Deception & Denial among GCx Leaders

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[Janet Easson Martin]

During a sermon, a [GCx] pastor actually said there are no more [or hardly any] false teachings nowadays. I was so shocked when I heard this, I couldn’t hear the rest of his message. How dare he make such statement when the Bible is full of warning about false teachers and deceptions. From that message, I concluded the pastor was not about God’s agenda.
-ForwardMove,   2011


I don't think the GCM church we went to has been forthcoming about their beliefs on leadership because they know most rational Christians will reject it and leave.
-boboso,   2007

[Janet Easson Martin]

They [GCx] advertised a teen conference that would be for teens and their parents and build relationships between teens and parents. I talked my son into going with me, because I thought it would be a good time for him to grow spiritually. It was a disaster! It was basically a fathering session with a big elitism lecture. The other teen boys and people from our church snubbed us.

There was little time for interaction among the teens. The teaching was terrible and rife with false doctrine. I spent the hour long drive home deprogramming my son from the lies. CM [GCx leader name abbreviated] was the teacher. One of the most disturbing points in the lecture was that the typical large family with a stay-at-home mother who home schools is the only kind of family that can reach the world. This is called a "great commission family." I told my son that he is not off the hook from the great commission just because his parents are divorced, and that learning to depend on God in the tough times helps us reach the world.

I was actually worried that after three years in the GCx church he might not even know what the great commission was, since they don't seem too concerned with any type of systematic Biblical education of their young. He did know, either from home or from our previous church. The other (related) most disturbing point was, "What can we offer the world, if not our families?" That sentence turned my blood cold. I felt like I had been hit with an electric prod. Suddenly, I knew I was done with this church. In answer to the question, I whispered to my son, "Our Savior?" He was also discerning that this teaching was anti-Christian in nature.
 
Our pastor was present at this meeting. I spoke to him and his wife about how disturbing I thought C’s teaching was. And the response was, "You have to know his heart." I immediately answered, "Jesus said, ‘Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.' I'm very concerned about his heart. I'm not sure he is a believer." They both just furrowed their brows and looked at me like I was from Mars. I didn't know this was a standard GCM answer until I read this site, but I was disturbed with the response.
 
… I am so sad to have confirmation that the problems we experienced in the church are common and widespread.

-LucyB,   2008

[Janet Easson Martin]

...the private words between me and M. and B., whatever they tried to re-cover, and it was all fakery, if you ask me, just to give the idea of reconciliation.  There is no reconciliation with this movement.

When BK [GCx pastor name abbreviated] sent the letter to Linda's kids, not telling her just writing to them, was a big issue for me.  It was a huge eye-opener.  I thought I heard all of it at [GCx Church] Evergreen and M’s [GCx Church] The Rock, but when the leadership wrote and composed this letter to her family to her kids, that is a huge level of making family against each other, and a deception. DECEPTION.

-An ex-GCM pastor


...GC-imposition of new leadership/management where they even sent "support families" and/or bands and supporters to oust leadership in other churches and drive-out "inconvenient" members... GC isn't  practices [practicing] autonomy or right practices of accountability like it preaches and implies that it does? ...

I've seen them claiming such things as being part of the NAE when they weren't; slandering the group of people that created this site ... I've heard the many testimonies about how often these men faked and lied and deceived. ... I do not trust them.

-theresearchpersona,   2008


People speak of Jim [McCotter - essential founder of GCx] as if he is two people - the Jim prior to 1986 and the Jim after 1986. For those of us who knew him in his younger days, Jim is Jim - manipulative, ambitious, aggressive, persuasive, conniving, and hungry for power, money, and influence.

-OlderAndWiser,   2009


Through googling we learned of the [GCx] Statement of Error. We asked a founding pastor for a copy. The Statement of Error even says to ask your local pastor about it. Our pastor (currently sitting on the GCM [National] board) gave us a bewildered look and said, "I seem to remember something, but it was more a statement of clarification than apology. Would you like me to find a copy?" We said yes. He never got back to us.

Here's my point. When you are sincerely trying to resolve issues with fellow believers, you need to operate under the assumption that the goal is resolution and there will be no deception.

I can't say that this pastor lied. But, it seems obvious to me that this pastor knew that the Statement of Error was more than a statement of "clarification." If you sincerely apologize for something, you should remember. And, if you tell someone who you know is asking lots of questions that you will get them a paper, you should get them the paper.

