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A Critique Of The Life and Development Of The

Word of God
A Branch of the Sword of the Spirit 1982-1991
Created By An Unofficial Nine Person Study Group Signed By Three Of The Authors Muriel Maney Peter Clark Jo Noetzel
(Also known as Peter Clark: Reflections Reguarding the Word of God)
Posted at scribd.com/bluaquarius by John Flaherty, June 30, 2012

Covenant Community 1970-1991

April
Dear Brothers and Sisters,

1991

of the cturent siruation of Many opinions about the exact nature and cause while there ls much variety' there is The word of God are readily available. And when we all look at otrr elgerience also notable overlap. This is especially aPParent and renewal kindled by nenr and of ,,the early days." They were days of znal,hope, and glorious and more personal life-changing encounters with a God more Sreat to imagine' We were full of love for and relevant than any of us would have dared everyone' especially those who our God and wanted to share that with any and and "radical" way' To those of us wanted to do this in an explicitly committed yet seen' the promises of tooking for that something *or" than we had and ,,community,, were strongly appeating *a or the sort that made us eager wiliingtopayanyprice,forwehadforrndthepearlofgreatprice! leaders and onlookers outside Yet from the beginning many noteworthy not for our znal ot for the dearly expressed and re-expressed serious concerns much of that was being controlled, divine work God was doing - but for how that from the beginning we did not give directed, and interpreted. It is also true us, choosing rather to see them as attention to those who questioned much we are somewhat late' it ;;il;"r,.a, or as so'rces of persec'tion. And though and seriously' humbly' sbP the Lord is challengng us to acttrally
does appear that have had to say' and fearlessly consider what those critics

Weacknowledgethatmuchworkhasgonebeforetobringustothispoint. course we noticed the start of change' After the 19g5 evaluAtion of the Training
ManymorechangeshavebecomeaPPalentsinceSeptemberoflgg0.Butthoseofus r9z0 ro 19g5 have been influenced in ways who were p.r, oi the comrnunity llto been taught to think and act according are addressed in this work. we have that Re-evaluation of this of appropriate behavior. and thought. Community standards we move in new directions' process can be helpful, partiJarly "t but is the result of report is not comPrehensive' nor perfect' The followin8

muchreading,discussion,andinterviewsdonebyastudySrouPwhidtismadeup about the dynaurics of of .oo,*rr,,ity members' In learning of a broad spectrum a multitude of similarities' (totalist) groups we were surprised to find intense closed useful to understand so that we can make These common denominators are
necessary
arLd fr39!i9,9-changes

intending to personally and.corporately' We are not

passblame,butrathertogain,.,,.d.,,t",.di,'gi'ordertostrengthenourselvesand,

hopefuIly, avoid hurting one another in this way in the futtrre or repeating these Patterns in other settings. we understand that there ic a mrrttitude of tndividual experiences of the many adults who have been part of the Wora of God over the yeus; experiences can vary'widely. }"f and so on. We are aertainly depending on perscral fa6rc, rristricts, pasbral care not arsunlng that everyone can agree with or relate to oul Past exPeriences, nor have all of the authorg had a negative experience in eadr and every area. This andylil ig offered for your coruideration, and as sudr we the undersigned al<e fuit respcrsibitity for our opinioru. We would also like to encourqge ttrose who wish to,rhrdy this bpic firrttrer to pay particular attention to the many foo,tnotec throughout this report Space prevents us from reciting these works in Eunr entkety rnd, as a result, the quotes and notations are merely small scr?ts of sruch lalger,works. We invlte you to consider the bibliograPhy rwhen undertaking ,individull atudy. We believe the materials listed will provide iruight and oedibtlity in'the quest for agtL At this Point rnay we simply present b you :irose cult-lile traits whicl, shall we say, "sounded fasriliar,': \.

. . . r o r . . ' ' . . r

Elidgm
Reguired recducation/lndoctrinatbn

Ctho-ught

MlstrustofothenouciaeS"-ry"p dtrargonfffindngtlmebrrelf . .Contolled,ourceof toctt o herenaoasuflt, dum, e nenipuhtht rc;;;d.t abuse Hiddenagerdas r.-.Lorrirf Ddn; Much emphasislon behavior nrodification o ItTd of ota ref, values,tolts, drcams lsinggrotplgadlnasprrimarymoddr'o nepraceurartof rc6uonr6fr GrcatdiffiodtyTovingout{gftp t. Reiorzrtgotiacnutyma,'potndrlli, of persirufi* $nami{o\p"a operadoo t""dgfr lt bp . (findtitc aepelrd-"e Top leaden have absolute contspl . , Lhcof rdecdwrecruitssrtpioa$ and eutho_rity Tlse in charge hare vtrbrl wryt i,i r^ i: of rever losing
Not much reaUty teeting outrirtegroup Extrenre privaql of inforrnadon Use of layers of truth
,

Emphasts of a over the indtvidual groupmsrterr

ryfo1m'). . dodrihc/cactring

.. .

Spedd

elttbt lcrcwledge

Mdrberr f..l g"Iil dr-1,""hg ggUsu/dlrrireerneruc

We want to underline that our rlePort ls a grassroour lnidadve and ls not an efficial statelnent of any leaders of Ttre Word of .6e6. We found ogr disc,ssioru h:**g..W: hope *.d ptl:f tha_t brothers and cisters whb feel in need of heiin&-bo, will find.+is report helptul. lvlay we yet become like the lord hinself tuit ;fg;; ": and tnrthf

?n<&?r{e*.

ry*y,

CO*1 ;,

Z*qr-

(as representing a nineperson study

goup)

iF-

Reflectioirs Regirdtng Thc Word of God This sction higNights some of the areas'we continually stumbled upon in our discussions concerning communig life and horp we, a,s members of th9 coqrmunity, rray have been affected in these partiorlar areas. Again, thes descriptioru help us to see ways ih which The Word of God has been a "clced" btalist organizatiory and identify areas in whictr we can, if we choose to do so, seek to change.

Etitist Once we had joined (or were recrtritea)!, we were one of the chosen:'we arrived at the simultaneously humbting and arrogant condusion that we were more valuable to God, to history, to the Clriirch, to the future than others were: 'The Lord calls a selected people in whom Ftre can work ; . . God calls on nobodp and uses thsn to direct the course of history and be a light to the nadons. . . He s called gE to be a light to the nations, a bulwark to stesr thif tide of evil . . . Be willing to give up everything to serye Him. . . die to attachment to friends and farnity. . :'2 A sense of mission was strong esrodonal ghe. As a shepherding gfoup (a way we were described outside the cpmurunity) we sisted to purify the Christian people in order to become what convendonat Christianity wag not. Ae a seU-sufficient counterculture (complete with Churdr Fellowshipo) we became separated from the Church we originally hoped b reneqr. In a real ense, The Word of God becasre sectarian as the Community became an end in iFlf. Rank and file members humbled thentselves to the leaders, yd often were aro'gant to outsiders. We wete known as TFIE WORD OF GOD. Another interpretation'of the Scripture, "surely the people is grass . \. but the Word of our God will stand forever"3 could have been, 'The People of tlie Word of God or the Word of God Community" to renind us of our proper place before the Lord and others. We were encouraged to stay within The Sword of the Spirit affiliation, to slrd our children to college and move where there were Sword of the Spirit gouPs.

