This paper examines a governance weakness within the United Church of God (UCG): the absence of term limits or genuine accountability for Operations Managers, particularly those overseeing Ministerial and Member Services and Media and Communications Services. While the UCG was formed in response to prior authoritarian abuses within the Worldwide Church of God, its own governing structure has permitted long-term consolidation of administrative power. This paper demonstrates how this concentration of power in non-rotating managerial positions undermines transparency, spiritual health, and biblical principles of servant leadership, and it proposes structural reforms to restore accountability and prevent the calcification of authority.
This paragraph alone is a bold statement of the current unhealthy governance that undermines healthy leadership and meaningful change within the United Church of God.
Albright goes on to talk about how certain department heads seem immune to "broad accountability".
The United Church of God, established in 1995 as a biblically grounded, collegial alternative to hierarchically governed churches, sought to preserve doctrinal continuity while avoiding the centralization of power that had marked its predecessor. However, over time, the Church’s structure has allowed certain roles—especially Operations Managers over key departments like Ministerial and Member Services (MMS) and Media—to become semi-permanent and virtually immune to broad accountability. This paper explores the consequences of that entrenchment, critiques the constitutional and procedural design that permits it, and proposes reforms in alignment with biblical and organizational best practices.
He continues:
The UCG was formed following the doctrinal upheavals in the Worldwide Church of God. In an effort to prevent unchecked top-down authority, UCG established a Council of Elders elected by a General Conference of Elders (GCE), with a President appointed by the Council. However, the daily administration of the Church—particularly its ministry and public communications—is managed by Operations Managers. These men are appointed and reappointed internally, often from within a small leadership circle. Although their roles are administrative, they exercise disproportionate influence on the Church’s public image, ministerial culture, and internal communications.
Over the past two decades, these managerial positions have become de facto long-term offices, resistant to scrutiny and insulated from meaningful challenge. This development threatens to replicate the very kind of power centralization UCG was created to prevent.
Albright then goes on to describe the operations mangers' positions and the power they weld:
The Operations Manager for Ministerial and Member Services holds extraordinary sway over the spiritual climate of the Church. He supervises ministerial assignments, disciplinary procedures, credentialing, and field minister communication. This authority allows him to shape the doctrinal emphasis of the ministry and gatekeep the internal culture of the pastoral corps.The Media and Communications Manager similarly holds the reins over UCG’s public image—producing Beyond Today, managing the Church’s digital and print presence, and directing responses to doctrinal controversies. This role, too, functions largely without structural oversight. The individual in this position can determine what the Church says, how it says it, and who gets to say it, all without input from the general membership or an independent editorial board.Though these roles are administrative in theory, their impact is profoundly spiritual. They determine who is heard, who is promoted, and who is silenced.
V. Structural Weaknesses and Consequences
The consequences of having perpetual managers in such key positions are both organizational and spiritual:No Term Limits: Without institutional rotation, Operations Managers can remain in place indefinitely. This fosters dependency, stifles innovation, and discourages emerging leaders from contributing new perspectives. Limited Accountability: There are no regular evaluations by the GCE. Council oversight is hampered by personal loyalties, lack of transparency, and reluctance to provoke internal conflict. Lack of Transparency: Operations Managers do not publicly report to the membership in a meaningful way. Their decisions are largely shielded from scrutiny unless a crisis prompts investigation. Conflict of Interest: Because many appointees come from within the same ministerial networks, a culture of mutual deference can prevent corrective action even when performance or decisions warrant review. Concentration of Influence: Media control means narrative control. Ministerial oversight means the shaping of theology and discipline. When combined in a handful of unchanging individuals, these powers make the church vulnerable to stagnation and groupthink.
The Worldwide Church of God and its splinter groups, including the United Church of God, bear no resemblance to the first-century church’s operations. Their claims of promoting “proper church government” are a facade, used to subjugate and intimidate members rather than uphold doctrinal purity, revealing a structure rooted in control rather than authentic biblical practice.
