18 Comments

1. 

   Amanda May 29, 2012 Reply

   I love the billboard!

2. 

   Hannah Miller May 29, 2012 Reply

   Awesome billboard! Is there a conference going on? I remember traveling to Knoxville, thinking something like "we are a secret society" not just because everyone stared at us but because it was the biggest event of our year and nobody "on the outside" even knew about it! How else do you explain it? :)

3. 

   ATI Today May 30, 2012 Reply

   It reeks of deception. It looks like you are ATI-Friendly, when in reality, you want to destroy it. Why not just be honest and make a billboard that says, "We hate ATI and if you go to our website, we'll tell you why."

   • 

     Administrator May 30, 2012 Reply

     Dear reader,
     
     We would encourage you to visit our mission page, as if clarifies our goals and intentions. We do not hate ATI or anyone involved in it. Our desire is simply to reach the entrapped, the seeking, and the recovering with the healing that only God's grace can provide. Sometimes this is painful and requires viewing the truth for what it is. But it is not hate. Everything we do comes from a heart of love for God's children.
     
     A member of RG leadership

   • 

     Jay Rowland May 30, 2012 Reply

     The Admins beat me to it... Honestly, the sign isn't deceptive. You are very welcome here, and you are loved by parents and former students from families just like yours. But it's probably hard to fit all of that on two lines in big print.

   • 

     MatthewS May 30, 2012 Reply

     There is a double bind here: if RG puts up a sign that says they don't like ATI, a typical Gothard defender would call them bitter and rebellious. If they put a sign with a kind greeting, a Gothard defender calls them deceptive. Can't win.
     
     I can't speak for Recovering Grace but I can speak for myself. I sincerely tried Bill Gothard's system and found it wanting. I know many people who reached that same crisis who concluded that it was God, the Bible, and Christianity who had failed them, and they walked away from faith altogether. The path I took was different: after finally reading Scripture for myself without my Gothard-goggles on, I saw Scripture itself saying why the legalism and moralism of Gothardism has always been doomed to fail, and why only the resurrection power of God the Trinity is the necessary and sufficient solution and resource for my life. Personally, I have a deep love for people who have been damaged by abusive systems and I want to help them. I see that as the purpose of RG as well, which is why I am attracted to this blog.

   • 

     Don May 30, 2012 Reply

     ATI Today, really now? As Matthew pointed out, we're either deceptive or rebellious in the eyes of Bill Gothard/ATI.
     
     We do not seek to destroy Bill Gothard, we wish for him to come to repentance for the many false teachings he has spread that have hurt so many people. The philosophy of legalistic authoritarianism behind Gothard's teachings is not exclusive to Gothard himself, it infects many other Christians too.
     
     I would warn you about defending a man who teaches many unScriptural things, and defames those who disagree with him (hence breaking his own teaching of not giving a bad report), who is proud, has an extremely unteachable spirit, is unconfrontable, and is arrogant. The Bible says "He that that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemnth the just, even they both are an abomination to the Lord."

   • 

     "Hannah" May 30, 2012 Reply

     ATI today,
     
     Welcome :) I hope you'll click around, check out some of the articles. We were all where you are.

   • 

     Samuel Lundmark May 30, 2012 Reply

     Sincere, welcome.
     
     I would encourage you to read the testimonies of many who have been in the ATI system for years. I was in for 19 years and several years before that of IBLP exposure.
     
     My parents always told me, "Eat the meat and spit out to bones" in regards to the confusion in the ATI and IBLP system. My experience is that after I was done spitting out the bones, any remaining good was the Scripture. I encourage anyone to delve into the Scriptures without fear. Yes, it changes us, and that is ok.

   • 

     Maddy May 31, 2012 Reply

     Dear ATI Today,
     I think perhaps you misunderstand Recovering Grace. Since finding RG, I have only observed a ministry grounded in the word of God with a heart of love and compassion for God's people.
     
     My family incurred difficulties from the teachings of IBLP/ATI. How I wish there had been a ministry like RG when our family tried to exit the strict boundaries we lived inside of as a result of ATI and the other ATI families ostracized us for getting out. How I wish I had been aware that I was not alone in our struggle in ATI and in our struggle to exit. 
     
