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Author Topic: Story ever picked up by journalists  (Read 7139 times)
FormerReliantMissionary
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« on: November 27, 2017, 02:08:09 pm »

Has the GCM (now Reliant) issue ever been looked at by any sort of serious journalist? Has anyone tried involving journalistic entities?
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Janet Easson Martin
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« Reply #1 on: November 27, 2017, 09:46:48 pm »

Welcome, FormerReliantMissionary!

Oh yes!  Numerous books, articles, watchdog groups and websites have indeed declared the aberant activity and abuse of this group.  First, they change their name so often, it is hard for concerned and suspecting individuals to accurately research them.  The newest name, 'Reliant Mission', is only a few years old.  Second, they deceitfully deny or whitewash criticism pretty smoothly.  I would guess most of their function and finances over the years has been to continually repair and prop up their image.  Their efforts are best described as smoke and mirrors.  They may claim a lot of improvements, but they are STILL very much rooted in the abusive practices of the founder, Jim McCotter.  They will not denounce this dictatorial, deceitful, and devious leader.  Thus, the sickly fruit still flows from bitter root.  The proof is in the current, recent and past testimonies on this very website.

At least two books have been written about the GCx organization/church/movement.  One is "Churches That Abuse" by Ronald Enroth.  Likely few members and even ex-members are even aware of this book.  The other book is "Cult-Proofing Your Kids" by Paul Martin, an expert in the field who started the first and perhaps only accredited cult recovery program.  Paul, an ex-member of GCx has since passed away, but the highly awarded Wellspring Resource & Retreat Center (in southern Ohio) he began still continues to help victims today.

Paul Martin and his associates have written much about them.  You can find their articles and others from various newspapers through this website's Home Page under External Links.  

There are a number of websites about spiritual abuse that reference this group and contain testimonies of GCx's abuse.  Some are more well known than others.  The most recent watchdog website I read was "People of The Free Gift".  It outlines how GCx practices the "BITE" model, a professional identification of "mind control", which others here have previously brought to our attention in detail.  It is twistedly subtle so it sadly goes undetected by many.  The author discusses the details.  Even in his "rose-colored" facts, he labels them as a Christian cult. From the site:  "This video examines the origin, history, beliefs and mind control practices of the movement started by Jim (James) McCotter known as Great Commission Churches. Why categorize this group as a cult? The simple answer is that they practice mind control, following the B.I.T.E. model - Behavior Control, Information Control, Thought Control, Emotion Control (all documented in video)"

Here is their link:  

https://player.fm/series/people-of-the-free-gift/great-commission-churches-jim-mccotter-gcac-gci-gcm-gcc-gcla-gce-sharing-jesus-with-the-cults



« Last Edit: November 30, 2017, 02:17:52 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
wisemind
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« Reply #2 on: November 28, 2017, 12:12:08 pm »

The description of the Great Commission Christian cult in The People of the Free Gift link is completely current and accurate in my experience. The damage this group has done to the minds of young people, young Christians is staggering. Sadly, most people, Christians or not, are not taught to recognize the clear yet subtle warning signs of a cult. As Christians we are taught to fear so many things in this world...rock music, gay people, Catholicism, government control, liberal democrats, psychiatry, medication, sex, secular colleges, alcohol, drugs, the occult...on and on and on, but no one taught me to examine and beware of systems of belief or behaviors of people and groups that are insidious and truly dangerous to the minds of unsuspecting, ideological young people. The leaders of this group, Knox, Meyer, Hopler, Whitney, Darling, etc. were once idealistic followers of McCotter and his ideology, I'm sure. They bought into the system and never left so now in their 50's, 60's and 70's, they are the revered, esteemed leaders of "God's Army" giving orders and being served by their followers. They are the men (no women are worthy to be part of leadership) who continue to raise up, train, and indoctrinate more unsuspecting ideological men who carry this system of beliefs forward generation after generation and "speak for God" to all who buy into this twisted way of living the Christian life. The Great Commission ideology looks good and normal on the outside, and unless you get entrenched deep enough in the system to be trusted with their true beliefs you would never see them as a cult. They deflect, squirm, lie, and try to appear safe by denying what their beliefs truly are, changing their name, distancing themselves from criticism, and finally accepting the "cult" label as a badge of honor because they are being persecuted for their beliefs. I really don't expect these leaders to change. I don't think they can. My purpose for writing this it to hopefully help people beware, question, think critically, and seek advice from others who are not indoctrinated in this group. If even one person can avoid the pain I have suffered and find true freedom, true joy, true love for others through Christ, all will be worth it! Hindsight is 20/20.
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Chatlonut
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« Reply #3 on: November 29, 2017, 01:24:40 am »

Is it true? If it is true, it is very good. I hope it will be true.
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Rebel in a Good Way
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« Reply #4 on: December 02, 2017, 01:04:00 pm »

________, from the People of the Free Gift, was a professor for my Understanding Cults course through ____________ last January.  He had not heard of GCX until I named them in my coursework, but upon looking them up he added them.  So they will also be included in the textbook used for that course--woo hoo!

