Herbert W Armstrong

   Right at this point, before I could continue, TRAGEDY STRUCK! I will finish what I was writing later in this letter. But I feel impelled to stop right here and make the facts known to you.

   For as surely as many of Christ's earliest ministers and apostles of the first century were martyred, ONE OF GOD'S FAITHFUL MINISTERS TODAY HAS JUST BECOME A MARTYR!

   Biblical prophecies foretell a martyrdom of God's own people — faithful believers in Christ's true Gospel! Is that prophesied tragic condition STARTING ALREADY? If so, IT IS FAR LATER THAN WE HAVE SUPPOSED! If so, we are near the END of this world's deceptions, violence and chaos. If so, we are VERY NEAR the happy, peaceful WORLD TOMORROW, when Jesus Christ shall return to earth in all the supernatural POWER and GLORY of the Creator GOD — to restore WORLD PEACE, UNIVERSAL HAPPINESS, ABUNDANCE AND JOY!

   Here are the tragic facts.

   Dr. Benjamin L. Rea, B.Sc., Ph. D., Dean of the Faculty of Ambassador College and the voice of the Spanish language broadcast of The WORLD TOMORROW, heard over South and Central America, lies dead! He had developed a hypertension condition. His blood pressure was excessively high. Last autumn we had insisted he take a few months leave of absence and free himself completely from the stress and strain of his duties by taking complete rest in America. His condition had improved and he returned to his office at the College in January.

   A certain "feature writer" in London had previously contacted me in Pasadena, California by long-distance telephone from London. I had talked to him freely, giving him what information he asked, except certain definite facts and figures I did not have available and was unable to give. Later an amazing story appeared. I was misquoted, in a manner of speech I do not use. The story was so slanted that many people could have drawn conclusions totally contrary to the facts, thus seriously and falsely discrediting Ambassador College.

   Above I was just starting to tell you of the incident more than thirty-eight years ago, which drew me into Christ's ministry. It was a time when I was antagonistic to my wife's newly-embraced religious convictions. But, as I want to explain later, I did not leave her. I did not believe in breaking up families. I do not now. Instead, I began studying the Bible for the first time in my life, to prove whether she was wrong. I had fully expected to find she was wrong. I was dumbfounded to find, six months later, that she was right.

   But now a certain wife, antagonistic against her husband's newly-embraced religious convictions — THE VERY SAME CONVICTIONS AGAINST WHICH I HAD BEEN HOSTILE THIRTY-EIGHT YEARS AGO — contacted this feature writer. And without getting the true facts from us, another story appeared telling only the one side of the story, again so worded as to falsely discredit Ambassador College and this Work of God.

   Later in this letter I will give you the TRUTH about all such insinuations. I had come to England to conclude a contract for construction of a new College building. This young writer appeared on the College grounds. He learned that I was there. But because of the manner in which my former conversation had been handled — as well as interviews previously with officials at the College, I refused to see him. Then it was reported to me that he had STALKED unceremoniously without warning or being announced into Dr. Rea's office.

   Of course this young man undoubtedly knew nothing of Dr. Rea's hypertension condition. What was said I do not know — and now Dr. Rea's lips are forever sealed from telling us. What I do know is that a little later two of our painters were walking along in front of Memorial Hall — carrying a ladder, I believe — when this "feature writer" strode past them on his way out. They reported to me that he was in a rage, and rolling down his car window, shouted angrily at them to read his next story — saying that if we thought the last one was bad, just wait till we read the next one!

   Our Librarian came to the entrance of Memorial Hall, found Dr. Rea with his head bowed, and starting to collapse. His last words in this life were "It was that man (naming the "feature writer") who did this to me."

   The Librarian helped him back into his office. He collapsed on the floor. The Librarian called for help. Others rushed in, helped lift Dr. Rea to a couch in his office. The College nurse came quickly and a doctor was immediately called. Dr. Rea had suffered a serious stroke. He had lapsed into a coma. He could not talk.

   He was carried on a stretcher to a first floor room which was immediately converted into a temporary hospital room. But at 2:40 the next morning he died.

   This tragedy is a great loss to the Work of God. Dr. Rea was greatly beloved. Thousands grieve his loss. In the conviction that he was talking to a persecutor who would distort, or twist anything he might say against him and the College, Dr. Rea probably refused to talk to him or to be interviewed.

