RCG: Jessica Brown’s Open Letter to David C. Pack

Jessica Brown’s Open Letter to David C. Pack

Former Headquarters member Jessica Brown emailed this letter to Pastor General David C. Pack of The Restored Church of God, via Church Administration, on November 17, 2025. She poses sharp, biblically sound questions that address the continued biblical fraud and spiritual abuse inside The Restored Church of God.

As of this publishing date, there has been no response.

From: Jessica Brown 
Date: Mon, Nov 17, 2025, 2:35 PM
Subject: A Note for David C. Pack
To: cad@rcg.org

Greetings Church Administration,

Three years have passed since I left RCG. Since then, I've done a lot of reflection on my own personal relationship with God, and how my experience in RCG (especially towards the end) helped me to recognize the importance of having spiritual discernment and proving all things. Seeing the direction RCG has gone in for so long, I cannot continue to remain silent any longer on what I want to personally express to David Pack. Normally, I would opt to write something like this as an article. But I perceive God wants me to relay this message in a more direct way.

I have many questions in this email that I don't expect to get an answer to. And that's fine. I believe this email is likely going to be twisted out of context and seen as "an attack from the devil." But I do not care what anyone thinks at this point. It is God who justifies, not men.

All I really hope is that it is read with an open mind and that the questions posed, and the biblically sound points made, are carefully considered.

David Pack,

Has it ever crossed your mind that setting dates for Jesus Christ's return violates the 9th Commandment?

You are repeatedly bearing false witness to the brethren by making bold claims “on God's authority" that you later walk back, while stating you felt "uncomfortable" because you knew that you gave everyone false information.

This has happened well over a hundred times now. How exactly did RCG go from teaching "if someone sets a date for Christ's return, scratch it off your calendar because it's FALSE" to setting dates on a regular basis? There is NO getting around Matthew 24:36. Period!

If someone were to correctly guess the start of God's Kingdom, there would be the danger of them becoming puffed up with a "See, I told you so" attitude, which God would never allow. Hence, why the Father does not share this information with ANYONE. It’s clear that focusing excessively on when Jesus Christ’s return will happen and when He “will raise up Elijah to set up the Kingdom to Israel” have become idols for you and for some of the members. 

As a result of the sermon series, I've seen so many brethren become imbalanced and irrational in their thinking. Some members also subconsciously idolize you. I find it very strange that in the past decade, after your sermon series began, the warnings you gave to members about idolizing you slowly grew nonexistent. Are you now okay with being idolized and excessively adored by members? I believe this is the main reason you become so angry when people leave—it's a blow to YOUR ego. They realize you are a false prophet while you gaslight people into thinking you are not. All of this excessive focus on you as the self-proclaimed Elijah and your endless predictions, rather than on biblical truth, has led many people to develop spiritual confusion, with some doubting God's existence.

Does the fact that you have personally caused some people to doubt and stray from God not bother you in the slightest?

If you truly loved and cared about the people who leave RCG, you wouldn't go up to the mic and put blame on these individuals while viciously attacking and calling them all kinds of horrible names, and then claiming that they are spiritually dead. How is your behavior humble or Christ-like?

Your words can worsen things for them in the long run, because some of them come to see all Christians as hateful and unsupportive, rather than how God intended for us to be: to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. 

I wrote a social media posting in 2022 about how the love of many in RCG has waxed cold because of your sermon series. I continue to see evidence of this when I encounter certain current RCG members in public. I've seen RCG members coldly walk past me without a smile or greeting. Others have even scowled at me or quickly walked away in the other direction. How does this behavior reflect God in any way? This is straight-up cult behavior!

You have encouraged brethren to behave like this by poisoning them with the venomous rhetoric that every person who leaves RCG is a tool of the devil and that they will "corrupt" members with "dangerous" influence and "lies." (These are hypocritical accusations on your part, considering you are doing these VERY things.)

Telling members to not pray for ex-members is a violation of scripture! We are to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ, including the ones who have wandered from God after leaving RCG. Even if one does end up becoming used by the devil, we are still instructed to pray for them, per Matthew 5:43! We don't know how God may use them in the future, and we do not have the authority to determine who has lost eternal life and who has not.

The exception is if God has audibly revealed to us to not pray for specific individuals. Jeremiah 14:11 is a clear example when God told Jeremiah to not pray for Israel because they deliberately and maliciously turned against Him. Yet, like many others in scripture, you have twisted the verses out of context to make them apply to all ex-RCG members. Even the ones who still wholeheartedly follow God.

If any have truly and fully turned away from God and lost the promise of eternal life because of your sermon series and your behavior, then their blood is on your hands because you are partly responsible for their destruction. You coaxed them into believing falsehoods that God is a deceptive monster and that all Christians are imbalanced and hateful.

How is compelling members to give up their life savings, inheritances, and assets under the guise of "all things common" while threatening them with the loss of eternal life not coercion? And how does II Peter 2:1-3 somehow not apply to you and your numerous failed predictions and demands to give up large financial resources?

What a person does with their financial resources is between them and God. No one should dictate to whom or where they should send those resources unless God has directed them to do such a thing on their own, without human influence or pressure. It has been very clear for a while now that God is not directing you in your sermons, and you are acting on mere human steam.

Even Edward Winkfield admitted the sermon series was "just speculation" to a freelance reporter, basically admitting your messages hold no biblical water, completely undermining your self-assigned authority. So, none of your threats towards the people not giving up financial resources should be feared by anyone.

