Worldwide Church of God Splinter Lists

Lists of Worldwide Church of God splinter groups

A now outdated partial list of Worldwide Church of God (WCG) splinter groups was compiled from publications authored by Alan Ruth, Robert Coulter, Richard Nickels and Joel Bjorling. You can view the list on the Internet's World Wide Web at http://watch.pair.com/wcg-org.splits.htm.

Alan Ruth made a list, with mailing addresses and some Web site addresses (URLs) and links, of over 200 churches, fellowships, study groups, publications and service-providing organizations that trace a history back to the Worldwide Church of God. It can be viewed at http://www.livingcog.com/237offshoots.htm.

Norman Edwards also has a list of Church of God (COG) groups with their mailing addresses and Web site links listed at http://www.servantsnews.com/docs/coglist.htm.

Notes:

1. The WCG and its three largest splinter groups

   1933 - Radio Church of God started by Herbert W. Armstrong (HWA).
   1950 - Radio Church of God name changed to Worldwide Church of God (WCG).
   1986 - Herbert W. Armstrong died and Joseph W. Tkach, Sr. (JWT, Sr.) took over the WCG.
   1995 - Joseph W. Tkach, Sr. died and his son Joseph Tkach, Jr. took over the WCG.
   

   1989 - Philadelphia Church of God (PCG)
   1992 - Global Church of God (GCG) [defunct] / 1998 - Living Church of God (LCG)
   1995 - United Church of God (UCG)

2. The continually changing doctrines of the WCG splinter groups

   Some people in some of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) splinter groups carelessly say that the WCG splinter groups all believe the same things and that they should all join together. This is not correct. The WCG splinter groups do have a common origin. They all came out of the Worldwide Church of God. However, they certainly do not all believe the same things now, even if they did, or at least appeared to, in the past while still in the WCG.

   As time passed, more splintering occurred and the teachings of some of the Worldwide Church of God splinter groups changed significantly. Some groups reverted back to things that the WCG had taught in much earlier years but later changed, such as observing Pentecost on a Monday rather than on a Sunday. Some groups stopped teaching things that the WCG had taught, while other groups added new things. Gerald Flurry started to teach that he, rather than Jesus, is "that prophet." John Keyser started to teach that the weekly Sabbath changes each month and can fall on any day of the week. It should be clearly understood that not all WCG splinter groups teach the same things.

3. Not all WCG splinter groups are nice groups

   The April 30, 2001 issue of The Journal newspaper printed a Church of God (COG) Directory that listed over 300 "churches, fellowships, ministries, study groups, Web sites, and service-providing entities that trace at least some of their history back to the Worldwide Church of God." This list was produced by Alan Ruth of Barnabas Ministries, which has a Web site at http://www.biblestudy.org. The article accompanying this list said that, "These entities, however, represent only a small fraction of the actual number of Church of God groups and individuals in many countries."

   Nobody pointed out that what was once known to be a lone individual staying at home with no followers at all is now listed as a "Fellowship." Nobody pointed out that one guy with a Web site who now wants to write religious articles had abandoned his own wife in the early seventies to run off with the wife of someone else in the Worldwide Church of God (WCG). Individuals who have had weird dreams and strange prophetic theories that never worked out are listed. Even infamous playboys like Garner Ted Armstrong (GTA) are listed, without warning, as if they are acceptable alternatives. While there might be a time and place for everything, including lists like this one, nobody should carelessly assume that all these individuals and their efforts are a good thing.

   Remember that even in New Testament times the apostle Paul sent for the elders of the church at Ephesus and warned them about what would happen after he left. "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears" (Acts 20:28-31, NIV).

   Not all Worldwide Church of God (WCG) splinter groups are nice groups. The fact that some group came out of the WCG is no guarantee that it won't be absolutely nuts or that the results of following it won't be tragic.