Great Commission and further subsidiaries

Welcome to De-Commissioned, a place for former members of the Great Commission movement (aka GCM, GCC, GCAC, GCI, the Blitz) to discuss problems they've experienced in the association's practices and theology.

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[TheAtheist]

Dear Mr. Pyle:

In Marching to Zion, at the preface to Part Four, you evaluated changes within Great Commission International, writing:

In 1989 this would be changed to Great Commission Association of Churches, with a subsidiary organization called Great Commission Ministries, which focuses on college and university campuses. Eventually, many other subsidiaries (cynics might call them “front organizations”) were founded....

In interpreting your writing, I am operating under the assumption that when you use the word 'subsidiary' in reference to these non-profit organizations, that you mean it literally according to a definition of 'subsidiary' which may be defined as practical and theoretical control of the daughter entity by instituting the composition of the Board (practical control) and being able to cast more than half of the votes on that body's Board (control in principle).

Further developments may be worthy of your assessment and opinion.

On March 1, 2005, the Christian Post reported a reorganization of Great Commission Ministries. In that reorganization coinciding with the resignation of Jeff Kern as President, Greg Van Nada was named managing director of the GCM campus church region.¹ Some time approximately between 2006² and April 2009,³ a new entity called Great Commission Ministries Churches was created with an EIN 261809150³ distinct from GCM, which has an EIN of 752541114.⁴ Great Commission Ministries Churches is now known as Collegiate Church Network⁵ and is listed as an independent organization.⁶

However, research into Collegiate's National Elder Board (its governing body)⁷ indicates what I would categorize as a deep connection to the Great Commission church movement. It consists of Greg Van Nada, Dr. Michael Pape, Mike Smith, Ray Meunich, John Drage, and Terry Bartley.⁷ Greg Van Nada became involved at Michigan State University about 1978.⁸ Dr. Michael Pape has been on the board of directors at GCM since 1999.⁹ Mike Smith has been a pastor within Great Commission since 1993.¹⁰ Ray Muenich, mentioned by Matthew Dickerson in "The Culture of Control: Inside Great Commission",¹¹ has been a part of Great Commission since he was a student at Texas A&M, where he was ordained in 1988.¹² John Drage has been on staff with Great Commission since June 1990 and heads Colorado's GCM Leadership Training.¹³ And as the author of Marching to Zion, you are familiar with Terry Bartley's eldership within Great Commission since at least 1978 in reference to the Bill Taylor affair.

Furthermore, there is another group called Ecclesia Church Network incorporated in the summer of 2007.¹⁴ It has a 12 member Board of Advisors but is governed by 7 of these who are Ecclesia's Board of Directors: Dr. Chris Backert, J.R. Briggs, Dr. David Fitch, Bruce Hopler, Brian Hopper, Jim Pace, and J.R. Woodward.¹⁵ Chris Backert was the director of GCM's Mid-Atlantic Division¹⁶ and relies on GCM for fundraising for a new Virginia church plant.¹⁷ J.R. Briggs and David Fitch appear to have extensive backgrounds outside of Great Commission.^18,19 Though I could be wrong, Bruce Hopler seems in my eyes to be a blood relation of GCC Executive Director John Hopler (Maryland background, last name and age correlate to being his son). Jim Pace went on staff at New Life Christian Fellowship in 1996 and was ordained through GCC in 2002;²⁰ J.R. Woodward founded NCLF as part of Great Commission Ministries in 1989²¹ and he also sits on the GCM board.²²

This being said, it should also be clear that Tom Mauriello and Greg Van Nada have stated that the churches now known as Collegiate Church Network "helped found a missions agency called Great Commission Ministries"⁵ and not the other way around, and that GCM Communications Director Chris Ridgeway has stated, "All churches and ministries are "owned" by someone else. We only support missionaries."²³ Noting these positions, what is your evaluation of Collegiate and Ecclesia? Are they subsidaries (majority control), associates (20-50% control) or merely affiliates? Or more generally, what is their relationship to the Great Commission church movement?