-MamaD,   2007


...GCx is a very deceptive organization...

-The Clone


When my wife and I came to more fully recognize the doctrinal errors of the group and finally left GCx were were quiet and discrete, telling only the senior elder that we were going to begin attending a Baptist church across town.  Instead of honoring our decisions the elders all made an unannounced gestapo visit to our college apartment at about midnight and harassed and belittled us for over an hour.  First they warned us that leaving GCx was to commit the hated sin of divorce (oh yes, very bad theology).  Then they falsely attacked my character (disloyal to GCx, unteachable, etc.).  ...

Truly we were set free from GCx that morning, though tried as they did to manipulate us with lies, bullying, accusations, bad theology, and intimidation.

-EverAStudent,   2012

[Janet Easson Martin]

Deceptive Formation & Governance

Linda’s crucial posts on this telling report, by the “GCx” leader heading up C1 Network, at the Fusion 2022 Conference, are necessary to repeat on this topic. This is VERY IMPORTANT EVIDENCE of DECEPTION and MISREPRESENTATION by “GCx” leaders as it differs from what the GCx National Board and Church Leaders reported to many of its members and to the public. Linda’s posts on this can be found in full here: http://forum.gcmwarning.com/jim-mccotter-gc-history/is-c1-network-the-new-gcx/



I stumbled upon a talk given at the Fusion Conference. It was given by Greg Standinger... I had to listen in 5 and 10 minute segments, because honestly, it's rather triggering to be reminded that people misrepresented things and outright lied to me. ... I'm glad I listened because it confirmed to me that C1 is really a reboot of GCC. ...

I took a few notes and will offer phrases from my notes to give you a feel of what Standinger says. ...

—C1 is an organization to support pastors and leaders. Each church will be autonomous. "Churches appoint and employ their own pastors and staff. That was not true under the denomination." About the 10 minute mark.

Whoa, hold your horses. First off, we were always told it was an association of churches ... Standinger uses the words denomination and association interchangeably. This is telling. What is more telling is when he describes the old system that required approval from the GCC board of all pastors. We understood that the congregation did not have voting approval over pastors, but we were never told that the GCC board voted on approval.

Very little shocks me these days when it comes to GCC, but this actually shocked me. The role of the GCC board was misrepresented to the members of GCC churches. We were told that our church was autonomous and not beholden to the GCC board. I had no idea they had final say in pastor approval. ...

All the GCC documents were GIVEN to C1 (11 minute mark). These documents include the Core Values statement, the Statement of Faith, the GCLI materials, and Daylights. Actually, he says the documents were given to "the churches" which raises the question of who these churches are because he also repeatedly tells us that this is an association of pastors and leaders and NOT and association of churches. ...

C1 has adopted without change, all the GCC documents. Technically, he does inform us that they did change some of the documents by REPLACING THE WORDS "GREAT COMMISSION CHURCHES" WITH C1!!!

... As far as C1 goes, if I understand, there is a national board of which Standinger is the head, and then there are regional representatives. So, basically like GCC, but with a new name and slightly different membership (pastors not churches). ...

—All the men on the board have belonged to GC churches.

—The very first order of business was to adopt the GC core values and edit out GC and replace it with C1.

—C1 is partnering with Reliant.

—Standinger also says they want to go back to the structure of the 80s and 70s.

So, my take. C1 is a reboot of Old School GC. ... When you take on the core values, the statement of faith, and all the GCLI teaching and slap your name on it and at the same time you place only former GC people in leadership, what you have done is rebranded. ...

[From] C1 network home page. ... [FAQ’s] the 4th FAQ:

Who leads C1 Network?
Our board, though they have limited authority.


Haha. "Our board". Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see any names of any board members listed. Huge red flag. Just like the ECC (now Hometown Church) BOT. When a group doesn't list the names of the board members, one should assume they are hiding something. When you have to dig for that info, someone is hiding something.

...if you look at the videos, you can find the names. IF you know how these people were connected to GCC, you can clearly see what is happening. If not, they have once again pulled the wool over people's eyes.

-Linda,   2022



It also differs from what C1 Network has advertised about itself. Sadly, this double-talk has become an MO for many of these “GCx” leaders. The major part of what they claim to offer is not what they possess, as is apparent in their website byline— “Raising Up Healthy Leaders.” One need only read for a little while on this site to hear what former members have to say about their health.


