Monday, May 28, 2018

Dave Pack: Tares in the church made my work a real challenge




Dave Pack says he stuck out like a sore thumb, not only because he was tall and married Herbert Armstrong's secretary, but because of his decisive leadership that resulted in him being sent into troubled areas to straighten things out.  The problem when he arrived that there were "tares" laying in wait for him in order to "explode" when he reestablished "true standards." This also pissed of the ministers in those areas who resented him.  This made his work a real challenge.

Like the 90% of church members who never really got HWA's teachings, 90% of the COG members in the areas he went to rescue never "got" what he was trying to do.

“When you draw a line in the sand, and the ministers around you do not, you stick out like a sore thumb. Some saw me as harsh compared to others. Never mind that I was tall, and from a high-profile family in the Church because I had married Mr. Armstrong’s secretary. I simply could not hide—nor did I seek to. Decisive leadership was necessary. Of course, I could never have imagined that merely administering standards the Bible taught and Mr. Armstrong adhered to could be so problematic and controversial.
“I was sent into these troubled areas time and again where many were ‘lying in wait.’ Tares were everywhere, waiting, ready to explode when true standards were re-introduced. And it seemed surrounding pastors always grew resentful. All of these factors made my ministry a tremendous challenge.
“Cleaning up programs and standards was interesting and rewarding as I saw the many positive effects on people’s lives, but it was also extremely difficult, and wearying, dealing with the constant politics of what later were understood to be, for the most part, a carnal-minded ministry that had grown up throughout the Church. Of course, this was later evidenced as true in the same large percentages among the lay members.
“I just could not always put together the great overall meaning of what I was observing—and enduring—at the time. None of us could know until later how right was Mr. Armstrong when he said, ‘90 percent of you do not get it.’ However, I was sure getting good training for all that would come.”

9 comments:

Dumbhead said...

How does one come to the conclusion that 90 percent don't get it? Wouldn't someone have to know and be around those 90 percent to see that?

Anonymous said...

8.45 PM
Dave is stealing the 90% from the PCG who claim that 95% don't get it. This justifies their claim as the one and only small true church.

Dave sounds so super righteous in his autobiography. It's like, The Divine Saint Dave.

Anonymous said...

yes, sticking out like a sore thumb or as a sore thumb. That fits.

Unknown said...

Dear SocioPack:

Here is a solution to your problem. Simply refund all the money that the 90% "who dont get it" give to you.

Problem Solved!

nck said...

I will start a church where 99 percent will not get it.

Any takers?

Nck

nck said...

Oh by the way Connie.

As we say in advertising. 50 percent of that money is wasted, only if we knew wgat 50 percent.

You are btw eligible to join my cult of those who dont get it. I hope you will be the 1 percent but who can tell. Bring a friend, if you know of others who will not get it.

Nck

Byker Bob said...

“90% don’t get it” is binary thinking to begin with, as if understanding were an on or off function. Making a statement of that nature is indicative of how these leaders thought. The fact is there are graduated degrees of getting it or not getting it, percentages of what one understands, or does not understand. At least that’s the way in which understanding typically functions. Since we’re discussing Armstrongism here, though, it really doesn’t matter whether one gets it or does not get it, because it was all a scam to begin with. If one “got it”, or did not “get it”, the correct response should have been the same. Either group should have bailed.

BB

nck said...

BB

I'm not sure what "not getting it" meant in the pre 1985 context. I guess those could be found among the extremes. The beating, thumping legalists and the "all is well" ladida evangelical types. The first couldnt make the baby grow, the latter discarded of the baby with the bath.

Nck

Questeruk said...

The traditional quote from HWA was that ‘50 percent of you do not get it.’

No doubt Packman has to up this percentage to 90% to explain the small numbers that comprise his group, who supposingly are the only ones who do 'get it'!