Dave Pack: I was sickened by appaling and inappropriate dancing by YOU cheerleaders

Who would have ever imagined that Dave Pack's downfall in the Worldwide Church of God would start with immoral dancing YOU cheerleaders, Joseph Tkach Sr., and not with his abusive tactics. Dave never accepts responsibility for anything.

Beginning of the End!

During district family weekends, congregations would combine for Sabbath services, Saturday night activities and Sunday sporting events.

One activity was watching and judging the performance of each congregation’s cheerleaders’ dance team. The goal was teamwork and unity, and to provide a positive opportunity for teenage girls. Sabbath observance kept most girls from participating in school-sponsored cheerleading. 

For many brethren, these performances were a highlight. Sometimes a thousand people gathered to watch the teams perform specially choreographed routines. Each had chosen their own music selection and prepared their routine.

It became evident certain teams had little or no adult supervision. Some mirrored worldly trends, with inappropriate music and overtly suggestive dancing. Yet most ministers took little notice. But Mr. Pack was the responsible host.

After watching a sexually suggestive routine by one squad from Pennsylvania, Mr. Pack was furious. Hundreds of brethren, including families and little children, were exposed to appalling, inappropriate dancing. Some of the squad’s cheerleaders were daughters of the pastor—and they were the very worst offenders. The dancing would have been better suited for a nightclub than a Church youth activity.

But their father was pleased with the performance!

Mr. Pack was left with a choice: overlook the situation or make plain that God’s Church has standards.

“I pulled the pastor aside, and said, ‘That routine was lewd and out of line. It gave other teams the wrong idea about what is appropriate, and it exposed hormone-laden teenage boys to the wrong things. It plants wrong thoughts in minds.’ I was unyielding.

“Instead of listening, the Pennsylvania minister was offended, deciding that his daughters were under attack. He raced home, called Mr. Tkach and complained about my ‘lack of love, understanding and tolerance,’ and how ‘I was missing the big picture.’ Mr. Tkach agreed with the minister, who called and reported this to me. But Headquarters never called me.

“This was not a case where a pastor was unnecessarily ‘gunslinging.’ Actually, host or not, I had a duty to speak up. But I did know the man would be angry and would play politics to protect his daughters. After all, he did think their conduct was fine. A few years later, this man was brought to Pasadena and placed in charge of all youth activities worldwide under the new Pastor General.”

Ironically, the “offending incident” had occurred just weeks after Mr. Tkach’s lecture outlining guidelines on how to hold the youth to higher standards! Music was the centerpiece of the lecture.

In the spring of 1985, Mr. Pack was summarily removed as District Coordinator, being told it was just “time for a change.” Such a move had never previously happened after only one year. The assignment was always for two years. Mr. Tkach was methodically building a case.