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

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Four Tools of Spiritual Manipulators

19 September 2014, 11:33

Moderator

I grew up in the homeschool subculture of Bill Gothard and his Advanced Training Institute (ATI). I participated in Children’s Institutes, worked at Training Centers stateside and in Russia, and attended Oak Brook College of Law, Young Men’s Conferences, and too many seminars to count. Though I learned much from these experiences and am grateful […]

Foils We Are

23 June 2014, 06:00

Jay Rowland

God understands the tendency for one in authority to fail. —Bill Gothard (What I Teach) The Bible is full of stories about God gifting individuals with particular qualities needed to lead and serve His people; yet, in his foreknowledge, God has already made plans to work through a leader’s failure. Those who repent experience his […]

Our Response to the IBLP Board Statement

20 June 2014, 12:00

Moderator

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Dear Recovering Grace Reader, The Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) board of directors released a statement on Tuesday (June 17, 2014) entitled A Time of Transition. This appears to be their official response to the allegations of sexual harassment and abuse that have been reported on our site, and it also addressed our assertion that Bill […]

IBLP Board Issues Their Public Statement

17 June 2014, 21:19

Moderator

193

The Institute in Basic Life Principles’ Board of Directors has issued their long-awaited public statement on the results of their investigation. The statement can be viewed on the IBLP.org website, or by clicking here. Recovering Grace will post a response soon.

Dear Mom and Dad

16 June 2014, 06:00

Moderator

Dear Mom and Dad, I do not write this out of vindictiveness or anger; rather, I write it out of an inquiring and puzzled mind. I do not fault you for putting our family into the Advanced Training Institute (ATI) program. You wanted the best for our family, and I believe you sincerely thought you […]

IBLP Board Failure: Ignorance or Negligence?

2 June 2014, 09:00

Moderator

Corporate scandals are nothing new. Enron, Bernie Madoff, Lehman Brothers, AIG, Jim and Tammy Bakker, sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, and the list goes on. While CEOs often go to jail for scandals, their boards typically use the “we did not know” clause. But the questions for the board of the Institute in Basic […]

1984 and ATI

29 May 2014, 06:00

Moderator

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My parents tell me the only reason we weren’t a pilot family in the Advanced Training Institute (ATI) is the fact that I, their first-born, was only three months old when they applied that first year. Like many others who have shared their stories, my parents are wonderful people who sincerely love Jesus and wanted […]

Bill’s Cabin: Uncovering Sin

21 May 2014, 09:00

Moderator

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Bill Gothard's cabin and surrounding area, 2014

The Northwoods Setting The Northwoods began as a Gothard family retreat and was repurposed and expanded for ministry use as the ministry grew flush with cash. Steve Gothard’s cabin was built in 1973. The first (smaller) lodge was built in 1974, and the Big Lodge was built in 1976. As noted in other articles, […]

Early Warnings of a False Authority

13 May 2014, 06:00

Jay Rowland

In the 1970s, supporters and critics alike recognized that Bill Gothard and his Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts (IBYC) were a phenomenon. God can use anyone or anything to bring people to himself, but are paying crowds proof of a teacher’s righteousness? It seems too few of our church watchmen wrote about—or truly studied—Gothard’s teachings. […]

Speaking Up Late in the Day

3 May 2014, 08:48

Moderator

Over the past two weeks and previous two Aprils, Recovering Grace has focused on personal narratives by former Advanced Training Institute (ATI) alumni who endured sexual assault, abuse, or harassment in the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) subculture, sometimes within a context of broader physical abuse, and almost always within a context of spiritual […]