Thank you very much,
TheAtheist

References
1.  Tse, Rhoda "Great Commission Ministries Appoints Three New Directors" Christian Post Mar 1, 2005
http://www.christianpost.com/news/great-commission-ministries-appoints-three-new-directors-13308/#ShYPoZo6FaHYjStC.99
2.  Ridgeway, Chris "Talk:Great Commission church movement" Wikipedia Jan 8, 2013
3. "Great Commission Ministries Churches" National Center for Charitable Statistics http://nccsweb.urban.org/orgs/profile.php/261809150?popup=1
4. "Great Commission Ministries" National Center for Charitable Statistics http://nccsweb.urban.org/orgs/profile.php/752541114?popup=1
5. Mauriello, Tom and Van Nada, Greg "Letter from GCM" Great Commission Ministries Sep 1, 2012 http://www.gcmweb.org/who/Partners/collegiate.aspx
6. "Collegiate Church Network" FindTheBest.com http://non-profit-organizations.findthebest.com/l/602603/Collegiate-Church-Network
7. "Leadership Team and Affiliates" Collegiate Church Network http://collegiatechurchnetwork.com/who-we-are/leadership-team-and-affiliates/
8. "Pastors" Riverview Church http://rivchurch.com/about-us/pastors/
9. "Michael Pape, Executive Profile and Biography" Forbes Businessweek http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=1161134&privcapId=59604839&previousCapId=1233993&previousTitle=NUVIM%20INC
10. "Mike Smith" Vista Community Church http://vistachurches.org/staff/mike-smith/
11. Dickerson, Matthew "The Culture of Control: Inside Great Commission (Part 2)" The Touchstone April 1992 http://gcxweb.org/Articles/Touchstone-05-1992-b.aspx
12. "Our Pastors and Staff" Fellowship Church http://www.fellowshipbcs.org/AboutUs/OurPastorsStaff.aspx
13. "CO leaders" Great Commission Ministries Leadership Training http://www.gcmlt.org/colorado/co-leaders/
14. "History" Ecclesia http://www.ecclesianet.org/about/history/
15. "Board of Advisors" Ecclesia http://www.ecclesianet.org/people/board-of-directors/
16. Rackett, Michael "Chris Backert to join board as emerging church strategist" Christian Herald Aug 23, 2007 http://www.religiousherald.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1699
17. "Give Online" Great Commission Ministries http://www.gcmweb.org/getinvolved/give.aspx?cat=m&region=&group=US+Field+Staff
18. Briggs, J.R. "About" http://www.jrbriggs.com/about/
19. Fitch, David "Author Bio" The Great Giveaway http://www.christianbookpreviews.com/christian-book-author.php?isbn=080106483X
20. "Jim Pace" nclf http://nlcf.net/campus/about-u/leadership/jim-pace/
21. "History" nclf http://nlcf.net/campus/about-u/history/
22. "Board of Directors" Great Commission Ministries http://www.gcmweb.org/who/Board.aspx
23. Ridgeway, Chris "Talk:Great Commission church movement" Wikipedia Jan 2, 2013 http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Talk:Great_Commission_church_movement&oldid=530991998

[Linda]

Why did Jeff Kern resign? Anyone know?

Are GCM churches, uh, er, I mean CCN churches trying to not be identified with GCC? Weren't the GCM churches in Michigan started by Bovenmyer as a GCC church plant in the 80's? I vaguely remember something like that.

You know what I wish? I wish I had never heard of this group. And, I'll bet they wish they had never heard of a few of us!

[FeministRebel]

It's remarkable to me how little turnover there is in these hierarchies, and how many of these people I actually KNOW.

[Linda]

I've randomly been reading old forum posts on occasion. Found this one. Noticed number 23 in the first post. Clicked on the link. Found this. Wiki comment (no idea what that means) dated January 2, 2013.

I notice a lot of factual inaccuracies all over this article and a misunderstanding the organizational relationship of "GCM." For example, GCM doesn't "own" or oversee any ministries. GCM is a mission agency that operates as a service agency for local churches, church network, and ministries. We wouldn't write a "GCM church" or a "GCM campus ministry" for instance. All churches and ministries are "owned" by someone else. We only support missionaries. We still know it's somewhat common for some people to say "GCM church" but it's not factually accurate.

Very interesting. Is Tom Mauriello still the director of GCM? I have a letter from him when he was posting here in 2008. He listed the GCM churches in a communication to me and says:

Here is some info on the GCM churches and their leadership.  Any other campus ministry is GCC (unless I missed one).  If a GCC church has a campus ministry, that ministry is GCC.  For example, Tom Short  has a campus ministry with Ohio State through his community church , Linworth Road, and both the church and the campus ministry are GCC.  GCMC is actually re-planting / new church planting on Ohio State as well.  The two will be totally separate both in ministry and leadership. I know that the DNA of the past can run into the GCMC churches, but hopefully it is a few generations removed or not to the same degree as you might find in GCC.
 
I am pulling these lists together for you and decom...

