Basic HTML Version
-3-
on. We truly need to pray as never before that this yoke may be
lifted from the neck of God's Church before more damage is done.
--Roderick C. Meredith
STATE OF CALIFORNIA VS. WORLDWIDE CHURCH
OF GOD: RECEIVERSHIP SOUNDS DEATH KNELL
FOR CONSTITUTIONAL MANDATE OF SEPARATION
OF CHURCH AND STATE
On January 3, 1979, armed with a court order of receivership ob
tained ex parte and without notice of any kind (not even the tele
phonic notice required by local c ourt rules) given or even attempted
to be given, retired Judge Steven Weisman, government attorneys,
private attorneys "deputized" both by the state Attorney General's
office and by Weisman, government investigators, and law enforcement
officers swooped down upon the Worldwide Church of God like buzzards
to their prey. Nine days later, following a hearing on confirmation
of the receivership order, the State of California drove the last nail
into the coffin of the First Amendment constitutional mandate of sepa
ration of Church and State, as the Los Angeles Times reported:
"'
"Receiver Takes Over Armstrong Church
Judge's Order Intensifies Battle Between State,
Religious Empire
"A Superior Court judge Friday ordered a temporary receiver
to 'take possession and control' of the Pasadena-based Worldwide
Church of God in an action that seems"certain to set up a major
legal confrontation between the church and the state of California.
"Judge Julius M. Title ruled that receiver Steven Weisman is
to assume all administrative powers over the $80 million religious
empire of Herbert W. Armstrong--including the church, Ambassador
College and Ambassador International Cultural Foundation." Los
Angeles Times, Saturday, January 13, 1979, part II, p. 1 (empasis
added)
The full import of this massive, unwarranted intrusion of govern
ment into religious affairs cannot be appreciated without some factual
and legal background.
The
ch.was
founded by Herbert
w.
Armstrong 46 years aso; since
that time . . has flourished to where it now has 100,000 members world
wide. M:r • .:'.trong has been the spiritual and temporal leader of the
Church since its inception, and in church theology is the appointed
Apostle of Jesus Christ charged with the responsibility of spreading
His Gospel throughout the world. The Church does not solicit funds
from the public. Its members, however, voluntarily tithe and, in
addition, make other voluntary contributions from time to time. In
the last twenty years, contributions and tithings have gone from
$800,000 to $2.Q. million annually; the Church spends approximately the
same amount in connection with its Work, which includes the following:
(1) Worldwide travels by Mr. Armstrong, his personal advisor,
Stanley Rader, and others meeting with dignitaries, speaking to millions