Page 2356 - Church of God Publications

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Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong
Post Office Box 431
Tucson, Arizona 85702
February 7, 1979
Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ:
The outrageous unconstitutional invasion and captivity of
the Church and Work of the Living God continues. It is the very
beginning of fulfillment of END-TIME Bible prophecies! This monstrous
invasion of the State of California will go down in history for
the next thousand years!
My excommunicated son Garner Ted is now broadcasting over
a station in the Los Angeles area and a very few other radio outlets.
He and dissidents, excommunicated former ministers are trying to
mislead our people into thinking they are required by the Bible
to fully cooperate with the State-appointed Receiver in taking
over, managing and operating the Work of God!
So first of all, let me MAKE PLAIN what has happened, and
then what the Bible teaching is.
A couple weeks ago on a Monday over three thousand Brethren
of God's Church enmasse filled the ground floors of the Hall of
Administration, the Ambassador Auditorium, and the Student Center.
First let me tell you WHY they did this, and what led up to it.
Six dissident, hostile former members had brought a "Class
Action" lawsuit against God's Church through the Attorney General's
Office. Without notification and unknown to us, the State's acting
Attorney General had obtained a Court Order appointing Ex-Judge
Steven Weisman as Receiver over God's Church and Work.
Without notice of any kind Mr. Weisman, government attorneys,
private attorneys, deputized, and with law-enforcement officers,
invaded Church headquarters in the Administration Building, and
literally took CAPTIVE the Church and Work of Almighty GOD!
It was early Wednesday morning, January 3rd. Mr. Ellis LaRavia
was the only minister or department head there at the time. To
him, Receiver Weisman said, total, absolute power of the Church
and Work of the Living God had been given to him, including all
assets.
Mr. LaRavia was told, "We're going to completely reorganize
this Church along traditional (worldly) lines, appointing a new
Board of Directors, fire and hire whom we please. Herbert Armstrong
is OUT--no longer Pastor General, or even in this organization."
Later, to my secretary, Receiver Weisman said Herbert W.
Armstrong is completely OUT of this organization. Yet both of
our people later heard Ex-Judge Weisman say in Court, under oath,
that he had not said he had put me out.
By Court order, on NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER but declarations
of hostile ex-members, the State of California had taken captive