Dave Pack Discards Dale Schurter and Publicly Shames Him and His Wife

It was only a few of years ago that Dave Pack was crowing about how he "stole" Dale Schurter from the United Church of God.  You would have though Jesus had jumped ship into RCG. Jesus second coming could will never match this jump.

Dale bragged that's his eyes had been cleansed and he could see clearly that the truth was only found in what Dave taught.  Dave sent him though an intense reeducation system to eradicate the apostate teachings of the United Church of God.  Dale came out with glowing accolades that were boasted about in RCG magazines, web site stories and local newspapers.

A reader here reported:

Mr. Schurter and his wife "moved "away and the next week in services we had a sermon about how the both of them were having signs of dementia, like in his sermons he was teaching things he learned in United and he would go over time In his sermons and then Mr Pack said he put goldfish in his pond on the campus on "accident" and ruined some trees,the whole thing was just strange.

Previous articles about Schurter are here: 

Dale Schurter Propaganda/Resignation Letter

Larry McElroy and Dale Schurter: What do they have in common?

Dale Schurter: Only the Restored Church of God is going to Petra

A Window Into Agriculture Future   Dave Pack's glowing tribute to Dale.

Buildings, Ag Program Planned For Grounds Off Ambassador

Dale Schurter's Ego Getting As Big As Pack's

Dale Schurter Claims He Is Suffering Intense Persecution

Will UCG Have The Courage To Remove Kubik From Office This Spring?

UCG has the chance this spring to change the face of its organization with new blood and new ideas.  The past several years have been a complete disaster under Vic Kubik's reign.  From the COGWA defections with 1/2 of the ministers and over half of their members, epic media failures from hiding their beliefs on their web site to the recent personal campaigns that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and garnered one new church attendee, UCG's relevance has been shattered.

UCG has been operated by the same men who ran WCG before they conspired while on WCG payroll to form a new splinter group.  They carried the same old business model of the WCG over to their new incarnation where the corruption continues.  Its ht same old men doing the same abusive things they did while still in WCG.

Its 2016 in the 21st century.  New ideas, new methods of advertising, and new ways of communication are changing the world we live in daily.  UCG still seems to be in the 1986 mode that died with Herbert Armstrong.  Will UCG finally pay attention to the younger men in the ranks?  They have dumped millions of dollars into training these men and can't find much use for them so far.

With declining income and membership someone had better wake up to the sinking ship they are in right now.

UCG has kept it low profile, but remember that Victor Kubik’s 3-year term expires this spring. The COE should soon be voting to reelect him to an additional 3-year term (or to a shorter term); or begin a search for a new President.  

It appears Victor Kubik feels confident enough that he will be reelected that he is already scheduling himself to give the national feast sermon as President this fall.

UCG members are getting tired of Kubik's "holier than thou" attitude that the UCG cannot operate without him in control.  The problem is that with the defection of COGWA ministers his opposition has basically been eliminated.  Its the good old boys who could care less what the membership thinks.

Personally, I hadn’t forgotten that his 3-year term expires this spring, and like you, I figured that it meant very little – both based on the things he’s been saying that indicate that he sees himself as a fixture, as well as the fact that their jettison of the COGWAN ministry 5 years ago makes it very unlikely that this bunch will be voted from power anytime soon – because they eliminated most political opposition and most of the ministers they’ve installed are obligated to them. 

Ian Boyne Responds and Apologizes

Below is a letter I received from Ian Boyne that he asked to be published here.  I also told him I look forward to hearing about his interpretation of Reformed Armstrongism and why it still maintains meaning for him today.

I apologize unreservedly if any offense was taken to my  comments made in the Journal. None was  ever meant. I specifically said  SOME of those who  posted  on this blog can be crude, callous and cryptic—NOT all. (Had to use my Armstrongite trademark of the caps!) I said that  because  I have read  highly insensitive, distasteful  and, indeed, crude and callous comments made about  people  who had just  died , with family and friends still in grief. My comments  concerning the reaction to Ron Dart  were  to stress that his life was so impactful and impressive, especially in an environment and context where decency, compassion and respectfulness were in very short supply, that even an anti-Church of God blog like this spared him the vitriol. I never meant to convey that all who participate  on this blog make crude and callous comments. That would be a total misrepresentation on  my part.   

My reference to “scruples” related to those who were prone to make crude statements, not to everyone here. My  overarching  point was that the respect and honor shown to Dart in his death was not due to any  tradition of not speaking evil of the dead, for I have seen that violated here, but due to genuine high regard for Dart and his non-authoritarian, non-cultic behavior and ministry.  I  check  this blog literally every day and  find many of  your comments useful and poignant. l  have written in the Journal, for example,  about my respect for Byker Bob’s insightfulness and incisiveness. I always look forward  to his contributions. He has a fine, sharp mind, with formidable analytical skills.  

