How Fred Dattalo, Cal Culpepper and Gerald Flurry Caused The Suicide of Janet De Gennaro

It has been well documented over the years on how abusive the Philadelphia Church of God has become under the leadership of Gerald Flurry.  Families have been ripped apart, marriages destroyed and countless suicides have occurred because of the vile polices that Gerald Flurry has forced upon the membership of the Philadelphia Church of God.

Here is a first hand account of one family who's lives have been permanently scared by the sick and degenerate actions of Fred Dattalo, Cal Culpepper and Gerald Flurry as they contributed to the suicide of Janet De Gennaro.

Fred Dattalo was part of the Living Church of God for many years.  After leaving it he went to PCG.  In the many years he was in Pasadena before the mother church imploded, he was well know to be a condescending, self-righteous wanna-a-be man who desired power.  Living Armstrongism has this to say about him:

As a former follower of LCG I am particularly disgusted and horrified with the fact that Fred Dattolo, who used to be in LCG, participated in isolating Janet De Gennaro from her family and causing her immediate family members to be cast out of PCG. According to this testimony it was Fred Dattolo who first "suspended" Janet De Gennaro's brother from PCG for an "inappropriate" comment on Facebook. Gradually the family was lost PCG's favor and were cast out, even though Dan De Gennaro was a Deacon. My word! Even Deacons are not safe from such oppressive acts within PCG.

I well remember reading Fred Dattolo's articles in LCG's recruitment magazine, Tomorrow's World, before he jumped ship to PCG in 2001. In the May-June 2000 issue he wrote an article extolling the role of the father in producing a happy family. Yet here Fred Dattolo is exposed as causing Janet De Gennaro to be cut off from her loving father and her family.

PCG's reign of terror on it's families has been well documented here:  Reign of Error

Our Family's Devastation Due to Gerald Flurry's No-Contact Policy

After 3 long years, Gerald Flurry finally allowed me to see my daughter. It was not in the way my family hoped. She was delivered to us C.O.D., wrapped in a plastic bag and sealed in a metal container.

My dear daughter, Janet, lived a full life while she was part of our family. She was always pleasant, respectful and obedient. She had an adventurous spirit and enjoyed traveling the world.

We are first generation Italians in Canada. My wife and I place a high value on family unity and we taught our children that we always support each other with love and respect. The PCG was never our teacher when it came to family values as it was clear to us they didn't understand the value of a family. In fact, we were criticized, insulted and even humiliated by PCG leaders for our strong family values.

We attended the Milton, Ontario congregation. Our nightmare began in 2009, with the arrival of Tim Oostendarp, a new graduate from HWA College, eager to prove himself to the PCG hierarchy. He found my 20-year-old son, Robert, on Facebook and immediately began to spy on him. In December 2010, he reported Robert to the local minister, Fred Dattolo, for an "inappropriate" Facebook post. Fred Dattolo immediately suspended Robert. After a six-month suspension, Robert decided he didn't want to return to such a negative environment.

In April 2011, Fred Dattolo came to me with an ultimatum from Gerald Flurry. I had 3 months to remove my son from our home--otherwise I would no longer be a deacon. The following week, Fred Dattolo told me that my son is a Laodicean and I should think of him as a rebellious and lazy son. This was nonsense. My son has always been respectful and helpful.

In May 2011, my wife, Maria, and I met with Fred Dattolo. Once again, he had an ultimatum from Gerald Flurry. The Pastor General and "Prophet" wanted our son out of our home. Fred Dattolo recommended that our son move into a "small room" like other single men in the PCG. For my wife and I, this would be unconscionable because he did nothing to warrant this harsh treatment. When Maria tried to explain that our son was not a baptized member, she began to cry. Fred Dattolo looked at her and said, "I see this crying all the time." While this experience was obviously a normal occurrence for Fred Dattolo, we were taken aback and totally shocked by his callous attitude. He was brutal, cold and showed no concern. A true minister of God would have shown mercy, love and compassion and opened the scriptures to direct us. None of this happened.

