Testimony of Bettie Rogers
My life began the year of 1940 in Galveston, TX, the fifth of seven children, that lived most of our lives in the little town of Pascagoula, MS. My father, who was a strict disciplinarian, had a difficult life due to his upbringing, or lack of it, and also being in the military many years, but my mother was blessed with much better character traits and lineage. She did the best she could to send all of us to school to acquire a high school diploma while my father was away.
During my teen age years, I attended and was very involved with a little Baptist church in the community. Before that time, my parents sent us to various churches, but didn’t go themselves. And we finally settled into this small church not far from our home.
I met my future husband, Willard, after I graduated and began an office job where my sister Fannie was working and had trained me in that position. Willard and I both worked at the same work place, and we both loved to skate at the local skating rink, so he began his quest to date me. I resisted at first because I knew his questionable reputation. I did request that if we had any kind of relationship, he had to attend church with me, and he did oblige. Since he was having a lot of problems at home with his mother and brother, after nine months of steady dating, we married in 1959, he being only 18 years old at the time, and I was 19.
We rented a little home right behind the place where we both worked and lived there for about seven months. I had become pregnant within six weeks, which I didn’t want at the time because we knew that both our salaries were needed for our new marriage. But knowing that we needed to buy a home instead of renting, by the eighth month of my pregnancy we bought our first little home in 1960, right down the street from my sister, Fannie and Bobby her husband. I had both my sons, Dwayne, who is now 50 and Tony, now 48, while living in that little house.
After the first year of our marriage, our lives were caught up with working to pay the bills, so we did have a difficult marriage. Because of the way he was raised in the man being the head of the house and the woman was to do what the man says without any kind of loving leadership, I more or less went along with whatever, raising the children, taking them to a babysitter during working hours,paying the bills, etc. He was a hard worker also and did anything he could to help pay the bills.
Willard began his search for something spiritually deeper during that time, due to the Baptists being limited as to their knowledge of bible revelation. He became involved with the Seventh Day Adventists during his search. After a period of a short time, he discovered that the founder of that movement, Ellen G. White, was put above what the bible said and let them know, so we left. The pastor had even taken him to the Adventist College one weekend in Chattanooga to maybe begin a preaching career with the church.
By around 1963, we were introduced by a brother’s friend to a broadcast and teaching that was called the Radio Church of God, and the leader and speaker was Herbert W. Armstrong. When we began listening to him on the radio, he seemed to make sense and definitely knew more about the bible than the Baptist church we were attending, I was always listening, but was very apprehensive about his decision to be involved with a church that was totally in contrast to what I had always been taught.
Willard became interested enough to have the RCG minister visit, needing permission to attend the church in Mobile, AL. The minister did invite us to attend after that first meeting, and by that time, an older brother and father of mine were also interested. So, the one brother and family that lived close to me all set out to attend this church that was in this rented building (National Guard Armory). It wasn’t long while we were there, they dis-fellowshipped someone, and it really scared me that was even done or they had the authority to do so, but I remember thinking I was glad it wasn’t me. By 1967, another brother of mine became a member in this church and went to the college in Big Sandy, Texas, and he eventually became a graduate of Ambassador College.
After a couple of years spending most of our time, especially on the weekend in Mobile and driving 30 miles from our home in Pascagoula, along with all the activities associated with this church, my husband decided it was time to make a move. So he went to his boss and asked if they would give him a raise and if not he was moving. He and I both were working full time just to make ends meet. He decided then that we were moving to Mobile to begin work with one of the brethren in the painting business since his boss would not or could not give him a raise. It was also agreed that I would not continue employment when we moved.
In 1965, we were on our way to another home in Mobile and a new job. During this period of time, we were faithful in what we thought was right by attending the Sabbath services, all the feasts days and were used in any service that was required. In other words, we put our whole soul and being into this belief. This group of people had become our new friends and family. They did teach that you put the church and the services that were expected of you above your physical family, going by that scripture to love your spiritual family more than your physical family. According to Matt 10:37 He that loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy me. They wanted you totally committed to their beliefs much more than you would be with your physical family. I did go along with that a certain amount, but did not completely forsake my family.
