained!, I Will Send Elijah to Restore All Things, and Herbert W. Armstrong: His Life in Proper Perspective.

Try to find any literature that nails down exactly how God's Kingdom will come. You cannot because it changes week by week, and they know that.

The coercive cash cow financial perversion known as Common is such a vital truth of God that there is not a single mention on rcg.org. Only after people commit to attending are they privileged enough to learn about that financial blessing and test of faithfulness.

“consistent with longstanding Christian teachings”

They meant to type out “longstanding Worldwide Church of God teachings.” But that is no longer true, either. David C. Pack has dismantled so much of HWA’s doctrines that RCG no longer even resembles the Splinters they so desperately separate themselves from.

They recently discontinued The Government of God—Understanding Offices and Duties because David C. Pack blew all that up. Everyone in RCG is an elder now and is only ordained once. Being an evangelist and a prophet just means you have a gift. I wonder if Brad had to sweat through a pay cut. Dave also confessed that Local Elder, Preaching Elder, and Pastor-ranked ministers were made-up positions invented by HWA. He also sheepishly admitted that the United Church of God was actually right with their governmental structure all along.

I never did see the draft of Dave’s apology letter to them after he accused them of being the Synagogue of Satan. Water under the bridge, I suppose.

But apostles are still apostles, wink-wink.

“We also teach the gospel”

But not loudly. After eliminating their $3.1 million in corporate debt one year ago, they have still done nothing to elevate their standing on the world stage. They may exploit the gospel for their own internal purposes, but it cannot be argued that it is their focus.

I challenge RCG's Chief Coward, Ryan Denee, to explain to anyone about the great marketing efforts they have made in the past year, paid for with all that sweet widow’s cash. No new World to Come videos. No new literature. No social media campaign. No public Bible studies.

Just more gardens, more trees, and a reduced groundskeeping staff. You know, just like the idyllic city on a hill.

The “gospel” RCG now teaches is Dave’s bastardized version dipped in his imaginary malarkey.

“RCG’s focus remains on preaching the gospel”

No. RCG's true focus is keeping the campus lights on and the grass sprinklers pumping. David C. Pack is a permanently-sitting prophetic bloviator larping through every Sabbath, befuddling his brain-dead audience with a remixed remix of his malarkey remixed. “The Greatest Untold Story!” is the focus of The Restored Church of God because that IS their gospel. Anyone in that biblically corrupt organization who thinks otherwise is lying to themselves.

Those 144 false dates for the coming Kingdom to Israel, Kingdom of God, Jesus Christ, or Daniel’s 1335 did not math themselves into existence. That is all on false prophet, false apostle, false teacher, blaspheming hypocritical liar David C. Pack, despite his desperate efforts to convince everyone to the contrary.

The focus in RCG is on David C. Pack. Dave knows this. Brad knows this. Carl knows this. Ed knows this. Jaco knows this. Salasi knows this. Frank knows this. Jim and Andy know this. Mike knows this. Even “the littlest Denee” Ryan knows this.

“live more stable and successful lives”

Those who live the most stable and successful lives in The Restored Church of God are those who leave The Restored Church of God. That entire organization is a toxic pit of spiritual corruption. David C. Pack does not teach what he does by the inspiration of God or the Holy Spirit.

The Cleveland Scene article exposes the doctrines and practices of Pastor General David C. Pack and The Restored Church of God. I am grateful for Mark Oprea’s interest in this story. The more publicity RCG receives, the more people who can be warned about what kind of spiritually bankrupt organization they really are.

Just shine a light on them and watch them scurry.

Marc Cebrian
See: Newsflash: The Cleveland Scene Exposes David C. Pack & The Restored Church of God

Crackpot Bob Thiel Discovers Family Values — Right After Ignoring Adultery for Four Years

2026-06-03T00:18:49.963-07:00

It is a sunny day in California, but trouble is brewing in Grover Beach. Just when you thought Crackpot Bob and his supposedly ever-expanding African empire couldn’t possibly deliver more comedy gold, along comes this gem. When it comes to Crackpot Bob and his loyal overseas flock, is there anything left that can still shock us? Apparently the answer is a resounding “hold my herbal tea.”

