Church of God News

As most of you know, the Worldwide Church of God, USA (“WCG”) and Plain Truth Ministries Worldwide (“PTM”) became totally separate and distinct legal entities, effective January 1, 2006, in a friendly disassociation approved by, among others, the Board of Directors and the Advisory Council of Elders. Subsequently, on August 4, 2006, the WCG transferred to PTM all its right, title, and interest to the United States Trademark “The Plain Truth” (the “Trademark”).

WCG has no rights to the Trademark (subject to an exception that WCG may mention the magazine in reciting the WCG history, but no one should rely upon this exception without first discussing it with the Legal Department).

So as to be clear, in the present case the Trademark is a title – i.e. the words “The Plain Truth.” When I refer to “the Trademark,” I mean this title or its legal equivalent, the title “Plain Truth.”

Since WCG no longer owns the United States Trademark, WCG is directing that all entities under the legal control of WCG (defined below) discontinue all present mentions of the Trademark in any U.S. media and refrain from any future use or mention of the Trademark in the United States.

This thus shows a significant separation between WCG and Greg A’s Plain Truth Ministries.  In the 1980s, WCG used to produce about 7 million Plain Truth magazines per month, but after the death of HW Armstrong, it changed the message as well as its approach to the magazine.