By Victor Kubik
At its peak, it was a vibrant, global church. It counted more than 120,000 members meeting collectively each Sabbath on every inhabited continent. Its television program was ranked No. 1 by Nielsen and aired weekly on more than 100 satellite and terrestrial stations, leveraging a media budget of $57 million (in 2023 dollars). It published a monthly flagship magazine with more than six million copies distributed in seven languages. Attendance at its annual festival sites was regularly measured in the multiple thousands. Annual contributions neared the quarter of a billion dollars mark. The Gospel of the Kingdom of God was powerfully thundered across every available media. Then, one day, it was all but gone.
This once was the Work of the Worldwide Church of God.
Stunned, even horrified, many ministers, members and families in the early 1990s watched in alarm and shock as cherished and solid beliefs were inexplicably reversed, abandoned, even mocked. Once a literal "City on a Hill," a marvelous hub of high energy that was transformed from slums and dilapidated old buildings into the church's magnificent headquarters and college campus was sold off piecemeal, together with remaining properties across the United States.
Even the high-profile bold declaration in the lobby of the Ambassador Auditorium, the church's physical capstone - a prominent phrase displayed for many thousands of people to openly see in public: "Dedicated to the glory of the Great God - made possible by gifts from the Worldwide Church of God" - was stripped out.
Lost faith
Disillusioned and betrayed, many lost their precious faith, becoming agnostics, even atheists. Many were resentful, some even angry at God Himself. A sad legacy was emerging.
As multiple thousands of people grappled with wholesale upheaval, many tried to uphold the established belief structure. As the Worldwide Church collapsed into what one WCG administrator described as "the holocaust years" (when the former organization fell apart and splintered, down-sizing as finances shrank), new organizations were formed.
Act of betrayal
One of the chief reasons that the demolition of the prior organization was even possible was attributable to one factor: the intense concentration of legal power and physical authority in a single person. As one of the organizers and leaders of the dramatic theological and organizational turmoil later admitted in print, the very autocratic - and previously criticized - power that had ostensibly led to the changes was now deployed again. But this time to foment broad upheaval, an act of betrayal that was mercilessly pursued at great cost to families and friends.
One last-try effort was made by a group of ministers, who appealed for fairness and peace, together with the opportunity to continue prior beliefs and structure. When the current administration vehemently denied this option, adherents to biblical truth were left with no choice. At that time the first steps began to explore how to create a new organization. There was no framework or plans laid in advance.
Within this group, all agreed on one element: whatever this new organization looked like, there would never again be an opportunity for the concentration of power - especially that of a doctrinal nature - within the hands of a single man, unanswerable to anyone but himself.
And thus was born the United Church of God, an International Association.
Why this narrative history?
Having served in the ministry of the Worldwide Church of God for many years and subsequently assigned to the Church Administration department in Pasadena, my wife Bev and I were unique eyewitnesses of the before, during and after of this crisis. As an active pastor in the field, I had never sought an administrative position.
As is a fact of history, I personally served as Assistant Director of Church Administration, meeting frequently with senior administrators from the early 1990s who would later trainwreck established beliefs and wreak havoc in people's lives with a barrage of changes.
In the second decade of the 21st century, why would any of this be relevant?
Now that more than a quarter of a century has passed and the now-established United Church of God is moving into a new generation of members and leaders, important lessons need to be preserved. I have had numerous people asking me to recount what had happened that led to the formation of the United Church of God. Included in this number are curious young people who want to know why and how we began.
An unbreakable promise
We hold this unbreakable promise from the living Head of the Church, Jesus Christ: "I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). No matter what happens, the spiritual Church of God will always exist through the ages.
All of us who attended Ambassador College or who were trained locally in the ministry knew that the original first century Church of God had been rent by division following the fall of the Jerusalem temple.
We just never thought it would happen to our 20th century church organization.
What does this mean for today? A true saying, cited by many, reads: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
Thus the rationale for preserving the history of the events and focus that led up to the founding and creation of the United Church of God, an International Association.
