RCG & WCG Constitutions, Bylaws, Articles of Incorporation
Some additional information is available from the Secretary of State Office here The Radio Church of God was an unincorporated voluntary association based in Eugene, Oregon. It was incorporated in March 1946 in California for the first time.
Herbert W Armstrong wrote in the Ministerial Bulletin, 13 January 1976: "About thirty years ago ... the membership of the church and I incorporated the church. It had never been incorporated before." (p. 4)
1948 Constitution of RCG (re-typed) (original here)
1948 (approx) Fundamentals of Belief - RCG (Original version here. Only page 1 currently available)
1956 (approx) Detailed Statement of Activites (Pages missing. This document assembled for renewal of registration it seems) (not included in above stated single document)
1968 Certificate Of Amendment Of Articles Of Incorporation re Dissolution of Corp
1968 Certificate of Amendment 2 WCG (Original here, but only page 1 currently available) (not included in above stated single document)
1975 Certificiate of Certification (Only 1 page available) (not included in above stated single document)
Papers transferring all powers to Tkach (except that vested in the Council of Elders such as changing doctrines). This document is being sought.
Tkach went around to each COE privately and convinced them to sign away that right around 1986-87. These papers are being sought
Ambassador College Bylaws (Only cover available at this time) (not included in above stated single document)
GCI - Tkach documents (obtained from Colorade Secretary of State website)
GCI - WCG/GCI documents (obtained from Colorado Secretary of State website)
HWA explains why the Church incorporated and how the organisation differs from the spiritual body:
“Congress of Leading Ministers,”
Worldwide News, 6 March 1981, p. 8
"We have here the Church, an organized spiritual organism
but unincorporated. Now this is not the corporation, or the corporation sole.
This is just the Church as God has organized it. As for "The Worldwide Church of
God, Inc., a California Corporation", do you realize that most of you are not
members of that corporation at all? The members are the officers that sign the
corporation papers. "
Just What is the Church? (Sermon 1970
"Now I have shown that the true Church of God is NOT a
human organization or corporation, but a spiritual organism, composed of all who
have and are being led by the Holy Spirit of God abiding in them. Yet the Church
is ORGANIZED… "
"But is the corporation the Church?
IT IS NOT! The Church existed as a spiritual organism,
organized as CHRIST organized it (NOT organized on any human plan), and it
carried on the SAME Work of God.
What about incorporating according to the civil laws
of man? The answer is: God instructs His Church to be subject to the powers
of man's government over him.
When — in our time — the
Work of God was small there was no need of being incorporated. This Work was NOT
incorporated until it became necessary in order to deal with the world in
carrying out the Commission to go to the world with Christ's Gospel. The Work
has grown worldwide and very large, and human governmental laws would not allow
it to function without incorporating.”