the Independence, MO "assembly"

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[Independence-exer]

I just found this site, after googling some names and following leads on the internet.  I was a member of the Independence MO "assembly" from '73-'78.  I left after disagreeing with the "disfellowshipping" of a long string of people, including my best friend and my brother.  Even though I left on good terms, for simple reasons of conscience, I was later publicly disfellowshipped, so remaining members would not have any communication with me.  The fact that nearly thirty years later, I am still thinking about this experience shows what a shattering experience it was for me.
Kirk A. was the elder of the Indep. group. This was long before the Great Commission name came along.  David G. from the Kansas City Cornerstone fellowship came over to co-lead.  I attribute the increased authoritarianism to him.  I lost all contact with them after the whole Indep. assembly moved to Columbia, MO.  
I would love to talk again with Kirk, after so many years.  Hard to imagine him staying in.
I loved all the people there and had some of the best years of my life, until it got wierd.
Anyone here know anything about what happened to the Independence-Columbia group , and the leaders?
I can write more about my experience and what led me to leave.  I am now a missionary in Chile.

[exshep]

I am aware of the Kansas City Church.  The pastor of the GC church where I fellowshipped was in both Columbia and Kansas City.  I have a working knowledge of the group.  Did not a large group come to Dallas in the 90s?  Sounds somewhat familiar.

[Independence-exer]

I don't know if we can use full names here or not.  The guy who came over from the Cornerstone in K.C. was Dave G.  He was a former professional golfer.  I lost contact with them after I moved to St. Louis and they all moved to Columbia.
Their moving to Dallas makes sense, since I see that George Fizer is pastor of a GC church in Plano.  He was a budding leader in Independence.
I think of them in those early years in the 70's as an amateur cult.  Apparently the disfellowshipping became a common thing.  What is shameful for me is to think how much of it I tolerated, against my conscience, only because that group was my whole life, and to leave it was inconceivable.

[Miss Current]

I was in Columbia from 1985-1988, St. Lous in 1988-1990 and back in Columbia from 1990-2006 and from 2006 to now in the Denver area.  My wife is from the Independence area (Belton, MO or south Kansas City) and I visit there a number of times each year.

I would like to hear more about Columbia and Independence GC churches and the timeframes associated.  I bet I know some of the GC people.  I do know the Martindales a little and obviously Jim McCotter.  Strange, I have never been a part of GC.[/color]

[Independence-exer]

The Independence "assembly" moved to Columbia around 1978 or '79.  Don't know anything else about their life after that.

I heard Jim McCotter once in Kansas City when the area churches or assemblies had a big conference at a downtown Episcopal cathedral.  How he went from that to owning newspapers and radio stations is beyond me.  Reading his self-promotion on your website for Maverick Jets, I think he overstates the impact of his Today's Student newspaper.  I was around then, and it wasn't much.  

One of the things that started me rethinking my allegiance to that group was the leadership's open espousing of Bill Bright's political plans in 1976 and what was the beginning of the religious right.

Later, I learn that McCotter is a member of the Council for National Policy.

What a guy.

How he and his cohorts were able to convince so many talented, intelligent people to become underachievers is another mystery.  I remember at the time I aspired to nothing more than graduating from college and getting a part-time job so I could devote more time to the "body" as we called it.  The leader of the Independence assembly, Kirk A. was a brilliant man who at the time was content to go no farther that a MA in English and teach part-time at UMKC.  He was a voracious reader, a gifted apologist and a good friend and pastor for five years until he was told to shun me.  I hope he moved far beyond the GC thing.

[observer]

Independence ex-er, check your private messages for my contact info. I know some things about the Independence church.

[exshep]

I had wonderful fellowship with Grace Community Church Plano TX  2005-2007. George and I had many talks on GC.  He was quite helpful in sorting out the McCotter era. I got the impression he ate his humble pie a la mode when it came to the abuses. I sensed he honestly worked through it,  so  I decided to drop the issue.  

Grace was certainly a rarity among GC churches.  I enjoyed the long drive and loved serving on the Welcome Team.  Overcommit was strongly discouraged.  There a was staff person who would lovingly see to that.  

The reason we originally left is that my wife and I were shaken up by sudden staff departures and discontinuance of a  Saturday evening service.  Ultimately it became apparent that the time in Texas was over and we sensed the Lord calling back to Ohio.   We and Grace are on the best of terms.  

The GC amatuer hour analogy certainly had merit for me in retrospect.  I met some great brothers in the Lord in the Athens OH church,  but maturity and training was lacking.    It was endemic of shepherding groups at the time. I can in my groups,  my zeal got the best of me.

Thanks for the clarifications.   Appreciated it.

[Independence-exer]

I guess what I don't understand is how George and others like him who have been in leadership for the long haul were able to accept all the disfellowshipping that went on.  Did eating his humble pie and getting over the McCotter years mean apologizing to the people who were kicked out, ostracized, shunned while he sat by supporting the elders who by their ineptitude and pride shattered many lives.  How many people who were kicked out for disagreeing with his leaders never returned to any kind of church?

[exshep]

I guess what I don't understand is how George and others like him who have been in leadership for the long haul were able to accept all the disfellowshipping that went on.  Did eating his humble pie and getting over the McCotter years mean apologizing to the people who were kicked out, ostracized, shunned while he sat by supporting the elders who by their ineptitude and pride shattered many lives.  How many people who were kicked out for disagreeing with his leaders never returned to any kind of church?

Little behind the eight ball in response.  My personal impression was that George was uncomfortable with the past abuses.  I made a personal decision not to push the issue.  He rather saddened by it.  Grace went to great lengths not to have the shepherding earmarks of the 70's and 80's.  I always felt safe there.  With the exception of the failed plan to abolish the Saturday evening teaching services, my antennae never went up.

[plaidcymru]

I was briefly in Columbia,MO from about the summer of 1993 to the spring of 1994. One of the bloggers "Miss Current" was there during the time that I was. I dont know if I would remember you,but you would probably remember me.

[exshep]

I guess what I don't understand is how George and others like him who have been in leadership for the long haul were able to accept all the disfellowshipping that went on.  Did eating his humble pie and getting over the McCotter years mean apologizing to the people who were kicked out, ostracized, shunned while he sat by supporting the elders who by their ineptitude and pride shattered many lives.  How many people who were kicked out for disagreeing with his leaders never returned to any kind of church?

Little behind the eight ball in response.  My personal impression was that George was uncomfortable with the past abuses.  I made a personal decision not to push the issue.  He rather saddened by it.  Grace went to great lengths not to have the shepherding earmarks of the 70's and 80's.  I always felt safe there.  With the exception of the failed plan to abolish the Saturday evening teaching services, my antennae never went up.

a rather belated addendum.  Grace Community Plano  left GCAC a few years ago.  Reasons unknown.