Authoritarian Power Stnrctrrrc There existed a pyramld stnrcttre whidt was dl male at the top. trn many ways we have viewed our leaders as having authority Bimilar to elderg of the
llrnitiation Team Tlatnlng Serston, Rc<miting,' Brt Ghezzi.
2Communi ty
3 ruarning

ffltth 2,l9fil.r, ?rerentlng 0r Go.Pel to PcoPh Wete


reounH
tn Communlty Weektd Tdk on

Committee, (Fall 1970)Jsaiah 4&78, rc September 27,19f!6, Prmtie fipton.

Cinnrena, Ogm, IftiMcFdden

easiiy impleurented.

flhaving position and authority of the lord .who, therefore, are to be rcspected out of fear of the Lorda) without any accountability dowaward to ihe Ccounmiry members i$ a whole or uprvard toward_ any higlrer hunan authorities. There wasn't shared decision-making nor ghsrd power..Control and misuse of authority l were the inevitablq resulta. The hi,erar"hy of.,!h" pastoral stmcture is highly esteemed, dothed in trappirqgs.of hqnor; as such ctrange from the top was

fue

most of God's people."S Yet our teaching made desrands and encouraged uniformity, rather than provided a tool of inspiration.to challenge meurbers to consider how each of us could respond.ln our own circumstances and be personally accountable to the Lord. Reminders to carefirlly sift the teaching direction, advice and counsel from each leader as well ts encouragement to listen to God for oneser would have been helpful. There.was biblical truth in our teaching yet it was interwoven with applications that were not cursistart with the spirit of the gospel.
Doctrine often foctrsed on behavior in The Word of God, not on theology.

Elite Knowledge The Word of God was known internationally for its kisdour." The Word of God certainly purported to have something othrs lactad _ clarity and ertainty. It has been stated that, "Good solid eaching is found in The Word of God; rare in

Thougfu Reforn This was defined as "reforut to what the l,eader(s) wanted msrbers to think." First, the person wasiconditioned or softened; second the person waE persuaded. There was an of "intellectual forsradon': nVe,need an approach to the "ppro".\ formation of the nind and thought of the leaders afrd,,influential people in our communities . . . Discipleship ehould be the mode of training . .. We should provide a 'counter-environment' and 'corurter-tradidoru''0 Our eaching style was often marked by use of the words '6hould,' "ought to," )lou need to." An g6ag1ple: There are 52 shoulds/should nots on the handout. Ttrougktreforrr included behavior control, emotional control, and infonnation control and re-education.
{ Pattefr.rs of Christian C-ommuni$r. A Satenrent of CoFmuntty Order. (19E{), Stephn B. Clrrh Ed.,
5 Pastoral

P.61.

Training Sesion, (January lz,lgm,phn lGadng oMemo To: Paul DeCelle, Kevin Ranatlra& Ralph Mardn,Iim McFedden rnd Bruce Yocgrn, Quly 18, 79m. From: Stephen B. Clark

Immnnrr 0n &ehAsj6r

more,iryqnt than *rh*O"ry is :eelirgs). Behavioral sontrol incluged a lqulado" 9fL individual,s physical -e"tir;: the control of the envbongrant, sewices, rituats.(nrantles and veils, Iord,s )a1" daiJy Prayers, wednesday "inter."rr"ty praye! for God,s people," etc. --these practices helPed bind the group together arra m.a" * r*l ,iot"rl, behavior was controlled by the requirement that everyone act as a group; individuarism w.s discouraged' t'egalistic emphasis on identity-affir:rrting in loss of foctrs on ]esus as savior and Redeenrer. "^i"*"ttu"t aviors can result Many members eperienced control through a heavy emphasiq on comnitnent :our com:rritment'is a fuIl commitment, a commitment that lnvolves. our wbole lives.,z comnitment is mentioned 42 times in Chapter 1 of of Community,Order.

"'::

*te will nec$sadlv :T.t'f: as rtell- as i_ply that behavior Jo[ow (t]rb *t :g1gg:tn alwaya

rr.il'r-:"

l3l5 :"- ':ctr'

DeiEvi'or mdlFcadott, ber,""iori"t model nittr a principle of " a:;n-oach" That b, 8et people. to do tbe rjgfrt.U"r,""iot on the outside

pro-ote dish;n*ry

*o

Emotional Control Attempts were sonietimes made to manipulalg and narrow the range of a person's feelings. A general disdain of emotions wiu a main theme, *a g;it ;." the single most imPortant emotional- lever for prgducing compliance and , conformity' In an atmosphere where appropriate riiirgs *rlr" denigrated, the Christians and Emotions Course was developed. toyalfj, and devotion to leaders was over-emphasized.$embers were not 6r,ght to feel lor,tf,.rrrefves or their own needs but to think of the grouP and not,.complain. Denial ana repression of feelings -ercessirre encouraged mood-altering addictive behaviorg.t 6 add.ition, fear was present as it seemed difficult for eome members to feel there was'any **,,ry outside the group.

Inforrration Control Members were subjected to manipulative con6ol ,of infor:rration and an environment meant to manage and control them. There was excessive confidentiality, control over channels of comrnunication
teachings and policies that were kept secrel The feeding
7!?terns of CfrrisUan Com n. l. "Willpower is Not Enou$ Arnold WastrOn.

i"r"r "iio", of certain p"rrp"*;;


and

encouraged us to'liurit our rcposure to w:?rews and newspapers.g Another example of 'lnfo'rmatlbn 'control'rdal' exemfpffed through Cardinal Wildebrand's 'tetter to BishOp'Gredil0 an appendix fii.Cbtts; Seerr. *,. Ne'r "rra Aggj this was a part bf rhb people of Hbpe rtory,we
pleship

'.t"T""

rcund

Re-education

'

"

,'

There were so many courses, teachlngs.- Many'i,rreie led to believe that The word of God represented all that was good end necessaqr to meet oqr needs. The 15th Anniversary Bulletin, Nov. lg-Zl, lgg2 boasted, "Oirr- Ieaders have given us over 4^300 hours of instnrction in comnrunity courses alonet" Can we seelr @unt the hours of tdks over the years at weekly Distrtct and General Gatherings, Faurily Forums, Women's Nigh{s and Retreats, Men's Nightr end Retreats, Teaching Weekends, District Heads Retieatr, Handmaiaiy netred6. . .- Not all -of ttrese teachings were bad, of course; many were vatuable. But the sh'eer nuzrber of thesr delivered the'unspoken message aat bur teiilera hid thercoinef on wiedom 8nd menbers needed exten-sive teaching to be ted to chriEdan,miturity. Teachings aborg our relationship with each'othlr were part of our reeducation. We were tar\ght to. be vetT concerned about'eaih'other tn onr "coynant comm'itment." Triendty offens to help'freqrendy playd'out in ov*responsibiltty i.'1 for others and under-resporuibifity for Eelf.
Doc'trine Above Persons Members wene orutantly asked to subordinete orfu own experiens to group theology, teadrings, missiorL expectatioru. It was usualty lmpged'that forurer ltfe exPeriences and leisoru'weie less valuabtd than whrf rverfiialeamed ln Tlre Word oonfonn.,
r f, ,..

of God. There'was, at times,' enbrtnous FeSsure 5l

To some atent,
T6lntng cq$,.

