Series Overview: In late 2013, Bill Gothard requested that Tony G provide him with evidence of Gothard’s personal knowledge of wrongdoing related to the
Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts (IBYC, now IBLP) scandal of 1980. Tony responded with meticulous detail, mailing Gothard a collection of 50+ documents that totaled about 140 pages, including the
“Agent of Satan” letter and Tony’s response.
Tony copied other relevant parties, including Recovering Grace, in order to follow through in calling Gothard to accountability. We formally agreed to hold this information in confidence to give Gothard and the Board reasonable time to take proper action. We privately referred to this collection as “the package,” in order to differentiate it from materials provided to us from other sources, and we used the information contained in these documents (along with our other sources) as reference for our scandal series in February, 2014.
It has been difficult for us to hold this information, realizing that it belongs to a much wider, equally interested audience. On the heels of the 1980’s scandal, Bill Gothard launched his Advanced Training Institute of America, ATIA (later ATII, now just ATI). Every family and student affected by Gothard’s ongoing ministry must feel deeply the fact that this information exists, most of which was methodically (and sometimes cruelly) pushed under the rug. How many families would have taken a pass on the “new approach to life” espoused by Gothard’s homeschool program in 1984, had they known what really happened just a few years earlier?
As much as we wished to share everything right away, we held onto the package out of respect for the “old guard,” the former IBYC staffers who wanted to give Bill one more chance to make 
things right. We held it out of respect for Tony, whose careful research uncovered the scandal back in 1980. We later learned that we were perhaps being too respectful, since Tony did after all share the package with us because he suspected it would need to be published at some point in the most recent accountability process. Following the disappointing lack of response from Gothard, we have been given freedom to share.
In the months that followed our receipt of the package, we have tried to share some of the information contained within without damaging individuals who have been hurt previously. We will continue to hold certain people and stories in confidence, whether from Tony’s package or from our many other sources. Those people will tell their own stories when they are ready.
However, we will now make the bulk of the package available as public record, along with follow-up writings. The timing of this release has been influenced by the time required of our volunteers to edit and format these materials, though we hope the holidays will provide time for study and reflection. In order to aid our readers, we have re-ordered the information into the following blog posts (links will be provided here as the articles are published):
The purpose of these documents and the correspondence that accompanied them, written by Tony, is a call for repentance—a full acknowledgement and confession of sin, the correction of the wrongs and damage done as God would provide direction and help, and a recovery of a clear conscience and a genuine faith by Bill Gothard. This process includes a call for the IBLP organization, especially its Board and management, to be a ministry above reproach.
Tony made painstaking effort to follow specific biblical teachings for dealing with error and ungodliness in the church of Jesus Christ. The topics are hard, but these documents and letters are a good illustration of “speaking the truth in love” as we are taught by God to be careful to do. (Ephesians 4:15; II Timothy 2:24-26).
We know our readers will see that Tony is persistent. We hope you will note that his persistence comes from a heart of genuine love throughout his writing, and expresses two clear emphases. Tony stresses the need to follow biblical teaching for dealing with this situation, and he repeatedly offers biblical encouragement and reassurance. We are grateful that he was willing to share his material via Recovering Grace, and we appreciate his patience with us as this story has taken over our lives, worn us to the quick, and inspired us to maintain our integrity and focus over the past year. We hope that our readers are able to find answers, closure, healing, and direction, wherever you are in your journey toward Grace and Truth.
KNOWLEDGE AND DISQUALIFICATION
When Bill Gothard asked to see the evidence that would prove his detailed knowledge of ongoing immorality among his staff, Tony sent him the documents below for review. A careful reading uncovers a number of underlying issues that have staggering ramifications.
1. Gothard did know of his brother’s immorality, and of his own shortcomings, for years before the scandal erupted. Yet he worked to deceive all around him.
2. The men who wrote the cornerstone literature for IBYC (now IBLP) regarded women as objects of physical pleasure and disdain, and that point of view carried into their writings and actions. Many examples are discussed elsewhere on this site.
3. Gus Hemwall, a medical doctor and Chairman of the IBYC Board of Directors, looked the other way and led the Board in Bill Gothard’s defense. One of the young women sought Dr. Hemwall’s help, concerned for her health after an act of sodomy by Bill Gothard’s brother. Hemwall helped the Gothards instead.
4. The Gothard men utilized spiritual and psychological control over young women to hold them captive. Bill Gothard knowingly provided his brother with protection, a secluded environment, and women to command. In today’s language, one might refer to these activities as sexual slavery and human trafficking.
Shouldn’t EVERYONE be outraged?!
What is our reaction when the news media reports on multiple women found chained in the basement of a house, or a girl held against her will in fear even though she is unchained? We see other similarly horrifying reports all too often. The staff women may not have realized their reality in those terms (who would imagine such things?), and some may only recently have come to this realization, but this is the point to which IBYC and the Gothard men devolved. Allegedly.
Click each heading below to read the file of that name. There is a substantial amount of overlap among the documents. The four files are:
- Detailed Knowledge Summary
- Qualifications and Disqualifications of Teachers and Overseers in God’s Word
- Bill Gothard’s Discipleship of His Brother, with Report of Outcomes
- Authorship of Ministry Materials by Men Involved in Immorality
Detailed Knowledge Summary
Bill Gothard has denied publicly — for 34 years — that he ever had any knowledge of any details of immorality before April of 1980 (the first time that Tony asked to meet Bill privately with a report of what was being discovered). Gothard has made this denial to the IBLP Board, to his staff, to pastors everywhere, to his ordaining church, and to all of his alumni. Again he repeated the denial in a letter to Tony on 10.16.2013. He claims he had no reason to take corrective measures.