We decided to have another child in 1967, still being in WWCG, but not really counting the cost of what this church believed. This decision proved to be a very traumatic and painful event, since my other two children were born by c-sections and the church advised a midwife. As my pregnancy progressed, my mother realized that I was going to use a midwife instead of going to a hospital, so she and other family members interfered by getting a court order for me to have the baby in the hospital instead of at home. The midwife did come to deliver the baby, but it was false labor and continued for two weeks. By that time, and both of our families being in turmoil which caused a lot of pain and suffering for both of us, she had time to get the paperwork. Since the church wanted no adverse publicity after I was admitted, we were basically on our own to suffer ridicule and still trying to remain faithful to the church beliefs. In spite of all of it, God blessed us with a healthy 9 lb. 13 oz. son, who we named James Stephen. Because of their interference, we did not see any of the family for about three months, but eventually united and let them know the subject could not be discussed.
During this time in our life, we remained faithful to the WWCG. By late into 1974, that same son at the age of seven became very sick. After a period of a week taking care of him and keeping him home from school, I took him to a doctor that Friday, and he was diagnosed with pneumonia, for which he prescribed antibiotics. We were actually afraid to disobey what we had come to believe based on the scripture verse of James 5:14, so did not give him the medicine that was prescribed. But by that weekend, he had become much worse, and out of desperation, we took him to the emergency room. The family gathered that Sunday night, because we had been told he had a 50/50 chance of making it through the night. He did live and was put in a room by midweek, but became much worse on the following weekend and lived until the following Sunday morning. He actually died in front of both of us that Sunday morning. Willard did not even know what was happening when I jumped up out of a chair to call the nurse, because he said his oxygen had stopped. He did not even realize that his son was drawing his last breathe.
We were both devastated and grieved very deeply about our son’s death, but had to continue on for two other sons. The pastor at the time, L. Smith preached our son’s funeral, but this body of people did not have the capacity to really console us very much. This did draw me closer to God in prayer and reading His word, especially in Romans 8:18 and 28. Even though I did not know of God’s complete sovereignty, somehow He gave me a sense of peace in believing what His word was saying, that all things work together for good to them that love Him.
Willard thought he was the one in control of his own family. He was blindsided as to why God would let this happen, since we were faithful to what we thought to be the truth at the time. We somehow made it through that first year.
In 1975, one year later, Willard decided to start his own painting business. He had been working as a painting foreman and couldn’t cope with his extra time. Since I had not worked after coming to Mobile, I became the secretary for our new business. I had a certain amount of training when I had worked at my first job.
During this same year, our oldest son started taking drugs and skipping school. That began confrontations with the both of them, and it terrified me. We finally let him quit school and begin working with his father during the summer, and he saved enough to get a car. Being pitifully ignorant of how to handle this situation, we sent him back to school that next year, and he used the car to skip school and run the streets. That led to a lot of heartache for several years, but he somewhat settled down more around 1978, for a period of time.
Willard had begun to see that something was terribly wrong with this church (WWCG) but he could not figure out what it was. After a few more years and learning more about the many outrageous things we were hearing about the leaders, we began asking my brother, who was at the Big Sandy College if it were true, and he substantiated everything we had heard. We began seeing a lot of hypocrisy and fraudulent practices happening, and we did not want to be a part of it.
By 1978, our last year in this church, Willard was finally told to leave because he was trying to tell some of the others the truth behind what he knew to be fact coming from the headquarters. It was during this time that we as a group of ex-fellow members began meeting with our pastor (L. Smith), since he had been dis-fellowshipped also. We had begun to learn some truths of God’s word, especially some of the milk doctrines. But those meetings were also for a time, and we all moved on with our lives in different directions.
