Memorial Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Rochester, NY
Where my journey began
I don't recall as a child either myself or my parents viewing the Presbyterian pastor as either "in charge" or "the minister" whose every view and idea, strange , weird or ill informed, had to be listened to and followed. He was the minister. He taught the Bible, conducted services, visited the sick and maybe occasionally was asked to "counsel" someone on some topic but I am not sure that was a role he played either. No one ever said, "the minister came over today," in sheer terror or "I'm getting a visit from the minister," as if something terrible or highly corrective was about to happen. Every minister I ever experienced before WCG was just a nice guy, doing what he felt he was called to do or making his own choice to do it and presenting the Bible to us in a practical and meaningful way. We did not follow him nor did he ask or expect that. None of them ever got up and announced after hours of sermon blather that they had come to see themselves spoken of in the Scriptures and they were either now a Prophet, Apostle, Watcher, Elijah, Zerubbabel or Joshua the High Priest. We would have all died laughing, fallen out of the pews and fired him recommending counseling and medication I suppose. It took me awhile in the ministry to figure out that ministers in the WCG were a more authoritarian figure than in my experience growing up. They took their cues from HWA. I was 18 when sitting in Harmony of the Gospels Class I heard Rod Meredith say, "There is God, Jesus, Herbert W Armstrong, Garner Ted Armstrong, myself and a few other leading Evangelists...." I recall thinking how weird a thing that was to say. I noticed that after "and myself" he could not come up with any specific names.
My first experience with ministerial authority came when Rod Meredith had announced that if he was late for class, not to waste time waiting. Someone should man up and lead a discussion until he got there. So I did. LOL! It pissed him off evidently and when I went to lunch he was running track and called me over. I thought he was going to say something nice but he asked me if I had repented of doing that... Sure, fine, whatever. That man confused me at times.
My first experience with ministerial authority in the churches was in Minneapolis but I have to say those I worked with did not seem so inclined. Some of my best memories and funniest days visiting was with Vic Kubik, now President of UCG. I recall him once during one of his attempts to trim down a bit getting a little crazy around Passover for something missing from his diet. Since it was past Easter and the chocolate bunnies were half price, he bought one and devoured it from ears to tale and we laughed our asses off. We also knew we could stop anytime for a Whopper, fries and Coke for $1.19 on the road and it fit the budget. Once we first visited a home that was merely a burned out hole in the ground. There was a half burned piano in the hole. Vic said, "I guess they are not home." and again it was just fun and real. The best was when we called on a new visit and sat in the kitchen talking for about a half hour before Vic asked them how they came in contact with the church? They said, what church? The people we meant to see lived next door...... Say what you wish, but have always liked Vic Kubik and where his heart seemed to be. He's been the ONLY minister I know who puts the practical Jesus into practice with Life Nets. I also was close to Denny Luker in the day and felt I knew his heart well though we did disagree along the way.
It was in Chicago the next year I began to learn about following the minister and doing what your were told either in your personal life or as lead by "the minister" who ultimately knew more about the Bible than you ever could. I was the understudy, so to speak, of a Regional Director who brought me into Chicago because he liked my grades in his Epistles of Paul Class. That's where I learned to babysit, wash minister's cars, show up at all hours of the day and night and hang out at the YMCA. I learned to drink in Chicago. I learned to rate ministers as liberal or conservative, HWA men or prone to GTA. It's where I learned NEVER to go through the door ahead of the RD and never to leave the sauna before the RD as "I might have something important you need to hear." It was a freaking mess and I wanted out. Dave Pack came back into the ministry in Chicago and I really wanted out.
To make a long story short, all hell broke loose in Chicago in 1974, ministers were spying on ministers and taking license plate numbers at secret meetings that I had no clue I was attending. LOL I knew I was attending but I did not know they were secret. I got fired one day in a phone call for guilt by association. Drove home to NY to see my parents and got rehired explaining I had no clue what the hell was going on. I still believed in what I perceived as my calling and spiritual perspectives. I got transferred to Eire, Pa but on the way got a call to turn South and head to Findlay, Ohio where I spent 8 nice, leave me alone years, with wonderful folk. Of course, the Corporate Church and "ministers to be followed," were into one damn scandal after the next and that is where I learned the fine art of denial.
Why do the many follow the few as if they knew? Why did I not say, "wash your own damn car," or "they're your kids, you take care of them."? If you told me today not to walk through the door before you did, you'd regret it. If you told me not to leave the room before you did because you might have something important to say, I'd laugh my ass off and tell you I'll see you when you get finished feeling special and important. It was a game one minister used to pay in the sauna to stay until the last guy was driven out by the heart and he alone survived. I knew his game and left early on purpose. I suppose I didn't want to be labeled as having a "bad attitude" or mess up a chance to get out on my own away from the crazies.
In my experience, it was not uncommon for members from surrounding areas calling or writing and asking for help on how to cope with their ministers. They called me to help them cope with Ron Weinland, Ron Reedy and Dave Pack. They called to pour out stories about how they were treated by a now Evangelist for LCG. I always asked it they had talked to their minister personally about the problem or hurt. By the time they called, the answer was always, "yeah right...not doing that again." It's also fascinating to me that these same types of austere or "don't you know who I am," types are STILL the ministers in the splinters. They got PROMOTED and life is good. Go figure....
