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Author Topic: McCotter Poison  (Read 103595 times)
Janet Easson Martin
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« Reply #60 on: January 19, 2021, 10:27:22 am »

References that currently appear on Wikipedia documenting MCotter’s activities have also strangely been tampered with and removed.  When you click on the referenced page, the “XEvil” page pops up on each of the following instead of the actual document:

"Controversies in Iowa Christianity". Des Moines Sunday Register. 1980-03-16.

John Guerra (1986-02-06). "James McCotter: How he brought GCI to Silver Spring". The Montgomery County Sentinel.

"Ex-members label GCI a coercive environment". Wheaton, IL: The Sunday Journal. 1988-11-06.

Sherry Ricchiardi (1978-11-26). "McCotter explains views, finances of Bible group". Des Moines Sunday Register.

Jeff Truesdell (1991-10-17). "How The Sun Set". The Weekly (Orlando, Florida).

"'Read all about it' The Citizen has gone, ending its push into the Christchurch newspaper market. What was its American backer, still with local TV interests, hoping to achieve?". The Press. Christchurch, New Zealand. 2002-07-13.


The references are still outlined by Wikipedia, but the actual link is blocked by the “XEvil Page”.


« Last Edit: January 20, 2021, 08:34:47 am by Janet Easson Martin » Logged

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« Reply #61 on: January 19, 2021, 10:32:28 am »


The following pages have also been removed or blocked to viewers from other Wikipedia references on Jim McCotter.  The linked site reports, “Sorry the Page You Requested Could Not Be Found”.

They are:

Enrique Heredero (January 24, 2003). "Pilot dies after crash in woods near airport". Florida Today. Retrieved 2007-04-22.

"The Mysterious Citizen". North and South. April 2002. Retrieved 2007-04-17.

"Just who is Jim McCotter?". North and South. April 2002. Retrieved 2007-04-22.


Also mysteriously missing:

Grant Smith (July 9, 2009). "Resorts seized, set for auction". The Buffalo Bulletin. Archived from the original on January 18, 2013.



« Last Edit: January 19, 2021, 10:55:25 am by Janet Easson Martin » Logged

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Janet Easson Martin
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« Reply #62 on: January 20, 2021, 09:17:22 am »

XEvil is from Botmaster Labs (2016-2021).  Botmaster sells the software XRumer.  It can create a constant battle for Forum Administrators.  

Here is what Wikipedia says about XRumer:


XRumer is a piece of software made for spamming[1] online forums and comment sections. It is marketed as a program for search engine optimization and was created by BotmasterLabs. It is able to register and post to forums (forum spam) with the aim of boosting search engine rankings. The program is able to bypass security techniques commonly used by many forums and blogs to deter automated spam, such as account registration, client detection, many forms of CAPTCHAs, and e-mail activation before posting. The program utilises SOCKS and HTTP proxies in an attempt to make it more difficult for administrators to block posts by source IP and features a proxy checking tool to verify the integrity and anonymity of the proxies used.

[1]
In addition, the software can avoid the suspicions of forum administrators by first registering to make a post in the form of a question which mentions the spam product ("Where can I get...?"), before registering another account to post a spam link which mentions the product. The side effect of these innocent-looking posts is that helpful forum visitors may search on a search engine (e.g. Google) for the product and themselves post a link to help out, thus bolstering the product's Google ranking without falling afoul of forum posting policies. The software is also capable of avoiding detection by making posts in off-topic, spam and overflow sections of forums thus attempting to keep its activities in high activity low content areas of the targeted forum. However, there are other platforms used to spam to which includes website comment spam.

Contents
Method of operation


XRumer is capable of posting to blogs and guestbooks in addition to its main role as an automated forum posting tool. It can also create forum profiles complete with signature in an attempt to avoid alerting forum administrators with any off topic forum posts. The software is also able to gather and decipher artificial intelligence such as security questions (i.e. what is 2+2?) often used by forums upon registration. Since the latest version of XRumer, the software is capable of collecting such security questions from multiple sources and is much more effective in defeating them.

Helper program Hrefer is also included. This software is used to automatically parse results from search engines including Google, Yahoo, Bing and Yandex for forums and blogs that can then be used as a target list for the main XRumer application.[citation needed]

According to The Register, as of October 2008, XRumer can defeat captchas of Hotmail and Gmail. This enables the software to create accounts with these free email services, which are used to register in forums that it posts to.[2] XRumer also posts slowly initially, in an attempt to avoid detection by posting unnaturally fast. Between 2009 and 2011 XRumer no longer recognized Hotmail and Gmail captchas due to a change in captcha format. Users of XRumer could only defeat such captchas utilizing external human captcha services.