Personal interviews and meeting notes state otherwise. Our readers may discern for themselves whether or not Gothard is telling the truth.
Bill Gothard’s Discipleship of His Brother, with Report of Outcomes
Bill Gothard committed to single-handedly rehabilitate (disciple) his brother, Steve Gothard. Whether he shielded Steve, or whether he simply failed miserably, the outcome was that the immorality grew perverse. Further, the immediate cause of the outcome was spiritual and employment “Chain of Command” or “Umbrella of Authority” originating with Bill Gothard, who reaffirmed Steve’s command for many years.
Recovering Grace has redacted sections of detail in this document that list specific actions done to women who served, at Bill Gothard’s literal command, at the Northwoods Conference Center. These details have been provided to the IBLP Board and LaGrange Bible Church. Tony does cloak the identity of the women in the original document, but every detail is not necessary online, and the dignity of the women is of more value than our curiosity.
Qualifications and Disqualifications of Teachers and Overseers in God’s Word
Tony first developed this chart in 1980, and he updated it into early 2014. Although different people might construct such a chart in different ways, any chart will have to be quite large to account for all the evidence. One can see why Bill Gothard’s IBYC Board terminated him in 1980, why his IBLP Board disqualified him in 2014, and how he never “re-qualified” in the decades-long interim.
Added to the many, many records on RG – that number still growing – Gothard’s disqualification is sure. As primary author, teacher, counselor, homeschool curriculum writer, and ministry leader, Gothard’s unrepentant heart has guaranteed the disqualification of the IBYC and IBLP foundational teachings and materials.
Authorship of Ministry Materials by Men Involved in Immorality
IBLP has a very large problem. Underlying its considerable number of publications is an addiction to sexual fantasy. Not only were many of the people writing the materials disqualified from doing so, but the resultant materials themselves were disqualified by deviant thinking.
Some deviance was personal to Bill Gothard’s imagination and inflamed by his access to young females. His self-admitted, long-term addiction was in play throughout his tenure at IBYC, and we have no reason to believe it abruptly ended in 1980. He continued to recruit ever younger girls, to violate their personal space, and to take their “energy.”
Photographed on the sidewalk outside HQ, 1980.
In the 1970s-1980, Steve Gothard subjected staff men and women to increasingly harsh films demeaning to women, and deviance began to seem more normal. As noted in the IBYC minutes of July 10, 1980, the IBYC Board really wanted their R-rated films returned, accusing Tony of theft of Institute property (click to read), and Tony did return those films after photographing them. We understand that different readers may have their own ideas of what constitutes “porn” and that R-rated films might not meet their threshold. Separately, IBYC pilots discovered reels of porn (by any standard) transported to the Northwoods in plain metal cans for use by the publication team.
The result was a psychological and spiritual mess. Unless one believes The Godfather is a good model for Chain of Command. For proper comparison, bear in mind Gothard’s outwardly conservative and strict teachings.
Note from the 1992 Basic Seminar.
Bill Gothard’s definition of pornography: “If you look at or read something and you get lustful or impure thoughts then it is PORNOGRAPHY.”
Suggested viewing, per IBYC management, for members of the 1970s publication staff.
How will you explain to your children and grandchildren the heart and mind behind the materials your family is studying? Why would any pastors and teachers choose to glorify such failings?
Character Sketches
Men’s Manual
Basic Seminar
Advanced Seminar
Other now-ATI training materials
Common weaknesses and temptations of the flesh will not be resolved by rote memory, or by formulas created by a man’s philosophy and principles, but by a right relationship with our almighty and indwelling God. (Colossians 2:22-23, Romans 8:6)
Image of envelope copyright: kchung / 123RF Stock Photo
July 31, 2024
"Recovering Grace has redacted sections of detail in this document that list specific actions done to women who served, at Bill Gothard’s literal command, at the Northwoods Conference Center. These details have been provided to the IBLP Board and LaGrange Bible Church. Tony does cloak the identity of the women in the original document, but every detail is not necessary online, and the dignity of the women is of more value than our curiosity."
Thank you.
IMO, all of what is being presented is filling in details of what was already known. I hope when people such as Alfred see it, that it will open their eyes to the magnitude and severity of the cover up. It did strike me as twice ironic that Tony would be accused of "theft of Institute property" by stealing "The Godfather" movie. First, that the Institute would claim such a movie as their property, and secondly, accusing Tony of theft and simultaneously thinking nothing of what they were stealing from the young women who were so badly scarred by all the horrific abuse.
Dream on. Alfred has already repeatedly justified any behavior with clothes on. And he fully supported Bill's unsuccessful efforts to restore Steve to the right path, so there is nothing here to disappoint Alfred.
What appears even more from these details, however, is the detailed knowledge of Gary Smalley, 1976-80, which makes me question how he just walked away from it all, after NOT asking hard questions, while avoiding any complete personal break with B.G. It makes me wonder how many books Gary sold at B.G. events, or to IBLP followers, from 1976 to the present and whether or not Gary succumbed to a temptation to keep quiet to protect those sales. I do know that his association helped both Gothard and Smalley and no disassociation or disavowal has ever become public. (Except Gary's disavowal of his own "sheer niteware" accusation, according to Alfred.)
Don, there's a little insight into Smalley's relationship with Gothard in Smalley's 2000 update of "Joy That Lasts"...chapter 2.
Gary Smalley has disavowed nothing.
BTW, I think Lion in Winter is an outstanding play/movie. ;-)
These, THESE are the goods. There is no longer any doubt that Bill Gothard is a serial abuser and a pathological liar.
