In this Issue
From the Publisher
Huge Amount of Rare Materials Received!
Texts of Original 1933 Broadcasts!
Why is it important to preserve Church of God history?
Origin of Nations newsletter
Articles Recently Published
Rare Items Sought
Church of God periodicals - latest editions online
List of our Websites and Blogs
How to Navigate the Friends of the Sabbath site
From the Publisher
Dear friends and supporters,
In the previous edition I stated that
The huge project to hunt down, collect, scan, analyse, utilise and then upload old materials to fill in the gaps in Church of God history from the nineteenth century marches on.
It sure does! On 21 April a courier delivered some very valuable items (including 1960s Ministerial Letters and texts of Herbert W Armstrong’s 1933 radio program) which are discussed below. Scanning all of this is not without its technical difficulties and frustrations, but this was mostly accomplished on the following day.
For those reading this please seek out old and rare items and send to me please (either hard copies or scanned).
And remember, please spread the word about this newsletter - there are currently over 940 subscribers and I hope we can reach 1,000 by year’s end.
Finally, it is a bit disconcerting when there are those who try and undermine the efforts of others to do good in service to members and of course to God. Using one’s gifts and talents should be encouraged, not undermined. For example, one minister did all he could to destroy me for many years commencing 1986 because he was jealous when he heard that I was having a book published on the origin of nations. He and his gang even went after and persecuted the publisher!
Another, some years later, did all he could to undermine the very popular and successful seminars I organised (of course with much help from others) and continued to campaign against me for many years without my knowledge until it was all leaked.
Then a member tried to take over the Friends of Sabbath website using surreptitious promises and tactics. Thankfully I found out about this and that and never did allow that to go ahead.
Still other members have done all they can to prevent my giving presentations or organising seminars.
For many, this is not unique. The battle against negative and envious forces continues on. One preacher labelled these attitudes as the Way of Get versus the Way of Give: the former is selfishness and the spirit of competition, while the other is outgoing concern for others.
Allow me to quote from Cicero who wrote the following of fifth column traitors within one’s midst during 42 BC:
"A nation [read Church] can survive its fools and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and he carries his banners openly. But the traitor moves among those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor [or jealous one] appears not traitor [or jealous on the surface]! He speaks in the accent familiar to his victims and he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation. He works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of a city [or church or member]; He infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to be feared”.
Let us all continue on, utilising the gifts and talents for the benefit of others, regardless of what humans do (see IPeter 3:13 and Romans 8:31).
I shall probably follow up with another newsletter in a week or so.
Sincerely,
Craig M White
Publisher
PS: Check ‘What’s New’ regularly for updates and new uploads. Remember, you can view past editions of this newsletter (vol. 1 no. 1 to vol. 2 no. 2) here and vol. 2 no. 3 onward here.
Huge Amount of Rare Materials Received!
It is just amazing that items I thought would be impossible to find or be released have been sent to me over the past several years. On 21 April I received what seems to be over 2,000 pages of valuable items (double-sided) that helps fill in the gaps of our history!
I had to read and analyse them; scan, label and upload them. With the exception of the Ministerial Letter with only the 1969 editions yet to be scanned. Each Letter is being read to find pertinent information to quote or refer to in existing papers of mine.
The Ministerial Letter is very valuable because it contains much of the Church’s history such as dates of and information on the establishment of new congregations, statistics, ordinations, conferences, policy development and a window of how the Church thought and operated during that period. Unfortunately, I only have two editions for 1965 and one for 1964 (the latter I discovered at a college during my trip to America last year). All the others back to the 1950s are essential to find and will help to fill in missing information for the history of the Church.
Ministerial conference information is also vitally important and what I have gathered is contained online and in this document.
Why? Because like any organisation we need to preserve our history and the evolution of policy and doctrine. History is in the details.
