Those Elusive True Values

Like many boomers, Henry Sturcke headed to California as a youth. While others sought sun and surf or hoped to break into the music or movie industries, he sought spiritual enlightenment. Not at the feet of an oriental swami or a psychedelic guru, but from a purveyor of fundamentalist doom and hope. Henry entered Ambassador College, although he had already graduated from a leading university. Ambassador was the educational arm of the Worldwide Church of God, both founded by Herbert Armstrong, one of the most colorful figures in the history of American religion. While there, Henry experienced the disconfirmation Worldwide’s expectation of an imminent end-time as well as scandal surrounding Armstrong’s flamboyant son, televangelist Garner Ted. Yet Henry remained a true believer in the church’s calling and soon began making his own contributions to its media outreach.