After I began exploring the web for information on the COGs in late 2000 one website that caught my attention was that of the Restoration Church of God (now Restoration Ministries), led by one M. John Allen.
It had quite a selection of HWA's works. However my allegiance was firmly with LCG and I had little idea of what this organization was, so I paid little attention to any original works by this Restoration Ministries. I went there simply to read its archive of WCG materials.
I was vaguely aware that he disapproved of HWA's doctrine on government. Truth be told, at the time I had little understanding what that doctrine was. From my perspective, being a lone man reading COG materials, it was very difficult to see what was the doctrine of government anyway, as it is a topic not generally discussed in recruitment literature to potential recruits. It is a topic discussed among seasoned COG followers, which is not discussed by the COGs when they are trying to convert people.
He began to associate with WCG in 1977. According to his own account from the start of his association with WCG he had misgiving about the spiritual state of it.
Mr. Armstrong, because of his huge ego, simply could have never accepted the fact that the church he was used to found could be SPIRITUALLY DEAD. THIS CONDITION OF SPIRITUAL DEADNESS, THOUGH, I RECOGNIZED ALMOST FROM THE BEGINNING OF MY ASSOCIATION WITH THAT CHURCH, STARTING IN 1977! (M. John Allen, Restoration of Truth, Chapter 3.)M. John Allen went to Ambassador College in 1980. He also heard HWA's last sermon.
I listened to Mr. Armstrong's sermons in person over a period of about five years. In fact, I was privileged to hear the very last sermon he gave, which was on the Day of Atonement, 1985. Even though sick and weak, Mr. Armstrong felt that it was HIS DUTY TO PERSONALLY TEACH GOD'S PEOPLE AS MUCH AS HE WAS ABLE. (Restoration of Truth, Chapter 3.)He left WCG in 1992, disgusted at the transformation Tkach had unleashed upon WCG. In that year he also released a book entitled The Restoration of Truth. It is essentially a rewrite of Mystery of the Ages, with a few personal changes to HWA's teachings, notably on government.
Another intriguing innovation here is his spin on the church era doctrine. M. John Allen identifies Thyatira as the Seventh Day Adventists and the Church of God (Seventh Day). Sardis is WCG under both HWA and Tkach. And Philadelphia is today, which includes his sect, unsurprisingly.
Presently M. John Allen is situated in Costa Rica. He seems to have been there for quite awhile.
In the late 1990s he shared through the Internet his dreams of creating an online University called Destiny University. It seems to have gone nowhere.
Another innovation I recall from my first encounter with this sect is his contention that the process of disfellowshipment should by done by the entire assembly and not just the church hierarchy.
Do not be fooled by any of these criticisms of HWA's Armstrongism, he still regards this false prophet as being a man used by God.
What is this sect's position on healing?
I cannot say for sure but among the works of HWA available is his murderous and damnable 'healing' booklet.
He seems to have several interlinking organizations.
It seems to be a very small sect. LCG apologist Bob Thiel in his COG Links page states that this sect only has one or two congregations.
And that is Restoration Ministries, led by M. John Allen, a sect which I had some encounter with in my early days with Armstrongism. I cannot recommend it to my readers as it continues to propagate the grievous errors of Armstrongism.
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