The former campus of Ambassador College.

A Long and Rich Heritage

The Philadelphia Church of God was founded in 1989, but it is not without deep roots and a lengthy history. The PCG broke away from the Worldwide Church of God in order to preserve the teachings and legacy of its founder, Herbert W. Armstrong, whose service to God and humanity spanned half a century, dozens of countries and thousands of lives.

Mr. Armstrong founded the Worldwide church in 1933 as the Radio Church of God, reflecting the Church’s far-flung broadcast reach at the time. After moving headquarters to Pasadena, Calif., the Church’s name was changed, still reflecting the reach of its biblical message and its membership, which continued to grow throughout the last half of the 20th Century.

In 1947, Mr. Armstrong founded Ambassador College, a liberal arts institution, which grew to three campuses in the United States and England, that helped the Church proclaim its message of hope and bolstered Church members.

Throughout the latter part of his life, Mr. Armstrong received invitations to meet with hundreds of world leaders, including literally dozens of presidents, prime ministers and kings, as well as hundreds of other leaders of government, the judiciary, education, science, business and industry.

By the time Herbert Armstrong died in 1986, the gospel message was reaching millions of people around the world. The World Tomorrow program, which was on the air for over 50 years, broadcasted on more than 400 television stations around the world, and the Plain Truth magazine circulation peaked at 8 million. Mr. Armstrong also left behind Youth Opportunities United, an extensive youth program, thousands of devoted Church members and his greatest work, Mystery of the Ages.

After Mr. Armstrong died, Jordanian Ambassador to the United States Mohammed Kamal wrote, “He was truly a great man of vision ... I am confident that his colleagues will carry on with his mission and his great work.”

The new leadership of the Worldwide Church of God began systematically rejecting and destroying every teaching and tradition Mr. Armstrong established. Immediately, massive doctrinal changes swept the Church, initially concealed from the membership. More than 7 of every 10 members were driven out or excommunicated.

As a result, the Church's publications withered and the program went off the air altogether. The Church’s famed performing arts series was cancelled, along with all other humanitarian projects, which had grown to serve people from Japan to Egypt to India to the Philippines and beyond.

During the disloyalty and destruction, however, Gerald Flurry clung to the biblical truth taught by Mr. Armstrong, founding the Philadelphia Church of God in 1989. Since then, the PCG has raised the ruins and continued Mr. Armstrong's rich legacy.

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MysteryoftheAges.com

Official website of Mystery of the Ages, Herbert W. Armstrong’s final and most important work.