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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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[Ned_Flanders]

I posted this over in "General Discussion" yesterday but I think it would be best to post over here.

Hello All,
This is my first post on this forum, as I just discovered this website yeaterday thanks to another former member. 

I was a member in GC churches from 1986 to 1994.  Before GC, I was a member of a Pentcostal Holiness church that preached speaking in tongues as evidence of the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit) and that salvation could be lost as a result of sin ("He doesn't leave us; we leave Him").  Anyway, the Pentecostal Church was very legalistic in terms of outward appearance: women were supposed to wear hats to Church anf not supposed to wear pants, makeup, jewelry, low-cut blouses or high-cut skirts; in Church, men were supposed to wear suits and ties.  And it was white blouses and black skirts for women; white shirts and dark blue or black suits for men... very legalistic.   left this Church because I came to realize salvation was eternally secure and I no longer agreed with speaking in tongues.

GC was not as outwardly legalistic (i.e. clothing) as the Pentecostal Church was.  But it was very inwardly legalistic (i.e. what you think).  If I had come into that Church in 1986 as an openly liberal Democrat, opposed Reagan Administration politics, supported a woman's reproductive rights, opposed the death penalty, supported affirmative action, and openly looked for a girlfriend to ask out to public places like movies and restaurants, I would have fallen out of favor with the Church establishment and some would even have questioned my salvation.  But today, I don't care what your politics are; you can be a Christian and support any or all of the above ideas.  And when I tell other Christians I used to belong to a Church that didn't believe in dating, they wonder how people ever got to know each other to build a relationshp towards marriage. 

I never had to be counseled out of GC (or the Pentecostal Church, for that matter) but I think it is so sad to hear about those who did.  I am so glad to be of an understanding today that God is big enough to deal with my life as it is.   
 


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[Linda]

Welcome.

[Ned_Flanders]

Thanks for the welcome, Linda.
I think it's very important to remember that you can be hurt in any Church environment.  That said, I do not think fellowship and commitment to a group of believers should be forsaken. 

I was hurt by GC.  I kinow other people who were hurt by GC.  I've heard of people who had to be counseled out of that place.  The good news is, they left GCM/GCI/whatever.  I sincerely hope that for people who left there, they received healing, moved on and found a much better fellowship and the personal peace of mind that comes from freedom in Christ- knowing God loves them no matter who they are or what they do. 

[Linda]

Ned, I just wanted to make it clear that we did not leave our church because we were hurt.

We left because of false teaching.

Obviously, not everything they teach is bad, but some is really bad. I post here, on gcmwarning, to warn people about the bad stuff.

Words like "unity" and "reconciliation" do not apply to false teaching. False teaching should be acknowledged and corrected. If it isn't it should be exposed.

[EverAStudent]

I have to echo some of the sentiments that Linda just stated above.  My wife and I left GCx because of the false doctrines (e.g. there are apostles appearing today) and abusively authoritarian leadership (e.g. calling people fools for not doing the elders certain favors gratis); we did not leave because we were emotionally wounded and had our feelings "hurt." 

That said, after we left we realized that some of our thinking about doctrine and church structure had been "hurt" or rather "damaged."  We had to restudy what the Scriptures really taught about such things.  We also noticed that we were more sensitive to corruption and deceit in the church, and we now constantly fight to keep that sensitivity under control so as not to be judgmental. 

So, largely, I agree with Linda.  We did not leave because our feelings were hurt, we left due to unsound doctrine and practices in GCx.  The damage that was done to us involves thinking, not emotions, requiring the uprooting of the false doctrines from our thinking and being cautious in pointing out unsound doctrines and practices in other churches that are not nearly so aberrant as GCx was.

[Linda]

That said, after we left we realized that some of our thinking about doctrine and church structure had been "hurt" or rather "damaged."  We had to restudy what the Scriptures really taught about such things.  We also noticed that we were more sensitive to corruption and deceit in the church, and we now constantly fight to keep that sensitivity under control so as not to be judgmental

The damage that was done to us involves thinking, not emotions, requiring the uprooting of the false doctrines from our thinking and being cautious in pointing out unsound doctrines and practices in other churches that are not nearly so aberrant as GCx was.

I agree with this. One of the reasons I keep posting here is because I need to keep reminding myself of the truth about the beliefs/teaching/practices of GC.

When I say the word "hurt" I am referring to personal offenses in the form of insults, sin, whatever. In that sense, we didn't leave because anyone hurt or offended us.

Leaving was painful, however. Frankly, we lost what we thought were close friends. Came to find out they weren't. There is a pain associated with that "rejection".

Also, as you mention, there was "damage" done to my theology by sitting under false teaching for so long. So, in that sense we were hurt.

The compassionate part of me realizes that these people are deceived and they are acting sincerely upon their beliefs. When they truly correct their error, a big first step will be to come on this forum and publicly thank us for holding their feet to the fire. That would be amazing. Then, I would sit back and watch to see if they acted on it. They need to prove their repentance with actions. The fact that they still criticize this forum shows me that they haven't changed no matter what they write on their web page and no matter how much they talk about unity. This is a very divisive group. James instructs us to show no partiality. This is a group that admires partiality. Us. We. Our movement of churches. God help them.

[Ned_Flanders]

With all due respect Linda, whether or not you were hurt or whatever the definition of hurt is is entirely irrelevant.  The important thing is that you are no longer a part of that Church.  You don't owe them a thing and they no longer have a hold on you.

I think it is wonderful a site like this exists.  I think it's great people have a forum to discuss their experiences and be validated.  I believe in Church and I hope you still do, too. 

[Linda]

Ned, I was just commenting on the different meanings the word "hurt" has and agreeing with EAS.

I guess I didn't make my point very clearly. The main thing I was trying to communicate is that damage can be done that isn't necessarily in the form of personal offense. Damage to one's theology due to bad thinking, caused by bad teaching is not irrelevant. I have needed to take time to study and get counsel from many Christians to undo the bad teaching. False teaching is damaging and has ongoing consequences.

The Church, is a wonderful thing.

[Ned_Flanders]

The main thing I was trying to communicate is that damage can be done that isn't necessarily in the form of personal offense. Damage to one's theology due to bad thinking, caused by bad teaching is not irrelevant. I have needed to take time to study and get counsel from many Christians to undo the bad teaching. False teaching is damaging and has ongoing consequences.

No, Linda, you were not unclear and I understood what you were saying.  I get it that you left because you disagreed with their teachings.  I don't blame you.  The important thing is that you're gone from that environment for whatever reason. 

As I mentioned, before GCM I was part of a Pentecostal Church that believed in speaking in tounges and that salvation could be lost.  I left that Church because I don't agree with those things anymore. 

From 2003 to 2007, I was part of a Church that believed full immersion baptism was a requirement for salvation.  Someone told me you're not "married to Christ" until you get baptized.  The pastor told me that if he led someone to Christ at 2 o'clock in the morning, that person was getting baptized at 2AM.  He also told us that he baptized a man in the hospital who was terminally ill and in a very brittle condition.  They were able to lower him into a whirpool at the hospital.  I enjoyed that Church very much and we still visit when we go back to see my wife's family.  But I never agreed with their beliefs.  But what was so good for me is that many of the members did not, either.  The same was the case with drinking.  Because the pastor's father was an alcoholic who drank himself to death, the Church establishment believed drinking was wrong and sermons were preached to discouragfe people from it.  I was just so glad to see people think for themselves.  I don't think I ever really saw that at Great Commission.