I think Bill contacted Tony for "reconcilation" with the purpose of hopefully convincing Tony on destroying all this material and evidence. I also think Bill underestimated his actions and instead of reconcilation which would have meant to Bill, Tony destroying all of this. Well, I am sure now Bill regretes trying to "reconcil" with Tony and now the world can see what a sick little pervert he is. I also wonder what kind of home these two brothers had which produced a serial raper and his brother tagging along for the ride in a voyager type of sexual perversion. After reading all of this, I feel like I want to take a shower and get clean.
~ passes hand sanitizer to rob war ~
@ Lemons: :-)
Seriously, I agree with rob war. This is seriously, seriously disgusting.
your comment made me smile! I got the joke!
"Well, I am sure now Bill regretes trying to "reconcil" with Tony and now the world can see what a sick little pervert he is"
I have to wonder, if when Gothard requested all of the documents that Tony had, that he believed that Tony might send him the original copies, which would, of course, never see the light of day again.
Yes, I'm sure he regrets it now.
More likely he just wanted to know what evidence was still around in order to more carefully build a defense. He's always had to fall back on slandering Tony because Tony kept too much stuff. I personally don't think Tony organizes the evidence all that well, he's so close to it all and been so hurt for so long that it seems like he's having to wallow in muck for him. When he summarizes, he displays his hurt, looking like a victim playing judge. I do believe he sincerely wants God's best. As a lawyer, though, the case always looks jumbled up, even though most likely true.
Because Bill can't deal with the truth he must rely on his friends rejecting the messenger to evade the message. Hence, the motives and personalities of all the victims, Tony included, becomes the focus for those who will not see.
"More likely he just wanted to know what evidence was still around in order to more carefully build a defense. "
I agree. Any request from him like this was purely CYA. I doubt he expected the avalanche of documentation from Tony. It is hard to believe that he assured Tony in one of his 2013 letters that he had no detailed knowledge of broken standards by Steven until he learned about it in 1980. In fact, Tony had concrete documentation that Gothard had knowledge about Steven's activities for many years prior to 1980 and hid it from the board and others. I see now why individuals who became familiar with Gothard's habit of trying to rewrite started taking detailed notes when they met with him. I also see why Gothard banned this note taking for board meetings. He seems to think he can just will away the past by making statements of assurance.
I think it is pretty good the way he organized it, myself. I think it is a real challenge to do so, as there are so many facets to his lies, deceit and false teachings.
Thanks Don, I did think some of those things myself in that it was jumbled but I think some of it could be due to the fact that he isn't a lawyer with that kind of mind set. I also think Bill's attempt for "reconcilation" was to get Tony to get rid of this stuff or cough it up to him. I'm not sure if any of it really make any kind of legal case but more of a moral case that Bill is corrupt. It look like Bill's attempt backfired on him with Tony.
You are the only one using the word "rape" here and I wonder if this was actually rape. So many details are understandably deleted but it makes it hard to know how voluntary this was on the women's parts. Or was it more a form of emotional arm-twisting, or did these women think they had some special relationship with Steve and he intended to marry them? Either way it was wrong, of course, but it does change his level of culpability.
I am surprised that the following movies are not with this collection: Deliverance, Posidon Adventure,and Curious Yellow because they would fit the violent and sick genrie these people seemed to enjoy. I hope the board that demanded them back really enjoyed watching all this garbage, violence, and sex.
I know this is a bit off-topic - I haven't seen The Poseidon Adventure, but I know my dad has, and he's not one for overly trashy movies. What puts it on the level of the others?
I saw the movie when it came out. Poseidon Adventure is about a luxury cruise ship hit by a giant wave and was turned over. The survivors end up crawling through the ship to the bottom which is now on the top in order to escape. The move glorified the constant death of these survivors as well as the unorthodox view of God promoted by a "minister" that was one of the survivors. It also had adult themes in it as well. I think the big hit song "There's got to be a Morning After" was more famous than the movie itself. I think as Don pointed out about one of the movies, one could quibble about individual movies. The God Father became a cultural icon of sorts. But as a collection, they gloried violence, death, sex etc and points out blatant hypocrisy at it's best. I thought of Poseidon Adventure in this mix because of the constant death and destruction it promoted plus the view of God featured in it. I think if the collection featured better movies like "Sound of Music" Ten Commandments, The Rope", one could understand what they were watching. But those more positive movies are not there and the more violent but popular type of movies from the 1970s were.
As I was reading through the documents, I felt ill. I remember the emphasis on not defrauding another believer through improper sexual "advances" that seemed very innocent to me when I attended my first seminar in '76. I wonder how these young women felt after they were raped, either physically or emotionally, by Bill and Steve? And, what kind of people did they become after the months and years of abuse?
Be sure your sin will find you out in the age of the Internet.
I don't have a problem with r-rated movies myself, but if women felt demeaned, threatened, or upset by them, and these films were shown with the intent to demean, threaten, and upset them, then showing these films was a sin. It doesn't matter if they're technically pornographic or not.
If any IBLP student would have been caught watching The Sound of Music or Mary Poppins for that matter, they would have been sent home to their parents on charges of "having a rebellious spirit". Yet it's somehow OK for the senior staff to watch some of the most violent films out there at the time.
Yes, the corrupting influence of Mary Poppins or Sound of Music while the board demanded back French Connection and God Father I and II.
To me, the sad issue must have been,[and I'm looking for answers],how lacking the presence of God was amoung the leadership.The hunger for God being venerated,esteemed,promoted,had been cast aside by those who compartmentalized Him.Exploitation would go on in various forms and degrees for 40 years.What's in back of Character Sketches,Men's Manual,Basic Seminar,Advanced Seminar?Natural religion,religious flesh,exploitation,porn,lust,veneration of false,fallen, and pagan authority,pride,self righteousness,persecution.
