A church advocating a return to the original Christian doctrines and observing the Hebrew Holy Days.
Religion: Christianity
Denomination: Armstrongism
Founder: Garner Ted Armstrong
Current Leader: Mark Armstrong
Founded: 1998
Location: Tyler, Texas, United States
Website: icg.org
The Intercontinental Church of God (ICG), established in 1998 by Garner Ted Armstrong in Tyler, Texas, is a nontrinitarian Christian denomination that originated as a splinter group from the Church of God International. The organization’s beliefs hinge on the continuity of the Law of Moses for Christians, including the observance of the seventh-day Sabbath and the biblical holy days. Unlike mainstream Christianity, the ICG rejects the doctrine of the Trinity, the personality of the Holy Spirit, and the immortality of the soul, positioning these as contrary to the teachings found in the Bible.
Garner Ted Armstrong, the son of Herbert W. Armstrong, who founded the Worldwide Church of God, led the ICG until his death in 2003. Following his passing, leadership passed to his son, Mark Armstrong. The church’s headquarters is in Tyler, Texas, but it boasts congregations across the United States, Canada, and Australia. It maintains a global outreach through television programming and affiliations with the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association, indicating a robust effort to spread its interpretation of the Gospel.
Central to the church’s doctrine is the inspiration and authority of the entire Bible, comprising both the Old and New Testaments, as God’s revealed word. This scripture is considered the foundation of knowledge and Christianity’s guiding text, detailing God’s plan of salvation and His interactions throughout history. The doctrines of the Intercontinental Church of God, following Armstrong’s teachings, uphold the observance of Sabbath on Saturdays, the seven annual Holy Days mentioned in the Bible, and kosher dietary laws. ICG denies the concept of the trinitarian nature of God, asserting instead that God includes only two beings – God the Father and Jesus Christ. It also rejects the immortality of the soul or belief in an eternal hell, instead embracing the doctrine of annihilation, the belief that the wicked will be completely destroyed rather than eternally tormented. In addition, the ICG emphasizes prophecy and believes in the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ, following a period of catastrophic earthly events as described in the biblical books of Daniel and Revelation.
The ICG conducts a myriad of evangelistic and educational activities, with its outreach being through television, radio and the internet. Garner Ted Armstrong had a significant presence on television and radio, and his recorded sermons continue to be aired through Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association (GTAEA), which focuses on biblical prophecy and its contemporary implications, aiming to correlate current events with biblical end-times predictions. Additionally, the church operates ‘The Church of God International’, a weekly telecast that broadcasts messages, sermons, and Bible studies. The church also conducts The Intercontinental Church of God Correspondence Course, a free Bible course that can be received through regular mail or accessed online.
image via Facebook
