Saturday, November 12, 2022

Dave Pack and the RCG Update Roller Coaster

 



RCG Update Roller Coaster

 

One of my favorite attractions as a kid at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, was “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride.” Mr. Toad moved to the Headquarters of The Restored Church of God long ago. He is the REAL Pastor General over there.

 

I grew accustomed to the staff meeting shifts for the eight years I worked in Wadsworth. The World to Come recording shifts. The department meeting shifts. The Social start time shifts. The staff breakfast shifts. Shifts. Shifts. Shifts.

 

Headquarters chaos always originates from one focal point: David C. Pack.

 

The root of all delays, cancellations and scrambles in RCG with any schedule can be laid at the feet of The Apostle. (Brad, Ed, and Dr. Ranney are all nodding as they read this. Ken is still clueless, and Ryan does not care.)

 

If your meeting time was changed, it was because “Mr. Pack is still sitting with the ministers.” If the World to Come shoot was delayed, it was because “Mr. Pack is talking with the bankers.” If your wedding anniversary dinner plans were demolished, it was because “Mr. Pack wants to do a Bible study with the ministers right now.” If you cannot pick up your daughter after school, it is because "Mr. Pack wants to talk with you.”

 

At Headquarters, you grow used to the idea of your life plans being blown to smithereens because "Mr. Pack whatever." He pulled this once during the Winter Social. Historically, after Services, there would be a meal and Game Night. One year, Dave decided to have an after-meal Bible study because of something so super-duper essential and urgent that the entire church needed to be aware of it. Hindsight is 20-20.

 

It was late, and THEN they went on with Game Night. As head of the set-up crew, I kept asking myself, “Wow, are we really going to do this?” Just writing about it still drains me. Those weekends were long, exhausting “days off” for the Headquarters congregation. Late nights. Early mornings. Full-day activities. The set-up, cooking, tear-down, and cleanup. Every man who leaves Headquarters knows of what I speak, and none of us miss that one tiny little bit. Good riddance.

 

And this was even before Mr. Snappy Fingers became the Headquarters deacon.

 

Those of us on staff experienced the continual instability of internal schedules. More recently, the entire church participated in the zigzag up-down-up of Pester General David C. Pack. A sound mind, indeed.

 

 

For those just tuning in, “The Greatest Unending Story! (Part 404)” was on the horizon per Dave in Part 403 last week, November 5. The week before that, a Meat Puppet dangled in front of the whole church to deliver these uninspiring comments.




I wonder how enthused the zealots feel now. Dave cannot only make himself look like a fool to the entire membership of The Restored Church of God, but James E. Habboush got to join him. Edward L. Winkfield is wiping the sweat from his brow, “If circumstances were different, that could have been me up there! Poor Jim.”

 

Andrew J. Holcombe got his “Hey everyone, I’m a fool, too” moment just before the Feast of Tabernacles. Gaze again upon Meat Shield’s proven-wrong-after-the-fact statements.


Today is Cheshvan 18. We are well-beyond Halloween and past the middle of the Hebrew month. The Packian Triad of Fraud is freaking out because they have no idea what the heck fire is going on. They are meeting this morning. They will meet tonight. They will meet tomorrow. This is not a quiet weekend for Jim and Andy. So much for sneaking out to see Wakanda Forever.

 

As I write this, Dave is frantically pouring through the Bible to find the prophetic emergency exit. Ten bucks say he will find it. And another ten say he will wind up speaking today after announcing he would not.

 

The words of David C. Pack have zero value. Whether he speaks today or not, the result will be the same for the benefit of those in RCG: nothing.

 

 

After adequate priming, you are ready to experience the RCG roller coaster this week. Remember, Dave announced in Part 403 last week that he would speak this week. A man of his word, indeed.

 

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

 

Prophetic Update

 

After all is said and done, there may not be time for a Part 404. We are still learning fascinating things about this first early period.

 

With the chaotic U.S. mid-term elections upon us, WATCH the events of tomorrow carefully remember Christ’s command to “fear not”!

