Herbert W. Armstrong facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Herbert W. Armstrong
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Armstrong in the mid-1970s
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| Born | July 31, 1892 Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
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| Died | January 16, 1986 (aged 93) Pasadena, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Altadena, California, U.S. |
| Education | North High School, Des Moines |
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| Known for |
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| Title | Leader of the Worldwide Church of God (1946–1986) |
| Successor | Joseph W. Tkach |
| Spouse(s) |
Loma Dillon
(m. 1917–1967)
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| Children | 4 with Loma |
Herbert W. Armstrong (born July 31, 1892 – died January 16, 1986) was an American religious leader. He started the Worldwide Church of God (WCG). He was one of the first to use radio and television to share his religious messages.
Armstrong taught that he had found the true meaning of the Bible. He believed his teachings were a complete set of ideas from the New Covenant scriptures. People who did not follow his beliefs sometimes called his teachings "Armstrongism".
His church followed parts of the Mosaic Law. This included observing the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday). They also followed certain food rules and special "Holy Days". Armstrong also believed that current world events were connected to Biblical prophecies. He interpreted these using a belief called British Israelism.
Armstrong also founded the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation. Through this foundation, he met with leaders of many countries. He saw himself as an "ambassador without portfolio for world peace."
Contents
Early Life and Family
Herbert Armstrong was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 31, 1892. His family were Quakers, a type of Christian group. He went to church and Sunday school regularly. When he was 18, he started working at a newspaper in Des Moines. His early work in advertising helped him later with his communication style.
In 1917, he met Loma Dillon, a teacher. They got married on his 25th birthday, July 31, 1917. They moved to Chicago. Soon after they married, Loma had a special dream. She believed it was a message from God about an "important work" for them. This work would prepare the way for Christ's return. At that time, Herbert was not very religious.
Their first child, Beverly Lucile, was born in 1918. Their second daughter, Dorothy Jane, was born in 1920. In 1924, after some business problems, the Armstrong family moved to Eugene, Oregon. His parents lived there. They had two sons in Oregon: Richard David (born 1928) and Garner Ted (born 1930). Herbert continued working in advertising.
Starting His Religious Work
While in Oregon, Loma met Emma Runcorn, a member of the Church of God (Seventh Day). This church believed in observing the Sabbath on Saturday. Loma became convinced that the Bible taught Saturday Sabbath observance. She challenged Herbert to find Bible proof for Sunday observance.
Since his business was not doing well, Armstrong had time to study the Bible. He started a habit of long, deep Bible study. He felt God was helping him understand truths that other churches had missed. He also studied evolution after a discussion with his sister-in-law. His studies convinced him that his wife was right about the Sabbath. He also became convinced that the theory of evolution was not true.
In 1927, he was baptized in Portland, Oregon. He later felt that God gave him the Holy Spirit at that moment. In 1931, Armstrong became an ordained minister. He joined the Oregon Conference of the Church of God (Seventh Day).
Armstrong later had disagreements with other ministers in that church. He started teaching a form of British Israelism. This belief says that people in Britain, America, and parts of Europe are descendants of ancient Israel. He wrote a book about this called The United States and Britain in Prophecy. His church credentials were removed in 1938. Armstrong believed this meant God was leading him to start a new religious work.
Reaching People Through Media
In October 1933, a small radio station in Eugene, Oregon, KORE, offered Armstrong free time. He started a 15-minute morning devotional. Listeners liked it, so he got his own program. On the first Sunday of 1934, the Radio Church of God began. These broadcasts later became The World Tomorrow.
In February 1934, Armstrong started publishing The Plain Truth magazine. It began as a church newsletter. He started making predictions about world events. He said that Hitler and Mussolini were figures from the Book of Revelation. This made his audience very interested. The radio show grew and was broadcast nationwide by 1942.
Armstrong realized he could reach more people from Los Angeles. He chose Pasadena, California, as a good location for his headquarters. In 1946, he moved his Radio Church of God to Pasadena. He bought a large house and his own printing press. He began broadcasting internationally. On October 8, 1947, he opened Ambassador College. It was a new college to train young people for the church.
Growing Worldwide
During the 1950s and 1960s, the church grew a lot. The radio program was broadcast in England, Australia, the Philippines, Latin America, and Africa. In 1953, The World Tomorrow started airing on Radio Luxembourg. This allowed people across Europe to hear the program.
Armstrong published a booklet in 1956 called 1975 in Prophecy!. In it, he shared his ideas about what the world might look like by 1975. He believed World War III and Christ's return were very close. He thought world peace and a perfect world would follow.
He wrote about key events that would signal Christ's return. He taught that God's church would be taken to a "place of safety" during a time of trouble. He predicted a "United States of Europe" led by Germany. He believed this group would destroy the United States and the United Kingdom.
In 1952, Armstrong published Does God Heal Today?. This book explained his belief that only God heals. He taught that members should trust in divine healing and not go to doctors. He believed many illnesses came from bad diets. This teaching caused some controversy.
His book The United States and Britain in Prophecy was published in 1954. It became the most popular church publication. Over six million copies were given out. In this book, Armstrong claimed that people in the United States, British Commonwealth nations, and Northwestern Europe came from the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. This belief, called British Israelism, was a main part of his church's teachings.
The amount of literature requested by people grew in the 1960s and 1970s. His writings were translated into many languages and sent worldwide for free. The Plain Truth magazine reached eight million copies each month.
On April 15, 1967, Armstrong's wife, Loma, passed away. This was just before their 50th wedding anniversary.
