Exposing the underbelly of Armstrongism in all of its wacky glory! Nothing you read here is made up. What you read here is the up to date face of Herbert W Armstrong's legacy. It's the gritty and dirty behind the scenes look at Armstrongism as you have never seen it before!
With all the new crazy self-appointed Chief Overseers, Apostles, Prophets, Pharisees, legalists, and outright liars leading various Churches of God today, it is important to hold these agents of deception accountable.
Herbert Armstrong's Tangled Web of Corrupt Leaders
Jon Brisby, head of the Church of God, The Eternal, has a clear message: skip church on Saturday, and you’re out of God’s Kingdom. In his doozy of letter found online (May 2025), he pushes Armstrongist legalism, calling the Sabbath part of the “final exam” for salvation, requiring rest plus a holy convocation at a minister-approved “designated place.” Miss it, and you’re not fully keeping the Sabbath—kiss your eternal future goodbye. It’s a classic control move: bind salvation to a rule, force compliance, and contradict biblical truth. Brisby’s teachings are morally wrong for burdening followers with fear, biblically wrong for ignoring salvation by grace, and historically wrong for clashing with early church practices.
We’ll also highlight the irony: the WCG taught assembling without a minister present was strictly forbidden, a rule Brisby contradicts with his own practices. Splinterland, stop letting these cult bosses guilt you into submission—reclaim your freedom.
The Setup: Sabbath as Your Salvation Ticket
Brisby claims the Sabbath is a non-negotiable blessing, demanding more than rest—it requires assembling at a specific place chosen by his ministers. He states that failing to do so means you’re not fully keeping the Sabbath, warning that dismissing this rule excludes you from God’s Kingdom. Staying home isn’t enough; you must show up where Brisby’s team directs, or you fail the salvational “final exam.”
This teaching is manipulative and biblically inaccurate. Brisby’s claim that salvation hinges on Saturday attendance at a designated place contradicts the biblical truth of salvation by grace, not works. Historically, the early church met in homes, on any day of the week, not rigid assemblies only on Saturdays. Biblically, the tradition from King David to the Apostle Paul points to Jerusalem as God’s chosen place for His name, not a minister-picked spot. David wrote, “In Judah God is known; His name is great in Israel. His tabernacle is in Salem [Jerusalem]” (Psalm 76:1-2), and God confirmed Jerusalem as His chosen place (2 Chronicles 6:6). Even in the New Testament, Paul and the early church looked to Jerusalem as the spiritual center (Acts 15:2). Brisby’s random “designated place” is a man-made invention, not God’s command, making his teaching historically and biblically wrong.
The Control Tactic: Ministers Decide, You Obey
Brisby declares that a holy convocation must happen at a minister-approved site, asserting that God delegates this authority to him and his team. He rejects at-home worship, stating only his designated assemblies count. If you’re scattered and can’t attend, he urges you to find a way, tying your eternal destiny to his rules. Yet his authority is suspect—he’s a splinter leader from the WCG’s chaotic fallout, with no clear divine mandate.
This stance is morally problematic, as it places an undue burden on followers, especially those isolated or financially strained, to comply with man-made rules for salvation. It’s also biblically flawed, as the New Testament emphasizes worship in spirit and truth, not specific locations. Adding to the inconsistency, the WCG, under HWA, taught assembling without a minister physically present was forbidden, as Herman Hoeh wrote in “Should You ASSEMBLE Without a Minister?” That rule aimed to prevent unguided groups from spiraling into error, yet Brisby allows “informal gatherings” with lead men or recordings—contradicting his own heritage while enforcing strict compliance.
The Fear Factor: Miss a Convocation, Miss the Kingdom
Brisby acknowledges that many members are scattered, with few congregations, a problem since the WCG’s 1970s collapse. He states you can avoid breaking the Sabbath at home but can’t “fully keep” it without convocation. He pushes attendance at annual Holy Days like the Feast of Tabernacles, using second tithe to travel, and weekly services when possible. If you don’t know where to go, he says to search harder—complacency isn’t an option.
This approach is morally wrong, instilling fear that missing a meeting jeopardizes your salvation, placing a heavy yoke on believers already burdened by tithing and isolation. Brisby’s contradiction with the WCG’s no-minister rule adds another layer of inconsistency—HWA demanded pastoral oversight, yet Brisby bends this for practicality while still claiming salvational stakes.