 

*****************

 

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

 

Greetings brethren,

 

We are excited to let you know that Mr. Pack will deliver another live Bible Study from Headquarters this coming Friday evening, November 11, at 6:30 p.m. (Eastern time).

 

You can join the live stream by logging into Member Services and navigating to “Church Bible Study.” Again, the live stream will be open a few minutes before the message starts.

 

Everyone who is able should connect during the live message. For those unable to join live, the message will be available to watch afterward.

 

*****************

 

Friday, November 11, 2022

 

Greetings again brethren,

 

We trust that you had a productive week!

 

Please note that Mr. Pack is planning to deliver the next live message tomorrow during services instead of this evening as announced earlier this week.

 

Sabbath services at Headquarters starts at 2:30 p.m. (Eastern Time). For planning purposes, the live message will begin at 2:40 p.m.

 

Everyone who is able should connect during the live message. For those unable to join live, the message will be available to watch afterward.

 

Have a pleasant day!

 

Kind regards,

Church Administration

 

*****************

 

Friday, November 11, 2022

 

Dear brethren,

 

A productive week ended here at Headquarters!

 

All is well, and we wanted to let you know that Mr. Pack decided not to speak tomorrow. He will wait a little longer before the next live message.

 

We will let you know in advance when the next message will be.

 

Enjoy the Sabbath!

 

Warm regards,

Church Administration

 

 

The year before I left RCG, my editing partner in MPS introduced me to the concept of “strategic procrastination.” This is very similar to what ministers are taught about "under-reacting" to brethren.

 

It was a deliberate decision to not write about the Tuesday update. It was a triple-decker Nothingburger because I knew there would be PLENTY of time for a Part 404. But I chose to let Dave have his Chicken Little spasm in peace.

 

Then, the Wednesday announcement. Again, I thought, “Yeah, we’ll see.” And let it go quietly.

 

But here we are. Three days of changes. Three days of updates. Three days of producing nothing from the RCG leadership. They have become so effective maybe they can change their name to The Napoleon Dynamite Church of Gosh!

 

“…there may not be time for a Part 404.

We are still learning fascinating things about this first early period.”

 

Did anyone buy in on that one? The election on Tuesday was supposed to bring Armageddon to your doorstep instead of Uber Eats. So much for worrying about that. Here is a secret: Dave, Andy, and Jim will forever be "learning" because they will never be right. 

 

Fear not because God will step in at some point to answer the matter after He has heard enough.

 

Brethren, it may be safe to order that turkey for Thanksgiving now.

 

“We are excited to let you know…”

 

It is surprising the author was able to steady their giddy fingers enough to type that out. Who in Church Administration is still excited about scheduling any message from Dave? Maybe it was the Headquarters lady who ran away from me at Giant Eagle.

 

Using the word “excited” stretches the bounds of truth and reality. It sounds nice, but come on…

 

“…Mr. Pack is planning to deliver the next live message

tomorrow during services instead…”

 

If you ever cycle through Headquarters, you are used to this one. On the Sabbath, he does not speak when he says he will. Or he walks up to the lectern after saying he will not. Countless times he told the brethren, “I’m going to record a World to Come on Monday.” Halley’s Comet is more frequent than Dave doing something productive on a Monday.

 

The ministry and staff have learned to under-react to him. Strategic procrastination saves the staff from wasting time, even though Dave seems hell-bent on doing just that.

 

Understanding that he lives in Opposite Land will save you surprise and tons of grief.

 

Part 401 – October 22, 2022

@ 34:55 The month is Cheshvan…, and we're never gonna move away from it.

 

Part 400 – October 22, 2022

@ 34:40 I thought it was Tammuz. Turns out, it couldn’t be Tammuz.

 

Part 223 - December 20, 2019

@ 2:09:12 Never gonna set a date again. But you couldn't put a gun to both sides of my head and ever get me to deny all those verses [about Christmas], including this one we didn't know.