As an aside (since there isn't a general discussion thread here) I went out to the IBLP site to find out the dates and location of the next Basic Seminar.
There is no Basic Seminar scheduled per the Events section of their website. Nor is there an Advanced Seminar scheduled.
The only events that are planned appear (IMHO) to be those designed for families who are already wholly committed to the IBLP way of thinking (family conferences, ALERT, Verity Institute).
It's as if they've stopped trying to get new converts (given the overwhelming evidence against Gothard and IBLP, no use wasting dwindling funds) and are "circling the wagons".
Mark, the seminars are only run in the summers now, so they don't announce the dates this early, even in years past before this scandal happened. So it's not terribly out of the ordinary to see no Basic or Advanced seminars on the schedule this early in the year.
OK that makes some sense, but they're announcing other seminars (the ones designed for those who are wholly committed to the IBLP way) well into December 2015.
It will be interesting to see how many Basic and Advanced Seminars are held given the turmoil over the past year. (Anyone who wants to start the over/under go right ahead.)
In the latest "News From Afar" newsletter, they were bragging about the wonderful works being done through the Basic, Advanced and Financial Freedom Seminars being shown in various countries around the world, including Ukraine. (as if Ukrainians don't already have enough problems right now.)
So the seminar-ing continueth... although somewhat on the down-low.
That's frightening. Will he find a way to blame the Ukranians for Putin's takeover of a large part of their country? Or the shooting down of the plane?
Eleven or so years ago I was able to show the seminar in my home with vhs's. They are probably on DVD now. I had heard they were planning on only doing those in homes. Idk if they did complete the change though.
It totally makes me sick, we joined in 2002! To think the institute could not have even been around if things were properly able to be dealt with is hard to think about.
It is interesting that, when times were good at IBLP, Gothard held up increased attendance and increased sales of IBLP material as "evidence" of God's blessing upon IBLP.
But now that times aren't good (in another post I mentioned that there are NO Basic or Advanced Seminars scheduled for 2015 as per the Events section of the IBLP website), under Gothardspeak this must mean that God's blessing is no longer on IBLP.
We all know, though, that Gothard and IBLP would NEVER admit that. In fact I would expect that they would argue the hard times are the result of "persecution", and THAT is evidence of God being pleased with IBLP.
Very well put, Mark. Isn't it amazing how we can construct a narrative where circumstances paint us in the right no matter what they are?
Yes, it's an unfalsifiable system where financial luxury means they are doing the right thing and God is blessing them whereas financial hardship means they are doing the right thing and the haters are persecuting them.
Our family officially did not have a TV (we would occasionally be given one out of pity, be allowed to watch it a little, then it would be thrown away in some cleansing fit). The first time I went to the theater was when I was 18. I watched Jurassic Park with a friend. It was only shortly before this that I had started watching VHS movies with friends, on their TVs. My parents were not terribly pleased but since I was 18 I was now allowed to make that choice.
If we would have been caught with PG-13 or R movies, it would have been a major catastrophe. That was the ATI way. You did not watch TV or movies.
If -- if, if, if the guys at headquarters would have been open and honest about watching movies and would have had honest discussions about it, that would have been their prerogative. But they were not honest. They drew hypocritical standards for everyone else to follow. They wore a fake mask of purity. The gap between what they claimed they did and what they pushed on others versus what they really did is enormous.
MatthewS, about 3 years after your first theater experience, I rented my first VHS tape. The kids working at Blockbuster (I was old enough to be their parent) must have had a good laugh at my first time in the store with the accompanying embarrassing questions that everyone (but me) knew the answer to. Hard to believe now, but it all seemed reasonable at the time. "Taste not, touch not," ( look not at movies )...and so on.
Yeah, I hear you, GuyS! And I think my math was off. I think I may have actually been closer to 20 when I saw that.
The first time I rented a video from the store, I called ahead and asked them to bring it to the front desk. It was such a weird experience, going into the video rental store the first time.
And I won't lie: I'm glad we have Netflix now so we can watch movies and shows without often having a need to go into the stores. Call me a fuddy duddy but so many of the images in the rental store are celebrations of all that is wrong in this world.
It's like the silly joke that someone was complaining about the story of Robin Hood: too much Saxon violence!
your no fuddy-duddy - Wisdom dwells with Prudence.
Grateful, good to see you again!
Matthew, by claiming IBLP corporate ownership of the video tapes, weren't they admitting to a little leaven? Wouldn't that have leavened the whole lump?
What if they had stood up at the end of each Seminar or Family Conference and announced: "Please be advised, IBLP is owner of the following R-rated video tapes: ....." Would such admission not have completely undercut the entire program?
Until this posting, I was under the impression that the acquisition of such films was by Steve and others under false pretenses, violations of their obligations to IBLP. By claiming ownership of the tapes, the organization ratified those violations.
It makes me wonder: if they had bought cocaine, would IBLP have claimed ownership?
"Would such admission not have completely undercut the entire program?" Yes, for sure. The whole conceit of "higher standards" and "new approach to life" depended on the image of a sort of haven where Hollywood and related entertainment had no influence. It turns out that it did not require the reality to back it up, merely the public appearance.
I will quote from a few comments left by someone who was speaking from the place of being an approving supporter of Bill. Bill would probably publicly deny the disconnect but I think it is obvious that his public life is not constrained by his private life; two separate things.
https://www.recoveringgrace.org/2013/01/dear-grace-overbearing-parents/#comment-12938
https://www.recoveringgrace.org/2012/03/a-matter-of-basic-principles-a-review/
https://www.recoveringgrace.org/2012/08/bill-gothards-tornado-that-didnt-happen/#comment-11054
I am new to this discussion - and these revelations. I tried to read through the letters back and forth, but feel as though I am coming in on the fifth act of a play in progress.
