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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: power

Early Warnings of a False Authority

13 May 2014, 06:00

Jay Rowland

27

In the 1970s, supporters and critics alike recognized that Bill Gothard and his Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts (IBYC) were a phenomenon. God can use anyone or anything to bring people to himself, but are paying crowds proof of a teacher’s righteousness? It seems too few of our church watchmen wrote about—or truly studied—Gothard’s teachings. […]

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

24 January 2014, 06:00

Moderator

109

[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 years old during the events in this post. The following is a true story. Click here for Part One of Meg’s […]

Life Isn’t a Role-Playing Game: Part Two

19 August 2013, 06:00

Moderator

4

This is Part Two of a three-part story. Click here to read Part One. During my early high school years, I was very blessed to find an incredible youth group with leaders who valued relationships over rules and encouraged guys and girls to know each other more intimately as friends instead of remaining isolated from […]

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 […]

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 1: “Help Me…”

7 June 2012, 06:00

MatthewS

3

The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse, Chapter 1: “Help Me…” We continue our Thursday series blogging through “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” The first post in the series is here.   What is Spiritual abuse? How does it occur? Are you a victim? The chapter begins with a meeting with Jeri, who had sought […]