The items received:
History of Ambassador College as told by Mr Armstrong—public relations document [AC Information Center folder uploaded here]
HWA sermonette outlines delivered over radio station KORE in Eugene, Oregon, 10-14 October 1933 [these are indeed treasures! Further information below]
Ministerial Letter – from Church Administration to ministry—10 Nov 1965 through 20 May 1970 [I have been after these for decades - they are being scanned and uploaded here] Replaced by the Ministerial Bulletin in May 1970
Weekly Comments from Mail Receiving Department — 6 Aug 1965 through 26 May 1972 [uploaded here]
Pasadena Portfolio issues to fill in the blanks in my collection [integrated into the current collection here]
Church of God Office and Visiting System Manual - December 1966 [superseded but uploaded here]
Church of God Second and Third Tithe Procedures [mainly superseded but uploaded here]
Worldwide Church of God—papers from the doctrinal change era—1993-1995 intended to change the beliefs of the ministry [I have many of these but never scanned them [Uploaded and integrated here]. I shall try and find these other papers and handouts in storage to scan.
Bible Study Quarterly 1930s [I already have these but these are clean copies]
Ministerial Conference notes from 1974 [uploaded here]
The Incredible Truth about Musical Instruments – Master's thesis by Wilbur Berg, 1970 [uploaded here]. I already had this on my site since 2017, but this is a clearer copy, so I scanned it.
Various clippings
There are items that may never be found such as missing editions of the Plain Truth (1930s), interoffice memos, policy memos or papers, old doctrinal papers, Ambassador College theses and papers. What I am seeking are listed here.
I know that some individuals have stated that they have old Ministerial Letters (prior to 1965), information on ministerial conferences dating to the 1950s, Ernest Martin's paper on Pentecost (1961) and videos of Herman Hoeh's sermons and Bible studies etc. But they will not release them; however I pray that they will be found elsewhere.
Texts of Original 1933 Broadcasts!
Yet another scoop! The texts of the initial broadcasts of Mr Armstrong’s on radio station KORE in 10-14 October 1933 were among the items received, but the very first one from 9 October is missing. These messages were presented almost 92 years ago. A History of the World Tomorrow Broadcast is available online.
These PDF texts are being reformatted and will be released shortly.
Mr Armstrong outlines how the broadcast came about and commenced 9 October 1933 (during the Feast of Tabernacles) in his Autobiography, Vol. 1, pp. 451-53 (1973 edition) and pp. 530-33 (1986 edition):
In September—very soon after rejecting a salary and being controlled and muzzled by men, the living Christ began opening doors for the mass-proclaiming of His Gospel. It was then that someone brought to my attention the fact that the local radio station at Eugene, KORE, then the very smallest minimum-power of 100 watts, had a morning devotional program scheduled, but that they were having difficulty getting local ministers to conduct the program. It was free time, carried by the station as a public service sustaining program of 15 minutes, 7:45 to 8:00 a.m.
Immediately I went to the radio station. A woman secretary told me she felt sure they would be glad to have me take the program for a week. I was to call back later for the exact date.
On my second call I was assigned the week of October 9th.
October 9th was surely a great big day in my life—the day of my very first experience before a microphone, ON the AIR!
I took this opportunity very seriously. It was an opportunity to speak to several hundred people at once! I had never spoken to that many before.
I spent the preceding week preparing rather extensive notes and script. I might never again have such an opportunity, so I decided to strike directly at the very heart of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Since the Kingdom of God is based on the promises made to Abraham, I began, on Monday morning’s program with the promises made to Abraham.
I took these photographs of KORE on a visit to the United States in late 2017. This and more in the Herbert W Armstrong and Radio Church of God Historical Trail and Photo Album. And this page will provide additional details.
You can still listen to some of Mr Armstrong’s 1940s and 1950s broadcasts online.
Why is it important to preserve Church of God history?
My article Church of God History. Tending to the Past. Preserving for the Future can be found online here. It explains exactly why I have an interest in Church of God history since my teens.
