At the time Ambassador closed for financial reasons in May 1997, it had operated for 50 years and had become regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

The ministry grew to include publishing, and congregations were formed, first in the United States and then gradually in other countries—hence, the eventual name change to "Worldwide Church of God."

in Pasadena, culminating in the acquisition of the Hulett C. Merritt mansion, formerly belonging to an iron ore mining magnate, in the late 1950s.

This area on South Orange Grove Avenue was referred to locally as "Millionaires' Row", per the City of Pasadena's Architectural and Historical Survey of 1997.

Mr. Merritt's mansion was at 99 Terrace Drive, bounded on the north by Olcott Place and on the west by South Orange Grove Avenue.

Thereafter, the residence and street address for the former Villa Merritt Ollivier was renamed Ambassador Hall, 100 S. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena.

This mansion, with a sunken Italian garden, a rosewood-paneled room, and a basement swimming pool, became the campus centerpiece until the Auditorium was built.

Regional accreditation was not sought, primarily because it required that the college have a functioning board that was separate and distinct from the church's administration.

[1] Armstrong resisted this requirement, apparently concerned that such a separation would result in the truth of God, as he believed it to be and taught it, being watered down at an Ambassador that would become increasingly secular.

The Ambassador campus at Bricket Wood, Hertfordshire, England, was closed in 1974, as operating funds were deemed necessary for other functions of the Worldwide Church of God.

That stance was softened just as quickly, however, and the decision was made to continue operating Ambassador as a scaled-down academic institution more in line with a bible college.

Beginning in August 1978, new incoming students were offered a one-year course ("Diploma in Biblical Studies"), with graduation thereafter, on September 4, 1979.

[5] In January 1986 Armstrong died, and his successor as church leader, Joseph W. Tkach, decided to keep the Texas campus open.

Ambassador was at a crossroads, in that it had to seek regional accreditation or be reduced to a bible college offering diplomas rather than recognized degrees or else close its doors for good.

[citation needed] The board of regents of Ambassador, still consisting of members of the Worldwide Church of God, decided to merge all operations at one location and seek regional accreditation.

Grace Communion Seminary, administered from Glendora, California, limits its educational programs to graduate level courses in pastoral ministry.

All programs are open to academically qualified men and women who desire to expand their education in biblical studies and theology and their service in pastoral ministry in the evangelical tradition.

The estate had belonged to Annie Henrietta Yule and her daughter Gladys, who used it for their Arabian horse breeding farm, the Hanstead Stud.

For a while, the Big Sandy campus included an organic farm, consistent with the college's emphasis upon personal health and bodily purity.

[13][14][15][16][17] When the campus reopened, it initially served as a two-year junior college, with students having the opportunity to apply to transfer to Pasadena after two years.

The campus now serves as the headquarters of the Institute in Basic Life Principles and several of its umbrella ministries, and was used to accommodate refugees from Hurricane Katrina in the fall of 2005.

The two-pronged concept behind all of the foundation's goals and activities is: 1) that man is a unique being, possessing vast mental, physical and spiritual potentials—the development of which should be aided and encouraged, and 2) that it is the responsibility of all men to attend to and care for the needs of their fellow men, a precept professed by the vast majority of religions of the world—appropriately summed up in three biblical words: “Love thy neighbor.” The foundation has sponsored several activities in Jerusalem.

In 2006, the foundation began supplying volunteers and aid to Dr. Eilat Mazar's ground-breaking excavation of King David's palace in Jerusalem.

It has also helped refurbish Liberty Bell Park in the heart of the city, a project Herbert W. Armstrong had started[18] Several Ambassador graduates and former administrators have led efforts to replicate the school in other settings.

Former WCG minister Gerald Flurry established Imperial College in Edmond, Oklahoma, based a great deal on the Ambassador model.