Picture this: Crackpot Bob, in all his prophetic glory, personally texting and then voicemailing the ex-wife of one of his top ministers, earnestly pleading with her to go back and be a good little wife again. How touching. How spiritual. The only minor detail? Her ex-husband, Radson Mulozowa, has been cozily settled with a new wife (Patricia Sambani) for years — a fact this blog and others have been shouting about since roughly the dawn of the current decade. But why let pesky little things like open adultery and public scandal get in the way of a good reconciliation story?

Adultery Scandal of Continuing Church of God Pastor In Malawi - ExWife Shares

CCOG Pastor Tells Village Chief and Family "he can marry anyone he chooses"

Crackpot Prophet Gaslights Us Again. Adultery Is Bad, Unless It Happens In Africa (Radson's own chidlren condemn him in this blog entry)

Why, after four long years of radio silence, did Bob suddenly develop a burning concern for this marriage? Could it be the growing number of raised eyebrows from his remaining Caucasian supporters who actually read the internet? Perish the thought! Clearly Bob was just waiting for the perfect prophetic moment — or, more likely, until the excuses from Radson and his partner-in-spin Evans Ochieng finally started smelling too ripe even for him.

Bob’s approach is pure comedy: he flatly informs Priscilla that Radson is not married to Patricia (just “kissing cousins,” apparently — how wholesome!), completely ignoring the adultery, abuse, and dramatic 2022 exit that multiple witnesses, videos, and the children themselves have detailed. Of course he ignores it. Acknowledging reality might require admitting his hand-picked African leaders have been playing him like a cheap fiddle for years. And we can’t have that.

Bonus Layer of Farce: For years Bob was happily texting and chatting with a fake Priscilla account conveniently supplied by Radson himself. Because why believe actual critics or public evidence when you can get your information straight from the witchdoctor’s PR department? Gullible doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Make sure to listen to the audio recording at the end of this article

from Crackpot Bob to Priscilla

I deleted the text here that had Bob Thiel's

personal phone number on it.....

Meanwhile, fresh orders have gone out: Evans Ochieng is being dispatched to Malawi yet again (in the next 2–3 days, sources say) armed with the usual toolkit of incentives to bribe, lure, and photoshop enough “Hope of Israel” leaders and fake congregations into Radson’s column. Because nothing says “God’s true work” like scrambling to manufacture visible numbers after your star minister’s greed and behavior allegedly torched whatever real presence CCOG had in Malawi.

Bob still can’t accept the truth even when it comes straight from Priscilla’s mouth. Instead, the old narcissist doubles down, guilt-trips, and spins. His followers are expected to believe that this is all just more vicious persecution against the one true prophet™ — never mind the voice recordings, text messages, and trail of contradictions.

At this point the whole saga isn’t even tragic anymore. It’s performance art. Crackpot Bob, the man who claims divine revelation others can only dream of, reduced to begging an abused ex-wife to reconcile with her adulterous minister while simultaneously pretending none of the adultery happened. Truly, a masterclass in leadership.

Pass the popcorn. This circus still has rings left.

When Spaghetti Hits the Wall: Crackpot Bob's Vague Guesses, Post-Hoc Victory Laps, and Zero Accountability Since 2007

2026-06-02T20:41:39.189-07:00

Crackpot Bob is a prolific reader of Banned and, as a result, is big mad that the meanie folks here on Banned who dared to point out the century-long Armstrongite prophetic clown car has never, ever delivered. How dare they notice the endless parade of "less than five years left!" reruns that somehow stretch into "any minute now... for the 87th time."

Let's take his sacred laundry list of "not coincidences, Divine Intervention" and give it the sarcastic roast it so richly deserves. These aren't prophecies—they're the prophetic equivalent of throwing spaghetti at the wall, claiming victory on anything that sticks, and then writing a book about your "fruits." As usual, this is all about HIM and HIM alone.

The Greatest Hits of "I Told You So... Sort Of"

Iran "neutralized" (2007 post → 2026 Netanyahu headline): Wow, Bob called it in 2007 that Iran might get slapped around someday. Groundbreaking. In a region that's been a powder keg for decades, predicting "Iran will face trouble" is like predicting "California will have earthquakes." By 2026, after actual wars and strikes, someone declares capabilities hit—Bob's victory lap. Never mind all the times Iran wasn't neutralized in between. Classic vague geopolitical guess + post-hoc high-five.

