In yesterday's missive from Dave Pack he waxed eloquent about his new building and the things he plans on doing with the campus. His posting was in actuality one big press release. That press release was bought hook, line and sinker by Colette Jenkins with the Akron Beacon Journal. It was like reading Dave Pack's bullshit all over again.
She quotes this from Davey about his coming "explosion." Is it me or is much of Dave's hyperbole almost borderline sexual? Dave's "expanding" church is ready to "explode." I get the feeling as Dave writes this stuff his eyes are glazing over as he.......well....................you get the picture.
The 4,000-square-foot media center will include three studios, where many of the Church’s video and audio productions and The World to Come with David C. Pack program will be filmed and edited. The program, which is designed to explain Bible prophecy by analyzing current world events, is broadcast locally at 6:30 a.m. Sundays on ION Television (WVPX) and at 3:30 a.m. Thursdays on The Word Network.In her original report early this morning, she said the church meets on Sunday. Davey obviously corrected this heresy. This edition has the correct day but still shows how secretive Davey is:
“These next buildings allow us to expand, in fact explode, in size in taking the gospel of the soon coming kingdom of God to a world in desperate need of this good news,” said Pack, who does not use the title reverend. “We hope in the fall to announce construction dates for the beautiful Ambassador Center, a training facility for our ministers and leaders, and also the crown jewel centerpiece — the magnificent Imperial Auditorium.”
The multipurpose room is also being used for Saturday worship services, which are by invitation only and typically scheduled during the afternoon. Plans are for worship services to move to a three-story building with a 450-seat auditorium, once it is constructed.
Did you also notice how many seats Davey's new Imperial Auditorium will seat......450. These copycat mini-me church leaders like Flurry and Pack have to settle for second and third best. The Ambassador seated 1,262 people. Six Pack Flurry's auditorium seats 850 and poor Davey's will only seat 450! For the worlds biggest and best Church of God ever this certainly is a HUMILIATING circumstance to be in! Third best. Imagine that. THIRD BEST!
Perhaps we should start calling Davey - Third Place Dave.
The Restored Church of God is rooted in the tradition of the Worldwide Church of God, founded in 1934 by Herbert Armstrong as a religious broadcasting radio ministry (Radio Church of God). The broadcast evangelist is often referred to as "God's End-Times Apostle," who prepared his followers for a utopia to be ruled by Jesus.
Although Armstrong’s ministry has been criticized by some cult-watching organizations, followers report that when Armstrong died in 1986, his church was attracting 120,000 people to weekly services, with an annual income of about $200 million. Circulation of its the Plain Truth magazine was more than 8 million, and The World Tomorrow attracted one of the largest religious television audiences in America.
Published reports indicated that Worldwide Church of God members paid as much as 20 to 30 percent in tithes. Leaders of the Restored Church of God dispute that, saying members have always paid an average of 12.5 percent of their annual income.
You can read the reporters slobber fest over Dave Pack here: Restored Church of God's new world headquarters is open in Wadsworth
Instead of reporting the truth about the abusive behavior of Dave, the lies he tells and the lives he has ruined, the reporter whitewashes Dave and his cult.
I recently drove through Wadsworth and just down Interstate 76 is a Mega Church that could hold all of Dave's buildings put together. It gave me perspective on Mr. Awesome. He's building a mega church with a mini-congregation
ReplyDeleteM.T Pews
My first thought? SHAMEFUL!
ReplyDeleteMy personal opinion? That's the rest of this comment:
REALLY? 12.5% is what they give? REALLY?
10% for first tithe to the church, sure. That's the first time. 2.5%? sure, that covers the offerings, I'm sure.
But wait! What about the SECOND TITHE? That'a a mandatory WITHHOLDING of 10 additional percent! What about the tithe of the tithe? What about the THIRD TITHE? Isn't this misinformation and misleading -- unless of course, Dave is NOT following Armstrong to the tee? But wait. Notice how he said that. An AVERAGE. Get that word. AVERAGE of 12.5 percent. There's some smooth talking right there. That little word AVERAGE quite possibly changes everything! Some could be giving zero, some could be giving TONS. AVERAGE is the best way to avoid hard figures and make it look, well, shruggish. And what about maybe fundraisers, and building funds? wills? estates? and maybe more?
What about the Clarion call and how much was given there? What about the message Isn't it written somewhere about for more SACRIFICE and more SACRIFICE?
Let's be honest. A 450 person auditorium? 450???? EW!! That's just pathetic by any standards! Probably one of the smallest seating "Auditoriums" ever! Most local PROTESTANT congregations that have some degree of success hold much more people than THAT! For a national - no - WORLD headquarters, their auditorium is the size of an old WCG LOCAL - yes, LOCAL congregation in a mid size city? Seriously? I've seen Auditoriums. Ambassador was/is an Auditorium, no matter how you size it or think about it. What Dave is planning on building? That's hardly even the size of a normal CHURCH, nonetheless an AUDITORIUM! I'd call that less then mini. It's the SMART CAR of auditoriums. Tiny, wimpy, and absolutely pathetic. He REALLY thinks Herbert Armstrong would be proud of something that puny? He'd dare show THAT off in his presence? Oh look, this is my smart car auditorium! I can hear Herbert now as I believe it would go... "That's your auditorium? DONT YOU DARE associate MY name with THAT."
But the worst thing in this, to me, in my opinion: What appears to be Dave breaking his word about a post that would have a promised explanation of the exact time-frames of his "prophecy", supposedly to be discussed yesterday, for what appears to be a gloat-fest of his church properties. What's his priority? I think to me that it is quite obvious.
Again, just my opinions here. I'm not impressed with a BIT of his "campus". It's nauseating.
"He's building a mega church with a mini-congregation."
