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Author Topic: Believe it or not, Jim McCotter is back - sort of!  (Read 114427 times)
trthskr
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« Reply #40 on: December 23, 2013, 09:40:19 pm »

Check out the blog on the greenwood website. "My commentary on the election....or is it God's?".  Ohhhhh Jim.  Faith walkers is in Des Moines this year.  Does anyone else ever get the urge to want to stand outside one of these events and hand out the statement of apology?  Maybe that's just me.
http://greenwoodfellowship.com/blogs
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Huldah
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« Reply #41 on: December 24, 2013, 10:59:41 am »

And don't you just love the way "God's Commentary" ends with a sales pitch?
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EverAStudent
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« Reply #42 on: December 24, 2013, 03:58:45 pm »

Arghhhhh!!!!!! 

I just read it.

Now THAT's the GC of my young adulthood.  Taking a narrative (story) from the Old Testament, imposing tons of assumptions into it which the text does not state or support, then interrpeting the revised mess as a cautionary tale for 21st Century America in a way and with a meaning that the original author never would have intended or approved. 

It is so easy to see from where present-day GC elders get their propensity to abuse Scripture.  Untrained men should not head up churches because their influences, good and bad, will last generations.
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Janet Easson Martin
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« Reply #43 on: January 05, 2015, 09:39:13 am »

Huldah, I agree The puffing up of his accomplishments is definitely part of his hoax.


"The 'movement' is clearly in it's early stages but one thing is very clear - McCotter is making another run. What is less clear is why and why now."
                                                                              
                                   (Quote from distant thunder in original post)



May I be so bold as to suggest that Jim McCotter has run out of money and needed to find a way to make more fast.  'By hook or by crook' he could easily take it from naive sheep in Englewood, Colorado who have been given the false impression by him that he has been anointed by God to lead them.  He is a master at disguising himself with the clothing of a 'meek' sheep when he is actually a ravenous wolf.  He could feed his very unhealthy ego by tearing away at and devouring the dignity of this NEW group of believers.  He could cruelly "slap" them down to build himself back up again.  He could trap them in his carefully laid briars so they cannot escape.  All the things we have been witness to ourselves, or heard testimony after testimony about; not only in his church "shepherding", but also in his "management" of people in his business ventures.

Who will warn those in Englewood?

Those in Greenwood Fellowship?



« Last Edit: March 24, 2015, 10:43:02 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
G_Prince
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« Reply #44 on: February 18, 2015, 09:18:28 pm »

Looks like ole' Jim still has the juice. Wonder if he will try poaching any GCx churches?

A few years ago Jim gave a short message at Faithwalkers, after which, Rick Whitney got up on stage and begged him to come back. Sources tell me Jim looked quite uncomfortable.
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newcreature
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« Reply #45 on: August 23, 2016, 09:10:05 am »

Get out your checkbooks now! For a mere $210 (including your own postage!) you can buy the complete collection of Jim McCotter books! http://greenwoodfellowship.com/books

I especially like the new cover on the old "Apostles & Elders" book. I think a lion "shepherding" (intimidating, fleecing, devouring) the flock is a fitting metaphor for GCx leadership.

Order now and you can get a 40-year old case of Slick 50 for an additional $666! Wink
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HolyMoly
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« Reply #46 on: September 21, 2016, 12:13:02 pm »

McCotter is still going at it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPtRQKZm5qI&list=PLRapWvrpGh1CHGIhLMbysCEbwN_FO95Wv

Looks like he fleeced all the big-spenders he could find (looking at you Roland Ripamonti), and now he's a 2-bit shill, hawking pamphlets.

I hung out with his kids when I was little. Jim was an absolute tyrant. If I'm not mistaken he's estranged from many of them now.
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Linda
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« Reply #47 on: September 21, 2016, 12:53:43 pm »

Welcome, HolyMoly, thanks for the link. Would love to hear your story.
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HolyMoly
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« Reply #48 on: September 21, 2016, 01:36:08 pm »

Without getting too specific, I grew up around these guys (http://gccweb.org/about/gcc-board/#) and their kids.
Also around some of the ones that either got run off or wised up (Rob Lamp, Tom Schroeder, Lee Jarrell, Jeff Kern, Ron Tewson, Somebody Abbott, Rogers Kirven, and a bunch I can't recall).