Defenses

Webmasters of topical forums face an ongoing battle against XRumer software, users of which are almost always in violation of forum terms of service, and/or have no interest in the actual forum topic. The users of the software have created an entire industry whose sole purpose is to protect internet sites against users of XRumer. Forum administration tasks against XRumer are often a constant, daily effort, which include identifying new user accounts that are from XRumer users, deleting posts/threads created by the software, and deleting/disabling the user accounts.

The easiest method to defeat Xrumer is to simply require the first post of any new forum member or blog poster to be approved before it can appear. There are several resources that help block forum spam, which reference reports of forum spam by username and IP address. If a user/IP has appeared in the site's lists, it is highly likely that it is a black-hat user of XRumer. Common defensive actions by webmasters are to institute IP-based posting bans on subnetworks used by the spammers.

The spam messages in a forum typically take the form of "link spam" which will often be included in older topics and private messages (PMs) leaving the newer threads and posted messages "clear" of apparent spam. Sophisticated spammers will copy posts from other areas of the site, giving the appearance of a valid, on-topic reply. The best clue that it is a spammer is that the links in the user profile are completely unrelated to the forum topic, and the posted messages, while seemingly within the general topic of the forum, will be non-sequiturs and out-of-place within the topic thread. Alternatively, the spammers post generic "I am excited to begin posting and contributing here." messages that are content-neutral.

The damage caused to forums is classified in several areas: first and foremost, the admin time to clean the forum; second, the server bandwidth to accommodate the spam postings; third, the storage requirements at the forum server for the spam messages that are devoid of content; fourth, the community alienation and irritation around seeing spam; fifth, the offense to innocent forum members if their posts are mistaken as spam or their accounts suspended in error for suspected spamming; and sixth, the lowering of the information-to-noise ratio of the forum, which diminishes the value of the forum, skewing usage/active user statistics used to determine advertising rates.

(Emphasis mine)


I have not yet found where it can break the link to documented references on the site.  Still looking.

« Last Edit: January 24, 2021, 12:33:45 pm by Janet Easson Martin » Logged

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« Reply #63 on: January 20, 2021, 03:47:57 pm »

Impressive detective work, Janet! Thanks for taking the time to find that information.
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« Reply #64 on: January 20, 2021, 04:44:20 pm »

Until the GCX library site is fixed, I would recommend using The Way Back Machine ( https://archive.org/web/ ) to look at these documents.

This will take you back before the site started having issues.
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Janet Easson Martin
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« Reply #65 on: January 20, 2021, 05:58:15 pm »

Thanks, Huldah.  I’m sure there are many on here who can find their way around the Internet better than myself.  But, it doesn’t stop me from searching.  

WayBack Machine sounds like a helpful tool.  Thanks, Lost Creature.  It was actually your initial post about these documents being missing that started me on my quest.  
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« Reply #66 on: January 21, 2021, 09:22:33 pm »


If you have come to this site to research James (Jim) D. McCotter, there should be enough testimony here to give you insight into his teachings and “shepherding” practices.  The problems of spiritual abuse reported and discussed here by former members of GCx [The Blitz, GCI, GCAC, GCM, GCC] have truly stemmed from the false teaching and “shepherding” of Jim McCotter.  He is very good at fooling people that he speaks for God, so don’t be embarrassed if you have swallowed his personal “illumination” of scripture.  He has become infamous for hoodwinking many people.  He twists Scriptures to ensnare and take people captive to be totally loyal to him, and persuades them that they would be “honoring” God in doing so.  That simply is not true.  

God will help you if you ask, and are willing to listen to what He has to say about this man.  He will speak to you through your own personal bible reading, as you talk with Him in prayer, through other biblically sound believers who are outside his influence, and in your circumstances that God ordains.  He can also direct you through those outside the group who truly care about you.  If you need more insight about false teachers  I am posting this evening on the HEALING FORUM a recent article, “Beware of Spiritual Abuse”, from Christian Broadcasting Network that is extremely helpful in this matter.  It includes a phone number at CBN that you can also call if you need someone to pray with you about it.