Link to Cited Fusion Conference:
https://soundcloud.com/user-493925151/greg-standinger-what-is-c1?in=user-493925151/sets/fusion-2022-one-thing

[Janet Easson Martin]

“GCx” Churches Governance
Representation On Paper Very Different From Harmful Reality

The following clearly documents GCx’s deceptive claims which are highlighted in Linda’s post above. All bold emphasis below is mine.


From: Wayback Machine June 12, 2012:  https://web.archive.org/web/20120615165804/http://gccweb.org/


WHO WE ARE
Great Commission Churches is a U.S. based fellowship of autonomous churches designed to equip, unite and provide accountability to churches and ministries that have a desire to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. Our heart is that churches will model "New Testament Christianity in Action Today."

© Copyright 2012 Great Commission Churches. Designed by Cramer Dev. Powered by Markup Factory CMS.


HISTORY OF GREAT COMMISSION CHURCHES
In the early 1990s, Great Commission pastors developed the Articles of Association, which were formally approved in 1994. According to the Articles, local churches have final authority over their affairs under the Lord Jesus Christ, and are voluntary members of the association. Although each church is autonomously governed, it is united with the other churches in the association and with national and regional ministries for fellowship, accountability, and mission (U.S. and international church planting).

ACCOUNTABILITY PROCESS
Each church affiliated with Great Commission Churches is an independent church under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, cooperating within the association with other like-minded churches in conferences, mission efforts and for Biblical accountability.  In our association, final authority rests in the local church. Great Commission Churches does not dictate how a particular local church carries out its affairs. However, by being part of our association a church is voluntarily agreeing to live by the doctrines, values and moral standards taught in the Scriptures.

As for the pastors, our association has a high commitment to humility (click here). Jesus said, "Let him who is the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as the servant."(Luke 22:26). Pastors are to be the most teachable men in the church. Therefore, we encourage every pastor to humbly listen to concerns expressed by a church member.

If an individual believes that his or her church is not complying with Biblical standards, what is that individual to do? Our policy is that a church member should work through the Matthew 18:15-17 process, presenting his or her concerns to a pastor in the church and then, if not satisfied, to the board of that church. If still not satisfied, that individual has the option to contact a regional or national office of Great Commission Churches.  Also, at any time in the process, a person has the option of contacting our office directly about any concerns related to a church in our association.  Our commitment is to address concerns with confidentiality, impartiality and sensitivity, with the goal of restoration and reconciliation.



Most former members reading and writing on this site would strongly disagree that above “humility claim” among GCx leading men was their experience. They would also very much disagree with GCx’s claimed goal of biblical accountability and sensitive receipt of concerns. The real stories of former members’ painful experiences both with bringing concerns and their arrogantly harsh authoritarian leadership style can be found in thousands of their posts here.

To read more about that see:  

http://forum.gcmwarning.com/jim-mccotter-gc-history/colliding-with-deceptive-and-abusive-leadership-in-gcx-churches/

[Janet Easson Martin]

Attending a GCx church will not let you in on the undertones, the core DNA... the matrix of the group.  The DNA is flawed from the first generation of the church.  That mutation has replicated itself again and again.  It's possible to see intimations of the dangerous thinking and practices, but it's easy to write those off as simply personal differences or aberrations.  However, with GCx, the surface oddities are merely the tip of the iceberg.  Not only that, but certain things (the history, the beliefs on dating, the lack of community with other believers, the group think, the heavy handed life involvement, the work so hard to "burn out for God," etc etc) are all hidden deliberately.  They are not revealed until you have demonstrated that basically you're not leaving ever and they know that you can be "trusted."

This is why you'll see 19-25 year old sons of pastors quickly moving up the ranks to pastor while serious minded, studious, well-tested men of faith will take MUCH longer to become pastor.  The younger ones are brainwashed and aren't leaving.  They know nothing else.  They're wired to the matrix and their DNA is effectively replicated.  The "newbies" go through a proving period where in numerous ways (all under a different guise) they must prove their loyalty.  And yes, as cultic as it is... they do call it loyalty. Loyalty to the band of brothers.  Loyalty in GCx is where they overlook any wounds caused by excess zeal, misplaced idealism, and just plain immaturity and write it off because "we know your heart brother."

