Restored Church of God Abuse Contributes To Suicide

From a letter on a Networks of Doom web site.  Sent to me by a former RCG member today
Restored Church of God's Malicious Ad-buy Strategy

This letter was in the comments section of the article.

The Restored Church of God (RCOG) is indeed a cult. How else could you describe a so-called church where they use documented mind control tactics to persuade their members? What else besides a cult would work so hard to get their members to sell their houses and give it to Pack’s fund, take out second and third mortgages, give up to half or more of their income, put themselves in unbelievable debit, give up all of their friends and alienate their family, divorce their spouses (if not their first spouse, then all other spouses are considered illegitimate and must be scraped off)? Their charismatic sermons instill anger and hatred of all other people who are not in the church. This church prays on people who are searching for structure and a strong message, and they proceed to take everything away from them and then use flattery, ego stroking, and mind control tricks to turn these people into unbelievable zealots. Hatred of everyone and everything else that is not the church is just the tip of the iceberg.

The doctrines and teachings of this cult are extremely charismatic, invasive and destructive, but they get away with it because their ministers are masters of manipulation. They know how to stroke the victim’s ego and make them believe that they are special, sooooo smart for choosing the right church, and one of the chosen few who will be a part of the REAL church when the end comes. Everyone I met that was associated with this church was an incredibly smart, but also incredibly ego driven person that was constantly seeking approval or validation for their life choices. Like any other cult they really know how to find your soft spot and dig in. They want the smart, opinionated and ego-driven types. They convert them into drones who work endlessly to fund the Pack money and power machine. If you disagree in the slightest with anything (that includes wanting to ask for more clarification on a point or asking a “but…” question), you are tossed out on your ear.

Sorry to rant on about this, but I have had several dear dear friends completely ruined by this church. One eventually committed suicide because they had nothing at the end. The church took everything from them, demanded more and provided no support, no help, no love, and was only interested in deconstructing them and turning them into something I could not even recognize any more. One dear sweet lady is now convinced that she betrayed God and is just a tortured soul who will likely never again know any sort of hope or peace with God.

I just hope that someone, somewhere reads this and avoids getting involved with this cult/church. There are so many good, hopeful and happy churches in the world that it hurts my soul to think of the people that are hurt so badly by this terrible cult.

David C Pack: "Everyone who has challenged me has either died, been seriously injured or has been eliminated from the work."

David C. Pack has left a trail of destruction in his wake ever since he was made a ministurd.   Lives have literally be destroyed because of this man ever since the late 1980's.  That sick legacy continues to this day with his latest failed prophecies and cover-up to his sick obsession with money.  The fact that people like Dale Schurter and others willingly  turn a blind eye to Dave's disgusting behavior and lies demonstrates how sick the mindset is of some entrenched in Armstrongism can be.  They give up being a follow of Jesus to being a follower of a disturbed little man.

The following is from the Ambassador Report 32, page 1048

David Pack's Reign of Terror

On the night of(4 y/o stabbed by her Mom) Roxanne Elliott's death, one of the last people - probably the very last one - Lois Elliott phoned before the tragedy was WCG minister David Pack, pastor of the Buffalo (North), New York congregation..

Armstrong Follower Held In Murder of Daughter On Sept. 20, 1984, Armstrong follower Lois Marie Elliott of North Tonawanda, New York was charged with second- degree murder. Police say that before dawn that day, the 36-year-old woman stabbed her four year-old daughter to death in the child's bed, knifed herself in the chest, in an apparent suicide attempt, and then telephoned police, saying, "I killed her." Officers dispatched to the scene discovered the pajama-clad body of the little girl, Roxanne Elizabeth, in her own bed. She had already died from multiple stab wounds, mostly to the chest. Mrs. Elliott was found nearby bleeding from a wound to her own chest. (The Buffalo News, Sept. 20, 1984, p. 1 and Sept. 21, p. C- 5.) Elliott was divorced from her WCG-member husband Frederick R. Elliott of Kenmore, New York, and had been living with her widowed mother Olive Baldassara. Mrs. Baldassara was home the night of the tragedy, but was apparently asleep in another room during the attack. 

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David Pack's Reign of Terror 

On the night of Roxanne Elliott's death, one of the last people - probably the very last one - Lois Elliott phoned before the tragedy was WCG minister David Pack, pastor of the Buffalo (North), New York congregation.. Exactly what was said, we don't know. At least not yet. That information may well come out should Lois Elliott ever recover sufficiently to stand trial. What is remarkable, however, is how often Pack's name seems to appear in conjunction with tragedies in the WCG. For a number of years now, no WCG minister's name has appeared more often in letters written to the Report complaining of ministerial abuse. 

Pack, a burly 6-foot, 5-inch Ambassador College graduate known locally for his authoritarian style, has so incensed some in his flock that a group have circulated an open letter detailing his abuses and have called for his removal. The letter describes Pack's ministerial leadership as a "Reign of Terror." On the cover page, addressed to WCG headquarters leaders, they wrote: "David's power-crazed quest to totally dominate the mind, body, and spirit of church members has not been done in a corner and has been done clearly in view of all to see at headquarters in Pasadena." 

On the following 13 pages of their letter the allegations about Pack read like a horror story. The authors contend that Pack constantly intimidates members, uses threats and mind-control methods, is given to extreme emotional outbursts, is highly political, believes in winning at all cost, has disfellowshipped members for trivial faults, prescribes diets while "playing M.D.," insists on being addressed as Mr. Pack, enjoys wearing skimpy, skin-tight shorts to sporting events, has actually worn a wolf costume to church socials, enjoys putting down women, and told one married woman with children, "It would be better for you to shack up one night with a man than wear makeup." 

The letter quotes Pack as having said, "Everyone who has challenged me has either died, been seriously injured or has been eliminated from the work." And, "God backs me even if I am wrong." 

On page 7 the authors made this statement to Pack (emphasis ours): Doesn't it bother you that while you were in charge of the Rochester and Syracuse area there were three suicides? One can only wonder why they chose to kill themselves while you were their main advisor in the area. Perhaps you suggested to one or more of them that they would in no way make it into the Kingdom of God.... A statement such as, "You are no longer in the body of Christ," could have caused one to give up and kill himself. The above quote was written well before the Elliott family tragedy. Some who knew little Roxanne and her mother Lois Elliott wonder if it might have been a prophecy.

Bob Thiel: We Are Going Spend Eight Days Reading The Law At My Feast Sites

Bob Thiel, the non-ordained self-appointed Chief Overseer of the Continuing Ed Church of God, is waxing eloquent today about past COG feast sites he has been to, starting in the mid 70's.  At that time ten's of thousands would be attending feast sites.  Those days are looooong gone since the Worldwide Church of God  split into hundreds and hundreds of little personality cults.  The church used to mock Christianity for its many different denominations and yet Armstrongism has turned into the same thing.

Every single one of these splinter groups claim their group are the only ones keeping it properly.

Thiel, in his ever  present arrogance, make such a claim.  His group and only his group are reading ht law this feast.  There will be no talk about Jesus or anything he did and accomplished, but plenty of bull about the law.

The only Feast of Tabernacles’ sites that I am aware of that are following the biblical instruction to read the law every seven years at the Feast of Tabernacles for 2013 are those of the Continuing Church of God.