I believe members are aware that the "all things common" account is being twisted out of context to push the made-up "give all that you have" doctrine. It literally says the apostles distributed the funds/possessions to the BRETHREN in need (Acts 2:45 and Acts 4:34-35). The funds were NOT used for the purpose of doing whatever the church wanted with them without accountability. RCG has also largely neglected to help the needy of the church. Instead, the blame is placed on the members 99.9% of the time. (I would know, considering Brad Schleifer blamed me for my financial issues and then dishonestly told Dawn Blue I had received assistance from RCG "many times." That is FALSE.)

In reality, the blame is largely on RCG for not properly ensuring that everyone's needs are taken care of, as outlined in Acts 2:45. I find it very interesting that one of the other "splinter" groups (COGWA is where my parents currently attend) has done a much better job of fulfilling that principle by making sure the physical and financial needs of lower income brethren are addressed when they experience hardship. 

As a side note, COGWA is NOWHERE near as bad as you have claimed it to be. I have personally visited the congregations in Cleveland and Akron.

In summation, you are teaching that salvation, which is the gift of God, must be bought with “common” money and that God wants us living as paupers in order to "stay humble" and be worthy of entering His Kingdom. That is absolutely FALSE!

One cannot "buy" their way into God's kingdom. Jesus bought us with a price that He paid Himself. He does not require our money to receive what He offers to people freely! Simon Magus learned this the hard way. And, while I understand the warnings about idolizing riches (the rich young ruler was told by Jesus to give up his possessions to the poor because he was idolizing it all, not because giving all your money and possessions is required for salvation), many scriptures also show God hates poverty! There are several examples of people who were blessed with significant wealth in the Bible. Think Job. And yet, those individuals still chose to put God first in their lives.

Even in this present age, there ARE a small number of wealthy individuals who fear God and do NOT idolize their wealth. Instead, they choose to generously provide for their community while using wisdom on where and how much of those funds they should donate. I do not see the RCG leadership providing for anyone but themselves unless there is potential gain to be had.

You have no right to accuse others of "selfishly holding on to their money" when receiving help from RCG is as hard as a camel going through the eye of a needle.

With all of this said, I still have a feeling that the individuals warning others of RCG's true nature, myself included, will continue to get labeled as tools of the devil by you and your ministers, even when the scriptures referenced above make clear that YOU are the one who is showing the most demonic behavior. Manipulation is a form of witchcraft. Pressuring members to give up money, threatening them with loss of eternal life for leaving or not giving “common,” and telling members that every single ex-member of RCG is an agent of Satan who has "committed suicide" falls under the category of spiritual manipulation. And that is something God HATES.

David Pack, YOU need to repent and truly seek God, wholeheartedly asking Him if He really approves of everything you've been doing for the past decade.

Because it is obvious from your fruits, you are not allowing Him to lead and guide you in your messages. Not at all.

The Bible is clear: "by their fruits will you know them," and the fruits you have demonstrated through the years have all been rotten. I've heard many heartbreaking stories privately shared about your spiritually abusive nature. There is NO way all of these people, including the ones who remain anonymous, are all collectively lying about you with perfect harmony. I've personally seen bad fruits manifest in you right at the podium, especially the raw, carnal anger usually directed at ex-members, and sometimes the members themselves. (Does the time you publicly threatened and intentionally frightened the young people of RCG ring a bell?) Many Godly individuals who have no affiliation with RCG or WCG can see the bad fruits within you. Why can't the RCG members see it, and why can't you see it?  

These are the dangerous consequences of having a leader who wants to be treated like an idol and cannot be corrected by anyone. Holding a leader accountable and questioning why they are doing certain things is NOT the same as rebellion. It is something God requires us to do with His guidance. (I John 4:1).

I pray that the dark spell you have on RCG members will break. I pray that you will repent. I pray that God will restore RCG and rid it of the strange teachings that have plagued it for years now. I pray that the pharisaical traditions and man-made rules being held up as if they are God's laws are crushed and replaced with a stronger focus on biblical truth.

If you never end up repenting and RCG never changes, then I pray that the members who are still there will wake up and anoint their eyes before it's too late. The number of people who have left RCG in the past decade should serve as a sign that God has NOT been pleased with the church's direction. You indirectly confirm this by a lack of annual “Fruits Letters.”

David Pack, it is my hope that one day you will go up to the mic, apologize to everyone you've hurt and misled, and renounce the false teachings that you have preached for so long. It breaks my heart to see what RCG has become, as I once believed it was the only place where God was working.

May God help you and show His love and mercy to you. May His mercy extend to everyone complicit in your deceptions. And I pray in Jesus' name, that no curse or declaration of death you pronounce on any ex-RCG member will ever come to pass. May the Lord give them all an opportunity to heal and discover a true, loving relationship with Him, untainted by the lies of men.

I believe it would benefit you greatly to re-read your own discontinued book, “Is ‘That Prophet’ Alive Today? The Rise of False Prophets.” Compare your words then to what you are doing now.

Sincerely,
Jessica Brown

P.S. I felt the need to include a link to a YouTube post that reinforces some of the biblical points made in this email. Take note of this young woman's rebuke towards the people who claimed Jesus was going to start the "rapture" on the Feast of Trumpets this past September.

YouTube Comment Link

Posted by Marc Cebrian

 

Are You One Of Those Grievous Sinful Americans Who Watches Sinful Football On Thanksgiving Day?

 

Here we go, again, everybody's favorite self-appointed Prophet of Doom™ — God's Most Highly Favored Crackpot™ — has slouched back onto the scene for his sacred annual ritual: the Thanksgiving Buzzkill Sermon™.

