"Criticizing Mr. Tkach is tantamount to committing the unpardonable sin!"

                                

                                 -- Gerald Waterhouse,

                                 Feast of Tabernacles, 1990,

                                 Ulladulla, NSW, Australia.

 

"In a world of superstition, REASON is blasphemy.  In a world of ignorance, FACTS are blasphemy.  In a world of cruelty, sympathy is a crime, and in a world of lies, TRUTH is blasphemy.  But who are the real blasphemers?"

                                

                                 -- Col. R. G. Ingersol (1873).

 

The Apostle and the

Blind Man

 

                                 One of the truly saddest and most horrible episodes of the

                                 miscarriage of justice in the End-time Church of God, in

                                 recent years, is the incredible story of an elderly, legally

                                 blind man in Florida who was robbed, defrauded, and cruelly

                                 mistreated by ministers of the Church.  Surely, Jesus and the

                                 angels of heaven wept at the cruel and callow treatment this

                                 poor man received, and heaven was outraged at the sinister,

                                 wicked "cover up" that followed!  Here is the shocking and

                                 proven account of theft, cover-up, denial, and disfellowship-

                                 ment -- the incredible true story.

 

                                                          William F. Dankenbring

 

         Garnet H. Hill, an elderly gentleman who attended the Miami, Florida Church, was a long-time, faithful member of the Worldwide Church of God.  After receiving a letter from Herbert Armstrong in 1970 asking for donations because of the Work's serious financial condition at the time, even though he was short on cash at the time, and his wife was dying of cancer, out of love for the Work, he sold several lots he owned and gave $20,000 to the local minister, Brent Curtis, for the Worldwide Church of God.  Mr. Curtis took the money, but Mr. Hill was given no receipt.  Repeated requests for one over a period of years were consistently denied, and he was told not to worry about it.  This went on several years.

 

         In his duress, Mr. Hill eventually became suspicious, and wrote to Mr. Armstrong in Pasadena.  In a letter dated November 9, 1973, Bob Seelig of the Accounting Department wrote to Mr. Hill, saying:

 

                                 "We have checked our donation records and other sources of information.

                                 There seems to be no knowledge or record here of your donation.  Perhaps

                                 you could give us more complete information about your gift."

 

         In 1977, Mr. Hill received another letter, from Benton Nesmith of the Church's Legal Department, in which Nesmith admitted to him:

 

                                 "The purpose of this letter is to let you know that we recently succeeded,

                                 after a protracted effort, in obtaining $5000.00 for the Church.  This

                                 represents a portion of the funds from the sale of your lots which were

                                 not sent to headquarters."

 

         It appears that Mr. Curtis and possibly others had conspired to steal Mr. Hill's money and use it for their own purposes.  The Church never gave Mr. Hill any accounting of the remaining $15,000.00 which was still missing.  Nor did they ever prosecute or bring any charges against Mr. Curtis, nor did Mr. Curtis or any others ever go to Mr. Hill and show fruits of repentance, and express remorse, sorrow or contrition for their dastardly deed, nor did he ever receive an apology.

 

         Nevertheless, suddenly after the day of Pentecost, 1980, the new minister, Al Kersha, informed Mr. Hill on the telephone that he was DISFELLOWSHIPPED.  This devastated Mr. Hill who was now 87 years of age and legally blind.  Stunned, he suddenly found himself alone, with no family and no friends.  His wife had died of cancer in the intervening years, and now he was all alone.

 

         In dramatic and painful protest over his disfellowshipment, Mr. Hill against wrote a letter to Herbert Armstrong.  It said:

 

                                 "February 10, 1981

 

                                 "Dear Mr. Armstrong: 

 

                                 "I was put out of the Church for TELLING THE TRUTH.  I am 87 years

         old and can hardly see. 

 

                                 In 1970 I received your letter how bad the Church needed money.  My wife

                                 had cancer, and I didn't have much cash.  But I did own six lots so I gave

                                 those to the church.  The lots sold for $30,000.  I got $10,000 and $20,000

                                 was to go to the church. 

 

                                 "I GOT NO RECEIPT.  I ask[ed] Mr. Curtis [minister at the time] and he said

                                 don't worry about it.  He kept telling me the same thing.  AFTER A LONG

         TIME I wrote Pasadena about the $20,000.  They NEVER RECEIVED IT.