An important caveat
Originally coined to describe the focal point of a devastating nuclear explosion, the phrase "Ground Zero" has also come to define a point of origin of a momentous event. The place of the 9/11 Memorial in New York City is also described and known as "Ground Zero" of the events of that terrible terrorist attack in 2001.
In many respects, my wife Bev and I have a "ground zero" view of the unique events where a global church willingly collapsed and a new organization - firmly guided and governed by a General Council of Elders, whose directives were carried out by a 12-person Council of Elders and a President - emerged to continue the biblical mission of preaching the Gospel and preparing a people.
As I write this, I will obviously reflect my own memories and recorded narratives of this time. Many people, including Bev, have already contributed to this "ground zero" narrative, which has been greatly helpful. This helps to reduce the potential subjective nature of writing a memoir of past events.
It is important to note upfront that I have no personal axe to grind or hidden agenda. In many respects, the 1990s were intensely painful for Bev and me, as for thousands of others. We certainly did not profit financially from any of it. In fact, our stories mirror those of many who subsequently met in Indianapolis in 1995. Apart from the Bible, there was no framework. There was no established pathway. And certainly no promise of any financial compensation. We were prepared to do what it took to preserve and practice the revealed truth of God.
During that time there was a great deal of prayer, fasting and study into the Word of God, beseeching Almighty God to show us the way and reveal His divine will to us. As many will attest, what emerged wasn't perfect. But the leaders, minsters and people of the United Church of God, an International Association have never given up.
As you read this narrative, I invite you to remember that many of the administrators mentioned in this account were once close friends. I am not "at war" with any of them today. If and when they read this account, they may disagree with my perspective and perceptions. The fact remains, I was there. I was in many meetings where changes were being introduced, then enforced.
I would not be honest if I didn't say that many actions, comments and assertions of the time were hurtful. When Bev and I stood in the office of the then-Pastor General to resign, that was not a pleasant experience.
The outcome of those experiences is that I may sound direct or forceful. That is not my intent. I am certainly not a victim or hold a victim mentality, nor am I resentful. I believe the Bible and its unbreakable promises. We will all one day stand before God and Jesus Christ and give account of ourselves. And has Jesus Himself promised, the Church of God will stand.
If you've read this far, I thank you. Many who witnessed these events now sleep and await the resurrection, and several people have encouraged me to put this history into written form before it is lost.
Our focus? The future of the Church of God is bright. As members of the Body of Christ, let us "be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall" (2 Peter 1:10, English Standard Version).
Let us now turn to an eventful saga...
Ground Zero -- Chapter 2 - Crossing the Rubicon on March 3, 1995
Posted on June 28, 2023
The Genesis of the United Church of God
A Personal View from Ground Zero
Chapter 2 Crossing the Rubicon on March 3, 1995
Chapter One concluded with an invitation to delve into an eventful saga, recounting how the United Church of God came into existence. Over the years I have been asked, "What happened?" Here is Chapter Two. Ambassador College Hall of Administration, my work home from 1990 to 1995.
As the Hall of Administration elevator lifted us to the fourth floor, I was filled with a cacophony of emotions. The night before, my wife Bev and I had made final edits to possibly the most important letter I had ever written.
Together, we were walking away from decades of service to a church that we loved. We had no plan, no premeditated intent, no fallback next step. We simply could not in good faith continue on the path that we were on.
As the elevator rose, I wondered what the Pastor General of the Worldwide Church of God - a man I had supported, worked with, and counted as a close friend - would say when I resigned.
Bev and I were accompanied by Doug Horchak, a long-time minister who had also resigned three days earlier. Doug was the son-in-law of Joseph W. Tkach Sr. Doug would support us as we crossed our personal Rubicon. After today there would be no turning back.
The waiting area of the executive offices was quiet and unoccupied when we arrived, the calm before the storm. From many previous meetings, I knew that the senior Tkach liked to get to the office early.
We walked into his office unannounced. The windows lining the office framed the marble pillars of the Ambassador Auditorium, an expansive view that Mr. Herbert Armstrong had enjoyed in the many years he worked in the same office. I had sat in meetings in this office many, many times with leaders of the church and Ambassador College. Today's meeting would be quite different.