Here is the link to the article:

http://forum.gcmwarning.com/the-healing-forum/beware-of-spiritual-abuse/

« Last Edit: February 15, 2021, 08:02:09 am by Janet Easson Martin » Logged

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« Reply #67 on: January 24, 2021, 01:50:11 pm »

Yet another helpful resource now blocked from view with the “XEvil” page.

From Google Search:

General letter from former leaders of GCI to concerned people and groups

We are a group of concerned former leaders of GCI from various parts of the country who, individually and ... teaching on apostleship; unquestioned submission to authority; “New Light” doctrine; and deception doctrine. ...
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« Reply #68 on: January 27, 2021, 08:53:10 am »

While we lived near Silicon Valley, my husband became very interested in visiting Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto because people working in cutting edge computer technology had attended there.  Upon us visiting, he was disappointed that their longtime pastor, Ray Stedman, had actually passed away not too long before we moved there; but was encouraged that they were still influenced by his teachings.  He enjoyed visiting their library with his books and teachings.  This very influential bible expositor is one of my husband’s favorite resources for commentary on scripture.  

Here is some of what Stedman calls one of the greatest missing elements in the church today in his exposition of 2 Corinthians 11:1-15:


“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is not strange if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.”  (2 Corinthians 11:13-15 RSV)

With these words he strips off the facade that these false teachers were trying to hide behind. He says, "They're impostors, they're phonies, they're impersonators, masquerading as apostles of Christ but they were not sent by Christ and they're not teaching what Christ said to teach. They're teaching attractive lies instead of the truth." This tactic is one of the great missing elements in the church today. One reason why many churches are destroyed is because nobody will stand up and say this about false teachers. We are so caught up with the world's philosophy that anything goes, that we have to be nice to everyone always. Notice the apostles never did that, nor did Jesus. Look at the sharp language he employed on occasion with the Pharisees. Right to their faces he called them, "snakes and vipers." He said they were like "dead men's tombs full of rotting bones" [/b](Matthew 23:27), filled with an awful stench. That is not the way to win friends and influence people! Jesus set all that aside and told them the truth.

-Ray Stedman

(Emphasis mine)


If you aren’t familiar with him, here is what Daily Bread published:

“Dr. Ray C. Stedman (1917-1992) grew up in the rugged cowboy country of Montana. Abandoned by his father when he was a young boy and emotionally cut-off from his mother, Ray had a ruggedly independent upbringing. Yet, through faith, he matured into one the great pastors, expositors, and spiritual leaders of the twentieth century. Today's church is filled with pastors and leaders—men like David Roper, Charles Swindoll, and Luis Palau—who consider him their mentor and lifelong friend. ...
Biblical teaching (exposition) was Ray's calling and his passion, and he motivated people by the power of the preaching of the Word of God
. He also inspired and taught many through the written word. With over nineteen books to his credit, from Spiritual Warfare to his insightful commentary Adventuring Through the Bible, Stedman’s published works span the experiences of Christian life, including Body Life, a book that had tremendous impact on the church in the twentieth century.”
(From the cover of Portrait of Integrity—The Life of Ray C. Stedman by Mark S. Mitchell)”
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« Reply #69 on: February 02, 2021, 10:35:43 pm »


The person below requested that a website or blog be created for the activities of Jim McCotter because of the vast wreckage of lives they were aware of that he leaves behind in his path.  They do not seem to have been part of GCx, but witnessed his cruel management in the business world.  Such a website would serve to confirm what others may question or suspect in their encounters with him; and warn them of deceptive and tyrannical schemes he has carried out.  A Blog Site was created a number of years ago, but seems to have recently been tampered with and dumped on with useless info.  But, the posts before all the spamming are very helpful and seem quite sincere.  In fact Cindy K’s Post (above) is on it.  If you need even more info on this savage charlatan, the link to the blog site is at the bottom of this post.  




I have seen Jim first hand in action… I have seen him where another DEATH was involved…in the operations of one of his companies (Jan 2003), although it was not a suicide and I know Jim didn’t have anything directly to do with it…who knows whether some of Jim’s business decisions played a part in it…I’m NOT willing to go that far…there is so much indisputable carnage everywhere else in his path to stay just with the facts and circumstances.

