After 29 Years UCG Says: "Now we must get to work."

 

UCG/Rick Shabi sent out its Home Office update on February 22 and it was a sight to behold. For 29 years now they have been wandering around trying to figure out their purpose. They have finally decided what they need to do.

Let me address just a few of those areas as we begin to focus with a greater sense of urgency. Jesus Christ is the head of His Church, and we look to Him to guide and direct what we do. It must be done His way, or it will not bear fruit. God has provided the physical resources—both monetary and human—to do the work. Now we must get to work. 

 

Christ commissioned His Church to “preach the gospel in all nations, to make disciples, and to teach them to observe all things He commanded” (Matthew 24:14; 28:19-20). This is a key part of the operation plan that we, as Church administration, will be presenting to the Council of Elders at their meetings here at the home office next week. We have begun implementing this through our more extensive use of direct, clear messages to the world available now on YouTube.

Apparently, they never thought to consider their international regions and the potential they had there. 29 years of neglect and now they are waking up. Note, it doesn't mean they will do much but they are "endeavoring" to understand. WTH? They would have had a better return on their money in the Latin American countries and in Africa over how much they have wasted in the United States and Canada with their messages that have had minimal impact.

Following the principle in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, we are endeavoring to learn and understand more about our international regions so the gospel can be preached in them more effectively and in a manner and form that is best suited to be heard and received. You can help us with this, and we can help provide content and materials to assist in the preaching of the gospel in your area.

Now, the plan is to "cry aloud and spare not", though if they are going to accuse those around them of their sins they need to clean their own house first. Plus, it appears that UCG members are getting sick of hearing about all the end-time scenario crap they have been subjected to for decades.

In Isaiah 58:1, God commissioned us to “cry aloud, spare not, and show My people and the house of Jacob their sins.” Even those not a part of the Church are beginning to loudly proclaim their doubts about the future of the world. It is time, and we will “cry aloud” with a bold, clear and direct message to the house of Jacob (and the world) of the sins and heinousness of the actions and direction of this world, reminding them that repentance is necessary for salvation and that Jesus Christ will return to “save” mankind from the utter destruction he would inflict upon himself. We will continue to do this as God leads and provides the direction and message He wants delivered.

Our Great Bwana is going to beg to differ. He and he alone is doing that.  

Not only will they be crying aloud, but they will be unified! Woo Hoo!

One more thing that needs to be mentioned as we remember God’s will and actively begin to practice it in our lives, is this: Jesus Christ, before He was crucified, prayed in John 17 for His people to become “one” with each other and with Him and the Father. In Ephesians 4 we are admonished to “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”

With their newfound focus on unity, great things are in store. Unity has never really been their focus when they rebelled from the Worldwide Church of God, when David Hulme split off, and when COGWA split off. But, heck! It looks good in print. 

Passover is quickly approaching and their previous sins over the last year will be forgiven and they can start anew.

Indeed, when we take of the bread that symbolizes Christ’s body at Passover, we are reminded that it is the koinonia (fellowship, partnership) of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16). It pictures unity, being at one with each other and learning and practicing that “oneness” that we must have and develop as God’s people. 

Word has been circulating for a while that there is more unrest in the UCG ranks. I guess they are trying to nip it in the bud with this: 

To achieve that, humility is required. We must put aside our thoughts, our pet ideas, learn how to reconcile with each other, and strive to work together as one under Christ, following His lead and supporting the direction of His Church. That includes “speaking the same thing” (1 Corinthians 1:10) as we have been focusing on with the ministry this year and “advancing His mission” as has also been stressed. 

 

It is time for us individually and collectively to focus on what God wants, to yield to Him, and to move forward in becoming the people and Church God would have us be.

Why Is Our Crackpot Prophet Always The Martyr?

 

One of the things they have always trained management with is to start out conversations with positives, then include gold/projects to work on, cover any negatives, and then end on a positive note.

This has never been the way leaders in Armstrongism have worked, particularly in many of the less impactful splinter groups over the decades. Though, Armstrongism has always embellished the negative as a form of control and to play on emotions.

Out Great Bwana to Africa and the occasional 100 Caucasians puts this into practice with almost everything he writes, says, and does. Negativity reigns supreme. Check out his latest member letter to the African leadership (the ordinary members don't see this or care).

He starts out with:

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers in Christ:

Greetings from Grover Beach, California (where now our ceilings have to be replaced because of water damage related to the tornado that hit earlier this month).

Truly the weirdest and dumbest opening of a member letter, EVER! 