On September 14, 2011, my wife and I were suspended for not complying with "That Prophet's" ultimatum. Janet was left behind

One month later, in October 2011, while attending the feast, Janet met David Privratsky.

On August 26, 2012, Fred Dattolo called Janet and told her that Gerald Flurry wants her to "get out of that house." We knew Janet. She would never deliberately dishonour us and disobey God's commandment. She thought she was obeying God by obeying "That Prophet." She found a basement apartment, which cost her $800/month, and moved out of her room in our family home.

Though my wife, my son and I were distraught and cried for weeks, we now know that this proved to be a very heavy, emotional burden for Janet. She was the one who suffered the most by being cut off from her family.

Because she was planning to move to the United States to live with David Privratsky, she was turned over to Regional Director, Cal Culpepper. He prevented Janet from moving to Chicago until he was sure that she was totally compliant with "That Prophet's" no-contact policy. Cal Culpepper made it clear that the marriage would be called off if she had any contact with her family. After a year of counseling and monitoring, she was given the green light to marry David Privratsky and their wedding took place on September 8, 2013.

We emailed Fred Dattolo to ask if we could be a part of the wedding ceremony. He did not respond. This was a crushing blow to us. It was also a crushing blow to Janet's extended family, which has never been a part of the church and could not understand why they could not attend the wedding. This is an example of how the PCG's cruelty reflects poorly on Christianity! Instead of being a light and turning people to God, they were the opposite and turned people away.

We later found out that Janet and David Privratsky were not legally married. They were only married in the eyes of the PCG ministry. Once again, the scriptures were ignored (1 Pet 2:13, Titus 3:1). Because they were not legally married, Janet was buried as my daughter, Janet C. De Gennaro.
From the time Janet left our home until the end of 2013, the only contact we had with her was when she sent a generic thank you note to us for our wedding gifts.

In January 2014, Janet's uncle wanted to send a financial gift to her. We emailed her and asked her to call us so we could work out how to best send the money. She called. This was the first time we had heard her voice since she left our home in 2012. She was subdued and spoke only a few words and that was the last time we heard our daughter's voice. We learned after her death, that David Privratsky forbade her from speaking to us due to the no-contact policy.

On July 21, 2014, David Privratsky called us, a full 38 hours after Janet's death! Why the delay? No doubt, he needed to seek counseling from the PCG ministry to ask permission to call us and to find out what he should say when he speaks to us.

We were sitting in the garden in the middle of the afternoon when we were interrupted by the phone. It was David Privratsky. We immediately knew that something was wrong. He told us that our daughter was dead. He said she died of a massive heart attack. We were confused. How could a healthy, young 30-year old woman die of a massive heart attack? We pressed him to find out exactly what happened. He finally broke down and admitted to us that Janet committed suicide.

He went on to say that Janet had been seeing a doctor for the last 6 weeks for insomnia and anxiety. When we asked why he hadn't informed us about her depression, he said he put God before physical family. He later admitted that he didn't understand what he was dealing with and he should have reached out to us.

Church should be a sanctuary of safety and protection.1 The PCG is the opposite. It is harsh and dangerous. Janet was alone and suffered silently. She was isolated in a small town of 15,000 people in a foreign country without the support of her family. She was surrounded by people who didn't know her and didn't care enough about her to see she got the help she needed. We were surprised to see that less than 9 days after Janet's suicide, David Privratsky was posting a humorous tweet about the "Rise of the Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" on Twitter. He obviously didn't know Janet. They were married for less than a year and they obviously did not have the deep, heartfelt relationship with her that we did. We're still grieving and will do so for the rest of our lives.

One timely phone call to her loving family would have made all the difference.

On July 21, 2014, after 3 years of no contact, Gerald Flurry finally made an exception and relaxed his no-contact policy just for us. He allowed the ministers and David Privratsky to send Janet home to us C.O.D., wrapped in a plastic bag and sealed in a metal container. I was able to see the damage my daughter did to herself when she realized she couldn't go on suffering the way she was. In her enforced isolation and state of depression, she saw this as the only way out.