This is why I would like to find out more about Jim’s distant past. This is why I asked if anyone is aware of any fruit that Jim has produced for the Kingdom of God since he left GC. I have seen NO fruit of his. This is why I would like someone to start a web site or blog on Jim McCotter. So that the people effected by him first hand can report their eye witness accounts of wrong doing from him. I don’t want to slander him, but I see him wrecking lives wherever he goes. I see people turned OFF to God because of Jim’s actions. It hurts me to see this. Jim just thinks he can go on to the next company, the next business deal, the next employee, the next state, the next country and go with the phrase “There is a sucker born every minute” and take advantage of who he comes in contact with. The internet connecting people worldwide is a new “animal” confronting Jim. He will have to be more accountable for his actions because there is now a mechanism for the people he runs over, to communicate and share with one another. Just like this decommissioned blog.
-Miss Currant



https://jimmccotter.wordpress.com/2007/01/06/jims-bad-deeds-after-leaving-great-commission-church/#comment-3269


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« Reply #70 on: February 03, 2021, 05:57:45 am »

Janet, one line in your quote of Miss Currant really stood out to me:

I see him wrecking lives wherever he goes. I see people turned OFF to God because of Jim’s actions

That resonates with me so much. So many of Jim's disciples, and *their* disciples, who are still elders in the Great Commission churches have had this effect on people.  

I see _____ wrecking lives wherever _____ goes. I see people turned OFF to God because of _____’s actions.

I am one, and I'm positive that I'm not the only one, who has been turned OFF to God because of Great Commission's leaders' words and actions.  It's been years since I left, and I still feel like a piece of driftwood in my faith.

However, as with anything, I can't spend my life blaming someone else. And I have absolutely no desire to hear people's biblical teachings or opinions-- I wouldn't trust them. It's difficult to rehash years of myriad GCM teachings and separate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. Any verse from the Bible that I read, the GCM voice on my shoulder tells me what it means and how I *should* believe/evaluate/behave as a result of that verse.  So I don't read. I pray--occasionally--and that's about it.
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« Reply #71 on: February 03, 2021, 08:43:56 pm »

Margaret, I really appreciate your transparency.  That’s one thing we saw very little of in our years in GCx Churches.  I don’t know how I’d feel after being spiritual abused in GCx for thirty years, as you were.  I might be in the same place you are today.  

We seemed to be always intimidated by it’s teachings that we were not good enough or humble enough or “surrendered” enough to keep God’s attention and have him truly use us.  (By the way, I don’t like the word “surrender”.  It is a Trigger Word for me.)  In my soul I bore a lot of shame because I was continually reminded of all the ways I wasn’t spiritual enough.  I was never able to rest in God’s unconditional acceptance and love for me there.  But, as soon as I left I started experiencing that again as I read a teacher of God’s Grace - Chuck Swindoll in his book, “The Grace Awakening”.

It was very much implied that the GCx leaders were good and humble enough, and great would be their reward in heaven.  McCotter used to brag about his humility and devotion.  For all we know, he may never have even had a relationship with God.  He didn’t act much like the God I know.  

Anyhow, I can relate to what you are saying about GCM’s (GCx’s) Voice on your shoulder when reading your bible.  I had a hard time reading the Bible for a time.  It felt so accusing and condemning.  Again, that I wasn’t doing enough.  All I saw for a time was all the things I tried to do, but couldn’t.  I didn’t want more guilt heaped upon me, so I just read the Psalms.  

I used to desperately worry that I’d never be Spiritual enough; never love God enough.  I felt I was not a good Christian even while I attended church and read my Bible regularly.  These heavy weights and burdens pushed me away from Him, not closer.  I didn’t realize my view of God was skewed, mostly from GCx teachings.  He wasn’t waiting for me to love him perfectly, but for me to trust him that he loved me perfectly.  No matter how I acted.  Now matter how many times I failed.  He showed me that HE does the work, not me.  He promises to heal any lack of faith I have and love me LAVISHLY because his anger was turned away from me.  As I believe him, I have seen him do this over and over again.

Along the journey, I have struggled when I encounter “triggers” relating to my days in GCx.  I have experienced the “fight or flight” others on here have so faithfully talked about as PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).  I have had plenty of times I didn’t enjoy attending church when I felt a pastor was feeding his ego more than his flock.  I hated a mission trip I went on to “blitz” a section of a city to increase the attendance of this guy’s church who reminded me very much of McCotter.  I felt guilty about not wanting to participate.  Later we learned the guy became a brutal tyrant and gave at least one of his leaders a nervous breakdown.  I tried and could not go to certain popular bible study groups because of their strict regulations and intrusive discipling.  I felt like I was back at GCx.  There have been numerous other triggers for me to cause me to want to flee.  Sometimes, in my own church certain verses will still trigger me.  At first, my reaction is that ‘I must not love God enough’, and might start to panic.  But, through lots of help I have learned it is PTSD from years of abusive church leaders twisting the Bible to shame, control and keep their people captive to them.  