ReplyDeleteYeah, Dave's church is both not large enough to need such an HQ, but it is also not wealthy enough to afford it. Dave's ego is writing checks that his church eventually won't be able to cover. This campus is being built not for the members, but in tribute to the deity--Dave.
Ah, yes. They play fast and furiously with the numbers! I am sure that for the sake of seeming reasonable, they don't consider 2nd tithe as being given to the church. It's money they command you to save so that you can spend it on yourself on "God's Vacation Plan!"
ReplyDeleteAs for third tithe, 10% during the third and sixth years of a seven year cycle, 20% divided by 7 equals 2.86%, meaning that Dave is dezaggerating, or rounding down. He also must be categorizing the additional offerings which he guilt trips and shames people into giving as being completely voluntary, and unrelated to his supposed role as their gatekeeper for the Kingdom and the place of safety.
More wonderful lying testimony! End justifies the means.
What a scam artist!
BB
There are some additional misleading ways in which to put a positive spin on a typical member's financial obligations in order to deceive outsiders.
ReplyDeleteLet's say Joey Santini of Cleveland earns $60,000 per year. He's one of Dave's stalwarts, and by tightening his belt, eating less expensively, using coupons, driving a VW diesel Jetta, and clothing shopping in thrift stores, he actually does give about 40% of his income, including what they are commanded to save in second tithe. But, here is the kicker! His wife, Rosie, also a member of RCG, is a full time, stay at home, mom. So, in terms of
percentages, Joey is credited as having given 20%, and, via principles of community property, Rosie is credited as having given an equal 20%.
If someone wanted to be completely honest with an outsider, they'd recite the picked and chosen figures HWA brought from the Old Covenant into his New Covenant. The reporter would be outraged, throw her hands into the air, and sigh, "This is a cult!"
Remember, if the figure of 1700 members which we were given for Dave is accurate, and per capita income is $40,000 per year, then Dave could be raking in as much as 6 mil per year on first tithe alone. These Armstrong franchises are very lucrative!
BB
If you would like to have a chat, as I did, with Collette Jenkins, the religion editor of the Akron Beacon Journal here is her email.
ReplyDeletecjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com
I thought she might be interested in The Clarion Call to understand how funding is obtained from the membership and a better story behind the fluffy dedication story.
I send Ms Jenkins The Clarion Call expose by Exit and Support Network and The Wacky World of Dave Pack from this blog. She at least should be entertained.
ReplyDeleteby invitation only???...hmmm, he's putting his tax exempt status in jepordy.....worship services must be open to the public if he want's to keep his tax exempt status........if someone shows up uninvited and he turns them away, and they file a complaint, Davy will be in trouble;-)
ReplyDeleteIt's obvious that Wadsworth has been conned.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they should look at what is happening to the Pasadena campus to see what their future might be.
Might not be as rosy as they hope it will be.
Pack could never do a helicopter flyover, without having the back lot of a supermarket (Giant Eagle) in the video chip.
ReplyDeleteBy this point, his followers are so heavily invested in Pack's interpretation of paradise, that they might as well buy the farm.
Pack has a look-at-ME-now attitude for real this week.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see that I'm not the only one looking and laughing.
It's the funniest thing to watch, especially when he makes Flurry look like the sensible one.
It's amazing how many facilities were developed around Pack's Property Line JUST for Dave, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteThere's a hair stylist place for keeping "television appearances". Of course it was developed, say it with me, JUST FOR DAVE.
There's a Sports Store just across the road which undoubtedly has Speedos. Of course, it was developed, say it with me, JUST FOR DAVE.
There's a Coffee Shop there too! So when Dave begins his morning of Preaching The Gospel To All Nations which Herbert Already Did, He can get his Morning Coffee. Unaware of their HUGE spot in prophetic history, that coffee shop was built, of course, say it with me, JUST FOR DAVE.
Across the Street is a HUGE grocery store. Of course, it's there for the Feast of Tabernacles and was guided and leaded to be constructed right there, of course, JUST FOR DAVE.
For Dave's Wardrobe, a Clothing store is also across the street for those Suits and ties. Of course, that too was built, JUST FOR DAVE. A shoe store is across the street too, of course, JUST FOR DAVE.
Isn't it just INCREDIBLE how all these stores were built at the right time to serve Dave with EXACTLY what he needs? Even a home improvement store with everything needed for Landscaping! Ghastly!
How Prophetic and What Proofs there are of How Everything is in place to service Dave Pack. These Stores are playing such an unprecedented Role in Bible Prophecy, supporting Every Need Possible For God's Work On Earth! BELIEVE THIS!....
...NOT!!!!!!!!!!! This is satire, and no, Dave did not say this (surprisingly), but this is the kind of hyperbole you could expect to convince people of Dave's Place in World Religious history.
"My name is Davymandias, King of Kings:
ReplyDeleteLook on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Behold the power of Dave's almighty god! He managed to build a 40,000 square foot office building! Look upon it, ye Mighty, and despair! LOL
"Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away."
Behold the Ambassador Campus you're making a pale imitation of, how it is being plowed under to make way for upscale condos to be inhabited by wealthy godless people who never heard of HWA, know anything of the history of the land upon which they now celebrate birthdays, keep xmas, and pollute the Saturday. Soon Davymandias' campus too will be plowed under to make room for shitty motels that will become the roosting grounds for cheap prostitutes in a dystopian future Wadsworth. And the level sands will stretch far away.
The pic of that building!
ReplyDeleteHollywood Squares?!
Tic-Tac-Toe Museum?
LegoBlock architecture?
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteThe pic of that building!
Hollywood Squares?!
Tic-Tac-Toe Museum?
LegoBlock architecture?
It's the Davy Bunch!
Here's the story of a man named Davey...