To RCG's David C. Pack: What Happened to the Funds for AYC in 2020?
In 2020, the Restored Church of God raised over $100,000 to support Ambassador Youth Camp (AYC). Due to Covid-19, the camp was canceled that year. However, the funds were NOT returned to those who gave it and were NOT used for the purpose in which it was collected.
Not only did adults contribute, but the teens themselves did their own fundraising by mowing lawns, washing cars, and holding bake sales, etc. Children were encouraged to "be creative" with how they could fundraise for AYC. They did just that.
In the following year, fundraising for AYC began again which means the funds collected in 2020 were not applied to the camp in 2021. The obvious question becomes: Where did that money go?
The Restored Church of God is not a financially transparent 501(c)(3) organization. The membership has no idea how their contributions are spent. This is under the direction of Pastor General David C. Pack.
If they were a financially transparent organization, the membership would know:
- David C. Pack's salary
- Ministerial salaries
- How much the church is collecting each year
- How much the fence along Interstate 76 cost
- How much the barn and horses cost
- Who exactly paid for the horses
- How much the trees cost
- How much third tithe assistance is collected vs. spent
- How much "tithe of second tithe" is collected vs. spent
- How surplus AYC funds are managed
- What is the housing rental income
- How much is the mortgage on the campus
- How much is actually spent on "preaching the gospel"
If you give money to the Restored Church of God, do not expect informed consent. Funds you give to them may NOT be spent for the purpose you designated it for, even if it was "restricted" at the time.
The primary question remains for David C. Pack: "Where did that money go?"
Marc Cebrian
31 comments:
Pack is anything but transparent. However, that does not mean that the statement below is correct:
In the following year, fundraising for AYC began again which means the funds collected in 2020 were not applied to the camp in 2021.
We simply do not know whether the 2020 collections paid for part or all of the 2021 camp costs. Dave will always fundraise, and we don't know whether his 2021 AYC fundraising paid for any or all of AYC costs in 2021, 2022, or never. We don't have enough information to criticize him for how he did or didn't spend the money. That's the valid criticism, the lack of transparency and disclosure.
That would be like asking millionaire-Tkach where the campus real estate money went.
Jim
If the funds raised for the youth camp were designated for that purpose then they must be used for that purpose. Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker used funds that were designated for a specific purpose. They used those funds for something else. I don’t remember the details but Jim went to prison as a result. Someone in Wadsworth should check into this. If it can be proved that Dave used those funds for a purpose other than for the purpose in which they were collected, then Dave should be prosecuted.
Dave can’t just blow it off saying it isn’t anyone’s business how he spends the money. Jim and Tammy thought they were above the law. They thought they could hide behind the label of a church. Jim Bakker found out different.
Jim-AZ
Ananias and Sapphira come to mind.
WCG had work projects for the local fund for local activities. We had pulp wood projects, dozens of people would do store inventories for nearly nothing. Some served various stations at the Talledega race. I never knew how much was saved up, but at one point the WORK was in dire straits, so it was decided that money should be sent to Pasadena. Dedication!!
Since Christ returns Monday, Mr Pack won't have to provide any information as he will be ruling the world with Him. Gods don't owe you explanations😈
Marc, you said in your post that “funds you gave to them may NOT be spent for the purpose you designated it for, even if it was “restricted” at the time.
Marc I don’t know if you are a lawyer. I don’t know if the law is the same in every state. But as I stated in an earlier post, Jim Bakker was prosecuted for using “restricted” funds for a purpose other than the purpose in which they were designated.
Marc if you know for sure Dave can spend those restricted funds for other purposes please make a post and let us know.
Thanks Jim-AZ
I always love how all of the crybabies come out of the woodwork and whine about the misuse of tithe money and doantions. You gave it to the church, it is GOD's money and no longer yours! Sit down and shut about it!
Funds become "unrestricted" once the year ends. So, if those funds were designated to be spent at AYC in 2020 and they remain unspent on December 31st, they can be used for whatever purpose they want. This is a tax code thing; and it wasn't always the case with the IRS.
David Pack is the new apostle.
TC @ 12:52
That would be fine if it was "GODS" church :)
Anonymous
You said sit down and shut up. It’s God’s money.
I have never seen God’s signature on any ACOG check. People like Dave Pack LIE and promote scams like Common. Dave Pack is a lying scum bag. He makes me puke.
Jim-AZ
So if a person who assumes church authority, (based on his own erroneous perceived authority to do so), decides that the church needs horses above the needs of the needy or a more practical benefit to the brethren,(rather than the pleasure of horseback riding), then it is ok? I think not.
Marc, do we know if it was fundraising funds or also the fees the teens sent in for their admission?? That makes it even more questionable, to put it nicely.
GOD is in the Armstrong corporate splint/split/sliver churches?? I'll be damned!!
Jim-AZ, Those are fair requests, however, I am not able to fully disclose too much about what I know and how I know it. What I can tell you is that RCG has found a way to spend "surplus" restricted funds in any way they see fit. From my understanding, the way they do it is NOT illegal. However...is it unethical? Is it wrong for a Christian Church to do that? Every person must make up their own mind on this.
The purpose of this post is to bring up a larger topic of financial transparency that other COGs practice. While I was a member, I understood I had no say where my tithes, offerings, and Common went. (I had to assume it was for more stupid trees on that campus.) HOWEVER, when I did donate specifically for AYC (or other specialized purposes)...if I had known while I was a member where the money actually went, it would have kept me from even bothering with those purposes.
I am certain most brethren have no idea what the Business and Accounting Office (or really, David C. Pack) decide to do with "surplus restricted funds" because I didn't know that was even a thing until after I left them as an employee and member.
