Ian Boyne Dies!

The shocking news from Jamaica is that Ian has died.  Ian was the only COG minister who had the integrity to talk across the aisle with those he disagreed with and also had the wherewithal to acknowledge that Armstrongism was fatally flawed and needed to be reinvented it is to survive.  He knew firsthand how Thiel, Flurry, Pack, Malm and others were ripping members lives apart with their legalism and outright lies.

I had several discussions with Ian over the last couple of years and we were both surprised at the things we agreed upon.  Many times he said he was almost getting to the point of being borderline agnostic at times.  Eh was widely read in his interests in books which included books on atheism, evolution, cults and other issues.

RJRNews had this to say:

Ian Boyne is dead

Veteran Journalist Ian Boyne is dead.

Mr. Boyne died this morning at the University Hospital of West Indies in St. Andrew.

Mr. Boyne was hospitalised earlier this month and was released shortly after.

He was host of Profile and Religious Hardtalk, aired on our sister station Television Jamaica (TVJ), as well as a columnist for the Sunday Gleaner.

In his early years, Ian Boyne worked with the Jamaica Information Service (JIS), then known as the Agency for Public Information (API) in the seventies.

He also worked for various public sector agencies, serving the Government of Jamaica in the area of public information. 

He returned to the JIS at the turn of the century and at the time of his death was the agency's Deputy Executive Director. There, he hosted the agency's interview programme, Issues and Answers.

Ian Boyne was perhaps best known as host of Television Jamaica's long running  interview show, Profile, which started in the early 80s on the predecessor station, JBC TV, and for his weekly column in the Sunday Gleaner.

His interview with eight time Olympic Gold Medalist Usain Bolt is one of his most memorable on Profile. 

A decade and a half ago, he was asked to host Religious Hardtalk, a new programme on RJR94 FM. 

Shock And Grief ... Social Media Reactions To Ian Boyne's Passing

There has been an outpouring of shock and grief on social media following the passing of veteran journalist Ian Boyne.‎Boyne passed away in hospital this morning after a brief illness. 

He had only recently suffered a series of heart attacks and was at home recovering but had to be readmitted on the weekend. 

Here are some of the comments posted on Twitter: 

@AndrewHolnessJM: It is with deep sadness that I acknowledge the death of veteran journalist and a true friend Ian Boyne. This is a shock to me. I will make a statement soon. 

@karendmadden: Even Jamaica's dancehall referenced Ian Boyne. Man crossed every walk of life. 

Cordel Green: "He held a neutral space in a polarised environment. He leaves a legacy which will serve as a solid guidance and foundation of reliable quality and substance."
@VicMelhadoDaley: A phenomenal journalist and legend has passed but has left a great legacy behind; may his soul RIP. #Condolences to his family.  

@kryticalmind: Waking up to such disheartening news about Mr. Boyne. He fed families with inspiration through the profiles of Jamaican and Black Excellence. Immeasurable impact on the psyche and aspirations of many, including my own. A life well spent and well lived, Ian.  

@yaneekpage: I can’t even process the magnitude of this loss for Jamaica. Devastated. Rest well Ian Boyne  More here: Jamaica Gleaner

David C Pack's Coffee Con Game

For many years now we have heard from former Restored Church of God members and from Dave Pack himself on how everything is "in common" because as God's only true representative on earth, he and he alone is the rightful heir to all money, property, retirement income and anything else he can con people out of.

Thanks to the constant flow of money into his compound he lives rent-free in a church-owned home, drives a church-owned car (on the rare occasions he says he drives off the compound) and receives a large salary.  With all of the money flowing in he has been able to build the most superfantabulous campus the world has ever laid eyes on.  The place reeks of money, but don't tell that to the employees though.