9ceneral Community c,atherin&{Octob6 z,iinl,The Medla,'Iohn (198&1984), The C-trristian Uiia ana the MedtL' rvCulb. Sects. and the New locul Age. p.2l$tt. r lCults. Sects. and the New Age- p.l}g.

f$dtng,

etro

members' identities/personalities w,ere reshaped in the process. as an exanple, all women r,lrere taught to have a 'grriet gentle spirit' as described in the definitions, "ceas to argue or object'12 '*Ig t h persuadedr"l3 and "an ec<pression of trust in and deference towards headship (God's and men'6).,14

/'

Deprivation of Freedom of Thought A subtle message was that the leaders would do the thinlring for the rest of the members, that the leaders would irutmct the members on right thinking on matters: 'T want to talk about how we ought to approactr itrat (criticism) and how we ought to think about that . . .'15 AIso, talks sucft as 'Our Response to Conference of Communities,"l6 and "Our Approach to Finances"lT laid out for w proper thinking on these matters. Criticism, anal]rticat'thinking free exchange of opinion, opportunity to verify facts were denied Our old ways of thinking were replaced by The Word of God ideology. Many members regressed to child-like dependency. Independent thinking was disouaged. Confornrity

t'

Groupwill often took precedence over en individual's wi[. For the eake of "unity," individuality wa3 perceived to be tad," coiri6ririty *b uniforurity as good. "A loving unity depends on goverrunent and gubnission."lS . . . :The elders
and other governing authorities iir ttre Christian comsrrrnig are resporuible to teach and direct the body, to lead it fonp-ard it .-ity. Only when the rest of the body suburits to them and receives their direction can full unity be established."lg Since the message courmuni[tea was that Godls way is natrow and specific, there seemed to be only one way to do anything 8 wrong choice could mean leaving God's protection. Many of us learned to ignot the inner self and irutead trusted primarily
outside authority.

12Man and woman in christ- (1980), stePhn

B Clarb p.9rz

Minutes, (August 7, lg71r,u unpiled ln'Deddsu of the C.oordlnrtor+'NLlry lg7& lsGeneral Community C"ttetiog guty 13, lg79r.*lrnaUng Glddrat Dtrcted Towrrd tre Charisrnatic Renewal,' Stephor B. Clerk l6Cener1 Community Gathri& tseptemUer lLlnil,Bnr Ycusr. 1 TPastoral Training Session, oy'riy n) nm, Iln McFrddeo roPatterns of Christian Communi$, p.65. l9f.tt"r* of Cn;.ia" Cor rnjry. b.ea
:

lltt ,i"g Segsion for C-ommunlty Fleads. (Norccrbcr WTn.Thc Chdrden Wonun-' laCoordinaby'g

Separation From Farnily rnd we're not sunply firee to decide."2o "Gatherings are a natter of courgritslTt$

fri1d"

--,. -L -r,

Manymegrbers*t.ry:q"dP.T*'"gebry*tr."t"tg.daneatallcomrrunity ,r,"r, iay.t y1t d*'s'parents/slblings/friends' gatherings was more importan, iJo} and had rbiiounced members had novea awai frJo''thJ various p"y.hotogical ditPlt" held values whictr had the effect :l.Tt*dlg F" previously proviaea a-nesrr and tris previous *y.9f Uf", T'tt"Wo;: "151 betrreen the mesrber

prevtously sustained by the which.becane the foctrs of reJlUoruhipe "fa'ily, *tiiial tttpptte' Tli&e is a tndy of literature biological fanily coupled with otlrer of origin (i'e' with each, mesrber of iiur I*t stating that working relationships affectr other r"ila in)' is important b our,lotionel'health and comnunity family we were tbeen *4Tg-:. There have present non-familial relatio*r,iir. lho" o$tn farnilies' This is more involved ttran thg bridell and 8FoilIIl'8 members were contributed to hurt' just one example in whictr Commiyrity l"Y"]T$i fa'ily reladurstttps' excl'sivity *d iirt*ce within thl*e
MiBtrust of Others Outside thc
-r^ta)7. foisted uPon ut "en"'miee-" *a "the world,-2z Teachings concerning et variance $/ith o'r ctuistian hope'23 world view l": o compretery pessimistic nvhaf do Steve Clark, ofterr *r tr..o.*r.,: :d othere, Various members would Do"u it t""ao think'about that otrtside teaching? Ralph Martin and/or my pastorJ

Group

lineupwithTheWordofGodteaching?"Therewaslotl".hredttyHting h the gfTl by pasoral leaders'

outside of the group; q,r.rco*-*o"-lti*"'"a to be aYoided at almost any cost) *"riari"or: (1*, There were ,.oi" uror"go .r isolated lnto SbueliftlS-yt Again' o* itiiat* were This ie not of zuch Foups as the doy Croup".Tl The Word of God'only small Y"r'U proved ]..J o.tenn"t 'experiencee iwnict mlght have bad in itself, but this dnied and esrotional growttu beneficial to their spirittral' oocial

i****

yt*'

Coercive

practices."2{ These included

Persuaeion pastoral , r^ e,.a irnnl the inrplementation' of 'coercive McFadden admitted to subtle Iim and peychological maniputadons'

Ja

15 &'0 ffimrmmity:{uodo.,cvsd.rgTn' 21nn rrainins cou*,iiit4l, tn?; #fry" t7' tstn' 4H:lilil"ff itJ;"d;; !A""r r' Brr et d' p' t2e'161990)' IEr McFddtt *,r. "* ,tl"ilJitilFj"'i'o autert"t' iDt"tttb:

".",o. letter read at Genera Comrn"nfr 24Pastoral

and some overt, which used fear and guilt to keep megrbers in the Eystem.,,The coordinators had unilaterd power to decide whether megrbers had a valid reason for leaving. We were led to believe that'the world ts rcugh without comnunity, that something bad might happen if we teft lle Word of G9d. A description.was given to,/members regarding what the Allied Status:would mean to them, personally: "Each one of you, lndividually, ir leaving the Community that you belong to [SOSI. Each one of you, individualllr, is dropping the ctvenant relationship you have with the Comsrunity you belong to and wittt the other brothers and sisters who are in that Comnunity. . . You will be leaving a covenant relationship."25
Loaded fanguage Group language, jargon, and Comsrunity diches can be used to encompass and critically dismiss cpncerns likg the quest for tndividual erpresion, ercploration of alternative ideas and the seardr for perspective and balance in iudgment. As examples, w engaged in "selective,evangelismT for""comtnunit]t material."26 Wives e/ere instructed to ."take on yotrr_ busbud's mind" (as U their own were faulty). "Calling one another onlzl was sluply a eupheryr$dc tersr g"ing us licnse

to control and meddle. This dos not sesr approprlatq lf ,one has not ben invited into this type of accorrntability friendship. In addition, words were redefined, arnplified or given new meanings. Below are dictionary definitions of every day words (tmderlined), followed by what they have come to mean in our comnunity WOG).
Pastor: Minister in charge of a church; a spiritual gurde.

WOG: "Pastoral cate" has not been tust frimdly problem-solving but, at times, an instrunrent of enforcing confornit" .to community norms, a t'?e of formation, where the initiative casre from the pastoral leader, The member was often "working on something" and didn't quite ecem to .measure up. Community culture defined responsibi[ty as reting on the Pastoral teader, not the individual member - external rather than internal loctts of responsibi[ty. Our 'shepherding", often developed pride and arrogance in the'angwer man" rather than enc6ruaglng the members in their personal walk of holiness
z5Meting at Domino Farrns, (August ll, 1990), SEPtst 9: CItL. 25Evante6gm Training, Mers' Breakfast, (ftob6 31,79781, rlso t CO & MCA directiver ZComrnon shortation: 'Lt's call orre another on.' Alto found ln Petterng of C'trlsdm e-ommunttlt^ p.28.