We were disappointed with the proposals we received from Corpus Christi. Therefore, we have contacted to other cities further north in Texas related to the USA site for the Feast of Tabernacles in 2024, who have not yet responded. That said, a representative from Corpus Christi said she was looking into getting other proposals submitted, so we have not yet totally eliminated Corpus Christi. We plan to let you know when a decision has been made.

Satan is stealthy messing with the Great Bwana Bob Mzungu.

He then proceeds to discuss the marriage of one of his sidekicks in New Zealand and some positive things supposedly happening in Africa. Missionary history in Africa has taught that one never knows how far to trust the reports from these so-called leaders as they are well-known throughout Africa for telling their white overlords in America how great things are so that more money can be sent to them.

Then he immediately has to dump on his readers how deceives someone on Facebook masquerading as him. Who dare they! He doesn't support orphanages! How dare they claim such a thing. Take care of others as a real act of charity? Well, I never!!!

Brethren, as reported before, I received several messages from contacts on Facebook who suspected that friend requests that they received which supposedly came from me in December 2023.

While I normally receive Facebook friend requests multiple times per week, I have not sent out any Facebook friend requests myself to anyone for over a decade. Generally speaking, I try to avoid Facebook, and only try to be to it the minimum time possible-which I sometimes need to do for some overseas church matters.

Well, now someone is pretending to be me again on Facebook and is associated with an orphanage ministry in Kenya.

When I learned this connection on Tuesday, I sent the orphanage ministry the following message on its contact form:

Someone is sending out fake Facebook posts supposedly from me, Bob Thiel, with a link to your ministry. If you are doing this, please cease and desist. If it is not you, but you know of someone doing this, please tell them to stop bearing false witness.

The above orphanage ministry has still not responded to my message.

That said, although we in the CCOG do support numerous orphans (consistent with James 1:27), this Facebook push to the one promoted was not from me.

Only those orphans who might be part of his so-called church get his support, if at all. 

Whoever is pretending to be me has the devil as his/her father.

Many use a variety of techniques to try to deceive.

Everyone seems to be out to get the little guy. Stop it al of you big bad meanies out there! Stop it, NOW!

Yes, the emergence of various fakes is a sign of the last days.

Expect deceivers to put out materials pretending that I and/or others in the CCOG leadership have accepted one or more heresies or have engaged in biblically sinful behavior. Remember to be careful NOT to accept accusations against church leadership (cf. 1 Timothy 5:19) without REAL proof (some who have claimed to have “real proof” have not, but instead have twisted matters and believed lies).

It is sad that some wish to try to deceive others through fakes, talebearing, and other ways (cf. Leviticus 19:16).

The Apostle Paul also warned end-time Christians, “not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, … Let no one deceive you by any means” (2 Thessalonians 2:2,3).

That includes trying not to be deceived by “deepfakes and phony computer requests.” 

Yes brethren, I believe that deepfakes will get worse consistent with the prophecies in 2 Timothy 3:13 and 2 Thessalonians 2.

Be on guard. Fakes and liars will get even worse.

Still perturbed and angry, as only a little guy can be, says:

On Tuesday, I denounced a couple of false predictions at the COGwriter.com website. One was from a Messianic Protestant and the other from one who had been a minister in the old Worldwide Church of God. Consistent with what the Apostle Peter wrote, we in the Continuing Church of God “have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV). 

You had better HEED US NOW before it is too late! Stop picking on us! 

He does end with this,

Live in peace, and demonstrate the love of God of love.

Probably the only thing worthwhile in this entire weekly update.

 

 

Restored Church of God: "All Is Not Well In Wadsworth"

 

A Cautionary Tale

The Restored Church of God is a mere shadow of what it once was, thanks to the corrosive narcissism of Pastor General David C. Pack. His inept mismanagement and insatiable desire to prove he is God's mouthpiece have driven the once-thriving religious organization into dark financial waters.

All is not well in Wadsworth.

For decades, the abusive conditions at Headquarters were kept secret behind locked doors. Former ministers privately tell harrowing tales of manipulation, coercion, deception, puppeteering, and back-stabbing. The wrong types of people thrive on the Campus now, jockeying for positions of authority while walking on the backs of the brethren.

The Restored Church of God operates in a growing religious police state. Brethren snitch on other brethren. Field mollusks enforce edicts from Headquarters that betray their conscience to save their own skin and win favor with the powers that subjugate them. Eager enablers in Wadsworth leap at the chance to prop up their human idol, David C. Pack.