   We do not accuse this "feature writer" of knowingly causing Dr. Rea's death. As stated above, he undoubtedly knew nothing of Dr. Rea's condition. He had been living with that condition for some years. He felt he was improved. But even though we place no blame in any way for this tragic death on the man who — even if coincidentally — triggered it, nevertheless this was the regrettable incident that did trigger it.

   We proclaim to the whole world the very Gospel Jesus Christ taught. Men hated His message. They persecuted Him, did all in their power to discredit Him, to cause people to think He was a deceiver and a false prophet. They conspired against Him, and finally put Him to death — BECAUSE OF HIS MESSAGE!

   We proclaim that same message. Jesus said that if they had persecuted Him, they would persecute us also. As Christ said, through Paul: "Yea, and ALL that will live godly in Christ Jesus SHALL SUFFER PERSECUTION!" How true! We try to live godly, and so teach others, in uprightness and sincerity, and then this is made to look as if it is just the opposite with sinister motives, preying on innocent people!

   Now I shall return to the answer of how this Work started.

   I was saying, it all started more than a hundred years ago. But my personal participation began after I, like the woman who complained to the "feature writer," became angry because my wife had accepted the same Biblical teachings this woman's husband had. That was more than thirty-eight years ago.

   However there was this difference: I did not break up our marriage by leaving my wife, as this woman did by leaving her husband. I felt, just as I'm sure this woman feels, that these were NOT Biblical beliefs and practices. But I did accept the challenge to look into the Bible for myself. Of course I expected to prove my wife wrong.

   This turned into a bigger study than I had expected. It took me into a study of CREATION in the first chapter of the Bible. That led directly to a thorough study of evolution. It provoked the question "DOES GOD EXIST?" Was there a CREATION? Or did the earth and all life on it come by evolution? I had to KNOW! I had to have it PROVED!

   By the laws of Science — by the presence of existing FACTS — by sheer logic and REASON — by many infallible PROOFS, it was PROVED to me that Almighty God the Creator does exist. Next came the question: "CAN I BELIEVE THE BIBLE?" I had to see it PROVED. I found it PROVED in the PROPHECIES which have been fulfilled. I found it PROVED by many other absolute proofs.

   That gave me a FOUNDATION. God speaks with AUTHORITY in the Bible! Now I had a source of AUTHORITY on which to rely. Next came the question, "WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?"

   I was dumbfounded to discover that in boyhood Sunday School days, I had been taught in many basic doctrines, the precise opposite of what the Bible plainly teaches. I was astonished to find that, taken to mean what it plainly says, THE BIBLE MAKES SENSE! It became the most interesting study of my life. I saw that I had to surrender my will to GOD. I did. I accepted CHRIST. I was baptized in a Baptist Church, though I did not join it. My understanding was opened by receiving God's Holy Spirit — just as God promises all minds may be. Now I could begin to UNDERSTAND the Bible. It was a thrilling experience.

   I had started this study to try to prove to my wife that — as I then put it — "All these Churches can't be wrong." When I found that the generally-accepted ideas of "Christianity" are contrary to what the Bible plainly teaches. I asked "But WHERE is the TRUE Church — the very one that was founded by CHRIST?" Up to then I had supposed Christ was all divided — that all these Churches are His, even though split up into hundreds of sects and denominations — every one believing and practicing differently than all the others. I read in the Bible that Christ's true Church would be a "Little Flock," persecuted, not a big Church acclaimed by the world. But also I read that it would never cease to exist.

   I found a Church that had more Biblical truth than any other I could find. It was called the Church of God. That is the true Bible name. Although it had several thousand members scattered over the earth, and actually traced even its recent history back past 1865, it was not a great worldly power with many millions of members.

   Actually, the last thing in the world I should have wanted to do would have been to become a Minister of the Gospel. I had been in the newspaper, magazine and advertising business. But Church members began urging me to speak before them. For quite a while I refused. But what I had learned, in the Bible, filled me with such interest and such HUNGER for truth, and such zeal, that I continued my STUDY of the Bible almost night and day. I had never been so in earnest about anything in my life. The Bible was the VERY WORD OF THE LIVING GOD! I looked on it with AWE! A great deal of the time I studied, actually on my knees, mixing Bible study with prayer.

   After a while I found a truth I knew these Church people did not understand. In my enthusiasm to SHARE new light with them, I finally agreed to speak before them. I found myself literally DRAWN into the ministry.