You, too, Gary, are obviously a  very reflective and thoughtful person, whose stand against abuse, authoritarianism and autocracy must be commended.  As a minister in the Armstrong movement  I, naturally, disagree with  much  of what is said here, but  I do  log on every day  to see what you guys are saying and what the crazies in the movement are up to.  I am sorry that because of my busy professional and pastoral life (and heavy reading schedule—which I guess is a shock. LOL), I don’t have much time to engage.  

But I confess to being  tempted to write a piece showing why a cerebral person like me still finds some value in what I call  Reformed Armstrongism.  Perhaps  one day soon  I  might yield. In the meantime I stay tuned to your site. Thanks for  giving  me a voice and again  no offense meant.  

Ian Boyne

We Have No Scruples But They Have Lots of Rainbows, Lollipops and Cotton Candy

The latest Journal that is out for January 2016 is filed with glowing tributes to Ron Dart.  One of the articles is by Ian Boyne from a branch of the Church of God International that is based in Jamaica.  He starts his article by immediately discussing this blog and how all of the unscrupulous readers here somehow found time to have kind words about Ron Dart.

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Perhaps the most telling indication of the caliber, character and com- passion of Ronald Lee Dart happened on the day of his death (Jan. 23, 2016).

When his death was announced on the leading anti–Church of God blog (run by Gary Leonard at armstrong ismlibrary.blogspot.co.nz) there was an outpouring of respect for his life and regret over his death expressed by visitors to the blog.

Some of those guys on that blog can be crude, callous and cryptic, but Ron Dart was spared their vitriol, and not because of any polite notion that one must not speak evil of the dead. Those guys hold no such scruples. 

For those who don't remember the definition behind unscrupulous (which is what he called everyone here) it is this:

un·scru·pu·lousˌənˈskro͞opyələs/
adjectivehaving or showing no moral principles; not honest or fair.
synonyms:

1. unprincipled, unethical, immoral, conscienceless, shameless, reprobate,  exploitative, corrupt, dishonest, dishonorable, deceitful, devious,   underhanded, unsavory, disreputable, evil, wicked, villainous, Machiavellian

While there may certainly be some crude comments in some the comments sections it certainly is a far stretch to claim that everyone here have no moral principles, are not honest and are not fair.  This is the only blog/web site out in the COG Internet universe the allows comments from ex and present day COG members with little restrictions.

This accusation is rich coming from a writer for the the Journal which is filled with some of the most unchristian and idiotic paid advertising that can be imaginable.  What valid articles the Journal may have are undermined by these advertisements.  Add to that the Journal's refusal to allow anyone to present an alternate view or debunk the trojan-horse of Armstrongism - British Israelism.

For decades now the Church of God has been led by some of the most immoral, unscrupulous, corrupt, dishonest, deceitful and odious men imaginable.  Even the Church of God International, of which Boyne is part of, was founded by an immoral, corrupt, shameless reprobate who could not keep his pants zipped, had no problem gambling members tithe money at casinos around the world, contributed to child abuse in the church which his absurd child rearing teachings, and mentally and spiritually abused members and employees. That is certainly some legacy to carry on.

I had no idea a few years ago that this blog would ever have hit 3.25 million hits in a few short years. Nor would I dream it would average 400 new visitors  every single day within the 1,200-2,000 daily hits it may receive.

Living Church of God members have found this blog to be the only source of information about the terrible abuses going on in their church.  While I certainly wish they would leave the church and find true freedom, I also see why so many stay in because of familial ties and friendships.  I have no doubt that there are many sincere Christians in the LCG who truly do want to serve God with all their heart.  Both of these reasons are why I give them unfettered access here both in articles they submit and comments.

Its not my fault that the Church of God is filled with so many unscrupulous ministers, evangelists and outright frauds who continue to abuse and steal members money to build their own little
mini-Ambassador campuses trying to recapture the glory days of old.

If the Journal, Ian and others truly believe they are doing God's work then why do they not shout from the mountain tops and expose the abuse that Dave Pack, Gerald Flurry, Rod Meredith and others are committing on a daily basis? They know the evil that exists in these groups and yet do nothing. Why are the years of false prophecies by Dave Pack, Ron Weinland, Gerald Flurry and Rod Meredith never exposed?  As usual in COGland, its all rainbows, lollipops and cotton candy.