It is hard to fathom how this organization touts itself as the one-and-only “God’s True Church” on earth today. The Restored Church of God claims it has all “the truth” and holds to the traditions and teachings of Herbert W. Armstrong of The Worldwide Church of God. Yet, as the Series rolls towards its ninth year, RCG looks less like WCG and more like PCG.

Some believe the entire modern Church of God system was bankrupt from the start, and even the "golden age" of WCG was just a front for a clever marketing man who found a niche for creating a self-insulating “government is everything” system to capitalize on.

My good friend Peter Baerg is a former RCG member who lives in Canada. He found this video of Herbert W. Armstrong on YouTube. You can see where David C. Pack attained his preaching style.

Monkey see. Monkey do.

 

During “The Greatest Unending Story! (Part 493)” on February 17, 2024, David C. Pack made massive changes to the Plan of God structure. 1-7-1000 was replaced with 4-100-1000. That was the less compelling content.

If exrcg.org has proven anything, it is that Pastor General David C. Pack of The Restored Church of God is a hypocritical, blaspheming liar, false prophet, false apostle, and false teacher. God is not using him to end the Mystery of God. He is not and will never be Elijah. He is not the Branch.

David C. Pack is not moved by the Holy Spirit to teach revealed knowledge from God to His people about the soon-coming Kingdom of God. If that statement is false, I have again committed the unpardonable sin.

His opening statement during Part 493 exposed a verbal fraud.

Part 493 – February 17, 2024
@ 00:10 Well, we’re down from when we used to have messages twice a week to once every two weeks. So, that’s a little better.

This is a manipulative spin throwing shade on the unannounced two-week gap. The change in speaking cadence was not planned or intended to be “a little better,” but he tries to frame it that way.

Flashback Part 492 – February 3, 2024
@ 1:29:11 And you'd rather see the Kingdom than me up here anymore. But you now (at least) have an advanced summary of what could be covered if we’re here next Sabbath. I'll speak next Sabbath, and that'll be the way it is.

But two weeks later, the Kingdom picture changed, and he did not explain the Sixth King, how there are two different 144,000s, that third tithe begins at the Feast of Tabernacles, and what God's Holy Temple really is. Only fools take David C. Pack at his word. None of that was covered in Part 493.

Let his own words expose who and what he is.

 

The more David C. Pack molests his own delusions, the more he departs from what he learned fifty years ago in Pasadena, California. Buy Dennis Diehl or Gary Leonard a beer and ask them what they think about the value of an Ambassador College education. Hilarity will ensue.

The theological heyday of The Worldwide Church of God holds no warm place in David C. Pack’s heart. He dismantles its doctrinal integrity brick by brick while performing political theater by publicly kissing Herbert W. Armstrong’s ring.

I wonder if Dave privately resents having to fake his continued respect to avoid upsetting the “old timers” slowly dying in their chairs. After all, they could be sitting on life insurance or inheritance funds that are promised to RCG if they “die in the faith.” He must be careful not to upset the WCG Legacy apple cart.

Part 493 – February 17, 2024
@ 1:52:23 I just, you know, I guess we were prophetically dyslexic. [chuckles] We put the hundred after the thousand. But Mr. Armstrong was a great servant of God. He saw the 1335 but said it's gotta be the Eighth Head. And believed he was Elijah. So we're not very far away from that picture, are we? Pretty close. Pretty close.

They call that "lip service," and it is ironically comical on a few levels. One could argue that Catholics are "pretty close" if that is the yardstick Dave measures with.

Herbert W. Armstrong was wrong about being Elijah, about the Eighth Head, and the 1335 of Daniel 12. How does that make him "a great servant of God?" If anything, it makes him a great arrogant fool. What kind of lunatic wrongly believes he is in the Bible? ::wink wink:: Dave.

According to The Restored Church of God, HWA got more things wrong about prophecy than he got right. How does that make him "a great servant" of anything? He is so great, RCG scrubs their books, booklets, and videos from their websites that reference most of what WCG once stood for.

Since Herbie proclaimed God was using him to preach the “good news of the coming Kingdom of God” and was utterly deceived on that front, would that not mean he was also a false apostle who served a lying god?

@ 1:52:50 And I thought you’d wanna hear that about the man who is, for some of you, your Father in the Gospel. I’m not. He’s mine.

David C. Pack knows how to play politics by pandering to his audience. Not of the world, indeed.

With the radical changes David C. Pack has made to the Gospel revealing WCG to be entirely in error, to be honest, he would have to refer to Herbert W. Armstrong as his "Father in Another Gospel." But honesty is not one of David C. Pack’s defining character traits.