Ministers who express dissenting views often find themselves reassigned, isolated, or quietly retired, even when they enjoy widespread respect. The Media Department has periodically downplayed theological issues or silenced voices that do not conform to the managerial narrative. Certain doctrinal initiatives, once launched by Operations Managers, have remained in place despite objections, indicating a top-down imposition inconsistent with the Church’s conciliar ideals.
These patterns suggest not merely individual failings but a systemic flaw in governance design.
How many ministers do you remember from WCG days who were suddenly transferred, isolated or forced out when they decided to make a stand? I am not talking about the abusive men like David C Pack or Gerald Flurry, but regular ministers and elders.
What are some of the suggestions Albright recommends?
Other churches and nonprofits implement practices that balance stability with accountability:
Rotational Leadership: Term limits ensure that no one holds too much long-term sway.
Independent Oversight Committees: Reviews conducted by members outside the immediate administrative circle.
Member Engagement: Allowing congregants to give formal input on leadership performance.
Transparent Succession Planning: Open processes for identifying and training new leaders.
Amend the Bylaws to Impose Term Limits: Five-year renewable terms, with a mandatory sabbatical after ten years, would prevent undue entrenchment.
Establish Transparent Review Mechanisms: Annual reviews by the Council, informed by anonymous surveys of field ministers and relevant staff, should be codified.
Separate Spiritual and Administrative Oversight: The Council should more clearly distinguish between the strategic guidance of the Church and the day-to-day discretion of managers, reducing blurred lines of unchecked influence.
Foster a Culture of Servant Leadership: Leadership training should include explicit instruction on avoiding institutional idolatry and promoting transparency.
Introduce Broader Involvement in Appointment Processes: Involving more than the Council and President in appointments—such as advisory panels or confirmations from the GCE—would reduce the perception of backroom control.
Albright ends with this lofty goal, which sadly we will never see instituted in the UCG or any other Church of God, for that matter:
The United Church of God has noble origins in resisting ecclesiastical overreach. Yet without meaningful reform, it risks reproducing the very patterns it once rejected. Operations Managers must not become unaccountable power centers. Instead, the Church must reaffirm its commitment to transparency, biblical leadership, and shared responsibility—lest spiritual stewardship be replaced by bureaucratic permanence.
The Church of God, across its various affiliations, has consistently been dominated by a small group of men. This top-heavy bureaucracy has fueled the decline of these churches. Even newer splinter groups led by figures like Bob Thiel, COGWA, and Sheldon Monson cling to this model, where power flows from the top down. Members endure this control until the church implodes or they reach their breaking point and leave.
You can read the complete article here: White Paper: Unaccountable Stewardship — The Structural Problems of Perpetual Operations Managers in the United Church of God
Former RCG Headquarters Minister Ken Orel
Warns About David C. Pack
Ken Orel resigned from his 15-year ministry in The Restored Church of God in May 2025. He is a former Headquarters Pastor and worked as a field minister in California, Arkansas, Georgia, and Australia. Ken came to the same conclusion as everyone who leaves RCG: Pastor General David C. Pack is a false prophet, false apostle, and false teacher.
The former “Chicago Heavy” has written a passionate plea to the remaining brethren of The Restored Church of God using the Bible to reason together, warning them of the damaging doctrines of David C. Pack and The Restored Church of God.
“He Only Has to Be Right Once—How Good People Are Being Led into Confusion and a Snare”
Proverbs 14:15
The simple believe every word: but the prudent man looks well to his going.
There is a spirit of error moving in the Church of God landscape—a spiritual infection spread by those who claim to speak for God. Pastor General David C. Pack of The Restored Church of God has made hundreds of prophetic claims about the return of Jesus Christ.
Every one of them has failed. And yet, some of his followers still say, “He only has to be right once.” Sadly, that is not faith. That’s a delusion. And worse, it mocks God.
Many sincere, faithful believers are being weighed down by confusion, anxiety, and the painful tension between what they are told and what they see with their own eyes.
