The Plain Truth about Roderick C. Meredith and the LIVING CHURCH OF GOD

About the LCG

Rod Meredith was one of the foundation students at Ambassador College (1949 - 1952). Along with Herman Hoeh, he wrote much of the copy for The Plain Truth and Good News magazines in the 1950s. At various stages he has been demoted from and appointed to some of the highest positions in the Worldwide Church of God. In the early 1990s, sidelined by the reforming Tkach administration, Meredith founded the Global Church of God, drawing several longtime WCG ministers away with him.

The Global Church of God later divided into two camps over the issue of Meredith's leadership. Raymond McNair, another longstanding "evangelist", and other board members deposed Meredith and wrested control of the sect. Member loyalty (and the all-important tithes), however, remained with Meredith, who promptly started up a new organization, the Living Church of God, and launched legal actions against the GCG. Raymond McNair later "repented" and was accepted into the LCG.

The GCG disintegrated shortly afterward, but the LCG continues to thrive. There are reportedly around 5000 people in attendance each week at LCG Sabbath services. Meredith shares broadcasting duties with Richard Ames, but seems very much in undisputed control of the sect. His preeminence is illustrated by a statement from Carl McNair, another former WCG evangelist now with LCG. McNair writes in his weekly update for ministers that “growing the work” is, "of course, his (Meredith's) duty". The implication is that Meredith, like HWA before him, has a special role different from other ordained members in the sect. He holds the title "Presiding Evangelist".

Meredith's track record over many years is well known, and there are some colorful stories that former Ambassador College students can tell. 

Meredith has a reputation for zealotry and the berating of lesser mortals.

Under the guidance of Meredith a social caste was developed in conjunction with a strong-handed ministerial visiting program, looked upon as a "spy system" by members who denigrated it by comparing it with Hitler's Gestapo.

Through the years this progressively heightened sin detection system became a crucible of interrogation. During more than ten years of this process thousands of members were molded in the Meredith image but many, many more were not sufficiently refined by the heat of the crucible and came up as rejects. Thousands were expelled for raising insignificant questions of doctrine or for failure to agree with one of Armstrong's suppositions. (Marion McNair. Armstrongism: Religion or Rip-off. 1977)

Meredith was also unrestrained in preaching a gruesome end to society in time for Christ's expected return in 1975.

While serving as pastor of Armstrong's Los Angeles... congregation in 1966, he prophesied, "Drought, famine, pestilence, and disease will become so terrible in the U.S. by 1968 people will flee the big cities en masse." And he asserted, "The major highways from Los Angeles to New York, Kansas City, Chicago and other highways leading out of America's large cities will be knee deep in corpses - bodies of helpless people who will fall prey to the specter of death in their attempt to escape the ravaging plagues of the festering cities." (McNair)

Has anything changed? On a recent (2001) Tomorrow's World telecast - "Is This the Last Generation?" -  Meredith scattered the following gems:

From the "Did Rod REALLY say THAT?!" Department Los Angeles should be ashamed that it has a black mayor! God is going to spank, and He's going to spank HARD!  My name is Rod, not God - yet.  Billions in the lake of Fire. That's Billion with a "B" brethren!

What other "minister" would get away with ranting from the pulpit (for all the kiddies in the audience to hear) "All you MASTURBATORS out there...!!!"  And, as one of my friends (who was in the WCG even before I was in the late 1960s) mentioned hearing him rant about the Place of Safety and masturbation... "They WON'T be doing THAT over THERE!" Pam Dewey

We are going to be spanked by the Great God [spanking is a recurrent theme with Rod]… World War III is coming up… I am God’s servant and God’s witness… I myself, Mr. Ames and others, may be killed or martyred… We are at that time now… We are entering the last generation… those under 20 years of age are undoubtedly living in the last complete generation of this world’s society

According to Meredith then, those under the age of twenty in 2001 will definitely live to see the horrifying events of the Great Tribulation. Could this, one wonders, be the same man who assured another generation, in another church organization, that it would be all over by 1975? Apparently "God’s servant and God’s witness" was out by at least 35 to 50 years the first time round. 

