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WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD
WORLD HEADQUARTERS
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA
HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG
PRESIDENT and PASTOR
April 25, 1972
Dear Brethren in God's Church:
I have just returned from a most eventful and
successful six weeks' trip (which I had expected to last only
three weeks) to find that rumors have reached the press
concerning the absence of my son, Garner Ted Armstrong, with
many false rumors and baseless conjectures. Also many letters
from you Co-Workers asking for an explanation.
I hope you will realize that this is the most
difficult and painful announcement that I have ever had to make
in a Co-Worker letter.
Last autumn I was dismayed to learn that my son had
been so overcome with personal, emotional problems, that it led to
conduct inconsistent with the high standard of the Work of the
Church of God and the scriptural qualifications for a minister of
Jesus Christ, and rendered him incapable of carrying on the duties
of a minister, and of his responsibilities of Executive Vice
President.
The Board of Directors of Worldwide Church of God, and
the Board of Trustees of Ambassador College, grieved as we were,
had no choice but to remove Garner Ted Armstrong from his office
and his responsibilities. Mr. Albert J. Portune was made ACTING
Executive Vice President of both corporations, and Mr. Garner
Ted Armstrong was granted a leave of absence, hoping that full
repentance and overcoming of his personal, emotional problems
would allow reinstatement without a long delay, and for the
protection of the Work, no public announcement was made.
For some weeks my son was isolated in Texas, Colorado,
and Idaho. It was reported to me that he was deeply discouraged,
wondering if God had utterly rejected him, and whether forgiveness
and being received back was impossible.
On hearing this, I wrote my son letters to encourage
him, reminding him that God does always forgive upon repentance
-- encouraging him to look forward and to the future of God's
Work.
Although this is a very personal and intimate matter,
because of published rumors or conjectures of personal conflict
between us, and also of unfair treatment against Garner Ted, I
will quote from one of those letters, as well as a letter from
him, to give insight into the true situation.