Dave Pack: I was so good as a minister that it made other ministers jealous

What else could we expect from the most superfantabulous man who has ever existed in human history!

Jealousy Breeds Resentment

There was another reason the transformation of the Rochester and Syracuse congregations stood out: Many ministers in surrounding areas were not following correct doctrine and policy. This created a double standard with discerning brethren. Also, these areas were not being blessed in the same visible way.

While multiple, large activities regularly occurred in the Rochester area, the lack of such activities in the surrounding pastorates made a huge statement. Brethren from other pastorates often expressed how wonderful it was to see unity, organization and participation so evident. Since so many WCG ministers preferred to idly coast along and were slack in their ministerial responsibilities, resentment arose. Their comments would on occasion be reported back to Mr. Pack from Church Administration. (Remember, the apostasy demonstrated that two-thirds of all ministers readily gave up everything they had professed to believe, and did so easily and quickly, so a lack of zeal in such matters is not difficult to understand. And most of the rest of the ministry would later prove themselves to be lukewarm at best.)

Another critical element in transforming these congregations was the attention paid to the local youth programs. Previous programs had been overly tolerant of worldly influences when it came to appearance, music and conduct. Programs were purged of lowered standards that mirrored society in the late 1970s. Parents and teens were educated about God’s Way. Youth programs were built, which lessened the problems among young people.

But despite the positive results, a select few (locally and in neighboring pastorates) harbored the feeling that Mr. Pack was “the hard guy.”

Looking back, Mr. Pack recalled:

“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.”