For the last seventy some years the Church of God has ruptured into hundreds and hundreds of "new and improved" Church of God's all claiming to hold on to "the truth once delivered." Some estimate the number of Church of God splinter groups to now be in the 700's since Herbert Armstrong himself split off from the Oregon Conference Church of God (Seventh Day.) Armstrongism has always mocked mainstream Christianity for supposedly being divided into hundreds of different churches. Armstrongism is exactly like the ones they mock.
Just take a close look at David C Pack. He started out in the Worldwide Church of God being shuttled from one church area to another where he caused irreparable damage to members lives. Complaint upon complaints from members in the field churches poured in, yet the church foolishly kept moving him around as they did with all previous abusers.
When the doctrinal changes came down the line from the Tkach regime, Dave jumped ship with Rod Meredith to help form the world encompassing Global Church of God. Then, Global Church of God imploded when its leaders tried to force Meredith and others out for being abusive. Meredith in his typical fashion, let others plan and scheme in the background so that he could move into the new church claiming he was not behind the insurrection and only come over because he was invited to preserve "the truth once delivered."
Again in typical Meredith fashion, corruption ruled the day in the Living Church of God. This ticked off more ministers and members which led to God's most important man born in this end time age to step forward and lead some LCG members into his new personality cult, the superfantabulous Restored Church of God.
Once again, corruption and abuse was the name of the game in the RCG, so much so that a group has now broken off from Davey led by the young Churchketeer Mickey Webster.
In the third sermon from the Moses/Elijah trio by Nolijah Pack, the great man mentions at some length those members who have recently been purged, or who have left. In case you have itching ears or an inquiring mind, these were of a rebellious group led by the recently booted and marked RCG minister, young Mickey Webster, who has now started the Herbert Armstrong idolizing splinter church "The Abiding Church of God" or perhaps more aptly named, The Mickey (Webster) Mouse Church of God.
These are the ruffians whom Elijah Pack was bitching about as being worshipers of YHWA.
Here's a photo of Mickey and his club, he's the right-most white boy that looks like a young Bill Nye the Science Guy. These Churchketeers are freshly unshackled and wholly excited to get back to their YHWA roots, as you can see by their bright countenances.
At least the new Mickey Mouse Church of God is racial diverse, unlike the lily-white boys Dave Pack has surrounded himself with in Wadsworth.
Armstrongism is never dull!
The picture is telling in several ways. 1). They look happy, which indeed, anyone who is no longer under Dave should most certainly be. 2). Based on the spaciousness of the type of room the photo was shot in, you can extrapolate that the home is substantial, although probably not a palace, based on the IKEA type furniture. So, either the minister or the member who owns or rents the home has been living a solidly middle class lifestyle. 3). The membership seems to defy the typical demographic which had been presented on the internet as your standard ACOG congregation. The size is consistent with what we would expect to see, but this is a relatively young group, and there is diversity.
ReplyDeleteI don't know. Let's see what happens. This has to have removed probably upwards of $100,000 in tithes from Dave's coffers, which is not a huge amount, but the real danger is that it is an example which people may or may not follow, and, it also serves as a future magnet for others who are dissatisfied with Dave's leadership style.
BB
"Who's the leader of the church that's made for you and me....M-I-C---K-E-Y..la tee la tee laaaaaa."
ReplyDeleteThey may look happy now, but I know Mickey Mouse Webster. He is nothing more than a young Dave Pack. He loves to argue scripture. And just like Davey he always has to be right. He's cocky and thinks very highly of himself. He has been in a number of splinters,but know one would make him a ministurd except Dave. I honestly didn't think he would last as long as he did in RCG. I guess when you finally get what you want ( Lord over people ) you will make the compromises. Then again maybe he just played Davey because he couldn't get anyone to follow him without stealing someone else's sheeple. The COG world gets more strange everyday.
ReplyDeleteI've seen this sort of thing over and over again.
ReplyDeleteEveryone starts out with new enthusiasm ("Yeah! We're free!"), the ramp up, the plateau and the inevitable entropy of decline.
These new groups that are spun off don't really offer anything new and really don't solve the core problems: All of Armstrongism is a cult. It won't get any better if you clone it. All you'll do is take along the same baggage with a different set of people. That's it.
It's all insane.
You can't fix stupid.
Alligations of corruption in churches of God are made, but what are the specifics?
ReplyDeleteI am still in Living and I suppose I am naive but, if there is corruption please let me know!
ReplyDelete“I am posting a new message, 'The MASS HEALING of God's People—Just Ahead!' A spectacular, divine promise has been hidden in God’s Word, lost until it was God’s time to reveal it with 29 PLAIN PROOFS. This message explains—and conclusively PROVES!—that part of
God’s ‘restoration of all things’ (Matt. 17:11) involves completely healing ALL brethren who choose to return to His Church when He reunifies it.”--David C. Pack
So this time around DCP has only “29 PLAIN PROOFS” that supposedly “conclusively PROVES” something.
How could so few as “29 PLAIN PROOFS” ever possibly make anything happen at all? With the track record of DCP's so-called “proofs” being what it is, people should demand at least 1,000 proofs before they even begin to get excited. In fact, they should demand 10,000 proofs. Or at least ONE REAL PROOF.
Anon. 7:29, in trying to be as fair and objective as possible for you on your question, I don't know that any person or website has been specifically tracking and tabulating incidents of corruption. The corruption usually gets lumped in with everything else that is reported. There is plenty of stuff that has been shared by people who have left these groups over matters of conscience throughout the past several years. We know, as one example, that third tithe is dumped into the general funds of some of the ACOGs.
