Worldwide Church of God Update: Tkach Clarifies "Sabbath" and "True Church" Doctrines

By Phillip Arnn

The Worldwide Church of God has been under the leadership of Joseph W. Tkach since the 1986 death of its founder, Herbert W. Armstrong. In the last nine years, Tkach has overturned every major unbiblical doctrine held by that organization.

One of those changes was a bombshell dropped in July of 1993 with the adoption of "a form of the Trinity" as the official statement on the nature of God. Although the change has been in effect for over a year, many field ministers have failed to explain the new position to their church members. In the Pastor General's Report (PGR) to the ministers, June 21, 1994, Tkach encouraged the ministers to start giving sermons on the subject. He gave them a number of points that they could use for sermon material. Armstrong taught that the Trinity doctrine was false, and God was a family. Ministers and members were taught that God was reproducing Himself and they had the potential to become Gods themselves. The change has been met with hostility from ministers and members alike.

Other True Christians and Other True Churches

Two significant changes appeared in WCG literature in early 1994. Both were in articles written by WCG Atlanta, Georgia pastor Earl Williams. The first appeared in the Reviews You Can Use appendix to the PGR for November/December, 1993. The article was titled, "Are We Saved By Baptism?". Armstrong taught baptismal regeneration, that is, that believers receive the Holy Spirit only after they are baptized. William's article rejected that teaching, stating that one receives the Holy Spirit at the time of faith in Jesus Christ, quoting Ephesians 1:13. Watchman Fellowship was told by WCG spokesman, Tom Lapacka, that this was the official position of the church (Letter, March 30, 1994).

The second article by Williams was concerning the identification of the "One True Church." Armstrong had taught that the WCG was the one true church of God and all others were satanically deceived counterfeits. Williams stated, "The Christian identity is not found in any organizational or denominational affiliation, but it is in Jesus Christ" (Worldwide News, June 14, 1994, p. 4). Tkach had previously stated that there were Christians in other churches. However, he had only given examples of Sabbath-keeping, Holy Day observing groups as possible candidates. In 1994 November's PGR, Tkach expanded the list and included the Church of God (Seventh-Day). The William's article was an important statement made by the church. It was inclusive of all professing believers, regardless of whether they kept the Sabbath.

During 1994, there was much speculation within the church and without, concerning the future of the Sabbath, Holy Days, clean and unclean meats and tithing. All of these were inherited from Herbert Armstrong. For much of last year, these bedrock beliefs were still being supported under the authority of "God's Commands." For instance, in the August PGR, Tkach extols the place of the commandments, "But the fact of having the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed to us does not mean we do not have to obey the commandments. They are not done away or abolished... After we have received grace, the law continues to define righteous behavior, and it is therefore a guide for Christian life and sanctification." This may sound like good, evangelical theology to the outsider, but to the members of the WCG, it meant that willful disobedience to God's commands could lead to an unrepentant heart and loss of salvation. In the April PGR, Tkach defends the keeping of the Sabbath with this statement, "`Well, then, Why can't I just go to another church where I won't have the problems of Sabbath-Keeping?' one person asked. First, because God commands Sabbath-Keeping.... Third, God expects us to be faithful with what we understand, even if he has not given that understanding to others." Note the reason for keeping the Sabbath, It is "God's command," which becomes a matter of maintaining salvation in the minds of members. From the Seventh-Day Adventists through the succeeding generations of Sabbath-Keeping churches, the Sabbath has been held to be the sign of God's true remnant church.

However in the October PGR there was evidence of change. Tkach softens the church's stand on the Sabbath; "We are called to repentance and faith and obedience to our Savior. God has also given us understanding and respect for the seventh-day Sabbath and the annual Holy Days, something he has not given most other fellowships. But as I have explained often, salvation is not in Sabbath and Holy Day Keeping; salvation comes only by the generous grace of God and only through faith in Jesus Christ." In the same article he further states, "I have explained before that the Sabbath was given as a sign of the special covenant relationship between God and his people, Israel. But the sign of God's people in the New Testament is the Holy Spirit in them, expressing itself in love (John 13:35; Romans 8:9)." Many ministers and members, as well as outside observers, thought that Tkach was engaging in double talk, which added more to confusion than clarity.

While Tkach seemed to be moving toward position statements that were inescapable conclusions emanating from the grace message, pastor Earl Williams had been fully expounding these conclusions to his Atlanta congregations for months. There was a growing backlash against Williams among his fellow ministers. As stated before, most ministers and their Regional Pastors were not accepting the changes. Williams became a safer target than Tkach for their criticism. They were complaining to Headquarters about Williams' sermons as well as engaging in personal attacks, according to a knowledgeable Atlanta source.

Showdown at Daytona

According to reliable sources, at the Feast of Tabernacles in Daytona Beach, Florida, Williams had a run-in with headquarters Director of Communications, David Hulme. Hulme gave a sermon reminiscent of the required Law-Keeping under Armstrong. Two days later, Williams spoke to the large gathering on the freedom from the Law that they had in Christ. Hulme asked Tkach for authorization to publicly renounce Williams' remarks. Later, Williams talked to Tkach and Hulme's request was denied. However, shortly after the feast, Joseph Tkach Jr., head of Church Administration, requested that Williams cease teaching his grace messages in favor of other subjects. Williams declined, according to sources in Atlanta.

