In the winter of 1843 or early 1844, Rachel Oakes, a Seventh Day Baptist, challenges a Sunday keeping Methodist Adventist minister in regards to keeping the fourth commandment. Through his study the minister, Frederick Wheeler, is convicted about a Saturday Sabbath and begins to meet with other Adventists on the seventh day of the week. This is the first recorded meeting of Sabbath-keeping Adventists.

What is known as The Great Disappointment occurs. William Miller's prophecy that Christ's second coming would happen on March 21st fails. After this first failed prophecy, one of Miller's associates named Samuel S. Snow recalculates the date of the second advent of Christ to occur on October 22. After this second date fails, the only cohesive factor holding Adventism together had vanished.

The General Conference of the Church of God is organized. It is primarily composed from the State Conferences of Michigan, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska.  A. C. Long is elected president, with A. F. Dugger as vice-president.

The Michigan Conference moves to take the name Church of God. By the end of this year every local group associated with the General Conference, that had not done so previously, accepted the name Church of God.

Andrew N. Dugger becomes spokesman for a move to restore "Bible organization" to the church. This organization would be composed of twelve men who would look after the spiritual affairs of the church, seven men to take charge of the financial business, and seventy men to go out two by two to give "the warning message of the hour." This volatile issue concerning the reorganization of church government would eventually lead to a church split in 1933.

The issue of reorganizing the church's structure comes to a head at the General Conference meeting held in Stanberry, Missouri. The General Conference president is stepping down and a new president needs to be elected. The two leading candidates for president are Andrew N. Dugger and Burt F. Marrs. The balloting results in a tie vote which the presiding president has to break.

The outcome of the election makes A.S. Christenson president. The division over church government continues however and leads to A. N. Dugger leaving the General Conference. He forms a "reorganized" Church of God (Church of God 7th Day) with U.S. headquarters in Salem, West Virginia and world headquarters in Jerusalem. Almost half of the brethren leave the General Conference as well and align themselves with this break-away group. The new church meets in November and chooses a group of twelve, seven and seventy men to lead the church.

It was at the November reorganization meeting that Herbert W. Armstrong, who had also left the Stanberry-based Church of God and aligned himself with the newly split-off church, is chosen to be one of the seventy church elders that were to go forth two by two.

In September, HWA is told by an unnamed person that the low powered (100 watts) local radio station, KORE in Eugene, Oregon, was having difficulty finding ministers to fill a 15-minute morning devotional program. HWA jumps at the chance of being on radio and is on the air for the first time on October 9th.

The Plain Truth magazine and Radio Church of God are started by HWA.

HWA is credentialed by the U.S. headquartered Salem, West Virginia Church of God.  His ministerial certificate is signed by A. N. Dugger and C. O. Dodd.