 

         "This is where my troubles started because I started asking what happened to the

                                 $20,000.  I WAS TOLD TO KEEP QUIET and told don't talk about it.  You

                                 said it was a SIN TO COVER UP A SIN.  I HAVE BEEN MISTREATED

                                 BECAUSE I WOULD NOT COVER UP.

 

                                 "Last Penticost [sic] Mrs. Witte [a church member] ask me about the problem.

                                 I told her I felt terrible about the COVER UP.  She said I don't believe a word

                                 you said.  The next day Mr. Kersha [the new local ministter] called on the phone

                                 and said 'You ARE NOT WELCOME, I am putting you out of the church for

                                 going around telling people about it.'  I was standing by the wall.  SHE CAME

                                 TO ME.  MR. KERSHA WOULD NOT LET ME TELL HIM TRUTH.  Mrs.

                                 Wittle sought me out I did not seek her.

 

                                 "My friends no longer call me [after he was disfellowshiped by Mr. Kersha].

                                 Someone must have SPREAD EVIL ABOUT ME.  I am not the one who had

                                 done evil.  Mr. Pearson [Bill Pearson, a deacon, later promoted to elder] has

                                 not liked me because I would not sell him my deceased wife's rings for

                                 $700.  After I had already had them appraised for $1850 at House of Diamonds

                                 of Miami.  He got angry with me because I turned them into the church.  Mr.

                                 Armstrong I ask you WHO DID THE WRONG? . . . WHY HAVE ALL THE

                                 MINISTERS TREATED ME LIKE I WAS THE THIEF? . . . . Mr. Armstrong

                                 I am getting along in years and am angry and LONELY since being put out of

                                 the Church and TREATED LIKE A THIEF.

 

                                 "I want to know if you approve of the way I have been treated?  Please let me

                                 know.  God knows the truth."

 

         It was eventually Joe Tkach himself who replied to Mr. Hill's letter.  Tkach, the head over Ministerial Services, and an assistant to Mr. Armstrong at the time, wrote the following letter to Mr. Hill:

 

                                 "Dear Mr. Hill:

 

                                 "Your letter was forwarded to me by Mr. Hunsberger of the personal corres-

                                 pondence department.  I have REVIEWED OUR FILES and received additional

                                 information regarding the background of your situation FROM OTHER PEOPLE

                                 IN OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND MAIL PROCESSING CENTER.  I feel

                                 I understand what happened.

 

"Also, I have verified with Mr. Kersha the circumstances leading up to your being disfellowshipped.  After all this review, my conclusion is that Mr. Kersha has performed this duty as God would have him to. 

 

                                 "It is regrettable that the sale of your property was mishandled like it was,

                                 but you must come to realize that THE PEOPLE INVOLVED HAVE

                                 REPENTED of their wrong doing [when did they "repent"?  No one ever

                                 told Mr. Hill!  No one ever came to him, begged forgiveness for stealing,

                                 or made restitution, or even admitted wrong-doing!].  When God forgives

                                 He forgets.  YOU MUST LEARN TO DO THE SAME.  Mr. Kersha has

                                 given you several warnings about talking against the ministry of the church.

                                 You shouldn't have continued to harbor this ill will.

 

                                 "The action of being disfellowshipped is used to show you the gravity of

                                 your sin -- unwillingness to forgive and forget.  Upon PROPER REPENTANCE

                                 Mr. Kersha would be very happy to welcome you back to the church -- with

                                 open arms.  It's my sincere hope that you will be able to return."

 

         How incredible!  How Joseph Tkach turned the tables on this righteous man!  He accused the victim of being guilty of sin, and condoned the perpetrator of the foul deed.  Where was there any evidence Brent Curtis had repented of his deed?  How could he have done so, since he had never approached Mr. Hill and confessed his "sin" to the one he had sinned against?  Why didn't Joseph Tkach express "righteous indignation" at the terrible wrong that was committed against Mr. Hill? 

 

         This foul cover-up smacks of the attitude and reasoning of SATAN THE DEVIL!  Wouldn't he just LOVE to have HIS sins forgiven without the need for any real, genuine, heartfelt remorse and earnest REPENTANCE!  Jesus Christ tells us plainly:

 

                                 "Take heed to yourselves:  If thy brother trespass against

                                 thee, REBUKE HIM."

 

         This, Mr. Garnett Hill tried to do.  But Jesus Christ went on:

 

                                 "And if he repent, FORGIVE him" (Luke 17:3).

 

         But Brent Curtis never came to Mr. Hill and expressed repentance, sorrow, or contrition for his dastardly deed.  He covered it up, and the Church covered it up with him. 