-AgathaL’Orange,   2008

[Janet Easson Martin]

The following are two quotes from the “GCx” 1991 STATEMENT OF ERROR that came out on the heels of a book exposing GCx and several other church organizations of spiritual abuse. Most of the GCx victims who had managed to get a copy of this Paper were greatly disappointed by its deceptive and minimizing language. It came across as a VERY DISINGENUOUS apology.

In the first excerpt from The Statement I have highlighted certain words to demonstrate how the blame is shifted or excused.


“The consequence was that a person who had received counsel in some area
might feel compelled to act in what he believed was obedience to a scriptural command
when, in fact, the area was one where he was free to choose how a scriptural principle applied.


Others who understand more about evasive terminology would do a better job, but I’ll share the shirking of responsibility for serious damage to members’ lives that I see here. First, the fact that it is drilled into GCx members’ heads repetitively that you must demonstrate humility through obedience to the leadership in order “grow,” “be fruitful,” “mature,” and “move into their elevated circles.” The primary way to be “obedient” is not only to respond agreeably to leaders counsel, but to follow it even when it doesn’t make sense, divides families, hurts one financially, or seems to conflict with scripture. The GCx leader definitely trumps personal guidance by God through the Holy Spirit and His Word in practice.

The sad truth is that GCx in general has always led their members into what will most profit itself as an organization without real regard for the well-being of its members. It’s people have been exploited for decades, even decades after the 1991 Statement of Error. They turn their requirements into sacrifices for their idolized organization, though they tell the people “it is what God wants.” Their biggest false teaching is obedience to them equals obedience to God!

They don’t mention the life-altering areas here that they strongly persuade their members to seek counsel in. There is rarely a “might” in how a member responds to counsel in GCx. You are looked down upon and even treated with disdain if you don’t humbly follow their counsel. The wording “he believed was obedience” is laughable. GCx Leaders Word was the akin to God’s. They themselves said they were in the seat of Moses in our lives. They told their members their interpretation of the scriptures and harshly “got rid of” any who expressed concern or conflict with its biblical accuracy. Most of their commanded traditions were man-made with a twisted Scripture. In GCx, especially at the time of this Paper, active members were certainly not free to make their own life-altering choices. There was much pressure to conform to their traditions or “be seriously chastised by God.”


    " . . . It is our desire and prayer that individuals will develop personal convictions based on God's Word, not simply their pastor's opinion.


In regard to this second quote above from the 1991 “GCX” Statement of Error addressing the future of their organization, it is best summed up that most of their churches NEVER GOT THE MEMO.

The thousands of painful stories on this site contain the mountain of evidence that GCx didn’t really implement their “apology” in practice. They remained harmful to many a member. Repentant actions speak louder than repentant words on paper especially in the case of “GCx” Churches.

[Janet Easson Martin]

Here are key excerpts from a letter by former GCx Leader, Paul Willis, which was distributed to some at [GCx] Summitview Community Church, Greeley, Colorado, in 2006. These describe pervasive elitist attitudes, shocking devotion to a church, and life-controlling counsel. They confirm (along with thousands of other entries here) the lack of real repentance in GCx some two decades after their “apology” was written.


For months, I had been struggling with certain things I was seeing at Summitview and in GCM as a movement. ...

There is an attitude of pride within Summitview and GCM. Sometimes it is subtle. Sometimes it is stated outright. I don’t know if the attitude can be blanketly titled as “pride” or “elitism” or even if there is a term for it. It carried over into an attitude of devotion that was at times shocking. People have tailored their lives around this church. They have chosen careers that would allow them to move with the church. They refuse to move to a town that doesn’t have a GCM church. They choose a wife or husband based on that individual’s commitment to GCM. We were told at our fall retreat that “If you are not totally committed to your local church, you lack courage.” And that “every time you change church families, you are damaging a part of your soul forever.” ...

...the mindset seems to be that GCM is the way. It is the church. GCM has the answers, has the best way to do things, and other churches are seen as sub-par. Other churches will not get you as close to God as a GCM church will. ...

