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

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Stories and accounts of the destruction caused by the teachings of Bill Gothard.

Tag Archives: abuse

The GOTHARD Files: Scandal Chronology, 1971–1981

21 February 2014, 06:00

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Editor’s Note: Previously we explored events surrounding the Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts (IBYC) scandal that culminated in 1980 with Bill Gothard’s resignation and quick reinstatement as president of that organization, which would later be renamed the Institute In Basic Life Principles (IBLP). You can read the Introduction here, Part One here, and Part Two here. In our research […]

The GOTHARD Files: The Scandal, 1980

20 February 2014, 06:00

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This is part two of a three-part series on the history of the Institute in Basic Life Principles, formerly known as the Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts (IBYC). Please click here to read the Introduction and here to read Part One. Previously we explored events leading up to the IBYC scandal that broke in 1980. […]

Chronology of Ruth, Annette, Charlotte, Meg, Rachel, Lizzie, and Grace

18 February 2014, 07:00

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1970: Ruth, age 18, is pressured by Bill Gothard to leave college and come work at Campus Teams Headquarters in Illinois. 1971-73: Ruth becomes Bill Gothard’s personal secretary, and he asserts control over nearly every aspect of her life. Ruth is pressured to break off her relationship with Larne. 1971: “Meg” is born in Blenheim, […]

The GOTHARD Files: The Early Years, 1965–79

11 February 2014, 06:00

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This is Part one, of a three-Part series on the history of the Institute in Basic Life Principles. Please click here to read the Introduction. In the space of less than twelve months, from the early months of 1980 until January of 1981, a multi-million dollar ministry suffered a massive public blow that nearly crippled […]

The GOTHARD Files: The Sleeping Giant

10 February 2014, 06:00

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Today’s article is an introduction to a 3-part series on the early history of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP). Please understand that behind the scenes of these articles is a substantial library of documentation. From the beginning of Recovering Grace, most of our articles have been written by former ATI students and IBLP […]

Charlotte’s Story

5 February 2014, 06:00

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It is hard for me to bare my soul. I was raised to put my best face forward and act like all is well. I am a preacher’s daughter, the youngest of seven children. In the world I grew up in, the pastor and his family always had to be perfect. I have been told […]

Two Witnesses for Charlotte

5 February 2014, 06:00

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Editor’s note: Recovering Grace has posted a personal narrative from a former Advanced Training Institute (ATI) student and Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) Headquarters staffer. While Bill Gothard’s former secretary “Meg” was a well-known ATI student and IBLP staff member years ago, and was recognized and contacted by many when she added her photo […]

The GOTHARD Files: Corresponding with Bill

4 February 2014, 06:00

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  Dear Recovering Grace Reader, As mentioned in our Gracenote yesterday, our leadership team had a brief period of correspondence with Bill Gothard in June of 2013. After much consideration, our team has decided to make the entirety of this correspondence public. The following emails were exchanged between Bill Gothard and the Recovering Grace Leadership […]

The GOTHARD Files: A Case for Disqualification

3 February 2014, 06:00

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Dear Recovering Grace Reader, Today we would like to prayerfully share with you some important information about what is going to be happening on our website over the next few months. When we launched our website in July of 2011, we did so with the express mission of helping people whose lives have been impacted […]

Sacred Grooming, Part Five: A Secretary’s Account of Life With Bill Gothard

29 January 2014, 06:00

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[Editor’s Note: The young woman referred to only as “she” and “her” in the following account is the author herself, “Meg,” but she has written it in the third person. The author was twenty-one years old during the events in this post. The following is a true story. Click here for Part One of Meg’s […]