The Modern Twist: No Tech Allowed in God’s Plan
Brisby rejects virtual gatherings, stating a “designated place” must be a physical location, not a Zoom call. You can listen online if approved, but it’s not a convocation. His formula for arranging meetings isn’t something Armstrong taught—it comes out of his gray-matter mush.
This rigid stance is biblically unsupported, as the New Testament prioritizes the heart of worship over physical locations. It’s also historically inconsistent with early church practices, which adapted to circumstances without such strict rules. The WCG’s ban on minister-less assemblies further clashes with Brisby’s allowances, exposing his hypocrisy—he bends HWA’s rules while demanding strict obedience to his own.
Splinterland, Your Salvation Isn’t in a Building
Brisby’s letter is about control, not God. By tying salvation to Saturday attendance at his chosen spots, he burdens followers with rules that are morally, biblically, and historically wrong. Salvation comes by grace, not rituals, and biblical tradition ties God’s presence to Jerusalem, not Brisby’s Odd-Fellow halls. His authority is dubious, and his practices contradict the WCG’s own rules against minister-less gatherings. Splinterland, stop surrendering to these cult bosses—trust your freedom and ditch the legalistic trap.
::Armstrongism investigated:: takes a Deep Dive into the cultic murky world of the Worldwide Church of God and its offshoots. If you love investigating cults stick around and prepare to dive deep!
We grew up in the Worldwide Church of God — a high-control religious group that taught us to erase ourselves in the name of “truth.” Here are 5 specific ways the cult controlled our sense of identity, and how we’re unlearning the damage it caused. We are the Apostate Sisters - We talk about high control religion, what it takes from you, and how to take it back.
If you were taught that your joy was selfish, that your thoughts were dangerous, or that questioning was rebellion — this might hit home.
In this video, we unpack how high-control religion trains people to disappear inside themselves — and how to start reclaiming your voice, worth, and joy.
👇 Resources, support, and more below.
👍 Like, Subscribe, & Hit the Bell to support our work!
Join this channel to get access to perks like Behind-the-Scenes footage and :
/ @apostatesisters
Support the Sisters’ work on Patreon:
patreon.com/ApostateSisters
📢 Follow Us on Social Media:
Instagram: / apostatesisters
Tiktok: / apostatesisters
Facebook: / apostatesisters
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/apostatesist...
Support & Resources for Losing Your Religion
Whether you’re freshly questioning your beliefs, stuck in the spiritual rubble, or years out but still carrying the weight — this list is for you. You deserve healing, clarity, and community as you untangle from systems that taught you to doubt yourself.
Mental & Emotional Health
Recovering From Religion (RfR)
recoveringfromreligion.org
Free helpline, peer support, and secular therapy referrals for those dealing with religious doubt and trauma.
The Secular Therapy Project
seculartherapy.org
Find therapists who use evidence-based methods without religious frameworks.
Janice Selbie, Divorcing Religion
divorcing-religion.com
Community & Peer Support
Facebook & Discord Communities
Look for “exvangelical,” “deconstruction,” “religious trauma,” or “exvangelical” groups — many are highly active and supportive.
Meetup.com
Search your city + “secular” “freethinker” “deconstruction” or “spiritual trauma recovery” — more local groups are forming every day.
Content Creators
Follow creators who speak openly about spiritual abuse, embodiment, and liberation. (We’re there too. Come say hi.)
For the past few weeks, attention has been focused on David C. Pack of The Restored Church of God, who announced that his 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization had escaped corporate debt by quietly selling $3.1 million in church-owned real estate to members and widows.
Contrary to the Pastor General’s previous assurances, there will be plenty of time to spend his members’ fear-fueled donation money on “whatever we’d do," and the church employees did benefit financially. It is funny how an end-times urgent push for last-minute Common funds blends seamlessly with biblical fraud.
“You dropped your Financial Pressure Chocolate into my Prophetic Failure Peanut Butter.”
Just because the reporting of David C. Pack's teaching dates for the arrival of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God paused does not mean his date-setting paused. Because Dave’s gotta Dave.
