WendyA | Recovering Grace

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Articles about how Bill Gothard mishandles the Bible to support his legalistic viewpoint.

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Stories and accounts of the destruction caused by the teachings of Bill Gothard.

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Author Archives: WendyA

Why Not Confront Him Personally?

24 June 2013, 06:57

WendyA

So many people keep asking why those who have issues with Bill Gothard don’t talk to him about the problems. Those of us who tried have pretty much given up trying to explain. How do you explain, to a rational person, the dangers and frustrations of discussion with an irrational person? And I am sorry […]

Safety or Superstition?

17 March 2013, 14:50

WendyA

The deeper I move into traditional realms of theological thought, the more I am convinced that one of the biggest dangers in the teachings of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) is that it teaches a subtle form of superstitious determinism. Rather than being free to live our lives without fear, we are taught […]

The Elephant Effect

24 September 2012, 06:00

WendyA

Reporting and evaluating life’s experiences often reflects the same “blindness” that is illustrated so aptly in this old Indian poem. Or, as marriage counselors would say, there are at least three perspectives of every situation: what he says happened, what she says happened, and what actually happened. And it can be nearly impossible to determine […]

ATI’s Mindset Can Damage Your Career

1 August 2012, 06:00

WendyA

When my family joined the Advanced Training Institute (ATI), I had just graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in English. I was working as the secretary for a local Christian talk radio station and was trying to figure out what to do with my life. Fact is, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted […]

Somebody SHOULD Have Despised My Youth!

18 June 2012, 06:00

WendyA

Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12) I remember frequently hearing this verse during my years with Bill Gothard’s Advanced Training Institute (ATI). It was often quoted to the young people at various […]

Passive Moms: A Plea for Compassion

30 March 2012, 06:00

WendyA

A lot of the young people who have come out of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) and Advanced Training Institute (ATI) teachings have run wildly in any direction that would get them away. Away from the pain, the abuse, the guilt, the self-hatred, the despair — and all the other negative emotions that […]

Forced Instability

2 August 2011, 00:15

WendyA

I spent two full years working at the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) headquarters, living in housing provided by IBLP. Unlike many of the students, this was not my first time living away from home. I had lived in the dorms during my four years of college, so the lifestyle accommodations required by campus […]

Dividing Sister and Brother

27 July 2011, 12:45

WendyA

The cardinal rule for those who live and work at Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) training centers is that unmarried persons of opposite genders do not mix. They especially do not “single each other out” or show any form of affection to one another. In some ways, this is perfectly understandable: you can hardly […]

Work Parties

26 July 2011, 12:15

WendyA

Some of my most vivid memories from my times at IBLP Headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois, center around “work parties.” For those who aren’t familiar with this oxymoronic term, a “work party” is when a bunch of students “volunteer” to work after hours on a specific project so that it can be completed on deadline. […]