On Second Thought

<p>What if this isn't the end of the world? Henry Sturcke suppressed this question as long as he could. For good reason: he was a pastor in a strict church that expected the imminent return of Jesus Christ to establish the wonderful world tomorrow on earth.</p><p>Wrestling with questions while failing to live up to his expectations of a good pastor Henry battled burn-out. Meanwhile the denomination he served the Worldwide Church of God was wracked by upheaval. Soon after the expulsion of its public face pioneering televangelist Garner Ted Armstrong Worldwide became embroiled in a landmark church-state legal confrontation. Then Herbert Armstrong Worldwide's autocratic founder died. The fragmentation of Worldwide that followed took a surprising turn: Armstrong's successors repudiated much that he had taught while myriad breakaways vied for the claim to convey his legacy faithfully.</p><p>By this time Henry had begun to face his doubts. As a self-prescribed therapy for a renewed bout of depression he enrolled in theology courses at a nearby university leading after years of uncertainty to a surprising continuation of his ministry.</p><p>On Second Thought is the third book in a trilogy. The first book Fooled into Thinking: Dylan the Sixties and the End of the World tells of Henry's first exposure to Worldwide's apocalyptic message. The second book Those Elusive True Values: Journey to the Heart of the Armstrong World covers his study at Ambassador College Worldwide's educational arm.</p>