Similarities between GC and Mormonism

Welcome to De-Commissioned, a place for former members of the Great Commission movement (aka GCM, GCC, GCAC, GCI, the Blitz) to discuss problems they've experienced in the association's practices and theology.

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

[sistanchrist]

something that I have recently stumbled across is the similarities to the Mormon church that GCM shares. I have been having conversations with a Christian who is trying desperately to brake ties with the Mormon church. Many of the stories that this individual shares of experiences within that church are shockingly similar. From the legalism of things done, QTs, relationships(the phrase this person is not profitable, beneficial to associate with, found in a post on this blog has come up in our conversations), and the process of if any dissent is raised of being shunned and excommunicated through rebukes, etc. is similar. Though both churches did not exactly call the events shunning or excommunication that is what has been described. The path that this individual is walking towards healing and the struggles that are being faced are so similar that I know that we are on the right track in calling this into the open. This individual is struggeling to connect into a church because of the fear of stepping into a similar situation, is struggeling with how to connect with God, and the sorting through process of what to believe about God and theology and about how to have real relationships with others.

I just found this really interesting what this individual was sharing as it is so similar to what I have experienced. While I will not go so far as to describe GCM as a cult like the Mormons, or even to put them in the same league as the Mormons abuses are in a more extreme form and the doctrine is completly blown out of the water, I have to look at the similar results in the lives of believers in the two groups.

It is encouraging in my path towards healing to see how real what I thought I was seeing in GCM and in my life is when I see it so closely paralled in a group that is more publicly and commonly known for their abuse and corruptions.

I am sure that I will probably be facing some heat for this paralel that I have noticed by other posters, it is just some food for thought that has helped me recently to begin to deal with the hurt I have experienced in GCM and to recognize how impactful it is in my life. It is amazing what looking at similar struggles in someone else’s life will do to bring light to your own situation.

[exshep]

Your points are exceptionally revealing.  I was involved in an evangelical ministry to Mormons when I was in college.   I picked on the MO the witness teams in the Athens church and the Mormon missionaries used.  It was too canned.

Both the LDS and GC were great at revisionist history when there backs were up against the wall.   3000  revisions in the Book of Mormon from the original  1833 and 1982 pressings.  The hidden agenda was a dead give away for me.  I had no idea who Jim McCotter was in the Athens church.  The name did  not come up until a member was "spiritual enough to accept it".   The name  changes of the churches in the  70s and 80s  was maddening.  The Columbus Monthly reported of real estate deals which went bad forcing the name of the church from Solid Rock to New Covenant Christian church.  The OSU group seems to go through name changes still today.   I still roll my eyes at "we changed to New Covenant because we were being confused with a rock group".  

It is  a great comparison.

[theresearchpersona]

I don't know if this is relevant, but one of the leaders said they did an audit of members and found that something like 2/3s (could have been 1/3, as I could be confusing myself) of the members of GC churches are ex-mormons!

Wouldn't this also make sense that so many would tolerate authoritarianism, given that they come from bad to bad, but under different guises?

[MidnightRider]

I don't know if this is relevant, but one of the leaders said they did an audit of members and found that something like 2/3s (could have been 1/3, as I could be confusing myself) of the members of GC churches are ex-mormons!

the,

I doubt that is true nation-wide. It certainly was not the case at the GCx church I attended. It was about 0% ex-Mormon.

Maybe at a GCx church in Utah, where nearly everyone is a Mormon or ex-Mormon.    

[AgathaL'Orange]

Yeah, same here.  I've never actually KNOWN an ex-Mormon.

[Angry]

No ex-Mormons in our branch of the cult.  Angry has worked with and known many Mormons over the year.  All the Mormons who Angry has met and dealt with have been nothing but nice, honest, clean living, and family - oriented people.

Hard to fault nice people.

Angry