On Dave Pack's Profile

Recently I saw LCG Bob Theil report this briefing from RCG HQ claiming that 'the work' of RCG is greatly expanding. As is typical in these briefings everything is portrayed in the best possible light.

I always find it disturbing to hear of RCG gaining new converts because from what I hear Pack is a particularly authoritarian and controlling leader. Even as early as 1985, when he was just another WCG minister, Pack gained attention as a particularly controlling minister.

So to see what this Pack is really made out of let us take a look at his Who Is David C. Pack? page

As Pastor General of The Restored Church of God, David C. Pack oversees the world’s most extensive biblically based websites.

This is true only if you do Pack's trick and exclude every non-Sabbatarian church and every other COG organization. UCG's website have archives of its Good News magazine going all the way back to 1995. By that standard they're probably even bigger than RCG's website.

He attended Ambassador College, entered the Worldwide Church of God ministry in 1971 and was personally trained by Herbert W. Armstrong. He has established over 50 congregations, authored more than 20 books, written hundreds of booklets and articles, and appeared on The History Channel.

So what. Heaps of crazy people pp up on the History Channel. Even some of those conspiracy theorists that Pack helped to cast out of Global COG. Furthermore that History Channel appearance was utterly unimpressive.

As Editor-in-Chief of The Real Truth magazine and voice of The World to Come program, he has reached millions around the globe with the most powerful truths of the Bible, unknown to almost all.

'unknown to almost all.' This statement is designed to cause unsuspecting readers to believe that their adoption of Armstrongite doctrine is somehow unique and special. This statement is designed to feed new converts' vanity and give them a heady sense of elitism in embracing Armstrongite dogma.

It also serves to render all the other splinter groups invisible and remove them from consideration by the unsuspecting reader.

Born in 1948, Mr. Pack

Unsuspecting readers will be unaware that in COG culture you are required to refer to the pastor of your congregation as Mr. So and So. This causes pastors to be viewed as an elite.

Upon graduation in 1971, he married Shirley Ochs (who died in 2007), a fellow Ambassador College graduate and former personal secretary to Mr. Armstrong,

To establish his authority as Commander of the Faithful any links with the previous leader, HWA, is naturally played up in order for Pack to bathe in the glory of HWA, the prophet of 1975.

Determined not to compromise his beliefs, Mr. Pack started RCG in May 1999.

'Determined not to compromise his beliefs' Pack's branding gimmick is to say that he has perfectly reproduced the faith of HWA (which is assumed to be the true apostolic faith) and insist that everyone else has irredeemably compromised with the 'truth'. This convieniently forgets that Pack has made his own alterations to Armstrongism which deviate from HWA's WCG.

For example Pack teaches that Ethiopia is the King of the South and that there will be no future fulfillment of the King of the South. Many other COG groups teach that some sort of Islamic Empire will in the future arise and eventually will be destroyed by the European Beast Power. This doctrine was also taught within HWA's WCG. Yet Pack has presumpuously chosen to go against the conclusion of 'God's Apostle' in this matter.

Furthermore he has defied the government of God by presumptuously defying the established authority above him, the Evangelist Meredith in Global COG. By what authority did Pack have in defying Meredith's authority? He was rude to Pack? He hurt his feelings? Can Pack disregard God's ordination of Meredith as Evangelist and defy the words of an Evangelist while he belongs to a lesser rank? Pack has defied one above him. This destroys the Government of God. Therefore Pack is working against the Government of God.

The Restored Church of God is a truly unique organization, unlike anything else on Earth.

Except for the literally hundreds of related COG organizations, all of which derive from HWA's WCG. When I was a follower/co-worker for LCG I carelessly assumed that the other COGs were irredeemably different from LCG. No doubt many in RCG will assume the same thing. This may be particularly true of those who join without any COG background, as was my situation.

This is not true. The other groups are extremely similar to RCG. Look at their interpretations of prophecy. They also believe in the seventh day sabbath, that Europe will conquer the world and enslave the USA and Britain into captivity, the inaccurate belief that Anglo-Saxons and Celts are descended from Israel, and many other things. They are in fact very similar.

Published on the most extensive biblically based websites in the world, Mr. Pack’s and the Church’s materials address the everyday concerns of the average man and woman—and do so without soliciting funds, proselytizing or involvement in politics. All literature and programs are offered free of charge and in the public interest.

'without soliciting funds' What is not mentioned here is that members are required to pay three tithes, two of which are directly paid to the organization. Not paying is not really an option because HWA taught that not paying tithes is a damnable sin. A sin of omission. To not tithe is stealing from God, according to HWA. So these three have to paid. That is how the publication of those materials are funded. As one person put it "FREE cost me $60,000." This sort of misleading self promotion is very typical among the COGs. Meredith, a man Pack professes a lot of disdain for, does exactly the same thing as Pack: Imply that he is the sole source of 'truth' when in reality there are literally hundreds of competing sects, most of them very similar.

'without ... proselytizing' Poppycock! The whole purpose of broadcasting sermons, publishing booklets and books is to gain converts. I am aware of HWA's dogma that God is not calling most people therefore the church's role is not to proselytize but to proclaim the messege of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God as a warning. Many people join COG groups after becoming covinced of their truthfullness (wrongly) after watching or reading their materials. Even with this doctrine in mind they are proselytizing those who have been 'called by God'. So this statement is disingenous.

This statement is designed to lull unsuspecting readers into accepting the teachings of RCG uncritically in order to make them join.

To learn much more, read The Authorized Biography of David C. Pack.

Notice there is no mention Jesus Christ after all that.