Meredith ministroke and death timeline prayers: You "warned" a top leader might get struck unless things changed... and then prayed for him to live 7-15 more years. He had a ministroke and died after ~8. This is "prophecy"? It's called being in a church with aging leaders and basic medical statistics. "I prayed for X and then X happened-ish" isn't divine—it's normal life plus confirmation bias. If prayers counted as prophecy, every grandma lighting candles would be Elijah. The fact that Crackpot Bob brags about this should show how morally depraved the man really is.

2012 book with "32 predictions fulfilled": Ah yes, the book that said the world wouldn't end in 2012 (safe bet) and then retrofitted a bunch of vague "rise of secret sect/EU/whatever" stuff. By December 2012, Bob declares victory. This is the same playbook as every end-times huckster: predict enough fuzzy trends, ignore the flops, and sell books.

Beginning of sorrows, Australia troops, Guttenberg, etc.: "I speculated China might get mad about US troops in Australia!" Wow. Geopolitical tensions in the Pacific—truly a miracle. Guttenberg predictions: a German politician does politician things. Speculative fanfic elevated to "divine."

The Anointing Drama (Bonjour double-portion prayer): This is peak cult theater. Ministers say you don't need special hands-laid prophet status → you pray real hard on a trip → one guy anoints you and says "oops, mantle!" → you declare yourself validated and start the fastest-growing (tiny) splinter. Fruits? Sure, if "splinter group with a website" counts as Acts 2:17-18. Jesus talked about fruits like character and truth, not "my blog traffic grew."

Coronavirus warnings (2013+): "Novel diseases could be a threat!" and "coronaviruses are risky!" in the age of SARS, MERS, bird flu scares, etc. This is called reading the news, Bob. Then tying it to horsemen after the fact. Every epidemiologist warned about pandemics. You didn't predict the specific COVID-19 origin or timeline—you just said "viruses bad."

Crypto regulation, Ukraine to Russia, Crimea, Donetsk: Governments regulating money? Russia wanting Ukraine bits? In 2013-2022? These are obvious trends to anyone following news, not supernatural insight. Sanctions didn't stop Russia—shocker. Bob's "predictions" read like a slightly informed geopolitical newsletter with Bible verses sprinkled on top.

GMO mosquitoes stronger? Scientists release modified bugs, unintended consequences happen. Science does that. Not prophecy.

Trump books, Biden books, gold records, Mercosur, Chagos Islands: Endless books predicting administrations will do administration things (trade deals, economic moves, Europe reacting to Trump). Gold hits records during inflation/uncertainty—astounding. UK giving up islands—colonial wind-down continues. These are "fulfilled" by stretching "at least partially" so wide you could drive a truck through it.

Crackpot Bob's entire method: Rifle through headlines, find anything that vaguely matches a prior vague post, declare "confirmed sign!" while the mountain of Armstrong originals (failed dates for the Great Tribulation, Europe uniting as the Beast any day, etc.) gets memory-holed.

Deuteronomy 18 test for prophets: If it doesn't come to pass, they spoke presumptuously. Not "mostly sorta aligned if you squint." The Bible also warns against those who love to claim special dreams, private interpretations, and "I alone understand the signs" while the church splits into 400+ feuding COG fragments, each claiming to be the One True.

Thiel's list is what happens when you turn "watching world news and praying" into a prophetic brand. It's not divine intervention—it's the same retrofitting every failed end-times group does. The "laundry list" is just confirmation bias in chart form.

If Bob's the real deal, where are the unambiguous, specific, falsifiable prophecies that actually shocked the world instead of "I said tensions might rise and they did"? The Armstrong tradition has been recycling "five years left" since before most of us were born. At some point, the roadside wreckage of failed dates isn't "persecution"—it's a track record.

Truth hurts, Bob. Especially when it's been on public display for decades.

The Man Who Stole the Spotlight from Christ: Herbert Armstrong’s Lasting Deception

2026-06-02T18:48:55.807-07:00

Decades after Herbert W. Armstrong’s death in 1986, a stubborn faction of his followers still clings to the notion that he was God’s indispensable end-time apostle, the restorer of “lost truths,” and the virtual gatekeeper to authentic Christianity. They portray loyalty to his teachings and the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) legacy as synonymous with loyalty to Christ Himself. This is not mere admiration. It is bad theology—and it is idolatry, plain and simple.