Mr. Tkach looked up as we entered. Seeing Doug, he sensed this was no ordinary meeting. My heart racing, I told him that we needed to talk.
The three of us sat down in front of his desk, papers, books and mementos piled high. He looked uncomfortably at the three of us.
I stated directly but respectfully, "Mr. Tkach, I am resigning as Assistant Director of Church of Administration. Here are my reasons."
I handed over the first of two letters. Putting on his trademark half-high reading glasses, he began to read silently.
Without preamble, the letter began simply:
"Dear Mr. Tkach,
"This is the most difficult letter I have ever had to write. After serving in the employed ministry of Jesus Christ for almost 26 years I am forced to resign my position in Church Administration due to issues of personal faith and conviction."
I, together with my wife Bev, felt "forced" because for years I witnessed and lived through the dramatic dismantling of a Church that I loved and dedicated my life to. This effort, now shamelessly overturning cherished beliefs and doctrines, ran totally counter to my commitment as a minister. Two decades earlier I had committed and accepted the responsibility to nurture, care for, and protect those people who had turned their lives to God.
The letter continued, as Mr. Tkach read silently:
"At issue are the doctrinal changes involving the new teaching on the subject of the covenants, Sabbath and Holy Days. While I have always believed that we cannot earn salvation, that salvation is by grace through Jesus Christ only, and that we are ministers of the New Covenant, I do not believe that the Sabbath and Holy Days are mere shadows whose purpose for Christians ended at the death of Christ. I believe that the Sabbath is holy, and that the annual Holy Days have the divine purpose of revealing to Christians the wonderful plan of salvation for mankind."
After Mr. Armstrong's death, the Worldwide Church of God enjoyed a burst of growth and influence. Monthly baptisms numbered in the hundreds. Annual donations topped a quarter of a billion dollars (nearly half a billion in 2023 dollars). The television media budget alone came in over $25 million, reaching the No. 1 spot in religious programming (as measured by Nielsen). Millions of publications, including multiple language issues of The Plain Truth magazine, were mailed every month.
We seemed to be on a winning streak, with God blessing our efforts.
Then a contrary spirit moved into the midst of senior leadership. Unchecked, but with broad powers, a small group masterminded a massive shift of doctrinal change for the entire Church. This was not done with broad approval or a meeting of minds. Nor were changes merely small refinement, improvements or updates.
These changes ripped apart and mercilessly tore at the very foundations of our biblical understanding. There was no review process or discussion or "come let us reason together" approach. Longtime beliefs were quickly replaced with new theology and philosophy. Swept out was our understanding of the Nature of God, the coming Kingdom of God and our days of worship for starters. This was an invasion, a revolution. It was a war on a community of people who were taught to be compliant, submissive, humble. These traits were now exploited.
Not uttering a word, Mr. Tkach continued reading my letter:
"I cannot preach this new teaching in good faith. And as you yourself commented recently, in quoting from Romans 14: whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
"As Assistant Director of Church Administration, I have also come to a point where I can no longer support or have a part in the treatment that long-time loyal ministers have received. To date, several ministers who could not, in good conscience, preach this new material are being treated without the respect and dignity that I feel they deserve--often resulting in their termination from employ by the church after 20 or 30 years."
Tragically, these enforced changes led to an identity crisis among faithful believers who trusted in their leaders who were there to protect, guide, instruct and encourage. Now, people were reaching and scrambling for safety as they sensed the church turning on them. This was unsettling at the least and frightening at most.
Those like me who had studied and proven their theological footing over decades now had to fight to keep it. Little did these revolutionaries realize the power of conviction and commitment.
Many of us lost the spiritual home where we felt protected, educated and nourished. The Church was our community, but now we became displaced amidst confusion, damaged lives, separated families and destroyed relationships.
Reading toward the end of the first letter, the WCG Pastor General read:
"Mr. Tkach, it is with great sorrow and regret that I take this step, but my personal faith and conscience before God requires it of me. I will continue to pray for the healing of this terrible breach in God's Church--and for you personally."