Shame on you Gerald Flurry, and all PCG ministers and members who carry out the dictates of a narcissistic megalomaniac who will stop at nothing, leaving a wake of destruction, as he magnifies himself.2

PCG ministers and members, although many of you are trapped inside the PCG because of the cruel, no-contact policy, you need to study the Bible and beware of deceivers. By their fruits you shall know them. Ask yourself if any good fruit has come out of this destructive policy. Ask yourself why you hate others who have done you no wrong. Doesn't the Bible teach you to be gentle to all men? Why are you fighting your brothers and sisters? God expects you to obey Him rather than men.

"Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work, To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another." (Titus 3:1–3)

"For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death." (Matthew 15:4)

Gerald Flurry has done a great evil to my family and me. Regardless of what he thinks of us and what he tells you to think of us, we are Christians. We love our Heavenly Father and our Lord, Jesus Christ. We realize that we are not fighting flesh and blood, but spiritual wickedness in high places. The Lord promises in Rom 12 that He will avenge Janet's death.

"Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." (Romans 12:17–19)

Please learn from my bitter experience. I wouldn't want anyone else to have to go through this.

By Dan De Gennaro
August 22, 2014

Please follow the links here to keep updated on the Philadelphia Church of God, Gerald Flurry, Fred Datttalo and Cal Culpepper:   What's New,  Letters of those impacted by the PCG

August Is Almost Over. Will David C. Pack Be An Epic FAILURE A Second Time Around?

Last year David C Pack predicted that three Church of God leaders would be struck down by his god and all their members would come over from the dark side to the glorious light of Packdumb.  This was all supposed to happen in August of 2013 so that the COG could be united in September at the largest unified Feast of Tabernacles in recent Church of God history.

Typical of all COG false prophets, no COG leader died and no members jumped ship to join him.

With that failure weighing heavily upon his now slouching shoulders, he claimed that God had delayed this major event and that it would happen in 2014.  There is nine days left for this great reunification to happen....again.

I can guarantee you that Davey is going to be another epic failure this year.  He has now joined the ranks with the other COG failures like Ron Weinland, Rod Meredith,  Gerald Waterhouse, and Herbert Armstrong.

Thiel Gloats That He Has Reached North Korea Which Impotent LCG Has Never Been Able To Do

North Koreans Worshiping At The Bob Thiel Statue

Poor Bob is back lashing out at Rod Meredith and the LCG again.  The poor guy just cannot get over the fact that LCG dismissed him and his message so quickly.

Thiel thinks that since ONE person in North Korea clicked on his web site that he has now reached the Communist country with God's message, something that WCG and LCG was NEVER able to accomplish.

In other internet news, I noticed that we have had visits from North Korea at the COGwriter.com website as verified by AWstats!

When I was with my former association, they stated that they had visitors to their websites from all nations except San Marino and North Korea.

I have not heard if they have since reached those nations, but will state that North Korea and San Marino are part of the 220 plus nations and territories that the CCOG and COGwriter.com websites have reached according to AWstats.

So Bob has reached 220 nations?  Well, ghastly days!  220 nations! Not really that amazing considering that this blog has reached 210 nations with its message that Armstrongism is a pile of steaming cow shit.  Many of the nations on my blog are from one person too, and in the bigger scheme of things is just as irrelevant as Thiel's one person in North Korea.

Thiel has been DEEPLY concerned that his message had not been reaching North Korea.

Years ago, I was speaking with someone who was once involved with media in the old Worldwide Church of God about reaching all nations.  He told me that North Korea was about the only country that never had any Plain Truth magazine subscribers.

This long concerned me, and was one of the reasons that the cover article of the Bible News Prophecy magazine for July-September 2014 was about Korea.

 As is Thiel's message offers any hope to North Korean citizens! How delusion can this guy get?

