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Author Topic: GCx Church Leaders Practice Brazen Intrusion into Members Personal Lives  (Read 12496 times)
Janet Easson Martin
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« Reply #20 on: May 29, 2023, 06:00:27 pm »



I had serious morning sickness, my husband was told [by a GCx leader] that he lacked the fervent and prayerful relationship with God, that's why I was so sick.  J. and P. came to our home, told us that they had cried over our lack of discipline of our 2-1/2 y.o. son. [“]It was God's mandate[“] that I home schooled my son, the list goes on and on. …

-Leftin87


« Last Edit: May 30, 2023, 08:27:41 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
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« Reply #21 on: June 16, 2023, 06:38:12 pm »



Spent my entire youth involved in the GCM movement with a church in Indiana that was involved heavily in the GCM movement ... attended High School Leadership Training (HSLT) ... between 1998-2003 Looking back on this time now, there were highly inappropriate discussions taking place in the smaller group settings with the youth.

...we were all 12-16 years of age) to meet in the auditorium. We were asked to raise our hands if we weren't virgins. Those that raised their hands were asked to describe their sexual experiences and then shamed for it. Back then I assumed that since all these men were in positions of power and authority that this was part of becoming more spiritual. Now as a parent, I say how dare you talk to my child like this.

-deadprophet,   2018



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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 #22 on: July 30, 2023, 09:41:47 pm »


This scary abuse by “GCx” Church Leaders violates so many of God’s commands —the biggest may be ‘honoring your father and mother’. Very often in GCx when parents got in the way of its agenda to build a massive empire of members; the parents were portrayed both in their counsel and implied teaching as clueless or “the enemy.” GCx claimed their own leaders were now God’s appointed authority instead, with whom their members must seek approval for life decisions.

This caused so much heart-breaking dissension and division between the oft college-aged members and their moms and dads. GCx tried in various ways to isolate these members from their parents. This even included attempting to divide former members who were parents from their children still attending.

Dividing families through such deception is a common practice of cults. Falsely labeling and defaming innocent people is not a practice of true Christianity. Spiritual Wolves quite frequently evilly persuade their members in this cultish tradition through the twisting of Jesus’ words:


“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother,
wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—
such a person cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14 26

The word “hate” here means to “esteem less or value less.” Jesus is speaking of loving Him above all others, not loving GCx or its leaders or agenda above everything else. GCx does not equal Jesus as they often erroneously persuade, nor does Jesus share his authority with them. In fact, though GCx quotes scripture, they actually oppose many of God’s commandments in real practice.

I sincerely believe Jesus is opposed to their long history of manipulative and deceitful discipleship practices. God’s anointing is NOT on their very deceptive schemes. Here is an excerpt from this documented case of GCx Leaders attempting to cause division between parents and children so “they can take possession” (through separation) in order to exploit these family members for their purposes, not God’s.



It was a copy of the two page letter they wrote us in response to the letter we sent them when we asked that our names be removed from membership. ... I think it was definitely a violation of pastor/member privacy. They wrote us a private letter of rebuke and they sent that letter to others [including our own children]. ...

Another question that it brings up in my mind is, "Who else got that letter?" It makes me wonder if they sent a copy to many of our friends or the friends of our children.

The obvious motive of the letter was to play their spiritual trump card. We know your parents have left, we think they were "inaccurate", "missed the mark", and "borderline defamed us", we want you to know that the Bible tells you to obey your leaders, therefore, what we think is more important and accurate than what your parents think. ...

I would have to say it was one or all of them who thought it was a good idea to try to put a wedge between us and our kids.

-Linda,   2008


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« Reply #23 on: August 04, 2023, 06:35:20 pm »



i entered the [GCx] east lansing fellowship in the late 1970s which at the time was called 'msu bible study'...and at that time, i had a girlfriend, strictly forbidden by the powers that be...

over the next few weeks and months, a concerted effort was made to separate us and to re-educate us on God's plan for our lives...needless to say, the relationship ended...

but what i found most objectionable was that within this same period, my former girlfriend was spending inordinate amounts of time with a married 'older brother'...that, of course, was 'ok'...during general meetings, i noticed his hands were on her constantly and that she began to dress like and act like his wife, caring for their children with this guy's wife...

he always seemed to have some task for her that would keep her from socializing with anyone else...there were a few times when i attempted to to say 'hello' to her but he was always near her - close enough to block me from making contact...

one day she simply disappeared and no one would say where she had gone, only that she was wrestling with the devil...i called her mother's home and found her, by now a basket case...nothing was ever said about what happened...

-damaged_goods,   2008



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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
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« Reply #24 on: August 04, 2023, 07:02:13 pm »



We knew though what kind of lifestyles were to be emulated. We knew the way we should live in order to conform. The pressures we felt were unlike any we had felt in any other evangelical group:

1. We must be committed above all else to the local church– until we die… there is no acceptable reason to leave GCM. Not ever. You should not take a job in another city UNLESS you are part of a church plant. This is just so incredibly unnatural and so different from any other mainstream Christian groups. I have never heard this from any other church denomination.

2. We must be sharing our faith and about the church at all times and in many different methods: Passing out flyers, evangelism, inviting friends, passing out water at outreaches, etc. I began to view people as potential converts instead of simply as people. I began to view everything that I did through the ,”lens of ministry.” In fact, there was a sermon where we were encouraged to take community adult ed. classes– not because this might be interesting or fun– but because we might meet people there to witness to.

This was not a completely new phenomenon to me, however it was the first time where I felt that not only was I trying to convert people to Christ, but I was also trying to convert them to my church, and my church alone.

