Charles Pace
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Charles J. Pace (born c. 1950) is the current leader of The Branch, The Lord Our Righteousness, the supposed successor group of the
Branch Davidians The Branch Davidians (or the General Association of Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventists) were an apocalyptic new religious movement founded in 1955 by Benjamin Roden. They regard themselves as a continuation of the General Association of ...
after 1993. According to the ''
Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...
'', he is from Collingwood, Canada. He joined the Branch Davidians in the 1980s, but he left before the
Waco siege The Waco siege, also known as the Waco massacre, was the law enforcement siege of the compound that belonged to the religious sect Branch Davidians. It was carried out by the U.S. federal government, Texas state law enforcement, and the U.S. mi ...
that destroyed the Mt. Carmel center. He claims to be the successor to
David Koresh David Koresh (; born Vernon Wayne Howell; August 17, 1959 – April 19, 1993) was an American cult leader who played a central role in the Waco siege of 1993. As the head of the Branch Davidians, a religious sect and offshoot of the Davidian Sev ...
as the prophet of the Branch Davidians (though he does not use the word "prophet"). He returned to Waco, Texas, in 1994 after having left the Mount Carmel Center in the mid-1980s in order to start his own religious movement. He is trained as a
reflexologist Reflexology, also known as zone therapy, is an alternative medical practice involving the application of pressure to specific points on the feet, ears, and hands. This is done using thumb, finger, and hand massage techniques without the use of ...
,
nutritionist A nutritionist is a person who advises others on matters of food and nutrition and their impacts on health. Some people specialize in particular areas, such as sports nutrition, public health, or animal nutrition, among other disciplines. In many c ...
and colon therapist, according to the ''Toronto Star''. A tractor reportedly amputated his foot sometime before April 2013.
National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...
and other news sources note that he is an
herbalist Herbal medicine (also herbalism) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. With worldwide research into pharmacology, some herbal medicines have been translated into modern remed ...
and
gardener A gardener is someone who practices gardening, either professionally or as a hobby. Description A gardener is any person involved in gardening, arguably the oldest occupation, from the hobbyist in a residential garden, the home-owner suppleme ...
. He is married to Alex Pace and has two children, Michael and Angela Pace.


Life before and during the Waco siege

Pace grew up in
Collingwood, Ontario Collingwood is a town in Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. It is situated on Nottawasaga Bay at the southern point of Georgian Bay. Collingwood is well known as a tourist destination, for its skiing in the winter, and limestone caves along the Nia ...
. At the age of eighteen, he left Collingwood to go out West on a "spiritual quest", according to the ''
Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...
''. In
Hope, British Columbia Hope is a district municipality at the confluence of the Fraser and Coquihalla rivers in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Hope is at the eastern end of both the Fraser Valley and the Lower Mainland region, and is at the southern end ...
, he met with a Seventh Day Adventist who later connected him to the
Branch Davidians The Branch Davidians (or the General Association of Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventists) were an apocalyptic new religious movement founded in 1955 by Benjamin Roden. They regard themselves as a continuation of the General Association of ...
. He first arrived in
Waco, Texas Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the ...
, in 1973 to meet the Branch Davidians. Around 1984, Pace left the compound. Former Branch Davidians told ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' that Pace hated
David Koresh David Koresh (; born Vernon Wayne Howell; August 17, 1959 – April 19, 1993) was an American cult leader who played a central role in the Waco siege of 1993. As the head of the Branch Davidians, a religious sect and offshoot of the Davidian Sev ...
. Pace claimed that Koresh "twisted" the
Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
's teachings in such a way that he could not tolerate. Pace believed that David Koresh "was the means by which
Satan Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...
came to impersonate the descendant of
Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
". Pace reportedly also had a "falling-out" with
George Roden George Buchanan Roden (January 17, 1938 – December 8, 1998) was an American leader of the Branch Davidian sect, a Seventh-day Adventist splinter group. In 1987, he was evicted from the Mount Carmel Center near Waco, Texas, by his rival David Ko ...
, son of Lois Roden and contender for leader of the Branch Davidians after her death. At the time of the siege, he led a small church in
Gadsden, Alabama Gadsden is a city in and the county seat of Etowah County in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is located on the Coosa River about northeast of Birmingham and southwest of Chattanooga, Tennessee. It is the primary city of the Gadsden Metropolitan ...
.


Theology and religious leadership

Pace claims to be returning to the "true theology" of the
Branch Davidians The Branch Davidians (or the General Association of Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventists) were an apocalyptic new religious movement founded in 1955 by Benjamin Roden. They regard themselves as a continuation of the General Association of ...
before
David Koresh David Koresh (; born Vernon Wayne Howell; August 17, 1959 – April 19, 1993) was an American cult leader who played a central role in the Waco siege of 1993. As the head of the Branch Davidians, a religious sect and offshoot of the Davidian Sev ...
's rise to power. He insists that the original theology is similar to
Messianic Judaism Messianic Judaism ( he, or , ) is a modernist and syncretic movement of Protestant Christianity that incorporates some elements of Judaism and other Jewish traditions into evangelicalism. It emerged in the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier He ...
. He believes he is more of a successor to
Lois Roden Lois Irene Scott Roden (August 1, 1916 – November 10, 1986) was a president of the Branch Davidian Seventh-day Adventist Church, an apocalyptic Christian group which her husband, Benjamin Roden founded. The sect began in Texas in 1955 as a s ...
, the leader of the Branch Davidians before Koresh. Pace believes that the world will end in his lifetime, and that most of the world's population will perish unless they practice Branch Davidianism. In 1998, ''
The Economist ''The Economist'' is a British weekly newspaper printed in demitab format and published digitally. It focuses on current affairs, international business, politics, technology, and culture. Based in London, the newspaper is owned by The Econo ...
'' reported that Pace's sect had about 10 followers other than himself. Pace sought to grow his church and install educational exhibitions about the Waco siege. Some former Branch Davidians who were part of the group with David Koresh before the
Waco siege The Waco siege, also known as the Waco massacre, was the law enforcement siege of the compound that belonged to the religious sect Branch Davidians. It was carried out by the U.S. federal government, Texas state law enforcement, and the U.S. mi ...
do not recognize Charles Pace as the legitimate successor to Koresh. Sheila J. Martin, for example, similarly believes in his apocalyptic beliefs, but they do not share the same doctrine.
Clive Doyle Clive Joseph Doyle (February 24, 1941 – June 8, 2022) was a leader in the Branch Davidians, Branch Davidian movement after the Waco siege in 1993. He was a Branch Davidian and a Shepherd's Rod, Davidian Seventh-day Adventist before the Waco si ...
and others launched a lawsuit against Pace in order to obtain the property on which the Waco siege occurred, which they allege he is
squatting Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there ...
, but the lack of sense of urgency and funds made it slow. On
National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...
, Catherine Matteson, a Branch Davidian from before David Koresh, called Pace "fake". Additionally, some former Davidians fear that the "museum" Pace wishes to erect on the property will not accurately portray them and David Koresh. On the property, Pace and
Amo Bishop Roden George Buchanan Roden (January 17, 1938 – December 8, 1998) was an American leader of the Branch Davidian sect, a Seventh-day Adventist splinter group. In 1987, he was evicted from the Mount Carmel Center near Waco, Texas, by his rival David Ko ...
, another claimant to the successorship to the Branch Davidians, laid a marble stone "in memory of the government officers who died", according to ''The'' ''Times'' (London).


References

Religious leaders in North America {{DEFAULTSORT:Pace, Charles 1950 births Living people