Sunday, July 14, 2013

Dennis on "Memo to the 16 and Sell My Soul Types" in the Restored Church of God





Memo to the 16 And Sell My Soul Types

Dennis Diehl - EzineArticles Expert AuthorI don't know who actually makes up the 16 men that Joshua C Pack claims hang on his every idea and word and agree 100% with him in all things.  Maybe I know one or two of you from my own days in Ohio but I have never seen a list of exactly who you guys are.  I find it hard to say "who you men are," because now you have to live with the fact that your arrogant and self absorbed leader has made fools out of you and exposed the mental, emotional and spiritual route you also must have had to come to confess before coming on board.  I'm not sure any real man or woman would become such a lap dog in service to Dave and not feel a twinge of "what the hell am I doing?"


At any rate, everyone now knows how much of your being, your soul, your integrity and your own unique journey through the WCG experience you had or will have to give up to conform to Dave Packs standards of "repentance."  This is not repentance from anything.  This is brainwashing of the worst spiritual kind.  No wonder Dale Schurter disappeared for awhile after losing his common sense to come to Dave's way of being.  We now all assume you 16 have equally provided a written copy of just how much of your brain and mind you were willing to take out and throw in the trash for Dave.  



Personally I don't believe you lost your ability in the past to discern good from evil as Dave asks.  I believe you have lost your ability to discern good from evil now that you have sold out your being and unique life and experiences.  



These parts are my favorite.




" Are you willing to temporarily or permanently become an associate pastor?

In case you all forgot, Dave wrote extensively about his own demotion to associate Pastor and I'm not seeing where he was all that willing or happy about it being temporary, much less permanent.  I include a chunk here for your memory refresh. This from Chapter 27 of his , "this is how I remember it all anyway," autobiography.  You can read or reread it all here:




He called it 'the Big Grapple," but expects those of you who he would force into this position to not see it that way.  Just know, Dave Pack never accepted in his life what he expects you to accept in yours.  Kinda weird huh?  No more weird to me however than calling himself "Mr Pack" and "The Packs" throughout his own autobiography.  Perhaps someone else actually wrote it I don't know and forget it was "auto" and not "unauthorized." 

I suggest you read it all before you accept his terms of employment.  Personally I think in his mind it is payback time and you will be treated as he bemoans his own treatment in the past when challenged with getting back into someone's good graces after years of complaints from his church members about him and his heavy hand in all things.



"Uncertain of the future, the Packs returned to Buffalo. Weeks later, on a Friday afternoon in August 1985, they received a telephone call that would dramatically alter their lives.
 

It was from Mr. Tkach. Mr. Pack knew instantly that he was not calling with good news. Mr. Harold Jackson, an elderly evangelist and Mr. Pack’s friend, was also on the phone.

“Dave, are you seated?”, Mr. Tkach began.

The field minister said, “No, but I can sit down.”

Mr. Tkach wasted no time: “We’ve heard some complaints. We think there are some lessons you need to learn, so we are sending you to New York City as an associate pastor.”

Mr. Pack could not believe the news. Yet another gross injustice, this time a plain demotion, and it had been stated in such a matter-of-fact manner—a terse notice that they would need to leave Buffalo as soon as possible—within a month. Mr. Tkach offered few explanations as to what were the problems, what lessons needed to be learned, or which brethren were upset.

“I was more shocked at this moment than at any other in my life to that point. I suppose in a way I feared it was coming, but the actual arrival of such an unbelievable injustice was the single most difficult experience in my life—or that of my wife. I had experienced injustice before, but NOTHING of this order. I knew that I had been the victim of a conspiracy of evil thinking, but would only learn later just how great that evil would be.

“What was worse, and what drove the moment indelibly into my mind, was that, while on the call, my 11-year-old son, Robby, ran into the house crying. Both sons had been playing a football game with neighborhood friends in the backyard—and Robby had snapped his collarbone—for the second time! He was simultaneously pleading for my help, while holding his shoulder as the bad news was being received. I did not realize the seriousness of his injury, and told him to go upstairs and I would be with him later.”

Mr. Pack hung up and walked upstairs in a daze to check on his son. Seeing his condition, the parents took him to the hospital. It was in the emergency room waiting area that the reality of the life-altering phone call sank in.