10

of God' Sin: An action b'reaking the law *Sin would better be defind as wrongdoinp rrissing the mark'"2t WOG: the others in for someone'l mongdoi"g "lt" belongs.to The responsibility the not y"iU"ot rePentd of becoures comsrunity. Wrongdoing thal hag
the

-#ern of others'"29
relationship' near one another and in social Community: A body of people Uving to mean a people whose members WOG: The terut "comgnrnity" h"d come 8nd who ehare a a kind of fartilial relationship rmong thesreelves rccognizz government, Patteflrs of indudes cDmmon orlttrre, cusbm8, Pattern of life which that sernals are mfie important a set of uniforsr practices. Trtie impti,ee belief, and c*stian notion th1 the way to live a good than internars. There was an 'nspoken christian environsreng the leaders' get situated in a rigitry stnrctdred rife was to teachingstructulesandcommittedretatiorrshipswillsaveus.

t lo TilT' Commitment: A pledge or p'rornise ncrtain agreed-to' on oru carrying out certain aereed-tr woG: There was often an elnphasis Ttris orientadon toward fulfilting a sign of one,s cocrmitmertt. actions that became christian ltfe and tf or coa as the central dynanrc :T laws subtly displaced lovc a cridcal' judgmentd sPidt' shaped by fegalil tfut Lrea provided an erwironnent other under the guise'of o,r zupposed were ways we might n"o" *"a ""o There other to dIoP all prior comnitments commitment to each other, i."., "'p*qg "1d, in vario's $rays. It was sometisres reschedule to "tetp out, a brother'orerster and said *no'" tharqdeal with the-guilt to say "yes'
easier

I "*

an agreecrent bet$reen two or more Prsons; covenanh A solesrn agreement amongmembersofadrrrrc}rtohotdpointgofdoctrtne,faith,etg of our life; authority come from the "covenant is ttre foundatioi woG: word covenant can from authority'"3o Although the of Covenant, not the Covenant appant thlt tlre ovenant of rtre word many ways, it ts readily be described tn Godwasetevatedtoaplace"fP'i-..y-withTu"po-'vowSandurariagevows; of p.*"trt dlsloyalty and breach was ,ri.n,"a to .n act :f to violate the covenant

faith.

2&r*

*Th"e Sin

grven in the 1970s, ard

aboI3 wofd

1.1981), of God c-ommunity cgrrereric 6Pt6r'br


at Domino Frrms on

Problem,'StePho

E'(Jll:

3ocoordinator Minutes, (May

lg76l'gedry

t4

StEve

Oart

Augurt 11' 1990'

11

Coordinator: One who coordinaEs. WOG: A male urordained' 'elcler' who is 'responsible to watch over the Community, building up comsrurig in the tord . . . the basic authority of the coordinators comes from the Covenant retadoruhip. . : in matters whictr involve i participation in the things we do together as a Comsrunity, the find decision about what a meurber does is the Coordinabr!', ln matters whidr concern what a mesrber does outside of those thiogs we do bgettrr.. as a Comnunity, the tndividuat is subordinate to the Coordinator . . . the Coordinatofe authority is rurlimi*ted ln scoPe. There is nothing in the life of the Comgrunlty or in the lives of,ihe individual members that it does not reach b."31 ''Those who belong to aChdsdan Communig are subject to its governmenal au0roriry'for ffrir whole live. . . The govemment of the Community, thereJore; extende to everything in their liveg."32

order: A sequence; iurangemenb the way one thing follows another. Unity: The state of being one, singleness. ,) D-/ r. ,l;'4 WOG: "Order is another word for unity."33 ^ *l u 4u*-.r' ....r.
a

lr.

l.'-

r'x

Slander: fdse statement meant to do harm. WOG: "slander speaking agairut."3{ (Thus, any criticism can becpme

slander.) "q"'.lt

.:

Criticism: the art of judging meri| a spoken or written fu-dgment conclrdng Eome matters resting on opinion. WOG: Negativ\erraluatioru Tvlesrbers of the Body of Christ should not give negative evaluations (criticisms) of how others ctnduct their service and duties unless they are responsible to do so."35 (This redefinition effectively prenented even constructive criticism of leadens and protected them from appropriate scmtiny.)
The outside world does not use the words or phrases in the same way. The use of "in" group words and phrases tend to narow the capacity b think and feel.
3lDecisions of the Goordinaton, (May ly76r.
32Patterns of Christian CommuniV. p. 51.

Coununlty Ondcr,Tdl 197)), Shphlr B. Ch*. ilGeneral Community Gathering (1976r,SPeedr, ard Wf,utgdolng- lLrdouL Abo erchkrg ln Christian Perrcnal Relationships Courrc erd egain ln the Tratnlng Coune. $Pattern of Christian Communitlr. p.4H7.

33"Assembling Together and Respectng

,72
Secrecy

written inforaation even fr.o- the Cqordimto$.3? .By tt" e*rily 1980s, no notes (Head Coordinator nor Coordinator) were dven to thq .Coordlnatore but \{rere ciredated only l4ong the Head Coordinatorg. Tt i{ prepared the way for furths secrecy; inforsration about the Sword of the Spirit difficgltiee.was forbidden to be shared with the Coordinators untll.the Fall of 1989. For.nany years there.was inadequate disdosr:re concerning the dispoeition of our ll% tithes. And then there
were our stamps:
lor onndrrtlol u qrly. l{or fs. &EbtbG dhHbutb., or puUkrrbn. AJI ,lghn L |hL *rrl cr th poprry of yt Wed oa Ood. f{o olr of tfilr wo.t q o&rrpir fiot ;1 py b

This included hidiog doctrine behind norcral rcunding iargon. Our teachings were closed to outsiders, we had cloeed "coJrenant meedngs' and cloeed pastoral training sesioru. There was sometimeo conealment, or -olora6on of the truttt about thJrearcns that members left or wene rslad b leave.36 In an ahoephere of paranoia toward those outside the Comrnrurity, the l{ead CoordinatorE withhetd

c%

cdr vhhal the rrprs errr1qfr ff b o.dtr.t-, d tt. fyr.d ot U.

vra,

Layers of Tmth

We utilized an intitiation process whidr overwhelnred newcomers with love and acceptanc at the onsel Our Eelective rccruitment process did not lnclude fuil disclosure of the Community's methoas rnd puposs. We often ; f"y"* "f tnrth, revealing our e,x\ting policie a sEp at r dme as we felt they wene ready. At some Point, newcomers would be inforaed of financial comuritsrents, dating policies, preferred manner of dress, uncompronisirg .nrles, men's rnd women's roles and the authority structure of the Comnunity. "We do not want to communicate about our special war effort outside the comsrunity, to guests or to new brothers or sisters. Note: as nEw brothers and sisterg come in, we want thesr to confront issues in proper order, e.9., erperience the care of heads before they l,earn of their commitment to then."38

35what's the tnrth behind the departure of Bert Ghezd rnd ottsr? 3TTnere wre tryo dif_fering seb of'minuEa fromHerd Coordtlrrtor'r trleeUngtforenmphlanrury 72,78,68?5,7977. Pfraining C-our:e, (198G19&l),'Conctuding Questloru,' (Hendout).

ll,

13

Grorup Models of Behevlor Wtthin the Disdrict ciod models (cmrdinators' mesrbers emulated Thgword of Many gaining accePtance and r sonl of us wtth the hope of Heads and Handmaids) their acceptance' as well ag those erdng This put pr6s're on the urodels approval. prsonal probrems for a fearful to ehare their wearcr"us", or some models *"r" unreaustrc sardarde of rank and file felt PT$urd to '""it variety of reasons' Many but rarely sonre personal storie feerings of inadequacy. we heard behavior, feeding out oi pastoring decpite the fact that sharin& personal failurJs in parentir,g rnd being appropri'ately nrtnerable often corurect us with eacrr other wealcreses can only sEengths can Promote form and deepen bonds of love. sharing can of modeling has the net and comparison. Ttris behaviorist "ppro"ctt competition measure uP to their even models canr't always effect of shame for all concerned; public image.