 

Part 197 – August 7, 2019

@ 1:34:10 I didn’t understand the announcement period. I understand all of that now. It’s crystal clear. You couldn’t talk me out of it. You couldn’t put a gun to my head and talk me out of it. I know exactly what it means now.

 

If he says he understands now, that is code for he does not. If he says he will never do something, that is code for he will. If he tells you to your face that he will do something, rest assured he will not. This is the leader of God's work in the end times. Big or small, David C. Pack is not a man of his word.

 

“All is well…”

 

Salvation is supposed to arrive in a few days, but Magic 8 Ball says, "The outlook is not good." What exactly is “well?” That is a pointless happy face sticker on a broken leg. Not helpful.

 

“…Mr. Pack decided not to speak tomorrow.

He will wait a little longer…”

 

Sheer panic is filling the Third Floor Executive Imaginarium today. They are out of ideas. They are out of metrics. They are out of biblical math. They are running out of time. Oh, Calgon, take us away!

 

Okay, another ten bucks say that if Dave does not speak today, he will also not attend Sabbath Services. Holy convocations get in his way. Commanded assemblies can be an incredible inconvenience to Mister Elijah-sometimes. (Unless he gets wind of this article before Services and attends just to spite me.)

 

The worst sin you could ever commit inside The Restored Church of God is inconvenience Mr. Pack. And God is learning that the hard way.

 

Even if Dave gives Part 404 today, I am not altering my plans for tomorrow. Nobody on the planet should put their life on pause for that guy. Expect to wait until late Monday for an update, folks. After all, even antichrists need to maintain balance in their lives.

 

This is the roller coaster The Restored Church of Another god rides. Come out of her, My people.

 

Get out while you still can.

 

 

A serious offer to those who wish to depart from RCG:

 

I will help you craft your Exit Letter. If you would like assistance word-smithing the reasons for your departure, allow me to work with you in creating an effective and clear letter before you send it to your “minister.”

 

This process will avoid volatile language that gives the ministry ammunition to discount you and your concerns. They are looking for ways to discredit you before your peers. For instance, if you use terms like “faking,” they will twist it to suit their means. Do not hand them the knife with which to stab you.

 

Allow me to help you. They never need to know I did. I want to help in any way I can.

 

This service of exrcg.org is confidential and FREE.

 

Write: exrcgwebsite@gmail.com and put “Exit Letter Help” in the subject line.

 

 

 Marc Cebrian

See: RCG Update Roller Coaster

 

Crackpot Prophet Still Believes It Is Important To Know Who The Lost 12 Tribes Are

 

It is still fascinating all these years to see those still entrenched in the myths of Armstrongism that still cling to how vitally important it is to "know" who the "lost" 12 tribes are. For some reason, these prophets of doom and damnation feel knowing this makes their prophetic brain farts more relevant.

For a church that supposedly has its focus on a kingdom to come at some point in the future, they conveniently forget to mention that there is no relevance of the 12 tribe myth in that kingdom.

New International Version

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

This brings us to our favorite prophet who is adept at bloviating about all kinds of useless topics that Christians have no need to worry about. But, Bob being the Bob he is, feels that he is the foremost authority on the 12 tribes, so much so that he has written another useless book on the subject. This book is doomed to epic failure like his Obama and Hillary Clinton books have. 

This is what happens when these self-appointed doomers in the church have replaced their focus on the One they should be following with useless crap.


Lost tribes, prophecies, and identifications

Jacob, also known as Israel, gave a “last days” prophecy for his twelve sons in the 49th chapter of Genesis. What did he tell teach one of them? Did all his sons stay in Israel/Palestine? Did the ‘ten lost tribes’ come back? Could some of the lost tribes have been identified as Scythian? What did the Scythians look like? Are the Black Hebrew Israelites correct that the modern descendants of Judah are ‘American Negroes,’ the descendants of Manasseh being Cubans, the descendants of Ephraim being Puerto Ricans, etc.? Were the ancient Egyptians Caucasian or Negroid? What about the ‘Black Pharaohs’? What about countries like Sweden, Belgium Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Finland, France, Denmark, Ireland, Iceland, the United Kingdom, and the United States? If Israel had twelve sons, why are thirteen tribes mentioned in the first chapter of the Book of Numbers? Which tribes are listed in the seventh chapter of the Book of Revelation? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues and more as well as lists ideas about who the descendants of the tribes of Israel are today. He also shows pictures of old historical artifacts which help demonstrate what the ancient Egyptians and Israelites looked like, as well as Jews near the time of Jesus.

