Former Stonebrook/The Rock Participant here!

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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[Flitwick]

Hello, my first name is John (not saying my last name outright, if you guess what it is from my email so be it. My username is something I used on a couple other forums around the time I was in GCM.). I attended Stonebrook Church and the Rock ISU from ~October 2014 until I graduated in May 2019. I also attended Faithwalkers Midwest 2016 and 2017. I was born and raised in MN and moved back after graduation and don't really have any connection with GCM anymore, so I feel pretty safe joining this at this point. I am now a regular attender of River Valley Church, which has no GCM relation whatsoever.

I wouldn't really call my time in Stonebrook a bad experience per se. I came into college barely caring about God, and randomly getting evangelized into The Rock really helped ignite my faith in a way that it hadn't been ignited in a long time. I felt god's presence more than I ever had in many years. It gave me a big part of my friend network throughout college. Plus, the Rock meeting on Friday Nights meant I never got involved in the underage drinking endeavors going on around my dorm (pretty open secret that even the dorm CA knew about, but that they never got documented for because of lack of getting 'caught in the act'). I probably wouldn't have pursued Christianity seriously in my adult life if not for God getting me to start attending the Rock/Stonebrook in 2014. I more or less liked Faithwalkers as well, even had a fairly positive opinion of Mark Darling until I learned about the scandals.

That being said, while I was never abused or seriously ostracized, there were things that made clear this wasn't a permanent fit. In no particular order:

- I experienced Pressure to be more and more involved in terms of attending the various conferences/trips throughout the year. I did do a lot - I attended two mission trips, two fall conferences (weekend gathering at this place near des moines with Walnut Creek), all five spring Retreats (weekend at Riverside Bible Camp), and as I said went to Faithwalkers twice. But there was always a sense that it was never enough. In particular, the fact that I always went home for the summer was looked down upon. Essentially, my choice of what level to be involved in things was seen as being in error unless it was to be involved in everything.
- I did see a culture where evangelism was basically a chore, rather than something you do passionately as God calls you. There was a program for quite a while where you were expected to share the gospel 5 times a week and pressure anyone you successfully converted to immediately begin doing the same, even if that person had basically 0 knowledge of the bible and would look like a buffoon trying to convert someone.
- From time to time, there would be questioning of how saved I really was. Tbf, I don't think this was specifically directed by top leadership of the rock/stonebrook, but key underlings were allowed to ask questions designed to try to poke holes in your confidence and get you to admit you weren't really a full Christian yet. So much for eternal salvation through Jesus Christ. In particular, not having an exact date ready to recite from memory of precisely when you were saved, even if you had been born and raised Christian, was seen as potentially not really being saved. You also could be expected to recite an application from a verse you read recently at a moment's notice. I'm interested in a real, heartfelt relationship with God, not passing an exam at a Christian boot camp.
- There was intense pressure to conform to exact small doctrine particulars, even stuff that stonebrook pastors would at times admit weren't essential to salvation, or in the case of the last thing mentioned here, didn't necessarily even comply with themselves. Examples: Young Earth Creationism (I'm a proud OECer), being against female pastors, being a single issue voter on abortion (I oppose abortion strongly, but I vote holistically).

I'm happy in the Church I'm in now (none of the above issues exist there) and my faith remains strong. I'm glad God isn't confined to the walls of GCM, as I'm not either.

I will take questions. I'm not really into naming and shaming people though. I left GCM on good terms and many of the people I met there I wouldn't mind reuniting with, so long as they don't use it to try to get me to be on staff with Stonebrook or Living Hope (I wasn't involved in that plant directly but I know a bunch of the people who were).

[Janet Easson Martin]

Welcome, Flitwick. Your input is much appreciated here. It sounds like at least one of your leaders was a little closer to the Bible on dating, though still unhealthy in where God’s spouse for us is found (and perhaps missing a parameter or two on physical guidance of dating). Hopefully, this wasn’t just for public relations while they practiced something else behind the scenes.

Your perspective and report is valued here. Only you can give feedback on your own experience.

They certainly were good things for a little while in GCx like being introduced to the gospel, fellowship, the Bible, worship, and friends. Those are all inherently super things in themselves. For others of us, these turned into a system of earning “honor and respect” in a parade of competition, show, and approval-seeking.  People with varying levels of involvement and Christian background seem to have somewhat different experiences with GCx.

Glad you included the place and timeframe you were involved with GCx. It is very helpful to gage the presence of intrusive pressure and heavy burdens put on their members. I really like how you explained their weighty expectations in evangelism becoming “basically a chore.” Agree they pressured very young believers to perform like seasoned saints.

Sorry to hear about the questioning of your salvation. That was not uncommon there due to the “small box” they put God in. Right there with you on the ‘heartfelt relationship with God rather than passing a Legalistic exam’.

You sound like a wonderful believer. Praise God you are happy in your present church.