   I was ordained, mid-June, 1931, as a minister of Jesus Christ and of the Church of God. Since I was experienced in writing and publishing, the proclaiming of the Gospel by use of the printing press, and by radio, came under my jurisdiction. The door of radio and the printed word opened at the beginning of January, 1934.

   Nowhere in the New Testament do we find that Jesus, or the Apostles, ever coaxed, urged or cajoled anyone into "joining" the Church. They merely proclaimed the TRUTH — the GOOD NEWS — of the Kingdom of God. No one was urged to "join." In fact, according to the Bible, one CANNOT join God's true Church. If we have not received the GIFT of God's Spirit, "we are none of His" (Rom. 8:9). The proclaiming of the Gospel by Jesus and by His Apostles was merely EDUCATIONAL — proclaiming God's TRUTH — leaving all hearers free to make their own decision.

   We follow their example. No one is ever asked to join. No one is ever urged or pleaded with to "give their heart to the Lord," in the way many Churches do. We are not proselyters. We make no effort to take members away from other Churches.

   The radio and publishing work started very small. But it grew rapidly, steadily, constantly. Today it purchases 25 MILLION watts of radio power every week, broadcasting CHRIST'S MESSAGE over every inhabited continent on earth. Today it is the MOST POWERFUL radio programme on earth. More than 27 MILLION PEOPLE hear it each week, on hundreds of radio stations. Most of them broadcast it SIX OR SEVEN TIMES A WEEK.

   This is the WORK OF GOD — a reputable WORLD-WIDE organization of high standing, morally, spiritually, ethically, financially. It is an OLD, WELL-ESTABLISHED ORGANIZATION.

   Yet it appears an effort is being made to create a false image as if it were merely some NEW, irresponsible religious order, whose officials live in idleness, ease and luxury, by "demanding" tithes and taking food out of hungry mouths — breaking up marriages and homes. If it were not so tragic that some people actually BELIEVE whatever kind of smear against anyone they see in print, that would be — to one who knows the facts — ridiculous!

   But now, as briefly as possible, let me give you the FACTS — the TRUTH!

   Our purpose is NOT to "get members" or to build a religious organization — never has been — but to PROCLAIM AND PUBLISH CHRIST'S GOSPEL MESSAGE — which is an educational message — to the world AS A WITNESS (Mat. 24:14; MarK 13:10).

   WE NEVER IN ANY WAY ASK THE PUBLIC FOR CONTRIBUTIONS — whether over the air, or in any literature, or in personal contacts. We issue tons and tons of FREE literature. We do ask people over the air to write for free booklets, or our high-class, interesting, informative 52-page (soon 68-page) magazine, The PLAIN TRUTH. You cannot pay for your own subscription. Every month, in the United States, we return hundreds of dollars to readers who send in money to pay for their subscription, or to pay for other literature — and in Britain we do the same — return every shilling if sent to PAY FOR the magazine or literature. Recently we even offered, FREE, a complete book — a quality book of 324 pages — and sent out 250,000 copies (a quarter of a MILLION) absolutely FREE.

   Many people have been receiving The PLAIN TRUTH for many years, and have never sent us a penny, nor been ASKED for any contributions. Yet we are accused of being "cash-conscious."

   How, then, are we financed? Do we have any money? It does take a great deal of money to be able to purchase more wattage of radio broadcasting power than anyone on earth — to publish such s fine magazine with a circulation reaching TWO MILLION people — to send out, FREE, with NO TUITION CHARGE, the Ambassador College CORRESPONDENCE COURSE to more than 65,000 students — to send out literally tons and tons of attractive booklets and books. It does take money — a lot of it — to finance and maintain THREE COLLEGES with several hundred resident students. It does cost money to maintain ordained ministers numbering into the hundreds, on all continents of the earth, to visit and counsel with thousands of people who request such visits, counselling and help. Absolutely no one ever calls on any radio listener or PLAIN TRUTH reader UNLESS requested by them, and without any urging or persuading from us.

   As a matter of fact, the operating expenses of this great work would put us on a basis within the first ten of the largest universities in the United States — and, I should imagine Oxford, Cambridge, or the University of London — though I have no knowledge whatever of the extent of their operating expenditures. We are NOT a small organization, but an old-established, world-wide organization of standing, integrity and of major size.

