GCC Website Criticism of Those Who Criticize! How ironic!

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[Linda]

There’s a guy in the church in Ft. Collins, actually I think it was somebody from the Rock in Ft. Collins, and for whatever reason, he has some offenses with the church…I think he had probably crossed some lines that he shouldn’t have…and was approached on that and became disgruntled with the church…and so sometimes when people are approached on things like that they repent…sometimes when we’re confronted on our sin, it makes us really angry and that was this guy’s response and so what he did was he created a web site that talks about our church, specifically the Summitview churches, but then also our group of churches GCM/GCAC and then it just basically slanders us and talks about, oh, alleged abuses of the church and almost kind of like cultish type feeling thing.. in fact on one of the last pages of the web site, it talks about here’s these books that you can turn to if you need help out of a cult…he got hurt and I think he’s trying to hurt back. Hurt people, hurt people.

The thing that struck me about the talk, besides the obvious information control, is that Nelson appears to have made things up to discredit this web site. He says things like "I think it was somebody from The Rock", "for whatever reason", "I think he had probably crossed some lines that he shouldn't have."

Basically, he does a lot of true slandering by publicly stating that those who started this site have done some sinful things while, at the same time, he acknowledges that he doesn't for sure know who it was who started this site.

[Huldah]

Does anyone have an argument for why we should believe the negative things said in paragraph three are actually meant to apply to us here today?  I'd be interested to hear it.

Not everyone on this forum is a Christian, and some of us (myself included) do reference the abuses of the 70's in our writings, so it's possible this may indeed be one of the "secular" forums he has in mind. Until JH himself clears up the issue to the contrary, we can't rule it out.

Even if JH wasn't referring to us in that particular paragraph, then he may well be doing so in this passage from Persecution and the Great Commission Christian (note the way he calls our salvation into question):

Although true believers will generally support their fellow Christians, it is common to receive opposition from professing Christians. In fact, oftentimes the worst persecution comes from those who claim to be followers of Jesus Christ...The most painful opposition often comes from family and friends and those who were once part of our church community.

Besides, other than this site and Rick Ross, what other major sites are there that detail abuses by GC?

[EverAStudent]

Linda, it should not be missed that GC likes to generally characterize those who critique them as "secular."  Within GC this has the force of saying "anyone who critcizes us is unsaved so you can ignore them." 

It is just one more way of GC ldeadership using character assasination as a means of manipulation and control.  Their tactics are virtually no different than that used by Diotrephes to manipulate his church ( http://www.thefaithfulword.org/diotrephes.html ).

[Linda]

Great article, EAS.

One of the things I have a lot of trouble processing is the "doublespeak". I find it hard to believe that people purposefully would mislead, yet that's what it appears GCC is doing with the statement about commitment when you take into account the fact that commitment for life to GC has been taught many times, for many years, in recent years, at national conferences, by national leaders.

I'm sure that statement on the web site is enough to "prove" that GCC is mainstream in their teaching to many. And I'm pretty sure that Leith Anderson (or any of the others who have pronounced them OK like Pile and Enroth) doesn't have time to listen to GCC conference talks, but I highly doubt that anyone would consider the ideas taught at these conferences "main stream" Protestant ideas.

Throw in phrases like "cross over in your heart and join us" and tell people to ask their elder for permission to ask to marry a particular woman and I think people would not be so quick to say all's well theologically.

[Linda]

Just posting here tonight to reopen this thread. The quotes in post #64 that I gave were from Faithwalkers 2004. I believe the first one, was 2003. Might be wrong on the year. I think that is the one attended by McCotter. We have tapes of some of the 2004 talks. Very old school. Commit for life was the mantra. We left over the commitment for life issue.

[lovebombed]

I joined a great commission church in the fall of 2004, and it was expected then that the true believers and leaders would stay forever. People I knew, when they got married and graduated (at approimetsy the same time) often started coming around less so my campus church started a house church network for young families, that worshipped on their own but supported the college ministry. There was a lot of disenchantment- all but one person I befriended back then that didn't join the house church left for greener (or at least, less abusive) pastures and most of the house church people have left the gcm fold, but held out longer.