 

         Joe Tkach just covered it all up.  He did not discipline the wrong doer.  He punished the  innocent 87 year-old man who had been sinned against very grievously.  What a TWISTED, MIND-BOGGLING AND EVIL PERVERSION OF JUSTICE!  A minister of God's own Church steals $20,000 from an old man!  Then proceeds a COVER UP of massive proportions, so diabolical and devious that a frail, legally blind old man of 87 was rail-roaded right out of the Church, denied a fair hearing, and his tears and cries fell upon deaf, insensitive ears.

 

         Is this the way a "true" apostle and minister of God would treat an elderly, sincere, heart-sick man who had generously given much to the Church when he was able?  God forbid!

 

         John the Baptist came preaching against such vile hypocrites!  He thundered:

 

                                 "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee

                                 from the wrath to come?  Bring forth therefore FRUITS

                                 WORTHY OF REPENTANCE. . . And now also the ax

                                 is laid unto the root of the trees:  every tree therefore which

                                 bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into

                                 the fire" (Luke 3:7-9).

 

         One thing really stands out in how Joseph Tkach handled this matter.  He consulted with personal correspondence, the legal department, accounting, Al Kersha, the second minister -- BUT HE NEVER CONSULTED WITH OR TALKED TO MR HILL, TO GET HIS SIDE OF THE FULL STORY AND EXPLANATION!  He simply CONDEMNED him based on second-hand hearsay and the opinions of other men! 

 

         He did not follow Jesus' command in Matthew 18:15-17 to go talk with Mr. Hill about the problem.  Mr. Hill tried for years to bring his story to the attention of the Church, and was to all appearances consistently ignored!  Then, when someone brought the subject up to him, he was accused of spreading malicious gossip and cast out of the Church!

 

         Joseph Tkach knew that Mr. Hill was 87, legally blind, and lived alone.  Yet he had no mercy or compassion on him.  Rather, in a vicious, cruel twist of justice, he upheld the evil decision of the local minister to disfellowship him, and had the audacity to tell Mr. Hill that he  should be the one to repent!

 

         It was this kind of evil Church government that Herbert W. Armstrong had in mind, when he wrote an article in 1939 on "Did Christ Reorganize the Church?

 

         In that powerful article, Herbert Armstrong declared:

 

         "How then did ORGANIZATION and the idea of CHURCH GOVERNMENT

         get into the Church?  It came out of Babylon!  Spiritual Babylon -- that is,

         ROME! . . . Those who are IN, and MEMBERS of such an organized church

         government . . . are IN BABYLON, and actually worshippers of THE IMAGE

         OF THE BEAST!  And God is calling us, HIS people, OUT OF BABYLON

         today, before it is too late -- before the PLAGUES fall! . . . Our heavenly

          Father never planted any super-organization, or established any church             GOVERNMENT, or set men in AUTHORITY over either spiritual or financial

          affairs, in the New Testament Church. . . What has split and divided up the

saints in the Church of God?  Nothing but ORGANIZATION -- which has led     to politics, ministers lusting for rule and for power . . . God's Word commands

us to COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM, and be separate. God's last warning

is, 'COME OUT OF BABYLON!!'"

 

         NEVER was this warning more urgent or more important than today! 

 

         The Worldwide Church of God has been in decline for a long time!  The perversion of justice concerning Mr. Garnet H. Hill is just one lugubrious example of the sordid ongoing story which has been repeated countless times.

 

         Satan has infiltrated the Church of God AT THE TOP where wrong Church government has been inserted.  As a result, he is now making spiritual havoc of the Church, casting out faithful members, and blessing the wicked who compromise with truth and error.  Satan has cleverly inserted his own man at the very top -- with God's permission, no doubt, as a SUPREME TEST for each and every individual Christian --  where he can wreak the greatest damage, by leading the WHOLE CHURCH ASTRAY!

 

         Will you be among the victims of this sinister end-time spiritual conspiracy?  Jesus Christ warned in plain words in Matthew 7:15-20:

 

                                 "BEWARE of FALSE PROPHETS, which come to you

                                 in sheep's clothing, but INWARDLY [where you can't see]

                                 they are ravening WOLVES.  Ye shall know them by their

                                 fruits.  Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

                                 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a

                                 corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

 

                                 "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt

                                 tree bring forth good fruit.  Every tree that bringeth forth not

                                 good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

 

                                 "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."