By that time, Willard said we would study the word ourselves, but that didn’t last long either, so we wandered aimlessly with our fellowship through several different sects, mostly Baptist, but really didn’t fit in anywhere, then on to the concordant ministries.
By the early 1980’s, without a church and still grieving with our son’s death, our lives took a turn for the worse, because by then Willard was blaming God more for taking his son and became very bitter and self-destructive for many years. We were still prospering in our business though. But, his lifestyle led us both down a path of torment, being victims of what God was doing in our lives. Of course, we didn’t know God was doing it, but knew that neither of us was happy with each other or our lives as a whole. There were many conflicts between both of us and our sons, also due to our oldest resuming his drug habit. During this time, I was praying to God that He would make everything right again and bring my husband back to me and be the example we needed in the family.
By the early 1990’s, we had worked through most of those problems and became very involved with our local community. He became President of our local chamber of commerce, and I became the secretary, then other capacities of the chamber for a long period of time. We moved on into politics and the local campaigns and continued serving in the local community. I felt good about it, because at least we were involved with people (our good works) and having fellowship. He had the same concept of some men, that if good men do nothing, evil prevails.
It was during this time, that Willard and my oldest son had a confrontation, and my oldest son was shot by his own father. I remember praying to God, when I saw what was going on, “God, I know all things work for good, but please let me know why this is happening.” He knew that a spirit had overtaken him and really did not know what he had done. He immediately picked him up and took him to the hospital. He called me to let me know that everything would be all right and that he was taking him to the hospital and he had been shot in his arm. That incident led down another path of complete isolation of this son, his father and me. I wanted nothing else to do with him and let him know it. That was a period of time that I had to deal with my son by myself, by putting him in an apartment and tending to all his needs. He did not want to see his father for a while, and after listening to others, thought about suing him, but eventually they did come back together. Willard was very regretful of the whole event and did all he could to make amends.
Our lives began to take on new meaning when a preacher friend of ours, Harold Lovelace, began to call and was always seemed so excited about the word. So Willard finally asked him to come teach the word, and we had a small gathering of ex world-widers and concordant followers at our home. It was during this time that we learned that the hell that we had been taught was not true and was more of a purification process than an exterminating event or an ever burning process, by brimstone being sulfur that cleansed. Since Mr. Lovelace was a chemist, he could see the literal meaning. He also taught the “All in All” and had pamphlets that showed throughout the bible all mankind would be saved.
We started attending the conferences with Concordant Publishing and met Mike Vinson in Wagoner, S. Carolina. We both were impressed that Mike knew my brother and had been to the college with him in Big Sandy, TX. That friendship grew when Mike called some time later to talk to Willard, the only one that would listen to him at that conference about some truth he had seen.
Willard invited him down for a weekend that we were having a festival in which he had become president. So, Mike, Sandi, Austin and Wayne came down for the weekend that first time. And that began a friendship that grew, and they were invited again, but this time we had a little bible study at the community center where we attended.
Willard and I had begun to read the lessons Mike had written and was faxing to our office. We came to see some of the truths along the way. During this time, God led Willard to have an annual conference in Mobile with Mike, and also L. Smith coming down from Miami a couple of those years. It was a time of renewed faith when we gradually saw what God was doing in our lives and that He was sovereign and directed both our paths through all those horrific trials and very difficult years.
In 2005, we sold the business to our youngest son, Tony, who had been working for us as an estimator, and we moved into retirement to another home. Willard had been suffering with pain for a long time, and the doctors couldn’t find his problem. He would temporarily get relief and carried on his life. He had tried giving me hints as time grew, that he felt that he wouldn’t be with me much longer and wanted to prepare me for my time alone. During this time, he was teaching the bible studies to a group of believers, and we were growing in truth and knowledge in God’s word.
In December of that same year, Willard almost died from a ruptured appendix and was hospitalized for surgery and developed an e-coli infection. After three hospital stays and being deathly sick for several months into April 2006, he finally survived the infection.