The Two Trees Obsession: A Distorted Master Key

Armstrong could never stop talking about the Two Trees in Eden. The Tree of Life supposedly pictured God as the Source of all knowledge through the Holy Spirit; the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil represented rebellious mankind choosing self as the source of truth. He hammered this motif for decades, framing all human history as six thousand years of eating from the wrong tree.

There is a kernel of truth in the contrast between trusting God and trusting self. But turning this single illustration into the central organizing principle of the entire Bible is exegetical overreach bordering on obsession. The New Testament does not revolve around “two sources of knowledge.” It revolves around one Person: “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). By making the Two Trees his theological North Star, Armstrong steered people into a rigid system of law-keeping, mandatory Holy Days, Sabbath policing, and distinctive Armstrongist doctrines. The result? A gospel perverted into another form of legalism—the very error the apostle Paul thundered against in Galatians. When you filter everything through Armstrong’s interpretive grid, Christ’s finished work gets pushed aside in favor of “correct” rule-keeping. That is not restoration. It is regression.

Blatant Idolatry: The Man Who Stood in Christ’s Place

The most troubling aspect is how Armstrong’s defenders treat the man himself. They insist that because he “feared God,” kept commandments, and restored “the truth,” he must have truly known Jesus. In practice, this means knowing Jesus only through Armstrong’s lens—his writings, his ordinations, his definitions of the Church, and his self-appointed apostolic authority.

This is idolatry with a thin biblical veneer. Scripture will not tolerate it:

There is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).

Jesus declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Paul shredded the personality cults of his day: “Let no one boast in men” (1 Corinthians 3:21).

Armstrong positioned himself as the essential apostle for the last days. Followers who demand a return to “the original teachings” equate leaving WCG's distinctives with leaving the Body of Christ, or treat his literature as practically infallible, and have done exactly what Scripture forbids—they have inserted a human mediator between believers and the living Christ. Loyalty to Armstrong has replaced simple faith in Jesus. That is not “holding fast”; it is spiritual adultery.

The Church Myth: Spiritual Organism or Armstrong Brand?

Armstrong correctly taught that the Church is a spiritual organism, not a corporation. Yet in the same breath, many of his devotees treat the “Worldwide Church of God” name and doctrinal package as the exclusive franchise of true Christianity. If you leave the Armstrong system, you are told you have left Christ.

This sectarian arrogance collapses under New Testament reality. The true Church consists of all who are united to Christ by faith—across every denomination and label (Ephesians 4:4-6). After Armstrong died, his own successor, Joseph W. Tkach Sr., and later leadership did the honest and courageous thing: they opened the Bible and discovered that core Armstrong teachings—the denial of the Trinity, British Israelism, mandatory Old Covenant holy days for Christians, and the bizarre idea that believers become “God beings”—could not stand up to Scripture.

The resulting reforms were not apostasy. They were a long-overdue repentance. The splinter groups that rejected these corrections simply proved the point: their security rested in Armstrong, not in Christ.

Bitter Fruits: Legalism, Failed Prophecies, and Division

The legacy speaks for itself. Armstrong’s system produced zealous followers and a powerful media presence, but it also bred authoritarian control, family divisions over birthdays and Christmas trees, shunning of dissenters, and a steady stream of failed prophecies. When the man at the center died, the movement fractured into dozens of competing “true churches,” each claiming to be the faithful remnant. That is not the unity of the Spirit; it is the chaos of following a man.

Time to Dethrone the Idol

There is nothing wrong with acknowledging whatever good Armstrong may have done in people’s lives. But it is time to stop the idolatry. The real Tree of Life is not a doctrinal system restored in the 20th century—it is Jesus Christ Himself (Revelation 22:2; John 15).

Test everything by Scripture, not by Armstrong’s corpus. Repent of misplaced loyalties. Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith (Hebrews 12:2), and leave all lesser “apostles” in the dust where they belong. Christ alone is worthy. Anything less is bad theology—and outright idolatry.

Silent Pilgrim

---------------------------------------------------------------

Excerpts from Samuel Kitchen's latest Facebook post:

Why did Mr Armstrong always go back to the TWO TREES?
1• The Tree of Life
2• The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
Because they are TWO SOURCES of knowledge.