David C. Pack is only interested in one thing—being right. That doesn’t sound right. It does not matter that people are losing hope, suffering, being driven away, and even scolded because of their unbelief. It is a tragedy of the ages during this last era of the Church.
God is not confused about prophecy. When someone claims His authority and speaks in His name, when that thing does not come to pass, God calls it rebellion, and He warns that such lies make the hearts of the righteous sad.
This article is a call to those in The Restored Church of God who are weary, confused, or afraid. It’s to those who have endured so much heartache and frustration.
Dear brethren of The Restored Church of God, don’t you think it’s time to return to the comforting and reliable voice of the true Shepherd, Jesus Christ, instead of a fallible human being who continues to cause you to hope in things that don’t come to pass?
You Have Made the Righteous Sad
False prophecy is not a harmless mistake. It’s a violation of trust. It’s an act that causes spiritual distress, doing significant harm to God’s people. In Ezekiel 13:22, God says to the false prophets: “Because with lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad...”
Whether deceiving or just being self-willed and deceived, the liars Ezekiel warns about project a false reality in God's name by misrepresenting His will. This act burdens faithful brethren with confusion and doubt. When men like David C. Pack teach dates for Christ’s return while claiming to be led by God’s Holy Spirit, yet fail over one hundred times, it doesn't produce faith—it produces disillusionment. So many wonderful, sincere people have been chased away because of this one man’s strange teachings. Many have had to depart because their hearts were made sad. They came because of the promise of a safe place, solid in doctrine and vision, but they had no choice because their hearts were broken. Their faith was shaken in things that were not true. There’s a difference between building faith and subverting it. David C. Pack made the heart of the righteous very sad.
The spiritual trauma produced by deceivers causes havoc in people’s lives. Compounding the psychological toll, each failure is brushed off with a shrug, and a new “amazing” timeline is presented that undermines hours of previous teaching. People aren’t stupid.
This never-ending prophecy series is starting to feel like a total scam, almost like he’s toying with us. It’s gotten to the point where a set date no longer even needs to fail before another one is established. Something is very wrong. Are the people who have finally thrown up their arms and have left because of feeling betrayed the only ones who recognize something is wrong?
The brethren say, “Mr. Pack only has to be right once.” But Scripture says otherwise.
Deuteronomy 18:22
When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken, but the prophet has spoken it presumptuously: you shall not be afraid of him.
Brethren, be not afraid of David C. Pack or men like him. God says they are false. Another (and within the context, much stronger) meaning of that word for “you shall not be afraid of him” is, “don’t abide with, dwell, gather together, remain with, or sojourn with.” God’s direction is very clear—don’t have anything to do with this man or any like him. Why? Because they can derail your eternal life.
The Standard of God’s Spokesmen
Contrast the quality of false prophets with the example of Samuel, a true prophet.
1 Samuel 9:6 (NKJV)
Behold, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honorable man; all that he says surely comes to pass.
“All that he says surely comes to pass.” That is the ultra-high standard of a prophet.
The Hebrew word translated as “honorable” means “weighty, esteemed, or glorious.” It's from the same root as the word used for the glory of God. That sets a high bar.
Consider what people are really saying when they say he only has to be right one time. “He’s always wrong, but that’s okay. Someday, when he is right, then he will finally prove the mockers and scoffers wrong!”
What?!? Do we really think God supports that kind of broken thinking?
When God’s prophets speak, their words carry weight because they reflect His voice. To mimic that voice falsely is to mock God Himself. It is not mere error—it is spiritual theft, stealing the authority of God to prop up human imagination and self-will.
From David C. Pack’s own words:
Is “That Prophet” Alive Today? The Rise of False Prophets, p. 48
“If a man predicts an earthquake (in 1994), or any other major event for a specific date, and it occurs even a few hours into the next day–and this happened with the one claiming to be That Prophet (referring to Gerald Flurry)--this is a failed prophecy, disproving the prophet’s authority! Close is not good enough. Actually, the chilling truth is that being close means that the man is connected to EVIL ELEMENTS IN THE SPIRIT WORLD!”