Over the years and decades of my dedication to understanding, promulgating and archiving Church of God history, the feedback has been over-whelming positive. There was one incident that a man in a position derided it all and would have liked it all dismantled. Another stated that no one would be interested in all of this. The Scriptures Matthew 7:6; Proverbs 23:9 came to mind when I encountered these attitudes.
It is also disconcerting and even sometimes disheartening that some wish to alter history to suit themselves. To force a different slant on it. Or to so disdain it that they trample and stamp on it like some sort of spiritual savage, destroying the past and having a negative impact on the future. There is no redacting by this author in this or other articles or other information on various subject matter.
But that is not being truthful even though the promulgator of such may feel secure and it may fulfil his or her ambitions. But as posited by myself, the truth must out.
Articles Recently Published
A number of articles have recently been published which readers might find interesting. Feedback on them direct to me is always appreciated.
Unpacking the Return of Trump — America First vs The Global Agenda.
A Warning to our Readers: Will YOU Heed Ezekiel’s Prophecies?
Origin of Nations newsletter
Many readers may not be aware of another newsletter I publish: Origin of Nations which you can subscribe for free and join over 770 others who enjoy its contents.
Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and publication archives as we use the Bible, anthropology, history, ethnology, genetics, traditions and even mythology to trace the nations from the scattering at the time of Babel to their modern locations. Understanding Genesis 10 is key to all of this.
Rare Items Sought
I ask you to join me in praying for the following to be found and made available to us:
Late 1800s/early 1900s Church of God (seventh day) booklets and tracts.
Ministerial conference materials (handouts, notes, agendas) 1950s-1990s.
The Portfolio (first editions).
Ernest Martin’s paper on Pentecost (1961).
Videos of evangelists’ sermons, AC lectures, Bible studies (especially Herman Hoeh).
Ministerial Letter from the 1956-65 (precursor to The Bulletin, Pastor’s Report and Pastor-General’s Report).
A long list of what is sought can be found here.
Church of God periodicals - latest editions online
Below are links to a number (but not all) Church of God periodicals:
Beyond Today - United Church of God.
21st Century Watch - Intercontinental Church of God.
Tomorrow’s World - Living Church of God.
Advocate of Truth - Church of God (Seventh Day), based at Salem, WV.
Bible Advocate - Church of God (Seventh Day), based at Denver, CO.
International News - Church of God, International.
List of our Websites and Blogs
History Research Projects Foundation (a tax exempt foundation)
Friends of the Sabbath
Friends of the Sabbath Network
Friends of the Sabbath (Facebook group)
Friends of the Sabbath Telegram channel
Origin of Nations
Origin of Nations news and information (Facebook group)
Lost Tribes (Facebook group)
Origin of Nations & World News Discussion Forum (e-mail group) [NB: click on the link and search for the forum]
HWA Library & Archives
HWA Library & WCG Archives (Facebook group)
HWA Library & WCG Archives (YouTube)
WCG & HWA News, Library, Archives Discussion Forum (e-mail group) [NB: click on the link and search for the forum]
My Articles & Papers
Globalresearchera1 (Academia site with select articles only)
World News
Global Newsa1 (X page - formerly Twitter)
GlobalNewsa1 Telegram channel (world news)
Bible Study, Church History and Other
Work of God through the Ages (Facebook page. Note: this page will be closed after the almost 700 members transfer to the new group referred to below)
Work of God through the Ages (Facebook group)
Global Bible News, Studies and Information Telegram channel (Bible history, archaeology news etc)
Sharing and Giving (currently inactive)
How to navigate the Friends of the Sabbath website
The website is vast with 400 gigabytes of information, periodicals, articles, papers, photographs, audios and videos. The information has taken years to build (since the 1990s) and decades to collect the information (since the 1970s).
Due to its size, the huge number of categories and sub-categories, pages and sections it can be daunting to navigate or to find the relevant information the browser or researcher may be seeking.
So, what I recommend to everyone is to simply go to the Explore by Subject Order section. In that you will find the most important areas to explore. Try it and see how you go - you never know what fascinating and helpful information you will come across!