A lot of people have questions about the Worldwide Church of God. They want to know if it was of God, or was it of men.
Some say Mr Armstrong didn’t have a good understanding, received through the Holy Spirit of God, but went on “bad information”. They say, the Worldwide Church of God was merely an organization formed in California.
Making it an object that can be passed around, and if needed…destroyed and thrown away.
“First of all, the true Church of God is a spiritual organism. It is NOT a human organization. This spiritual organism is the "Body of Christ" existing for the PURPOSE of carrying on THE WORK OF GOD.” (Just What Is The Church? By Herbert W Armstrong, 1970)
The WORK is different from the CHURCH.
The various corporations, including WCG Inc, were support services IN THE WORK, but was NOT THE CHURCH. It supported the Church.
So when an organization is set up for a Church, it represents the Church, but it is NOT THE CHURCH.
So the entity of the Worldwide Church of God is a SPIRITUAL ORGANISM. The WORK simply mirrored and supported the Church.
Two areas. The Church, which is spiritual. The Work, the physical support services.
“Actually the Worldwide Church of God is a spiritual organism, created by GOD — not a legal corporate organization created by this world's laws.
But, in order to function IN the world in an organizational manner, the Church of God has needed to be incorporated according to state laws. The members of the Church are NOT members of the "Worldwide Church of God, Inc.," a California corporation, nor of "Herbert W. Armstrong, a corporation sole," under which our financial operations currently are functioning (since the massive lawsuit by the state of California).”(Advisory Council of Elders Formed by Herbert W Armstrong, March 16, 1981 Worldwide News)

And being a spiritual organism, the Worldwide Church of God remains, and only has the membership of those who have the Holy Spirit of God.
Now if you are not IN the Worldwide Church of God, but have left it, you are just fooling yourself. You need to repent and return.
If you have been recently called by God, and are just now coming into the knowledge of knowing the Worldwide Church of God exists, you have been led here by Jesus Christ. r

The Damning Legacy of COG Prophecy Addicts. God Called Them False Prophets — Why Are You Still Sending Them Tithes?

2026-06-02T12:05:51.943-07:00

Doug Winnail is back with another heartfelt plea about how crucial Bible prophecy is to “the Church” and their earth-shattering message to the world. How touching. The only teensy problem? Not one single prophecy from Rod Meredith, Gerald Weston, Herbert Armstrong, or their endless parade of spiritual heirs has ever come true. Not. One.

They rifle through Scripture like it’s a prophetic buffet, cherry-picking verses backward to retrofit whatever crisis is trending this week. The golden oldie “Brethren, we have less than five years left!” has been recycled longer than some of these “leaders” have been alive. Five years became ten, twenty, thirty… and now we’re approaching a full century of Herbert W. Armstrong’s prophetic dumpster fire. His predictions didn’t just fail—they failed spectacularly, publicly, and repeatedly, littering church history like embarrassing roadside wreckage.

And the current crop of COG prophecy addicts? They’re carrying the torch with pride:

Bob Thiel, whose “dreams” apparently carry more weight than actual Scripture.
Gerald Flurry, still waiting for his magical rock to pulverize the nations while he plays king in his Edmond compound.
Ron Weinland, who set multiple return-of-Christ dates, missed every one. He just shrugged and bought his wife some more diamonds.
Dave Pack, the undisputed champion of “Any Day Now… Again!”—a man who’s declared the end so often he makes doomsday preppers look patient.

And dozens more just like them, each with their own “special understanding,” urgent timeline, and loyal followers who apparently skipped Bible class.

Because here’s what Deuteronomy 18:20-22 actually says (you know, that pesky part they always forget):

But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak… if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

One strike and you’re out. No mulligans. No, “we were mostly right on the general idea.” No, “just wait a little longer, brethren.” God doesn’t grade on a curve for false prophets—He calls them liars. Yet these men have built entire organizations, bank accounts, and egos on a mountain of failed dates while daring to call themselves God’s true servants.

Jesus warned about exactly this in Matthew 24:11 — “Many false prophets will arise and mislead many.” And in Matthew 7:15-20, He said you’d know them by their fruits. Spoiler: endless broken prophecies aren’t exactly “good fruit.”But sure, Doug. Tell us again how Satan is deceiving people into discounting prophecy. The far bigger joke is how he’s got an army of self-appointed watchmen (Ezekiel 3 and 33 get thrown around a lot) who are themselves the very false prophets the Bible repeatedly condemns (see also Jeremiah 23:16-32 and Ezekiel 13).

And so the tragic farce rolls on.