@ 1:56:34 So many questions are answered. There is simplicity in Christ, brethren. There is an it’s it’s even simpler than what Worldwide taught. You just get these, you know, get these [4-100-1000] straightened out. A hundred and a thousand.

Yeah, but do not get too attached to that latest Kingdom structure. Heh heh.

Following the WCG Grand Pattern, Dave savors the taste of fantastic claims of imminent world calamity without the unfashionable threats of nuclear war tossed in.

@ 1:58:46 We live in a time of terrible news and dangerous times. I haven’t spent time. It wudden’t the purpose here, but we’re going into what I believe is breakout. I think it’s gonna be infinitely worse these next weeks than you can imagine.

The safest position on the planet is to be a David C. Pack contrarian. Based on his statement, rest assured that the opposite will prove to be more accurate. I would not be shocked if world peace and tranquility broke out with things being “infinitely better” within the next few weeks.

@ 2:04:25 But every day, it's getting worse.

I think Dave should turn off the news and head over to Netflix. I am loving the sixth season of “Love is Blind” and wish they would return to releasing the entire season all at once.

 

A former minister commented that “evangelist” Bradford G. Schleifer is not the man he used to be. I had the same observation, noting that Brad is just nasty now. He must have a deep-rooted bitterness that surfaces in ways he probably does not realize.

Poor Andrew Holcombe now looks older than me. And I have almost twenty years on the guy. Andy has an amazingly wonderful wife who still holds my professional respect. That whole situation makes me sad for them. And for the others who choose to remain in The Restored Church of Another god.

I lay those transformations at the feet of David C. Pack. The more in proximity you are to him, the quicker your mental and emotional state deteriorates. The man radiates crippling toxins.

There is an extensive “Angry Apostle” Playlist on YouTube, and Part 493 is now part of it.

The authentic David C. Pack steps forth from time to time to issue condemnations ex-cathedra. He is a blend of arrogance and insecurity blanketed in self-righteousness and victimhood.

@ 1:34:58 We got wicked people who attend with us. And they'll pa– they'll send this note out, and as I like to say, they're dead people walking.

Wicked people are those who allow the sermons to be released publicly. Hmm. How exactly is that wicked? If Dave is preaching the truths of God, what about “freely you have received, freely give?” I thought nobody owned the truth. Jesus said the Gospel should be preached into all the world as a witness. If what David C. Pack preaches is the good news, then how can distributing that good news be considered an unrighteous act?

It is because Dave knows remembering his own words makes him look bad. The entire exrcg.org website would come to a screeching halt if David C. Pack preached what the Bible really taught. Or if they caught the “leaker(s).”

The leaker(s) getting caught is more likely than David C. Pack ever preaching anything sincerely from the Bible. If it does not further his agenda, it is not worth teaching. He lets Mike and Frank cover that kind of fluff in their sermonettes.

@ 1:34:58 We got wicked people who attend with us. And they'll pa– they'll send this note out, and as I like to say, they’re dead people walking.

David C. Pack freely admitted he likes to say that. Eat my shorts, bro.

@ 1:35:08 ‘Cause God iddn’t gonna hold people back for four years and put ‘em to death. They’re gonna die quickly. I can name some names.

Are those the concerned words of a loving shepherd or a wolf?

David C. Pack is itching to name people he believes God will execute at the beginning of his imaginary kingdom. However, the Pastor General lacks the courage and moral fortitude to follow through with his convictions.

Little Davey making she-she in the toilet and not in his pants is all bark and no bite.

Hey Brad, I will donate $100 to RCG if you tell me what names Dave is referring to. I will absolutely donate $100 to your failing organization if you grant me that one tidbit of inside baseball. I would be willing to drive across the street to the Campus and hear those names in person so there is no paper trail for you to deny later.

Everyone now wants to know what names are on David C. Pack’s Marked-For-Death List.

@ 1:35:19 So, I realize this message is gonna get out. And it’s gonna probably cause some trouble.

Part 493 is no more or less stupid than all the others. I have no idea what kind of "trouble" paranoid Dave is referring to. Trouble for who cause by whom? That will remain one of the mysteries locked behind the gates of The Restored Church of Another god.

 

After Dave was warmed up by his vague death threats spoken on his god’s behalf, he was ready to assassinate the character of another former minister.

In December 2023, Vidal Wachuku was fired and smeared via email. In January 2024, two field ministers resigned of their own accord. I served with both men at Headquarters and am delighted at their departure.