GCMC Churches:
·         Ball State Revolution

·         Bowling Green, Ohio – send a church plant to Kent State

·         H20 Orlando

·         Illini Life, U of IL

·         Illinois State Illini Life

·         New Life Church, U of M Campus Church

·         Ohio State – new church ‘replant’ on the way

·         University of Maryland Church

·         The Rock, University of Missouri

·         New Life Campus Fellowship, Virginia Tech

·         Riverview Church, Lansing MI

·         Texas A&M University

·         University of Texas

·         University of North Texas

·         Kairos & Kairos West, Los Angeles

·         Heritage Church, Ohio (affiliate)

Both Kairos and Virginia Tech are becoming more affiliate than core like Heritage, so hence the term 14-ish.

Note: Tom began posting here to distance "GCM" from gcmwarning perhaps not understanding that "GCM" in "gcmwarning" stands for "Great Commission Movement". We had asked Tom for a list of GCM Churches and he responded with a private e-mail that he said I could share, but asked that I removed some of his "comments" if I did. He lists the above GCM churches and refers to them as GCMC, yet another acronym, churches.

The fact is GCM at that point was still connected to GCC. Tom used the phrase "GCM churches" in his letter to me. Ridgeway says, "We wouldn't write a  "GCM church" or a "GCM ministry", for instance." My question: Is this Ridgeway fellow once again misrepresenting who GCM is and trying to discredit people by denying they had churches? Or, is he in the dark? Or, did they get rid of their churches?

2 Corinthians 4:2
Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.

[MarthaH]

In a weird way, both are somewhat true. GCM is a sending organization. Great Commission is an association, so a church can be a member of GCM and agree with their mission statement, but still be autonomous as to local governance. I don't believe that GCM affiliated churches give to GCM, but people who seek employment through GCM as missionaries or derive part of their salary from GCM (this includes some pastors) have a percentage of the money they raise go towards the administration of GCM. Those who raise their support are up front with donors, letting them know that they are raising the funds for GCM and GCM in turn cuts them a monthly check for their salary and expenses.

My own 2cents is that I would give Tom the benefit of the doubt. GCM began distancing their theology (not necessarily their practice) from GCC under Jeff Kern. GCC and GCM have a "relationship", but my understanding is that they really don't care for one another. There will be the token GCM person who speaks at a GCC conference and vice versa, but they are moving in two separate ways. GCC keeps the relationship with GCM so that they have a vehicle to raise up local missionaries. Other than that, they aren't really on mission with each other. They are kind of like distant cousins who show up on occasion to the same wedding, but really don't care for each other or interact and try to stay as civil as possible.

That being said, I think that the same problems which plague GCC can occur in GCM, but my own experience would be that it is not to the same degree as it is in GCC. I could point out what I believe are flaws in GCM "churches", but it would be more of doctrinal flaws than abusive practices, like I have witnessed in GCC.

[Linda]

Just to clarify. Tom said GCM does have 14 churches. A GCM spokesperson, Ridgeway, says they don't and anyone who says they do is not being factually accurate.

So, that means either Tom is not being factually accurate, his spokesperson is inaccurate, or they have changed since Tom wrote.

[MarthaH]

Tom may have falsely spoken or perhaps mispoken. I think this shows which churches receive funding"
http://www.gcmweb.org/give/?cat=m&region=&group=US+Church+%26+Campus+Ministries

Doesn't really say if they are GCM churches or churches affiliated with GCM.

I agree that it is really confusing. The GCM site has them listed as a ministry you can contribute to, but if you go to the link of Illini Life, at University of Illinois (www.illinilife.org), you see no mention of GCM. Instead it says (on the 'About' link)that they are a member of the Collegiate network, but then at the bottom shows that they go to Ignite conferences and Leadership Training.

[Linda]

We specifically asked Tom for a list of GCM churches. What I posted was his reply. He did not deny that they existed.

[Linda]

I can't believe I didn't pick up on this more in January. The Atheist, excellent observations.

To sum things up, from what I can piece together, GCM was started by GCI in 1989. Also in 1989, GCI became GCAC. Now, GCAC is GCC.

Here is the link. I think they used to have a blurb about how they started GCM on the history page, but perhaps it was on a different page. I think, if I remember correctly, GCM was started by Bovenmyer.

http://www.gcmweb.org/who/Partners.aspx

Then, somehow, GCM started distancing themselves from GCC, but maintained a few churches. I have brochures from the 90's in my extensive collection of GCwhatever literature that connect GCC and GCM and, in fact, I have a letter from a GCC pastor referencing the GCM board of reference as the GCC board of reference.

Now we have the new fun twist.

and when the church network was legally formed in 2005 they chose the name GCM Churches.

Tom in this blurb references GCM churches, as well as in an e-mail to me.