Decade after decade, these self-proclaimed prophets have peddled their doomsday dreams like carnival barkers, only to watch their bold predictions collapse in humiliating silence. Families have been torn apart, savings drained, lives put on perpetual hold—all for the sake of a fantasy that never arrives. Yet instead of repentance, we get fresh revisions, new “urgent” updates, and ever-more-desperate pleas for more money, while there’s still time.”The trail of wreckage stretches back nearly a century: from Armstrong’s Germany-will-rule-Europe-and-invade-America fiascoes to the modern circus of Thiel-Flurry-Weinland-Pack and company. Each one a walking, talking violation of Deuteronomy 18, each one still collecting tithes and issuing edicts as if God Himself had not already exposed them.

How much longer will people keep following these spiritual frauds? When will they finally open their Bibles, read the clear warnings, and walk away from the con?

The real Jesus never built His ministry on a never-ending countdown clock. He called people to repentance, faith, and genuine fruit—not to a lifetime of chasing vindication through failed headlines. Maybe, just maybe, it’s time to stop obsessing over the next rewritten prophecy and start following the One these men claim to represent… before another generation wastes its life on lies dressed up as “God’s Work.”

Have a truly profitable Sabbath, brethren. Spend it on actual Scripture instead of the latest prophetic fever dream. Your future self—and your bank account—will thank you.

The Importance of Prophecy: Jesus told His disciples to stay alert and watch for the fulfillment of Bible prophecies that will mark the approaching end of this age (Matthew 24:42–44; Mark 13:32–37; Luke 21:34–36). Jesus also warned, in the parable of the foolish virgins, that many will be caught unprepared by the sudden surge of events that will precede His return (Matthew 25:1–13). God has given His Church “a more sure word of prophecy” (2 Peter 1:19, King James Version) so we can warn the Israelite nations and the world of the prophetic significance of world events. It is an awesome responsibility to be commissioned as a watchman (Ezekiel 3:16–21; 33:1–11). It is also sobering to see that Satan has deceived the world and many in the Church to discount the importance of prophecy. We must never take Bible prophecy and our commission lightly.

Have a profitable Sabbath,

Douglas S. Winnail

Church of God Assembly Spectacular “We’re Different This Time” Meltdown - Ministers Leave Along With Monson's Son

2026-05-31T23:51:18.015-07:00

Hat tip to a reader here for this information:

What a glorious time to be in the Church of God Assembly! Just when you thought the latest Armstrongist splinter group had finally found its groove after splintering off in 2020, the whole operation decides to treat itself to a good old-fashioned ministerial bloodbath in May 2026. It’s almost like the Holy Spirit looked at the org chart and said, “Yeah… no.”

Co-founder and big-name minister Jason Fritts? Gone. Terminated. Shown the door. Sheldon Monson graciously accepted what he called Fritts’ “resignation” after receiving an ultimatum about preaching the gospel. Translation: Get in line or get out. Fritts has now been scrubbed from the official ministers' list faster than you can say “doctrinal disagreement.”

But wait — there’s more! Like a biblical plague of departing elders, the following ministers have also waved goodbye:

Mike Loper
Randy Wayne
Larry Alverio
Danny Baisley
Todd Lawrence

That’s a solid chunk of the preaching roster deciding the grass is apparently greener somewhere else. Meanwhile, Monson’s own son has reportedly left the fold. Yes, one of his own kids. Family business is thriving, folks.

Left standing in the “loyalty bunker” are the remaining stalwarts — lovingly referred to by observers as the Yes Men:

Jack Lowe
Mike Kreyer
Greg Kaidannek
Eric Case
And of course, fearless leader Sheldon Monson himself

Truly a murderer’s row of independent thought.

The Board? What Board?

This latest meltdown didn’t come out of nowhere. Back in 2025, Sheldon Monson pulled a classic one-man-rule move and dismissed the entire Board of CGA. Why? Because he didn’t want to risk getting voted out, of course. Heaven forbid a little accountability get in the way of having total control over those sweet, sweet tithes. Nothing says “servant leadership” like firing the people who might ask pesky questions about the budget. Financial Improprieties? Perish the Thought!

Adding extra spice to the exodus are the whispers (and not-so-subtle sermon jabs) about financial goings-on. Members noticed shiny new Cadillac Escalades for Sheldon and his wife Joette. Then came reports of a lavish Disney trip that raised more than a few eyebrows about whose money was funding the Mouse House memories. An ex-employee’s sermon on Judas stealing from the money bag was widely interpreted as shade thrown directly at leadership. Coincidence? In COG world, these things are never coincidences — they’re just “the work.”