   Then, WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM? It comes from those who have, voluntarily and without solicitation or urging become of their own accord and free-will, either Co-Workers, or Church members. But do we, as falsely accused, "DEMAND TITHES?" WE DO NOT!

   Many of our members — those whom we recognize as having been put into His Church by the living Jesus Christ - do NOT tithe. There most certainly is NOT any-one standing "at the door demanding tithes." There is no inspection — no checking-up system — of determining who tithes and who does not. Some of our Co-Workers — those who do voluntarily support this Work, but are not members — or may be members of the Church of England, or the Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian or any other Church — or no Church at all — some of them do voluntarily tithe. We have no way of knowing how many. But probably most of them DO NOT! Most assuredly we do not require or demand it!

   But do we TEACH tithing? WE TEACH THE PLAIN TEACHINGS OF THE BIBLE! And the Bible teaches tithing from Genesis up to and through the New Testament. We teach the Bible — then we leave it to each individual to make his own decision as to what he shall do. But we do not put any great emphasis on tithing. In the Bible God promises to bless and prosper the tithe-payer. Many thousands have found that true. They have more since tithing than they did when they spent the whole ten tenths on themselves. Tithing pays the tither. It DOES NOT "rob" the tither's family. But God says (Mal. 3:8-10) the NON-tither robs God. We do NOT teach that a husband whose wife objects to his tithing should tithe her half of his income — but rather, IF she objects that he consider his income — or their combined income — half hers, and let her do with her half of the tithe as she pleases. In the accusation made recently on this point, I am not sure whether the husband in question understood that — but it most certainly is being explained to him.

   Now let's take up this specific case in point. The "feature writer" mentioned previously made much of one side of a case. It was made to appear that because of tithing, which it was falsely claimed we "demanded," this man failed to support his family. The inference was given that we thus caused him to break up his marriage. THAT IS NOT THE TRUTH! On the contrary, our Ministers counselled repeatedly with this man about his obligation to support his family. He was told that the Bible says that a man who won't support his wife and family is worse than an infidel. This man had a problem, and after much counselling from our Ministers he seems well on the way to having his problem solved. He is now in a position to support his family. But although it is a fact that he did not adequately support his family, that non-support WAS NOT caused by his tithing. The inference that we caused him to break up his family is UNTRUE! On the contrary, his wife left him — and I'm sure her priest would have advised her, as we advised him, NOT TO SEPARATE OR BREAK UP THE FAMILY. Repeatedly our Ministers urged him not to break up his marriage. That side of it was, of course, OMITTED in the "feature writer's" story. Also he neglected to state that the wife has agreed to go back with him. And it appears the marriage will be saved after all. From the beginning we have done all possible to SAVE that marriage.

   There was the inference that degrees conferred by Ambassador College are "worthless." We do not confer degrees from Ambassador College in England, although we are EMPOWERED BY LAW to do so. Rather, we have preferred, for the first few years, to confer an external degree from Ambassador College in California, U.S.A. This degree is conferred by AUTHORITY of the sovereign State of California. You would have a mighty difficult time trying to persuade any graduate who holds an Ambassador College degree that it is "worthless." We have scores of graduates who previously earned a degree from other colleges and universities including Harvard, Yale, Oxford and Cambridge — and they all value their Ambassador degree above their former college or university degree. Not that the former are valued less — but the Ambassador degree is valued above them. Ambassador, these men know, offers a KIND and QUALITY of education not obtainable elsewhere. And scores of such students or graduates will tell you that Ambassador academic standards are maintained at higher levels even than such high- standing universities.

   The local top official of Ambassador College in London, Mr. Raymond P. McNair, Deputy Chancellor, was made to appear to be living in excessive luxury and opulence, supposedly made possible by "DEMANDING" tithes from 19-year-old boys. Mr. McNair has been resident in England for the past seven or eight years. He gave up a much nicer home in America, though certainly not "luxurious," to live in a small terrace-house of no higher standard than the average working-class wage-earner in England. This college-owned cottage is very old and was purchased in 1959 for well under 2,000 pounds. He and his family have a very small living-room — the average working-class wage-earner in America would consider it "tiny." His three children are forced to sleep in one very small bedroom. He was reared from childhood by parents on an Arkansas farm — very common and ordinary — and yet much nicer than the home in which he lives now.

