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Author Topic: My Unexpected Journey to His Healing  (Read 2523 times)
Janet Easson Martin
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« on: December 16, 2018, 09:19:09 pm »

My Unexpected Journey to His Healing


While still in a GCx church I read a Christian book, “The Grace Awakening” by Chuck Swindoll, that would not have been approved by the elders.  A believer at my place of work shared how helpful it was so I began reading it.  I could almost feel balmy breezes sweep through me as I read, yet my head was still somewhat fearful of the freedom it inspired.  I hadn’t really read or listened to many voices outside my church in nearly ten years; except Dr. J. Vernon McGee who was permissible, probably because he had very little commentary.  We were strongly discouraged from reading other Christian commentaries.  I never allowed myself permission to even think about why.  I had always been a compliant rules keeper.  But, this new information from the book I read on God and Christianity made it look beautifully round instead of too often dutifully flat.  As a result, it inspired my journey out of the strange GCx teachings and practices I had been under for more than a decade.

After I left I continued to see significant differences between the GCx way of life and other strong believers outside GCx, and in the church I attended.  Differences in GCx I grew to learn were not actually taught by the Bible. However, there were many other practices I had yet to learn were also unhealthy to myself and my faith.  I seemed to discover them a layer at a time.  One day a close believing relative shared with me his perspective on my old GCx church after he had done extensive research into it.  In addition, he had talked to family of members inside it.  He let the boom down that it was a Christian Cult; and that Jim McCotter was considered evil by many. Woa!  I wasn’t expecting to hear anything like that!  I pretty much went into shock.  Even though I knew things weren’t good, I hadn’t seriously considered that identification, nor that characterization of the founder.  He said I could check it out for myself on the Internet.  I had such mental difficulty receiving those perspectives as real possibilities.  I felt shaky.  I was shaky inside.  I didn’t even want to read about it.  I couldn’t read about it.  My husband-to-be even suggested I limit how much I read up on it because he saw how disturbing and unsettling it was for me.

It wasn’t too long before I came across the book, “Churches That Abuse” by Ronald Enroth.  My eyes bugged out when I read McCotters name in there and the name of the organization I had been in, and stories of members that were part of it.  I read about the church abuse in it.  This was not just my relative, these were numbers of people who had actually been there.  By the time I was done the book, I was actually relieved to hear the things I had sorrowfully learned to accept in this organization were actually abusive and wrong.  

It was years before I found this website.  Perhaps, had it been there sooner I, too, might have looked at it and been confused, distressed and disturbed by the descriptions that I read there.  In other words, it’s natural for others to feel this way because we have been taught to throw out all criticisms of this church.  Every person is at a different stage in uncovering things that may have been taught in error.  Our minds can only process so much conflicting information at a time.  So, I understand if some of our perspective sounds harsh and a bit impossible. Whatever God seems to be showing you, listen to Him.  He dearly loves you and does not condemn you.  
« Last Edit: December 18, 2018, 08:11:07 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
PietWowo
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« Reply #1 on: December 23, 2018, 06:44:35 pm »

Janet, how do you define the term "cult"?

I've heard many associations called cult. Here is a list of the ones that I've been told are a cult:

Mormons, IBM, Amway, Jehovah Witnesses, Moonies. Church of Christ, and Catholics.

Now in my mind, some of these above are obviously cults. But people define how you see cult? Maybe I would agree with you then whether GCx is a cult.
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