Dave Pack: "You just stood up and vomited on 5,000 people!”

Poor Dave.  I can just see his beet-red face and veins popping as he yells at this senior minister for "vomiting on 5,000 members."  Then to compound the problem, not one single minister there would back him up!

But at the 1978 Feast, the situation boiled over. This same senior minister stood before 5,000 brethren and preached that there will be 100 different resurrections—that Christ was returning on Pentecost—that the apostle Paul was currently in heaven getting special training—and many other related utterly unbiblical ideas.

This event taught the Rochester-Syracuse pastor one of the most integral lessons of his entire ministry: thousands could listen to plain heretical nonsense spewed from the pulpit and not seem to hear ANY of it. And those who perhaps did, tolerated what they heard.

The time for tact was over.

Mr. Pack’s brother was an associate pastor at the Brooklyn, Queens, New York congregation and was also assigned to the Saratoga Springs Feast site. He spoke to his brother about this outrageous sermon. He and his wife completely agreed with the above assessment. Here are his comments:

“I approached my brother with what my wife and I had noticed in the sermon. It was appalling, and it became obvious that no one else in the arena seemed to agree.”

It was clear that immediate action needed to be taken!

Mr. Pack confronted the man in the choir room with the Syracuse local church elder at his side, and said, “That sermon was wrong! You just stood up and vomited on 5,000 people!”

“None of the other ministers are coming forward,” the minister replied.

“I don’t care what the other ministers do or don’t do! What you are teaching is false—and ludicrous!—and it cannot be left unaddressed.”

The minister slammed his fist on the piano.

“I’m the senior pastor here!” he yelled. “This conversation is over! We’re done talking!” The choir was waiting outside, and everyone heard the volume with which the man spoke.

Undaunted, Mr. Pack shot back with equal volume, “I won’t be intimidated. It is you who are in trouble—serious trouble—and right now!”

Yet, not one other pastor or additional elder—of the scores present in the audience—seemed to care or had the courage to say anything, assuming they were even listening. This tragic reality became a painful lesson for Mr. Pack, as most ministers’ lack of love for, or even understanding of, the truth would be a repeating disappointment for the next 15 years. That so many could tolerate so much from the pulpit without a word of objection left an impression on the 29-year-old pastor that would never be forgotten.

Following government and the Church’s organizational structure, he immediately called his area coordinator, who was attending the Feast in South Africa. Mr. Pack explained the details of what had happened—and that not one other minister spoke up (from a group of men primarily under the area coordinator’s northeastern administration).

His supervisor sought to smooth the situation. Though the minister was fired after the Feast, again, other than his brother and the elder with him, not one other minister was willing to say a single word of what was heard.

Only the sermon tape would tell the tale as the final witness of what had happened.

That tape and Dave running to tattle-tale.

How Turkey Bacon Was Created

Dave Pack: It was disgusting that GTA wore an open-necked shirt and exposed this chest!

By Costaricky - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, 

Tattle-tale Dave was disgusted by the casual dress of Ted and crew.  Oh, the humanity!

After services, Mr. Pack, the area coordinator and Mr. Gary Antion (from Toronto), and their wives, conversed with Ted at a private dinner before the sing-a-long. Over the course of over four hours, the evangelist continually hurled criticisms at the Church, primarily centering on many against his father.

Later, brethren from the surrounding regions assembled at the Rochester convention center for one of Ted Armstrong’s famous (now infamous) “sing-a-long” performances. The show included his assistant and other men close to him.

It was apparent the younger Armstrong saw himself as a folk singer and sought to portray himself as an entertainer rather than a minister of God seeking to edify and uplift the brethren with exciting news of the Work. He and his entourage sat on stage, sporting open-necked shirts, gold chains and medallions, and exposed chests. They resembled worldly pop stars—not ministers and leaders in the Church of God!

The band members had also come to services dressed in the same worldly fashion. Mr. Pack asked Ted about the inappropriate dress of those traveling with him: “Why is your group dressed as it is?”

Garner Ted basically dismissed the question with, “Well, yes, that’s the way they dress.” He was completely unconcerned about it.

Before heading to the airport the next day, Mr. Pack called Garner Ted and asked to ride with him. He had decided to tell Ted that his father was expecting a report, and that he would have to mention certain things.