Those of us who believed and were convicted of by what we were taught by our Church for decades were now thrust out by that very Church! The year 1995 was an extremely difficult year as our minds and emotions were stretched to their limits of endurance. We reeled in disbelief of "how can this be?" Our hope was that God would deliver us and provide a new home. We did not know how or when it would come to be.
As Mr. Tkach finished the first letter, I waited for his comments. I had thought of the many reactions he might have. But the one he made was not the one I would have expected.
As he put down the first letter, he seemed to be oblivious to all the turmoil in the Church over the past few months, a time of disorder with outrage and resignations. He then sighed and said, "Vic, you do this after all we have done for you?"
Even in the tenseness of the moment, I thought that this was a strange and irrelevant thing to say as I am bringing forward the hottest issues in the Church at that very moment. Even today, as I write this, I am struck at the foreignness of the moment.
The story continues, with the reading of the second letter and the unannounced appearance and reaction of Joe Jr., Mr. Tkach's son and then the Director of Church Administration (and my direct report).
I will continue this experience in Chapter three, but I would like to leave this chapter with this thought:
Jesus Christ set a high bar for dealing with difficult people and events. He prayed in the last moments of human life: Father, forgive them for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). The actions of leaders leading to our parting in 1995 were often harsh, hurtful and unjust to me personally. Today I have a spirit of forgiveness and hope we can all forgive, while at the same time understanding the consequences of what took place. I hope to lay out and preserve this important story without rancor or animosity.
But I hope we will remember the lessons of this time, especially in always contending for the faith once delivered (Jude 3).
Ground Zero -- Chapter 3 - Conflict Erupts - March 3, 1995
Posted on July 16, 2023
The Genesis of the United Church of God
A Personal View from Ground Zero
Chapter 3 Conflict Erupts
Chapter two concluded with the first part of a tense, soon-to-be tumultuous meeting with then-Pastor General Joseph Tkach, Sr. in his fourth-floor Pasadena office (the Senior Joseph Tkach is now deceased). Our account picks up as he begins reading the second of my two letters outlining my resignation. As previously noted, with me was my wife Beverly and pastor Doug Horchak, Mr. Tkach's son-in-law, who resigned a few days prior to this event. I had asked Doug to accompany us at this critical meeting. Shortly after Joe Sr. read the first two letters, we were unexpectedly joined by Joseph Tkach Jr., whom I directly reported to in his then-role as director of Church Administration.
[picture]
Bev and me in front of the Hall of Administration in October 2013
As this chapter will recount, emotions quickly ran hot.
As a backdrop, consider that in late 1994 and into 1995, many ministers and wives - as well as long-time members - had become increasingly puzzled, alarmed, and finally, outraged. No plans existed to create any new organization. But from a personal standpoint, Bev and I - like many others - had to follow our spiritual conscience.
As he unfolded the second letter and I sat before Mr. Tkach's desk, my mind raced. I had sat in this same executive office many times with other leaders of the Worldwide Church of God and Ambassador College. Almost every Friday morning Joe Sr. assembled key leaders and department heads to review and discuss key events and plans. While often serious, those meetings were also often punctuated with good-natured humor. Previously there was a lot of camaraderie and a feeling that we were collectively seeking to advance the Work of God.
There was none of that on this day. The early morning mood was somber and tense.
These letters presented here preserve a vibrant snapshot of what many people experienced in the spring of 1995. Within a few short months, thousands of lives had been upended as cherished truths were attacked and unraveled, spawning a painful crisis of faith. The magnitude of this spiritual betrayal took place at a level that no one could imagine could actually occur.
In early 1995, it was just unfathomable that we were living a time of heresy and division, one of those times warned of by the Bible.
As previously related, my first letter announced and confirmed my resignation. The second documented crucial details.
The Second Letter
As Doug, Bev and I waited, Mr. Tkach picked up my second letter and started reading it. Here is how it opened:
March 3, 1995
Dear Mr. Tkach,
"In addition to my letter of resignation, I want to share the following thoughts.
"First, I want to say that I love the ministry and serving God's people. I served in the field ministry for 21 years and have now assisted your son Joe Jr. since June 1, 1990, in a most interesting and challenging job.