“I understood that New York City had been selected for my assignment because the goal of this maneuver was an all-out attempt to destroy my life. I would have no understanding of the true level of evil I was dealing with until years later. It was only in the apostasy that I fully understood the devil’s role acting through one of his chief agents in trying to destroy my ministry, in trying to get me to give up. Strangely, I was better able at that later point to more completely forgive the man for simply following the alien spirit that was probably always leading him.”


Reconsidering the Demotion

 

The next morning, without her husband’s knowledge, Mrs. Pack called the Ministerial Services Coordinator. Again, her family had known him since 1959 in Milwaukee, back when the Ochs family first came into the Church.

She pleaded with Mr. Tkach. Here are her words describing her call in a summary:

“‘You’ve known me for a long time, Mr. Tkach. I’m telling you, the reports you’re hearing are false. Why are you allowing these lies to be treated as truth without hearing our side? It is unfair and I don’t understand why you would do this to us.’

“I questioned him as to why my husband was being transferred when there was so much growth in Buffalo. I told him of senior ministers who had visited and praised him for all that was accomplished and explained that the decision made no sense.”

Assuring her he understood her concerns, Mr. Tkach said he would reinvestigate the decision.
Mrs. Pack hung up under the impression he was going to honestly reconsider the transfer. She could not have known that something much darker was unfolding.


A “Promotion”

 

The following Monday morning, Mr. Pack received another call from Mr. Tkach, only this time he was cheerful.

“I have good news!” he said. “We’ve been thinking about the situation over the weekend and I’ve received some additional counsel. We have decided to promote you.”


Alas, the "promotion" was a demotion in disguise but clever.  Dave did pick up on the clever part. 

(16) Are you willing to be excluded from the ministry until you requalify?

The next one simply means are you will to buy into the bullshit I have made up since coming to power in my own mind.  It means nothing else. 


 
(17) Are you familiar with the new teachings that God has added to His Church on top of what Mr. Armstrong taught?

  • Which ones?—and do you agree?
(18) If your ordination(s) is(are) invalid, are you interested in being re-trained for Christ’s true ministry?

Very favorite.  Point 19 is a formula for disaster in your future.  Most of his office staffs haven't quit in the past because they loved and deeply respected the boss no matter what he did or said.  I think Mr. Pack is making rules to avoid this problem in his future.  Of course it can't be avoided by real men. 



(19) Do you believe ministers should be able to voice opinions to others about:
  • Where Headquarters is “wrong”?
  • What Mr. Armstrong taught/said/did “wrong”?
  • What Mr. Pack teaches/says/does “wrong”?
  • Where your boss is “wrong” or harsh, etc.?
  • Where you disagree doctrinally?



20 is outstanding.  You'll find it difficult to cut your own throat and hang labels on yourself you hadn't even thought of until Dave brought them to your attention.  Personally I smell some burning pants on this one in Dave's own behaviors but maybe it's just me.  You will learn in time that the eye that sees, does not see itself.




(20) Do you consider yourself as having been (rate yourself from 5 being best to 0 being worst):
  • Weak
  • Cowardly
  • Slothful
  • Covetous
  • Confused
  • Compromising
  • Foolish
  • Political (And did you ever “run for office” in a splinter?)
  • Heretical
  • Deceitful
  • Easily deceived
  • Betrayed your calling



21 is awesome.  Be sure to use words like "in the bonds of Satan," "I had shit for brains,"  "I was so deceived and afraid."  DO NOT say you thought Jesus/Christ would fix it in time and you wanted to support the brethren through difficult times.  No..no, no..no...no...that will just be considered  A and B and x,y,z excuses. 




(21) Why did you lose the ability to “discern good from evil” (Heb. 5:13-14)?—and for so long?



For number 22 and just for the fun of it, why not put in "Abraham to come," "Moses the Magnificent," "Aaron of God," "One of the Two Witnesses You Will Train,"  or maybe "Amos of Tekoa Reborn," or "Spawn of Zerubbabel."  Rank is REALLY  important but please don't say anything above "Pastor." 


