Grace Communion International facts for kids

Grace Communion International (GCI), once known as the Radio Church of God and the Worldwide Church of God, is a Christian church group. It is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The church's website says it has about 30,000 members in 550 churches across 70 countries. It is set up with leaders like bishops, and it is part of the National Association of Evangelicals.

How Grace Communion International Started

In 1934, a man named Herbert W. Armstrong started a radio ministry called the Radio Church of God. He was an advertising agent who became a radio and TV speaker. He began his broadcasts from Eugene, Oregon.

Armstrong had been ordained by another church group in 1931 but left them in 1933. On January 7, 1934, he started his own radio show on a local station. This show was like a church service on the air, with hymns and Armstrong's messages. He later named his program The World Tomorrow. To help his growing church, Armstrong officially formed the Radio Church of God on March 3, 1946. Even though some local church members didn't agree with his ideas, he gained many followers through his radio shows and his magazine, The Plain Truth.

In 1947, Armstrong moved the church's main office to Pasadena, California. He also started Ambassador College, which was the church's school. His radio show, The World Tomorrow, began broadcasting in Europe in 1953. In 1968, the church changed its name to the Worldwide Church of God (WCG).

The Church Under Herbert W. Armstrong (1934–1986)

The Worldwide Church of God followed the teachings of its founder, Herbert W. Armstrong, until he passed away. Armstrong combined Christian beliefs with some ideas from Judaism and the practice of observing the Sabbath on Saturday.

Armstrong taught that Britain and the United States were home to descendants of ancient Israel's "lost tribes." His teachings included:

• Keeping the Saturday Sabbath.
• Observing annual festivals and holy days mentioned in the Bible.
• Eating only certain "clean" animals, as described in the Bible.
• Giving three tithes (a portion of income) to the church.

Armstrong did not agree with some practices and beliefs that he felt had become part of mainstream Christianity. These included the idea of the Holy Trinity and celebrations like Christmas, Easter, Halloween, and birthdays. Church members were encouraged to dress nicely for services.

Armstrong explained that people who were "called" by God, believed the gospel, and were baptized became part of the true "Church of God." Ministers were expected to ask members who caused trouble or division to leave the church.

In 1956, Armstrong published a booklet called 1975 in Prophecy!. This booklet talked about events that he predicted would happen by 1975, including the return of Jesus Christ. Because Armstrong focused on these dates, the church grew quickly in the late 1960s. On January 5, 1968, the church was renamed the Worldwide Church of God.

By the mid-1950s, Armstrong had his son, Garner Ted Armstrong, take over as the host of The World Tomorrow radio and TV shows. By the late 1960s, Garner Ted was a top leader in the church and at Ambassador College. He also edited church publications.

Herbert Armstrong's first wife, Loma Dillon Armstrong, passed away on April 15, 1967.

Challenges in the 1970s

In the early 1970s, the church began to face difficulties. Some members were disappointed because the events Herbert Armstrong had predicted had not happened. Church writings had tried to pinpoint the date of Christ's return, and members were still waiting.

In 1972, Herbert Armstrong removed Garner Ted from his leadership roles. He later said Garner Ted had repented and named him his successor again. Garner Ted signed a letter saying he had "sinned against his wife, the children and the church," but the specific issue was not publicly stated. Some people thought it was about personal conduct, while others believed it was about disagreements on church teachings or programs.

By March 1974, several ministers had left or been removed from the church. They disagreed with some of Armstrong's teachings and how certain issues were handled. Many of them started their own church groups. For example, 35 ministers formed the Associated Church of God. Another minister, Barry Chase, sent a letter to members saying he was leaving due to "immorality in the highest echelons of this church."

Alfred Carozzo, a former church leader, also sent a letter to members. He criticized the church's tithing system and the lavish lifestyle of the Armstrongs. He also said that Armstrong treated Garner Ted differently than other members who faced similar issues. Carozzo started his own church, the 20th Century Church of God. More people left, and many of the new groups kept "Church of God" in their names.

In 1977, Herbert Armstrong married Ramona Martin and moved to Arizona while recovering from a heart attack. During this time, he managed church affairs with the help of Stanley Rader, the church's lawyer. The church's main office remained in Pasadena.

That year, some former students of Ambassador College published a pamphlet. They claimed the church misused money and that the tithing system caused members financial hardship, with up to 40% of their income going to the church. They said this money supported the Armstrongs' expensive lifestyle, including multiple homes, cars, and a private jet.

By 1978, Armstrong had permanently removed Garner Ted from the church. Garner Ted then started his own church in Texas in 1978, called the Church of God International. Herbert and Garner Ted Armstrong remained separated for the rest of Herbert's life.

Ambassador International Cultural Foundation

In the 1960s, Armstrong wanted to do more good in the world. This led to the creation of the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation (AICF) in 1975. The Foundation worked in many countries, helping to fight illiteracy, create schools for disabled people, and support archaeological digs at important biblical sites. The church's auditorium also hosted many performances by famous artists at low ticket prices.

The AICF published a magazine called Quest from 1977 to 1981. This magazine focused on the humanities, travel, and the arts. It was created after Armstrong's 1975 in Prophecy! publication led to accusations of false predictions. The AICF became more focused on secular (non-religious) projects, and the church eventually stopped funding it.