Instead of, I don't know, noticing that we live in a country where we can literally eat turkey until we pass out while watching millionaires throw a ball around on television, Pastor Gloom'n'Doom has once again chosen to take a giant steaming dump all over the one day we're supposed to be grateful for.

And if any of you fake Christians dare watch football today — or (gasp!) actually go outside and play catch in your own backyard with neighbors like some kind of heathen — you better drop to your knees right now and beg Almighty God to forgive you for the mortal sin of… enjoying yourselves for five damn minutes.

Can you even imagine what the world would be like if Bwana Bob just shut his joy-sucking mouth for seventy-two blessed hours and stopped marinating in his own industrial-grade negativity? My God, it would be a foretaste of heaven itself. Angels would weep. Turkeys would volunteer.

Today is the national holiday in the USA called Thanksgiving. And despite certain claims, its specific origins are not pagan. But, of course, no Christian needs to celebrate national holidays like it if they do not wish to (cf. Romans 14). And the Bible does condemn gluttony.

Yet, whether on this day or others, the Bible teaches that people should give thanks:

4 Sing praise to the LORD, You saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name (Psalm 30:4).

The Bible is full of admonitions to give thanks to God. The New King James Version of the Bible has the word ‘thank’ 25 times, ‘thanks’ 75 times, ‘thankful’ 3 times, and ‘thanksgiving’ 32 times. It also has the word ‘praise’ 237 times and ‘praises’ 11 times.

One thing that I have noticed on the day called Thanksgiving by those in the USA, is when I have been at many other places than the home I lived in, American football has been playing on television.

For many, other than food and family, football is a major focus of the Thanksgiving holiday for many in the USA.

American tackle football is unsafe and clearly harms those who engage in it a lot. Therefore, American football is not something Christians should encourage.

Pastor Gloom'nDoom even drags out Dead Herb to support his claims

...the late Herbert W. Armstrong wrote:

Hostility toward the other is sin… 

 

Football (American football) is a violent body-contact sport. It is often played with an attitude of hostility and is dangerous and is fraught with physical injury. (Plain Truth, July-August 1984)
Wherever a game in sports involves ANTAGONISTS–in HOSTILE ATTITUDE to harm the other and/or to “GET” from the other–to get the best of the other–then a harmful, Satanic and evil attitude enters in, and the sport is EVIL, not good…football, 

 

(American football)…because football is such a violent body contact sport, it TOO OFTEN is played in an ATTITUDE OF HOSTILITY, and is too DANGEROUS and fraught with PHYSICAL INJURY . Therefore it must be BANNED so far as participation by God’s Church or people is concerned…This is sufficient to illustrate the application of the PRINCIPLE of God’s Law to sports. That participated in with an attitude of HOSTILITY toward the opponent is evil. That which HARMS mentally or physically an opponent is evil. 

 

Satan is the author of COMPETITION based on hostility, harm to the opponent, GETTING by taking FROM an opponent–to his harm or loss. God’s way is LOVE TOWARD neighbor equal to love of self. (Armstrong HW. Not all sports are banned. Pastor General’s Report, Volume 2, Issue 36, September 5, 1980)

Yet, Herbert would sit in front of his TV and watch football, "professional" wrestling, as well as basketball on Thanksgiving and Saturdays.

It really pops Bwana Bob's gizzard that some people, inlcuding COG ministers give thanks for football:

While I have even heard some people thank God for football, it is not a sport that I believe that the God of love would condone.

Then, the Great Bwana has to end his post with this crap:

To close, perhaps I should mention that we do not ‘add a day’ to God’s holy days if we somehow observe Thanksgiving or other national holidays. National observances are NOT holy days, nor does anyone have to keep them. Jesus, however, observed at least one (cf. (John 10:22-23), setting an example that we can if we so choose. But not through encouraging violence.

Is there ANYTHING in this entire world that the Great Bwana Bob is EVER happy about? 

Armstrongism: 1972-1975 And Its Backpeddling And Repurposing Of Its Folklore

The overriding folklore of Armstrongism was very wealthy in terms of theories or stereotypes which could be applied to nearly anything which was trending either within the church, or in "the world". Some people did not learn from the failure of 1972-75. They backpedalled and repurposed. In Pasadena, when men began growing beards, moustaches, and long, "rebellious" sideburns and when men and women finally began wearing contemporary clothing styles, the more conservative members of the church believed that the Laodicean era of the church was emerging. Per their revised view, the Germans may not have come on time, but, Laodicea had indeed arrived! This is also when, due to the failure of 1975, members began giving in to their intellectual curiosity and undertaking their own in-depth studies of the Bible (as opposed to proving all things by simply reading and agreeing with church literature!) leading them to doubt, disagree with, and challenge what HWA had laid down as restored truths. Many of the ministers, having similarly suppressed their own questions for years, agreed with these new "dissidents", and began challenging HWA at ministerial conferences. This was quite a sizable group of respected and credible ministers, and it was a phenomenon previously unheard of in HWA's church! It had to be dealt with, and could not be swept under the rug as if it had been the effort of one "misguided" individual who had lost the way.

A mass exodus ensued, one which would never have happened if HWA's prophetic timeline had been inspired by God, and thus proven to be accurate! I was one of the members who was part of that exodus, as were many of my WCG friends! We have to remember that HWA had preached many times in the years leading up to 1972 that obedience to God (as defined by the "truths" he had discovered and taught, which "had not been taught for over 1900 years") were the reason why he alone had the gift to understand the end times prophecies of the Bible. Apparently, the people who remained in the WCG in 1975 had found a work around for this direct association between obedience to correct doctrine and correct understanding of endtimes prophecy. I could not accept HWA's insipid rationalization that "you people in the church were not ready!" Assuming for the moment that the (R)/WCG ever had anything to do with God or Jesus, that dishwater explanation does not fly when compared to the parable of the ten virgins of Matt. 25:1-13, in which the wedding went on!!! It's just that the foolish virgins who were unprepared were left out! This had always been the way of describing the fates of the Laodiceans/Philadelphians, as if there even were such a thing as "church eras" and as if WCG were Philadelphian! 

