What did the Encyclopedia actually say directly about The Local Church?
On their website www.contendingforthefaith.org, The Local Church makes this claim about the Encyclopedia: “The book ascribes many evil traits to us as a ‘cult.’…the book twists our teachings beyond recognition….”41 Again, keep in mind The Local Church is never named in the Introduction, and none of the general comments about immoral or criminal conduct that appear in the Introduction are ever applied to The Local Church. In the 1¼–page chapter on The Local Church on pages 211–212, absolutely no evil traits, criminal activities, or immoral behaviors are ascribed to the group. In fact, the chapter is entirely theological in nature, and examines some of the serious doctrinal aberrations taught by The Local Church. More specifically, the chapter provides brief summaries of The Local Church’s views on God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Trinity, salvation, man, sin, Satan, the Fall, the second coming, the Bible, heaven, and hell. And far from twisting The Local Church’s teachings beyond re
