Today, we are going to dive into a super interesting and very important topic that has been making waves in the Christian world. We’re talking about Grace Communion International (GCI) and the sneaky issue of Universalism.
If you are a young reader, a former Adventist, or just someone trying to make sense of all the different church teachings out there. Let's break down some heavy theology so we can all understand what's really going on.
The Craziest Plot Twist in Church History
To understand GCI, we have to look at their past. Long before they were called Grace Communion International, they were known as the Worldwide Church of God (WCG), founded by a man named Herbert W. Armstrong in 1934.
Now, as former Adventists, this part will sound very familiar to you. Armstrong actually borrowed a lot of his teachings from Seventh-day Adventism! He taught that Christians had to keep the Saturday Sabbath, avoid unclean meats, and he even had his own version of the investigative judgment. Mix that with some teachings from the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormonism, plus a denial of the Trinity, and you had a full-blown, works-based cult. The famous apologetics book The Kingdom of the Cults by Walter Martin heavily exposed them.
But then, something miraculous happened.
After Armstrong died, the new leadership under Joseph Tkach Sr. and Jr. did something unheard of. Between 1986 and 1995, they actually read their Bibles, realized they were wrong, and publicly repented! They threw out the legalism, accepted the Trinity, and embraced salvation by grace through faith. It cost them millions of dollars and thousands of members who wanted to stay in the cult, but they chose the truth.
Eventually, they changed their name to Grace Communion International and joined the evangelical community. Praise God for that, right?
But wait... the story doesn't end there.
The New Problem: "You're Already Included!"
When GCI left Armstrong’s legalism, they needed a new theology. Instead of adopting standard evangelical beliefs, they leaned heavily into the teachings of theologians like Karl Barth and T.F. Torrance.
They adopted what they call Incarnational Trinitarian Theology. Now, that sounds like a very fancy seminary term, but here is what it basically means in practice:
GCI teaches that when Jesus became human (the incarnation), He didn't just take on a human body; He literally scooped up the entire human race and dragged us all into a right relationship with God the Father. They teach that Jesus already repented for us, already believed for us, and already reconciled every single person to God.
Look at what their own materials say:
"God is not counting our sins against any of us. When he looks at us, he sees Jesus standing in our place for us." GCI President Update (2023)
They even have a popular video series called "You're Included." Not "You can be included if you believe," but "You are already included."
Is This Universalism? (The Sneaky Reality)
Universalism is the false belief that in the end, everyone goes to heaven and nobody goes to hell.
To be fair, GCI officially denies being Universalist. They will tell you, "No, we don't believe everyone automatically goes to heaven. People can still choose to reject God's gift."
But here is where we need to use our God-given discernment. They practice what theologians call Functional Universalism or Objective Universalism.
Think of it like this: Imagine someone deposits 1 Million Pesos into your bank account. GCI is basically saying, "You are already a millionaire! God isn't counting your debts anymore! You just need to wake up and realize it."
But as a Reformed Christian, I believe the Bible teaches something different. Yes, Jesus paid the price for everyone. The grace is available to all! But that "check" doesn't clear in your life until you actually endorse it through personal, saving faith.
GCI says everyone is already forgiven and reconciled, and faith is just you realizing it. The Bible says you are lost and condemned until you believe!
What Does the Bible Actually Say?
Let’s look at this through the lens of New Covenant Theology (NCT). Under the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31, Hebrews 8), a relationship with God isn't something you just inherit because you are human. You have to enter it. You enter it through the new birth, by the power of the Holy Spirit, when you repent and put your faith in Jesus.
If GCI is right, and God is "not counting sins against anyone," then how do we explain these verses?
- John 3:18: "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already..."
If God isn't counting sins against anyone, why did Jesus say unbelievers are "condemned already"?
- Ephesians 2:3: Paul says that before we knew Christ, we were "by nature children of wrath."
We weren't just "reconciled children who didn't know it yet." We were under God's wrath until grace woke us up and we believed!
- 2 Corinthians 5:20: "We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God."
Why is Paul begging people to "be reconciled" if the whole human race was already reconciled the moment Jesus was born?
Why This Matters for Us Today
You might be thinking, "Kuya Ronald, this sounds like a minor detail. Why make a big deal out of it?"
Because it destroys evangelism. We’ve actually seen this firsthand. During our FAP conferences where we've had the chance to fellowship with GCI folks, it’s very noticeable that their membership is not growing. In fact, it seems like their primary evangelism strategy is simply to fellowship with other established Christian groups like ours, rather than going out to reach the lost.