The LCG is less cultic than the Philadelphia Church of God, but more rigid than the United Church of God.

Rod likes to be known as "Dr. Meredith".  However his 1950s doctorate, a PhD in Theology, was issued by unaccredited Ambassador College, where even the Bachelor's degrees weren't recognized.  It is little more than an affectation. 

SPANKY SPEAKS! "Frankly, literally dozens of prophesied events indicate that this final revival of the Roman Empire in Europe-and its bestial persecution of multitudes of Bible-believing Christians-will take place within the next seven to ten years of your life!"  (The Plain Truth, Feb. 1965, p. 48.) "Bible prophecy indicates that the final attack on the U.S. and Britain by this coming 'Beast' power could easily be launched perhaps as early as the spring of 1972-or earlier ...."  (The Plain Truth, May 1965, p. 45.) "After 1965, we are destined to run into increasing trouble with the Gentile nations. America and Britain will begin to suffer from trade embargoes imposed by the brown and oriental races.... We will begin to experience the pangs of starvation and the scarcity of goods!" (The Plain Truth, August 1957) "You might as well wake up and FACE FACTS! The world you live in won’t be here 15 years from now!" (The Plain Truth, December 1963)

---

Spanky Hanky Panky? An excerpt from John Tuit's book The Truth Shall Make You Free (1981), p.208 Meredith, the new head of the ministry, has always been noted for his self-righteous attitude and harsh demands that loyalty to God required loyalty to Herbert Armstrong. The true nature of the man can better be understood, however, by other characteristics which are not as widely known. In a sermon he once went to great lengths to explain how people should spank their children. He was proud of the fact that he spanked his teenage daughter on her bare backside at least once a week whether she needed it or not, just to keep her in line. His penchant for X-rated movies and adult book stores has been explained by him as a necessary part of his research in order that he may speak out properly against such sins in his sermons. Note: In the interests of fairness we advise that Roderick Meredith has, according to Bob Thiel, denied making the comments attributed to him by Tuit. He has also denied having ever viewed pornographic movies or having even been in an X-rated book store. Tuit, however, stands by his statements, and a number of people have written confirming that they recollect Meredith's "spanking sermons."

---

A God Who Kills Airline Passengers and Office Workers? Here's what Rod Meredith wrote September 11, 2001, the day of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. According to Rod, the real perpetrator was God. Yes, God will give us corrective punishment to wake us up from our sins. We have turned away from God. We are getting into more and more abortion—the murder of little unborn children. We are getting into more perverted sex, wild scenes of sex and wretchedness on our television and in our movies. In every way, we are a degenerate people. More and more we are turning away from God, and bringing shame on the name of God, yet we put on our coins and bills "In God We Trust." Shame on us! God says: "‘But I will correct you in justice, and will not let you go altogether unpunished’" (Jeremiah 30:11). Yes, God will have to correct us, my friends, and wake us up! These terrorist activities—along with coming terrible storms and earthquakes—are preparatory to a final attack and captivity of our people, who will be taken away from their land into literal slavery, where they will finally repent and then come back weeping in repentance to God. That is prophesied in many places in your Bible... No, "these things" are not just carried out by Arab terrorists or other kinds of terrorists. God is going to use many different people—and many different nations—to wake us up! Meredith, like Jerry Falwell, quickly changed his tune a few days later, perhaps moving to shore up tithes from offended supporters, saying God merely permitted the outrage by withdrawing his protection.

