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

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Narcissistic Apologies

7 May 2014, 06:00

Moderator

I recently read yet another statement by a well-known Christian leader confessing sin and asking for forgiveness. It was one of those apologies that leave you with a bad taste in your mouth. I would say that it was a narcissistic apology. The difference between the narcissistic apology and a real apology is the center. […]

Trapped in the Shadow of ‘God’s Anointed’: Breaking free from an Unbiblical Concept

5 May 2014, 06:00

Moderator

379

As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you…and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him. —The Apostle John — 1 John 2:27 [NASB] You may have heard someone tell you God “anointed” him or her to be your leader. Or, perhaps, someone else pointed to another […]

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 […]

Twelve Characteristics of Fundamentalist Societies that Shelter Sexual Abuse

30 April 2014, 09:00

Moderator

163

How could he have fooled so many people, so thoroughly? How did the abuse go on for so many years, unacknowledged? Whenever a leader at this level is ousted or steps down, questions like these come to mind. In the wake of revelations of sexual harassment and abuse pouring in from survivors of Bill Gothard’s […]

Readings on Acknowledging and Healing from Sexual Abuse

29 April 2014, 06:00

Moderator

Below are some links to readings that members of our community have found helpful on their paths to healing from physical and sexual abuse, especially abuse suffered at the hands of family members, authority figures, and other trusted individuals. In A Theology of Sexual Abuse: A Reflection on Creation and Devastation, Dr. Andrew Schmutzer describes […]

Finding the Words to Say, “No More”

28 April 2014, 05:58

Moderator

107

When I was fourteen years old I was diagnosed with a very rare, very aggressive cancer. To be able to start my treatment, we learned, I would need to go to a hospital in a different city. There we met the oncologist responsible for heading up my treatment protocol. He was my future abuser. At […]

There Is No Victim: A Survey of IBLP Literature on Sexual Assault and Abuse

25 April 2014, 21:59

Moderator

153

Today, Recovering Grace looks at past Advanced Training Institute (ATI) and Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) materials that address the topics of sexual abuse, child molestation within a nuclear family, and domestic violence. This is not presented as an exhaustive survey, but is the full range of printed Institute material on these topics that […]

A Long Night’s Journey Through the ATI / IBLP System

24 April 2014, 06:00

Moderator

214

I grew up in Bill Gothard’s Advanced Training Institute of America (ATIA, later renamed ATI) home school program from 1985 through 2005 — twenty years! I worked at five different Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) training centers run by Bill Gothard and his staff, as well as working at IBLP Headquarters in Oak Brook, […]

Our Response to Bill Gothard’s Statement

22 April 2014, 10:30

Moderator

359

Bill Gothard released a long-awaited public statement last Thursday evening, April 17, 2014, regarding his resignation from the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP). We at Recovering Grace have spent several days processing this statement and considering our response. We see several positive aspects to this letter. Gothard generally acknowledges that the Christian life is […]

Heaven’s Important, But It’s Not the End of the World

20 April 2014, 06:00

Kevin

Heaven’s important, but it’s not the end of the world.[1] As a pastor, I’ve talked to many people who, when faced with the loss of a loved one, try to find consolation in the thought of their dearly departed’s soul at rest among the clouds in heaven. The image often includes a harp, a halo, […]