All that to say you might be experiencing what seems to be more common among victims of spiritual abuse then we realize.  




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« Reply #72 on: February 05, 2021, 09:58:20 pm »

The excerpt below is from a survivor of spiritual abuse that Remy Deiderich quotes in his book, “Broken Trust”.  This survivor profoundly describes something meant to be precious turned into something abusively traumatic.  Someone else on this site recommed this book, and I very much agree.


The abuse impacted my life in every area.  It still impacts it today, mostly in the area of trusting another person, especially if they carry the title "pastor."

...as the church abuse was all done in the name of God, defiling, manipulating, and using against us the most precious and intimate Person and place in our souls. Traumatic...that is the word to best sum up the aftermath of the experience. Reading Scripture, walking through the doors of a church, listening to spiritualized conversations/comments from well meaning believers, being fearful of simple tasks like grocery shopping where we could run into anyone still at church to only be further mistreated (like we are the crazy ones), completely doubting our faith/God/the church and it's leadership/ourselves (to the core) and wondering how we could be true Christ followers with this much rage inside for the people/Bride He loves. Everything we once stood on had now been devastated. What had once been joy-filled, or at least routine in our daily lives, became a source of great trauma.



« Last Edit: February 07, 2021, 11:54:40 am by Janet Easson Martin » Logged

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« Reply #73 on: February 08, 2021, 10:30:19 pm »

Looking back, I see how much is made up by McCotter in an attempt to prove he has greater knowledge and revelation than other Christian leaders.  He doesn’t recount the history of the church correctly.  He makes outlandish statements and then backsteps so he won’t get caught.  So a little truth with a lot of error.  Anyone at his teachings with accurate knowledge of the Bible and church history would have known he was a pretender.  I now see he demonstrated no authority or anointing from God to teach or preach his word.  

The Old and New Testament tells us that the most outward sign of a shepherd’s ministry is their fruit.  It also says that’s how we’ll recognize a False Teacher who quotes scripture.  What effect did they have on people’s lives, especially over the long-haul?  Did they draw believers closer to God or scatter them away?  Did they control and bully their flock or lead and love by example?



If you watch the Spiritual Gifts Video of Jim McCotter, http://gcxweb.org/Misc/ApostleshipVideo/Default.aspx (on this site), you can actually note these numerous empty arguments and prolonged discussion on "higher or better knowledge" of particular biblical words (which are not founded) and the distorted definitions he attempts to build upon.  It's so empty and void of Truth that he doesn't even list the other four out of five scriptures that supposedly back up his "argument".  In fact, he tells his audience of believers they are too proud and immature to receive them.  Even his personal group prayer is arrogant and irreverent and VERY manipulative.
-Janet


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« Reply #74 on: February 25, 2021, 02:51:22 pm »

Hi!  For anyone who would like to actually HEAR Jim McCotter address all these accusations, Jim is willing to take LIVE questions on his weekday podcasts every Friday.  It's time to actually "put your money where your mouth is".  Tomorrow and every Friday at 4pm, you can log onto the podcast on facebook or on his youtube channel...

He's ready and willing to finally address any and all accusations and questions!  You ready to ask?  You can just comment your question, or actually come on live with Jim!  Either way, it's time for the whole truth to come out!

Facebook @jimmccotterlive
youtube search for Jim McCotter Live channel or follow these links

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_-a-MOV_qjSKEpLcx9pR3g

https://www.facebook.com/JimMcCotterLIVE
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« Reply #75 on: February 25, 2021, 02:58:44 pm »

Hi!  For anyone who would like to actually HEAR Jim McCotter address all these accusations, Jim is willing to take LIVE questions on his weekday podcasts every Friday.  It's time to actually "put your money where your mouth is".  Tomorrow and every Friday at 4pm, you can log onto the podcast on facebook or on his youtube channel...

He's ready and willing to finally address any and all accusations and questions!  You ready to ask?  You can just comment your question, or actually come on live with Jim!  Either way, it's time for the whole truth to come out!