When Mr. Ridgeway says, "We wouldn't write a "GCM church" or a "GCM campus ministry" for instance. All churches and ministries are "owned" by someone else. We only support missionaries. We still know it's somewhat common for some people to say "GCM church" but it's not factually accurate," either he is misinformed, or he would see to be trying to walk the fine line of discrediting people who reference GCM churches by denying their existence on the technicality that they no longer exist due to a name change.

Will the cover-ups never end? It would save us all a lot of time if people would just tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Here is the text of the full blurb in case it is removed:
About 160 of our GCM missionaries and pastors are part of the group of campus churches that helped found GCM.  As many of us know, these churches were co-identified with GCM the missions agency for many years, and when the church network was legally formed in 2005 they chose the name GCM Churches.  Just recently, they have chosen a new name and logo to better display their vision. Their name:  Collegiate Church Network
In September, donors who support a missionary that serves in a church in the Collegiate Church Network, are receiving a brief letter from me and Greg Van Nada, the managing director for Collegiate representing their National Elder Board. Greg also sits on GCM's Board of Directors.
Our main message to those donors is to announce the new name—an opportunity to celebrate—and also to assure donors that GCM remains as the mission agency, and that they should not change their giving!
We've urged our missionaries to stay in touch with donors during the transition to be ready to answer questions. The GCM office team has been informed about the change and will be ready to answer any questions and point donors back to you for further clarification if needed.
We are very excited about the future and our continued close ministry partnership with Collegiate.
Tom

[Linda]

In 1989, with the help of Campus Crusade for Christ, they helped found a missions agency called Great Commission Ministries to support local church plants: teaching missionaries how to raise ministry funds in partnership with generous Christians, and caring for their missionary employment and donor needs. In 1992, we joined the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, and have consistently met their high standards.

Really, Campus Crusade for Christ helped start GCM? No mention of GCI or GCC.
Honestly, this seems profoundly misleading. I'm going to have to dig out those old GCM brochures. Wow.

http://www.gcmweb.org/who/Partners/collegiate.aspx

[Linda]

There's more.

http://web.archive.org/web/20060829215434/http://www.gcmweb.org/about/content.asp?section=666

From the horses mouth:

GCM began in 1989 with a vision to mobilize Christians into full-time campus ministry. Our focus is churches for the next generation. Our roots are in a church planting movement called Great Commission Association (GCA), which began in 1970. GCA is a fellowship of churches and ministries. Each church in the association is self-governing but accountable to GCA on doctrine, ministry, and ethics.

In the 1990's, GCM became a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), the Interdenominational Foreign Missions Association (IFMA), as well as the Evangelical Fellowship of Mission Agencies (EFMA).

The goal of GCM has always been to be a part of reaching the entire world with the Gospel of Christ. We believe that God is using us specifically to reach young people, and our churches and programs are all aimed at winning the hearts of the emerging generation.

We also have a strong commitment to leadership development within the emerging church. Our Leadership Training (LT) summer missions programs have seen continued success throughout their multiplying locations, and God has used LT to inspire many college and high school students to become leaders for Christ.

Each year GCM also mobilizes volunteers for Short Term Mission (STM) trips to Asia, Latin America, and Europe. These evangelistic efforts support our church plants that are underway overseas and broaden American members' vision for fulfilling the Great Commission.

GCM is reaching out with the love of God on four continents. Hundreds have been mobilized to minister in their chosen field, not only on college campuses, but in high schools, overseas, and in the GCM office in Orlando, Florida. The possibilities for future ministry are endless. Join with us and be a part of churches for the next generation!

[Linda]

And then there's this.

http://web.archive.org/web/20060829215650/http://www.gcmweb.org/about/content.asp?section=669

Our purpose is to help fulfill Jesus' Great Commission by creating churches for the next generation.

Oh what a tangled web we weave...

[Linda]

Here's a directory of GCM Campus Churches on Aug. 24, 2006.

http://web.archive.org/web/20060824003610/http://www.gcmweb.org/churches/directory.asp

You know, if GC didn't obfuscate the truth, we could all get a lot more done.

[EverAStudent]

There's more.

http://web.archive.org/web/20060829215434/http://www.gcmweb.org/about/content.asp?section=666

From the horses mouth:

GCM began in 1989 with a vision to mobilize Christians into full-time campus ministry. Our focus is churches for the next generation. Our roots are in a church planting movement called Great Commission Association (GCA), which began in 1970. GCA is a fellowship of churches and ministries. Each church in the association is self-governing but accountable to GCA on doctrine, ministry, and ethics.

"Self-governing" is misleading.  The GCM churches are "accountable to GCA on doctrine, ministry, and ethics."  Well, the only thing a church is directed by Jesus to accomplish is ministry, part of which is to teach doctrine.  In other words the GCA leadership functionally controls every operational facet of a GCM church.
 
