Tuesday, May 29, 2018

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.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

When I was attending WCG I didn't allow my son & daughter to attend the church and thank God I was right in doing so.

Anonymous said...

The point here isn't so much that the YOU Cheerleader's dance routines were deemed as suggestive, because they were. I was at those district weekends a few years later, in Pack's area (Akron, of course, at North High) and I was shocked at what I was seeing AT A CHURCH FUNCTION. Pack was correct at how some of the teenagers' routines were improper, to say the least. But that's not the point.

The point is how Pack saw everybody else's faults - but not his. He was very good at pointing out everybody else's problems - what people are doing wrong in every way of their life, and more than willing to punitively act against offenders. while never looking at himself. He judges others but constantly excuses his own actions, no matter how harsh they may be. Pack sees everything but his own problems. He seems, to me, blind to himself. And that's the problem that I believe he has, always seeing himself as the only answer to all problems, not knowing he causes so many of the problems himself.

The deal is, it had nothing to do with whether he was right or wrong about what the teenage girls were doing in their performances at district weekend. It was about his ATTITUDE. And as we all know, his horrific, detestable attitude hasn't changed one bit - it's just become so much worse.




James said...

Dave Pack. Reinventing his legacy of shame one lie at a time!

Anonymous said...

Because of the way the human body is designed, there are only a finite number of dance moves possible. That some of these movements parallels to some degree the sex act is unavoidable. Demanding that every movement that is 'suggestive' be banned is too restrictive. Not forgetting, sex is not dirty, so big deal if it in part mimics sex. To me, only the extreme movements should be banned, and even that's debatable.
I once brought this up with my dance teacher, saying a movement was 'suggestive' (she was old enough to be my mother), and she told me I had a dirty mind.

Byker Bob said...

I would need to have seen the actual dance in order to decide whether the cheerleaders had behaved in a lewd or arousing manner. We really can’t take Dave Pack’s opinion seriously because he is such a prude. I don’t believe most men, let alone another pastor, would allow their daughters to display themselves lasciviously. That make no sense at all.

We know one thing for certain. If you are constantly finding things wrong, you are creating infinite opportunities for yourself to assert your authority. And, that would be one type of behavior for which Dave Pack is well-known. He has a very unbalanced sense of what is appropriate both for himself and for others.

He’a also pretty darned creative in how he weaves Mr. Tkach into his narratives, as one of the proofs that something is wrong. Not much subtlety with the guilt by association.

BB

Unknown said...

Whatever the "cheerleaders" did or didnt do was not a problem that 3 kids, 20years of marriage and 20 pounds extra does not help them change!

Hey life is short, and one should enjoy their good looks for that short spring season. Yes, there is discretion, but even the Bible says, all flesh is as grass and all our glory is like a flower. (Is.28:1) says, “Whose glorious beauty is a fading flower.” And so it is for all of us. The Lord Jesus said about lilies, “That Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these” – (Luke 12:27). Jesus here tells us that the lily flower has more glory than even King Solomon had. And, Solomon died, like the lily.

With all possible leniency, let kids enjoy this short season of glory, without crossing any permanent lines of sin. A shorter skirt, some goofy, hair , some flirty behavior is not to be advocated, but it is certainly not the Unpardonable sin and will pass with time, that is for sure.

When is Pack going to address his "speedo" swim trunks that he is famous for wearing?? NOW THATS A SIN IMHO! ;-)

nck said...

3:55

Given the information I am under the same impression. I guess the cheerleading performance would not have been apropriate for a church function even if it would have beem boring otherwise. It is about the "judgemental management of all this by control freaks" and the anger accompanying it all.

If you made a mistake as a manager change it and prevent it next time in love set some clearer guidelines on expectations without all the hissing and puffing.

Nck

Anonymous said...

Using the same line of reasoning, group aerobic workouts are 'suggestive' as well. You have people bending over and lifting their legs as high as they can. All manner of sex can be projected into these movements. According to this line of reasoning, Jane Fonda's workout videos should be banned.

nck said...

5:09

Yes. I guess nature (dna) designed our bodies to procreate (dna). To preserve the continuation of information flow. Our aerobic suits are temporary storage for specialized information. Sex is information flow. Information flow is fun.

Nck

Unknown said...

Anonymous at 9:39 - Workout videos are great and should not be banned.

I had close family that was in Vietnam. Hanoi Jane Fonda though should be BANNED though.