ALIENATION in GCx Churches

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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[ReaperofGCM]

Going by Mangos logic, we should be criticizing those who speak out against Scientology and those who leave it as there are people who have spent a lifetime in that "religion"
and will then spend the rest of their life exposing it.
Same can be said for just about any other religion out there. When you have multiple leaders leading the "flock", we cannot fault those that are led astray and
have their lives destroyed by these leaders, as an immense amount of trust was given to them in the first place.
Good grief Mango

[Linda]

mango,

Do you disagree with the ECC BoT?

[Linda]

One other thing, mango, just curious, why do you think it is foolish to hear both sides of a story? I don’t understand why you would consider that foolish.

[ReaperofGCM]

https://churchleaders.com/news/328280-megachurch-pastor-resigns-following-allegations-of-sexual-abuse.html Scroll down to
the comments and yet another person saying "He actually pressed his erect penis (while clothed) hard into many (at least 9) women's bodies, without consent, and made sexual innuendos...I know it happened to me...not gossip."

[Janet Easson Martin]

Could that kind of unwanted repetitive behavior toward those under a pastor be considered sexual assault?

[Huldah]

Thank you for that link, Reaper. The part you quoted was written in response to a comment from someone named Lindsey, who claims that the allegations against Mark were "found to be not true." I've seen the same person make the same claim on at least one other website. This is just another case of Mark and his supporters misrepresenting the facts. "Found to be not true" indicates that the accusation was proven false. No such thing happened. Some of the allegations against Mark were ruled as unfounded, which means that they couldn't be proven one way or another. Now, they may in fact be "not true," (although I personally believe they are true) but there was no actual finding of "not true." It's frustrating to watch professing Chistians twist the facts this way.

[ReaperofGCM]

It is also very interesting to note that as far as we have all seen, there has been no financial motive behind the women, unless there is something
I am not aware of. Obviously multiple women have had issues with him and I find it hard to believe there is coercion among them.

[Janet Easson Martin]

Misrepresenting...  Twisting...  Distorting...

Sacrificing the sheep to feed the shepherds.  Shame on YOU, GCx “shepherds”.


I remember the "biblical teachings" [that were] twisted [in order to] coerce followers into submission, but mostly I remember the division and the hurt caused by "religious" leaders who thought they had the inside track to the knowledge & heart of God. ... I was present for the Ex-Communication of _________ and remember the meeting like it was yesterday.  Though I was only in my early 20s the effects of the GCI [GCx alias] movement had left a profound and often painful legacy on my heart.
-o2knowthetruth

[Janet Easson Martin]

…I see prominently are that several members of the same family are leading branches of this “church”, and they encourage their members to immediately find a spouse within the “church family” and start creating children.  I’ve spoken to one individual who was taken on as one their “projects”.  This person was moved into a one of their family homes, so as to live with and be taught by current members to become one of them and start leading a better life.  However, refusing to give up family and current friendships, they moved out of the church house, and broke all ties with members of the DTC. They have approached this person again, telling them that living with family will not do them any good but to bring themselves back into a church house so the DTC [“GCx” Downtown Church - offshoot of Walnut Creek Church in Des Moines, Iowa] members can get them back into their way of life.  

I truly feel you fear, anxiety and hurt…, and I too, am at a loss as to how to get my child back.

-secret

[Free.to.love.Jesus]

I initially felt loved by the members but soon they became controlling. They wanted 100 %  commitment. I was told not to go home for the summer and to live in the house other girls lived in. That was fine.
 They considered me second class to other "older sisters". The one older sister wasn't that nice. She was controlling and complained about petty things. They wanted my savings and took it. Thousands of dollars. They wanted me to tithe more than ten percent, which I did. They had activities almost every day of the week. I participated as much as I could and they still weren't happy. So I tried to find ways of not going to all the activities. When one good friend left the church, they tried to keep me from seeing her. To the point where they had one church member follow me. I knew I had to leave.

[Janet Easson Martin]

These posts from a parent of a Drake University student who was pulled into Drake Campus Fellowship founded by GCx (and is still run by GCx founded churches) are heartbreaking.



I would have bet anything that my child and I could not be pulled a part so easily (by a Church group, even more astonishing!)  We've been through so much since his birth.  There were so many medical and social issues while he grew up and although it wasn't the most "fun" childhood, he sure knew he was loved, taken care of and lovingly given whatever we could give to help him grow independent and find the happiness he so deserves.  I was totally prepared for the distance that comes when a child goes to college but this seems much colder than what has happened with my older child and very different* than what I'd hear about other kids going away to college.

I'm starting to feel that given the choice between the Church and his family, he'd walk away from us.  I so want to be wrong. ...

Even questioning him about the reasons he wants to be part of this specific group, ends with a slightly bigger separation between us. ... I've heard through my son's own words (not verbatim, though) that any discouragement to join DCF [“GCx” Drake Campus Fellowship] is satan's way!

... These GC "special social rules" come right during the most important part of ones life when social and academic success is at the most reachable point in ones life.  Devotion to your religion can still be a big part of your life!  why is it being treated as an either/or.  Being held back from experiencing the amazing world that g-d created, is an awful, manipulative, self-serving control trick being used by these leaders/elders.

-stellan

[Janet Easson Martin]

I and my wife…were involved with a GC [GCx alias] Church in Richmond KY [1987-1989]. …

In our case, there was an actual case of kidnaping.  One of the "sisters" who was a natural leader was envied by the woman who was "supposed" to be the women's leader, and to make a long story short, the "upstart" ended up locked in a house being brainwashed for days on end.  I helped her parents kick in the doors and get her out of there. …

-Rev. Russ Westbrook,   2012