I have felt a calling to pursue a very specific ministry with my life. Part of that pursuit includes going to seminary. After a long time spent in prayer, I honestly believe seminary is a direction the Spirit wishes me to go. But when I presented this desire to the leaders of the church, I felt as though that desire was downplayed, even discounted. I was presented with alternative choices, paths that would keep me at Summitview despite the leading in my heart. To their credit, at one point in the conversation the leaders stepped back and told me that they would not try to stand in the way of where I felt the Spirit leading. But the next subject that came up was the importance of submitting to church leadership. Such turns in conversation seem to be too convenient, and have happened on more than one occasion. I was also told that it would be a mistake to take a step in another area of my life without explicit counsel from them. I felt as though I was being told that I could not be trusted to hear from the Holy Spirit myself. ...

...when we roll over and allow others to tell us what the Holy Spirit’s will is for our lives, that is not following God. It is following man. …

Only I am not the only one, am I? If I were, I would not necessarily blame you if you paid little heed to what I’m saying. But there have been others who have disagreed with GCM’s practices, even labeled them as spiritually abusive or controlling or descriptive of a cult. Please do not handle this situation as if it does not exist, or as though there is no problem. 1 Timothy 5:19 tells us that we should not “entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.” To whoever it was in Fort Collins who wrote the website, I have now added my witness. Only I am not bringing accusations against any one particular elder. I am attempting something even more difficult: to bring accusations against GCM’s methods and practices, their ideology even. ...

If you wish to visit the website, the address is www.gcmwarning.com. Take it or leave it, believe it or don’t, but it is still someone’s voice asking to be heard. ...

-Former GCx Leader, Paul Willis,   2006



(GCM is one of the many aliases the GCx Church/Ministry Organization has used.)


 

[Janet Easson Martin]

…when making my "choice" to attend my local GCx church, I believe there was some deception involved. There were things that the leadership knew, but kept from the members and potential members. I post here to inform interested people about the things that my GCx church neglected to tell me so that I might make an informed decision.

Some of those things are:
1. Teaching obedience to elders/shepherding.
2. Teaching commitment for life.
3. Misrepresenting the history of my particular GCx church.
4. The fact that my church was a church plant done by a man who sometime around 1970 claimed apostleship, appointed the elders in my church, and sent them to Minneapolis to take over a church that already existed.
5. Not mentioning the Statement of Error or getting us a copy when we learned about it and asked for one. …

When information is kept from someone who is making a decision, there is deception.

-Linda

[Janet Easson Martin]

How soon after " DC 86" did Jim McCotter resign???  He lead the conference, preached that the [GCx] church is the only way we can reach the world, we needed to unite as believers to the Great Commission and to the movement of GCM, to reach the world, ever[y] man should be a pastor, GCM was the only church that was being obedient to the Bible etc, etc.  Then Jim "resigns."  He disappears.

I just re-read the KANE report.  Jim McCotter is a evil, unethical, deceptive man that GCM as a movement has not renounced or excommunicated. This is the danger in sweeping sin under the rug. ...

This forum and social media are now ways that the sins of the leaders can not just be swept under the rug.  Current Evergreen, Walnut creek, Summit View and other GCM [GCx alias] abusive churches can not just sweep it all under the rug.  The deception is being exposed, and people are being slowly restored and healed.

-marie,   2018

[Janet Easson Martin]

All bold emphasis in the Wikipedia quote below is mine.


In Ronald Enroth's 1992 book Churches That Abuse, Great Commission International, and specifically Jim McCotter, are given as examples of an "abusive church" situation. Specifically, McCotter is criticized for authoritarian leadership practices during his time with Great Commission:

In abusive-church situations, the "spiritual family" often displaces the biological family, and church leaders assume the role of surrogate parents. The founder of Great Commission International, Jim McCotter, is said to have usurped "the very authority of parents over these young people" by allowing youthful "elders" to exercise greater influence in the lives of the young adults than did their own parents.[14]
Enroth's 1994 follow-up book, Recovering From Churches That Abuse, further mentioned McCotter when researcher Paul R. Martin noted that:

Some encouraging reforms have occurred in recent years after the founder, Jim McCotter, left the movement in the late 1980s. However... most ex-members that I have talked to are not fully satisfied with the reforms or apologies and feel that the issues of deep personal hurt and offense have not been adequately addressed.[15]

Also in the book, Great Commission International (GCI) was criticized for not denouncing McCotter's teachings and negative influence on the movement,[15] something GCI elder Dave Bovenmyer was quoted as saying "we cannot in good conscience do." A former member was quoted in response, suggesting such an attitude "protects unequivocally the prophet-leader (McCotter), keeping him in holy light, regardless of the realities of distortion and problems seen from those not under the spell. The implication is, then, that they, even though having made significant moves, are still under 'the spell.'"[15]

-Wikipedia,   2023


 

[Janet Easson Martin]

GCI changed its name to GCC. GCC started GCM. GCM started some churches. GCM church leaders adopted a new name in 2012 which was Collegiate Church Network. These groups have a common history, common leaders, and a common DNA. ...

