Moderator | Recovering Grace

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

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Failure to Repent: Tell It to the Church

27 June 2015, 21:27

Moderator

256

June 24, 2015 Rev. William Gothard [mailing address redacted] Dear Bill, With much prayer and consultation, as called for in Proverb 12:15, we are informing you in writing and as a follow up to our May 29 conference call that it is necessary to take our involvement in seeking your repentance to the next level, […]

Of Music and Football

26 June 2015, 06:00

Moderator

“So you’re Caleb,” my high school guidance counselor said as she handed me the results of my Pre-ACT test. “You did really well.” I didn’t just have the best scores in my class, I was among the best in the nation. She told me I could write my own ticket, if I would apply myself, […]

The Characteristics of a Sexual Groomer

23 June 2015, 07:54

Moderator

When I think back over my life, and what happened to me when I was 20, when I met Bill Gothard, I think of this quote from the character of Rosa Dartle in David Copperfield. With my good, acute memory that never allows me to forget, I can put myself back in that room, that […]

What Sexual Abuse Counseling Can Do to Help You

12 June 2015, 19:59

Moderator

151

Christians and psychotherapy haven’t always had the best relationship. Growing up as I did, adjacent to cultural fundamentalists, I absorbed the following dominant assumptions: You don’t need counseling if you have Jesus. Counselors disapprove of homeschooling and Christianity and might want to take you away from your parents. The only good counselor is a Christian […]

Bill Gothard’s New Website

3 June 2015, 10:42

Moderator

230

Late last night, Bill Gothard’s personal website, billgothard.com, launched a complete redesign with new content. Included in this new content was a statement by Bill Gothard in which he attempts to address some of the issues that we have raised on our site over the past four years. Additionally, there is an entire page dedicated to personal testimonies […]

Set Free from Silence

30 May 2015, 06:00

Moderator

108

I’ve been seeing a lot of news lately about the Duggars. Comments on the stories run along the lines of, “I bet the victims didn’t receive counseling! I bet they were just told to wear longer skirts. The culture of ATI [Advanced Training Institute] created an atmosphere of abuse.” I’ve decided to jump on the […]

How “Lessons From Moral Failures in a Family” Blames Victims

22 May 2015, 13:13

Moderator

242

An Institute publication entitled “Lessons From Moral Failures in a Family” [Click here for the full pdf document] was first mailed to Advanced Training Institute (ATI) families in the late 1990s, and it has been periodically distributed at conferences since. Recovering Grace does not know the identity of the family members who shared their story […]

My Mother’s Day Story

7 May 2015, 06:00

Moderator

Mothers Day in the United States is fast approaching… as an American living in the UK, I see people celebrate the day twice, as Mothering Sunday is before Easter here in England. Both days used to fill me with dread, grief and pain. But not anymore. It’s not necessarily an easy day, but neither does […]

The Brilliance of Bill Gothard

29 April 2015, 06:00

Moderator

129

Bill Gothard created a cult, and he did a fine job of it. He didn’t create a commune that physically isolated his followers from the rest of the world. He didn’t lead weird sessions with chanting and candles. He didn’t even come up with strange names for his teachings. He conducted his cult in the […]

The Truth About God’s Justice

21 April 2015, 06:00

Moderator

100

I grew up afraid of God’s justice. Though my parents were well-balanced in meting out mercy and discipline (very well-balanced considering we went to a Gothardite church), I always imagined God coming down from heaven with a sword of justice in hand, ready to punish all of us for our sins. He had just enough […]