(22) What do you consider to be your ministerial rank?
Ÿ Evangelist Ÿ Pastor Ÿ Preaching Elder Ÿ Local Elder Ÿ Local Church Elder Ÿ “Elder” Ÿ Ministerial Assistant


For the next one here, you might consider a side note:  "I will if you will..."




(23) Are you prepared to dedicate the rest of your life to serving God’s flock and fixing completely the horrific mess you helped cause in so many lives?"


Go ahead, make Dave's day. Fill it in and send it in.   You can also go to bed every night knowing Dave has a copy stored somewhere.  He may not want you to share it with anyone, but I'm not so sure he wouldn't.  And if you show up employed, we'll know how you got there and how much of your soul , your experience, your own journey and your mind you have thrown away to get there. 


I can't speak for any save myself and the few ministers I actually know. But in my own journey through WCG those I knew were sincere.  They came into the church out of the hope it seemed to glean from scriptures and those things were important to them.  Most made compassionate ministers, that I knew, with right motives.  The whack jobs tended to rise to the top in WCG or at least stand out like sore thumbs.  I always faulted someone for not actually telling some they simply were not for the ministry. They were not helpers of anyone job but thorns in their sides.  Rather than moving them around and inflicting them on yet another congregation, tell them they aren't cut out for the job.  Never happened.  There was never a mechanism I ever saw for even testing a guy for even having the personality or heart for a pastor in reality.  


Dave Pack was brought back into the ministry after a layoff in 1973.  Dave has a tendency to see the spectacular in the mundane.  


"The field ministry was undergoing a restructuring in 1973, and, after careful consideration, the new Regional Director (RD) in Chicago requested Mr. Pack for an assignment in Rockford, Illinois. This was, in a sense, a significant promotion that sent the young ministerial assistant beyond where he would have been had he not been laid off."  Autobiography Chapter 15.


I can't speak for the spectacular promotion this was as this is how Dave saw it, but I was there.  The RD (George Kemnitz) was from Milwaukee and close friends with Shirley Packs father, Peter Ochs. Wonderful guy.  George asked me, as I was "spectacularly promoted" to being the RD's personal assistant and taken from Minneapolis to do so about bringing Dave Pack back into the ministry.  I don't recall offering much of an opinion. I was 23 years old and having my own miserable experience in Chicago with my own "promotion."  But Dave was brought back also as a family (dare I say nepotism) favor as far as I could tell. I was going to be sent to Rockford , Ill which is about 90 miles from Chicago because I told the RD I had had enough of the lifestyle and wasn't a johnny on the spot type. My days there consisted of babysitting, car washing, lawn mowing, going to the YMCA and sitting in the sauna and staying up until the wee hours of the morning which I don't do well. Chicago was where I learned to drink.  It was a joke. Then all hell broke loose, I got fired with George, got rehired the next week and sent to Eire , Pa but rerouted to Findlay, Ohio where I actually could be a pastor with wonderful folk.  Dave got the Rockford job in that way.  Chicago in 73 and 74 was a nasty place to be a young minister. 



At any rate, off topic.  You 16 and those that follow should think long and hard about what these 35 demands on your soul will do to you and your families down the road.   Amen.


Contact Dennis at DennisCDiehl@aol.com

Changing The Lense On How We See Things




In 12 minutes he says more than any minister of Armstrongism accomplishes in 90 minutes.  Its about reorienting our brain to think differently.

Armstrongism has a history of outlining the negative in everything.  All  a person needs to do is  read one of Rod Meredith's letters and you will see that in action.  Armstrongism cannot dwell in the positive.  It cannot dwell in grace.

Dwelling in the negative shuts down the learning center of the brain.  People accept the teachings without checking them out.  Questioning exercises the brain which causes creative thinking which in turn leads to positive outlooks on life.  Armstrongism cannot stand the positive.

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ,

     Greetings from Charlotte, NC! My friends, really bad weather is just ahead! The weather forecasters here in America tell us that several potentially dangerous hurricanes are predicted to strike the East Coast of the United States this late summer and autumn. They may do huge damage. Why?



      In the western United States, the increasing drought is causing massive wildfires to break out in many places—even near huge population areas in Southern California. And a number of news reports have come out describing the growing “dust bowl” conditions in much of the Southwest—causing thousands upon thousands of farmers to suffer heavily and causing many to consider leaving the farming profession for good. Again, why?