What becomes clear is that GCM planted churches. These churches still exist under the same name, those names were given to me by the director of GCM, Tom Mauriello, the only thing that has changed is that GCM seems to be denying that it had churches and the churches are now part of a group called Collegiate Church Network.

... Fellowship church was a GCI church plant at some time it morphed to a GCM church and now it is Collegiate Church Network. ... How and why did Fellowship Church get started?

“A church planting team from Houston came to College Station in 1977. ... Pastor Herschel Martindale commissioned the team ... He had been a Plymouth Brethren pastor and well known Bible conference speaker, but was challenged at a meeting with Campus Crusade founder Bill Bright to consider if the church as he knew it might actually fulfill the Great Commission in his generation”. (GCx)

“Ron Tewson...joined Herschel in Houston. He was ordained as a pastor and led the 1977 team that established Fellowship Church. ... He left Fellowship Church in 1987 to help with the organizing work of Great Commission International, which became the Great Commission Association of Churches in 1989. ...” (GCx)

Tonight I read the letter that GCM put on their site when GCM churches morphed into Collegiate Church Network Churches. ... This part was especially troubling and deceptive.

"In 1989, with the help of Campus Crusade for Christ, they helped found a missions agency called Great Commission Ministries to support local church plants: teaching missionaries how to raise ministry funds in partnership with generous Christians, and caring for their missionary employment and donor needs. In 1992, we joined the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, and have consistently met their high standards." (GCx)

Campus Crusade for Christ did not start Great Commission Ministries.

Great Commission Churches started Great Commission Ministries.

...they throw in Campus Crusade for Christ and say Campus Crusade helped found GCM. Now, I suppose, if pressed, they would come up with some leaders in Cru who gave some advice when GCC started GCM, but parents reading that letter would easily get the impression that GCM was an offshoot of Cru. ...

Here, the deception came in the form of not mentioning GCC and using the good name of Campus Crusade to add credibility to a group that has a past history of being on cult watch lists and at one point issued a 13 page statement of error. ...

The truth is I still find myself shocked and sickened by the deception. It makes no sense because we have discussed the GCC and GCM thing at length. We also had a thread on the GCM/CCN rebranding. I've known a lot of this stuff for a long time, but I still can't get my mind around the idea that people intentionally try to discredit people posting here and at the same time leave out important pieces of history/information to create a less than accurate picture of GCx history.

I am reminded of a paragraph in "The Last Battle" where Jill came to understand a deception. It says:

"And then she understood the devilish cunning of the enemies' plan. By mixing a little truth with it, they had made the lie far stronger."

-Linda,   2014


From what I recall being said is this amounted to Hershel attending some kind of conference where Bill Bright was speaking and Bright (supposedly) stopped by the table where he and some other men were eating lunch and asked them if they believed the world could be reached with the gospel in their generation. That seemed to be THE EXTENT of the interaction. To the best of my knowledge until I left in early 1991 there was NO collaboration with Campus Crusade. To imply so is misrepresenting the truth and employing deception.
-Janet,   2023

[Janet Easson Martin]

GC is messed up so much that they still tell people to quit their well paying jobs (because jobs are our idols, don't you know?), live in someone's living room and work at Starbucks, to serve a church of people several states away.  No matter what they say or what they do to try to convince me otherwise, until I see a public, coherent, thorough, humble, non-defensive, reasonable apology and refutation of the extremely harmful, wrong, and simply "stupid" practices they encourage, I won't believe anything they say.  Sadly, I have witnessed deception and I'm not falling for it again, no matter how much I would like to.

-AgathaL’Orange,   2012

[Janet Easson Martin]

...after being out of the "movement" for 18 years (and I was in it 18 years), I have to say that when I examine some of the history of the GC churches and see the clear pattern of deception (lying, hiding the truth) that was justified by the leadership, the leadership talking behind people's backs... The venerated Apostle Jim McCotter and others who have followed him have made such a mockery of what church discipline is all about. ...