If ANYONE misses the mark as a prophet—even one time—God considers that one FALSE. Don’t fall for, “I was telling, not foretelling.” In God’s eyes, prophets do not get second chances. The damage has been done, and the imposter has been exposed.
Teaching Rebellion
Jeremiah 28:16
You have taught rebellion against the Lord.
Jeremiah gets right to the point when addressing Hananiah after he utters a single false prophecy.
Just one false prophecy. Compare that to the over 130 failed teachings of David C. Pack. Rebellion isn’t always loud and angry—it’s often hidden in soft-spoken certainty and “new revelations.”
By consistently speaking what God has not said, people like David C. Pack undermine the fear of God, damage the credibility of Scripture, and lead others to depend on them rather than Jesus Christ.
Sincere brethren are literally making this man into an idol. That is rebellion, and it carries a cost.
The Fruit of False Prophets: Division, Control, and Fear
Matthew 7:16
You will know them by their fruits.
The fruit of false prophecy is not peace—it’s fear, fatigue, confusion, and division. Congregations fracture. Families splinter. Brethren exhaust themselves trying to “hold on” just a little longer for a return date that never arrives. But no worries. There is always another one offered on the horizon, keeping them hooked.
What has been the fruit of these many prophetic timelines? Encouragement? Peace? Joy? Or confusion, division, and fatigue? This is not the fruit of Jesus Christ. It is the fruit of human ambition.
True shepherds point people to Jesus Christ—not to themselves. True apostles don’t build personal kingdoms or glorious campuses. They lay their lives down for others.
Brethren, do not believe someone who has been discredited. Believe someone who “all he says comes to pass.”
The Presumption of Forcing God's Hand
Ezekiel 13:6
They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, “Thus says the Lord!” But the Lord has not sent them; yet they hope that the word may be confirmed.
There’s an unsettling element nestled within Ezekiel’s rebuke. It reveals something even more disturbing than deception—presumption. These false prophets speak as if from the mouth of God, even though He has not sent them. Then, they stand waiting—hoping God will fulfill the lie anyway. The members of The Restored Church of God are party to this by complacently listening to something that consistently proves untrue.
It’s a warped expectation that God will bend His will to protect “Mr. Pack’s” credibility. God help the person who does not think that EVERY word spoken out of their mouth will be accounted for. This demonstrates absolutely no fear of God whatsoever.
And God help the person who knows by their conscience that something is just off. And yet they continue to blindly follow the blind.
Anticipating God will fulfill the lie is not faith. This places God in the impossible position of either allowing lies to go unchallenged or publicly exposing those who claimed His authority.
It’s no wonder God says just a few verses later in Ezekiel 13:8, “I am indeed against you…”
This is the very spirit we see among modern false prophets. To be clear, David C. Pack is not the only one, but he just so happens to be the most pervasive and dangerous.
Those who have proclaimed to “unlock” the dates and timing for Jesus Christ’s return have failed over and over again, then deflect from that reality by quietly updating the timeline with a reinterpretation of Scripture. The prophetic failure is spun as being part of the process of unsealing a deeper mystery, while God uses that disappointment as a test to measure a believer's commitment. We are on trial right now! God is testing the genuineness of our faith. He is proving who is gullible and who will believe what He says. There is too much riding on our success or lack thereof.
All the while, members, along with the Pastor General, “hope the word may be confirmed.” They continue hoping that perhaps someday, somehow, something will validate the doctrinal error.
God will not endorse rebellion to protect a reputation built on false visions. David C. Pack’s actions speak louder than his words. He does not care for the people he is hurting. Life is too good in his palace to consider the carnage he’s causing.
Come Out From Among Them
There comes a time when staying silent is no longer love—it’s complicity.
To remain in a system that repeatedly steals God’s name, gaslights failure as being “right on track,” and shames those who are just weary by not listening any longer is a form of bondage.
Revelation 18:4
And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.”