Apparently that was the tip of the iceberg for Thiel.  He believes that with this one person he has fulfilled his goal to "go to all nations." 

It was my hope and prayer that this would help us get at least some witness into North Korea (cf. Matthew 24:14).  Now, I have been able to verify that North Korea has been reached.

Does this mean that we are finished?

No, far from it as I believe that there will be a greater witness (Romans 9:28) just prior to the start of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:14-21).

By this ONE person in North Korea Thiel now thinks he has an open door to ALL state-controlled countries.  Dream on little guy.  Dream on!

But reaching North Korea shows that countries with more state-control of media can be witnessed to.  It also shows that by prayer, effort and God's Spirit (Zechariah 4:6-9), a little flock (Luke 12:32) with limited financial resources (cf. Acts 3:6) can go through doors that Jesus opens (cf. Revelation 3:7-8).

Is This The Reason Rod Meredith Said Demons Were Attacking LCG HQ?

I have received the following two notes about the ongoing issues in the Living Church of God HQ's in Charlotte.  If these are true then its no wonder Rod Meredith is talking about demons and problems at headquarters.  Everything that is mentioned below are the exact same things that happened in Pasadena and were covered up there too....by some of the same men!

Looks like the living church of rod is at it again. I heard that one of rod's sons was sexually harassing women at their headquarters over in Charlotte. I also heard that an living university student there in Charlotte got a private body massage by a fifty year old unmarried man who also is in a prominent position with lcg. And I heard that (redacted female name) had a hot and heavy affair with her former boss over there at their headquarters in Charlotte too, wonder if that is what tb2 is referring to in the above comment. What the beep is up with those people? These people are preaching to us and the rest of the world and they are more screwed up than most people are and their leaders are the most screwed up of all it seems. Rod can't even teach his own kids much less run a church

That is not all one of LCG's Ministers just ran off with a much younger woman and they are covering that up too. There is a known pedophile that is high up in the church (told to me by Meredith himself). And they have just disfellowshipped 25 people at the HQ church for going against Bob Leagues authority. But they are going to have record growth because Satan is very angry with them. But League will put them out as fast as they can get them in the church. He has destroyed every church he has been over and now he is destroying the HQ church. These people never learn.

Gerald Flurry and the Philadelphia Church of God Sink To A New Low

Just when you think the perverseness of Gerald Flurry and his cult cant get any more debased along comes another horror story.  This one involves the Flurry and the Philadelphia Church of God commanding members to NOT pray for a family who lost two children.  The idea that ANY church member would submit to such a vile admonition is beyond comprehension.

This is from the Exit and Support website and is a letter from a former Deaconess in the PCG..

PCG Continues to Tear People's Lives Apart:

August 18, 2014

Dear ESN, I wrote a letter on January 6th of this year about the heartache caused by the PCG's cut off policy. The recent news about Janet Privratsky is another perfect example. Some have commented on the lack of response from family or friends. I remember when the Bacon boy died [Jason Bacon  SEE BELOW], and we were actually told via a HQ CD NOT to pray for them. When is there ever a time that you cannot cry out to God? Within days his sister Crystal also committed suicide. PCG claims to be giving a message of hope, but the fruits show differently, and you'll know them by the fruits. [Matthew 7:16-20]

I recently heard of a beautiful family (he an ex-PCG minister now put out) going through divorce. I wonder if he had just seen enough of this nonsense and couldn't go along with it any more. Now another family is being torn apart. Where is the "God family" vision in that?! My oldest son was in his freshman and sophomore year with Janet at AC in Edmond. We knew the DeGennaro family from going to family dances in Canada. I've looked back through the Envoy, and my heart aches for that family. PCG has said only the very elect "sigh and cry" for the abominations in the WCG as the organization split. Now I sigh and cry for the abominations in the PCG, RCG, and every other WCG splinter I can think of. I remember obeying every detail, cutting off family, fasting and seeking only to be told by Cal Culpepper that it wasn't good enough. He actually said I would have to bend over backwards! Where does the Bible say that? When I actually did, his response was that he was not buying it.