Friday, November 11, 2022

The David C. Pack Tapes #34 RCG Ministers: “Are they incompetent?”


The David C. Pack Tapes

#34 RCG Ministers: “Are they incompetent?”

 

This third release of conversations between William H. Behrer, III, and David C. Pack of The Restored Church of God is a discussion planning a future ministerial lecture. Based on the content, this would have taken place between late 2012 to early 2014.

 

Dave had a pie-in-the-sky idea about training the men under his control to be “strong," like Herbert W. Armstrong of The Worldwide Church of God, by using video clips of him yelling. Because that is a sign of how right someone is. The louder they are, the truer they are. (Even my parents understood that.)

 

By all accounts, this lecture never happened. It was another “good idea” that did not survive the crawl to reality. Mr. Behrer was letting Dave vent, as do all the ministers at Headquarters unto this day. Let him spit it out, and then you can move on with the rest of your life.

 

For those who may find this hard to follow: LCG is The Living Church of God headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. UCG is The United Church of God. A “C.I.” is a church inquiry when someone contacts the church for more information or requests to talk with a minister.

 

Tape #34 is a pre-lunch two-and-a-half minutes long. The dialogue was already underway by the time Mr. Behrer hit the button.


(The sound recording is at the end of this article)


This transcript has been cleaned up to make it more intelligible.

 

 

[Start]

 

DCP: “How many of you thought what I just said was tough? How many of you thought these those last six sentences were strong?” “Wow, Mr. Pack, you're never that strong.” “Here's some other things I want you to be aware.” Boom. Boom. Boom. “How many of you thought that was strong? I wanna show you how far we've come from Herbert Armstrong.” Because I just showed Jeff the strongest statements I've ever made since I have led, under Christ, The Restored Church of God.

 

“Let's now listen to Mr. Armstrong. Here's strong.” I wanna show him on the broadcast [The World Tomorrow]. Just that tenor voice blasting, blowing the chandeliers out.

 

WHB: We have him in the Philippines, too—

 

DCP: In the eighties. Yeah, I'd like to hear that.

 

WHB: At the Philippine campaign.

 

DCP: I'd like to hear a whole series of excerpts. 20, 30 seconds. No more. And just stop. “How many still think I'm strong after the first one? Let's hear another one.” Boom. In the middle of a sermon. It could be video and audio. It's gonna be a very special lecture. And say, “Now look, I'm going to get stronger. I've waited years and this is the place to do it.”

 

Our ministers need to get better. Are they mechanical? Are they incompetent? Are they neglectful? Are they arrogant? They just think they know better. "I know what it said, but I'm just kinda disobedient, you know?” What is the problem? Are they just incredibly weak? Because I'm finding, when I listen to [minister], I read that. I know it takes time to develop C.I.s. With [minister], New Zealand there.

 

WHB: Yes.

 

DCP: And that's one view. Wudden't that shocking? LCG just baptized him.

 

WHB: Very much. But, not surprising. Not surprising. I've seen it with UCG. Not surprisingly, and it varies from minister to minister. I'm not even convinced that they would endorse that in Charlotte, but ministers basically—

 

DCP: It's tolerated. Tolerated. And that might be part of our problem. We don't endorse a lot of stuff that's going on out there. We don't have field structure. Who are the guys? You know. I had fourteen things in the list.

 

WHB: Okay.

 

DCP: You know, Bill, I see the meals are arriving, but…

 

WHB: So, wanna stop?

 

DCP: Sure.