You are not powerless. You are not alone. You are not beyond rescue. You are loved by God—and He is calling you to come out before it's too late. Do not allow your loyalty, friendships, or plain social comfort to cause you to sit and do nothing.
James 4:17
...to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.
If you're having conscience problems because you know that David C. Pack and The Restored Church of God are off track, and you continue to do nothing, well, the verse says it all. Fear God—not a man who will attack and make fun of you, as someone God was not working with anyway. It hurts, but you have to be determined to stand up for the truth.
Acts 17:30
Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent...
This isn’t condemnation—it's an invitation to free yourself from bondage. God is patient, but He is not passive. He is calling every person—regardless of how they were misled—to turn back to Him instead of being in love with an organization or idolizing a “mighty man.”
Rediscover that first love of the truth! God warned those in the Ephesian era who had “bourne and have had patience and for my name’s sake have labored and have not fainted (Revelation 2:3) to regain your first love (:4)! And commended those who “cannot bear them that which are evil, and you have tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and have found them liars” (Revelation 2:2). It’s okay to reveal sin and deception. Consider you could be saving someone’s life!
False prophets hope their words “may be confirmed,” but that doesn’t mean you should, too.
Can you imagine Jesus speaking to the crowds and being caught lying? How about being caught with repeated inconsistencies?
The wonderful remaining brethren in RCG are losing sight of why they were called. The whole point of all this is to be prepared to rule in the God Family. We have been given God’s Spirit first (firstfruits) to allow us the opportunity to train for something incomprehensible. Look at what your calling has devolved into by ignoring obvious bad fruit. If this is truly the man who is leading us into the kingdom (and a very small group at that), then God help us all. We are not allowed to casually drift along, not make a stand, and hope we make it to being kings and priests. God calls this era “lukewarm” for a reason!
If your heart aches with sadness from experiencing false prophesying, manipulative teachings, and the slow erosion of trust in God’s Word, then you are hearing the Spirit. Do something! Save yourself! You should not continue to passively linger in this group that is heading off a cliff. At some point, inaction will seal your fate.
If you love the truth, do not align your loyalties to wicked men who bring false hope and disappointment to our brethren. Avoid such places and such men.
Nobody will ride someone else's coattails into the kingdom, especially the coattails of someone who does not fear God nor respect His precious word. Don’t lose sight that it is this time in human history when false prophets and apostles will explode on the Church of God landscape and be testing us. What if these few false prophets and apostles that we are aware of are not even the most seductive and dangerous ones to come? God, in His mercy, is trying to get us ready to fight against false apostles and prophets. The road ahead is going to be dangerous and wild.
Revelation 3:20
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock...
If you are holding onto the empty hope that “Mr. Pack only has to be right once,” you are waiting around for that organization to change. The cold truth is that The Restored Church of God will not change as long as David C. Pack is at the helm.
He cannot show you the way to salvation. Jesus Christ is your Savior, and He is waiting for you to answer His knock at the door. For years, people have not been hearing Christ's voice in that compromised house. People—good, faithful people—have been fleeing. Is it because we’re the rebellious ones who reject God? Or are we the ones who actually care and can see wolves in sheep’s clothing?
Allow the voice of truth to cut through the Babylon of perpetual prophetic fantasies. Do you have the courage and conviction to leave your comfortable organization to go where God is directing you? Most will not act because it is too hard. “What will people think of me? I’ve been taught I’ll lose my salvation if I leave the Restored Church of God, the one true Church.”
You have hard decisions to make—every begotten child of God has always had to make tough choices. If your loyalty is to God and not to anyone else, you must choose between remaining in Babylon or fleeing to follow the truth.
“Mr. Pack only has to be right once.”
Ask yourself: Is that really the standard God has given us at the end of the age? Are you comfortable putting all your eggs into that one flimsy basket?
Your decision could have eternal implications, so take the time and think it through. You are not the only one troubled by what is going on. Do something before it is too late.
Originally posted by Marc Cebrian
See: He Only Has To Be Right Once