   Then Mr. McNair was accused of having a cashmere overcoat. I didn't know that was wrong, but this writer surely tried to put it in a "wrong" light. If he has such an overcoat, I have not seen him wear it, but he is wearing, instead, an ordinary low-priced overcoat. But if he has a good-quality overcoat, THAT IS HIS BUSINESS! He has earned it! And NOT ONE PENNY of that 19-year-old boy's tithe — or a single penny of ANYBODY'S money in England went into anything Mr. McNair has. HIS SALARY IS PAID FROM THE UNITED STATES! Yet that "feature writer" made it appear that he lives in luxury from money extracted from people in England! Was that honest? Or was that unethical, dishonest, and DIRTY? YOU ANSWER!

   And, oh yes! Mr. McNair was accused of driving a "big" Jaguar car. Mr. McNair saved out of his American salary (not a penny of it came from the people in Britain) for five years to purchase that car. Mr. McNair occupies an office of dignity and stature. He is required to make business contacts with many business firms — with men who drive such cars. Even so his car is already nearly three years old and was purchased with American DOLLARS — not money from the British people. The responsibilities of his office require such a car.

   Then there was the inference that the main College building is "too luxurious." The carpets were supposed to be so thick that the young "feature writer" apparently had to wade through them. And of course that's not true. But though this "feature writer" was subtle and clever enough not to say so directly, the inference was that the tithes "DEMANDED" from 19-year-old boys go to provide all the so-called "opulence." THAT IS AN UNTRUTH!

   In June, 1959 Mr. McNair heard of this property through an Estate Agent. He was told that it was a "white elephant" on the owner's hands, who had bought it with the entire multiple-hundred acre estate at public auction. It had, indeed been a fine mansion built in 1925 by one of England's richest men. The last member of the family had died two years before. It was going to rack and ruin. I was in London at the time. Mr. McNair and I went out to inspect it. We waded hip-high through the weeds which had been let grow unchecked. The house needed repainting inside, and the floors sanding and refinishing. We purchased it, and several acres, for the ridiculously low price of 8,000 pounds! We didn't know it then — perhaps the seller didn't know, for it was obscured from sight by the weeds — but this low price included FOUR outstandingly beautiful gardens — a formal garden in front, a large rose garden, a very fine Japanese garden with brook running through, and an English sunken garden. All for a mere 8,000 pounds. In Pasadena to expand our College ground, we had to pay more than that for a worn-out little five-room house, on a 40 ft. wide lot and only 75 ft. of depth!

   But not a penny of that 8,000 pounds came from British people. It was purchased with dollars from America! Now is it a sin or a crime if it happened to be a really nice building? To what USE are we putting it? To EDUCATING and BUILDING HIGH UP- STANDING CHARACTER and GOOD CITIZENSHIP in young men and women. In teaching them to lead successful, happy useful lives and to become GOOD NEIGHBOURS. Is that BAD?

   But why say more? I don't think our readers are going to believe false inferences and accusations, anyway. There was, of course, the inference that we preach "hellfire and brimstone." — and if you have listened to The WORLD TOMORROW for any length of time, or read The PLAIN TRUTH long, YOU KNOW that that is another UNTRUTH! Also we are supposed to proclaim "world tomorrow" which is a hell-on-earth, with atomic bombings, earthquakes and plagues. WHAT an UNTRUTH!

   We preach a WORLD TOMORROW of world peace, universal HAPPINESS, prosperity, good health and JOY! Jesus Christ is coming to bring it about! AND THAT IS GOOD NEWS!

   That's what we preach! We always say "DON'T believe us, because we say it — but first PROVE to yourself the authority of the Bible, then listen without prejudice, and believe it when you see it plainly in your Bible!" Would you believe Jesus Christ if He were here in person today? We preach what He preached!

   This has been a frank, straightforward statement of what we are, who we are, what we are doing, and how we are financed. If you have more questions, COME TO THE SOURCE — ask us — we will tell you the TRUTH.

   And now not ONE PENNY of the money contributed by British people goes to any American on our staff, not even to purchase English properties for this College. Ambassador College is not an American College — but it is nearly altogether supported by dollars from America. About 80 per cent of the funds required to carry on this Work in Britain is supplied from the United States. ALL British contributions stay in Britain, and go to proclaim the Gospel of the living CHRIST IN BRITAIN!