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Template:NPOV-date Gerald Flurry, an ordained minister for over 30 years, is the founder and Pastor General of the Philadelphia Church of God in Edmond, Oklahoma . He is editor in chief of The Philadelphia Trumpet magazine, which claims a monthly readership of over one million. Gerald Flurry has proclaimed himself "that Prophet."

Flurry founded the Philadelphia Church of God after being excommunicated from Herbert W. Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God in 1989.

Gerald Flurry and Worldwide Church of God

Flurry was a minister with WCG at the time of the Herbert Armstrong's death in 1986. During the next three years, WCG made several doctrinal changes that Flurry objected to as heresy. Flurry believed that WCG had turned against the preaching of Armstrong. This led to a schism, and Flurry was excommunicated from WCG in late 1989 over the publication of his book, Malachi's Message.

Gerald Flurry and PCG

Gerald Flurry and John Amos founded the Philadelphia Church of God on 20 December 1989 as a way to bring back the teaching of Armstrong. Part of their mission has been to obtain the copyright of Armstrong's last book and continue to publish it. The Philadelphia Church of God feels they are the true legacy of Armstrong and his preaching, while WCG no longer thinks of Armstrong as a prophet.^[1]

PCG controversy

This group is considered by many to be a religious cult, while supporters note that Jesus said his church would be persecuted.^[2] Behaviors seen to support this are:

Members are not allowed to communicate or associate with former members (called disfellowshipped members), even if they are part of the member's immediate family. This also applies to individuals who are members of other Churches of God.^[3]
The ministry can disfellowship their wives and marry other women who are still within the membership of the church.^[4]
The ministry are considered "the Covenant Brotherhood" and are placed above the common members in stature and salvation. A minister's word is law, just as long as it does not conflict with proclamations of Flurry, even if it conflicts with their holy book or with former writings of Flurry or Armstrong.^[5]
Only current, updated writings are allowed to be read by the membership.^[6]
A few years ago, a young lady in PCG was called away before "fellowship dinner" to the hospital to attend her mother who was hemorrhaging. She was disfellowshiped because she had "left the fellowship dinner without permission." She was told, "let the dead bury their dead."^[7]
It is asserted by them that the book Malachi's Message to God's Church Today is a 'special revelation which came directly from God, on par with the Bible. It is asserted to be the 'little book' of Revelation 10.

Arrest record

In 1993 Gerald Flurry was arrested on two charges, including DUI. Philadelphia Church of God considers Saturday the Sabbath. Not only did this break the laws of Oklahoma, but also the PCG strictures about keeping the Sabbath. Flurry was passed out behind the wheel of his car. He attempted to drive away when the officers woke him up. He also appeared to have attempted to bribe the officers with $25 when he reached into his wallet for his Driver's license (no bribery charges were brought, but it was in the officer's report). He failed three field tests for sobriety, and at the police station he failed a breathalyzer test.^[8] The open container charge was dropped, and Flurry received a deferred sentence for DUI.^[8] In taped sermons to the PCG membership by Flurry and his son Stephen (Evangelist rank minister), they denied the truth about this incident, claiming only that he was cited for having a couple of empty beer containers inside his car, and suggesting that the police officer involved was possibly a member of the WCG.^[9]

Books

All the books listed are published by PCG and available from [13].

Daniel Unlocks Revelation
Ezekiel: The End-Time Prophet
The God Family Vision
Jeremiah and the Greatest Vision in the Bible
Malachi's Message
The Last Hour
Who is That Prophet?

Notes

^ See [1] for their mission statement.
^ See Religious Movements description of cults and sects for a general definition of cult. Also see:Watchman Fellowship’s 2001 Index of Cults and Religions for more information about Chrisitan cults.
^ See [2] for an article in The Journal (a publication of Churches of God).
^ See [3]
^ See [4][5][6][[7]]
^ See [8]
^ See [9]
^ ^a ^b The case file can be seen at [10]. The court docket is at [11]
^ See [12]

External links

PCG: "Carrying on Business as Usual"

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[1] See [1] for their mission statement.

[2] See Religious Movements description of cults and sects for a general definition of cult. Also see:Watchman Fellowship’s 2001 Index of Cults and Religions for more information about Chrisitan cults.

[3] See [2] for an article in The Journal (a publication of Churches of God).

[4] See [3]

[5] See [4][5][6][[7]]

[6] See [8]

[7] See [9]

[Case-8] The case file can be seen at [10]. The court docket is at [11]

[9] See [12]

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[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

@@ Line 36: / Line 36: @@
 <references />
 ==External links==
+*[http://ezinearticles.com/?PCG:-Carrying-on-Business-as-Usual&id=137041 PCG: "Carrying on Business as Usual"]
+*[http://ezinearticles.com/?id=162426 The Work of God Must Go Forward!]
+*[http://ezinearticles.com/?id=121252 Philadephia Church of God Leads Laodicean Era]
 * [http://www.pcog.org/ Philadelphia Church of God website]
 * [http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/philcog.html History of Philadelphia Church of God]