No church is truly self-governing if they must submit to an outside body for their ministry and for their doctrine. 

[Linda]

As it turns out, we had this discussion in early January and it had completely slipped my mind! I had even commented! My BFF, Agatha, was all over the Campus Crusade mention. Here is a link to the thread.

http://forum.gcmwarning.com/general-discussion/new-gcx-organizationalaffilations-shift-explanations-welcome/msg12036/#msg12036

GCM has also tweaked their Q & A page. You know, the one where they call us "online detractors".

http://www.gcmweb.org/who/OthersSay/Questions.aspx

Here's the first question.

What is GCM’s relationship to Great Commission Churches?

GCM was founded in 1989 by Great Commission Churches (GCC) to serve as the missions sending organization of the Great Commission movement. GCC is a non-denominational movement of 80 evangelical churches that was started in the 1960’s and 70’s. Great Commission Churches believe in local church autonomy and are usually governed by a board of elders. However, churches often partner together for mentoring, mediation, coaching, etc.


Stop the presses. I thought GCM was started by a group of campus-focused church plants with the help of Campus Crusade. That's what the Mauriello/Van Nada letter says. So, even the GCM web page contradicts itself!

http://www.gcmweb.org/who/Partners/collegiate.aspx

Today is a new chapter in our story: we’d like to introduce the Collegiate Church Network.

Over 20 years ago, a group of campus-focused church plants realized that students wouldn’t be able to financially support the work of their local church—they barely could afford pizza! But the need for the gospel on US campuses was great.

In 1989, with the help of Campus Crusade for Christ, they helped found a missions agency called Great Commission Ministries to support local church plants: teaching missionaries how to raise ministry funds in partnership with generous Christians, and caring for their missionary employment and donor needs. In 1992, we joined the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, and have consistently met their high standards.


It would appear that GC leaders continue to hide behind name changes, half truths & misrepresentations of their history, teaching, and practice and rather than defend their positions with full open disclosure and meaningful theological discussion, they continue to find fault with the character of those trying to bring light to the situation and help them correct their faulty theology.

It's almost impossible to keep up.

[Linda]

Collegiate Church Network (formerly GCM Churches) slogan.

"Building Leaders and Lifelong Followers"

http://collegiatechurchnetwork.com

[AgathaL'Orange]

Wait.  Building leaders and lifetime followers.   

Also, hey BFF, Linda, how are you?

[Linda]

Just super, BFF, Agatha. Thanks for asking. How are you?

Of course they will say they mean "lifetime followers" of Jesus if pressed. Every term has two meanings. They can talk their way around everything. Sigh.

[AgathaL'Orange]

Great thanks!  

Yeah, I agree that's what they would say.  But then of course we are back to the whole, "If that's not what you meant, then why did you say it and then make a whole logo and website saying it?" question.  Saying what you mean is pretty important so why not say, "Lifelong followers of Jesus" instead of making it sound like there will be leaders and there will be some lifetime followers who are pulled from the college campus where their parents just sent them (or they went themselves) to get a degree but then get sucked into an authoritarian group that isn't really GCx, but really is, or something.

[Linda]

Agreed. Plus, we've all heard their "sermons" on "leadership" and we've also heard their sermons on "followership". The first time I heard that word (non-word) "followership" was in a GC message. I once heard a GC elder (who sits on the national board) preach on 1 Peter 5 ("Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock."), but he left out the word "care" in the phrase "your care" and replaced "your" with "you". He said, "Be shepherds of God's flock that is under you...not lording it over..." The message then emphasized the word "under you" to explain that we were "under" our elder and are to obey/follow. And the fact that it was in a message on "not lording it over" made it all worse. Incredible ignorance or deception. I can't decide which. Maybe both.

I also noted that GCC has "LT" ("Life Training").

http://www.gccweb.org/events/2013/07/life-training-2013-lt

CCN has "LT" ("Leadership Training").

http://collegiatechurchnetwork.com/events/leadership-training

Back when I was in a GCC church, the high school kids would go away for 6 weeks or so in the summer and do "LT" and it was "Leadership Training". (So, GCC changed their "LT" from "Leadership Training" to "Life Training" and let CCN take the "Leadership Training" meaning of the acronym.) I think Columbus, Myrtle Beach, and Estes Park were the sites for GCC "LT". I always thought, "What parent in their right mind would send their 11th grader away for 6 weeks in the summer (most of the summer) to live in a hotel and do whatever it is they did (walk around talking to random people and deceiving them by pretending you are a survey taker person)?