Can someone clarify for me - It is Bill Gothard's brother who sexually abused the young women, but Bill Gothard himself who ...well..."supplied" the young women? Is he not also accused of sexual assault? This all seems so surreal.
Caral, to clarify.
Bill's brother is Steve. Steve was found to have sexually molested / abused / mistreated a number of secretaries and other staff women. He was sent to the Northwoods facility, where Bill subsequently sent a number of female staff who were also taken advantage of by Steve. (At least one of those women went to Northwoods under duress.) When Steve's continuing misbehaviour was discovered in the early 1980s, it caused a nasty public scandal which Bill took great pains to minimize and cover up.
What no one realized was that Bill was battling his own issues. While he confessed to self-gratification during the scandal, he did not reveal — nor was it revealed for decades after — that Bill was emotionally (if not physically) seducing young women at a rate that far surpassed anything Steve ever dreamed of. Bill engaged in classic grooming behaviours with these young women, and sometimes had three or four young women at different stages of the relationship process all at the same time. (It is also interesting that a number of the young women have noted that Bill always seemed to have one girl being groomed for relationship, one "reigning" favourite, and one on the way out.)
Among the physical grooming behaviours that Bill is known to have engaged in are playing "footsie," hand-holding, hugging, and caressing hair or shoulders and back. At least one young woman has stated that he kissed her. [Understand that these are all normal courting behaviours that would not usually raise concerns. The problem is that Bill was adamantly and vociferously decrying such behaviours, and actually sent many young men and women home in disgrace for far less "egregious" violations of the "courtship commitment." So for Bill to be engaged in such things was extremely hypocritical and violated all of the rules of conduct by which he expected his followers to live.]
Among the emotional and psychological grooming tactics that Bill is known to have engaged in are sharing intimate confidences, giving generous gifts of cash and expensive personal gifts, granting special privileges, and paying special attention / giving compliments — as well as more unpleasant behaviours like "counseling" that involved repeatedly sharing the details of abuse and molestation with him, isolation from peers of both genders (but especially from the opposite gender — Bill is known to have broken up a number of friendships and romantic relationships), and threatening dire consequences for non-compliance.
It is telling that Bill had a "type," and that both young women and young men who worked with him knew "the type" ... even if they were not always aware of what was going on under the table and behind the scenes with the "favoured" girls.
To your first question - yes. Bill sent the women to the retreat center where they were secluded, and sexually exploited by his brother. Bill went to the extent, so testimony goes, of having women sit on his lap in their nightgowns, of giving them long hugs after hours, and other behavior like that. This is from before the 1980s.
The testimonies you may read here of subsequent abuse took place long after what you are reading about now. The only name we have from back then is the story of Ruth Gabriel. But the other testimonies show that Bill Gothard has had a years long problem of exploiting young women and abusing them.
I have been slowly reading through "the Package". It seems to me like Bill Gothard was a pimp.
Leslie, you are probably correct. I personally would not use the word "pimp." It would seem unfair to slander pimps everywhere :-) I'm sorry but I could not resist. I am still recovering and not over my orneriness.
Leslie,
After reading Tony's documents I understand the visceral emotions of what you are saying but remember calling Bill a pimp implies that the women were something else. They entered into IBYC employment to serve the Lord they loved. They like the ATI women that followed were groomed. They were taught what to say, how to act, what to wear, how to respond to authority, who they could date, where to attend church and how much they could be come involved and the list goes on.
These women were real people with hopes and dreams. They had families praying for them at home while they were in service to our Savior. It was those who clamed they were representing our Savior that used and abused them. Today they still suffer the hurts that were done to them physically, emotionally and spiritually. They each repented for their part but the repentance they sought from the offenders was never publically given. The public blame and humiliation they suffered was relentless for years after they left.
Larne Gabriel
Ruth's Story
Larne Gabriel, thank you for your comment. I always get a lot from your comments. Bless you.
Larne,Your clarification leaves anyone wanting to prop Bill up,from the spectrum of David Gibbs to the Duggers,to those suppressing Tony G.,Charles Stanley,etc.,having the inner conflict and internal discomfort cast upon their souls irregardless of popular acclaim,from what really happened,and how awful it really was.Now comes the afterward,where excuses are made,coverups deployed,resistance to assumed prejudices about Bill,and symbiotic relationships that just can't be broken.I so love your comments,and would yearn to say to the church,this is your disaster,not some localized,isolated event.Wake up to the implications,become involved for justice while the sand is still in the hourglass.
Larne,
I have thought often of Ruth and her story. I have grieved over how she sought to love and serve her beloved Savior and how she was misused and had much turmoil over it all. I do find some peace knowing she is in the arms of her Savior who has wiped away every tear for her eternity.
my 3 girls and I were at the counseling conference years ago and was surprised to be notified we were chosen by BG to eat with him for lunch, I'm grieved at how I thought it was such a neat thing. I shudder at how he spent the whole time talking to my beautiful daughter wanting her to come to the training center and asked what she wanted to do with her life. This is perhaps why I think of her so often, it wasn't my daughter but Ruth was someone's daughter. I pray this disaster makes its way to a final resting place of peace and closure for many and that young girls are protected.
Blessings to you and may the Peace of our Lord be with you.
