The Worldwide Church of God, when under the leadership of God's apostle Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong, comprised God's true Church. Shortly after Mr. Armstrong's death in 1986, the leadership of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) began a departure from the doctrines, set in the Church through him, ushering in the Laodicean Era of God's Church. We believe those doctrines were from Jesus Christ, who is the head of the Church, under the direction of God the Father. By departing from most of the teachings it once embraced, the WCG has now become just another of the world's churches which call themselves "Christian". We believe they no longer comprise or represent a part of God's Church.

As the leadership of the WCG continued the apostasy, it reached the point where many ministers and members began to leave that organization and formed their own churches. Several groups had sprung by the end of 1995. The larger groups are known as the Philadelphia Church of God, Church of the Great God, Global Church of God, and United Church of God, formed in that order, starting in 1989. There were also smaller groups which had formed during this period of time. After 1995, from these groups sprang up several factions and splinter groups, such as Living Church of God, Church of God, a Christian Fellowship, the Church of God, and several smaller groups.

Several of these groups, along with a couple of the larger ones, claim they hold fast to all the doctrines given to the Church through Mr. Armstrong. With a little time and research, one can easily prove this not to be true. All of the larger groups and most of the smaller groups have either altered or abandoned some of the doctrines. The end result has been further division and splinter groups of God's people. This apostasy and dis-unity of God's Church has happened just as the scriptures in God's Word, the Bible, have prophesied. (Daniel 12:7)