In this Issue
From the Publisher
Herbert W Armstrong letters 1920s & 30s and much more!
Updated - History of the Early Work in South Africa
Elder Robin Jones Library - update
Mrs Armstrong-Handmaid and Servant of God
Ambassador International Cultural Foundation (AICF) information
Paul Ziegler's periodical The Torch of Israel
Shocking Decline of Grace Communion International (GCI)
More old WCG Photographs
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,
The information just keeps on rolling in expanding the Friends of the Sabbath endlessly. And subscriptions keep on rolling in too - we now have over 810 on the mailing list, so please let all your friends and associates know about the newsletter.
Old Herbert W Armstrong Letters
The member who took 100s of photographs of these documents (many released months ago and more to be released and uploaded from the 1920s & 1930s in due course) is thanked for all he has done for this valuable project. I know that all of you are grateful too – it could not have been done if it were not for his self-sacrifice and efforts – he took several trips spending many hours taking these photographs and hours travelling to and from the institution. Our prayers for this crucial information to be made available have been answered!
Further details below under the heading Herbert W Armstrong letters 1920s & 30s and much more!
It is amazing how he and I came into contact – God works in mysterious and circuitous ways at times and to Him goes the thanks and glory in all we do.
Rare items sought
But 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
Ernest Martin’s paper on Pentecost (1961)
Videos of evangelists’ sermons, AC lectures, Bible studies (especially Herman Hoeh)
‘Ministerial Letter’ from the 1960s (precursor to The Bulletin, Pastor’s Report and Pastor-General’s Report)
A long list of what is soughtcan be found here
Article published
My article “YOUR Thoughts and Actions Can Impact Future Generations” has now been published in Twenty First Century Watch magazine. It is a small summary of my views contained in the article Notes on the Bible and Genetics.
Messages of appreciation
Thanks Craig -- the work you have done about collecting the works of Mr. HWA is amazing!! Thanks for doing that.
I just got your new book The Millennial Reign after purchasing it on Amazon. Just started reading it today. What an amazing book! Thank you so very much for your time, energy, money and years of sacrifice creating such an important document for the Church and those who will see and read this book.
It never ceases to amaze me how much more you are capable of achieving in the same 24 hours a day I have.
Anyway I just want to thank you for all you send my way, I would’nt even be able to read it let alone gather and compile it as you have so generously done.
No doubt you have undertaken an enormous task but a comprehensive history would be of great value. I have read some of what's available on your website on doctrinal development, old references, etc. Something about it is encouraging to me, that the truth is and always has been out there, even if only portions of it were known or accepted by certain groups.
These and more are kind and positive comments by some lovely Christian folk (each from a different Church of God group). However, there are detractors who have been attempting to undermine this newsletter, the various articles and papers and public presentations. The spirit of competition is a powerful force. But we will prevail.
Finally, some of the rare photographs which were specifically sent to me for preservation and sharing on the website, were colourised by Vic Kubik. It is amazing what modern technology can do to bring to life these photographs, many decades old.
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.
Herbert W Armstrong letters 1920s & 30s and much more!
The list below of what has been uploaded to the site recently is not exhaustive:
1972 Ministerial Conference Notes; and 1973 Ministerial Conference Notes
Stavrinides to HWA (McNair questioned his baptism – shows that McNair had some insights!), dated 27 July 1971
Tithing article draft (early 1930s)
Bible Study Quarterly. The KingdomChurch of God; and Expositor-Conversion 1972-D&R- HWA, 24 April 1972(page 1 missing)
Radio Church of God Constitution (1946). Prior to that I only had a retyped copy on the site
And plenty more scattered in this and other sections of the website.
Many documents you may not have seen are here. And you can find these items here and also scattered in other places such as Ministerial Resources or History of WCG documents.
In the HWA letters from the 1930s (yet to be released), the following themes stand out:
Heavy-handedness/abuse by some ministers
Holy Days should be accepted by the Church of God (Seventh Day) based at Salem, West Virginia
Unity of doctrine around the 40 points that Andrew Dugger formulated
Proclaiming a huge outreach – the Third Angel’s Warning to the world. As I have written before, this evolved into the Ezekiel Warning Message to the House of Israel in the end-times by 1941
Of course, many other issues or news may be found therein.
Updated - History of the Early Work in South Africa
Long-time elder, Gordon Terblanche, contacted me after the paper History of the Early Work in South Africa was released. He found some areas needing correction and calibration which the author, Alvin Schuller happily undertook. This is now online here.
The following is from the previous edition of this newsletter:
Late 2023/early 2024, Alvin Schuller and Andre Van Belkum sent me information to add to my Collection of Information on Various Church of God Groups (see pages 16-18).
