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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: fear

Robin’s Story

10 March 2014, 06:00

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I had a smattering of random dots on a field of a thousand points. Reading the testimony of “Meg” a few weeks ago allowed me to connect some of those dots for the first time in 21 years. Her story struck a cold pang in my heart when it dawned on me that she was […]

The GOTHARD Files: Failure to Reconcile 1981–ATI, part two

8 March 2014, 06:00

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Today’s post is a continuation of yesterday’s article. Accountability The LA Committee was launching its own massive last-ditch effort to hold Bill accountable. Using their personal funds, the committee drafted a unified letter dated January 19, 1981, with a list of 28 questions they wanted answered, stating that in spite of their removal from seminar […]

The GOTHARD Files: Failure to Reconcile, 1981–ATI

7 March 2014, 05:59

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With Bill Gothard back in his seat as president of IBYC, there could be little left to say about what happened next. Those of us watching these events unfold from the vantage point of thirty-plus years in the future are leaning forward in our seats, wondering how such obvious corruption of power could have been […]

Silencing the Lambs: Twisting Matthew 18

3 March 2014, 06:00

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A Response to Rediscovering a Forgotten Truth The day was Valentine’s Day 1976. Bill Gothard and his brother, Steve, had some surprising confessions to make to the staff of IBYC: they had “defrauded” staff secretaries. In the months prior to this, some of the young ladies had sought out the help of other staff members […]

The GOTHARD Files: The Basic Problem

24 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, Part Two here, and a chronology of the scandal […]

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. […]

Gothard’s Process: Invite, Idealize, Isolate, Transgress, Rewrite

18 February 2014, 07:00

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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, […]

Marcus’s Story: Touching the Invisible Electric Fence

17 February 2014, 08:00

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I was invited to work at the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) headquarters during the summer of 1992. I said goodbye to my family in Knoxville, Tennessee, where we had traveled to attend the yearly Advanced Training Institute (ATI) annual conference, and climbed aboard one of the many vans transporting IBLP staff back to Oak […]