Dave Pack: Letting His Light Shine Behind Burlap And Security Guards

Real Christians, those who follow that heretical disruptive guy from Gallaliee, are always about letting their light shine and putting their words into action in the world around them as they do their part to make the kingdom of God tangible to people around them.

That is unless you are a Church of God leader. Two of the larger COG's are literally ensconced on their compounds behind gates with security guards.  God forbid if any of the unwashed unconverted masses of the world would ever be allowed to set foot on the "millennial" campuses these guys have conned their members into building.  Gerald Flurry in Edmond, Oklahoma, and Dave Pack in Wadsworth Ohio, live their lives of privilege on their church funded grounds and in custom-built luxury homes safely behind gates and fencing. Security guards keep the demon influenced public away from the sacred homes of the fearless leaders.

Today I received notice about another Wardsworth Facebook group where Dave Pack and his cult are being discussed.  Dave certainly has NOT made a positive impact in the Wadsworth community, despite the fact he conned the mayor to show up at his dedication and the press to write glowing reviews of his buildings as he expanded his compound headquarters.

Here is what spurred on the recent Dave Pack discussions on Facebook:

Imagine being so paranoid that Dave has to put burlap over the fencing in order to keep people from looking into his compound.  Actually, I think it may be something else.  That burlap keeps Dave from being able to see any of the unwashed heathen masses that drive by every day. He has even admitted he never goes off the compound for daily necessities in life.  This way, his magnificent brain can be totally focused upon planning for the arrival of Jesus in Wadsworth sometime within the next year or so - as he keeps getting the date wrong. God forbid if any of the public got to see Jesus walking the grounds of the compound has He talks with Dave.

So Dave needs an armory?  Where is his almighty god to protect him? Why is he not willing to be a martyr for his version of the truth? It is amazing to see what cowards the leadership is in the COG movement. They screech and bellyache about being persecuted and yet don't have the balls to be the powerful men they claim to be.

It's pretty sad that these so-called "men of God" are immediately seen as cult-leaders. Men who are supposed to be in direct communication with god. Being followers of The Way is not part of their insular worlds.

It is interesting to see how women are treated in the Restored Church of God. This sadly does not surprise me.  Many of the other splinter cults of Armstorngism have treated women as less than for decades. I remember one elder in Pasadena who commanded his wife to walk behind him a few steps.  She could never stand or walk directly beside him. More often than not, when you saw them together, she was always looking down at the floor.

It is hard to imagine this is the face that the public sees of Dave.  Imagine Jesus ever doing anything like this. 

We have reported here before how Dave is buying up all the houses in the area around his compound for the most loyal of his staff and followers can live. More proof:

double click to enlarge

I say BRAVO to the citizens of Wadsworth that they are on to Dave Pack and his cult. They are right to be very afraid of Dave and what goes on there. Dave and his minions are in a position to do some very damaging things to members and those around him if he continues down the path he is on.  From isolating his members from those around them and their families to requiring that his followers dish over from 20 - 90% of their income is appalling and should continue to be exposed.  His nefarious new teaching on "all things common" should be a warning to the public and the local authorities that Dave is up to some dangerous shit! 

The really sad thing is that when his followers heard his new teaching on "all things common" they bought into it unquestioningly.  Many sold homes and businesses and cashed in life insurance policies and retirement plans to give it all to Dave.  People took out mortgages on their homes and gave that all to Dave with the expectation of never having to pay it back to the back because Christ would return and they would not need to pay the bank back.

People warned the mayor and the local press when Dave was going on his "open house" media blitz that there was a darker side to Dave.  People contacted the Wadsworth religion editor for the local paper and she refused to do any story that was negative about Dave.

Wadsworth citizens have a right to be concerned about what goes on at that compound and they should NEVER take the focus off of Dave and his cult. Dangerous times are ahead!

“The Two Trees” need a chainsaw

Child abuse and the church.

Racism and the church.

Divorce and Remarriage and the church.

Failed prophecies and the church.

What’s the common theme? The root of the problem? Satan? Human nature? Or an organization that continues to feed on fear, perpetuate hate, and devour the flock. 

Can an evil tree bear good fruit? “The Two Trees” need a chainsaw. 

from a reader

Dave Pack on devil children disrupting his sermons

The Church of God has always had a love/hate relationship with children.  It has always looked at them as potential money streams when they get older and they also find them horribly disruptive when they make noises in church services and take the focus away from God's most superfantabulous ministers. Countless articles have been written over the decades on how to train a child to behave in church. Every single one of them ended up expecting corporal punishment to be used to keep the kiddos in line and compliant. Nothing pisses off a COG minister more than a baby wailing during a service when he is expounding on point 137 during the most incredible sermon ever to be preached. Even women with short hair and wearing slacks in church is not as offensive as a bellowing baby or god-forbid a happy baby that makes surrounding members giggle.

Dave Pack writes:

Those who have been members of God’s Church for any length of time can relate to the following scenario: you are sitting in Sabbath services, listening to a sermonette, announcements or sermon. You are mindful of the importance of the time spent in God’s “classroom” each week, so you strive to listen carefully to the speaker (whether live or on CD) and take notes.

But, as you listen, you are challenged by the need to “tune out” a child who is talking, crying or otherwise making noise. Have you ever found yourself in this situation? If you are a parent, has your child ever been the source of noise during services?

Others in the Church, especially those who date back to the days of larger congregations in nearly every major and medium-sized city, may recall more serious disruptions on the Sabbath, even vandalism. Parents sometimes allowed children to leave services unaccompanied for a “restroom break”—who would then wreak havoc. This created friction with the owners or custodians of rented halls.