Sue,
In the years after we left IBYC God would bring women and their daughter into Ruth's path who were involved with ATI program. One family she stopped to help with their stranded car on the freeway and gave them a ride home. In a couple of cases the young teenage daughters had been personally asked by Bill to come back to headquarters. Ruth would share her story and how those invitations were the same that her family experienced many years earlier, that ended with devastating results. Unfortunately her concerns fell on deaf ears, they could not believe her story or that Bill would deceive them. So their daughters went to Oak Brook. What became of them I don't know.
I too pray that this is the end of that sad chapter of control and abuse. I also pray that God will restore those damaged by the ministry and that Bill will confess, repent, seek forgiveness and make restitution.
I recently chaired a meeting in the SF Bay Area. We had a retired District Attorney and a Deputy Disriict attorney talking to us about sex trafficking . After reading "The Package" on RG, it struck me as chillingly familiar as to what the two DA's reported on. Scary
Larne,
I certainly did not mean to offend or disparage any of the young women who were hurt and victimized. I am so sorry if my comment was perceived that way. My heart has gone out to them all after reading their heart wrenching stories this last year.
What I was trying to say ( and obviously very badly). Is that young women who are groomed and set up this way are victims and in no way to blame for the acts of the perpetrators. I am so sorry if my comment came across otherwise. I read Ruth's story and all the other young ladies and wept that their innocence was stolen from them.i ask forgiveness if I have offended anyone.
Leslie,
You have not offended me and I understand what you were trying to say. To me this is about unfinished repentance that has left a trail of walking wounded both for the pre-1980 staff and the ATI era staff and students. We can never forget those hurt by a self centered, self serving ministry. Each one of these women came with a pure heart and intent of serving their Savior. Someday Bill and his leadership will have to answer before a very Holy God and I pray that their repentance, confession, forgiveness and restitution is in the past when they meet Him.
Larne
So graciously put. I agree with you
Again, thankyou RG,Tony and any others who logged hours to present this information to the public.
There was a conversation had with ALERT leadership some time ago, that bg did not like fb. Thus limited/no use was was "STRONGLY suggested."
This may be why: as bg knows, social media can help inform/warn others; rally us all to TRUTH.
Thank you, RG, for giving us a message to share on fb. Fb users can read. Many who should read, probably refuse to read (blinded ATI/IBLP/ALERT/VERITY, ect.) But if continually in their face - they may finally give in an read.
They don't want to read because - personally - they have too much at stake. Lifestyle changes. It is a difficult matter for them. But not as difficult as it will be facing Our LORD. Yes, as it has been said, "God gives grace."
May The God of Comfort comfort those (bg girls) who have been ravaged by bg and company. I grieve with you. I pray for you. I love you, in Christ.
And yet IBLP has its own Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/basiclifeprinciples
More hypocrisy, anyone?
As does Embassy Institute
https://www.facebook.com/embassyinstitute
and ALERT
https://www.facebook.com/alertacademy
Mark R, "And yet IBLP has its own Facebook page."
I was a second year ATI father who remembers in the early years, there was no TVs allowed. Then BG began promoting VHS video tapes like Financial Freedom tapes. Then it became OK to have a TV again.
More hypocrisy, anyone indeed. So hard to be consistent, when you have built your house of cards on an evil works based cult.
So it's pretty clear Bill refused to do something about Steve until the scandal was reaching ridiculous proportions. People have suggested that Bill didn't want to harm the ministry by disciplining Steve (certainly true), but it seems to me that Steve probably had protection- dirt on Bill.
Folks keep talking about how Bill seemed to like private hugs, touching, stroking, etc.
We see Bill repeatedly and purposefully putting himself in situations in which he would walk up to the legal line (well past the IBLP line) to see if there was a response. How many stories of him being alone with women at night do we have? I'm guessing there are documented cases of at least 20 women that would span hundreds of opportunities. We have heard about the cases in which his advances were shunned. Were there cases in which they were not shunned- we would not hear about those.
How naive do we need to be that it stopped with hugs and thigh squeezes?
We have wealthy (private jets and resorts) dashing, young, single ministry leaders putting themselves in compromising situations over and over. Throw into the mix a bunch of sheltered, obedient, starry eyed girls. I can't put Steve in a category all by himself. It's very similar to the opportunities that Doug Phillips created for himself, but on a 50 fold scale.
It's also possible that Bill participated vicariously in Steve's abuses--perhaps stimulated merely by the stories or the knowledge of what was going on--and was addicted to that participation Also twisted, and sinful.
Yes, he is a voyager. He obviously received some kind of sick gratification for his own twisted sexual needs by what his brother was doing. He didn't allow himself to be married in the name of being busy for God, so he seemd to become satisfied with his own hugs, footsie and touching and maybe Steve "confessed" the details of his own exploits. He really is a sicko. He tells female staff to come to him when they are "tempted" sexually. It's so macabe. Just like the others said, sending his brother off in an isolated place to take advantage of girls sent he way is sexual trafficing at its sicko finest.
The latest articles on RG got me to thinking, since they were about taking the teachings of IBLP and putting them to the test by pastors, seminaries, ANYone. It's just amazing how things were set up to completely ignore and disengage the local church from the picture in the Christian life, and to pull the Christian away from his/her Pastor in an authority or mentor role.
In everything that IBLP does/did, there's no effort made to arm the Pastor to teach the materials. Everything was a seminar that you went to outside your church. Material wasn't given to Pastors to go over and internalize before passing to their congregation in their own teaching. Pastors were given videos to watch WITH their congregations. Pastors were never encouraged to teach from the materials. The result of course being that pastors everywhere, when presented with objections to the material, simply replied "well you'll have to take that up with Bill!".
With IBLP materials, it's always just expected that the Pastor of a congregation is just gonna step aside and play a video.
In fact, even in the Life Study Groups, when BG found out that people were doing more than just reading through the book and watching the video, he threw a fit.
