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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: ati

Honor vs. Obey

2 September 2011, 06:00

jdevine

26

If you asked people familiar with Dr. Bill Gothard (those who favor him or otherwise) what his main distinctive teaching is, many would say “authority.” And indeed, besides the topic of grace, authority is probably the most defining aspect of ATI/IBLP and Bill Gothard’s teaching. This is an immense topic. No doubt RecoveringGrace.com will have […]

Disillusioned, Not Equipped, Part 2

1 September 2011, 06:15

Moderator

8

I wanted out! I wanted to go home! I had lost hope and trust in leadership. When I brought them a problem they said it was somehow because of some sin I had committed, or one that my parents had committed. I was tired of the judgment. I prayed fervently that God would take my […]

Longing

31 August 2011, 06:30

MicahK

5

I’m afraid that most of my life I’ve carried the belief that resolving life’s circumstances was the way life ultimately was supposed to be lived out. The logical conclusion of this was that seeking to resolve life’s desires, either in a particular course of action or inaction, seemed a good goal. The Christian version of […]

Disillusioned, Not Equipped, part 1

30 August 2011, 06:15

Moderator

11

photo courtesy of Ophelia Cherry

I was excited. Through the EQUIP program of the Advanced Training Institute (ATI), I was going to be used by God to reach one of the juvenile delinquent young women for Christ and help her improve her life. It would be someone who did not have the benefit of godly parents, as I did. Someone […]

Created to Worship

29 August 2011, 06:00

Moderator

12

My family joined the Advanced Training Institute (ATI) when I was four years old. We were one of the first year “pilot” families. We attended the Basic and Advanced Seminars as we had time, or when they were close. We were consistently involved in the homeschooling program, as well as Character First!, TELOS, and other […]

Grace and Culture

27 August 2011, 06:00

Beth C

18

I have recently made a number of new friends who, like me, grew up in the Advanced Training Institute (ATI). The discussions that have ensued have given me much to think about and shown me glaring truths about my past that I had never before been able to see. The logical fallacies quite apparent in […]

Off Beat: Is Rock Music Inherently Evil?

26 August 2011, 06:00

Timothy Estabrooks

93

In the grand scheme of things, the issue of “rock music” may not seem very important. Of all the many errors in Bill Gothard’s teachings, his misleading teaching on music initially seems much less damaging than some of his more glaring theological mistakes. Yet while it is true that music by itself is not of […]

God’s Best: The “Commitments” Payoff

25 August 2011, 06:00

RyanR

47

Anyone who has attended a Basic Seminar and has paid attention can tell you that Mr. Gothard is a man who likes checklists. Throughout the seminar he provides five steps to this, or three reasons for that. In many respects, a step-by-step process can be a helpful aid when trying to work through the various […]

Giving up on the Apprenticeship Life

24 August 2011, 06:30

RyanR

28

First, I wanted to acknowledge that any article that critiques an experience, by nature, opens the door for those who feel differently to claim that the author is bitter and/or just needs to move past the experience he or she writes about. My intention in writing this article is not to vilify ATI or Bill […]

You’ll Be Okay … Maybe

23 August 2011, 06:15

Moderator

17

The following stories, told by former Advanced Training Institute (ATI) students on various online forums, are a small sampling of the many stories told by young people who became ill or sustained physical injuries while working at an ATI training center or at Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) headquarters. These stories illustrate a common […]