     Recovering Grace is helping families, students, and prior parents like myself, heal from the "spiritual abuse" many of us encountered. They desire to help us restore our lives through the power of Jesus Christ and His word only. 
     
     And besides, ATI Today, how do you know there are not those in ATI currently who do not feel as I did? And if so.......do you really want them to continue to struggle, and try to implement a program that is not working for them? Do you "not" want them to receive help? 
     
     I invite you to read the articles on RG and then decide for yourself if you think RG is a valid ministry, aiding in bringing help, hope, and healing to those in need.

   • 

     Ileata May 31, 2012 Reply

     ATI Today, I can only speak for myself, but it's not that I hate ATI; I just love my ATI friends and hope to spare them the pain I've gone through because of the false gospel I received while in ATI.

4. 

   Wendy Blake May 30, 2012 Reply

   Love the billboard and the opening letter here!!! Each of us was in an ATI family and so we have tons of compassion for people who are deceived by Gothard's teachings.
   I know that this website has been instrumental in helping people!

5. 

   Elisa Morrison May 31, 2012 Reply

   RG Admins, great choice of articles to highlight above. Those are some that I think will resonate with the experience of current ATI families. I wonder how many pitfalls and false teachings I could have avoided, and how my spiritual growth would have been benefited if i had seen something like this when I was an apprenticeship student myself in the 90's. :)

6. 

   Samuel Lundmark May 31, 2012 Reply

   Why do people feel like ATI is the sole good ministry out there? While there are a lot of good people in ATI, to assume that it is exclusive in good fellowship or effective ministry is not even close to true.
   
   Concerning the IBLP principles, the OT law deals with the outward action, the Holy Spirit deals with the thoughts and intents of the heart which the law can never touch because of the twisted old nature.
   
   Moralisms will never be successful in replacing the work of God in regeneration and sanctification. They should never be taken as such if we believe the words and actions of Jesus.

7. 

   Majenta June 1, 2012 Reply

   Dear ATI Today,
   I am not part of Recovering Grace and some of the things I have made comments on were not excepted well..but, I am going to comment any way!
   
   I would recommend that you read some of the articles on here. Not because I am trying to promote Recovering Grace or for the purpose of trying to change you're convictions. But, so that you can have a balanced view. Take what you know of ATI then read some of the articles here and then take all of it and study it out scripturally.
   
   I mean really study! Don't take just the interpretation of those on here or in ATI. Study what the verses mean in the original language and study the times they were written in.(NOTE:I DO NOT BELIEVE SCRIPTURE CHANGES BECAUSE "we live in different times now ")
   
   It will help you understand more about certain stories in the Bible if you understand the circumstances and customs of that day.
   
   This was Paul's advice to Timothy Tim.2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
   
   May God Bless you as you seek Him!

   • 

     MatthewS June 2, 2012 Reply

     Majenta :-) I believe I have disagreed with you in some past comments but not this time. Very good advice, friend, thanks for stepping up and sharing it.

8. 

   Mercy June 6, 2012 Reply

   Great billboard. Great letter. I love the spirit demonstrated by those behind this website: passionate for truth and compassionate toward others. God bless your outreach.

9. 

   Donna Ivery June 4, 2015 Reply

   Thank you for sharing and for doing all that you can to help our families. I was formerly the wife of Paul Little from the Wayne, NJ area.
   
   We were facilitators of the IBLP and our children were taught through the ATI curriculum. Please accept my apologies.
   
   I was uncomfortable with the whole idea, but I wanted to honor the Lord and my husband. I found that my husband and other IBLP/ATI dads were covering up sexual sins, abuses and other vices as well.
   
   In 2008-2012 I investigated my entire household and then I uncovered the lies and received a few broken bones for not being a submissive wife.
   
   Well, abuse is not the Lord's will. Sadly, my older children won't speak to me and it seems that the Stockholm Syndrome is quite prevalent amongst the entire community. Shunning is also a common.
   
   We were taken hostage and we didn't even realize it.