Facebook @jimmccotterlive
youtube search for Jim McCotter Live channel or follow these links

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_-a-MOV_qjSKEpLcx9pR3g

https://www.facebook.com/JimMcCotterLIVE
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Janet Easson Martin
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« Reply #76 on: March 10, 2021, 08:52:08 pm »



In the shelter of Your presence you hide them
from the intrigues of men;

in Your dwelling place you keep them safe
from accusing tongues.

Psalm 31:20


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« Reply #77 on: March 10, 2021, 09:05:10 pm »


Food for Thought



Be wary of false preachers who smile a lot, dripping with practiced sincerity. Chances are they are out to rip you off some way or other. Don’t be impressed with charisma; look for character. Who preachers are is the main thing, not what they say. A genuine leader will never exploit your emotions or your pocketbook. These diseased trees with their bad apples are going to be chopped down and burned.

“Knowing the correct password—saying ‘Master, Master,’ for instance—isn’t going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, ‘Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.’ And do you know what I am going to say? ‘You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don’t impress me one bit. You’re out of here.’  




Matthew 7:15-23     The Message (MSG)



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For grace is given not because we have done good works, but in order that we may be able to do them.        - Saint Augustine
Janet Easson Martin
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« Reply #78 on: April 07, 2021, 07:55:34 pm »

INEXCUSABLE SPIRITUAL ABUSE


“Broken Trust” (pages 41-43) by F. Remy Deiderich highlights significant traits from Thom Rainer and his own remarks that add up together to produce an inexcusable spiritually abusive leader.  


“Thom Ranier is a consultant who has quantified Fourteen Symptoms of a Toxic Leader. I offer them to you with a brief comment of my own.

Toxic leaders:

rarely demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 lists them as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, and self-control.  

seek a minimalist structure of accountability. They answer to no one and lead in a strong top-down fashion.  
expect behavior from others they don’t expect of themselves. “Do as I say, not as I do” is their unspoken motto.  

see almost everyone else as inferior to themselves. They criticize other leaders while building themselves up.

show favoritism. They give a few people preferential treatment while they marginalize the rest.  

have frequent angry outbursts. This happens when they don’t get their way or believe they haven’t gotten the respect they deserve.  

say one thing to some people, but different things to others. They will say whatever it takes, including lying, to get what they want.  

seek to dismiss or marginalize people before they attempt to develop them. People are means to an end: quickly rejected if they don’t serve the leader’s purpose.  

are manipulative. They masterfully pull people’s strings to get them to do what they want them to do.  

lack transparency. Everything is kept a secret so they can’t be held accountable.  

do not allow for pushback or disagreement. Those who dare to disagree become the victim of the leader’s anger and are quickly pushed aside.  

surround themselves with sycophants. That’s a fancy word for “people pleasers.” Their inner circle includes close friends and family members, as well as a host of “yes” people, who will do whatever the leader asks.  

communicate poorly. They keep their communication unintelligible and obtuse to keep people guessing about their true intentions to avoid accountability.  

are self-absorbed. They would probably agree with this list without seeing that they are at fault.


As excellent of a list as this is, I want to add a few more behaviors that might help you to identify a toxic leader. Toxic leaders:

- dodge, deflect, rationalize, minimize, or outright reject criticism.
  
- intimidate people with their insistent and persuasive biblical arguments.  

- twist scripture to support their claims.  

- turn criticism back on the person who confronts them, shutting them down.  

- shield themselves from critics and complain of being persecuted.  

- insist on their agenda despite the concerns of others.  

- justify their agenda by saying that “God told them.”


...If you see any of these behaviors in your spiritual leaders, abuse is knocking at the door. There’s no excuse for these behaviors. None. Don’t explain them away or let other people minimize them. Any good that comes from the ministry of these leaders doesn’t justify acting in these ways.”


« Last Edit: April 08, 2021, 04:24:24 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
Vince Capobianco
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« Reply #79 on: April 15, 2021, 01:14:16 pm »

Over the last few months, we've met MANY of those who were in Ames with Jim who express their wonderful experiences on the weekday show Jim hosts.  Thursdays he is going over his testimony.  You all should listen in!  Maybe you'll come up?  Of course, Jim wouldn't use NAMES, like you do, but you'll recognize yourself among those who were seeking to divide... enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIXbsklJmCw
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