For many, the nightmares gradually decreased and ceased as our lives progressed past HWA's false dates (which he actually had the gall to deny having set, even as "1975 in Prophecy" was pulled from publication (Russian style)). We went on, rededicating our lives to family and career, salvaging them from an artificial and bogus negative stimulus. Some turned to other Christian sources, others to disbelief. We've watched, in an effort to determine whether "the church not being resdy" could in any way have been a valid explanation for the failure of the original Armstrong prophecy mold. Over the past 50 years, apparently not a single one of the Armstrong related churches has ever been "ready", and none have had similar power to HWA's COG to get out an audible warning to the world. Hi! I'd like to introduce myself as one of the kids from the 1950s and '60s. We and our parents are supposedly the generations of the Olivet Prophecy who were warned. So many of us have had good lives, have died, and no Germans have ever arrived. Still, I'd like to thank Mr. Armstrong for my zest for life and accomplishment, which I would not have had, if his "half a gospel" had actually been the truth!

BB

Crackpot Bob Sends Underling To Malawi To Find Out Why No One Showed Up For The Feast This Year

 

God’s most exquisitely favored prophet is having an absolute meltdown over his stubbornly rebellious African followers, who keep voting with their feet and walking away from his certified premium-grade nonsense. After precisely zero souls bothered to show up at his Malawi Feast site (awkward!), he’s now been forced to send poor Evans Ochieng on a desperate reconnaissance mission to figure out why everyone suddenly has better things to do.

Naturally, in a few days we’ll all be blessed with radiant, glowing reports sent back to the Big Bwana assuring us that the Malawian brethren have never been more loyal (truly, their devotion has reached previously undreamt-of heights). And really, what else could we possibly expect when Bwana Bob’s devoted lap poodles are still furiously slobbering over-the-top superlatives about how staggeringly magnificent the Bobist Ministry supposedly is in Africa?

Shocking. Truly shocking.

Karl Kolchek reporting on the ground in Africa 

Just in: this Wednesday, the Crackpot Prophet sent his head, Witchdoctor Evans Ochieng, to Malawi to prove the CCOG Malawi still exists there, as virtually no one showed up for the Feast 2025 this year. 

 

Radson Mulowzoa was made a fool of as he only had around 50 or 60 people from Malawi-Mozambique come to his Migowi Hall. It was reported to be a disaster as the people there were not even fed properly for the few days they spent there. Living on dried cassava root, Radson left them high-n-dry. 

 

Radson was too embarrassed to even send Dr Pastor Bob Thiel pictures, as he couldn't produce the thousands that the CCOG Thiel claims are there. Sadly, Dr Pastor Bob will believe what Evans and Radson tell him, even without proof. 

 

It has also been reported that Sosten L., Thiel's trump card with so-called thousands, has left CCOG as he can't stand Radson's treatment and treachery. He's now working with an Australian Church of God. Oh my, what will Bobby do now? The witchdoctors aren't being paid enough to spread the spells and deception to cover Evans and Radsons' fake reports. 

 

Fake dreams. 

 

Fake numbers of members. 

 

Bob, you've been conned Big Time. 

Word has just arrived that Ochieng is on the ground in Malawi as we post this. Should we start a countdown clock for the soon-to-be slobberfest? 

 

Fleeing in the Night: Roberta’s Harrowing Childhood Inside the WCG and Her Journey to Healing

 

Roberta was born into a nightmare—and raised in the Worldwide Church of God, a religious group with deep cultic control. In this raw, unfiltered interview, she recounts her earliest memories of violence and terror inside both her home and the WCG environment. From surviving extreme family abuse and escaping into the woods with her mother and siblings, to experiencing racism as a young mother and eventually finding healing through contemplation and therapy—Roberta’s journey is a powerful testament to survival, rebellion, and renewal. This is a story for anyone who has faced religious trauma, spiritual abuse, racism in faith communities, or family systems rooted in control and silence. Through the pain, there’s a message of hope, healing, and transformation. Watch as Roberta shares what it meant to reclaim her voice after decades of silence. 👇 If this story resonates, please like, comment, and share. 🔔 Subscribe for more survivor stories and cult recovery conversations. 👍 Like, Subscribe, & Hit the Bell to support our work! Join this channel to get access to perks like Behind-the-Scenes footage and :    / @apostatesisters   Support the Sisters’ work on Patreon: patreon.com/ApostateSisters 📢 Follow Us on Social Media: Instagram:   / apostatesisters   Tiktok:   / apostatesisters   Facebook:   / apostatesisters   BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/apostatesist... Disclaimer: This episode may contain irreverent, personal, and critical discussion of religion, culture, and systems of control. Some material may be sensitive or challenging. Humor and bluntness are part of emotional procession and social critique. Opinions shared are personal and not attacks on individuals. We support curiosity, compassion, and the right to question systems that control our lives.