Steve, thanks for your insight. I so wish I could have heard it years ago. I was sucked in and believed the 19 or so "Minister Seminars" ( that he had around the country every year 20 years ago,) proved he was trying to equip pastors. Looking back, it is easy to see how great a deceiver BG was.
Heaven forbid that Gothard would want a pastor REVIEWING his material for BIBLICAL ERROR! How would he build his empire then?
My personal experience with Gothardites is that, if they can't find a pastor who buys in to EVERYTHING Gothard teaches, they either get him fired or move on to the next church.
So how am I supposed to put IBLP on my resume now, IBLP Board? It was always tenuous before, now it is a downright liability. Instead of doing the right thing by rooting out the misdeeds and false teachings, you have chosen to protect your own hides instead.
There was NO apology for letting Bill run wild for so many years.
There was NO apology for false teaching and your lack of oversight.
There was NO apology to all the students who are shipwrecked because of the hypocrisy.
There is NO apology to all of the students who ended up in menial jobs that could have excelled with higher education.
There is NO apology to those of us who have to choose between a gaping hole in our resume/education history or putting an organization that is too insular to properly address sexual harassment. Hiding behind the mantle of "letting God fight the battle" only works when the light is on your side of the mantle. You are on the dark side this time- hate to break it to you.
Thanks guys.
I was hoping for better.
Indeed I expected better. I truly did.
I trusted that you would do the right thing. You didn't.
I'm ashamed of you.
Great understanding of the smoldering morass of evil under the suppression.
Daniel,
Good point about how BG's misconduct may have far exceeded what is known. Pick up a paper, watch a TV news story, or read an online article and you can see how powerful celebrities can hide serious misconduct and criminal activity for years.
Gothard has the money and the means to pretty much buy or do anything he wanted back in his glory days. He was low-profile outside the evangelical world, so he could've hidden in plain sight.
Also, if he could manipulate the Board, imagine what he could do with attorneys when it came to the groomed victims of his misconduct. And who knows, maybe there are confidential legal settlements out there where the victim must remain silent in return for a payment or face a suit.
I've tried to find out if Steve Gothard is still alive and if so, what is his status. Cannot find any information online at all, whether Steve, Steven, or Stephen. Can you comment?
Steve is alive, he is not involved with IBLP and I have heard he is a repentant man.
Thank you for posting this. I printed it out and left it at my parents on New Year's Day. They have refused to listen to my pleas for years to see the light regarding Gothard. They have refused to believe every evidence laid before them and turned a deaf ear to anyone who would speak against their loyalty of 38 years to Gothard, until they read this. They read it cover to cover and finally their eyes were opened. They could not see it through the twisted scriptures and the Bible's message used out of context, or even in the meanings of words changed. They could not see it in their broken family relationships. They could not see it in the cult like environment and guru type following of the man. They could not see it in the isolation and segregation from society. They could not see it in the fear imposed religion and legalism. But they could not deny these facts. So thank you.
Thank you and thank you for this site! The seminars are still going on here in Taiwan and are actively promoter by Christians, homeschooling families and homeschooling groups in Taiwan. We will try to get this message out. Please pray for us.
From the IBLP site they seem to be putting more focus on their foreign programs, places where IBLP has not yet been exposed. We need to figure out how to inform those in other cultures, who are now being targeted,
The "Institute" should and must be wholly dismantled (as was opined elsewhere).
Bill Gothard and Company started out to "lead away" Christians (and Unsaved converts) from a simple (pure) devotion to the Savior--their very personal Savior {see Galatians 2:20} as well as the Savior of the World--in order to capture disciples "after themselves" and toward their forged (legalistic) brand of Christianity. Those under the sway of Bill's "institutionalization" process become converts, and then devotees to the "Institute", ultimately to Bill himself, albeit unconsciously.
Paul warned very strongly, with tears, about these kind of men who'd 'lead away'God's people to a "form of godliness" (but can provide no power against ungodliness), and very pointedly to those whom "the Holy Spirit had made shepherds" of the lambs--the very ones who should have early on recognized this man and his "institution" who rose up to lead away disciples after himself (read Acts chapter 20, noting verse 30 in particular). Why have so many "Pastors" allowed this to go on so long without a warning cry?
This Gothardism, the "Institute", is the casting of a golden calf--it lead away from Christ as the only One Who can give Life. Gothardism as all other imitation Christian forms only provide a Mechanical Non-Life-giving Messiah. That golden (a lot of money went into it) calf must be ground to power and discarded just as the one in Exodus 32. If any of it remains, it is because some (board members, devotees) still are wanting a hollow form of lifeless law-giving "christianity" in order to continue to lead some of God's people away from the Living Christ.
Paul, I totally agree with you. On your concerns about pastors giving a "warning cry", I know that a good number (like myself) of pastors had to take an "underground" approach just like the French and Norwegian underground resistance movements during WW 2. Decades ago, when as a sem student I attempted to point out the bad theology of BG, to some of the "higher ups" in our church denomination, I was treated with suspicion and contempt by some individuals, which still goes on to this day. Some day I may write a more detailed article how I won out against the gothardian influenced seminary board, but it was a "Pyrrhic victory"----the Gothardites backed down, but I was judged, labeled, and "conspired" against by them. Long story made short, God's intervention got me to where I am now, but it was a battle. So, it was not easy at all, at least up until relatively recent times to send out the warning cries. But thankfully with web sights such as Recovering Grace, even we clergy affected by the poison of IBLP can recover and move on. I was more concerned about persecution from the Gothardites than pagans, atheists, "humanists", or the secular "immoral!" I hope that helps answer your concerns about a lack of the warning cries from a number of clergy.