...have to say that the word of God is becoming much more fresh and interesting to me, now that I am free of the manipulation and twisting. ...

...when I have read so many ex GCers talk about being shunned after they left their church... How very harsh and misguided this practice is!  To me, puts GC in the category of a sect, just that alone, aside from all the other cultish controlling of people's lives that they sneakily do after people have put down roots and found wonderful friendships.  And don't get me started on the leaders saying that they have the same kind of authority over their people today as Moses did.

-GodisFaithful,   2013

[Janet Easson Martin]

Everyone needs to be careful now because the church I was in didn't tell people about their GC roots and nowhere in their mission statement or statement of faith is it mentioned.  I think they know that people who research are onto them!

What's interesting is that they have been involved in plants, but fail to really say if they officially belong to the GCC.  I've read the posts and agree with a great deal of what is said.  My concerns are that (1) I believe they are more interested in making converts to their opinions than disciples of Christ. ...

Although they came from out-of-state to begin the church several years ago, they manage to keep GC out of their information since it's fairly known that there are cult-like tendencies with GC. ...

The church is full of gossips who will make us look bad if they can.  I've never seen anything like it on my life.  I believe GC is planting churches without using the GC organization's information known to those who come.  They wouldn't want anyone to find out their past and present practices.  We've been hurt so badly, my husband says he will never trust a church again; and, certainly not a pastor.

-everythingchrist,   2009

[Janet Easson Martin]

I have heard many people say that the problems in GCx are something from the past, and those who claim the church still has problems are not caught up on their news. This is certainly not true of me. ... I was at (The Rock - Fort Collins) Summittview, Fort Collins, CO, from about 2006-2011. ... I see the way GCx often deals with errors they have taught... They quietly shove it under the rug and try to correct the error going forward without drawing attention to it. ...

I committed so much time and money to church (with the encouragement of my leaders) that I worked myself to death and went into debt. My grades suffered. My relationship with my family and old friends suffered. etc.  I saw many of the problems from the SOE[statement of error] but none outright taught. There was simply a cultural mood, an extreme peer pressure, that pushed these ideas often without specifically preaching them from the pulpit. ...

I think that a lot of the problems at this particular church were hidden until you either challenged leadership, or joined leadership (at which point most of the time you have accepted the lies as truth anyway). As long as you stayed on the fringes you were ok, except the constant pressure to commit more and more time.

-araignee19

[Janet Easson Martin]

Those who claim that multiple testimonies of the same practices at GCx churches are just gossip is PLAIN SLANDER upon the honest stories others have taken the time to share here.  If there were a large room of people gathered in a circle to tell their heartfelt stories of spiritual abuse and someone there spoke up and said, "I can't listen to this anymore.  What you are all saying is just gossip (and/or slander)!".  They would be viewed by any "hearing" person as deaf or in denial.  The scripture speaks about such children of God:

"Bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the ends of the earth--
everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.
Lead out those who have eyes but are blind,
who have ears but are deaf."
Isaiah 43:7-8

I was definitely once in both of those categories and understand the burden of denial that some loyally carry. However, it is very unhealthy and dangerous.  You would have to be deaf or in denial to dismiss the many testimonies, articles, papers, and books on here that speak of the founding isolationist teachings of GCx to stay away from most other Christian authors and counselors outside the GCx sect.

-Janet,   2018

[Janet Easson Martin]

Sadly, many leaders of GCx have been deceived into responding with half truths and lies because they have been wrongly persuaded that it is to “protect” God’s name, when, in fact, it harms God’s name and his people. The so-called “protection” is actually employed to cover up and hide ungodly actions. Here is what I read this morning that shares God thoughts on such things:

A truthful witness does not deceive,
but a false witness pours out lies.

Fools mock at making amends for sin,
but goodwill is found among the upright.

Proverbs 14:5 & 9

[Janet Easson Martin]

I think too many "pastors" know too much and their loyalty to the "Core leaders" is gone.  It smells like the bloodhounds have been loosed and the top guys are getting out fast.  As someone said, the Mark Darling thing went on for 32 years.  Other things have been going on for 50.  We were saved in the Blitz in 1970.  That's 50 years worth of history.  Much of it bad and terribly damaging to so many young lives.  There may be thousands of victims that come out of this latest event.  We know that there are thousands of victims.  But the victims haven't put it all together yet so they are still wandering in spiritual limbo.

-OldTimer,   2020