Alvin endeavoured to find the article he had written years ago (2002) on the early history of the Work in South Africa and he did so on a recent trip to South Africa. He updated and sent it to me 19 August which you can find on the website here.
Elder Robin Jones Library - update
This library that was referred to in the previous edition - many items were sent to me for scanning and making available on the Friends of the Sabbath website.
I have now scanned all items with only scores of the Pasadena campus ‘Portfolio’ to scan and add to what is already there. This will be a tedious exercise and will and will take some time to complete.
The materials scanned are:
History of the London Church (151 pages)
1950s Pasadena Portfolios
1957 London attendees and photos
AC graduation ceremonies
HWA’s time in England
Loma Armstrong - reactions to her death
List of sermons on Christ
Some Significant Dates 1959-89
Covers to Student Handbooks, Prospectus etc
The Portfolios are here.
The above are in various areas of the website and that pertaining to Britain such as the History of the London Church have now been scanned and uploaded here (3rd item from the top). At 66MB it is too large to e-mail to anyone.
If you haven’t already done so, you can read more about this remarkable man on the website.
Mrs Armstrong - Handmaid and Servant of God
This document which I have been seeking for some time has now been found and is uploaded here for your reading pleasure.
Ambassador International Cultural Foundation (AICF) information
I have added a folder of information on AICF here.
If anyone has anything further to add concerning AICF, please let me know.
Paul Ziegler's periodical The Torch of Israel
It is not only the WCG and CG7 history I am trying to fill in the gaps for, it is also various other small groups from the early to mid-1900s.
In my attempts to find the literature of, and more about, these little known early 20th century figures and their operations, I have gradually been assembling information on them. Go to this link and scroll down to ‘Church of God Pioneers & Prominent Preachers.’
One is the work of Paul Ziegler, contemporary of Greenberry Rupert, though we would not agree with all that Ziegler wrote.
In my scouring through library databases, I found that a library in the USA had Ziegler’s Torch of Israel periodical. I contacted them in June 2020 and they responded saying I (or a nominee) could come and photograph them. I forgot all about it and contacted them again recently and they have now scanned what they have:
These are the July and October 1940 and January, April-August, and October 1944 issues of the Torch of Israel, published by The Torch Publishing Society (commenced around 1915). It was a successor to the ‘Evangel of Hope’ and was published in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.
These have been uploaded to my website here.
There are many gaps in our history to infill, such as the booklets and tracts of CG7 (Stanberry, MO) from the late 1800s/early 1900s as well as the CG7 (Salem, WV) group’s literature of the 1930s/40s such as their own version of the ‘Bible Advocate.’
This is tedious and often a boring project to undertake, so any assistance in trying to find these items is appreciated.
Shocking Decline of Grace Communion International (GCI)
An eagle-eyed member who is rather excellent at analysis, sent me the following concerning GCI:
Hi Craig,
Your recent announcement on the passing of Stavernides prompted me to go and look on the GCI website, which led me to look at their congregational list. I was stunned to discover the following:
1. They list only 9 congregations in California, 4 of which are now just fellowship groups with less than 25 meeting.
2. The old HQ congregation no longer meets. The only Pasadena congregation they list is a relatively small group that apparently conducts services in a Philippine language. Long time congregations of the old WCG like San Francisco, Bakersfield, Modesto, Garden Grove, Redding - which were all listed still before COVID, are now gone.
3. They no longer list congregations in Colorado, Arizona, Idaho or New Mexico, which used to host multiple, huge (400+ a piece)congregations.
4. Texas has only five congregations, the majority of which are just remnant small groups of less than 25. No full time congregation in Houston any longer.
5. I’ve heard that Carn Catherwood is now a Catholic (not confirmed). Joe Jr isn’t on their board.
A few years ago someone posted statistics suggesting that less than 5000 still attended WCG/GCI services in the US. It would look like less than half of that now. It seems at this rate they sill disappear as a viable organization within the next 5- 7 years. Pretty amazing to consider their demise in the light of once was.
More old WCG Photographs
Michael Armstrong (a grandson of GTA) sent me some further items to add to the website which you can find among the items here.
Church of God periodicals - latest editions online
Below are links to a number (but not all) Church of God periodicals:
Advocate of Truth - Church of God (Seventh Day), based at Salem. WV
Beyond Today - United Church of God
Bible Advocate - Church of God (Seventh Day), based at Denver, CO
International News - Church of God, International
Tomorrow’s World - Living Church of God
21st Century Watch - Intercontinental Church of God
List of our Websites and Blogs
History Research Projects Foundation (a tax exempt foundation)
Friends of the Sabbath
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 over 350 gigs 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 Alphabetical 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!