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Author Topic: ALIENATION in GCx Churches  (Read 26289 times)
ReaperofGCM
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« Reply #20 on: April 12, 2019, 12:24:32 pm »

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
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Linda
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« Reply #21 on: April 12, 2019, 12:51:13 pm »

mango,

Do you disagree with the ECC BoT?

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Linda
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« Reply #22 on: April 12, 2019, 01:06:37 pm »

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.
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ReaperofGCM
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« Reply #23 on: April 13, 2019, 01:15:44 pm »

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."
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Janet Easson Martin
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« Reply #24 on: April 13, 2019, 08:56:54 pm »

Could that kind of unwanted repetitive behavior toward those under a pastor be considered sexual assault?
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For grace is given not because we have done good works, but in order that we may be able to do them.        - Saint Augustine
Huldah
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« Reply #25 on: April 15, 2019, 09:02:54 am »

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.
« Last Edit: April 15, 2019, 10:35:07 am by Huldah » Logged
ReaperofGCM
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« Reply #26 on: April 15, 2019, 03:59:43 pm »

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.
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Janet Easson Martin
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« Reply #27 on: May 02, 2019, 08:10:42 am »

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




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For grace is given not because we have done good works, but in order that we may be able to do them.        - Saint Augustine
Janet Easson Martin
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« Reply #28 on: May 14, 2023, 07:49:32 pm »



…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



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For grace is given not because we have done good works, but in order that we may be able to do them.        - Saint Augustine
Free.to.love.Jesus
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« Reply #29 on: May 16, 2023, 07:54:53 am »

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.
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Janet Easson Martin
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« Reply #30 on: May 23, 2023, 05:09:00 pm »


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




« Last Edit: May 23, 2023, 07:28:40 pm by Janet Easson Martin » Logged

For grace is given not because we have done good works, but in order that we may be able to do them.        - Saint Augustine
Janet Easson Martin
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« Reply #31 on: May 24, 2023, 10:55:07 am »




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




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For grace is given not because we have done good works, but in order that we may be able to do them.        - Saint Augustine
Janet Easson Martin
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« Reply #32 on: November 29, 2023, 08:20:12 am »



”Abusive and controlling groups concentrate on these two essential elements: Teach the discipled that any negative or critical words are probably sinful. Teach them to fear those “sins” so greatly that they will react forcefully and irrationally toward anyone (family, friend, fellow Christian) who dares suggest that their group might be making a mistake

…If you consistently denigrate outsiders, labeling them as not committed, demonic, or worldly, you can probably prevent the subject from accepting most information offered by those outsiders. If the information can be prevented from being seen as credible, the subjects will refuse to be informed about the errors you are trying to teach them…” *

-Mary Alice Chrnalogar
 “Twisted Scriptures - Breaking Free from Churches That Abuse”



*Bold emphasis mine


« Last Edit: November 30, 2023, 07:36:00 am by Janet Easson Martin » Logged

For grace is given not because we have done good works, but in order that we may be able to do them.        - Saint Augustine
Janet Easson Martin
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« Reply #33 on: November 30, 2023, 10:13:13 pm »



... I wish there was some way to politely ask the Great Commission [Church] to release the control they have and to give our loved ones back to us. Unfortunately, That is not likely to happen.  It has been my experience that talking to GC Pastors/leaders about the problems you are having with their control over loved ones only brings a strange kind of defensiveness in return.  They will use any means necessary to keep control over the one they suspect they may lose back to the family that feels the loss. ...

I told him [GC Pastor] that his church was taking my loved one from me.  She was not the same loving child at home since she joined his church. A part of her that was alive and free was now gone.  While I calmly talked to him he would knod his head as if he actually cared and understood the hurt he was causing.  At the same time he had a weird fake smile on on his face.  It was like talking to a store manican.   He returned my concerns with some strange twisted logic and some warped Bible verse interpretations about how we have to serve our church for life. ...

The twisted thinking runs deep into the core of those poor souls who have been fully assimilated into the Great Commission [Church Organization].  They have such a strange elitist attitude that does not allow them to even begin to think that it is wrong to separate an adult/child from his/her family.  They believe that we all should submit the control of our lives to the church and, even more alarmingly, to the church leaders. ...

Daily controlled church activities and misguided false teachings confuse the young minds and adults who are exposed to it.  The church members begin to have a support group of only other GC members. They are alienated from former friends and loved ones more and more each day.  It's so easy for us to see the error in this from the outside.  The poor kids who have been brainwashed and controlled by the church leadership have GC blinders on that make it hard for them to see. ...

-Neverbeengcm,   2012



« Last Edit: December 01, 2023, 06:08:36 am by Janet Easson Martin » Logged

For grace is given not because we have done good works, but in order that we may be able to do them.        - Saint Augustine
Janet Easson Martin
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« Reply #34 on: December 01, 2023, 08:05:26 pm »



They [GCx Churches and Leadership] twist scripture to instill fear in you. They threaten fear of lost reward and a wasted life if you don’t follow their “superior” approach to following Christ. To a young believer this is very scary to leave such large claims of seeming “Christian superiority.” How abusive! Their goal is to divide you from others in the body of Christ to keep you in isolation for themselves. They need you and your submission to build a following, gain monetarily, and make a name for themselves. Thus, they seek to be glorified rather than Christ.

They are acting as agents of Satan to HIDE THE TWISTING and DERAILING that is causing you much harm.  Healthy and biblical Christian teachings would expose the lies they are telling you. In reality they must keep you from strong healthy Christians who would see the perversion of the Bible and living out the true freedom of the gospel.

-Janet 


Those people are zealous for you, but not in a good way.
Instead, they want to isolate you from us, so that you may be zealous for them.

Galatians 4:17


« Last Edit: December 08, 2023, 09:32:31 pm by Janet Easson Martin » Logged

For grace is given not because we have done good works, but in order that we may be able to do them.        - Saint Augustine
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