Worldwide Church of God: Y7K

We started attending the Radio Church of God, as it was known then, in 1957. We attended our first FOT in 1958 the first year for the big metal Butler building. I was 5 years old at the time. I had only experienced a little bit of what life in the "real world" was like. From that point on I would be forever changed for the worse I fear.

My earliest recollections were of the booklet "1975 in Prophecy" and the marvelous illustrations by Basil Woolverton. I was a budding artist you see and was completely fascinated by the detail and expression in the monstrous illustrations. I would sit and study each picture drinking in the great detail and trying, though vainly, to emulate the Woolverton drawings. This was my first taste of Y7K. The 1,000 year reign of Christ, the 1,000 year Sabbath for mankind. It was here that all incentive to succeed or have any real life skills was pounded out of me by both my parents and the church.

I sat in sermon after sermon about the coming tribulation and millennium. Sermons about "Hitler's Ovens" and detailed descriptions about concentration camps and torture during the inquisition abounded. All the messages ended with us being saved by the "Place of Safety" and the return of Christ just as the missiles were launched. I sat as an impressionable young child drinking it all in. Why did I need education? Herbie thought the "worldly" education was wrong anyway, why should I try? I felt superior knowing that it would all be over soon.

I was even told by Frank McCrady that I could get married in the "Place of Safety" and enjoy married life for a few years before I was turned to "Spirit" at age 19 or so. 1972 was a very real date to us all. I was turned down thankfully by Ambassador in 1969 so I didn't seek any other educational alternatives, nor was I encouraged to. After all in just 3 short years it was all going to be over with, right?

1972 came and went. I married within the church. GTA said at the Feast in 1972 that they never set dates but he would never say it couldn't happen tomorrow. Our first child came then two others. I made a living in construction as best I could. I always tried to stay in a situation that I could walk away from quickly. We sent everything in we could to hasten Y7K. We lived in poverty. We served till it hurt our family. Our kids blew out. The house of cards fell down. Y7K never came. We woke up. We got educated. We are now moving on and starting all over from scratch with no savings, no paid for house, no retirement, no future security. Give me Y2K any day it wasn't much, but Y7K changed my life forever.

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