"I felt that I did make a positive contribution in helping Joe deal with day-to-day tasks. On a personal level we relate extremely well. We conscientiously helped the ministry move towards becoming Christ-like shepherds.
"In the international areas I contributed to doing the Work in Eastern Europe, particularly with the Ukrainian Sabbatarians."
One ironic element in all of this was that I never had any aspirations to work in Pasadena at the church's physical headquarters. Bev and I had happily served in congregations in Minnesota and elsewhere, including often working extensively with the Youth Opportunities United (YOU) groups. A longtime photographer and writer, I had traveled with Herman Hoeh, the editor of the Plain Truth magazine, and written for that publication. During that time, I began contributing bylined articles to the church's Youth publication before the death of Mr. Armstrong.
Between 1990 and 1995, my relationship with Joe Tkach Jr. in the Church Administration department for the most part was excellent. Joe Jr. had originally been a ministerial trainee in the 1970s. When there were financial cutbacks in the church, he began working in a state agency and then transitioned to a business career in Arizona, gaining experience in human resources, corporate training, and other areas. He was ordained into the ministry in 1976 and served in an unpaid position as what was once called a local church elder.
After becoming pastor general in 1986 Joe Sr. brought his son from Arizona out to Pasadena to work in church administration, eventually replacing Larry Salyer as director. Joe Jr. had asked me to be his assistant in early 1990.
From my perspective, I thought we had a great working relationship. The Worldwide Church of God was a complex and multi-layered institution, having grown from a handful of members to well over 120,000 baptized brethren, and multiple thousands more attending each Sabbath.
In our short years together, Joe Jr. and I jointly oversaw more than 1,000 elders that included nearly four hundred full-time ministers. He and I often transparently discussed many subjects relating to our work. He was hard-working and personable. We both enjoyed being with people. My work involved making many visits to our field ministry in the United States as well as overseas conferences.
There was a lot of organizational energy in those early days of the Tkach administration, as the WCG was then a rapidly growing church. To help plan for and serve this growth, Joe Jr. and I travelled each spring to Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas, where we interviewed graduating seniors as potential hires into the ministry. New congregations were continually being planted across the globe.
On a personal level in those days, Joe Jr. was a friend with whom I communicated well as far as managing Church Administration. In my experience he was kind, merciful, compassionate, and well-liked generally.
But as the 1990s advanced, cracks and fissures appeared. Astonishing and divisive changes started being force fed to minister and member alike.
After his surprising outburst in reading my first letter that documented my resignation, Mr. Tkach Sr. continued to read my second letter. I had written:
"One of the highlights of working with Joe Jr. was establishing the regional pastor structure. These competent and converted men along with their wives devoted themselves above and beyond the call of duty to serving not only a congregation but several dozen ministers as well. They are highly respected by the ministry."
To understand the context of what happened over a quarter of a century ago, it's important to remember that Mr. Tkach Sr. first came to organizational power during the 1979 Receivership crisis in Pasadena.
As many will recall, in January 1979, without warning, the organizational and accounting functions of the Worldwide Church of God were invaded and brazenly taken over in a receivership by lawyers appointed by a local California administrative court judge. Mr. Tkach Sr. and others were on hand in Pasadena and stood in the breach, organizing, conducting, and supporting activities to counter the abusive legal action. That major crisis would stretch out more than a year.
These acts elevated Joe Sr.'s stature. He previously was a low-key minister from Chicago who had been serving in a church department that provided organizational services for the ministry. In the half decade following, Joe Sr. became known as a loyal follower of Mr. Herbert Armstrong. Joe Sr.'s reputation and performance aided his selection as head of the church's ministry, replacing Roderick C. Meredith (who later formed two church Sabbath-based organizations and is also now deceased).
Joe Sr. was appointed deputy Pastor General shortly before Mr. Armstrong's death in January 1986. He then became the legal successor to Mr. Armstrong, together with all of the sweeping powers that Mr. Armstrong had held to protect the church from the receivership. As Michael Feazell, a long-time assistant to Joe Sr. would later publicly admit, those sweeping legal powers were ultimately leveraged to foist broad harsh doctrinal and administrative changes on the church.
