Restored Church of God


The Restored Church of God is one of many churches which were formed in response to major doctrinal changes which were made within the Worldwide Church of God, the church which was founded by Herbert W. Armstrong. It is one of the Sabbatarian Churches of God which emerged in the aftermath of a major schism which occurred in the WCG in 1995. The RCG claims to retain the tenets, style, and structure which existed in the earlier WCG before Armstrong's death in 1986.

Foundation

The RCG was formed in May 1999, in the midst of an ongoing upheaval in the wake of a departure from the WCG's established beliefs. It is based in Wadsworth, Ohio.
The RCG's founder and leader is David C. Pack. As Pastor General of the Restored Church of God, David C. Pack oversees the operations of the church. He attended Ambassador College and entered WCG's ministry in 1971. Following the 1995 schism in WCG, Pack became a minister in the Global Church of God, but he was fired on May 3, 1999, and established his own church. Since then, he has established over 50 congregations, authored more than 20 books, written hundreds of booklets and articles, and appeared on The History Channel. The church claims to have thousands of members, but no reliable numbers have been published.

Doctrines

The RCG asserts that its doctrines are very similar to those of its predecessor, and
"...it claims to be 'the only true extension of The Worldwide Church of God' as it was before Armstrong’s death."
adhering to what is often referred to as Armstrongism, which includes the belief in the impending Apocalypse followed by the millennial reign of Jesus Christ on Earth, along with Old Testament dietary laws, tithing, observance of seventh-day Sabbath, bans on holidays and festivals with pagan roots like Christmas and Easter, and most of Herbert W. Armstrong's other teachings.
The church has been noted by Time for its strong stance against the Halloween tradition of Trick-or-treating.
The Restored Church of God denies the Trinity, says that God is a composition of two beings who lives in the northern part of heaven, that Jesus is a god, that being born again means being resurrected from flesh to spirit, that the earth was re-created, that people will not go to hell and will be annihilated, that Christians do not go to heaven, that Jesus was raised on Saturday, that Jesus could have sinned, that the Holy Spirit is a force, and that salvation is a process that is not earned, but can be lost

Church Funding and the Common Doctrine

The Restored Church of God adheres to the laws of tithing as explained in the Old Testament. This has allowed a relatively small organization to reach people around the world. Non-members, called Coworkers, freely give offerings to show their support of the Work of The Restored Church of God. Another doctrine cited, called "Common" comes from the New Testament understanding that Christians should avoid excess and contribute out of their excess to support the Work of the Church reaching millions around the world. This doctrine was first explained to the Church by David C. Pack in 2011, in a four-part sermon series titled “Christ’s Sayings—One Great Theme.” It was then revisited in his early 2014 two-part series, “How a Small Church Does Such Big Things.” RCG members are told to "sell all" and give their excess to support the Work of RCG.

Publications

The RCG's flagship magazine is The Real Truth, of which Pack is editor-in-chief. Pack hosts the program The World to Come, and he has also written a two-volume Biography, and a booklet titled Here Is The Restored Church of God, which contains more descriptions of his church's doctrines and practices. The RCG's literature and programs are offered to the public free of charge.
The RCG runs Ambassador Center, a two-year institution to train RCG's future ministers and leaders, modeled after the WCG's Ambassador College. The church also runs Ambassador Youth Camp, an annual summer camp for its teenage members.
The church, as noted by the Wall Street Journal, discourages conventional 2-person romantic dating among teenagers, preferring group-based social activities. It also discourages participation in blogs, especially among youth, citing concerns over victimization.

Wadsworth headquarters

The RCG started constructing its world headquarters in Wadsworth, Ohio, in 2012, and it was partially modeled after Armstrong's Ambassador College campus in Pasadena, California. The church's plans for the project include a four-story Hall of Administration building, a 450-seat auditorium, an educational training center, a studio, and a mail-processing building. The project broke ground on May 10, 2012, and the administration building officially opened on June 21, 2013.