RCM Nov. 27th letter:
"After I rejected a few very unsatisfactory offers they made to get me to stay, they FIRED me as the President and Chairman of the Board! These men who I had brought in to help were finally able to oust me."

RCM Nov. 21st letter:
"We have already started to incorporate and will see to it as soon as possible that your donations can be deducted from your taxable income as usual."

RCM Dec. 21st letter:
"Still later, they tried to give the impression that I had already started a competing church when I came into that final Tuesday Board meeting [Nov. 24th]. This is absolutely untrue! I did NOT have a competing Church....

"I [had] told them that I was going to talk it over with my advisors, that I would not start another church over the weekend, and that I ‘would do what I have to do’!"

RCM Nov. 27th letter:
"At the beginning of Global, as you know, I was the founder and Presiding Evangelist. The Living Christ used me to get the whole thing started...."

RCM Nov. 21st letter:
Describing himself: "...the one Christ guided to raise up and lead the Global Church of God.... the one Christ has used to raise up and lead the Global Church of God."

"Frankly, brethren, throughout the Bible, whenever you see a man being used of God—whether by appointment or through circumstances—to raise up or lead a phase of God’s Work, that man is ‘God’s anointed’..."

RCM Dec. 21st letter:
"...they keep indicating that I think of myself as "God's anointed" (as though I am some "pope" or "king"). I'm sure that they know in their heart that I have NEVER tried to appropriate unto myself any such title!"

"Certainly, anyone called of God to raise up a branch or era of God's Church is "anointed" of God if he has, indeed, been called to do this and is led by God's Spirit in doing it.... Was I not then guided by God's Spirit to do this?"

RCM Nov. 21st letter:
"The majority of the Council of Elders backs my leadership"

RCM Nov. 27th letter:
"I should point out here that at that point the MAJORITY of the Council of Elders supported me—not these men on the Board. NO WONDER they wanted to by-pass the Council of Elders! Among the members of the Council of Elders who supported my leadership are Messrs. Carl McNair, Charles Bryce, John Ogwyn and Dick Ames."

RCM Nov. 21st letter:
"Frankly, brethren, since I was "out voted" anyway, I tried for a while to cooperate and go along with this system for the sake of UNITY in God’s Church."

The Journal ("RCM says no takeover in offing") - Aug. 31, 1998
Concerning Tulsa sermon (only 3 months earlier!)
"No one is attempting to wrest control of the Global Church of God from presiding evangelist and founder Roderick C. Meredith. So said Dr. Meredith the Sabbath of Aug 1 to 157 people, mostly Global members, while here during a speaking tour of several states.

"Dr. Meredith, 68, reassured the brethren of the Tulsa congregation that rumors of a palace coup were unfounded, that he and he alone is in charge, even though Global officials (with his blessing) recently met and reaffirmed their support of a church governance system that includes a board of directors and council of elders.

"Dr. Meredith, during his announcements before his sermon, said he had heard that many Global members were ‘doubting everything,’ although he could understand an attitude of healthy skepticism because he is originally from Missouri, the Show Me State.

"But liars don’t enter the Kingdom of God, he said, and he’s not lying when he says that no conspiracy to remove him is afoot and that rumors people are spreading to that effect are ‘silly.’

"Again affirming that no one was trying to force him out of his ecclesiastical responsibilites, he asked: ‘Who does the program? I do. Who writes most of the lead articles? I do. Who writes the coworker letters? I do. Is the board or council suggesting anything else? No. No one has hinted of such a thing, even in the last couple or three months since we’ve had all these discussions. We’ve been in total harmony.’

"‘But some are criticizing, they’re going around upsetting people, and they’re talking about various conspiracy theories. Some have said, I understand, that the men at San Diego have already put me out and I just don’t know it yet. ‘Well, no one else there knows it, either. I can guarantee that.’"

"‘So if they’re trying to pull some dirty trick or get rid of me -- but don’t think I’m hinting that they might be because as far as I know they’re not, and I love them, and I don’t think they are at all.’"

RCM - When Should You Follow Church Government, 1995:
"The MISUSE of Church Government

"As the Church developed, however, all of us leading ministers began to emphasize the need for UNITY. We realized that, unlike the Sardis church which kept splitting, we needed to stay together to do the Work. And that was certainly vital as long as a dedicated man of God (like Herbert W. Armstrong) was guiding a Church of God where the full Truth could be taught and preached.

"But, we unwittingly went too far. We began to compare Mr. Armstrong with Moses--a special prophet God talked with face to face. God gave Moses direct commands which often became part of the Scriptures! We confused the position of Herbert Armstrong with Moses--through whom God spoke directly and who was the supernaturally appointed leader of the ONE physical nation on earth God was directly working with.

"However, some of my loyal friends had been--absolutely unknown to me- -quietly accumulating names. So we did NOT [u]se the corporate mailing list for my original letter or any letter since, although I should have been allowed to!"

RCM - Letter to The Journal, Oct. 30, 1998:
"First, let me say that our practices are best enunciated in my "member letter" of June 11, 1998, which you kindly ran as a guest editorial in a recent issue...

"The bylaws of the Global Church of God, which clearly govern our administrative processes, clearly state that the council of elders has final authority in the church in all major doctrinal as well as administrative matters. The board of directors is charged with conducting the business of the church, including hiring or terminating personnel, establishing their duties and setting their compensation. While both the board and the council have confirmed my leading role in the church, all final decisions are made by consensus -- usually after much discussion and prayers."

