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C
TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1979
Churchman
Denies Role
in Sit-in
BY RUSSELL CHANDLER
Tlmn Rlll9l111wrtttr
Worldwide Church of God patri
arch Herbert W. Armstrong today
urged his followers to "be ready to go
to
jail
if necessary" in their efforts to
def
end the Pasadena headquarters of
the sect against intrusion by court
appointed officials and law enforce
ment officers.
"Being subject to the laws doesn't
always mean to obey them.'' Arm
strong, 86, said in a morning message
to about
1,000
ministers of the church
gathered in Tucson. The talk was re
layed to Pasadena, where an estimat
ed 500people were continuing a sit-in
that began Monday morning.
Monday, Superior Court Judge Ju�
lius M. Title told church attorneys to
stop obstructing court-appointed re
ceiver Steven Weisman, a retired
judge, or else Title would order sher
iff's deputies to the church to make
sure his orders were carried out.
A hastily called Superior Court ses
sion was scheduled for later this af
ternoon, presumably to authorize
such a measure.
Armstrong, speaking in a strong
voice, claimed he had "nothing to do"
with
the peaceful sit-in, which
church leaders were calling "an ec
clesiastical service."
But, said Armstrong,
who
has been
in Tucson since the embattled church
was placed under temporary receiv
ership on Jan. 3, "'l'hey're looking fot
guidancefromme,"
"l wonder ifpeople arta'tgoing to
have
to go to jaii" he continued.add•
ing: "If we have to suffer the
persecution of being thrown in jail,
then I'm ready to go ... if they want
to arrest 86-year-old people,"
•
a1
Several hut1dred church members
listening to Armstrong's message in
the Ambassador Auditorium broke
into applause.
AlthoughArmstrong did not advise
followers to break the law, he
stressed that loyal members of the
Worldwide Church would "obey God
. . • and fight to protect and honor
the very building of God."
Shortly before 9 a.m. today an at
torney representing receiver Weis
man went to the one small entrance
at the back of the church administra
tion building that has remained un
locked.
Security forces for the church and
college refused him entrance.
Meanwhile, seven security
guards
hired by the receiver were stationed
on campus, three on the fourth floor
where Weisman's temporary offices
are located.
Guard W. Van Dyck told a reporter
that no work for the receiver was be
ing done today and that his sole job
was to "protect records." A dozen
cardboard filing cabinets were seen
stacked along the wall of a room ad
joiningWeisman's office.
A church leader cautioned
the
clusters of men, women and children
inside the administration building
that "We want the meeting to be ec
clesiastical.•••We are here to wor
ship God. • • • Apparently it's our
only defense."
He warned that if it appeared there
was a "party atmosphere ••• we'll
lose our credibility."