Most corporations, churches, and small businesses provide coffee, tea, and snacks for the employees as a thank-you for services well done.  Dave Pack takes this one step further though, he does provide coffee for the employees BUT charges EVERYONE $15.00 a month to partake.  With 20 employees that would take in over $300.00 a month in coffee taxes.  20 people do NOT drink that much coffee and tea or use that many sugars, cream, stirrers, napkins, etc.  Even if you don't drink his coffee you still required to pay the coffee tax.

Can Dave Pack truly be this big of a cheapskate?

I'm just glad I don't have to WASTE 15 dollars a month on the RCG mandatory coffee fund anymore. That alone was one of the things that made me realize these people were money hungry. Every single employee was forced to pay 15 dollars a month whether they were a drinker of coffee or not for this fund that most likely always had excess cash left. 

The coffee tastes burnt and you got basic cream, honey, and coffee. At my current Job, they offer more than seven varieties of coffee and even more varieties of creams, sweeteners, and toppings. They are constantly boosting employees moral by allowing us to matter, and express our ideas on how to make the company more efficient, they celebrate us, give bonuses as they are able, pay into our health. Guess what, employees add value to this company. 

At RCG, people pay 1st tithe, 2nd tithe, 3rd tithe, tithe of tithe, excess second tithe must be returned after FOT, offerings, coffee fund (Employees only), spokesman club fees, members are exhorted to pay into the funds for socials, must participate in fundraising which is never to the outside world but between congregations and on and on and on. This is all truly exacerbated when you work directly at rcg and are expected to wear, suits, ties, oxford shoes, maintain a clean haircut look, shave, have crisp ironed dressed shirts and shined shoes, eat healthily, maintain a decent vehicle and clean home, host for visiting members, all WHILE MAKING MINIMUM WAGE OR VERY CLOSE TO IT. 

Then employees are spoken down to and made small in staff meetings and no one likes to raise their hand and offer suggestions or express concerns because the "baby face" "golden boys" "yes men" who do nothing but gossip about each others counsel sessions with members will pounce on you and correct you for appearing to cause "DIVISION". 

I CANT HELP BUT POUR OUT MY HEART WHEN I SEE THESE POSTS. THIS PLACE IS THE TRUE SWAMP THAT NEEDS TO BE CLEANED UP. 

I feel pain for the good people still there being tossed to and from like chaff in the wind. 

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LCG Doug Winnail: LCG possesses the "True Truth" while all others reject truth in varying degrees

Isn't it awesome to have the inside track to "the truth" and to be able to say that everyone else only knows it to varying degrees?  Of course every single COG group out there claims to possess the only real version of the truth while they label all other groups to be rejectors of truth. 

I think after the horrendous track record the Church of God has had in claiming possession of "the truth" and the damage it has left in its wake, that the various COG groups would be careful in making such proclamations, especially considering their version of truth has led to the hundreds and hundreds of splits.  Truth is a rare commodity in all of the splinter groups in 2018

Hold On to The Truth: The Apostle Paul admonished Christians to “Prove all things: hold fast that which is good [right and true]” (1 Thessalonians 5:21, KJV). David wrote “Your law is truth” and “all Your commandments are truth” (Psalm 119:142, 151). The apostles warned that people would leave the truth, resist the truth, turn their ears away from the truth and speak evil of the truth (2 Timothy 2:18; 3:8; 4:4; 2 Peter 2:2) because they did not love the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:10). The history of the early Church shows how this happened as the truth of the gospel was lost and replaced by pagan ideas and practices. However, these same practices are being repeated today. I recently visited the East Texas community of Big Sandy that was once the home of Ambassador College and a Church congregation of over 1,000 members. Today, the college is gone, and in this small town of 1,300 people, there are about a half dozen little congregations that once met together on the campus of Ambassador College. These congregations have either retained or rejected the truth in various degrees—just as Jesus prophesied (Matthew 24:4-5). To avoid being deceived and led astray, we need to follow Paul’s admonition and “continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them” (2 Timothy 3:13-14). Brethren, let’s prove and hold on to the Truth!
Have a profitable Sabbath,
Douglas S. Winnail