Amazing (or actually not) but it doesn't appear any of the current leadership have a degree between them. No undergrads, no seminary, nothing. My experience was they were passionate and good communicators, but pretty dumb and uneducated. Lots of passion, no theology.

Heard Tom Short preach on campus a bunch of times, and never heard him share the gospel once. Just my anecdotal experience; maybe he did, maybe he does, he just drove me crazy, telling people about their sin and never telling them about the cure:  the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Especially in the 80s, the leadership discouraged people from graduating college or getting professional jobs, because Christ was coming back any minute, so share the gospel and have a bunch of kids! Welp, He didn't come back, and a lot of GCx-ers ended up with a bunch of kids, poor-paying jobs, and in a toughspot. Saw a lot of people getting married who had no business doing so, at the urging and under the supervision of GCx leadership. Saw (still seeing) the fallout from that; messed up children, divorces, etc.

Tom Schroeder was a jerk. Just plain mean to people and made lots of jokes at their expense. A bully.

Heard Jeff Kern preach that being a pastor was the highest calling possible. Don't know if he stills subscribes to that asinine view.

The full-time staff were the worst. Unquestioning loyalty to the top. They would befriend students, then turn on them and accuse them of disloyalty if they questioned anything about the leadership. I know from first-hand observation this was still going on in the late 90s and early 2000s.

Was around McCotter some after he left GCx.  Broken trail of lives as he lied, schemed, scammed, cheated, stole his way from DC to Florida to New Zealand to Colorado. I probably missed a few stops along the way.

It took me a long time to repent and come to Christ after exposure to the GCx gang, but thank the Lord for His patience and persistent mercy.

Biggest takeaway (other than the amazing love of Christ): study sound theology. If you do (see Phil. 1:9-10), you'll be able to spot the likes of International Churches of Christ, GCx, etc., because you will notice they do not actually know much about the Bible or Jesus. They run on power and harnessing the passion of the weak, not knowledge of the truth.  I still meet college students every now and then that I peg straightaway for GCx-ers, because of their unique blend of (a) arrogance, (b) ignorance, (c) legalism, and (d) I-don't-know-what-to-call-it. It's been decades since I was directly involved, and I can still sniff them out. I'll inquire about their church life, and sure 'nuff, GCx. So weird. In my experience, GCx's reputation (not a good one) is to this day known by churches and student groups in the community.
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Janet Easson Martin
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« Reply #49 on: September 21, 2016, 07:12:05 pm »

So glad you posted!  Welcome, HolyMoly.

It's so encouraging to hear how God had his own plan to draw you near to Him despite what others may have done to discourage, confuse, and shipwreck it.  

I totally agree with you about studying sound theology.  It is so empowering.  It is so freeing.  And it seems the only way to overcome all the horrible theology that was hammered into us.  I think God used the false instruction to drive me to look more closely at what the REAL gospel says and what it is meant to do for us as believers.

Hope your share more with us as you are led.

Janet
« Last Edit: September 21, 2016, 07:15:18 pm 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
Linda
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« Reply #50 on: September 21, 2016, 07:36:07 pm »

Very interesting. Thanks for taking the time to share your story and insight.

One mystery that remains for me is the question of why McCotter left.

The story is that he left to pursue business interests. What has always seemed fishy to me about that is that while the group continues to preach "commitment for life" they don't seem really bothered about the McCotter departure. A person can pursue a career and attend a GC church and for a portion of that time he was living in states with GC churches. They do speak highly of him on the GCC web page and they have never publicly corrected or distanced themselves from his teaching. Plus, Clark, who wrote the Leadership book with him was on the board for many years and is still listed as "board member emeritus".
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HolyMoly
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« Reply #51 on: September 22, 2016, 02:31:07 am »

McCotter left to make money.
At first it was like he was Jonah to the Ninevites, going bravely into the scary secular world to conquer the media and bring the gospel to the world. This is directly what I heard from people around him. They were excited about it! No one dared question McCotter, so the cure for doubt was enthusiasm for his new venture.

And of course to fit in to the media elites, he had to look the part, so huge house and property in Maryland, with cars, ATVs, horses, etc.  All the while maintaining public, social relationships with GCx leadership.

