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WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD
April 2, 1979
NEWS SUMMARY
WORLDWIDE EDITION
SEVEN CITIES ALREADY SELECTED FOR UPCOMING CAMPAIGNS
In the Pastor's Report of April 2, Mr. Meredith reported to the ministry
that "continuing progress has been made in planning our Evangelistic
Campaigns! Halls in the following cities have already been selected for
the upcoming campaigns and these cities have been approved by Mr. Herbert
Armstrong: San Antonio, Denver, Pasadena, Seattle, Shreveport, Phoenix,
Dallas. So be sure to tell your people about these upcoming campaigns
and ask them to� fervently for their success!"
STATE OF CALIFORNIA CHALLENGES INDIVIDUAL SURETIES
In its efforts to set a precedent in the courts through its actions against
the Worldwide Church of God, the California Attorney General's office has
decided to challenge the individual sureties presented to the court on
March lGth and accepted by Judge Title. In ordering a second receiver to
be put over the Church, Title said that a $1 million money bond would stay
(neutralize) the receivership pending appeal. When the membership in
California unexpectedly came up with more than double the needed bond in
the form of sureties ($2,374,307 worth of sureties were presented to
the court), the Attorney General said his office was "stymied." However,
at the last moment the state exercised its option to contest the indivi
dual pledges, which now total in excess of $3,800,000.
The Church's attorneys welcome this opportunity to have the member's heard
from in court to verify the value of their signed pledges. In the ensuing
hearings (which could take weeks), many members may be called upon to
show proof of personal wealth pledged on their signed declarations. It
is expected that this forum will give members opportunity to express them
selves about how they feel concerning the actions of state officials who
actually said that "church members don't matter"!
TAXPAYER'S LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST THE STATE
A taxpayer's lawsuit has been filed in the state of California contesting
the use of taxpayer's money to persecute the Church of God. In the suit
several California members are asking the courts to prohibit the Attorney
General from using tax monies to interfere in church affairs contrary to
constitutional mandate which guarantees separation of church and state.
The suit also questions the application of a section of the California
Corporations Code to churches. The Attorney General is trying to say the
Church of God is a "charitable trust" on a par with any secular organiza
tion such as the March of Dimes. The Church is a legal entity in the
state of California organized as a "non-profit corporation." It is not
a charitable trust (which solicits money from the public) and has never
been viewed as such in the past. However, as an excuse to exercise ex
cessive controls over a church, the Attorney General contends that a church
can be examined and regulated to the same extent and in the same manner as
any other charitable organization.