It's been over four years since two of my adult children have spoken to me due to this cut off policy. I recently heard that my daughter is planning her wedding to a HQ member. Like the DeGennaros, we are not to have any part of these special life events. I miss them so. Isn't sharing your life what family is about? Dan DeGennaro's letter to ESN said he will make sure the truth is known. I hope so. We should write another book called, "Creating More Ruins," as a sequel to Stephen Flurry's book to show how the PCG has continued to tear people's lives apart all in the name of God. Our sincere condolence to the DeGennaros. We would like to let them know that we will support or help them in any way possible. --Ex-PCG deaconess, Lori Miiller

Deaths of Siblings in PCG:

May 15, 2010
I, too, heard about the recent deaths in PCG. [Jason Bacon and Crystal Bacon] The boy (only 21) had just been allowed back in PCG after being suspended and cut off for "sinning" for who-knows-and-who-cares-what. He went back because he didn't like being cut off from his family.

He was out of town with a friend, celebrating his birthday and a new job, and fell from a balcony. He was in a coma and died a couple weeks later. The ministry corrected his friend and wouldn't let him go to the hospital. He wasn't even allowed to go to the funeral!

Edmond people came to the funeral on Friday and there was a memorial Sunday. His older sister, who's been suspended and cut off before too, died Monday morning. The father, in another offshoot, was allowed to come, but they went back to cutting him off after the weekend. --Anonymous

Comment: Jason Read Bacon was born April 7, 1989 and died April 25, 2010. The obituary on him can be read here. A cached copy from stilwellonline.info had more info and said he died in Las Vegas, NV, had a graveside service April 30 in Westville, OK, with PCG minister Robert Brown presiding, and that he had 3 sisters and 3 brothers. 

Members Corrected for Asking Prayer for Jason Without Permission:

May 16, 2010
Members were "corrected" for asking for prayer for Jason without the ministry's permission. I sometimes wonder if PCG reads the same things I read in Revelation about the Nicolaitanes (Revelation 2:6,15), or even if they understand it. --Impacted by PCG

More on PCG Deaths:

May 16, 2010
Jason had been suspended and was back. He fell from the 8th floor onto the 4th floor swimming pool deck around 3:00 a.m. His older sister Crystal is dead, too. Cause of death not known yet, but she was an alcoholic prone to depression. She had been suspended before; not sure if she currently was. That may be the case and more reason for her "possibly" taking her own life. --Friend of Jason

King Gerald Flurry: "As Their King" God is Going to Give Me the Stone of Scone to Keep Safe in Petra...and Maybe Prince Charles Too...or Prince Andrew...or Prince George

The lunacy of Gerald Flurry just sinks further into the rabbit hole every day.  Thanks to Redfox712 for pointing out that Gerald Flurry is planning on having the Stone of Scone with him in Petra.  I guess when his god builds the satellite TV stations, installs electricity pants and gets the internet up and running, it will also build a memorial to house the Stone of Scone so that Flurry can preserve it so Jesus can come back to it.  Apparently Flurry still believes the myths of Armstrongism that this stone is necessary for Jesus to come back and stand on to be proclaimed savior of the world.

That throne of David is in Britain today. For millennia, the kings and queens who have been crowned on that throne have done so over Jacob’s pillar stone, also called “the stone of destiny.”

How could that throne be established in the context of Isaiah 16? Only the stone of destiny could firmly establish the throne of David!

Is Isaiah 16 telling us that God will somehow give us that stone when God’s people go to the place of safety? After all, we are going to be sharing that throne with Christ in a matter of just a few years!

The stone of destiny is really the symbol of David’s throne—not the chair that sits in Westminster Abbey. That chair was constructed by men rather recently—but the stone has been around for millennia! It goes all the way back to Jacob! It was at one time called God’s house—where God dwelled! Where will that stone be during the Tribulation? Again, Ephraim is going to lose it, according to Hosea 3:4.