This makes perfect sense when you understand their theology. This stagnation is the direct fruit of their "Functional Universalism." When a church genuinely believes that all of humanity has already been reconciled to God, they naturally become totally lax about the Great Commission. Why urgently preach the Gospel to the lost if you think they are already found? Until now, this is a massive factor as to why their churches haven't multiplied. The New Testament preaches a rescue mission, pulling people out of a burning building and calling sinners out of condemnation. GCI's theology removes that urgency.
Also, GCI is closely connected to authors like William Paul Young, who wrote the mega-hit book The Shack✶. Young has since come out and openly admitted he is a full-blown Universalist (believing no one will be eternally separated from God). When you start playing with the idea that "everyone is already included," it's a slippery slope that eventually waters down the reality of hell and God's judgment (Revelation 20:15).
The Bottom Line
We can—and should—rejoice that Grace Communion International escaped the heavy, works-based cult of Herbert W. Armstrong. We praise God they are no longer a cult!
But love also requires us to speak the truth. GCI's theology has drifted into a dangerous zone. By teaching that all humanity is already in a right relationship with God, they undermine the biblical command to personally repent and believe.
If you are a former Adventist, or someone coming out of any legalistic background, don't swing the pendulum so far to the other side that you lose the biblical Gospel. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. But remember: that faith is the key that opens the door. You aren't forced inside the house against your will.
Let’s keep our Bibles open and our discernment sharp. Until next time, keep contending for the faith!
Questions to think about:
1.) What are unbelievers saved from?
2.) Why preach if all are reconciled?
Note:
Note:
✶While William Paul Young’s novel The Shack resonated with many readers dealing with grief, it has been heavily criticized by orthodox theologians and evangelical leaders for significant departures from biblical Christianity.
Here are the primary theological teachings in the book (and Young's subsequent writings) that are widely considered heretical:
#1. Christian Universalism
Young actively promotes [Universalism](https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/reviews/lies-we-believe-god-william-paul-young/), teaching that all of humanity is already saved and reconciled to God, regardless of personal faith or repentance. In his follow-up non-fiction book, Lies We Believe About God, he explicitly confirms this stance, stating that the idea of humans being separated from God by sin is a "fundamental lie".
# 2. Subversion of the Atonement
Orthodox Christianity teaches that on the cross, Christ bore the righteous judgment of God for human sin (Penal Substitution). Young rejects this, arguing that [the cross was not God's idea](https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/reviews/lies-we-believe-god-william-paul-young/) and that God did not require a sacrifice to forgive humanity. He views the traditional understanding of the cross as cruel and monstrous, stripping away the biblical necessity of Christ satisfying divine justice.
# 3. Patripassianism (Blurring the Trinity)
In The Shack, the character of God the Father ("Papa") is depicted with [scars on her wrists](https://tottministries.org/the-shack-by-william-p-young/), mirroring the crucifixion wounds of Jesus. This aligns with an ancient heresy known as Patripassianism, which falsely teaches that God the Father became incarnate and suffered on the cross alongside the Son. Historically, the Church has maintained that only the Son took on human flesh and was crucified.
# 4. Redefining Hell and Judgment
Because of his universalist framework, Young denies that hell is a place of eternal, conscious separation from God. Instead, he redefines [hell](https://www.challies.com/book-reviews/what-does-the-shack-really-teach-read-lies-we-believe-about-god/) as merely the temporary, internal pain of resisting God's love. He teaches that no one can ultimately escape God's love, heavily watering down biblical warnings about final judgment and eternal condemnation.
# 5. Denial of Human Depravity
Young rejects the biblical doctrine that humanity is fundamentally corrupted by sin (Total Depravity). Instead of viewing humans as spiritually dead by nature and in need of a new birth, he argues that humanity is merely [blind and ignorant](https://www.challies.com/book-reviews/what-does-the-shack-really-teach-read-lies-we-believe-about-god/), possessing "crippled eyes, but not a core of un-goodness".
# 6. Rejection of God's Sovereignty
Critics point out that Young's depiction strips God of His supreme authority and sovereign control over creation. In his writings, Young asserts that [God is not in control](https://www.challies.com/book-reviews/what-does-the-shack-really-teach-read-lies-we-believe-about-god/) and does not have expectations of us; rather, he claims that God simply submits to human choices and joins us in our messes.
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