---

A Section from Suzanne Black's Notarized Statement Suzanne and Wiley Black released notarized statements in August 2001 to Bernard Kelly, publisher of a newsletter called The Bible Expositor.  In November 2001 they were published on the Internet.  This section, from Suzanne's testimony, concerns a meeting with Roderick C. Meredith while she was a student at Ambassador College, Pasadena, in the late 1950s.  I was given a job working in the mail room office, addressing envelopes. About two weeks later... I was told by my supervisor, that the minister, Roderick C. Meredith wanted to see me immediately in his office...  I was warmly greeted, and told to sit down.  Then he proceeded to tell me that I reminded Herbert W. Armstrong of this girl that he had been very much in love with, years ago... and that I had been "CHOSEN" to be one of Herbert W. Armstrong's "Special Ladies". I had been reared in a strict moral church background, and I had no idea what a "special lady" was!  Rod Meredith proceeded to tell me, that true men of God, had stronger than usual "Sex Drives", and that that was what motivated them to be God's true ministers, apostles, etc. And, since HWA was his (God's) TOP apostle on earth, that HE had the strongest sex drive of any man alive on earth. And, that while normally the church didn't allow men to have other women, other than their wives, that in the case of certain of God's chosen men, it was OK... since HWA, his son, Garner Ted Armstrong, and others, were "ABOVE THE LAW"!  He recited to me many instances in the Bible, where great men of God had had MANY women... like King Saul, King David, Moses, Abraham, etc. And, that as one of HWA's "Special Ladies", I would be given special advantages over all the other women students, etc... I was also informed by Rod Meredith, that there were ONLY three top positions available, in God's Work, and that those were already filled... the top position going to HWA, the 2nd position to GTA, and he, himself (Rod Meredith) filled the 3rd position, and ALWAYS WOULD... for all eternity!!! (Note: spelling and punctuation have been edited for clarity in the quoted passage)

Christian love and forbearance in the LCG: A member's testimony "I had some questions to ask our pastor at church. [He] and his wife came to our house and listened. I had a friend that knew some things that went on during the GCG and LCG split up. I only wanted to ask him if some of these things were true. He listened and seemed friendly. He said he would get back to me on them and thanked me for not starting any rumors at church. "I caused no trouble, I told the pastor that I would not discuss any of the things at church. I have a 15 year old son that was brought up in the church. All of his friends are [there]. I went back the next Sabbath and walked in and [sat] down with my son. The pastor never told me that I could not come back. "The pastor physically escorted both of us out of the church building in front of the entire congregation, threatening that he would call the police if we ever tried to set foot in the church again! The experience has made me feel hurt, lonely and confused. I have found it very difficult and lonely since all my friends and relatives are in the LCG and they reject me. My son doesn't understand, neither do I.  I have called the pastor at home and have left 5 messages in the last two weeks. He doesn't return my calls. How do I handle this? "There is no recourse to file an appeal or anything. I can deal with it better than my son. He is really having a tough time. He tried to call one of his best friends in church yesterday and his parents wouldn't let him talk to him."

Rod the 7 figure counselor: The following item was posted on the Ekklesia list, April 2002: "There was a great deal of antipathy [toward] Rod Meredith by the Tkach's as they hold Rod responsible for Joe's mother's mental condition.  I was told she became that way after Rod performed one of his marathon inquisitions into what she knew about Garner Ted Armstrong's exploits (Rod was in competition with GTA for the top spot).  Raymond McNair's ex-wife was subjected to a similar interrogation and sued the church over it.  Rod Meredith left the WCG a week after the insurance company paid out the 7 figure defamation claim.  The WCG may have gone liberal but he was going stick it out long enough to get the insurance coverage."

Note: In Great Britain the name Global Church of God lives on with a small group who refused to follow the Meredith exodus. Their pastor, the late Bob Devine, stated:

We left WCG in 1995 to join the Global Church of God, where we have remained ever since. When Rod left to form his own Church we were subjected by them to the most unchristian behavior that I have experienced in my 64 years of life. I find it most offensive to now read that this group is the exclusive continuation of Mr Armstrong's work.  I know from personal experience that this is a lie. Please do not be deceived into giving succor to these misleading ideas.

In the US the largest group of GCG members to oppose Meredith re-established as The Church of God - A Christian Fellowship. This group recently fell apart with one faction joining with the United Church of God, and another forming a new organization known as The Church of the Eternal God. The Sabbath Church of God, led by Warren Zehrung, seceded from CEG after Zehrung was dumped from his position as treasurer.