The Worldwide Church of God
On January 5, 1968, the Radio Church of God changed its name to the Worldwide Church of God. Soon after, the church started broadcasting The World Tomorrow on television. This program became very popular. It was shown on many TV stations in the U.S. and other countries.
Garner Ted Armstrong, Herbert's son, became the main speaker on the TV program. Many thought he would take over from his father. However, they had disagreements about beliefs and authority. His son was eventually removed from the church in 1978.
Ambassador International Cultural Foundation
In 1975, Armstrong created the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation. This foundation was supported by the church. It worked on projects in many countries. These projects included fighting illiteracy, creating schools for disabled people, and helping with archaeological digs.
These good works led to Armstrong meeting many important world leaders. He met Margaret Thatcher, Emperor Hirohito of Japan, King Hussein of Jordan, and Indira Gandhi. He was also recognized internationally as an Ambassador for World Peace.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1977, Armstrong, who was in his 80s, married Ramona Martin. She was a long-time church member and secretary. This marriage ended in divorce in 1984.
In his last years, Armstrong said he didn't know if Christ would return in his lifetime. But he believed it was coming soon. He thought a major sign would be the breakup of the Soviet Union's Eastern Bloc. He believed these nations would then join a "United States of Europe."
In August 1985, Armstrong's last book, Mystery of the Ages, was published. He called it a summary of the Bible in simple language. He believed God had hidden the Bible's meaning until modern times.
In September 1985, with his health failing, Armstrong gave his final sermon. He passed away on January 16, 1986, at age 93. Just nine days before his death, he chose Joseph W. Tkach to be the next leader of the church.
About 4,000 people attended his funeral. He was buried in Altadena's Mountain View Cemetery.
After his death, leaders of the Worldwide Church of God decided that some of Armstrong's teachings were not fully biblical. The church changed many of its doctrines. In 2009, the church changed its name to Grace Communion International (GCI). This new name better showed its updated beliefs.
Key Beliefs and Teachings
Herbert W. Armstrong's teachings, sometimes called Armstrongism, included several unique ideas:
- One Man at a Time: Members of the Worldwide Church of God saw Armstrong as an "apostle." He taught that God works through "one man at a time" on Earth. He believed he was God's chosen representative.
- Sabbath Observance: Armstrong taught that God made the seventh day (Saturday) holy. He believed people should keep the Sabbath from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. The Worldwide Church of God held its services on Saturdays. He believed observing Sunday as the "Lord's Day" was a mistake introduced by humans, not God.
- British Israelism: He believed that the British, American, and many European peoples were descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. He used this belief to say that Bible prophecies about Israel applied to modern-day countries like the U.S. and Britain.
- United Europe: Armstrong believed that a united Europe would form a "revived Roman Empire." He thought this group would fight Jesus at his second coming at Armageddon. He also said this united Europe would defeat and enslave the American and British peoples. He saw the European "Common Market" as a step towards this.
- Born Again: Armstrong taught that being "born again" was not an instant event. He believed that believers were only "begotten" (like a seed) after baptism. They would be truly "born" as spirit beings at Jesus' return. These "begotten" believers were called "firstfruits." They would be part of the "first resurrection."
- God's Government: He preached that Jesus Christ would return to Earth to save humanity. Jesus would then set up "God's government" on Earth for a thousand years (the 'Millennium'). During this time, people would have the chance to accept "God's way of life."
- No Eternal Judgment in This Life: Armstrong did not believe in eternal judgment in this life. He taught that unbelievers who died before Christ's return would be unconscious until a second resurrection after the Millennium. Then, they would have a chance to follow God. Those who refused would face "eternal death," called the "second death" in the Book of Revelation.
- Divine Healing: In Armstrong's view, Jesus' scourging (whipping) before his crucifixion paid for physical sickness. This allowed for divine healing. He taught that people should trust God for healing. He also emphasized good diet and healthy living.
- Against Trinity: Armstrong did not accept the idea of the Trinity. He believed it was a false teaching. He taught that the Father and the Word (Jesus) were eternal, but the Holy Spirit was not a separate person. He saw the Holy Spirit as God's power.
- Mosaic Law Observance: He taught that the Mosaic Law was still important. He excluded some parts he saw as "ceremonial." But he taught following the Levitical food rules and observing the "Holy Days" of the Mosaic Law. The Worldwide Church of God celebrated seven 'Festivals of God' each year.
- No Traditional Holidays: Armstrong rejected traditional holidays like Christmas, Easter, and Halloween. He also did not celebrate birthdays. He said these holidays had pagan origins. He also did not use crosses or pictures of Jesus.
- Church Eras: Armstrong believed that the seven messages to churches in the Book of Revelation also described seven "church eras" throughout history. He believed his church was in the "Philadelphia" era.
- Tithing: Armstrong set up a three-part tithing system for his followers. The first tithe (10% of income) went to the church. The second tithe (another 10%) was saved by members for their expenses during the "Feast of Tabernacles." The third tithe (a third 10%, paid every three years) helped widows and needy members.
Honors and Awards
Herbert W. Armstrong received several honors from different countries:
- Order of the Sacred Treasure from the Japanese government.
- A special watch from King Leopold III of Belgium in 1970. This was for his important work towards world peace.
- Presidential Merit Medal from President Marcos of the Philippines in 1983.
- Commander of Our Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand.
- The Cross of Constantine from the Patriarch of Jerusalem Diodoras in 1982.
- Honorary Doctorates from two universities in the Philippines.
- He was named Herbert W. Armstrong Professor of Constitutional Law Emeritus by the University of Southern California in 1983.
See also
- Grace Communion International
- Assyria-Germany connection
Images for kids
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Herbert W. Armstrong in the mid-1970s