RCM - June 11th letter:
"From the outset, brethren, we informed God's people in Global that the form of government we use would not involve rule by ONE MAN...[In the NT], it was a collective sort of leadership. The responsibility for directing the Church was NOT then invested in a SOLE individual on earth. The decision was clearly through 'multitude of counsel'...Peter...NEVER unilaterally decided ANY of those basic matters in the New Testament Church...

"In our recent Council meetings, we have clarified and reaffirmed that the Global Church of God will continue to be lead by a tried and tested group of Spirit-led men-the Council of Elders.

"So you see, brethren, it is the Council of Elders and the Board of Directors that make all major decisions for the Church..."

RCM - Aug. 13th PC letter:
"These most recent "changes" are better described as "clarifications." When the Council of Elders was formed in 1995, it was desired that the Council and the Board assume the oversight of doctrinal and major administrative matters, pertaining to the overall goals and mission of the Work. The approach to this kind of government within the Church-rather than an autocratic rule through just one-man without any checks and balances- was clearly communicated to tens of thousands of people through our Church government booklet. Most people who joined Global, and who had read our booklet, clearly understood this approach and agreed with it."

"Let me also assure you that I do agree "100% with the contents of the [June 11th] letter."

"But this does not mean that I did not agree with the contents of the [June 11th] letter; otherwise, I would not have signed the same."

RCM Tulsa Sermon - Aug. 1, 1998:
"... The Council is the top hierarchy in spiritual issues."

"The hierarchy is the Council of Elders..."

"The Board makes the decisions."

RCM - Nov. 27th letter:
When I established the Council of Elders, it was supposed to be the HIGHEST body to deal with both the spiritual and administrative direction of the Church.

RCM Tulsa Sermon - Aug. 1, 1998:
"I brought other ministers (peers of mine) into Global. I put them into office. I have appointed every single one of them to the Board or the Council of Elders. I appointed Council Members myself, unilaterally.... I am in charge in that sense....I appointed all the Board Members....How many Board Members were voted into office by someone else ? Zero. How many Council Members were voted into office by someone else ? Zero! I appointed them all. Just like Moses did....I have known them for decades. Otherwise, I would not have appointed them.... I appointed all of them [Council Members]. I appointed every one of them."

Minutes of a Council meeting:
"The Council then discussed a sermon given in Tulsa by Dr. Meredith, during which Dr. Meredith attempted to quiet concerns by some regarding the government issue, and although this attempt was quite successful, it was felt that some of the statements in the sermon did not accurately reflect the government structure, as set forth in the Bylaws, as mentioned in Dr. Meredith's June 11, 1998 letter to the brethren, and agreed by the Council and the Board. Dr. Meredith stated that he did use too strong terms in his sermon, and said he agrees with what was told the public in his June 11, 1998, letter. Further, that the decisions of the Board and Council are final, with the proviso that Dr. Meredith will act as a strong leader, but not as the sole leader.

"During a lengthy discussion, the Council unanimously upheld and confirmed... the fact that the Council and the Board make decisions, as set forth in the Bylaws, that those decisions are reached by open discussion until there is a consensus, and that an issue should not be tabled, after it has been discussed and decided by the Council/and or the Board."

July 27th Legal Document on Government in the Church
"The Minutes, dated March 15, 1994, even state that "Donald [E.] Davis moved that the Corporate Minutes from all previous meetings of the Board of Directors were approved with one correction: In point 5 of the June 17, 1993 Minutes, the word 'nominated' was substituted for the word 'appointed.'" This motion was seconded by Mr. Pope and approved unanimously by the Board.

"This correction is telling: The June 17, 1993 Minutes had stated originally that "Roderick C. Meredith appointed J.Edwin Pope as Chief Financial Officer." The correction to "nominated" shows that the Board understood that it is the Board's authority, in accordance with the Bylaws, to appoint and remove Officers and Directors of the Board."

"Those By-Laws contained the expression that "the Board" was to make all decisions regarding hiring, firing and the other administrative and business affairs of the corporation. Frankly, brethren, in the midst of hectic day and night telephone calls from many of you who came early on, with the need to get new booklets out, get our radio program going, etc., I was so busy that I didn’t realize the danger of the way those By-Laws were worded."

RCM - Aug. 13th PC letter:
When the Council of Elders was formed in 1995, it was desired that the Council and the Board assume the oversight of doctrinal and major administrative matters, pertaining to the overall goals and mission of the Work.

RCM - June 11th letter:
"From the outset, brethren, we informed God's people in Global that the form of government we use would not involve rule by ONE MAN...[In the NT], it was a collective sort of leadership. The responsibility for directing the Church was NOT then invested in a SOLE individual on earth. The decision was clearly through 'multitude of counsel'...Peter...NEVER unilaterally decided ANY of those basic matters in the New Testament Church...

July 27th Legal Document on Government in the Church
On or about May 8, 1995, the Board adopted unanimously a new set of Bylaws, which included the establishment of a Council of Elders. The Minutes state this: "By-Laws for...the Global Church of God...were rewritten by Mr. Carl McNair and Mr. Pope, with the help of Global's attorney, Mr. Adams. This was done to more clearly reflect the purpose of the Work and the way [this organization is] operating. The By-laws, as re-written, had been reviewed prior to the meeting by all members of the Board. After a general discussion of the By-laws, they were approved, unanimously, by the board."

[My note: Even if RCM didn’t realize the "danger" of the wording in 1993, he surely could have changed the by-laws in 1995 (while his wife and Don Davis were still on the board and before the council was formed). His statements clearly indicate he knew how he set it up in 1993.]