An introduction for our listeners who did not grow up in the Worldwide Church of God:
The WCG (our widely used short-form for the Worldwide Church of God - linked to an article that provides full background) was a faith that followed Christian tenets with a twist; Jesus was viewed rather like an exceptionally favoured older brother, and he was due to return any day. We met on Saturdays, and followed many old testament laws (holy days, dietary restrictions, and more.) It had its own church colleges, which for many years were the training grounds for its ministers and for men and women to find partners within the church. By the time Heather and Rebecca went to Ambassador, it had evolved into a proper, accredited University... yet still followed its historical strict ways. Both Heather and Rebecca grew up as children within the WCG. They were dormmates at AU, and have not seen or spoken to each other since then. This is their first conversation in 30 years, and the first time connecting on “the other side” of WCG.
The SisterWild knows how important it is for each of us to be able to define our experiences in our own terms. We approach the myriad faith backgrounds and experiences as just that: a flavour of an experience that we all find some points of connection to, despite our differences. In this podcast, Heather and Rebecca refer to the WCG as a cult, as that perception shift was an important part of finding their power and choice, to be able to choose other for themselves. For us, the word cult is a way of acknowledging the systemic harms we experienced that deeply impact our lives.
Where Do We Begin...