Then on to Orlando area, with expensive ski boat, multiple Porsche sportscars, etc.
He slowly distanced himself from the GCx leadership over time. By the time he moved to Orlando, I don't think he still maintained any contact with them. None that I heard of anyway.

While I don't know exactly what transpired, I have two theories:
(a) McCotter has so brainwashed GCx leadership that they are still buying his story, any story.
(b) GCx leadership bought his story for a LONG time, but have finally given up. They're scratching their heads today, but they're in too deep, and it's been too long, and it would be too emotionally introspective and exhausting for them to go back through and see where it all went wrong (or if it was ever right).

I think it's (b).  When he left, and for a long time after, they thought he was still committed for life, just under a special calling.  Admitting he left because he wanted riches and power would just be too hard for the core GCx leadership now. It would basically be admitting the house (their "movement" they still call it) was built on sand from the beginning, and they've wasted some forty years of their lives. In their defense, that would be tough to do.

IMO McCotter is some sort of mix of sociopath, psychopath, borderline personality disorder, megalomania, etc. Don't know much about psychology, but know from observation he can function at a high level without seeming remorse for lying, stealing, cruelty, etc.  He has gifts, and could have actually been a very successful businessman, but IMO his personality disorder(s) kept him from this. If you're gifted, and work hard, you usually succeed. But everything Jim touches gets destroyed. Every one of his business ventures collapsed in spectacular fashion because of Jim's dishonesty, manipulation, and toxic methods.
« Last Edit: September 22, 2016, 06:53:31 am by HolyMoly » Logged
MidnightRider
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« Reply #52 on: September 24, 2016, 06:09:45 pm »

HM,

One possibility you did not mention: McCotter left the church around the time of the controversy over several church members running for political office in whatever town they were in (Silver Spring MD). Several others in leadership left, too.

Maybe someone who was there knows more. Anybody?
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HolyMoly
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« Reply #53 on: September 27, 2016, 06:29:44 am »

I remember the politics and people running for office. I never heard that was a reason for McCotter leaving, but that is not to say it wasn't.
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newcreature
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« Reply #54 on: September 28, 2016, 08:51:36 am »

Here is a sweet tweet from Jim where he fondly recalls his power of persuasion over GCI members: "I preached sermons and people gave up homes and savings accounts..."

https://twitter.com/jimmcotter/status/976759551

(It could be a phony account, but someone sure caught the essence of the good ol' days)
« Last Edit: September 28, 2016, 09:01:59 am by newcreature » Logged
HolyMoly
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« Reply #55 on: September 28, 2016, 09:35:26 am »

Fake. 15 tweets in one day in 2008, and then nothing.
Wish the parodist had kept it up.
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Columbus Old-Timer
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« Reply #56 on: April 27, 2019, 08:18:20 pm »

(MODIFICATION: This post is in response to someone else's post about an incident at a conference in either Jamestown, NY or York, PA in the mid-70's. I don't know what happened but this response seems to have ended up in the wrong place.)

Hi, Mike Meese here. I was on the team that started the Columbus, Ohio church in 1973.

I wish I could remember this incident and the young woman who had her tooth pulled. I was definitely at both the Jamestown and York conferences. In any event, I accept full responsibility for my part in it and am so sorry for my participation and the pain I caused her.

I have been out of GC since 1985. For the most part it is just a distant memory. But lately I have been asking God to bring to mind any situation where I might have been party to spiritual (or any other kind of) abuse so I can do whatever I can to atone for it.

An interesting thing: I "stepped down" from my position as a Solid Rock deacon/minion in 1978 because of...well, let's just call them "personal failings". At this point, out of shame, I retreated to the fringes of the group, which kept me from being involved in all the post-Bill Taylor craziness, which I probably would been right in the middle of had I remained a deacon.

In hindsight, from my perspective, it was a great blessing for things to have unfolded as they did, or I may well have found myself in situations that could have really, permanently, hardened my heart.

Eventually, after moving to Lawrence, Kansas and associating with the GC church there for a few years, I very quietly managed to tip-toe out of the group without attracting much attention, and moved back to my hometown Cleveland.

If someone reading this post remembers any abusive incident I was involved in, PLEASE let me know about it. I would appreciate it.