I apologize for not being able to publicly disclose all I know. I have to be careful. RCG is not a typically litigious organization, but if I cross a legal line myself, they could very well come after me. There are certain benefits for being anonymous, however, I have chosen to not walk that path. And in the process, I may irritate you and others.
I honestly don't know what happened to that money given in 2020 for AYC. That is the question. Where did it go and what was it actually spent on? I would love to hear an answer from them. What great PR for them to ridicule me in public by disclosing it went to AYC 2021 and fed 25 children for two weeks, put clothes on their backs, and gave them the time of their life.
However, in the meantime, I think about those kids who raised the money, but didn't get to go to camp in 2020...and maybe some of them asked, "Mom and dad, why do I have to fund-raise again when I did it last year and never got to go to camp?" All the parents could do is shrug.
Hi Marc, some good questions- transparency isn't a big priority in the COGs. Be careful though, I believe questioning the finances lead John Tuit and Co. to see big hypocrisy issues and led to the receivership "crisis" where "Satan attacked the church".
I agree, leaders of COGs should reveal more information- especially their salaries and benefits. We see none of this "once you give to God, its Gods" idea in the NT, in fact it is very damaging and basically promoted by those in charge of the money bag, like Judas. Paul even told the Corinthians (1 Cor 16) that they could choose who they trusted to send money to the saints in jerusalem. Paul wanted to be above reproach and not to be even able to be accused of anything. That's the example of transparency. We also know Paul's salary- 2 Thess 3:8 tells us (at least at that stage) that Paul didn't want to burden the brethren by supporting him. We also know he condemns individuals trying to peddle the gospel as a means of getting material possessions from people.
These verses show how wrong HWA and his spiritual offspring are.
Anon @12:52...pray tell, the great, creator God needs money? I am not aware of any scriptures that shed light on God's budgeting/spending habits. Any member of a church (a real church) has the right to know that the funds they donate, for a specific purpose, are allocated and used in furtherance of said, specific purpose. They are not whining, they are trying to hold people accountable.
And, for the record, the word is spelled d-o-n-a-t-i-o-n. Finally, I believe you left out the word "up" in your erudite last sentence. Perhaps you should sit down and shut about it.
Marc
You did answer my questions. I understand there are things you can’t divulge. I am good with that. Appreciate all you have done. Keep,the pressure on.
Jim-AZ
I don't know of any of these shyster cog leaders that will make a full accounting of their salaries and what they spend on themselves. The flim-flam artists such as cogwa leaders that go all over the world and go to places the brethren can only dream about.
the biggest question has to be what is spent on preaching the gospel 5% of the income for cogwa goes for that. Helping the brethren in need don't hold your breath. I think the IRS would do well to knock on their door down there in Texas.
Brethren, we need horses and tulips. The rest of you can eat cake.
Davie C
This is a bit off the topic but I can't help but wonder. Some time ago Dave was telling RCG members a famous Jew was thinking of joining that church. Dave said something about that person was so famous that the member's would be in shock if he could mention the name of that person.
I'm just wondering if that was yet another lie out of Davey's mouth or he actually believed it. Dave has been walking down the path that leads to the looney bin so it's not a far cry to say he's delusional.
Anybody know something about this or was it a one time story to excite his members like anon 1:33
The ACOGs claim that tithe money is "Gods money" and so the brethren should mind their own business on how it's spent. But that's not morally correct. All the money on the face of the planet technically belongs to God, but that doesn't mean that there's no accountability or that people aren't entitled to what they pay for.
Tithe money and offerings are given for a specific goal, and the ministers have a moral responsibility to honor that.
Some time ago Dave was telling RCG members a famous Jew was thinking of joining that church.
Jesus was thinking of joining RCG, but He decided not to, as it wasn't God's Church.
You are all grown adults following a cult, not Christ. Christ will return and I don’t think he’ll be too happy with what you’ve done. Oh and while I hope it is soon, the Bible tells us that not even he knows the date. So news flash, neither does your beloved fake leader! But you know that, he’s been wrong how many times already? Just keep feeding him your hard earned money and when you don’t have anymore to give or start to question, see how quickly you’ll be sitting on the other side of the gate looking in.
Right. Keep giving him all your money.
Wow! That's messed up. Trust is paramount in any community, especially a church community.
UCG at its founding , and its original manifestos stated that the TOP 5 salaries paid by the organization would be published each year.
IT NEVER HAPPENED!
The annual audited statements from COGWA/ LCG and UCG , which are printed in micro script and require a magnifying glass to read ( truth), offer only the most broad of categories and lack true specifity to detailed expenses.
Many categories in regards to salaries and benefits are mixed with "member services" categories, and no denominators as to how many salaries are paid out so as to calculate an average , are missing as well.
The whole concept of centralize monetary collection away from a local congregation, is a virtually unknown concept to any church outside of the COGs. This Communist centralized business model has been about as successful as the Soviet Union or East Germany back in the day. Backwards, innovative, stagnant and depressed.
IF people would be more careful about who they give their money to in the first place,
THEN they would not have to worry so much about how the money gets misused.
ALL the money ever given to false prophets like Flurry and Pack will be worse than wasted.
Be creative. Raise money for Dave Pack---sell your Bible! Then Packo can't brainwash you anymore.
ALL the money ever given to false prophets like Flurry and Pack will be worse than wasted.
Yes, and by some weird and unfathomable sense of morality, VERY few of the former members who harmed society that way will give a penny to help undo the damage they caused. They see themselves exclusively as victims, not realizing they were also perpetrators. They have no sense of responsibility to undo the damage they helped to cause by their irresponsible gullibility.
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