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Dave Pack On The Wisest Woman In Wadsworth

 

Crackpot Prophet: It Got Hot In Israel The Other Day - A Sure Sign Of The End Times! Oh Noes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

God's most highly favored prophet to the Churches of God really got hot under the collar the other day, freaking out over a tiny little heat wave in Israel and immediately interpreting it as a surefire sign of the end times. Crackpot Bwana Bob fails to realize that Jerusalem and most of Israel sit on the same latitude lines as Los Angeles and the West Coast of California. Israel boasts a Mediterranean environment just like Central and Southern California do. Heck, we even share a ton of the same plants and crops as Israel.

Just as we endure heat waves here in Southern California during this time of year, Israel does too. It's nothing for us to hit 80-90°F while the rest of the country is freezing its butt off. Shush! Don't let our resident crackpot prophet in on this little secret!

Israel, just like the United States, has its fair share of crackpot rabbis and religious teachers—much like how the US and the Churches of God are blessed with crackpot prophets and assorted crazy religious nutcases.

God's most highly favored Crackpot Prophet scours the depths of the internet long and hard to unearth weird news that sends his brain into wild hysterics, usually over total nothingburgers.

This time, he quoted some nutjob from Israel365News, where a religious fanatic was losing it over a recent heatwave in Israel that had people flocking to the beaches. This loon equated the heat to Bible prophecy, and Crackpot Bob started slobbering in ecstasy.

The Israel Meteorological Service reported that Friday marked the single hottest late November day in Israel’s 77-year history as a nation. The heat wave persisted through the weekend, with temperatures across the country running 10°C (18°F) above seasonal averages. … 

The Bible repeatedly uses natural phenomena—drought, abundance, storm, and calm—as instruments of divine communication. When the expected patterns shift, when the seasons themselves seem confused, it demands attention. … 

Heat waves are hinted at in Isaiah as part of a Messiah-age healing process: 

And the light of the moon shall become like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall become sevenfold, like the light of the seven days, when Hashem binds up His people’s wounds and heals the injuries it has suffered. Isaiah 30:26 … 

Conversely, the Talmud in Nedarim 8b describes a form of global warming as a punishment, … Reish Lakish states: “In the future (in messianic times) there will be no Gehennom. Rather, God will remove the sun from its sheath; the righteous will be cured by it, and the wicked will be judged by it.” Pre-Messiah Heat Wave Shatters Israel’s 83-Year Temperature Records

This caused Bwana Bob to chime in with:

Yes, God does send messages using weather. These weather issues should serve as a wake-up call. The Bible is clear that God controls the weather and various calamities, but wants people to heed His prophets:

6… If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it? 7 Surely the Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. (Amos 3:6-7) The Bible tells of weather-related blessings for obedience and weather-related curses for disobedience. 

Weather is not as random as many people seem to want to believe.

And he keeps going with this gem:

8 Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. 9 And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory. (Revelation 16:8-9) 

But, the above prophecy is for several years into the future–we are not too near that yet. But I believe that this will happen in the 21st century. 

The Bible shows:

30 God … commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30 And weather problems are one tool that God uses to urge people to repent (cf. Haggai 2:17; Amos 4:7-12). But most will not. Nor will most Christians as they should (cf. Revelation 3:14-18).

Now, if everyone would just repent and join the one true Philadelphian Church of God, they could all flee to Petra at the correct time and spend 3½ years of eternal bliss listening to Bwana Bob preach in the great amphitheaters of Petra. Oh, joy!

UCG: 30 Years On And They STILL Are Trying To Figure Out Where They Are Headed

Here we are, a whopping 30 years after the United Church of God boldly proclaimed itself the shiny, upgraded Church of God, ditching their dear old momma church, the Worldwide Church of God, because it dared to slide into what they oh-so-wisely deemed apostasy. 

Scores of ministers flocked over, some helpfully swiping membership lists, computers, and whatever else wasn't nailed down from WCG, dragging whole congregations along for the ride in certain spots. And let's not forget, a few of these stellar gentlemen weren't exactly paragons of ethics back in the day, so they graciously brought their deeply embedded "leadership" quirks right along with them.

They held endless pow-wows to slap together some semblance of organization and strut forth as a church peddling what they swear up and down is the true gospel. But oh, the irony—then and now, they've never quite nailed that whole "united" vibe as a bunch of guys. That little gem exploded spectacularly in 2010's disaster-fest, when 80 ministers and nearly 8,000 members dramatically stormed out of UCG to birth the Church of God a Worldwide Association.

Since that charming split, UCG's been valiantly wrestling with the profound mystery of what their "strategic plan" might look like as an actual organization. And look at them now, in 2025, where they're STILL fumbling around, desperately trying to map out a direction and—gasp—how to actually get there.

Another year, another thrilling meeting lined up for the Council of Elders to ponder their eternal quest for purpose. How utterly groundbreaking.

From the Chairman...

As a follow-up to my earlier video, I wanted to share a short update about the Council of Elders and Church administration meetings held last week in Atlanta, Georgia. The purpose of our meetings was to begin a refresh of the Church’s Strategic Plan for the years 2026–2029.

Our specific purpose in gathering was simple but vital: to clearly define our goals, objectives and strategies so we can continue fulfilling the mission Christ has given His Church. While our mission remains unwavering—to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God, and to prepare a people to serve in God’s Kingdom—the world around us continues to change. Therefore, every three years, we take a fresh look at how to best carry out that mission in a shifting landscape of new technologies, evolving societal norms and emerging opportunities.

One of the highlights for me personally was meeting and working with our facilitator, Michael Wilkinson, who is the founder of Leadership Strategies based in Atlanta. Seventeen years ago he facilitated an earlier planning meeting with the Council. Only two of our current Council members, Victor Kubik and Aaron Dean, were part of that original session, yet Michael remembered the experience well.