 

[End]

 

 

The man mentioned near the end has not been a member of RCG for several years. His name was redacted since he was not the focal point of the discussion.

 

“Wow, Mr. Pack, you're never that strong.”

 

When it was mentioned in the previous tape article about patterns emerging the more you listen to these recordings, I was not kidding. Dave loves to put his words in other people's mouths, especially when they speak highly of him. It is like he winds up a bunch of toy monkeys, places them in front of himself, and makes them all clap in his direction.

 

The world David C. Pack lives in is filled with people who admire and praise him. He is a human idol, after all, so that makes sense. His idea of what people think of him and what he says is clear, powerful, strong, electrifying, fascinating—vomit.

 

The reality is that Dave’s teachings are confusing, contradictory, repetitive, fleeting, and boring.

 

He shared with Mr. Behrer the back-and-forth interaction that would never come to pass. He knew how his audience would respond and be wowed because what he says is always super-duper important.

 

“Our ministers need to get better.”

 

This has been David C. Pack’s burden since The Worldwide Church of God crumbled. There were no strong and faithful ministers left, so Dave had to go it alone. All the weaklings he has been stuck with were nothing compared to the Golden Boys of WCG. It is the Laodicean age, don’t ya see?

 

Dave often spoke from the lectern about how he lamented no "good senior ministers" were left in the world. They had all compromised and softened by joining a splinter or staying home. Or just died.

 

Even when men like Mr. Behrer and Mr. Dale Schurter were brought into the RCG bullpen, they eventually soured in Dave's eyes. He got what he wanted, but they had flaws and were not good enough for him. So, back to going it alone. Boo hoo.

 

Every minister who drifts in and out of RCG Headquarters has had to sit and listen to how disappointed Dave has been with the fields he is forced to reap from. There is no quality grain left to make decent bread. You can only bake with the ingredient you have.

 

These same men have witnessed Dave tear apart the man sitting next to them, hoping he does not move one chair to the left or right. But, all those men get a turn in due course.

 

The ridicule and tear-downs do not end when you leave the room. Oh no. Chances are when you walk down the hallway after they close the door, it is your turn, too. Dave is famous for ripping into the man who is not present. It is an ever-revolving door of scorn.

 

David C. Pack is not afraid to verbally assault you to the point of tears in front of others, but his more "casual sniping" occurs when the target is not in sight. 

 

No minister at The Restored Church of God can call me a liar on this. The accounts are too similar from too many for too long. Thus is the way of God’s apostle. The sometimes-Elijah. A man chock-full and running over with God’s Holy Spirit. Uh…sure.

 

The natural pattern of abuse begins on the third floor and works its way throughout the entire organization. Fear, confusion, and doubt are the spirits at work in RCG today.

 

 

“Are they incompetent? Neglectful? Arrogant? Disobedient? Incredibly weak?”

 

This is how David C. Pack sees the men around him. He is forced to work with this raw clay to make ministers out of it. No wonder he gets more and more pissy as we “go on for another year.”

 

Some think the brethren have it tough, but try being a minister at Headquarters, and you will get a taste of The Real Dave. These tape releases have yet to demonstrate his full behind-the-scenes fury.

 

What has become a boon for the entire Restored Church of God Whistleblowing industry is that what Dave would have said years ago only behind closed doors is now streamed to the whole church. That is one metric of how David C. Pack is losing control. His deterioration is being documented out in the open by the progressive madness of “The Greatest Unending Story!” Series that will finally come to a final end with the final Part 404 this Friday night. Finally.

 

No one can edit Dave anymore. I think even Brad has let go of the wheel, and if Dave takes the car off the cliff, so be it.

 

David C. Pack is far above the men who surround him.

 

They are the incompetent, arrogant ones. Not him.

 

They are the blaspheming murderous ones. Not him.

 

They are the hypocritical thieves. Not him.

 

When God does eventually intervene, I suspect the most surprised person on the planet will be Pester General David C. Pack.


#34 – DCP: Ministers – Are They Incompetent?

Marc Cebrian