They high-jacked my life.

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.

You may read and post, but some features are restricted to registered members. Please consider registering to gain full access! Registration is free and only takes a few moments to complete.

[escapee]

I wanted to say hello. I'm new to this forum but I'm so glad I found it. I wish I could talk to some of you in person. I was with GC for ten years. "Adopted" by one of the big name families. I was a vulnerable freshman when they swooped in. Man, I was the perfect "fruit" too. I did whatever they told me. I ate it up... Sigh. I got into a leadership position pretty quickly. I did some terrible things to people that I still have a lot of guilt about. It's hard because I know that I was being emotionally manipulated, but I turned right around and did it to other people. Acting like I had all the answers for their lives. Ugh.

What's crazy is I knew early on that things were too controlling but I think I liked it that way because I was just young and scared of life and it was easier to let this big system dictate my decisions and my emotions, rather than have to really deal with them myself.

Anyway, I have a ton more to say but I'll leave it at that for now. Thanks for being out there!

[Huldah]

Escapee, thanks so much for your honesty. It's hard to admit it when we played a role in our own exploitation, but speaking strictly for myself, it's part of the truth that must be faced.

As a former GC member (before it was even called GC) one of the things I've had to confess before God was my own willingness to be exploited. Like you, I became involved with GC partly because it was taking the easy way out (though it turns out it was only easy in the short run; in the long run, I paid a pretty high price). I'm sure I'd have done my fair share of exploiting, too, if I had stayed long enough to acquire any "rank". (Even the sisters had a pecking order, though without official titles like the brothers had.) Our foolishness does not in any way excuse the leadership for their abuses, of course. As leaders, they should have encouraged the students among them to diligently pursue the education we had committed to. They should have taught us to honor the sacrifices our parents made to send us to school. They were so very wrong for playing on our difficulties and fears for their own purposes.

I'm glad you found us. I look forward to hearing more of your story and your insights whenever you're ready to share them.

[escapee]

Huldah,
Thanks for your kind words.
I know all about the pecking order. I was the "best friend", "right hand", of the girl at the tip top of the pecking order.

As far as my story goes it doesn't sound too different from what I've read here about other people.

I was a 17 year old freshman with a really awesome full-ride scholarship that I had worked very hard for but I was lonely and partying and things started to get kinda rough that first semester. I realize now I was going through a pretty normal process of adjusting to being on my own but at the time I thought things were really terrible. My RA was a GC member and her and a few other girls lived on the floor to outreach to people. I accepted Christ and thought the church and GC and the whole thing was just the best thing in the world. They started talking to me about how they thought I'd be a great leader and all that jazz and how I'd make a great church planter, etc. They convinced me to change my major (as others have mentioned) which meant losing my scholarship because it was major contingent. I still to this day can not believe I did that. But they really made me feel like I was doing it for God. It's crazy.
They bragged about me and paraded me around as an example of the best little convert ever. Ugh.
My family actually got really concerned and contacted the school and the police and a handful of other people, all of whom said the church was on their watch lists. But of course, I was already emotionally addicted to the church, calling them my real family, etc. I didn't talk to my parents for months (after all, how could they know anything if they don't know the lord?). Again, the church bragged about me as an example.

I church planted... 3 different churches. The last one being with Rick here in Manhattan. The further I got up the chain the more I just couldn't believe it. People put so much faith in these leaders (I did too!). But really, they are just men saying the same thing over and over again in less and less sophisticated language and then emotionally, mentally, and socially manipulating people into believing the speak for God!

Rick has almost completely stopped preaching from the Bible. The teachings are strangely still titled things like Ephesians 2 but then they're absolutely nothing to do with the chapter? Is this really fooling people?

[AgathaL'Orange]

Escapee, it's time to write a book!  Really.  It sounds like you have an amazing story (you probably wish it hadn't been so interesting and instead was just normal), and it encapsulates the GC mode of operation. 

I am so glad you got out.  I too have regret over 8 years of my life.  Some pretty big regrets that I can never change and that affect my kids.  Since my kids are my life, my heart, and my world... I mean they ARE my kids, these regrets are very difficult for me to forgive.  That said, we can all be so thankful today that we are free.

Really, think about it.  FREE!  That is such a gift.  I am so thankful every single day for that freedom.

I'd love to hear more.  Ding me a private message if you like.  And enjoy the freedom!

[JesusFacePalm]

Totally relate with being the fast growing new convert who was ready to give it all and follow suggestions of leaders.   One of them ended up in Manhattan after leaving ours pretty weak and putting insecure leaders in place who were directly involved in removing my kids and forcing a divorce.