Feazell book to be
released in soft cover

By Thomas C. Hanson

PASADENA—Zondervan Publishing House announced that J. Michael Feazell’s book, Liberation of the Worldwide Church of God, is to be released in soft cover edition in February. The Worldwide News took this occasion to interview Dr. Feazell about reaction to the book since it was first published in 2001.

The book is available at retail bookstores and on-line booksellers. It will also be available in hardcover at the church’s regional conferences.

WN: Why did you write Liberation of the Worldwide Church of God?

Feazell: Two reasons. First, I wanted to offer members of the WCG some perspective and insight on what happened in the church in terms of doctrinal changes since 1986. Second, I wanted to help nonmembers better understand what the church was, what it has been through, and what it is today. I also hope that leaders and members of other churches might be able to learn from our mistakes, since our church was not alone in many of the attitudes and assumptions we have struggled to leave behind.

WN: What kind of attitudes and assumptions are you referring to?

Feazell: I’m talking about the idea that our church is closer to God, or more spiritual, or more faithful than any other church. The idea that we have the faith once delivered, or some form of special and unique truth or "take" on the gospel that no one else has, and therefore we are the only true church, or the faithful remnant, or on a higher spiritual level than other Christians. These attitudes are not unique to our church. I hope my book will be of some help in keeping us from going back to such thinking, as well as help other churches avoid it or move away from it.

WN: What kind of response have you had to Liberation?

Feazell: Overwhelmingly positive. I have received letters from members, former members and nonmembers alike. Interestingly, many of the nonmembers who have written have relatives or friends either in the WCG or in one of the breakaway Armstrong groups. Some of them were glad to learn about the changes in the WCG, and wanted me to know that after reading the book, they contacted their relative or friend and were able to restore the relationship that had been broken because of the WCG’s former teachings.

Others told me that the book helped them better understand their friends or relatives. A few told me that their friends or relatives had rejected the changes and had gone with one of the Armstrong breakaways, and that they were going to try to get them to read the book.

WN: How have members responded?

Feazell: Many have told me that the personal journey I describe in the book mirrors their own journey. They identify with the painful emotional struggle of coming to honest grips with the fact that we had been wrong about the very things we had devoted our lives to believing. And several have told me that the book was helpful for them in finding freedom from the Herbert Armstrong myth. All in all, members have told me that they found the book both encouraging and inspiring, for which I am thankful.

WN: What do you mean by the "Herbert Armstrong myth"?

Feazell: Our church had a strong personal identification with Herbert Armstrong, believing that he was specially called by God to teach specially revealed truths. That view of Herbert Armstrong as God’s specially raised up, one-and-only, end-time messenger/apostle has been hard for many members to shake, despite the fact that he has been dead for 17 years. And that is not unusual. In any cultlike environment, there is always an extraordinarily strong identification with the specialness and uniqueness of the founder/leader.

In a healthy church, that identification is with Jesus Christ, and all is well, since Jesus Christ is God, our Creator and Redeemer. But when it is with anyone else, it is spiritually destructive. Often, there is even a fear that disloyalty to the human leader, or rejection of the leader, might result in loss of salvation. People need freedom from such illusions so they can rest securely in Christ.

WN: How does your book differ from Joseph Tkach’s book, Transformed by Truth?

Feazell: Transformed focuses more on how the changes came about and the reaction of the evangelical community to our transformation. Liberation focuses more on why the changes came about and their impact on the church itself. Of course, there are numerous areas of overlap, since the general topic of both books is the WCG’s shedding of Armstrongism.

WN: For the record, since some have asked: Do you receive royalties from copies of your book sold by the church?

Feazell: Thanks for asking. The answer is no. I receive royalties only from books that are bought from retail outlets. The church has bought some books directly from the publisher to resell at a discount to members at conferences, and I receive no royalties or monetary benefit from those.

WN: Do you plan to write any more books?

Feazell: As Solomon said, "Of the writing of books there is no end." Getting them published is another matter.

Copyright © Worldwide Church of God, 2003