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

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Tag Archives: ati

What Have You Done with My Daughter?

14 July 2012, 06:00

Moderator

36

My first experience with anything Bill Gothard was the Eternal Vision program. My then 18-year-old daughter, who had for years rejected God, had been amazingly touched by God in a Denny’s parking lot. This girl was beaming with joy, sleepless from excitement, and so new and fresh. I urged her to visit some people we […]

If Mama Ain’t Happy . . .

9 July 2012, 06:00

Moderator

23

I was in high school when I first went to a Basic and Advanced Seminar, and my family enrolled in the Advanced Training Institute (ATI) homeschool program. Prior to that, my folks hadn’t attended a Basic Seminar in nearly a decade. While they appreciated what they had learned the first time around, they didn’t implement […]

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 5: Identifying the Abusive System

5 July 2012, 06:00

MatthewS

7

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 5: Identifying the Abusive System We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here. What are the common characteristics of spiritually abusive systems? This chapter looks at the unhealthy dynamics that commonly dictate how people function […]

He Was Supposed to Protect Us

2 July 2012, 06:00

Moderator

12

The relationship between my step-dad and myself has always been a little different than a normal father-daughter relationship. For most of my life, I thought of him only as my dad, never putting “step” in front of it, because he was the only man to ever fill that spot in my life. I started using […]

Somebody SHOULD Have Despised My Youth!

18 June 2012, 06:00

WendyA

23

Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. (1 Timothy 4:12) I remember frequently hearing this verse during my years with Bill Gothard’s Advanced Training Institute (ATI). It was often quoted to the young people at various […]

Establishing a Career the Hard Way

11 June 2012, 06:00

Moderator

57

A number of  former ATI (Advanced Training Institute) students have shared their post-ATI experiences in light of ATI’s position against pursuing higher education.  This is “Julia’s” story: I want to start off by saying I greatly value most things about my upbringing. But how I plan for the future now is based largely on my […]

Is This the Gospel?

5 June 2012, 06:00

SteveB

13

You know, I have seen so much in my 38 years. I have witnessed first-hand what false theology can do. Theology is the doctrine of God. It matters. How we view God determines how we treat one another and how we relate to the world around us. I am thankful for being taught about Jesus when I […]

Finding My Self Worth

28 May 2012, 06:00

LeeAnn

5

I had thought my anger was long past. I was convinced that I had forgiven and moved forward. And here I am. Over the past several months I have learned new things about myself and about others within ATI (the Advanced Training Institute) that have caused the tears to flow… again. Sometimes in a healing […]

The Leader Who Lost His Anointing

25 May 2012, 06:00

Jay Rowland

8

Over the past few weeks, since Bill Gothard’s Easter Letter featuring David and Saul, I’ve been surprised as I revisited the book of First Samuel. When was the last time you studied the misadventures of King Saul? Saul was God’s anointed leader. Especially interesting and sad was his story in relationship to God, though.  Here […]

Failure to Conform

23 May 2012, 06:00

Joshua B

48

As an ATI (Advanced Training Institute) student, I was a walking contradiction. So much of me wanted to be a perfect, sharply dressed, smiling young man in navy and white with a shining smile and a perfectly slicked comb over–just like the fine young men that sang on the main stage at the Knoxville conference […]