UniforrritY

sd tcernal This included dress, language, !'war effort" or building was not sup,pordve of the practices. women wearing ieans durtng a GCG that wearing while it was statd by a Handuraid christian culhrre, pink.anything was considered
one;,mar wearing skirts was a victory over the Ev[ to remove cMstian effeminate. Membets were toti
Community ctrlture; we were

behaviors' tncluding chitd-rearing

brr'per stickerr from their

vehiclesOgm'Individualt'y*"''oftenstifledtnthe'Puthtocreateacldrmon earne day' readthe same Script'res on tlre

;;

to

haveal.ord,sDayceremony""oweek,rndrefrainfiomdecoradngourhomes

""L::;Ti',JJi**"

amons rqili1, which w.ne often ror diversity, espeoauy mini-crrltures of t"rroties, wtrich are powerfui robbed of their own uniqu"""o rather were forced into o"u-"rf their .y 'Btyles," but their own, were unabre ,o that we Possess in the comnunity' the richnes or iio.ntity molds that denied Certain Kinds of Deception
ilAlr how , "39 nVe need tO learn ,Make communiry ,orrr,i as 'norsral' as possible'B9 --a*rra gves peopre the rtght irnpreesion"40 comm.roity-ir,"t overalr Chi Rho; to tark about the * Uco' McA' Menls Breakfast' Delta wh'e There were 'front" glouPs "'J word of God and its teachings much ,o * r /ith t,,e these groups had
39tne Training co""*, (198e1984), 4opastoral Heads Training Sesiorr,
t!-rconcluding

llgitinlzed

Qgestions"
a L.d6m3

fNo"lil#gltgTEl"Confidentiality

ud Rtgl*

speeclu' Peter

Williamson.

74

selectively evangelizing and not being rigorously honest about The Word of God corurecdon 0vlCA, UCO, Men'6 Breakfast Delta Chf Rho and others are listed in the "Assumed Naules,' a legal doctrgrent of llre Word of God corporation). We were taught to act differently at MCA activitiea Whsr an event was advertised, there night bep sponsorship listing suclr ac, "uCO rnd Area Churdtes" whidt was actually UCO and the four fellowehipa of fhe Word of God. Whafe the problen in stating exactly that the-rporuor is The Word of God? U an organization has worthwhile goals and sets about achieving thesr tn an ethical manner, we 6ee no reason for deception, cploration of the tnr0r, or partiat inforsration. A quoc ffom a Word of God memo: "It's alurost right to ;ay that we do not hold as I community what people outside will understand lf we tell thesr what we hold. It is right.<t

Unhealthy shaure We were encouraged to constantly strive for something which camot odst in the human condition - perfect purity. Ttre norgr of thinking was toward black and white distinctioru. Coordinators were the judges and standard-bearers. Many of us and salvation by works, acted as if holiness was to be obtained through (again, the outside-in approadr), Members were usually.ludged by the outward manifestation of conforniry to The Word of God Etandards and mirdset All of these thit gs contributed to our probleuu. Shtme exists in fastilies wittt probleurs and secrets; it is used to protect secreb and keep us in our place. Sh.P" says, nVhat you did isn't perfect, up b the standard (everyone else seecrs b be able to accomplish i0 therefore, you arc ilefeclioe." For Eorne of us, we have been shamed for healthy, appropriate behaviors sudr as feeling making mistakeE, taldng appropriate care of oulsetves, thinkiqg eomething differently than the leaders and prophets. Sharne is a tool for ontrolling behavior. Shame can stop ns from setting healthy boundaries, can keep us entrenched in our mistakes, can affect the ctroices we make, can paralyre w from doing healthy behaviora, and can keeP us in the shamebased sysien. Authentic guiilt, on the other hand, is valuable. Guilt believes that what I dlE is bad; there is freedom available as we, rePent of the acton/behavior. Shame is harmful, deetnrctive; it is the belief that whether what I did ig bad or not, who I art
is certainly bad.

{lMerrp from

SBC to

BIrY/IMD (anuary6 7n6.

15

Great

Diffiailty Moving Out of thc Gloup

This was a control mectranisur" The ontrol often becpmes stronger over time because, after a long prid of lsolation from the oucide world, the msrber can develop a fear of being able b mat(e lt otrtcide the group srittr atl its supports. Mudr of the melnbers' self-worth and hope for salvation ls tied in with the group: it "doesn't seem safe outside the Bulwark"

leaving ("commitment/covenant-breaker"). 'The fact that a person no longer wants to remain part of the Community is not a good reiuron for their leaving. They have made a commitment, and they should guard their heart tn faithfulness to that. commitment iust as they would in marriage,42 There were other subtle mcsages as welh 'A^re you going to leave after dl The Word of God has done for you?' tan you redly o?ct to continue your relationship5once you leave?" 'IA/ell, not evayone ls called to sudr a high calling." "If you leave, something terrible might happen." Many didn't lcrow a leave of absence was a possible option. It was implied by the leadership that a member'g sunrival - physical and spirirud - depended on identifying wtth the group (this would indude their ddldren's sun'ival). An added pressure walr that, for a time, names were printed in thb Bulletin of those who left ttreir cpmnritment to The
,,

One might experience

a guilt corrplex if one considers

Word of God.