At the time Bev and I were serving local congregations in the upper Midwest. We had no idea of what would soon come.
After being appointed the director of Church Administration by his father, Joe Jr. had held off on creating any kind of mid-structure in administration. This hesitancy existed because two former mid-structures efforts had resulted in the creation of organizational-sapping problematic power bases.
Before it is lost to history, allow me to present some important background: one early streamlined structure of regional pastors organized by David Antion (a senior Pasadena ministerial administrator and brother-in-law to Garner Ted Armstrong, son of Herbert Armstrong) replaced sixteen District Superintendents in the early 1970s. That structure lasted only a brief time because of an attempted organizational revolt against the administration of Mr. Armstrong (the years 1972-74 included times of momentous change and difficult organizational upheaval).
That system conceived by David Antion was done away with, but replaced with a two-tier Area Coordinator structure that suffered a similar fate. Now with two failed mid-structures, there was no organizational appetite for yet another structure.
When I came to work for Joe Tkach Jr., we interfaced directly with the entire pastoral workforce, similar to what Joe Sr. had done when he was head of Church Administration. That had its own set of challenges in creating a form of a managerial bottleneck.
But events in 1993 showed the need for a new organizational structure. Joe Tkach Jr. was now wanting again to install a mid-management structure to oversee the ministry more closely (this act and its consequences will be explained more fully in a future chapter). Accordingly, in 1993 fourteen regional pastors were appointed in part to serve as "cheerleaders" and promote the sweeping doctrinal changes to the ministry.
Back to my second letter:
"Over the last few years, the church has undergone massive doctrinal changes. Some of these changes have been well-accepted and have added to our understanding of doctrine. Some of the changes, particularly those relating to the New Covenant, the Sabbath and Holy Days are not being accepted well by the ministry and members. I personally do not agree with what is taught about the Sabbath and the Holy Days.
"What has happened is that the teaching about the latest changes in particular has brought a crisis of conscience to our ministry. It has for me. Many ministers cannot and won't preach what you espouse. Congregations are divided in how they view the latest teachings.
"The way the changes have come about has been insensitive and uncaring to our people's faith. Mr. Tkach, I think it would be good to have a broader consensus of ministers in the decision-making process. In the Statement of Beliefs booklet under the section "Church Leadership" it states:
"...the decision-making process under Christ involves councils of ministers who report to the Pastor General."
"Yet, these most recent major doctrinal changes have come about with no input in the decision-making process from the ministry on either the administrative or the field levels. What ever happened to the Council of Elders?"
We loved our church and its people, so Bev and I wanted to be problem-solvers. We had no intention of launching a personal attack. So, I proposed a solution in the second letter.
"Wouldn't it be honorable to set up a board that would represent a broad spectrum of our leadership from both the local administrative ministers and representation from the field ministry? I sincerely feel that if the regional pastors and regional directors had been able to be involved in the process of considering these most recent subjects of change in doctrine, that we would have avoided much of the trauma and crisis we now face in the church. These major changes in belief have come about as a result of input and opinion of only a very few people that surround you."
I thought it possible that Joe Sr. was being insulated from the alarm and outrage that was fissuring the church. How could a man who championed the church at great personal risk in 1979 now lead an abusive campaign to literally destroy the very foundations of that same church?
So, I was determined to lay out the tension and pain that was rocking the ministry, the church, and me personally.
It is important to consider that these were not administrative or cosmetic changes. These changes touched the depths of our faith. The church's human administration was now figuratively treading with hobnailed boots on our minds and hearts - and on our relationship with God.
In foisting these sweeping changes, some purported a red herring fallacy of ministers somehow teaching that righteousness (and salvation) was a result of keeping the law. Like others trained at Ambassador College, I knew full well and accepted that my eternal salvation would come through grace, a gift from God. Salvation could not be "earned" by law-keeping, although God's law would serve faithfully to set high and powerful standards for Christian living.
Now, I'm essentially being told that was not my thinking. The truth? Administrators were tampering with the inner identity of the Church and its doctrine in a classic gaslighting campaign.
