When the Umbrella Breaks: Sexual Abuse in ATI

Have you Shiny Happy People? Looking for more info? Start here.

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

Personal testimonies of finding true freedom through God's matchless grace.

Living and thriving through the grace of God.

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

You are here:

Home
When the Umbrella Breaks: Sexual Abuse in ATI

Category Archives: When the Umbrella Breaks: Sexual Abuse in ATI

Another Witness: Sexual Harassment at HQ

9 May 2012, 06:00

Moderator

There was a huge piece of me that did NOT want to read Lizzie’s article when I heard about it, so I intentionally avoided it. Now that I’ve read it, I’m pretty upset and having to process a great number of emotions. My story is that I was brought to HQ in the wake of […]

Gracenotes: Sexual Abuse Wrap-Up

1 May 2012, 06:00

Moderator

Dear Recovering Grace Readers, This month has been a sobering one for Recovering Grace. While we are aware that many of these stories have been difficult to read, we absolutely believe that they needed to be told. Based on the overwhelming traffic to our site this month, we believe that they have had an inestimable impact in […]

Sexual Harassment Part 2: “Aren’t you making too big an issue of this?”

23 April 2012, 06:00

Moderator

153

Editor’s Note: This is Part 2 of a two-part article documenting sexual harassment within the Institute. Please click here to read Part 1 first–“Exploited Innocence: Sexual Harassment at HQ.” After publishing this first testimony, we have continued to receive similar testimonies of sexual harassment by Gothard: Another Witness: Sexual Harassment at HQ; Third Witness: Sexual […]

Exploited Innocence: Sexual Harassment at HQ

20 April 2012, 06:00

Moderator

231

Editor’s Note: While most of our articles this month have focused on sexual abuse, this article focuses specifically on sexual harassment experienced while in the employment of Bill Gothard. The dictionary defines sexual harassment as, “The persistent unwelcome directing of sexual remarks and looks, and unnecessary physical contact at a person, usually a woman, especially […]

A Difficult Journey

17 April 2012, 06:00

Moderator

“I want to die, I want to die! I can’t take it anymore!!” I remember screaming that as loud as I could in the middle of the woods while punching a tree until my fists bled and I slumped down on the ground from exhaustion. I was 10 years old and felt so hopeless I […]

Character Sketches or Sketchy Characters? Dinah and Tamar

12 April 2012, 07:00

DavidM

In his Character Sketches series, Mr. Gothard retells many of the stories found in Scripture to illustrate some aspect of character, either good or bad. Often, however, these sketches are better at illustrating how Mr. Gothard will twist Scripture with points that are many times theologically poisonous and logically absurd. In light of the theme […]

Finding Healing and Recovery From Abuse

11 April 2012, 06:00

BrandonS

Healing from abuse isn’t as cut and dry as many people would like it to be. Victims are often re-victimized by well intentioned, but often misinformed and insensitive friends and family members who try to encourage them to “just get over it and move on.” To compound things, many victims of abuse are dealing with […]

It’s All My Fault

9 April 2012, 06:00

Moderator

I’m adopted. I’ve always wondered why. My dad told me one day that my mom didn’t want to adopt me, but that he had talked her into it. I trusted my dad completely. I thought he was the best dad in the world. He taught me the Bible and how to memorize Scripture. He taught […]

Choosing Both Forgiveness and Prosecution

6 April 2012, 06:00

Moderator

Along his journey to becoming a convicted felon, pedophile, and sexual predator, I was one of my older brother Michael’s earliest victims in life. He began “grooming” me when I was six; “Grooming” is a term I have since learned that is clinically used to refer to the deliberate preparation of an intended victim for […]

Without an Umbrella in a Broken System

5 April 2012, 06:00

JaimeD

The earliest memory I have related to my sexual abuse was when I was 4 or 5 years old. I was sitting in the backseat of the car with my brother who was two years older than I. We were waiting outside my grandparents’ house while my mom ran in for something. I remember feeling […]