3. I felt exposed. I felt that too many people were too close to me. It wasn’t a pleasant intimacy, it was a forced intimacy that made me want to run in the other direction. I wasn’t comfortable with the personal level of sharing that sometimes went on in prayer meetings with women, conversations with others, and even sermons, or marriage conferences. There was this strange idea that keeping it real was a good thing. But I think that all of this “accountability” made me feel like I was answering to people not God. There is a place to confess our sins to each other. But I don’t think this should be explicit, nor do I think that anyone should enter into the privacy of a marriage relationship… especially someone who is in authority over you.

This instrusive environment is not an easy place to grow a marriage. When we should have been forming our own family ideals based on conviction, we found ourselves adopting GCM ideals. When we should have said, “No, we are not leaving our children for this conference,” we reluctantly said, “Okay.” I am so happy now to be free to live our lives without this overwhelming sense of intrusiveness from others. Freedom with personal responsibility is good.

-AgathaL’Orange,   2007


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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
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« Reply #25 on: August 22, 2023, 06:41:39 pm »



This was definitely happening at [GCx Church] Cedarcreek in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, as recently as 2010. I know because from 2002-2010 I was a small group member, small group leader, and college church small group leader overseer (my wife and I oversaw about 10 small group leaders). We were encouraged to pass information up the chain to one of the pastors, RG, and the information was then used by R. and disseminated through the leadership team at the college church.

I look back at my time in small groups and leadership and really regret that I didn't say "I can't share that with you" when my pastor asked for personal information about someone I knew.

-Boggs,   2018



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« Reply #26 on: October 20, 2023, 08:07:07 pm »



…while at my GCM church personal boundaries along sexual themes were unhealthy. There is a climate at Evergreen of normalizing the intrusion of personal sexual experiences as something to share on the stage during teachings, during sermons and between members either in small groups or during counseling. This is a fact.

-OneOfMany,   2018


« Last Edit: October 21, 2023, 06:27:47 pm by Janet Easson Martin » Logged

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« Reply #27 on: October 21, 2023, 07:54:01 pm »



I'm a grad student at Ohio State, and during my time here, I had attended two churches affiliated with GCx in some way: H2O (part of the Collegiate Church Network) and Awaken (both in Columbus). ... I didn't even realize that they were both part of the broader GCx system until I left. ...

I noticed that Awaken was having outdoor services on the property of Linworth Road Church (which I later learned was largely responsible for planting Awaken in the first place). ... Admittedly, I didn't personally experience much of any toxicity at H2O. But part of me wonders just how much toxicity I would have been exposed to if I had been more plugged in there. ...

My experience at Awaken in particular was very toxic, and even though I've been out of that church for nearly two years now, I'm still traumatized. ...

Everything looked like it was going really well. But looks can be deceiving, and I started to notice some troubling things at Awaken. First, whenever I talked to [GCx elder/pastor] about sexuality stuff I was wrestling with, he seemed all too eager to shift the conversation in a sexually explicit or inappropriate direction. ... When I later sent him an email saying that I felt like my boundaries were violated, he said that he felt misrepresented (as though the simple fact of me bringing up the subject of sexuality somehow gives him a free pass to talk about whatever...sexual stuff he wants). ...

-inCultCated,   2023


... Then, when he went to the hotel where they spent their wedding night and started talking about it I had to turn it off. Is nothing sacred? I think with ECC [Evergreen Community Church renamed Hometown Church], sometimes the answer to that is no. I have heard (from someone who was there) that in at least one small group, a couple gave a detailed description of their honeymoon. I have also heard that personal, private conversations about sex (frequency and positions) were discussed regularly. This is sick. This is perverted. ...

In addition, I have listened to marriage seminar talks (currently available online, but downloaded by me just in case) that cross boundaries and give descriptions of personal likes and dislikes, etc. There seems to be an unhealthy focus on sex that perhaps makes it harder to see boundaries for people in the system and perhaps has led to the sad situation that is currently developing at ECC.

-Linda,   2018


You know out of all the things GC said and did, I think for me personally, the way that GC forced itself into my marriage and family has been the most long lasting and devastating.  GC told me when I should have sex, the kind of attitude I should have toward sex, they way I should parent,  how we should have kids, how to live, how to be, WHO to be.  They told me to spank my kids and spank often.  They told my husband what kind of wife he should want and what kind of husband he should be. ...

I’ve dumped the bad teaching, the stupid authority structure, the vocabulary, basically all the bad sermons.  What I still have left behind is the idea that I am not a good enough wife and mother.  I still have their words that echo in my head.  I honestly feel violated as though they have placed a little GC photo on my nightstand and on a refrigerator magnet. ...

GC expected an open door to your inner thoughts, your bedroom, your home, your dinner table, and our calendars. ... It’s this “Big Brother” feeling that I find the hardest to shake.

-AgathaL’Orange,   2007



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« Reply #28 on: December 05, 2023, 06:32:34 pm »



… My experiences are fairly recent (post-2000).  In GCx, there is a pretty pervasive sense that someone going on staff is the highest and best thing a person can do.  Hence, it doesn't matter how stupid a decision someone would be making, who else (ie, parents and family) might be hurt, or whether what the person is doing makes any sense at all.

I for example, really enjoyed my experience on the STM trip I went on.  …by the end of the week, the host family was begging me to stay, move into their spare bedroom, and play nanny for them. …

The elder and staffer on that trip were actually encouraging me to do this.  They saw no problem at all with me not getting on the plane to go home, and then just casually alerting my parents when they got to the airport.  They saw no problem with me making such a stupid decision, forfeiting the work I had done that semester in school, and screwing my parents out of the tuition they had paid for my school.

-namaste,   2007



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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
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