ReplyDeleteYou may want to check out the website maintained by The Exit and Support Network. The records at that site are extensive, and accessible under the name of the actual splinter group. I know they have a section covering LCG.
Exit and Support is a fairly reliable site, but surely I don't have to tell you that not everything on all of the various websites is valid, or even credible. Do your own due diligence on all your incoming information, as that will place you on firm ground, and save you some angst in the future. Some people grab anything in their attempt to fabricate a wall to defend against Armstrongism. I like to be on firm standing, so the veracity of information is extremely important to me.
BB
YHWA! LOL! That is SO accurate!
ReplyDeleteIf you read the "Who are We" section of their website, you can see some of the beefs they have against DCP:
ReplyDeleteGenerally they are implying Pope Pack is selling indulgences - linking salvation to burdensome extraordinary financial contribution. They even sound evangelical quoting Acts: "God’s Church understand that we are ourselves purchased (Acts 20:28) and not purchasing salvation" but then swiftly drift back into legalistic lingo. They are also opposed to the bashing of "competing" splinters whom they consider brethren.
This isn't the first split from the RCG (nor will it be the last). I can't believe that people have put up with Pack for as long as they have.
ReplyDeleteI guess most just ignored his personality, and just figured they were doing the work!
This little group will go nowhere. They will get off into strange ideas...after all look where they came from.
Anon 7:29 I'm not sure how you are defining the use of the word "corruption" in your mind. LCG isn't committing larceny or taking bribes if that's what you were thinking. But there is corruption in other ways.
ReplyDeleteFor starters, they allocate a lot more money to the "university" than is actually reported to the brethren by finding other categories to hide LU expenses in because they know that many of the tithing members would be outraged if they knew how much money went into Winnail's university. After all, most members would prefer that their tithes go to "preaching the gospel". The university is draining the life out of LCG but there are such big egos involved that they can't seem to make the financially responsible decision to give up their stupid dream of recreating Ambassador College. In my opinion, they are deceiving the members in this regard and that is corrupt.
They are also corrupt in the spiritual sense that they often behave in a wholly un-Christian way to members. I am speaking more to the ministers in Charlotte than those not at the headquarters church but they pick and choose which scriptures apply to themselves. For example Matthew 18 and 1 Corin 13:5 (they keep records of every wrong ever committed in little file folders). Persecuting members without evidence, kicking people out for not being up to date with their tithes, labeling those who dare ask questions about the "upgrades" (or anything else for that matter) as causing "rebellion" or attempting to cause "church division"; all of this is corrupting God's true intention for the position of a shepherd. They are high on power and control. They like to throw around the term "servant leadership" but the ministers at LCG headquarters expect to be obeyed without question, cowered down to, sucked up to and served by the people because they think they are wiser and deserved. That way of thinking is corrupt. Anytime one thinks he is 3rd in line in all the universe, there might be a problem.
They continue to preach unity, unity, unity. Thou protest too much! There are major issues a foot including problems within the counsel of elders and with other ministers, the reign of Jim Meredith, the persecution of members and the very mind of RCM (many report that dementia has set in).
Dishonesty = corruption and there is plenty of that coming from the headquarters of the Living Church of God.
Thank you very much for the honest answer Byker Bob. I really appreciate it very much.
ReplyDeleteNonsense.
ReplyDeleteAnd they're going to keep splitting off until they get it right!
ReplyDeleteAfter all, sooner or later one of these groups HAS to be right. Right?
Just to maintain some accuracy here, Dave Pack did not leave LCG, as he was never a member of that church
ReplyDeleteHe was still with GCG after LCG formed and was disfellowshipped by GCG in May 1999
http://www.cogwriter.com/rcg.htm
Living University may be more expensive than they thought it would be, but I can't see LCG giving it up as it's an essential tool for the education of members.
ReplyDeleteAs virtually all the tuition is done online, one would have thought that it wouldn't cost much. however I think the real problem is that on average only 200 out of LCG's 10,000 membership sign up for the courses each term.
And those over 65 can do the unaudited course for free, so the income from fees must be small
The Abiding Church of God is trying to lay the same foundation as HWA did. M.Webster isn't trying to rule the people, he's only trying to give them some clarity inbetween all the chaos out there. He only sees himself as a minister, and he's not trying to compete with Pack in any way other than preaching truth to those that seek it.
ReplyDeleteThere's a difference between worshipping HWA and following after the truth he restored.
Stop looking through tinted glass. Not one splinter is going to be perfect, but atleast give those credit that try to help people on the right track.
Good Point! So many sit and condemn so many instead of loving and praying for each other in The Church Of God. Yes there are tares in the Church of God but read James 4:10-12 and consider yourselves.
ReplyDeleteMr.Webster is a good man.
Naw he is a cunt! He abandoned his own family...
DeleteHuh? What do you mean he abandoned his own family?! Is he living as a single man now?
DeleteLove God above all other gods. This is the first of many commandments in the bible. Jesus came to tell the world above the coming Kingdom of God. He was a teacher and a messenger Michael Webster is a teacher and a very dedicated one in trying to show his small but enthusiastic group what is being offered by God to the whole earth. Listen to him and you might learn something because Jesus said love thy neighbor was the greatest commandment after the first ones concerning God that is what he is trying to teach. Don't ridicule until you have experienced the real thing. Love......
ReplyDeleteMost commenters here bigots and are more self-righteous than who attend the Sabbath and obeys the commandments of God. While criticizing others they are exposing themselves as more evil than they criticize.
ReplyDeleteSo says the evil one....go figure...
ReplyDelete