Herbert W. Armstrong Remembrancers and Keepers of God Foundation

The A.R.K. of God Foundation is a non-profit, humanitarian organization sponsored by the former members of the Philadelphia Church of God with an office headquartered in the Philippines.

Mission Statement
The mission of the A.R.K. of God Foundation is to champion our beloved founder and mentor, Herbert W. Armstrong who passed away on January 16, 1986 by bringing about a revival to his monumental legacy to the heartland of Jerusalem.

The foundation’s mission is based on a two-pronged philosophy: (1) That Mr. Armstrong may have a light always in Jerusalem, the city which God have chosen, and (2) To fulfill God’s covenant with him of life and peace.

Activities
The A.R.K. of God Foundation’s activities center around remembering his teachings on God’s give way of life that will bring about peace among the peoples of different races, ethnicity or belief. Currently, the foundation’s goals are achieved through a partnership with Jerusalem Foundation and archaeological excavations in Israel.

Legacy

Through the Ambassador Foundation, Mr. Armstrong has worked with Jerusalem’s leaders to provide centers for Jewish and Arab children can learn to live, play and work in peace. It is a significant effort showing in a practical way that peace can never come until a generation of children have been prepared for a way of life other than war. Mr. Armstrong worked with Mayor Teddy Kollek in supporting the “Children’s Playground” in Liberty Bell Park that was established during America’s bicentennial.

In recognition of his contribution to the welfare of the city’s people here is how Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek described Mr. Armstrong as he presented a token to him in 1985: “Well President Armstrong all your life you have been a fighter of giant lies and of giant untruth, and as you regard yourself a descendant of David and rightly so. Here in the City of David we would like to you with symbolic sculpture in silver and gold of David with his slingshot defeating Goliath. The stories of the Bible are better known to you than to anybody around this table. But here it assumes particular symbolism and particular content. And Mr. Rabin reminds us of the children storming you and appraising you for what you did there or if it’s the very reason contemporary history of helping ICCY with their daily programs. And I’m sure you’ll continue with many of these things, but here we are mainly to thank you and proper you this symbolic gift which says it all just by looking at it. Thank you very much.”

Mr. Armstrong then reminded his hosts of the key role that Jerusalem plays in world events then and in the future: “Jerusalem is a city with a very remarkable history more than almost any other city. The Eternal God Himself says that this city is destined to become the greatest city in the world and in fact in the whole universe. This city is someday going to be the capital of the universe. Because this city is going to exist forever. It may still undergo some more changes, but it’s going to endure. And you can’t say that of any other city on earth.”

Mr. Armstrong was a generous man who always made contributions to ICCY (International Culture Center for Youth) which was established to encourage international understanding and mutual friendship among youth. He supported that same vision and even saw Jerusalem someday to be the headquarters of the world and the whole universe, and the foundation is aligned with that belief as well. He also believed that the current troubles in Jerusalem will lead to an everlasting peace in the region and in the whole world.

Revival
When Herbert Armstrong’s successors headquartered in Edmond, Oklahoma officially axed the Jerusalem work on August 10, 2013, the Herbert W. Armstrong Remembrancers and Keepers of God Foundation was born and took up the fallen baton. Though it began in the smallest of ways, the foundation has been established to FINISH THE WORK that he started in Jerusalem.

The foundation had to take over projects the Philadelphia Church of God had left behind in Jerusalem: The Jerusalem dig and apparently, “A Children’s Playground” in Liberty Bell Park has been neglected as well.

The foundation has MADE A DIFFERENCE on September 5, 2018 when sixty (60) members of the foundation from around the world gathered together for the re-dedication of the newly rehabilitated “Children’s Playground” in Liberty Bell Park with eight (8) play structures which were designed, built and installed by a famous Israeli sculptor, Sue Ela.

The Jerusalem Foundation acknowledged the 40 years of friendship between the Jerusalem Municipality and Mr. Armstrong through the partnership between the Jerusalem Foundation and the A.R.K. of God Foundation – a partnership that turned a small plot of land to blossom like a rose in the desert.

Archaeological Activities
One of the ways the foundation sees fit to fulfill Mr. Armstrong’s vision was to send volunteers  to Jerusalem to participate in archaeological excavations as he did in the past. As a matter of fact, the foundation sponsored volunteer participants for three (3) consecutive years (2015-2017) in the Mount Zion Excavation located in the historic Old City of Jerusalem which was led by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (U.S.A.)

While in Jerusalem for the re-dedication of the playground, on September 12, 2018, the foundation met with Dr. Eilat Mazar to discuss a partnership with her project of publishing the 1968 archaeological findings during the “Big Dig” on the Temple Mount. Dr. Mazar noted the significance of the meeting because it coincided exactly with the 50th anniversary of the partnership between her grandfather, Prof. Benjamin Mazar and Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong. The foundation is looking forward to another fruitful partnership in Jerusalem, this time, to further strengthen the Iron Bridge relationship between the two great men of the past.