I wanted to document what was happening. Perhaps reason and fact could be restored. In my second letter to Joe Sr. I continued to talk about the most recent environment that had been created, a boiling over with fear and terror upon our ministry, members, and families.
"An administration that wants to be known for its love is now feared for its abusiveness and control. The ministry is told what to believe and teach or get out. It seems that a minister's worth and value now is his ability to promote the latest teachings which come in the Pastor General's Report and the study papers. If he doesn't actively promote them or shows reluctance to teach them he is often reported to Church Administration.
"It has been extremely painful for me to watch our ministers, my peers, and friends, be called on the phone one by one, questioned and then terminated for the very beliefs they came into this church for. This last month and a half has been traumatic for our ministry as they wonder whether they will be next on the list to be called. These are fine men who served us well for decades.
"There seems to be little regard for anything but their stand on new doctrine and how quickly they teach it to their congregations. On the other hand, we have a minister who is asking a settlement from the church for over three million dollars who has a poor record of insubordination and other problems who continues to pastor because he is a supporter of current doctrinal changes."
Those of us on the inside were seeing a Church quickly reeling out of control. Alarm sirens - in the form of upset members and ministers - were howling as organizational dark storm clouds appeared above us all. This was happening at breakneck speed, and despite fractures cracking all over the organization, the administration didn't seem to care. Even now it is too bizarre for words to convey.
Mr. Tkach continued to the final paragraphs of my letter:
"Yesterday afternoon a regional pastor, a highly respected minister, was terminated in part because he said he believes in the Sabbath and the Holy days and how they picture the plan of God. Others have been terminated, pushed out or questioned by phone for their very basic beliefs that brought them into this church.
"Mr. Tkach, I hope you realize how much the church is hurting at this time. I know that perhaps two-thirds of the ministry cannot teach what is being said about the Sabbath and Holy Days. Will they be terminated one by one? Why shouldn't those who do not believe in the Sabbath and Holydays go to some other church; there are plenty of other churches out there to go to.
"The fruits of the latest changes have not been good. In Matthew we are told that we will be known by our fruits. It is grievous to see the results in the torn families and friendships in the Church.
"We have all had to make choices. My religious convictions continue to rest in Jesus Christ, His example, the New Covenant, the Sabbath, Holy Days, and other teachings.
"You have written that we should not judge one another, that doctrinal differences are not important and that what is important is love. I don't see that in practice. We are tearing one another apart through doctrinal division and I don't see love in how Church Administration treats our people. Those who cannot comply to the new teachings are being terminated.
"Mr. Tkach, I will continue to pray for you. This is a sad day for me. I pray for a time of peace and a time when we can all be unified.
Respectfully,
Victor Kubik
Conflict erupts
Then, without warning, my immediate boss Joe Tkach Jr. suddenly walked into Joe Sr.'s corner office. He often started the day with a visit to his father. He appeared surprised to see this particular group.
The senior Tkach gruffly announced: "Joe, Vic is quitting." Joe appeared to be trying to hide his surprise. Perhaps he wondered why I didn't come to him first.
An animated exchange ensured. The big issues and the big upcoming changes swiftly came to the forefront.
I challenged Joe Jr.: "So, it seems that we are changing the Sabbath to Sunday. You've been denying that for months!" He dismissed the portent of this statement, coming back with the comment: "Well, we changed our mind!"
Bev and I were astonished, to put it mildly.
I reminded both men that we in Church Administration were daily trying to put out organizational fires of rumors that the Sabbath was going to be changed from Saturday to Sunday. There was real concern. We told ministers and members alike that this was simply a false allegation.
And now, sitting in the executive office of the then-Pastor General, we're being emphatically told that this here-to-fore denied rumor is actually true. We were shocked and aghast at the apparent duplicity.
I had already suspected that all that the rumors did not emanate from the church. They were leaked right from Headquarters from advisers to Joe Sr.
At the time, I wasn't sure how much Mr. Tkach Sr. really grasped the fearsome impact of this.
In public and to me personally Joe Sr. sincerely seemed to be assuring our people that that some of the feared changes were just rumors.