Financial Challenges

Some church members asked the State of California to look into how the church's money was being handled. In 1979, the California Attorney General placed the church's campus in Pasadena under financial control for six months.

This situation caught the attention of the TV show 60 Minutes. The show reported on claims of lavish spending, conflicts of interest, and expensive lifestyles among church leaders. No legal charges were filed against Herbert W. Armstrong or Stanley Rader. The California Second Court of Appeals later overturned the state's decision to take control of the church's finances.

Stanley Rader left his positions in the church in 1981. He continued to receive payments from the church until he passed away in 2002.

After Armstrong (1986–2009)

Leadership Changes and New Teachings

On January 16, 1986, Herbert Armstrong passed away. Before his death, he chose Joseph W. Tkach Sr. to lead the church. Tkach Sr. and other ministers began to realize that many of their church's teachings were not fully supported by the Bible.

Starting in 1988, Joseph W. Tkach Sr. began to make changes to the church's beliefs. At first, these changes were quiet, but then they became more open and significant. The changes included new understandings of Christmas, Easter, and the Saturday Sabbath.

Tkach Sr. guided the church's beliefs toward mainstream evangelical Christian ideas. This caused many members to feel upset, and more groups broke away from the church. The church admitted that these changes had "catastrophic results" in terms of membership, but they believed the changes were for the best. During Joseph Tkach Sr.'s time as leader, the church's membership dropped by 80%.

All of Herbert Armstrong's writings were stopped from being printed by the Worldwide Church of God. However, other church groups still make them available.

In 1995, Tkach Sr. passed away, and his son, Joseph Tkach Jr., became the new leader. Tkach Jr. continued his father's reforms and made more changes. As a result, many members and ministers left to form other churches that still followed Armstrong's original teachings.

In 2009, the Worldwide Church of God changed its name to Grace Communion International. In October 2018, Joe Tkach Jr. retired, and Greg Williams became the President of GCI.

Grace Communion International Today

What GCI Believes

Grace Communion International's current beliefs are similar to many mainstream Protestant churches. They believe that faith in Jesus is the only way to receive salvation and that the Bible is God's inspired and perfect word.

Women in Leadership

In 2007, the church decided to allow women to serve as pastors and elders. This decision came after several years of study. In Pikeville, Kentucky, Debby Bailey became the first female elder in the church that same year.

Why the Name Changed

According to the church, the name Grace Communion International was chosen to "precisely describe" the church as "an international community, bound together by God's grace."

The name change was announced in 2009 at a conference for ministers. The new name was seen as truly reflecting how the church had changed over the years. GCI felt that these changes happened because pastors were guided by the Holy Spirit and by carefully studying the Bible.

Grace Communion Seminary

Grace Communion Seminary (GCS) grew out of Ambassador College. Classes are now offered online. The seminary provides accredited graduate programs in subjects like the Bible, theology, church history, and ministry.

How Grace Communion International is Organized

Global Structure

Grace Communion International has a structured organization. Its rules are decided by an Advisory Council of Elders. The President of the church appoints the members of this council. The President, who is also called the Pastor General, is the main leader of the church. A Doctrinal Advisory Team can advise the council on the church's official beliefs. The President can reject beliefs he thinks are wrong. The President is also part of the Doctrinal Advisory Team, so he is involved in their work. Historically, Presidents have chosen their own successors.

The church has offices in many countries. Most of its members and donations come from the eastern United States.

Local Churches

In the United States, district superintendents help connect the main church office with local churches or small group meetings. Each superintendent is in charge of many churches in a certain area or for a specific language group.

Local churches are led by a senior pastor or a team of leaders. These leaders are supervised by a district pastoral leader. Some pastors lead one church, while others lead two or more. If a local church pastor is paid, their salary is decided by the local church.

How the Church is Funded

The early Worldwide Church of God used a three-tithe system. Members were expected to give 10% of their income.

• The first tithe (10% of income) was sent to the church's main office to pay for all church operations, including broadcasting and publishing.
• The second tithe was saved by individual members to pay for their observance of annual biblical feasts and holy days, especially the Feast of Tabernacles. This money was kept by the member, not sent to the church.
• A third tithe was required in certain years and was also sent to the main office. This third tithe was used to help those in need, like widows and orphans.

Unlike many other churches, the WCG did not pass offering plates during weekly services. Offerings were collected only during holy day services. These were considered "freewill offerings" and were separate from regular tithes. The church also received donations from "co-workers," who were people who read the church's free materials or watched its TV show but did not attend services.

Under Joseph W. Tkach Sr., the mandatory three-tithe system was changed. It was suggested that tithes could be calculated on net income (after taxes), rather than gross income (before taxes). The GCI main office was made smaller. The church sold much of its property, including festival sites, youth camps, college campuses, and private aircraft. They also stopped publishing all the books and magazines that Armstrong had written.

To save more money, the church sold its properties in Pasadena and bought an office building in Glendora, California. That building was sold in 2018, and the main office moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. In the past, church members sent all their tithe donations directly to the main office. Now, local churches usually use most of the funds locally for their ministry, including buying or building church buildings. About 15% of the funds go to the main office.

See also

In Spanish: Comunión Internacional Gracia para niños