One sharp-eyed reader put it perfectly: “If the whole congregation knew the whole truth as to why so many have left, there would be even more to leave.” But don’t worry — if God wants it revealed, it will be!

For those keeping score, CGA was born in 2020 when Monson and Fritts dramatically exited the Living Church of God over masks, singing, and the sheer audacity of having church during a pandemic. They were going to be the bold ones. The faithful ones. The ones who wouldn’t bow to tyranny or compromise.

Fast-forward a few years and we’re watching the classic COG cycle repeat like a broken record: board dissolved for easier control, questions about finances and luxury purchases, family members on the payroll, and sermons that somehow always circle back to “support the work.” Shocking, we know.

Now the gospel-preaching ultimatum has apparently become the hill too many were willing to die on — or at least resign from.The Future Looks… Smaller

At this rate, CGA’s next Feast of Tabernacles might be held in Sheldon Monson’s living room with the remaining five ministers taking turns nodding enthusiastically. The website and podcast will surely keep soldiering on with fresh sermons from the Approved Roster™.

This is, of course, exactly how God’s one true remnant church is supposed to operate in the end times: shrinking, splintering, firing boards, dodging financial questions, and loudly insisting everything is fine while half the leadership walks out the door.

Truly inspiring.If you’re still attending, congratulations on being part of this exciting new “faithful remnant of the faithful remnant.” Just don’t ask too many questions about the board, the Escalades, or the Disney trips — that seems to be the fastest way to join the growing club of former CGA ministers enjoying their newfound freedom.

Stay tuned. If God really does want the full truth revealed… well, the way things are going, He might not have to lift a finger. The exits (and the empty board seats) are doing the talking.

When Even Satan Needs AI to Make Bob Thiel Sound Reasonable

2026-05-31T18:57:40.087-07:00

Bless your perpetually persecuted heart, you magnificent tinfoil prophet of the improperly named "continuing" Church of "god". You’ve done it again. You’ve taken your trademark “everyone is out to get me” energy and cranked it straight into the stratosphere, this time with the help of that big bad Artificial Intelligence that’s clearly been sent by Satan himself just to own you personally.

Now, and I have warned about this before…

Of course you have, Crackpot Bob. You warn about everything. The sky, the moon, the calendar, the Germans, the Catholics, the Protestants, and now—checks notes—the large language models of AI. Truly, no stone shall be left unturned in the Great Persecution of Crackpot Bob Thiel.

You see, dear readers, Crackpot Bob isn’t just worried that some rando might disagree with him online. No, no. Crackpot Bob has reached the final boss level of Armstrongist victimhood: soon AI will be deepfaking him so convincingly that it will make him say things he never said. Which, let’s be honest, is a brilliant plan by the Devil because who wouldn’t want to hear a robot version of Crackpot Bob droning on about how everything is a conspiracy against his tiny splinter group? The AI will probably even get the smug, self-important tone exactly right.

Imagine it: Deepfake Crackpot Bob will go on record declaring that British Israelism was a mistake, that he’s not an apostle, and that maybe—just maybe—Herbert W. Armstrong wasn’t the final Elijah. The horror! The humanity! Crackpot Bob’s fragile ego would fracture like a broken matzo. And you just know he’s lying awake at night refreshing his own YouTube comments, muttering, “They’re already doing it… the wolves… the AI wolves…”

He even tries to prop it up with Acts 20, because of course he does. Paul warned about savage wolves, and Crackpot Bob has graciously volunteered to play the role of the trembling sheep who somehow also claims to be the one true shepherd. The humility is stunning.

And yes, Crackpot Bob, we all remember those devastating incidents where “fraudsters online pretended to be you.” Truly the greatest trial since the martyrdom of the apostles. The horror of someone making a fake Facebook account in your name must keep you up at night right next to the coming Great Tribulation.

But don’t worry, folks! Even as the AI Satanic cabal plots to puppet his digital corpse into saying the wrong thing about church history or protein bars or whatever he’s obsessed with this week, Crackpot Bob has bravely scheduled a podcast interview. Quick everyone, form a prayer chain! We need the Holy Spirit to help him open his mouth boldly so he can once again explain how he alone understands prophecy while the rest of humanity (and all those other Armstrongist groups) are doomed.