May everyone who has been damaged by the teaching and practices of this group be healed. God bless, everyone!

MLM
« Last Edit: April 29, 2019, 12:51:50 pm by Columbus Old-Timer » Logged

Columbus Old-Timer
Janet Easson Martin
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« Reply #57 on: April 28, 2019, 12:44:16 pm »

Columbus Old-Timer, what a heartfelt and humble apology.  I’m guessing there were higher-ups involved in this decision also.  We often treated people the way the founder passed down his treatment of them, since we were taught to be adamant imitators of our leaders.  It wouldn’t surprise me if God would bring that woman to this website just to read your note.  What tears that would bring me if I were her.  I’m sure there were witnesses who saw and others who heard about this uncaring treatment who also highly value your concern.  I just happened to copy this excerpt a couple of days ago about this very incident. Here it is below.

By the way, I remember your name being fondly spoken of by someone who came to the Maryland church from Columbus, but I don’t like to share names on here (in general).  Let’s just say she was half Japanese.  She made some “cracking” tempura.


I recall one retreat in which this young woman had a dental infection. Now this woman was only 20ish, if even that. Their idea of kindness was to take her to an oral surgeon who extracted the tooth. It makes me sick to think of the money that was available to help this young woman with perhaps an antibiotic and a scheduled appointment with a dentist back home (it was only a 3 day retreat and this occurred on day 2), thus saving the tooth. But, you see, these leaders saw only evangelizing the world and not the plight of this young woman. In most ways, they were cheap and heartless. ... When they proselytized me, I was the most important person in the world to them. When they had me, every bit of kindness was conditional. ... Without question, the worst days of my life.
-shame_on_them



Wouldn’t it be something if your note was the start of an avalanche of apologies to wounded members of GCx. The best part of your setting an example here is that you gave NO EXCUSES.  That’s genuine sorrow.  May God bless you, Mike.


« Last Edit: May 01, 2019, 07:10:16 pm 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
Huldah
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« Reply #58 on: April 28, 2019, 04:29:01 pm »

Hello, Mike. Welcome to the forum, and thank you such a thoughtful and kind post. I hope the woman in question will read it.

Your name sounds familiar, but I don't remember whether or not we ever crossed paths in person. I'm the girl who left Solid Rock to join the army. In retrospect it seems like an extreme length to go to, but at the time I was so traumatized that all I could think of was putting as much distance as possible between myself and Solid Rock.

I hope the years have been kind to you and your loved ones.
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PietWowo
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« Reply #59 on: November 13, 2019, 10:02:00 pm »

Wow, I'm very impressed by the research you have done!!! You caught the movement!!! You nailed it down right there.  How did you do it?

Jim actually doesn't live in Colorado anymore. He lives in Switzerland on top of a mountain. He brainwashes elders there, who go back to local churches and brainwash their churches (in homes!!!). He's totally bald and he has a white cat, that he pats all day long on his lap. His goal as a total narcissist is world domination. He has people everywhere. But you all figured it out!!!

And Roland Ripamonti is his henchman. He has a hat that he throws like a Frisbee and is able to behead people. He's got an odd job!!! He's got metal teeth. You should see him. He just smiles.... and just looks at you!!!  He now goes by the Italian name of Emilio Largo.

MI-6 actually sent one of their agents, who had a licence to kill after him. He finally found him on top of the mountain. But was caught. He escaped, there was a sky chase down the mountain. Then later on Jim (ESB) and his organization had the agent's wife killed, right after their wedding.

Jim is actually now building something in Japan.... a hollowed out volcano.... He wants to do something with rockets to hold the world hostage with. He has a huge garden around it with poisonous snakes and animals and plants. It's a place where Japanese people can commit suicide.  It scares the living daylights out of people. When Jim was asked about it, he smiled and said: "Yes, just live and let die."

Oh, and about the tooth. It was changed to a golden tooth.... She's now called: "The woman with the Golden Tooth."

Congratulations!!! I'm very impressed....

Actually his real initials now are ESB.

Again, amazing work!!! I'm very impressed. You finally figured it out!!! Wow!!!
« Last Edit: November 14, 2019, 07:41:57 am by PietWowo » Logged
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