Degndation or Dininution of Self ]OY is redefined as teaus, gthers, Xou. The Scripturat @ncpt of dying b self was exaggerated to an\over-responsibility for others and an rurder-responsibility for oneself. Our teachings'about selflessness (rdnforced by the exaggerated call to sacrificial service) seemed to be in orcege of Scriptural direction. Tfs essentid b be selfless - (defined in the talk as an orientadon toward others) - a grownup thtng. Daily look for opportunities to lay down your life for the cause, the Lor4 His people."43 Ttris excess led many to reinterpret the C'olden Rule to be "[ove thy neighbor, forget thyseU." There wiui an undervaluing of the hurnan per$n - one's freedom and personal responsibility.*r

atoordinabrr' Minueg, (fune lS,lynr,from Dcdrbn of the Coodlnrbil, compiled tvby 1976. 43Married Wornens'Retreat, May 15, 7$E7l,1tornanly Strangth,'Bartere Morgrn.

t6
Memberg' Identities/Pereonalidec Often Reahepcd We were all.in need of traruforrnation to beome.more like lesus when we to drange 1) who they ioined The Word of God, but many mesrberg felt preasule were, 2) what their drearns and goalr- indudc4 3) what Srey thought God'c vision was for tl*dr lives. Under the fear of befurg hbefed'fesrinlgt" many dfH' assertive women beca6e, instead, "dootztat8." Soure sensidve rrren were thought of as

effeminate ,wimps." There was an overstaH irrportane placed on fitting into comrnqnity irutead of disovering one's ruriqneness and gntributing thaf !
Those Who Disagreed With Principlee, DOgne, Mede to Fed Reeponslble

The strength of The Word of God leaderg' gtatesrents implied that the principles and dogma were God-given and ould not be questioned. Ttrus, the underlying attitude was that, for the most Put, obiections and questions from members stem not from reasoned and fairly obJective analysis but rather from spirirual or emotional Problems. Scriptrud Embdlishnent a Scriptures were taken out of @ntst (and at durs esrbellished) to Prove his point. For ocample, Proverbs 11:12 saYE,'A man who lacks iudgrrent derides neighbor, but a man of undersanding holds tris turgue. - Proverbs 11:12'

This scripture was usd to zupport b the following: \A/tren we speak about a grouP we are Part d in a loyal w"ft we should ryak (Proverbs 11:1D.{5 We about it in a way that leads others to respect the group.. partiqilar checked g translatioruland could not find one whictr would EuPPort t!,b us inb statement This Script rle when applied in this way, was urcd b maniPulaE not talking about any problems of rhe word of God ,among oursdves or wior

others. scriptures quoted loosely related to the tocL

in patternb of chrtstian community were often only

Over'Enphaeic on Subordination in In Stephen B. Clark's book, Men and women ln christ' highly regarded texts for the Training course, the early lggos and used as one of the secommended gubordlnadon and only four pages the index lists 51 pages with citatioru on -Ihe members of e christian comnunity concerning love (service-love at that).
Ge,6rar community c,athrin& on6r,sperh ln{w=Tqsdftns' }IrrdouL Atrc tn chrbdan C'ounc' Personal nelatiorrihips Couie end lgain h thTrriniltt

17

govemorg submissivery . - submission shourd receive direction from theb retating well to a governing obedience . . . submission tikewise rnvorve involves one does not have the fullest confidence authority in whose judgment or abilities to the lord' ' ' to human beings can be a way of submitting . . submitting Lord'r46 can only be based on fear of the Submission to Christian authority b a system which is not The demand for total submission of any lndividual lesus' as the authentic in harmony with the gospel message tr detnrrnanizinr'4? Our tendency bl listen' not the reyersa Shepherd, lays down His life for the sheep, in an atropfiy of (coordinator control) and o'r compliance rcsulted believe, o6gy passivity gave birth in sogre mesrbers to criticat and analytical thinking skilrs; this
and indecisiveness. sver his own wi6e does not The scriptural principte of a husband's treaa*rip unordained men (husbands'

extend upward to many other men, partinrlarly Head Coordinator)' Pastoral Leader, District Head, Coordinatq'

Spirit of IntensitY life' After in restoring 9Mwas corrmunicated a sens of urgency There snd' there developed a t)?e of 'stateof'energencl" the 1975 Rome conference, ooperation regardtess of our "'we are at wa{" mentality' This pronoed soon after,a

naggingdoubtssince,.thel-ordspoketouswithevengreaterintensityand that the time of darkness was at

directnes during the summer of tio.He gtade"4S In 'our misplaCed znal' we preparations for it nust be hand and that the'call'by instituting the Training course responded naively and immattrrely to of errthusissEr' epeaauy when It wasleasy b be ca"gn uP tn I senEe this' - fix by control. urgency. The rurfort'na:"..T"t" of that enthurr*-;;.ffi"d in propr,*ic however,wereEomeabusesorperrcr,nooafornen,women'anddtildreo

told's

.tffi"*estp--l?9
sPastoral IAt.n,

gp.5941.

t@,Jin

Mdeddau

18

The following ere othcr lssuee rvc fdt wcrt wo'rtA nodag Thcac notcr ettcmpt to show the veri,otrr un]'e wc herrc bccn rffGG.Ed by our mffiIccc of the parl

Type of Word of God Crrtc Systm Overall Head Cmrdinatc Head Coordinatcs

Coordinators District Heads Men's Group Leaders Routine Compliant Meurbers

llandnaids
Women's Council Women'g Group leaderg Routine Compliant Mestbers

o . o .

On the Fringe People who look, act, or live differcntly than the norsr. People actively addressing their problems who presently don't look good on the outside. People with psydrologicd problems , People critical ofpolid$
,

in the botom fringe catory felt terrlble because one experiened this vague feeling that "I'm'not measuring ,uP b The Word of C'od ideal and our calling.' AIso, in the past, discrrrlng for one*U and disreating hadn't recdved high marks. It seerned that a neurber'g opinion.weighed more if he/she was teading something or had tile (ttrese titles created rn lnaroup/outaroup mentality and " planted seeds of division in the Body). SeU.eeteem was often depmdmt on how long one had been in The Word of God, the identiry of one's spouse, one's household, or one's pastord comsritments. If one wished to ascend on the track to the top, the temptation might have been to play the 'lookgood-on-theoutside" game. Many had forgottm that grac is not besowed because of who I am and what I've done, but rather is given freety because of Whose I anrPeople

Woments Issueg The errphasis and exaggerated applicadon of the interP'retation of Scriptqrd principles of headship and rubmisgion often produced oppreasion of women, devaluing their personhood, dignity and integrity. fhe 'ided' of CMetian womanhood promotd dependency and a denial of the needs of nurnerous rf,omen:

confidence and strengtlrMotherhood and homemaking rtrere so highly praised as to give women the impression that other outlets for their interests were few; homemaking activides were pursued so exte\ively as to leave little time for other intellectual or enJoyable pursuits.

oo ,.uoiaio"Jorr-" q;o, hus^\nd-lead/wifefollow50 mlndset, contributed to uruch I - "|d passivity,/ confusion, repressed anger, degression, and at times compulsive or addictive behaviors (work, food, etc.). ff -*y women, these principtes of submission were in o<cess of scriptural guide[nee urd effectvely robbed women of personal equaliw with men and personal resporuibiutt bef; God. At times, were treated as if they were the oldest child '^/omen of the faurily, needing significant training and formation.jt Lipservice was given to the value of "women'8 work" yet many husbands leene discouraged from shouldering appropriate housenrork team resporuibilities, epecially if it was to support merely the wife's personal growgr. The rigidly defined men's and women's roles brought further roC"tio* and exhausdon. These roles v/ere first listed in Decisions of the coord.inators (1926), shared soon after in teachings to District Heads and r{andnaids and -errentually, to then, the entire membership' woaren were not seen as men'B pee$. wouren,g rtp"$hr;Jrt* were often overlooked and, at times, disdained. For example, a brother always had to be the head of a service,'regatdless of whettrer a more qualified woman was in the grouP' The Community agenda for womerr *ras harmfuI and caused a loss of

gentle spirit,

isenrice means orienting your life around the shape of another's tife, to senre their needs' ' putting our own life at the servie of another.... orienting your life arorrnd their goals and purposes' too."49 The over-einphasir

19

Women who courageously shared their diffierldes tn their marriages with pastoral leaders were often advised to 'submlt, love'and respect your husband.', some pastoral leaders rarelp it evq, advised women to seek professionat counsel that might help meet her own needs and the needs of hd children. Instead, couples rnight be cpunseted by pastoral leaders (untrained in mtrital diffictrtdes) and the r+'ife was often determined-to be the one who needed b 'change" ln order to put the mariage back on tsack

{hnining

-'

C-oure,

SlFoundations

ffi*.Hotren's

RetreaL (March L7'lg7gl,'The wlf

one who Foltowr Her Hugband,'Iudy

II for Married C-ouples (earller verslons).