Prophetic understanding in RCG takes on the shark’s tooth approach. After one fails, dozens are waiting in line to fill the space. Abib 1 on March 29 came into view. Then, it faded when Passover on April 11 came into view. Then, it faded when Abib 24 on April 21, came into view. Then, it faded when Pentecost on June 1 came into view. Then…oops. No spoilers.
During “The Greatest Untold Story! (Part 571)” on April 19, 2025, David C. Pack taught the Kingdom of God would arrive a few days later.
Part 571 – April 19, 2025 @ 1:05:28 So, Moses and Daniel both point to the 24th of Abib and the Last Days.
@ 1:17:43 What would I tell you, brethren? How could I stand up here and say, “Well, I don’t know. Maybe it’s not the 24th.” If it’s not, you’re never gonna hear me say that.
@ 1:36:41 I guess you could say it could be the 24th next year. …And man, if it’s not the 24th, as I said before, I will never say that.
David C. Pack dons his magical backup parachute in 3…2…1…
@ 1:36:57 Unless the date passes and something extraordinary happens.
Something extraordinary did happen when nothing happened. Per usual. However, this did not deter David C. Pack from claiming a post-failure victory the following week.
Part 572 – April 26, 2025 @ 56:45 I knew before I went to bed last Saturday night, nothing was gonna happen on Tuesday. I knew it.
A few hours after he taught that the Kingdom would arrive on Abib 24 for 113 minutes on the Sabbath while claiming God’s authority and speaking in His name, David C. Pack blissfully rested his head upon his fluffy pillow, knowing nothing was gonna happen while the brethren of The Restored Church of God believed opposite.
@ 56:51 I realized I’d made a mistake. But it was a type of something. It was a hint of something.
David C. Pack Even my blunders are prophetic.™
However, it was not all bad news, brethren, because Dave’s ineptitude afforded him the opportunity to rediscover some forgotten recyclables in the bottom drawer.
@ 1:03:54 My goal is to electrify God’s people with the awesome, massive proof of when this is. We’ll inch our way in, and we’ll let the Scriptures and the facts show us.
David C. Pack Wrong last week, but right this week.™
@ 1:04:09 God would never simply say the date. He’d hafto and would tell us in many different ways. And He does. It must be when He’s done. It’s impossible to miss. Impossible.
@ 1:31:29 I absolutely know Passover is That Day, and I absolutely know Pentecost starts it.
@ 1:31:41 But there were certain mile markers, certain metrics that would come to bear into final fruition when it was time to go. The Series would end, and the mysteries that of the surrounding the Kingdom of God would would all be gone. That’s one of them.
@ 1:37:30 Last year, we got one date right and the other two wrong. We come into this Pentecost, we’ve got two dates absolutely locked up.
@ 1:39:51 I will prove this to the point where it’s airtight…
The Kingdom of God arrives on Pentecost. June 1, 2025. But.
The transition from Abib 24 to Pentecost was as smooth as oil. For David C. Pack, holding on to Pentecost proved to be less graceful. While it might be painful to watch a juggler lose their rhythm, fumble, and crash, it can be entertaining.
During the Sabbath double-feature, “The Greatest Untold Story!” Parts 573 and 574 on May 3, 2025, the Pastor General showed no signs of wavering on Pentecost. Yet.
Part 573 – May 3, 2025 @ 01:11 God would never just say, regarding the arrival of His Kingdom, “It’s Pentecost.” He wouldn’t do that. He almost does a number of times in ways that are impossible to misunderstand, but He would have to tell us in many different ways, so it's impossible to miss.
@ 02:19 But proving it’s Pentecost is falling over backwards without even being pushed. I mean, it’s just that easy.
Was Pentecost 2025 easier to figure out than Pentecost 2019?
Flashback Part 177 – June 6, 2019 @ 1:29:38 Wow, we're just learning this right now. What are the odds we’re learning it right in front of Pentecost because how long would you want people to know this?
Flashback Part 178 – June 8, 2019 @ 32:00 God waited three years and seven months to explain to me He’s gonna come 60 hours before He does.
A crucial life lesson Grammar and Randy Pack could never successfully teach their middle child was that you cannot claim something is easy while you keep getting it wrong.
Part 573 – May 3, 2025 @ 44:43 …nowhere does God say, “It’s Pentecost.” But He duddn’t have to. He says it in so many ways it’s it’s [chuckles] it’s almost silly to say, “You’ve got to tell me it’s Pentecost.”