I appreciate the situation you, and other "Shepherds" are in, and the effort it takes to reveal those who are distorting the Gospel ('Galatians' is so important and applicable here: "another gospel" and how to deal with a false gospel; any admixture of the resources, capability and ability of the natural man to become "Christian" or an "overcomer" is not "of grace by faith").
Publicly identifying in the pulpit is not always wise, and probably to be guarded against in most cases. Yet, there may be times when such calling out is necessary for the sake of the truth of the Gospel, just as Paul needed to do in the case with Peter in Antioch.
Those who know intellectually and experientially the Grace of God in the Gospel will recognize their error and correct themselves, such as Peter did-- demonstrating a character of meekness found in those who know God's grace. However, those who are egotist will be strong in themselves and present themselves to others as stalwarts of the Faith (many are in church pulpits acting this out). I believe one can experience the "Born Again" salvation, but not have proceeded (not proceeding) to know "the natural man receives not the things of God", but depend upon natural leadership ability, and usurp a place of authority in churches. Being in charge is their characteristic, and others in subjection is their expectation.
Anything IBF should be closely guarded against as well. It is a group-think separatist idealism identifying its self as 'fundamentalism', which will draw in and convert to its mentality unsuspecting Believers who don't fully know the truth of the Gospel and of the Church. I have known too many in this 'category' (not a good way to speak of fellow Believers in Christ I know) who have demonstrated themselves as pure Corinthians. Many things going on in the two letters to the Corinthians is likely (almost guaranteed) to be going on in a IFB congregation as 'the nature of things' go; it's their identifying characteristic. We can now understand Paul's perplexity and anger expressed in his hand written letter to the Galatians.
Thank you for taking a costly stand. It is worth the cost.
Bill Cosby and Bill Gothard.
One thing that the Bill Cosby rape allegations show us is that it can be very intimidating for women to come forward against a powerful man. It was only after one victim came forward, then another and other, until finally more than two dozen victims emerged. It was the same pattern with those who had been abused by Bill Gothard.
If someone feels that they are alone, and perhaps the only victim, it can be extremely difficult to speak up, especially when the abuser is a well known and liked figure. After all, who is going to believe them, when the accused is Bill Cosby or Bill Gothard, both admired and powerful.
It should not matter that some of the accusations happened decades ago. With both the Cosby and Gothard accusations, the incredible number of victims speaks very loudly. One has to be truly willfully ignorant to continue to say that all of these dozens and dozens of women are just making it up because they have an agenda.
I was never involved with ATI and only attended a few IBYC seminars back in my teens, so I'm reading all this as an outsider. One thing (well, more than one!) puzzles me. So far no one has accused BG of actual intercourse, just this fondling and footsie play. What normal man would prefer this sort of thing to a real, mature sexual relationship with a woman (such as a wife)? It makes no sense to me.
I'm also puzzled why Tony G seems to be the only person standing up to BG. Or is he just the only one who has the evidence?
Susan, Tony investigated the pre 1980 sex scandal, kept meticulous records, and was effectively slandered and libeled by Gothard so that he was neutralized at the time. There were others involved who either resigned or were forced out. From 1980 to the present, there have been many who have spoken out. The biggest exposé came out in 2002 with A Matter of Basic Principles, by Veinot, Veinot, and Henzel, still for sale on Amazon.
All the reports of Bill is that he did not have intercourse with the young women. That was his brother, Steve, who did that. Bill behaved in a wicked manner, though, and shielded himself from accountability.
The answer to your question, "What normal man would prefer this sort of thing . . . ?" is that BG, obviously, is not a "normal" man in this regard. The evidence (his long history of manipulation of others and exploitation of young women and obfuscation and covering up wrongdoing) strongly points to his being very disordered in this and many other areas of his relationships with others.
All I can figure is that he prefers the emotional power of controlling many different women, rather that having a real physical relationship with one. It's something that I can't quite grasp. Obviously some real dysfunction there.
If he had married, he would have been accountable to that one. God forbid!
I just bought the Veinot book online and am very curious to read it when it arrives!
I've been reading a lot of other information on this site and realize that other people did try to stand up to him, but somehow the church as a whole wasn't paying attention. It's strange to me, because my church was quite involved in IBYC back in the late 70's, and all of a sudden in 1980 Gothard seemed to disappear off the map. I don't know if someone in our church heard about the scandal and decided we shouldn't be involved anymore, or what exactly. But apparently he was alive and well and wreaking havoc in a lot of other Christian families - very sad.
Some churches and Christian leaders continued to support Bill after the 1980 scandal because of either their close ties or similar patricidal views, others cut and ran. It was a mixed bag, at the time it was hard for Christian to believe that such a inspirational mainline teacher could be so wrong. It had been reported on RG that because of the new cultural atmosphere of the 60s, Christian were looking for something different and I would agree with that statement. In the 70s Christians would talk about the "Three Bills" and their influence on Christianity, Billy Graham, Bill Bright and Bill Gothard. After the scandal the popularity of the Basic seminar died and Bill reinvented the Institute as a home school program to a much different crowd.
Many, particularly Tony, have worked tirelessly over the years to seek closure and repentance. But it was Recovering Grace that provided a central place to come together as a point of healing. Their staff of volunteers is amazing in their work to proclaim Truth and Grace.
In the end Bill will have to stand before a Holy and Just God who will pronounce either well done thou good and faithful servant or I never knew you.
Matthew 25:21"...Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master".
Matthew 7:15-2315 “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!"
The effort might not be over but in the end we know that a Holy God will know Bill's heart and God's Holiness will prevail.
Larne
1979-80 IBYC staff