      Also, the idea of same-sex “marriage” is growing across America and in many other so-called “educated” nations. Even as I write, the United States Supreme Court is debating how much to get involved in “approving” this practice of same-sex marriage. And now, our government agencies have “approved” the distribution of the “morning-after pill”—even giving young girls only twelve to fourteen years old the opportunity to purchase this pill without a prescription and certainly without any parental approval whatsoever! Now, obviously, the young girls and boys can go ahead with their fornication with more peace of mind and the young men will probably not feel the need to take protective measures—thus greatly increasing the incidence of venereal disease and AIDS! We are certainly making “progress,” aren’t we?



      Meanwhile, lawsuits and investigations are mounting as countless instances of governmental and corporate corruption are being exposed. Increasing numbers of liars and thieves are at the highest levels of our society and are causing growing mistrust of governmental and corporate leaders. And they are costing American taxpayers billions of dollars!



      Do you, personally, “connect the dots”?



      My friends, these seemingly different problems are all part of a Big Picture described by the real GOD of the Bible. For He—and He alone—actually controls the weather. Ultimately, it is not “Mother Nature” but Almighty God who is in charge of the weather. The lying, the thievery and the massive corruption of our entire society—and all our growing sins—contribute to the fact that Almighty God will intervene in the weather to punish our nations unless we repent. Most of you brethren and co-workers already believe that, I am sure. Yet, in the hurly burly of our daily activities, it is easy to forget how involved our Creator is in both our national and personal lives. How involved He is in causing bad weather. How involved God is in the soon-coming enormous earthquakes and the horrifying disease epidemics soon to come. And how involved Almighty God will be in the ultimate destruction of our rebellious society if we continue to turn away from the true God—the God who reveals Himself both in His awesome creation and in the inspired Word of the Holy Bible. We in this Work of the great God are continuing to reveal to increasing millions of people the reality of that true God and the totality of His awesome power.



      Remember, Almighty God caused His Son Jesus Christ to describe the conditions just before the end of this age. Jesus said, “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences [disease epidemics], and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:7-8).



      In a dual prophecy given to our forefathers—which not only refers to ancient Israel but to our times today—God warned us powerfully:  “But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror [terrorism] over you, wasting disease and fever which shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart. And you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it” (Leviticus 26:14-16).



      We today certainly do as a nation “despise” God’s statutes and His laws. We are slowly but surely turning away from almost every vestige of biblical Christianity! And so God tells us that—if we continue to disobey—“I will break the pride of your power; I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce” (vv. 19-20). We have already seen the national power and prestige of the British-descended and American peoples go down and down. Even in my lifetime, I have seen the once-powerful British Empire be dissolved. I have seen how the American people are slowly but surely losing their national prestige and the national confidence and sense of purpose—and the “pride of power”—we once had. It is happening! It is all part of God’s prophesied warnings to our people that they are to obey Him and keep His commandments and statutes, or else genuinely bad weather, fires, earthquakes and disease epidemics—plus other catastrophes—would all begin to occur and bring them down. So we, as genuine Christians, must learn to “connect the dots.”



     

      All these things are part of God’s supreme purpose to teach humanity that our own ways and the fruits of our human reasoning will be broken. Only if we turn to God our Creator and obey His laws and ways will we be blessed with good weather, world peace and prosperity—and all the things human beings genuinely want. As you see the terrible things beginning to take place which I have just described descend upon the British and American peoples, then know that God is real, know that your Creator is in charge and that it is He that is bringing about all this because of His specific promises to do so and because of His desire to “shake” our peoples to an awareness of our own sins and finally—in His time—to bring us to genuine repentance for our own good.