Do your children reflect a different standard of behavior from their peers, just as we should? And have they learned to behave during the time it matters most—at Sabbath services?

Heaven help any poor member who's child disrupts Daves sermons! This is almost on par with the unpardonable sin!

God holds parents accountable for how well they perform their duties in this most important stewardship: the development of future god-beings.

Within the government of the Church, the ministry holds parents accountable for their children’s behavior, just as God holds His ministers responsible for maintaining decency and order among His people (I Cor. 14:40). Negligence on the part of anyone in this chain can lead to serious consequences. Incidents of vandalism can lead to a congregation being evicted from a facility, which not only presents a major problem for the brethren and ministry, but also stains the reputation of the Church.

Apparently, the Restored Church of God is filled with rebellious devil children who wreak havoc and destroy rented halls all over the world.

In Armstrongism, children are corrupted by Satan the first moment they take a breathe. The devil controls them from that point on and it is the duty of the parent to make sure their children resist the devil. Notice how this nonsense still fills Dave's mind:

While children possess a certain innocence, many parents tend to think their children can do no wrong. Fathers and mothers look on them as extensions of themselves, which is natural. But the human tendency to justify the self is often transferred to your children’s actions as well.

God’s people should have a deeper understanding of human nature than those outside the Church. Scriptures such as Jeremiah 17:9 and Romans 8:7 describe the hearts that are in all human beings, including little ones.

Years ago, a news story confirmed what wise parents already knew: “Babies aren’t as innocent as they look, according to…research out of the United Kingdom. Sweet little infants actually learn to deceive before they can talk, says University of Portsmouth psychology department head Vasudevi Reddy in a study that challenges traditional notions of innocence while confirming many parents’ suspicions about their sneaky babies.

“Most psychologists have believed that children cannot really lie until about four years of age. But after dozens of interviews with parents, and years spent observing children, Dr. Reddy has determined that infants as young as seven months are quite skilled at pulling the wool over their parents’ eyes.

“Long before children can understand complex ideas about truth and deception…‘they are engaging in subtle manipulations of their own and others’ actions, which succeed in deceiving others at least temporarily.’

“There was the 11-month-old who, caught in the act of reaching for the forbidden soil of a house plant, quickly turned his outstretched hand into a wave, his mother reported to Dr. Reddy, ‘as though he was saying, “Oh, I wasn’t really going to touch the soil, Mom, I was waving at you.”’

“Fake crying is another trick babies learn early on to get attention, Dr. Reddy says. The researcher defines ‘fake’ crying as being more calculated than the usual ‘I’m tired/hungry/wet/hurt/lonely’ cries” (The Globe and Mail).

Keep this reality in mind when working with your sons and daughters!

The ministry strives to err on the side of mercy. But unless there has been a major misunderstanding of events involved, it is not productive to defend your child if he or she makes a mistake—which will happen. And parents should not take this personally. All children find their way into mischief by nature: “Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him” (Prov. 22:15).

The church inwardly knows that many of their teachings on child-rearing are not right, otherwise they would not caution parents to be careful when and how they discipline.

The proverb above leads to a central point: your children’s conduct on the Sabbath reflects how well you are training, correcting and disciplining them during the other six days of the week. What you sow on a daily basis, in terms of time spent teaching, will be reaped during the weekly commanded assembly.

It is crucial for parents to “practice” services at home. Strive to reproduce the Sabbath environment—sit your child at your feet, play a recorded sermon if possible, etc. Your instruction to them should be to be quiet and stay put, and violations of these rules should bring swift punishment—severe enough to make an impression and teach obedience.

(A note regarding physical discipline: be very cautious and discreet when in public places, such as hotels and meeting halls. Discipline should always be administered in private! Be aware of the laws regarding spanking in the state or country in which you live, and also at the location of your Feast site.) 

The church used to have "spanking tents" at Feast sites, at least those in the U.S. did.  Disruptive children were to be taken there and spanked.  Usually with a paddle, and certainly more than 5-10 swats. This tent was usually filled with screaming kids and angry parents. This only lasted a few years until people went to the press in the Pocono's with news of the horrific things going on in the tents.  They immediately disappeared.

Children in the church were never allowed to grow up and be children.  The same restrictive rules imposed upon adults made the lives of children pure hell at times and still does, in Dave's cult.

Here is the list of Dave's commands for obedient children. One's children must never disrupt Holy Dave when he is speaking.

Here is what is expected of children at services:

• Children must learn to play, read, draw or color quietly, and stay close to their parents. School-age children should gradually learn to pay attention and, eventually, take notes.

• Crying or fussing babies and toddlers should be immediately taken out of the room where services are held, and quieted elsewhere, so they do not unduly disrupt the proceedings. A child’s behavior, however, must not be allowed to cause a parent to miss large portions of the service.

• Children should not be unruly and should show respect for others, and the property of others, at all times. (This applies whether the congregation meets in a hall or at a host’s home.)

• Little ones should never be left unattended before, during or after services. (This does not mean that parents must continually hover over them, but at least one parent should be aware of what they are doing and supervise from a distance.)

• Any child under 12 years of age should be accompanied to restrooms by a parent. Any bathroom stops during services should be rare. Make it a habit to address this need beforehand.

• While it is fine for children to play together before and after services, they should not be loud and boisterous.

• Children must never run while at services, or engage in rough horseplay.