E
20

Single women in The Word of God were not well integrated into our com.srunitf bfe, nor honored for ttreir vduable ontributl,oru. At tines, their long hard hours of service for the Comrnunity and thir domestic labors for fasrilies
were not adeqgaEly acknowledged nor reciproceed.

/
Men'8 legues The defect of male socialization in American society was reinforced by The Word of God Christian ctrlture, i.e., that a mln is not b be aware of his irnef state and its appropriate inportance to tris life. Our men were encouraged to "have more distance on emotioru - theirs and otlrerg - urd rhouldn't fpel th.y have to respond to them."52 As in general society, some brothers experienced similar coping mechanisuu - alcoholism, senrally acting out, depression, or ompulsive working.

The value of feelings and emotions were disdained. In the context of responding to the Lord's call to build a Bulwark brothers hear4 "esrotionc don't count for dog crap."53 The concept Orat esrotions are not a reliable gurde to our actions, while valid, was translated by many to mean that 'feelings are unimportant." Subsequently, many men felt it was "unuranly" to aclrnowledge theit own feelings and to speak of those to their wives, leading to an emotional
separation between husbands and wives.

Even thought it may appeat on first gl*e that the brothers fared better in The Word of God system since they were grven leadership of the cpmsrunity and the home life in reality they have dso been oppressed. Mm were to some degfe" emasculated, kept in roles as over-aged teen-agers, required to submit their conrtship, schedule, 6pances, 3nd intimaE detaits of their,personal lives b another who was assigned to thesr. Some pastoral leadere were younger and had less life experience than those they pastored. Married men were carrght in the middle Curtrollerr=y"t -ot olled. Men were directed to be the head of their fanriliec and yet usually were not free to make decisions they felt were appropriate without first see&ing the cpunsel of ttreir pastoral leader. To proceed with a fartily decision without first seeking the appropriate counsel was regiuded as unwise in the best cases, and, at wottt, outright rebellion. To make a choie other than that racourmended by one's pastoral leader could be interpreted atong the sagre lines'

S2Trai ning C-ou6e, ( 1 98e1 984),'Christian Manlrood.' $Community Men'r Reteat, (197E), Sharing rt Pnyer Meetinp lim McFrdden"

2L

Husbands were Sven dl-encompasaing recponsibility for their households. This placed an inappropriate btrrden on the rren and restricted the freedom of their wives' autonomy as well as wifely inidivee end ctroice (tlusband is resporuible to God for his wife. . . directing wife in all areas at all times - not just when problems 41iss"54). Many men also were ingrained with a paranola about feminization. Men were encouraged in psuedo-masculine external behavior (cigar amoking, no washing dishes, no changing diapers, male sdusiveness, spofts) without attention to all aspects of what it means b be a truly Chdsdsn naru Some husbands mistrusted their wives while drawing dose to pastoral leaders and men's group memberr. Fraternal groups provide solid foundatioru for close relationships and can be beneficiarl, but ttrese groups wene formed in a way that
.,r

d.id not adequately take into consideration

p"tt"*t choice.

The teadring that fathers shoutd not take the prominent concern for babies and young girls was harmftrl to the appropriate bonding of dl concerned. Fathers were told to be "somewhat distant" and "uncompromising'"55 Both fathere and children suffer when there is physicd rnd esrotional distance and uravailsbility. Family therapy research indicates that this can lead b a myriad of behaviorid problems in the dtildren. ., There have been many men who have ome to the Community who left highly responsible, sectrlar iob. How rurfortunate that they were not invited to give any significant input, nor to share their own partictilar tdenS and gifts within the Community simply because they lacked the "connecdons" of leadership or the stamp of approvat of their partiarlar pastoral leldr. Single men in Ttle Word of God, too, heve ilffere4 mudr in the 88me wa)ts as single women. Catled upon to give numerouE hours of cervice @A tean, setting up chairs, ushering, tape Earrr and co on) they telPd b ensure that the needs of the others in the community were met, consisEntly subordinating their own needs. Many single men fotrnd it diffictilt to make a decision in our system since ofen they were secondjuessing their pastord leader and seeking approval. Relationships Between Men and Womm Companionship in marriage was derogated, especially in the training oourse, which had the effect of reducing marriage to a fiurctional relationship of division of labor with little romance, friendship, or emotiond tntimacy. At parlies, men and
S4frainint Sesrion for Community Fleadr,Olovsnber lgm' Thc Chrlsdm Husbtld.'

slraining

C-ouF,

(1

98e1 984),'Ratslng Song.'

22

women tdked in separate groups. Frtendshipc betrreen men and women were. discouraged; these friendships should be poEsible with appropriate physical and emotiond boundaries. Dating and ourtship were highly controUd; moot meurbers believed they were only to date/marry other mesrberg.
Teen Iesues

Thse should be a strong transition from childhood to adulthood, a gradual sNft of reslrcnsibility from parent to teetL There uras I tendency toward pbcirg more restrictions instead of less upon our teens,.This may have implied o thesr
that they were not capable of ma&ing decisioru. We have not often allowed them to Iearn by their mistakes. The pressure to have our clril&en conforrr to Comsrunity noruE caused some of us to make issues of gmall, lees lmportant problems (hair, dothes, music) and this has alienated thedr and made it difficutt for teens to openly discuss important issues (sex, drugs, drinking). Thete probtems exist but are often hidden. Children'e lesues There was a legalistic application of Scripture, lSpare the rod and spoil the child"; and an overerrphasis on spanting ("Children: Rur or Frenzy?"56). Spanking was the discipline tool of choice, and was not regarded as simply one of the tools of child discipline that might be used. Other optioru euch as "tinre out" or natural consequences were not induded. We dso forrned a list of do's and don'ts fc uniforsr chitd rearing (9 Rules for Obedient ChildrensT) and behavior at gatherings. At times, there was neglect in acknowledgtng the in(ividual personditiee, nee& and.feelings of our children. Hlperactive or learning-disabled drildren need more thur traditional measures. Methods such as spanking do not always work - srd, indeed are sometines counter-productive - when deating with e strong-willed or high-need child. Did we minisrize theL feelings and concerns? Guilt was used to manipulate and contlol gmd behavior. The pressurres that parents experienced for the farnily to look good souretimea came out the sides et our children in the form of physical, verbal or emotional abuse. M"ny parents inadvertantly pressured their ctrildren to perforur. Some ctrildren rebelled at the harshness, others compared thecrselves unfavorably wlth those who seemed o be

sTThe Obedient Chitd.(1983)

@?

(Pamphta poputar ln th Communlty ln the 19!s), Mr. rnd Mr& Al F$ddo. Xh Witror,.