Michael began our meetings with training on understanding the dynamics of working together to form long-term plans. We discussed how disagreements arise and the three levels at which they tend to occur: differences in information, differences in values, and conflicts rooted in unrelated issues. Exploring how to resolve each type was eye-opening and deeply beneficial.

We then spent most of our time doing the actual work of developing the Strategic Plan. We reviewed the distinctions between goals and objectives, and we examined the critical success factors and barriers that can influence our ability to achieve what we’ve set out to do.

Over the course of three days, we made great progress and will continue the momentum with follow-up meetings in December. From there, the president and administration will develop action plans and monitoring systems to ensure our strategies are carried out effectively. Ultimately the Plan will be sent to the General Conference of Elders for review and approval in May.

The meetings themselves were productive and energizing. Meals served in the adjacent room kept us moving efficiently, and a warm invitation from Jonathan and Bridgette (Sexton) Beam to dine at their home nearby added a much-appreciated personal touch. A few Council members who remained in the area through the Sabbath were also able to visit and speak in nearby congregations before heading home.

Overall, these days together were deeply encouraging. I’m grateful for the unity, dedication and thoughtful collaboration shown by everyone involved. With God’s guidance, I believe the plans we’re shaping will strengthen our efforts to carry the gospel forward and continue caring for those He calls.

In Christ’s service,

Tim Pebworth, Chairman

A New Ministry By Samuel Kitchen

 

Thanksgiving: Are You Giving Thanks to Ceres or God?

 

Are You Giving Thanks to Ceres or God?

My friend, xHWA, has been posting a great series of posts on Samhain over at the blog As Bereans Did. As my readers know, this blog has pushed back on an unfortunate phenomenon which began during the Protestant Reformation - a claim that has been advanced by certain over-zealous and mostly well-meaning folks that most of the holidays we celebrate are rooted in pagan practices of the past. And, as xHWA and others have pointed out, most of these claims are based in whimsy and apophenia (seeing connections or patterns in data which do NOT exist and consequently lead to false conclusions).

Now, while this phenomenon has focused more on traditional holidays (like Christmas, Easter, and Halloween), there are a few rabid individuals who have even attempted to paint the American Thanksgiving holiday with this pagan brush! Don't think so? Try typing "pagan origins of Thanksgiving" into your search engine and see what happens!

My Bing Copilot picked up this: "Thanksgiving has roots in ancient pagan harvest festivals, reflecting traditions of gratitude and celebration of the harvest season." It continued:

Historical Context
Thanksgiving, as celebrated in the United States, is often traced back to the 1621 feast shared by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe. However, the concept of giving thanks for the harvest predates this event and is deeply rooted in various pagan traditions. Many ancient cultures held harvest festivals to honor their deities and celebrate the abundance of the season.
Pagan Harvest Festivals
Cerelia: In ancient Rome, the festival of Cerelia was dedicated to Ceres, the goddess of agriculture and grain. This festival celebrated the harvest and involved various rituals and feasting, similar to modern Thanksgiving practices.

Lughnasadh and Samhain: The Gaelic Celts celebrated Lughnasadh around August 1st, marking the beginning of the harvest season, and Samhain on November 1st, which signified the end of the harvest. These festivals included feasting and community gatherings, reflecting the themes of gratitude and abundance.

Harvest Home: In Britain, the tradition of Harvest Home evolved from pagan customs, where communities would celebrate the completion of the harvest with feasts and festivities. This practice continued even after the Christianization of the region, blending pagan and Christian elements.

The information was then summarized by noting paganism's "Influence on Modern Thanksgiving:"

The modern Thanksgiving celebration incorporates many elements from these ancient harvest festivals. The act of gathering with family and friends to give thanks for the harvest mirrors the communal feasting of past cultures. While Thanksgiving is now a secular holiday, its roots in pagan traditions highlight the universal human practice of celebrating abundance and expressing gratitude. 

 

In summary, while Thanksgiving is often viewed through a contemporary lens, its origins are intertwined with ancient pagan customs that celebrated the harvest and the changing seasons. These traditions have shaped the way we observe Thanksgiving today, emphasizing gratitude and community.

Google's AI Overview offered much of the same information. Their lead paragraph read:

Thanksgiving has roots in ancient pagan harvest celebrations from various cultures, which honored the earth's bounty through feasting and rituals. Examples include the Roman Cerelia festival for the harvest goddess Ceres and the Celtic Harvest Home, which featured parades and feasts for the final harvest. Modern Paganism, specifically Neopaganism, observes a similar celebration called Mabon, which marks the autumnal equinox with feasting and gratitude for the harvest.

"Well, they must be right! Thanksgiving is nothing but a pagan celebration to honor Ceres! True Christians shouldn't be partaking in this pagan holiday!" If that was your reaction, you may want to examine the AI sources behind these statements.

The actual history of this celebration is drilled into every school-aged child in America! Most Americans will tell you that the first Thanksgiving was celebrated by the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians in the fall of 1621. Surprisingly, many of them will also be able to tell you that Abraham Lincoln was the first president to make it an official national holiday. In other words, the genesis of the holiday is clearly found among a group of Christian people who wanted to give thanks to God for their survival and a bountiful harvest at the conclusion of their first year on this continent. The truth is that these humble folks didn't have a pagan thought in their heads at the time!

