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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, June 13, 1980
Page 3
Satan is still at it today--still seeking to destroy the Work of the
living GOD!
But THANK GOD, His Church turns a deaf ear to false witnesses serving
Satan.
I want to write much further on the passage in Revelation 12 in The
PLAIN TRUTH and The GOOD NEWS. Our Work may be more nearly FINISHED than
we have realized. "But," remember, "he that shall endure UNTO THE END,
the same shall be saved" (Matt. 24:13).
NEW YORK TI�ES REPORTS ON RECENT U.S. SUPREME COURT ACTION
The New York Times, which maintains a full-time reporter in the nation's
capital for the purpose of reporting on Supreme Court activity, recently
ran an article (reproduced below) covering the high court's denial of the
Church's writ of certiorari. So far as we know, the New York Times is
the only newspaper thus far which has accurately reported the meaning of
the U.S.. Supreme Court's action regarding the Church's request for an
early hearing.
(Notice the underlined paragraph below.)
THE NEW YORK TIMBS, SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 1980
Church Plans Campaign Against California Inquiry
By PAMELAG. HOLLIE
Sped&1
to
The
NewYori:T-
LQS ANGELES, June 7 - The World
wide Church of God, under investigation
by the california Attorney General's of
fice, has decided to plead its case to the
public. "We will spend whatever it
takes," said Stanley Rader, the principal
adviser to
the
church's 87-year-bJd found
er, HerbertW. Armstrong.
In full-page advertisements appearing
in Californianewspapers this week and
scheduled for other papers around the
country laterthismonth, Mr.Armstrong,
no jurisdiction over its activities and has
called the investigation an "unconstutu
tional assault on American freedom."
Thechurch had hoped for an early rul
ing by the SupremeCourt. The Court's re
fusalto hear the case, however, sets no
legal precedent and does not g reclude 1t
from takin � the case at alater ate.
The
Wor
dwide Church
of
God,
which
has spent $2.5 million in the last 18
months on legal fees, was in receivership
for four months early last year and so far
has refused to comply with demands to
release church documents, although gen
eral financial statements on the opera
tion of the church havebeen made public.
Those documents showed that the
church assisted in the financing of homes
a radio and television evangelist, has
begun an appeal for public support of his
church's constitutional battle with the
state of California. The first advertise
ments appeared in three California
papers this week after the United States
Supreme Court decided that it would not
hearan appeal by the church.
For the
last
18
months,
the
100,000-
member Worldwide Church of God has
been resisting a state investigation into
allegations that Mr. Armstrong and other
church officials misused church funds.
1be church contends that the investiga-
tion violates the First Amendment guar
antees of freedom of religion. Lawrence
Tribe, a Harvard law professor and attor
ney for the church, said that if the state
was allowed to obtain church records it
would "seriously erode the con&titutional
protection of all citizens."
InquiryCalledUnconstitutional
In January
1
979, the califomia Attor
ney General started an investigation into
the church's financial dealings under
state laws that govern charitable trusts.
The church maintains that the state has
for its officers and paid for gifts and tant sects, with an annual income of $70
round-the-world trips for Mr. Armstrong million : rai5:00 largely . �gh the
and church officials. Former members church s radio and televtsmn evange
have accused Mr. Armstrong and other �sm. Funds from chu�� membe. rs, who
officials of pilfering church property, si- tithe 10 percent of th � ir income, 1s spent
phoning off millions of dollars for their tost!J>port the church. s Am�dor Col
personal use and squandering church legem Pasadena, cahf., which 1s also the
funds
headquarters of the church, the Ambas-
.
sador International Cultural Foundation
The dissidents cited as excessive cer- andthe church' s publishing enterprises.
tain expensesofMr. Rader, who emerged
Mr. Armstrong, who calls himself
as the church's second in command after " Christ's apostle," travels thousands of
the founder's son, Garner Ted Arm- m iles each year to meet and entertain
strong, was excommunicated. These ex:- heads of state and win converts. He
penses included $
1
3,
166
for maintainence generally takes a camera crew to record
of Mr. Rader's home in Beverly Hills and hi s visits . One such visit last fall to China
$10,
591
for another home in Tucson, Ariz. isscheduled to be broadcast this year as
Theconservative denomination is one part of the church 's news media cam
of the world's most prosperous Protes- paign.