      There is one Work on this earth which is proclaiming this inspired warning and the full message of the coming Kingdom of God with increasing power. This is that Work! Most of you are very aware that God has continued to bless the Living Church of God in very meaningful ways as we continue to dedicate ourselves to the Great Commission of preaching the return of Christ and the soon-coming Kingdom of God on this earth. However, there are some self-appointed “prophets” or “apostles” who make big claims and, at the same time, throw around erroneous accusations. Brethren, as the senior evangelist remaining in the true Church of God, let me share with you just a few brief statistics and comments that should help illustrate that we not only remain the spearpoint of the Philadelphian Work, but also that God is continuing to greatly bless this Work. All of the glory and honor goes to God for opening these doors because, as we all know, it is God Who opens doors for His Church (Revelation 3:8). In addition to the Tomorrow’s World magazine circulation surpassing 400,000, many of you co-workers and brethren may not know that the Tomorrow’s World television program is aired on more than 220 stations, not including the massive new Russian satellite network which is comprised of four separate satellites giving us worldwide coverage in the Russian language! This television coverage creates thousands of literature requests and inquiries every single week—often 5,000 or 6,000 or more! 

Additionally, our English, French and Spanish-language Tomorrow’s World Web sites reach multiple millions of people every year and continue to experience rapid growth; with major new Web site upgrades planned for later this year, which will increase the effectiveness of our Internet presence even more! Additionally, as many of you know, our Social Media efforts continue to experience explosive growth! YouTube, Facebook and Twitter are vital ways to reach millions and millions of people who may not otherwise find us on television or by “classic” Internet searches. The numbers speak for themselves. For example, our main @TomorrowsWorld Twitter account is increasingly active and is followed by more than 31,000 people. Additionally, our main Tomorrow’s World Facebook page posts and ads have a total reach of more than 26 million unique people! And, as you can see, our main Tomorrow’s World Facebook page currently supports more than 53,000 unique Facebook fans, with weekly views to the page topping over 1 million on any single day! In fact, some of these Facebook “wall posts” generate hundreds of thousands of views for a single post. For example, a recent post about our upcoming online Tomorrow’s World presentation (scheduled for June 30 at 3:30 p.m. EDT) was read by more than 605,000 people! 

The Internet and Social Media are increasingly major ways that we can reach millions and millions of additional people with the True Gospel—ways we can encourage people to think about the meaning of life, what the Bible really says about God, our ultimate destiny, the end-of-the-age and the return of Christ, how to have a happy marriage, and the other many vital Truths that many of you have come to understand because of this Work. 

      My friends, as we approach the termination of this present society, all of us who have been given precious understanding by Almighty God really do need to stir ourselves and do everything we can to “reach out” to our fellow man and warn our peoples before it is too late. As Almighty God tells us in His Word:  “Deliver those who are drawn toward death, and hold back those stumbling to the slaughter. If you say, ‘Surely we did not know this,’ does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?” (Proverbs 24:11-12).

      As God looks down from heaven, how much are you, personally, sacrificing in order to get His final warning message to our peoples? How zealous are you to do all you can to support the very Work which the living Christ is using to preach the full message of His coming Kingdom and His way of life to this world? As I have just demonstrated in this letter, your tithes and offerings are being put to very good use in preaching the Gospel—and this Work has more direct impact than any similar work on earth today! We do thank God—for all credit goes to Him! But we do need to “stir ourselves,” and be able to get on more stations and preach this message with ever greater power so this crazy, mixed-up world begins to feel the real impact of this Work of God before it is too late. May God help every one of you do his or her part. At age 83, I am trying to “go all out,” myself, to give of myself in getting God’s message to the world which He has commanded us to do. May each one of us demonstrate our zeal for our Creator by getting fully involved in the Work of the living Christ right now!

With Christian love                                                           

Rod Meredith

Dave Pack is lying about HWA. What else is he lying about?



The Living Armstrongism blog has caught Davey Pack telling another lie.

Notice what Dave Pack wrote in the first two questions in his questionnaire for ministers in other COGs wishing to join RCG that he unveiled in his twenty-second and latest "Special Announcement".

1) Retirement—Mr. Armstrong taught that retirement is not an option for a true minister. 
Did you retire? If so, when, and why did you think yourself an exception? 
(2) Non-Career—Mr. Armstrong taught that “going non-career” is not an option for a true minister.
Did you do this? If so, why did you think yourself an exception?
Dave Pack is lying.
Dave Pack is lying about HWA.

What else is he lying about? 
Check the above link for a direct quote from HWA in one of his letters.