I am not bragging about this, but the fact that a WOMAN in SEMINARY helped get GCM verified as a cult is just particuarly delightful, don't you think Wink

Also, I am becoming involved with International Cutltic Studies Association and they publish papers.  I'm not very familiar yet with their materials, but I think doing a current write-up about GCM would be worth pursuing.  Anything that gets published that would come up in a search is helpful.
« Last Edit: July 21, 2018, 05:22:38 pm by puff of purple smoke » Logged
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« Reply #5 on: December 02, 2017, 01:13:30 pm »

I thought about creating a new post rather than responding here, but I'm still kind of new.  I just wanted to point out that anyone can also fill out a form to report GCM on the Freedom of Mind website, using the BITE model.  It takes a bit (if you need to learn about the BITE model) but might be worth doing.  FOM said most of the information they have on the group are past concerns.  I plan on letting them know the concerns are also current.
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Janet Easson Martin
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« Reply #6 on: December 02, 2017, 04:05:30 pm »

Rebel in a Good Way,

Updating Freedom of Mind seems it would be very helpful.  I am not familiar with that group, but there are probably a number of good watchdog groups I don't yet know about.  Can you share a little about them?

Janet
« Last Edit: December 02, 2017, 04:12:00 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 #7 on: December 02, 2017, 04:11:28 pm »

Rebel in a Good Way,

Wow!!  That is great you brought People of The Free Gift's attention to GCx's "cultic" practices - both current and past!  That is so COOL!!  Sounds like a God-thing.  Definitely delightful!!!  And extremely helpful to victims!!

« Last Edit: December 02, 2017, 04:13:20 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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« Reply #8 on: December 02, 2017, 04:55:55 pm »

Yeah, I just mentioned GCx in normal class process, wasn't trying to cause anything to happen.  I guess when it's a cult, it's a cult!

I meant to include this link in my previous post about Freedom of Mind if anyone is interested.  I plan on submitting information after the semester is over.

https://freedomofmind.com/submit-group-information/
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Janet Easson Martin
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« Reply #9 on: December 04, 2017, 09:23:31 am »


FormerReliantMissionary,

I mistakenly posted this under another topic, so I am copying to you today.

I have found the name and "mission" of RELIANT MISSION quite ironic.  Their deceptive history is anything but reliant.  When I was part of this organization in its later beginnings we never saw any accounting of what happened with our money given to the church for many years!  No one publicly questioned it.  Only when the bad reputation of the group grew quite widespread did they attempt to publish their "so-called" activities.  Even then, it was a whitewash job.  Abuses were very much dismissed.  Only after I left did I learn that the founder used our finances to start his own pet projects to exult his image and the image of his "ministry".  We were used to create, promote, distribute, and verbally PUFF UP GCx's image. Though we didn't know it, we were just like slaves working hard to build GCx pyramids to their honor. Nearly every project was a waste of our time and labor because they failed pitifully. There always seemed to be a significant exaggeration of the facts. The promotion of this group nearly always seemed to be right on the edge of fabrication. 

Let's just say that the finances in that group seemed of little benefit to those in the actual church.  In fact, some were reproved for giving to faithful people in our church who were living in poverty.  (Though it was anonymous, the elders did find out.)  Though this was over and above their tithe, they were still told it should go to the elders.  Some were reproved for giving money to their own parents.  Now, mind you, the ratio of people to elders then was 10-25 to 1!  And, there were three elders! That was NOT good use of our money.

There were other money-making investment schemes which deceptively sucked in members and family and friends of members to generate high dollars. People lost hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars and were never compensated a thing that I know of.  Some were twistedly persuaded to give up their retirements.  The insensitivity to their own people is audacious! 

The biggest PR move in my time was to try to start 50 new churches all at once by selecting two men for each city and sending them (and their families) out with only a thousand dollars and "commissioning" them to start a church.  These "missionaries" received no known support from their home church after that and were visited little if ever by those in leadership!  I'm not sure that any of those really succeeded.  They are bent on building up their IMAGE, but not their people. 

Thus, I find it contemptuous that they have set up such a group and called it RELIANT Mission!


How did you come into contact with or learn about Reliant Mission?  If I might ask, why did you leave (my assumption from "Former" title)?


Janet

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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 #10 on: January 24, 2018, 06:40:13 pm »

FormerReliantMissionary, there are people who report on stories of spiritual and other kinds of abuse in the church.  Are you on twitter at all?  These are their usernames (or whatever they're called, I'm new to Twitter).  Might be worth contacting them.

@watchkeep
@wartwatch
@defendthesheep
@NotUnderBondage
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Wolfgangg
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« Reply #11 on: January 25, 2018, 12:50:44 am »

The data suggest that the resolution is not difficult to understand, easy for amateurs.
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