He publicly said as much in many church visits. Mr. Armstrong had set a long-time precedent in traveling to field churches and personally meeting with the combined crowds of people. Congregations generally loved visits from the Pastor General, and Joe Sr. truly enjoyed continuing this tradition. Mr. Tkach was an effusive man who connected well with church crowds. They looked to him for leadership. He was bright, enthusiastic, filled with enthusiasm.
But as time passed, he was increasingly bringing up rumors of coming changes. There were rumbles of church leaders literally throwing out much of our understanding of the Law of God, the Sabbath, the Holy Days, clean and unclean meats and much more. The inconsistency puzzled members.
As will be discussed later, these changes had their origins in a variety of settings. Allow me to interject this essential information: in the late 1980s and 1990s, many church leaders and Ambassador College faculty had attended a number of colleges and universities - including non-church theological institutions - as part of a fast-paced effort to achieve accreditation for Ambassador College in Texas.
Where advanced degrees were once frowned on, even openly discouraged, the church now encouraged (and subsidized financially) many administrators, faculty, and employees to obtain masters and other degrees as quickly as possible. This ranged from the University of Southern California (USC) to the University of Texas in Tyler to Southern Methodist University (SMU) and several more.
That also included Azusa Pacific University, a small private evangelical religious institution near Pasadena (which holds to Methodist theology), where several Pasadena-area administrators and employees obtained masters and other degrees in theology or pastoral administration (Joe Jr. himself received a Doctor of Ministry degree in 2000 from Azusa). After the Big Sandy campus closed in 1997, the church and Azusa Pacific jointly established the Ambassador Center at Azusa Pacific University for the continuation of classes for former Ambassador College students. (It is now defunct).
The point? In many situations, contrary doctrinal thought entered from these outside influences, and in several cases was outright adopted, then enforced. For example, even though it is well established that the early disciples of Jesus Christ taught and kept the seventh day Sabbath and the annual Holy Days, opposing non-biblical views from authors writing much later now increasingly supplanted long-proved and long-held doctrines.
Back to my role in the 1990s, I helped schedule Mr. Tkach Sr.'s travels. After becoming pastor general, Joe Sr. had paid off and then sold the church's Gulfstream IV jet, which could only accommodate a limited number of people. He then commissioned the purchase of a less-expensive older British-built BAC 1-11 jet that could fly a much larger entourage. As a commercial airliner it was originally designed to seat 99 passengers. He and Joe Jr. and I consulted about what areas around the country would be best served by a personal appearance about every three weeks.
As the 1990s advanced, the tone of Joe Sr.'s messages changed. He appeared to be becoming more and more angry as he would lash out at unnamed people who allegedly spread rumors of doctrinal changes. People left these services puzzled. What was he talking about?
All of this led to this epochal personal moment in Joe Sr.'s office. Bev and I were done. We were much saddened.
The tense meeting ended, and we made our way out of the ornate office through a paneled corridor. Walking through the open interior hallway architecture of the Hall of Administration, we headed toward the elevators.
A few minutes later, as Bev, Doug and I left the building, we ran into Norva Kelly, wife of senior minister (and World Tomorrow host) Ronald Kelly, walking towards us.
I told her that I had just resigned in the past hour. She expressed dismay and sorrow. We talked a bit and then continued on. In a few hours, Bev and I were surprised by flowers that arrived first from Church Treasurer Leroy Neff and then from Tina Kuo (now Tina Graham), an extraordinarily bright and accomplished co-worker from Church Administration.
March 3, 1995 was a hard day.
The Bible not only gives us instructions about how to worship God; it also presents a vital history of those who had to prove their faith in the face of persecution and even martyrdom. As the Bible plainly chronicles, the history of the Church has not always been pretty. Tumult, discord, and division within the human assembly were biblically predicted and came to pass.
Bev and I were now at a juncture in our life where we had to make some hard choices of what to do next. Ironically, forming a new organization was nowhere near our minds at the time.
Many would soon share our act of resignation. Unforeseen events would begin to quickly pick up speed.
In the next chapter I will share more details about how this unraveling process started and developed.