I will not name who they are. They have a platform to do so if they want to tell their stories publicly. I understand that they and their families are beginning a healing journey, and casting stones as they walk away is not how I roll.

Those who know them know who they are. Those in the Ex-RCG private Facebook group know who they are. Despite identifying them by name in previous articles, I always liked both of them personally.

From the information I received about this next story and given David C. Pack’s long-standing penchant for stretching the bounds of truth, take his words with a shaker of salt. At worst, it is riddled with flat-out lies that are up to the man and his wife to refute. At best, it is a gross distortion of the facts by omitting key elements that obscure proper context.

@ 1:59:09 Stay close to God. I wanna tell you a cautionary tale. It wudden't, you know, too long ago, but a while back, we were working with a minister. He'd been on a stipend. He had his own job. 'Cause people can just absolute live a lie and just brazenly steal and lie from the church. …and said he needed a stipend to be able to make ends meet. So, we gave him a stipend. And didn't check his tithe record. And for two years, he didn't tithe a dime on his own income or what we gave him. Then, we took his stipend back. We were, that's what brought this out. And eventually, he said, "I made a conscious decision two years ago not to tithe." He knew it was a law of God. His exact words. "I made a conscious decision two years ago not to tithe. I knew I would be caught, and I knew there were consequences." Do you know what he was calling and asking for? Hoping we wouldn't catch him so we could steal and lie more? This minister? He was asking for third tithe, "So I don't have to tithe on it." He it and hoping we wouldn't check. So, we checked and found out. And that outrageous lying thief of a man who no one could possibly tell was a minister.

@ 2:01:20 That man sold his eternal life knowing he was stealing, hoping he could steal third tithe at the end of it and remain a minister. And I'm telling you, if you met him, you'd say it's not possible that it's true. But it is true.

David C. Pack is a documented hypocritical, blaspheming liar. He has been spinning heretical tall tales for over eight years, ever-changing the story of what his god revealed to him. Keep that in mind when that very same man declares what is true or not.

Personally, I stand with the former minister and his family on this. The details I received paint a very different picture than what Dave presents. Let God judge between them.

There is no point for Dave to give a cautionary tale without inserting the money angle.

@ 2:01:37 So I'm telling you, some people are afraid to sell all. They won't. They don't have the faith. I'm telling you, you got 51 days. If you are sitting on funds, extra houses, or cash, you are commanded by God to sell all. Or, at best, you will face four years of sore trial.

RCG’s Business and Accounting Office knows that the man and his wife already “sold all,” which is what put them in the financial peril they are working to get out of TODAY. That is how their faith was rewarded.

@ 2:01:59 Now, I’m I don’t mean to be strong ‘cause I don’t need it. The church is doing fine. But you need to do it.

The church is doing SO fine, they announced layoffs of some of the Headquarters ministers and their wives in June. Dave discontinued the release year for third tithe in November and instructed everyone to pay it monthly. They stopped paying the field ministry in mid-December. Then, a “Pretty please, send in your tithe of tithe right now” notice went out to the brethren. Notifications of fundraisers still appear in Member Services.

That does not sound like the church is doing fine.

Dave added, “But you need to do it,” as a show of outward love and concern for his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. He does not have the massive Campus bills on his mind. Nope, it is all about wanting more brethren to make it into the God Family.

@ 2:02:14 The first thing is sell that you have. The rich young ruler wouldn’t do it. And some brethren won’t do it. Now, the best that can happen for such people who've been told blew it off, the best that can happen is they get four years, and they will not escape in the end of the four years.

@ 2:02:54 They ignored God's command. Don't do it. Don't do it. I did it, and others did it. Many have paid that their Common and their lives have been fine.

Well, except for the recent former minister, whom Dave just accused of lying and stealing.

And let us not forget the faithful sacrifice of Manon Chaisson before she died.

 

The occurrences in The Restored Church of God are a cautionary tale for those seeking the refuge of God’s True Church. Where it is today is the real mystery, but what is clear is that it does not have a Worldwide Headquarters based in Wadsworth, Ohio.

David C. Pack cannot sit still or shut his mouth for an extended time. The prophetic picture constantly shifts with blame fingers pointed in every direction except the Pastor General.

The organization is spiritually corrupt, supporting vile doctrines based upon perverting the Scriptures.

For those inside looking for a way out: You are not alone. Life goes on quite nicely, post Mr. Pack.

For those outside pondering if they should enter: Listen to the words of David C. Pack and allow him to reveal what you should do.

Ignore all these cautionary tales to your own peril.

Marc Cebrain

See: A Cautionary Tale