Truly, Crackpot Bob is the most persecuted man in Armstrongism since… well, since the last time he posted something. Maybe even more than Gerald Flurry, and that’s saying something. At least Flurry has a fancy rock, a dance troupe and a college. Crackpot Bob just has a little store front and shelves full of snake oil herbs and a persecution complex so massive it has its own zip code and a YouTube channel.

Armstrongist deepfake paranoia is a niche but perfectly on-brand manifestation of the movement’s signature persecution complex, turbocharged by modern tech anxiety. In the splintered world of Herbert W. Armstrong’s ideological descendants—tiny churches claiming to be the one true continuation of the “Philadelphia era”—leaders like Crackpot Bob have elevated fears of AI manipulation from “possible concern” to “Satanic end-time assault on me personally.”

This is peak self-absorption: a man with a congregation that’s mostly African and notoriously fluid in its loyalties fears that the devil himself will use AI to make robot-Bob say something heretical, causing his followers to jump ship to a better seed-and-computer supplier. The mockery writes itself: “Deepfaking an already fake prophet? Why bother?”

This fits Thiel’s broader pattern. He positions himself as the doubly-blessed successor to Armstrong, constantly under attack by Satan, other COG splinters, bitter ex-members, and now large language models. His warnings blend legitimate general concerns about misinformation with an intensely personal “they’re coming for my utterances” angle.

Sadly, in Armstrongism, the persecution complex as core doctrine:

Armstrongism teaches that the “true church” is always a tiny, persecuted remnant. HWA himself railed against a vast conspiracy of counterfeit Christianity. Modern leaders inherit and amplify this: every criticism is spiritual warfare. Deepfakes provide a shiny new external enemy.

By preemptively discrediting any future video or audio that contradicts the leader, they create a perfect epistemic shield.

That clip of me admitting British Israelism is nonsense? Deepfake! It’s the religious equivalent of “fake news” on steroids.

Armstrongists love mapping current events onto prophecy. AI fits neatly as a tool of the Beast, the false prophet, or general end-time deception. Satan’s minions (or just bored trolls) will use it to draw away disciples.

Deepfake scams targeting churches do exist—scammers impersonate pastors to solicit money or “blessings.” But in Armstrongism, this general risk gets hyper-personalized to the leader’s fragile authority. Gerald Flurry and others have massive persecution narratives too—Flurry’s focus is more on physical “man of sin” figures, Trump prophecies, and the “stone of destiny”—but Crackpot Bob seems to own the AI/deepfake lane. His is the most explicit, repeated tying of emerging tech to personal satanic targeting.

The delicious irony? Armstrongist leaders have spent decades “deepfaking” Herbert W. Armstrong himself—cherry-picking, reinterpreting, and repackaging his failed prophecies while claiming unbroken continuity. Now they fear technology doing to them what they’ve done theologically to their founder.

Crackpot Bob's warnings say more about his ego than any real threat. If an AI ever does perfectly imitate him, it will probably just output endless videos about protein bars, witchdoctors, German dominance, Baron Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, and how everyone is persecuting the greatest prophet since HWA. The robot version might even be more watchable.

In the end, Armstrongist deepfake paranoia isn’t really about AI. It’s about maintaining ironclad control in an era when information (and mockery) flows freely. When your entire identity rests on being the sole guardian of “the truth” against a hostile world, every new technology becomes another demon at the door—especially one that could make you say the quiet part out loud. Crackpot Bob will keep warning. The blogs will keep laughing.

Stay strong, Bob. The AI is coming for you. And when it finally does make that perfect deepfake, I have one request: make sure the robot version admits that constantly warning everyone about how persecuted you are is, in fact, extremely weird.

Even the AI will get tired of it eventually.

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Now, and I have warned about this before, please understand that the time will come when AI and other software will make more “deep fakes” of me and likely other leaders in the Continuing Church of God. Such fakes will pretend I/we have said things we have not said as well as done things that we have not done (we have had incidents where fraudsters, online, have already pretended to be me).

Remember that the Apostle Paul warned:

29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. (Acts 20:29-31)

And I am warning all who can hear that Satan and his minions will continue to take steps against us and I expect that AI will allow for more and more of that.

That said, let me add that next Monday I am scheduled for an interview for what may be a significant podcast. Please pray that I will speak wisely and “that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6:19).