Dave starts Chapter 1 of his biography off with this deceptive myth that Dave likes to foster off as if Herbert had Dave constantly by his side in order to exclusively train him. That is an absolute impossibility that anyone in Pasadena could verify as never happening in the last 15 years of HWA's life and particularly the last 6 years or so.
David C. Pack was personally trained by Mr. Armstrong during the last 15 years of his life. (This was in addition to four years of Ambassador College.) In part because of this unusual training, Mr. Pack was in a position that God could use him to restore everything that had been lost. Today his ministry is a continuation of the same Work.It took ever so humble Dave 2 1/2 years of intense humbleness and examination of his godly soul to determine that his story needed to be told.
The idea of a biography of Mr. Pack’s life first arose in late 2003 or early 2004. It took Mr. Pack a long time—about two and a half years—to come to grips with the fact that the book needed to be written.Dave is God's chosen human and imperfect vessel.
Many fail to comprehend that God works through flesh. While all people are imperfect and all people make mistakes, it is vital to recognize that God has always chosen to work through human beings—flawed “clay pots.” But when a man determines to yield himself to Christ—when he dedicates his life to following the will of God no matter what—God can use that man to accomplish the impossible (Matt. 19:26; Phil. 4:13).Dave has been tested by his god to be chosen for his extraordinary and difficult assignment.
As you read this biography, you will see that God tries, tests and proves His servants time and time again—over and over and over—and He has to do this, not only because trials both reveal character and build it, but He must know and understand the heart and mind of the human instrument through whom He is working.
How much more and greater become these trials and tests if the man at their center has been chosen for extraordinary and difficult responsibility?God's direct intervention in Dave's life is even more extraordinary than Herbert Armstrong's. Dave says that HWA heard God's call at the age of 34, but Dave was even more special, God spoke to him when he was 17! Dave says he has received an even more comprehensive and intensive training than Herbert did for the same position.
...God called Mr. Armstrong when he was already 34 years old and married for 10 years with two children. He first opened Mr. Pack’s eyes to the truth when he was half as old—a teenager of just 17. Then, Mr. Armstrong had very little time to prepare for the role of leading the Church, while Mr. Pack was blessed with many years of comprehensive—and intensive!—preparation before coming to the same position.Dave ends Chapter 1 with this:
Finally, Mr. Armstrong was Mr. Pack’s teacher, not the other way around. Mr. Pack attended Ambassador College, while Mr. Armstrong started and led it.
However, there are similarities seen throughout the two men’s biographies, with the most notable being that both men led lives of submission to God’s will, coupled with a unique determination not to compromise any of His truth, no matter how seemingly “small” or “minor” the point.Humility. Apparently, it is a commodity that neither man had!
Here’s the rub. When HWA wrote his autobiography, millions of people wanted to know who the voice on the radio was, and how did he get off saying all of those outrageous (for the times) things. So, absenting the man’s incredible ego and temper, it almost made sense for him to write an autobiography.
ReplyDeleteWho, outside of the relatively small group of people who were part of HWA’s church, had even heard of David Pack who was not one of the original student-evangelists who had graduated from Ambassador College in the 1950s? Pack egotistically wrote his autobiography to make himself appear to grow into the role of HWA’s successor. His book is pure apologetics devoted to supporting his assuming HWA’s mantle, even though HWA had actually hand picked, for whatever reasons, quite another successor. Let’s face it. It’s not as if HWA had asked during a ministerial conference, “Who would be my worthy successor?” only to have the entire assembly answer in one unhesitating breath “Dave Pack!”
The fact is, this camp little autobiography is quite the curiosity, considering how few have actually read it, and bought into its purpose. Its performance would most likely get a real author canned by his publisher. Since it is a self-published vanity project, obviously that won’t happen, but one can get a sense of its relative importance by the sheer lack of effectiveness. Pack should have called it “Honey, I shrunk my Mini-splinter”.
Bottom line? There should probably be a section in DSM VI when it comes out, dissecting this book, and identifying the various mental disorders which produced it.
BB
We remember DCP talking about being "personally trained" by HWA. It was around 2003 or 2004. He was really beginning to build himself up. He was making the transition to teaching what we believed to be sound doctrine, to making this a work all about him.
ReplyDeleteWe left in 2004, and are so glad we did. RCG was really small then. Over the years we have found out that many who stayed with him for several years after this, have finally left.
Great!!!!
He is a clay chamber pot.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't matter if you leave Pack's little cult of horrors because as you go out another sucker walks in the door. Its the McDonald's revolving door effect. At some point the replacements don't stay long and the cult shrinks, like what's happening in the Gerald Flurry freak sideshow.
ReplyDeleteAs the leader of his church, does that make Dave a pothead?
ReplyDeleteOh what a hypocrite. BB has the biggest mental disorder of all: the ultimate bigotry of intentional closed-mindedness which he self-righteously considers his moral duty.
ReplyDeleteI believe this biography during the 03-04 years was mainly put out to introduce Mr. Pack to the laodacians (Splinters) as he at the the time considered himself the "Messenger" to them. The biography was to support the business model and the personage of Dave Pack as the only one who didn't stray from any point of teaching of HWA. Dave Pack elevated himself above all others because of that one point of holding fast and looking back to his access to HWA through his wife. It wasn't long before he decided he needed to elevate himself to the title of Apostle through fear that a higher ordained man would come into his church.
ReplyDeleteThe business model has changed through the years and holding fast to all of HWA's teachings is long gone. The new business model elevates this man to all of the personages of the bible except the two witnesses and the Father. The new model incorporates himself into all of his new teachings and his church's growth is the fruit of his god MAMMON. On the surface, all of the beautifully dressed members and the spectacular landscaped headquarter's campus and the artful Internet presence will fool many including themselves, but deep underneath it all is a disdain for the teachings of Jesus Christ and the truth of the bible.
The beautiful clay Pot of the RCG and its leader when put under a microscope reveals a gross counterfeit to what Jesus Christ intended for His Church to be.