It is my hope that in pointing out just how absurd this notion about pagan origins can be - that it will give some of my Armstrong Church of God and Jehovah's Witnesses brethren some pause about our other holidays which have been painted with this brush. The real truth is that almost all of our current holiday traditions were founded in the Christian era and do NOT have pagan origins. The fact that pagans observed harvest festivals devoted to their gods and goddesses does not mean that we borrowed our celebration from them. If anything, this entire exercise should generate a little intellectual curiosity. and a willingness to dig a little deeper and engage our brains in some good old critical thinking and common sense! What do you think?

 Miller Jones/Lonnie C Hendrix

Gerald Flurry: Apologize to me for ignoring my awesomenss

 

Why is it that so many ministers and particularly church leaders think they are elevated to almost adoration status, and when the sheeple don't slobber up to them, they get their royal knickers all tied up in a knot?

Exit and Support Network had this appalling letter up about Gerald Flurry doing this exact thing:

GF Demanded an Apology Letter From My Sister:
November 18, 2025 

 

This is something I have wanted to write about but haven’t until now. 

 

Years ago when I and my sister were in our early 20’s, my sister used to write letters to Gerald Flurry like many people did. She would hear a message and write and thank him for the sermon, etc. She worked in the PCG office at the time. 

 

One time Gerald Flurry visited our country during PYC [Philadelphia Youth Camp]. We were all told not to overwhelm the “prophet” when he came here and let everyone have an opportunity to speak to him. Well, there were no big line ups of people waiting to talk to him for fear they would be taking up his time. This included me and my sister and many others. However, Gerald flurry must have felt he had a connection with my sister, or something weird. So he told the regional director at the time that he was not happy she didn’t even come and say hello to him and he demanded an apology letter. So she, like a naughty child, had to write an apology letter to him. That should have rung alarm bells back then. My whole family thought it was weird but brushed it aside. Crazy looking back. 

 

GF also told my father, who was a minister at the time, “In the real world, you and I would never be friends.” My dad was gutted. This is a man of God over His people? Doubtful. Years of evidence shows GF is all about himself. 

 

Thanks for the opportunity to write and expose. –[name withheld]

Crackpot Prophet On New Lost Truths That HWA Was Too Stupid To Understand

 

During Herbert Armstrong's lifetime, he claimed to have restored all sorts of lost doctrines that the church had somehow bungled preserving over 1,900 years. God must have been asleep at the wheel too, since He apparently couldn't keep His own words intact for humanity to grasp. All those so-called Christians down through the centuries? Total idiots, blindly following what they thought was God's word, but really just pawns in Satan's grand deception scheme.

Then along comes HWA, swooping in like a hero to restore the word, and suddenly humanity has access to salvation once more. But oops—he dies, and poof, the word vanishes again until Bob Thiel bursts onto the scene and restores even more lost teachings.

God's supposed gift to the church makes these bold claims:

The Apostle Paul wrote:

14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:14-15)

16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them … (1 Timothy 4:16)

Notice that we MUST CONTINUE with the doctrines of the true faith.

As far as “from whom you have learned them,” consider that we have restored a lot in the Continuing Church of God that hopefully you have learned.

HWA only managed to reveal a few tidbits, so Bwana Bob has had to swoop in and complete those teachings with shiny new and improved revelations and doctrines. Who knew!

He goes on to claim that in the last days, a new and improved COG leader would arise, keep learning fresh insights, and reveal them to the faithful flock:

Herbert Armstrong wrote:

In these last days, according to biblical prophecy, knowledge, spiritual as well as material, was to be increased. The true Church of God was to be set back on the track, restoring the glorious knowledge of the faith once delivered to the saints in the days of the original apostles. (Armstrong HW. Mystery of the Ages, 1985)

Notice Herbert Armstrong believed that knowledge of church history–the original faith once delivered (Jude 3), and spiritual knowledge (which would included, for example, dreams and prophecies from God-would need to be increased in the last days–this has happened in the CCOG in the 21st century! 

What miraculous new truths has the Great Bwana restored?

1) Why did God make you?

Your purpose in this life is to build character so you can maximize your potential and increase how much better you can improve eternity. God made YOU so that you will be able to use your unique talents (Matthew 25:14-23; Luke 19:11-19) to give love in order to make eternity better! … God’s plan for all who will respond to Him is to be able to give love in a unique way to make eternity better for them personally and everyone else.

2) Now why did God create anything?

God created what He did so eternity would be better. (cf. Hebrews 6:9, 11:16; Philippians 1:23). 3) Thirdly, why did God make others? In the Continuing Church of God we teach:

God’s plan for all who will respond to Him is to be able to give love in a unique way to make eternity better for them personally and everyone else.

HWA and all the other COGs were apparently too dense to uncover these three earth-shattering truths, and if you truly believe them, you'd automatically flock to the improperly named "Continuing" Church of God.

Those are three BASIC TRUTHS which were not fully restored by Herbert W. Armstrong nor the other COGs, but were restored via the Continuing Church of God. 

Do YOU understand them? Do YOU agree with them?

These restored truths are based on scripture–the source of the truth to help Christians become complete (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

If you believe those truths, then you should support the Continuing Church of God consistent with the Apostle Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 3:14. 

The Great Bwana didn't stop with these three amazing new truths; oh no, he has more!

Here is a summary of some other matters restored in the CCOG:

Dreams & Signs of Acts 2:17-18: That was done by God, not man, consistent with the prophesies in Acts 2:17-18. The giving of confirmed dreams shows Divine confirmation of the CCOG. No true Christian church has had so many confirmed dreams and signs as the Continuing Church of God in the 21st century. Hopefully, YOU FULLY ACCEPT how God has chosen to work. 

Teaching all things Jesus taught as Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:19-20. The Continuing Church of God has intentionally covered every verse in the New Testament where Jesus’ words are recorded–is not that something the most faithful Christian church would do?

