Editing Grace Communion International (section)

===Changes under new leadership===

As early as 1988, [[Joseph W. Tkach|Joseph W. Tkach Sr.]] began to make doctrinal changes, at first quietly and slowly, but then openly and radically. The changes were presented as new understandings of [[Christmas]] and [[Easter]],<ref>{{cite web |title=A Call for Tolerance on Christmas and Easter |url=https://www.gci.org/church/holidays/unity |access-date=15 September 2012 |work=Grace Communion International |publisher=Worldwide Church of God |archive-date=September 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150908001221/https://www.gci.org/church/holidays/unity |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Whore of Babylon|Babylon and the harlot]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Who Is "Babylon"? |url=https://www.gci.org/bible/rev/babylon |access-date=15 September 2012 |work=Grace Communion International |publisher=Worldwide Church of God |archive-date=April 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170402162350/https://www.gci.org/bible/rev/babylon |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[British Israelism]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Anglo-Israelism and the United States & Britain in Prophecy |url=http://www.wcg.org/lit/prophecy/anglo/default.htm |access-date=15 September 2012 |work=Grace Communion International |publisher=Worldwide Church of God}}</ref> [[Saturday Sabbath]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Is Leviticus 23:3 a Command to Have Worship Services on the Weekly Sabbath? |url=http://www.wcg.org/lit/law/sabbath/lev23.htm |access-date=15 September 2012 |work=Grace Communion International |publisher=Worldwide Church of God}}</ref> and other doctrines.

Tkach Sr. directed the church theology towards mainstream [[Evangelicalism|evangelical]] Christian belief, against the wishes of some of the membership. This caused much disillusionment among the membership and another rise of splinter groups. While the church admitted that its changes had brought about "catastrophic results," they stood by their belief that the changes were for the best.<ref>{{cite web |title=Armstrongism |url=http://www.jashow.org/Articles/apologetics/AP0500W4.htm |access-date=1 September 2012 |work=Apologetics |publisher=Ankerberg Theological Research Institute |archive-date=March 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305212930/http://www.jashow.org/Articles/apologetics/AP0500W4.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> During the tenure of Joseph Tkach Sr., the church's membership declined by 80%. 

All of Herbert Armstrong's writings were withdrawn from print by the WCG, though they are still made available by other denominations. In the 2004 video production ''Called To Be Free'', former dean of WCG's Ambassador College Greg Albrecht, declared Herbert Armstrong to be both a [[false prophet]] and a [[heresy|heretic]].<ref>{{cite web |title=''Called To Be Free'' |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWAtvE1xiRk |website=[[YouTube]]}} (video, point 61:57) by Living Hope Video Ministries</ref>

In 1995, Tkach Sr died of cancer and his son, Joseph Tkach Jr., became the leader of the WCG. Tkach Jr. affirmed his father's reforms within the church, and continued to make changes. As a result, many members and ministers left and formed other churches that conformed to many of the teachings of Armstrong.{{Citation needed|date=February 2013}} 

In 2009, the WCG changed its name to Grace Communion International.<ref name="about" /> In October 2018, Joe Tkach Jr. retired and installed Greg Williams as the President of GCI.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Our Leadership|url=https://www.gci.org/about-us/leadership/|access-date=2021-06-07|website=Grace Communion International|language=en-US}}</ref>