I had a habit of visiting all the kicked out of the church by the last minister types when coming to a new area and most came back to church with a little encouragement and forgiveness for whatever grievous sin they commited previously. I stopped by to see one woman not knowing I would be walking into a raging bee's nest of anger. She yelled at me through the screen door about the Armstrongs spending and big idea about themselves and I just listened. She then asked what I thought about that and I said that I agreed which I did. She smiled and came back to church the next week. It was hilarious.
The now LCG Evangelist who I replaced here in Greenville evidently felt women should not ask questions in church and should only ask their husbands Bible questions. At least this is what one woman told me as she tested me on this issue when first arriving. She asked if she could ask me questions whenever she wanted and that she had been told she could only ask her husband. (It is in the Bible actually and worthy of edit or errasure). I asked her why she would ask me such a thing. She said, because "I want answers and my husband is stupid." Again...hilarious and I said to ask me whatever, whenever.
Where are the brakes within such churches as Gerald Flurry's PCG or Dave Pack's RCG? Why are there NO demands for accountability, balance and applying the principle of there being wisdom in the multitude of counsel when these types of men get their big ideas going at the expense of everyone else? Can't they see what is going to come of all this ridiculous theology so called? What's with Restored Church of God current members who can't speak up? You can't tell me they ALL believe everything Dave can come up with about himself and how the Bible points to him in his narrow and theologically under educated world. Of course the answer is , "He'd disfellowship me." Why can't you say "So what"?
Dave has arrogantly and openly admitted he will abide no disagreement and not permit "papers" to be written exploring other avenues of belief on topics that Dave has already decided he knows the one true answer to. Dave's Wonderful World Today was Hitler's dream. Where is the internal discussion as to where a Dave Pack or Gerald Flurry is taking us? I imagine there are a number of Ron Weinland devotees who, now that he is behind bars, will speak up as to what they always felt or disagreed with but never when he was around. I guess we all do that at times out of one kind of fear or another. Fear can keep you in your seat and mouth shut.
I will tell you plainly that the Dave Pack's and Gerald Flurrys of religion are just men with strange and often weird ideas about themselves and theology. They are neither special or insightful beyond measure. They may be loud or they may be intimidating, but they are just men. They may throw scripture around as if they were Peter, James, John or Paul in the flesh but they are just men. I guarantee you, Gerald Flurry is not "that Prophet" of Malachi nor is Dave Pack any real incarnation or fulfillment of Haggai's Joshua. Herbert Armstrong was not really any end-time Zerubbabel nor was he any Elijah to come. That is just theological bullshit. Both concepts and personal beliefs are stupid beyond measure and outside of their own followers all you'd hear from real theologians would be, 'they said what? You're kidding me?" In a very small and controlled world you lose your sense of self and all too often your common sense.
Both men have made fools out of themselves making scripture mean what it never meant and never will mean. Those that put up with and never speak up to, as their resources both in mind and money, are sucked up to preach foolishness and analogies gone amuck are going to get really hurt spiritually. There will be a lot of forehead smacking when they admit "I never really believed all Mr. Pack told us about himself," but never had the courage to say when he was saying it. Trust me, I don't blame you. I know how that works but realize you will wish you had. Whatever consequence you are afraid you'd suffer for pointing out these men's folly is NOTHING compared to what you will have to deal with when it is obvious to all and no more denial allowed.
I'm not against leadership. I'm against stupid. I'm not against being organized for a common good. I am against being herded. I am not against ministers and pastors. I'm against those who are anything but helpers of people's joy and servants above all else.
So...I dedicate this song to the last two weeks of August 2013 and the cooler theologies that now doubt will spring from the coming of Fall.
I'll be around each and every night
Reading your stuff 'cause you're just not right
Bye-bye, so long, farewell
Bye-bye, so long
See you in September
See you when the summer's through
Here we are (bye, baby, goodbye)
Saying goodbye to the crazies (bye, baby, goodbye)
Strange weird ideas... (bye, baby bye, baby)
Have taken you away (bye, baby, goodbye)
Reading your stuff 'cause you're just not right
Bye-bye, so long, farewell
Bye-bye, so long
See you in September
See you when the summer's through
Here we are (bye, baby, goodbye)
Saying goodbye to the crazies (bye, baby, goodbye)
Strange weird ideas... (bye, baby bye, baby)
Have taken you away (bye, baby, goodbye)
Have a good time... but remember
There is danger in the summer moon above
Will we see you in September
Or lose you to this summer's dumb?
(counting the days 'til they walk from you)
(counting the hours and the minutes, too)
Bye, baby, goodbye
Bye, baby, goodbye
Bye, baby, goodbye (bye-bye, so long, farewell)
Bye, baby, goodbye ...
There is danger in the summer moon above
Will we see you in September
Or lose you to this summer's dumb?
(counting the days 'til they walk from you)
(counting the hours and the minutes, too)
Bye, baby, goodbye
Bye, baby, goodbye
Bye, baby, goodbye (bye-bye, so long, farewell)
Bye, baby, goodbye ...