A WCCC Story

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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[carolused2be]

I got involved with WCCC and Alive when I first came to Drake a few years ago. As an international student, a lot of efforts were made to help me by members of WCCC. They made food I was familiar with, helped drive me around, gave me stuff I needed, invited me to events and meals. In short, they helped to give this college student a home away from home. Like many, I was inspired by their passion and dedication and I became more serious about my walk with God as a result of their behavior. I thought that it was the best thing that could have happened to me. It didn't take me long to become involved and to be an active member. I went to bible study and lifegroup, Alive, Monday night prayer, church services, coached Upwards, Europe mission trips, evangelizing at malls, on the streets, even a trip to the ISU campus once.

I couldn't believe my luck that I had managed to find this awesome group of people and that I was now a part of them. My grades suffered. My relationship with my family (originally very close) deteriorated. And I couldn't care less. I was making a difference for God with this amazing group of believers and that was the only thing that mattered. Even then, I knew that things weren't perfect but I felt that the good we were doing outweighed the bad that I thought was caused by a few immature and young leaders.

I remember a person I was really close to leaving my second year there. I understood their reasons and thought it was perfectly natural for them to make a decision like that. But I soon learned that it wasn't wise for me to say that. An "older person" met with me to make sure that I understood it was bad (almost a sin) that this person had left. I left that conversation feeling like I was wrong.

I learned to keep my opinions (that were different) to myself and to not share certain things when talking to certain people. I knew who would accept my opinions and who wouldn't and I was very careful to make sure that the leaders didn't know the things I was thinking or doing that I knew they wouldn't agree with.

I started to see things that I wasn't sure were right even though everybody else seemed to think they were great things. There was the usual stuff that everyone else here mentions. The elitism, the whole dating thing, views on money, politics, children.

There were also certain things related to international students that really bothered me. The church did whatever it could to try to keep these students even once they had finished studying. The church sponsored further studies for some students, tried to hire them and help them get some sort of visa. Not only did I think this was unethical but I also thought that it was very unfair to these students' parents, a lot of whom had financed their children's education and rarely got to see their children. I know one student's parents who worked hard so that they could send money to their child who was pursuing yet another degree so that it was possible to stay on a student visa and stay with the church. The people that were helped by the church were felt like they owed all their free time and resources to the church.

I didn't stay on for very long with the church. I didn't leave on bad terms with anybody but just leaving was enough for me to be labeled all the negative things that people who leave get labeled. I don't have a lot of friends from the church despite the long list of people who claimed to be my friends and brothers and sisters when I was a part of them. A lot of my friends now are people who have left. I do have a few friends who are still a part of Walnut Creek. But we don't really talk about church stuff.

I don't know what I hope to accomplish by putting all this out there but hopefully it is helpful to some.

[GB]

Thanks for sharing your story. I was also involved with WCCC and all of the things that you mentioned (Monday night prayer, Europe mission trips, Alive, bible studies, life groups, etc). I just wanted to say that I experienced similar things in my time there. I remember hearing a pastor announce with pride during a 747 prayer night that they were hiring an international student on at the church in order to keep him in the country. It's helpful for me when people like you share their stories because it just confirms that something is actually wrong at WCCC. I was taught for so many years that people who left the church did so because they had fallen into sin, so it's refreshing to hear from people who also saw troubling teachings and practices at WCCC.

[thrutheyrs]

Wow, I forgot about 747 prayer! I always enjoyed praying with the people there. I believe that one of the 7's stood for seven hours. Originally, they were all-nighters, and if you could make it through the night, you were "committed".

I would say that sums up what was wrong in a nutshell. Leadership would take good things...wonderful things that are gifts from God, intended to help us know his heart more... and they turned them into sacrifice!

Another example is accountability. I have people in my life whom I am accountable to, and I appreciate them as they help me in areas where I struggle and have asked for help. However, to place someone in a group and have mandated accountability, such as asking them questions like, "how pure were you this week?" and "how many times did you read your bible?" These can quickly and often lead to control and abuse by shepherds.

I believe that our common experience can be categorized as spiritual abuse. The "abusers" are for the most part poorly trained, poorly educated and young.

[steelgirl]

Mosaic/New Life Church tried to be community.  After the big move, I was too messed up to be in a life group.   I had to go to an accountability group, because there was a time you had to be invited to life groups.