@ 1:12:31 “Bring the season of refreshing in the midst of the years.” I was never going to get that right until God revealed that years start off Pentecost.
Part 574 – May 3, 2025 @ 53:40 We thought it might come last year, but we weren’t nearly ready. It wuddn’t plain enough. …We had a lot more things to learn.
The brethren of The Restored Church of God comfort themselves with the saying, “Mr. Pack only has to be right once.” But they fail to believe the biblical reality that he will never be right. Nonetheless, all eyes were still on Pentecost 2025.
David C. Pack has been regurgitating familiar phrases since 2013, explaining them with differing interpretations as he revisits the exact same ideas dozens of times.
RCG members muster all their might to refrain from openly rolling their eyes during services when they hear “rushing to call it out,” “midst of the years,” “the days of his voice," and the special crowd pleaser, "a day that cannot tarry.” Let the wincing commence.
Part 574 – May 3, 2025 @ 51:59 Pentecost 2025 is the only date that cannot tarry.
Flashback Part 422 – February 18, 2023 @ 06:52 Adar 1 cannot tarry.
Flashback Part 464 – August 26, 2023 @ 1:25:58 Hebrews 10:37 there speak Paul quoting Habakkuk …speak of a day that cannot tarry. You cannot go beyond a certain date. …Now, we absolutely know. It’s the Feast of Trumpets.
Flashback Part 470 – September 23, 2023 @ 1:39:55 “He that shall come will arrive and will not tarry.” Guess why He can't tarry. Christ cannot miss the Feast of Tabernacles.
Flashback Part 483 – December 2, 2023 @ 55:49 I said there’s no possible way we can go pastTevet 10. …You can’t go beyond it.It can’t tarry.
Flashback Part 506 – April 9, 2024 @ 34:01 So believe me, believe me, [chuckles] I'm telling you, …you can lock this down as Passover. That's what can't tarry.
Flashback Part 509 – April 20, 2024 @ 15:26 I’ve long wrestled with the kind the kind of delay God would be speaking of when He says, “Though it delay, wait for it. It will it will not tarry.”
@ 55:39 Apparently, He said you do it on Iyar 1.Not Abib 1. Iyar 1.
Flashback Part 550 – December 21, 2024 @ 1:24:40 “Though it delay, wait for it. It’ll surely come andnot tarry.” It cannot go past Shevat 1. It’s impossible.
Flashback Part 558 – February 15, 2025 @ 2:00:21 Only Abib truly can’t tarry.
@ 2:03:51 Cannot tarry is its own proof. It has to be the first year of application after learning Abib. Once you learn Abib, it can’t go another year.
Prophetically failing twelve years in a row does not seem to keep David C. Pack from throwing presumption darts at the guessing board, hoping that one day, at least one of them will stick.
Part 574 – May 3, 2025 @ 51:59 Pentecost 2025 is the only date that cannot tarry.
Brethren, it is perfectly appropriate to laugh out loud now.
With David C. Pack’s credibility tank fully maxed out, he concluded Part 574 with more absolutely definitive declarations because Pentecost falls on Sivan 5 this year.
Part 574 – May 3, 2025 @ 1:11:53 That’s one powerful point. If you drive fifth [of Sivan], fifth, fifth, fifth, fifth, and over here you say, Pentecost, Pentecost, Pentecost, Pentecost, all the way through the Bible, and then they line up as the Series is ending, then you're left with you're you you got one of two things is true. It’s a wild coincidence. Or it’s the year it happens. And if it’s the year it happens and doesn’t happen, you’ll never hear me say it’s other than Pentecost.
“Never” arrived at The Restored Church of God in Wadsworth, Ohio, seven days later during “The Greatest Untold Story! (Part 575)” on May 10, 2025.
Part 575 – May 10, 2025 @ 01:02 What if the date is sooner than YOU now think? Everybody’s thinking Pentecost.
Everyone in RCG was thinking Pentecost because Dave told them it was Pentecost for three hours and forty-six minutes. What they did not know was that Dave found a new squeaky toy to gnaw on for a while.
@ 1:19:07 What an amazing time. Iyar 24 is truly a thief event.
The Kingdom of God arrives on Pentecost. The Kingdom of God arrives on Iyar 24. May 22, 2025. Oops.