Church History–Jude wrote that Christians are ” to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3)–by better documenting that, the Continuing Church of God has done more that way than any Christian church in the 21st century.

Laying on of Hands Succession and List: While there were attempts at a succession list in the 20th century, the most complete laying on of hands succession list in the Church of God was produced in the Continuing Church of God this century. 

This is an outright lie! Every single Church of God group out there REFUSED to ordain Bob. If he claims Gaylyn Bonjour ordained him, he is a liar. Not a single one of them! Zilch! He had to resort to having one of his African associates ordain him.

Next up, God had to reveal to the Great Bwana how awful football is. It’s a doctrinal and salvational issue, apparently.

Violent Sports/merican Football Evil?  Early Christians would not watch violent sports, despite the popularity of American tackle football in the USA, the ContinuingChurch of God put out a biblical and historically-appropriate teaching against that.

And the list continues with things no one really cares about. 

Details and Ramifications of Being Non-Trinitarian–by better documenting that, the Continuing Church of God has done more that way than any Christian church in the 21st century.

The Final Phase of the Work and Preparing for the ‘Short Work’ and The Famine of the Word: We are in the last days before the start of the Great Tribulation. The ContinuingChurch of God has done more to teach about the final phase of the work as well as preparing for the short work of Romans 9:28 and the famine of the word (Amos 8:11-12) way than any Christian church in the 21st century.

The Gospel of the Kingdom of God translated into more languages under the CCOG than any COG in church history. Furthermore, we seem to be the only COG in the past several centuries to more fully distinguish between the millennial and post-millennial phases of the Kingdom of God.

Romans 11:25 and the Full Number of the Gentiles: While this had been taught in the 20th century, to a degree, more has been taught and emphasized about it, as well as trying to fulfill part of it by the Continuing Church of God than any Christian church in the 21st century.

Major and massive details, including more scriptures complied, on God’s plan of salvation  than looks to have been done before. Would not the most faithful Christian church  have put together the most scriptures about God’s plan of salvation?

Prophecy. The Laodicean churches have so many errors in prophetic understanding that they will not know when the Great Tribulation will start nor when it is time to flee to the wildernes. Is not that not something the most faithful Christian church would know? The Continuing Church of God has restored numerous prophetic truths as well as has pointed out errors that the non-Philadelphian COG churches teach.

Habakkuk 2 and Debt While a previous COG started to do this after my urging, it then backed away from it. So, the truth about how debt is a prophesied part of why the United States of America will be destroyed was restored by me, now in the Continuing Church of God.

Identity of the Man of Sin of 2 Thessalonians 2: The Church of God in the 20th century had this wrong. Several leaders once in it, such as Aaron Dean and certain leaders in the Living Church of God, admitted that the position taught by the Continuing Church of God is the correct one, yet their respective churches teach the scripturally-wrong position.

Daniel 11:39 and the Start of the Great Tribulation: All the headquarters-based evangelists at the Living Church of God told me I was correct on that and that LCG would change its official statement of fundamental beliefs to reflect that, yet they still improperly teach the start of the Great Tribulation is Daniel 11:40, not 11:39. And unless they, and most of the other COGs, change, they will not know when the Great Tribulation will start until afterwards. Hence, they will not know when to flee in time (cf. Revelation 12:14-17).

USA-Samaria Identification: Although many groups understand the connection between the United States of America and the tribe of Manasseh, they do not seem to understand that prophesies related to Samaria also are for the United States. The doctrinal letter answerer at LCG concurred that I was correct about that, but LCG never adopted the view.

Mark of the Beast: The mark of the beast is MORE than Sunday and may well involve a type of cross. That is also consistent with what Christians taught centuries ago and that has been restored in the Continuing Church of God.

Attaining the Unity of God. Roman Catholics teach that the trinity is the unity of God. In the CCOG, we teach that is not, but restored the truth about what early second century Christians taught.

Why Do Christian People Die?: The truth is that people die when it is best for them. We have added scriptural truths to what the Church of God taught in 20th century.

Information on the Third Resurrection. The third resurrection is NOT just for the incorrigibly wicked, despite what many were taught in the 20th and 21st centuries. The fact that it is for all who were not part of the first resurrection is a truth restored by the Continuing Church of God.

The reason there was both a Passover and Atonement sacrifice representing Jesus. The Day of Atonement comes after the Feast of the Trumpets. Its final fulfillment is after the end of the church age. In the Continuing Church of God we have pointed out that while Christians in this age follow the Passover service Jesus instituted, the Atonement sacrifice points to the fact that God has a plan for those not called in the church age.

The Great Bwana ends with these absurd claims and warns anyone who does not join his cult is in danger of losing their salvation:

It was the Continuing Church of God that is restoring all things, having the fruits consistent with Jesus’ words (Matthew 17:11). Those who believe them absolutely should be in the ContinuingChurch of God–as the Apostle Paul wrote, “you MUST CONTINUE in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them.”

The Continuing Church of God has the fruits and does best represent the remnant of the Philadelphian portion of the Church of God in the 21st century.

Brethren, do not reject the truths restored by and to the Philadelphians because of critics and those who think their pet doctrine or assessment of how a church should be run affect you. NO OTHER GROUP HAS RESTORED THE TRUTHS THAT THE CCOG HAS–AND PROPHETICALLY THAT IS WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR THE PHILADELPHIAN REMNANT TO DO.

Rest assured that your salvation is NOT at stake if you do not join the Great Bwanas cult. The truth is, your salvation WILL be at stake if you do join up with his heretical nonsense.