Where will that rock be? Will God give it to the Gentiles? I don’t believe for a minute that He would. He didn’t give it to the Gentiles when Judah was taken captive. Jeremiah was in a prison in Jerusalem—and yet somehow he ended up with the stone, and he eventually took it with him to Ireland!

Wouldn’t God want us to save that marvelous stone of destiny, or to gain possession of it? I can’t see this verse as anything but a strong statement about where that rock will be. 

God says THE throne will be ESTABLISHED—and it’s in the context of a tabernacle, or temporary dwelling. The word “established” comes from the Hebrew word kuwn, which is used 25 times in Scripture to refer to the establishment of a dynasty. In this passage, it must be talking about the Davidic dynasty! God said there would never lack a man to sit on that throne—and here He says the throne will be established in a temporary, Tribulation setting, with God’s loyal people dwelling in a rocky fortress!

We must have faith to believe what the Bible says! This is an exciting prophecy!

Right now, the pieces seem to be falling into place for us to assist in uncovering the very place where David’s throne was, and where Christ will sit on His throne. Do you suppose God might also get us involved with that stone? Does it seem illogical that God would use His people, who have the key of David and are about to sit on the throne of David, to get that stone, which is a symbol of that throne and of Christ? Certainly not to me. The Key of David  pg. 78-79

Is this part of the reason Flurry wants to buy property in England to start what he thinks is a "college?"  If they are land owners in England it is a short jaunt up to Scotland to take possession of the Stone of Scone and haul it off to Petra where they will place it beside HWA's prayer rock that will also be hauled over from Edmond.

Then Flurry goes on to get any crazier in his beliefs about that stone. He claims that there may even be a member of the Royal Family of England with him in Petra.

Who will sit on that throne at the time described in Isaiah 16? I don’t know—but I do know that someone will be on it, and it will be established—and it appears to be there in the Middle East during a terrible time on Earth.

At the time of Jeremiah, he had with him a queen from the royal family to sit on that throne. Maybe there will be a member of the royal family with us in the place of safety.  However, considering Isaiah 16:5 says he will be “seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness,” that doesn’t seem likely.

There is much here we don’t know, but the context seems to imply that the “he” who “shall sit upon” that throne is a man from this Church.

As I point out in Who Is “That Prophet”?, Micah 2:13 refers to the office Christ has given me as that of “their king.” That couldn’t be referring to Christ, because the same verse separately mentions “the Lord.” The word king in that verse means the leader, or one in charge—but the word king is appropriate. 

In Micah 4:8-9, God asks the Laodiceans, “[I]s there no king in thee?” They don’t have a king. (You can also read about these verses in our free booklet Micah—God’s People Rise Up as His Enemy.)

These scriptures are talking about a man who leads a breakaway from a rebellious church! It’s end-time prophecy in your Bible!

Like Herbert Armstrong, Flurry claims he has "kingly blood" running through his veins.  It makes no difference that he blood line originated in a trailer park in 1935 because only a REAL leader in Armstrongism can have his bloodline go back through HWA and David to Jesus.

It did, however, come from Herbert W. Arm strong during his more than 50 years in the ministry. And since Mr. Armstrong died in 1986, God has given me the responsibility of continuing in that same law He established through Mr. Armstrong.

Some of you might remember how surprised Mr. Armstrong was to find that the ancestry on one side of his family could be traced back to King David. I too was shocked to discover this fact concerning my own lineage, also on one side of my family. Is there a reason why Mr. Armstrong and I both can follow our roots back to David’s kingly line—to the tribe of Judah? Does it have anything to do with this “law giver” coming from Judah’s feet—or Judah’s descendants—in the last days, “until Shiloh [Jesus Christ] come”?

Mr. Armstrong had to establish God’s law and government. He was the Elijah who restored all things just before Christ’s return. I have continued the same law and government that he taught. No other church can truthfully make that claim!