@ 1:27:19 If it [the Kingdom of God] didn’t come on the 24th of Iyar, I’m just gonna give you a personal feeling. I’d hope for Pentecost. But I’d almost believe it’s the 24th of Sivan before I would believe it’s Pentecost or maybe Tammuz 1 or something. But, I would believe the 24th of Sivan, almost before Pentecost.
@ 1:27:37 And I wouldn’t stop watching till then. So, if you’re wondering what happens if it duddn’t come the24th? Well, then, [chuckles] then then I’d watch till the next 24th or till it’s impossible that it’s this year.
This is Dave-Speak for Iyar 24 on May 22, being a solid maybe.
@ 1:28:04 But the only day I can see that cannot tarry is half as far away as we thought when we walked into the hall.
Yes. Add Iyar 24 to the day that cannot tarry along with Adar 1, the Feast of Trumpets, the Feast of Tabernacles, Tevet 10, Passover, Iyar 1, Shevat 1, Abib, and Pentecost.
@ 1:28:11 But can I be wrong? Brethren, you’ve watched how hard dates are. Wow, it’s unbelievable. It’s just it’s just really [chuckles] a challenge.
If you survived until May 23, you lived to see David C. Pack fail another challenge. But that did not stop him from trying again the following week, even though he got wishy-washy during Part 576.
Part 576 – May 17, 2025 @ 04:44 We need to clarify the dilemma to the degree that we can that we faced last week between Iyar 24 or Pentecost ten days later. Or potentially, some other date.
@ 15:50 …we’re gonna take some incredible twists and turns today. And I I think I can pretty much put to bed the subject of timing.
RCG brethren must have rejoiced when they heard it was not put to bed last week. Or the week before.
@ 1:24:13 I’m not declaring the New Moon of Sivan to be the day. I’m not declaring the 15th [Sivan] to be the day. But Iyar 24 seems no longer to be in play as a possibility.
Iyar 24 on May 22 was never in play because David C. Pack will never be right about the return of Jesus Christ. Never. God is not guiding him to teach this. The Holy Spirit does not move him to give dates.
Even for the All-Believing Zealots, Part 576 was just 95 minutes of “I’m not sure. But I’ll keep wasting your time” from their human idol.
@ 1:34:19 I’ll keep you posted if I learn any more about timing. But for now, I would tell you we have need of patience. And maybe we're still yet learning more about, "Wow, you have need of patience."
The Kingdom of God arrives on Pentecost. The Kingdom of God arrives on Iyar 24. The Kingdom of God arrives at some point.
During “The Greatest Untold Story! (Part 577)” on May 24, 2025, David C. Pack finally lands on the date that really, really, really cannot tarry: the full moon of Sivan 15 on June 11.
Part 577 – May 24, 2025 @ 04:19 But last week, we started looking at the subject of the 15th [Sivan] or a full moon. …And I wanna confirm today the 15th.
@ 05:42 So I wanna lay out some really powerful things that emerged once I had a whole week to think about it. And they they are so strong, they leave me completely unable, …and they will leave you completely unable to believe that the Kingdom begins any other date but the 15th [Sivan].
@ 1:01:13 Apparently, God only planned to reveal this extraordinary, mysterious date we’ve battled for almost a decade to find that we’ve now learned only when it was just ahead, and it would surely come with the Kingdom.
The Kingdom of God arrives on Pentecost. The Kingdom of God arrives on Iyar 24. The Kingdom of God arrives at some point. The Kingdom of God arrives on Sivan 15. June 11, 2025.
Maybe Ed Winkfield should pay attention to Dave’s sermons rather than sleeping with his eyes open.
@ 1:19:10 Anybody beginning to see the day that cannot tarry?
@ 1:43:21 So, there cannot be there cannot be another year. Nobody can believe that.
@ 1:44:52 I’ve not heard an oracle that says it’s absolutely Sivan 15. But I cannot believe otherwise.
@ 1:45:14 And I fully expect, I fully expect Sivan 15.
I fully expect Sivan 15 on June 11, 2025, to be fulfilled as David C. Pack’s Prophetic Failure #129.
In The Restored Church of God, all eyes were on Passover, then on Abib 24, then on Pentecost, then on Iyar 24, and now rest on Sivan 15. That date will be as reliable as all the others. Keep an eye on that.