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professing repentance. In it he stated he could hardly believe
what had happened. He acknowledged he had sinned against God,
against the Church, and against God's apostle. That letter deeply
touched his father's heart. I immediately telephoned Ted to come
on back into the Work.
But early in January 1972, an event happened more serious than
any before. It was in the evening. I got together all the
evangelist rank ministers then at Pasadena. This time I knew I had to
publicly mark Ted and disfellowship him from the Work and the Church.
We all met Ted at his own home when he returned from a basketball
game where apparently he had been continually drinking beer
throughout the game. By this time, Ted had come to have a very special
aversion against Dr. Roderick Meredith, who had urged me to put
Ted in an executive vice-presidency in the first place--years before.
Ted had exceedingly hot and angry words against all ten or twelve of
us in general and Dr. Meredith in particular. I handed Ted the
official letter disfellowshipping him from God's Church.
This time I was unable to keep it private--and the news media
picked it up. But I still tried to protect Ted by refusing to reveal
the real reason for his disfellowship. News media hounded me, but
all they could get out of me was that he had been sent away because
of "personal emotional problems."
Brethren, let me interject at this point to remind you of
GOD'S TEACHING so contrary to this world's in regard to publicizing
the wrongs or sins of another. God teaches us that "LOVE COVERS."
In the worldwide notoriety about "Watergate" President Nixon was
accused, condemned and forced to resign because of what Satan's
world called the sin of "COVER-UP." In other words, the world
regarded it a sin because Mr. Nixon did not come right out in
public and before the whole world defaming the United States by
reporting the whole affair. If Jesus Christ had been in office
(of course He could not take such political office in this world),
He would have properly CORRECTED those guilty--in whatever
punishment was in His sight fitting to CORRECT AND ABOLISH such
evil and, IN LOVE for both the guilty and for this nation, He
would have COVERED IT UP!
I have only followed the WAY OF CHRIST, trying desperately
through the years to COVER UP my son's sins and mistakes--while
at the same time NOT condoning his sins, but trying to give God's
kind of punishment which CORRECTS AND RESTORES to the grace of God,
rather than to act in hostility and revenge.
Time magazine came out with the story with the headline,
"WHERE ARE YOU, GARNER TED?" I would not reveal WHERE Ted was-
though I KNEW and was in constant touch with him.
At this time it is IMPORTANT that I now reveal to you that
I STOOD ALONE among the higher rank ministers of the Church in
trying to bring my son to the real repentance and restore him
IN THE WORK. The ONLY man who stood with me--working for Ted's
repentance and restoration--was the man he now HATES apparently
above all men and without cause--Mr. Stanley R. Rader! It was Mr.
Rader who was constantly helping me to restore Ted into God's grace