It was announced in late November that Tkach would be going to Atlanta on 17 December. Many felt that this was to be a showdown between the two men. As Pastor General, Tkach had the power to remove Williams from his position. Atlanta sources told Watchman that when Williams and Tkach met privately on December 16th, that Williams informed Tkach that he felt it was time for him to resign from the WCG. Tkach asked him to postpone a decision until after he had spoken to the area churches the following day.

Tkach's Atlanta Sermon

Tkach did not exaggerate the importance of his message. It was revolutionary in light of what the church had always believed. One issue that had needed clarification was the identification of the "True Church." For several decades Armstrong had taught that the WCG was the only true church on earth. Under Tkach's administration that had changed. As early as Dec. of 1990, the church's Public Relations spokesman stated that the WCG did not consider itself to be the exclusive representation of the Body of Christ (Radio interview, WMUZ December 1990, tape on file). Tkach had subsequently reiterated that belief, but had only mentioned Sabbath-Keeping groups.

In Atlanta, he made a broader, clearer declaration, "Yes, there are Christians somewhere else. There are Christians in the Catholic Church. There are Christians in the Methodist Church. There are Christians in the Baptist Church. There are Christians all around this world.... Oh, how can there be because the Sabbath is the sign between God and us and that is what sets us apart as Christians.... The Jews have the Sabbath and the Holy Days as their sign. Are they Christians? Not by God's standards they are not. So what good is the sign of the Sabbath going to do them in terms of salvation?" (Sermon, December 17, 1994, tape on file).

"Old Covenant Obsolete"

Tkach went on to boldly address the place of the Old Covenant, "The Old Covenant as a package of laws between God and His people is obsolete. We cannot assume that any part of the Old Covenant is binding on us today simply on the basis of it being the old package of laws." His remarks were made in the context of Bible texts showing Abram's justification by faith apart from works and Paul's teaching on grace versus law in the third chapter of Galatians.

Tkach's remarks led him to make an unmistakable observation, "Now this leads us to some obvious and difficult questions that I am sure many of you are entertaining in your minds right now. What about the Old Testament practices like tithing, avoiding unclean meats, keeping the Sabbath and the Holy Days?".

The tithing system of the WCG has been under criticism from within the church for years. It has caused unconscionable privation and suffering to many members of the church. The WCG tithe was a three tier system which required twenty percent of the members earnings a year and an additional ten percent every third year. To neglect to pay the tithe was to rob God and risk loss of salvation.

Tkach has removed the tithe from the Old Covenant legalism of the past and brought it into its New Testament context, "Under the New Covenant, the tithe is voluntary. The New Covenant doesn't set a new percentage but it requires a greater sacrifice. A person who has faith in Jesus Christ does not worry about whether tithing is commanded. A person who has faith in Christ wants to give all he can to Christ which is within his means. That is all God expects. We are given access to the throne through faith not through tithing" (Ibid.).

Tkach at Big Sandy

The Sabbath following the Atlanta meeting, Tkach spoke in Big Sandy, Texas at the church owned Ambassador University. He elaborated on the reality of the Christian life under the New Covenant, "Paul's point (he is quoting from Colossians 2:16-17) is that to bring the physical figure back in, as a requirement for salvation, is to minimize the value of the true reality. We are not saved by grace through faith in Christ plus the Sabbath, or plus circumcision, or plus the sacrifices, or plus anything. We are saved by grace through faith in Christ, period" (Sermon, December 24, 1994, tape on file).

Tkach defined the New Testament understanding of the Sabbath, "It is not a question of the Sabbath `being done away' as though the Sabbath has no meaning or value.... To come to Christ in faith is to enter `the Sabbath rest that remains for the people of God.' Faith in Christ brings freedom from sin and therefore fulfills what the Sabbath symbolized" (Ibid.).

In the PGR, Tkach stated that it was no longer a requirement that members take off from work to attend the annual feast days. The amount of money a family saves to attend the Feast is discretionary. And, the third tithe, to support the church's widows, orphans and needy is strongly encouraged as an act of pure and faultless religion, but is voluntary (5 January 1995).

And finally, the issue of clean and unclean meats was addressed. The WCG's position is, "But, there is no scriptural requirement for Christians to abstain from unclean meat. We are not going to put people out of the Church or refuse to baptize them because they eat unclean meat" (Ibid.).

All WCG ministers, worldwide, were required to show the video of the Big Sandy sermon to their congregations. For those congregations who have been told by their ministers that there have been no changes, the speech must have been truly traumatic. Watchman Fellowship has been anticipating the use of required video presentations as a means of bypassing resistant ministers and universally informing the members of changes in doctrine.

The challenges that lie ahead for the leadership of the Worldwide Church of God are formidable. The abusive authoritarianism of many of the ministers can leave members unable or unwilling to clearly think through the issues. They have been taught that God only speaks to the ministry.

Watchman Fellowship has already heard of strong resistance in Texas, long a bastion of conservative Armstrongism, to Tkach's message. Many are unwilling to give up the "Truth" they received from Armstrong. Watchman has received numerous reports from members and ministers who are saying that they can not understand the New Covenant being preached by Tkach.

Watchman Fellowship earnestly encourages it's readers to pray for Joseph Tkach and Earl Williams and all of those within the Worldwide Church of God who are laboring to bring their fellowship into the rest that is found only in Christ.