?3

able to conforzr completely. Becatrse of this, many of our kids are high-risk for mood altering addictive behaviors
Bad Spirit

There are hunan and spiritud dynarnics intertrrined among our difficutties. l Control is pervasive in the systeur, coupled with a legalism which demands perfection. An outside brother's revelation was that there was "a spirit of control, spirit of perfectionism, spirit of insanity"SS tatd4g advantage of our draracr defects and fallen human nature. We fell tnto presunrpdoru going gU[ way without the

Lord. We fell into idolatrf, putting the Comsrunity above God, looking to the structure to be our savior. An inordinate emphasis on order and trnity made thesr idols as well. Exalting the traditions of men became priurary with God himself.
Prophecies Prophecy, in most instance, wasn't adequately evaluated nor tested. A danger in prophecy is that it can sometinres be used to influsrc, direct, manipulate or control. (It can be difficult to argue with *The lord says . . ." especially "tested"

when a prophet gives a word.) Some generd caveats encouraging us to test and discern

these prophecies personally would have been appropriate guidance. The interpretation and applicatign of the prophetic word is imporant to discem as well.
Relationship with God The normal Christian life involves a dynartic individual relatioruhip with God. This was encouraged, yet our reliance on the I-ord diminished as we were given the message to expect Comsrunity leaders to deliver God'e Word and Community structure\to deliver Hi.s support. This was more ireligious" than "spiritual": Our relationship with the tord is not dependent on a set of behaviorat practices (pray X minutes per day, do certain serrrict, attmd prayer meetings, tithe a certain percentage, fast) but on God's saving grac in our lives. Adherence to rules and struchlres will not save us, only our individual repentance coupled with God's mercy and grace. Friendshipe Men's and women's groups were made by fiat. Tlere are your nerry friends!" And then there was constant reshuffling of men'e rnd women's groups without much input. Women's Groups were usually destgned by their husband'g Men's
sMeetit g betrryeen Paul Cain, Mike Bickle, Ste\te Chrt, end Brtrce Yolunr, $uty

23, 1990), Excerp't!.

Tttere was little droice for Group regardless of whether the women meshed well' of God who were added to the women, or, for that matter' new men in The Word ltttle tine was left to Pursue an exisfrng gouP. cluster life was so detnanding that told to follow their fianc 'natural" or "old'friendships. Most often, women were to his district which meant leaving her relationshiPs: friendships of ogr own We need time and ,"-*"1.^*t to develoP Etrong choicg not erPect Comrrrunity to provide them' Unreeolved Penonel Confltctr Helghtcned our naturd fanily Many of us brought unresolved conllicts and issues from God system and oftecl backgtounds. These were exacerbated by The Word of fear of authority figures, intensified. Ttrese included low self-8teem, lgoladon,

-'

frozen feelings' repressed anger, control, approval'seekinp caretaking' people pleasing' weak boundaries' overdeveloped sense of responsibilty for others,
and performance orientation'

The Great Disillusionsrent Word of God Prograrn" complete The trlusion: If I buy into and work The go well' farnily life will go well with suggestions, rules and regulations, life will behaviors)- There is great (irrational belief of perfectabiuty of people through correct experienced disappointurent and disillusionment when reality doesn't fiq many sptem went unrewarded' Fnrstrated anger that compliance and faithfulness to the

megrberscarrbehigh.riskformood.alteringaddicdvebehaviors.
Stmggles of IntegritY --There a''problem.

.*-u"

for those who acquieced,.prol:r"d,

the starus quo irmong ,,,.They may

nll

reel

Y"'*ovely,

defended that their integrity was

ild

compromised.Theymayfeel"*arguilty,orthatothershavelostrespectforthem'

25

Some Thoughts About'Thi Baby In thc Bath Watet'': Poeitive Aspe-cts of Being a Memb} of The Word of God One interpretation: The baby is God's Lorre and "nothing can seParaE us from the Love of C,od made visible in Chdst lesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39). Perhaps the baby is "love God and love your neighbor as yourself or sinply the gospel nesage Iesus ciune that we might have life. As members of The Word of God CMstian Cosrsrunit1t we have much to be + thankflrl for. Following are a ferr positiveg in our life

rcgether:

. . . . o . o o .

Many of us first came to know God as a personal, loving Savior due to the ministry of Community meurbers. Environment where putting God first, seeking His will, loving Him above was/is highly esteemed Rich worship times at prayer meetingF; an experience of God's Presenc. Sharing music and song with hundreds of brothers and sisters' Wonderful relatioruhips supportive of our Christian life' Community activities: Festivals, Entertainsrent, Picnics, The Lighthouse'

dl

o I variety of nice chltdren as friends for otrr childrert. . Good neighborhoods of comsrunity folk' . our ecumenical nature: being able to live, worship and share with brothers and .
a
o

Lots of laughter at good, clean toks. t1 general, a "clean" lifrstyte, supported with positive reinforcemenL God's love made practical; tnany brothers and sisters erperienced support through: urinjgtry tim-q Yith.one anotlrer weddine and baby showers, funerals dinners"supplied for moves, illnesses, births, deaths resource sharing ,p"r,t**"r i"ipit"tion of acts of love and service, sacrificial generosity

o o

sisters of other denominations' Children's Center - a btessing for both the staff and the children. Meeting guests from all over the world (Servant, Community Many found emplolment in Christian environnents Officb, enjnyabld tod tew.rding' Small prayer meetings Kennedy's, etc'); neighborhood Prayer rooms' Environment where seeking first th9 Kingdom of God and ie righeousness took priority over amassin! material possessions Talks and sharings which inspired us to love the Lord and our neighbors more.

C;ondusion

The Word of God Community is rurdergoing a period of tremendous upheaval and drange. Many of us are in the process of undertaking serious soulsearching ali we evduate our mesrbership in the Connunity and its effects on our Uves. In our misguided zna! we have made mistdce& Ba$d on our atudy group's analysis, we cpnclude that there have been ghllst dtaractristics present in The Word of C'od from 7970 - 1990. As we go through a psocss of addressing and correcting the harmful effects we't now coming out from rurder, we will become
God's glo"y. It is our hope that this report witl facilihte thinking and critical evaluation, personal growth, refined discsnnent, and renewal in our livee by God's grace. tet us keep what is of the Lord, drange what is not, and move on together to love and serve one another and our God.
Some Suggestioru

overcomers, our weaknesses transfonrred into gtrengths

fc

Hdpful for Hedlng

Previous Erperience in the Word of God Think about your experience in the Word of God. Write down the good things you Iearned and the positive aspects. Explore the Word of God belief system and evaluate teachings and crrstoms in Ught of your understanding of Scripture and the teachings of your Church. Your Past Self Remember what you were like before you ,oined The Word of God. Were there any personality traits or flmity background factors which pre-disposed you to join? What hopes and dreams did you have before becoming a member?

Resolving Yoru Erperience Comrnit some time for coming to terns witlt youl exPerience. Admitdng that it could have been better does not negate,the ef{ortg made or the good you have experienced. Work through any fear, sger, depressiott, or clune you may be feeling. Dealing with these emotioru and erperlenoet may be painful, but a necessary part of the healing procsts. necognize that you may be grieving broken dreams and relationships. Don't blasre yotrself or others; rcognize that frailty and faults exist in dl hunan beings and institudons.

n
Prayer Earnestly seek the Lord and Ffis vision for your lift. Expect that He will lead you. Renounce any harmful consequences of WOG/SOS teaching which were not

consistent

with the spirit of the gospel. Consider asking for Prayer for

disentanglement from wrong beliefs, freedom from wrong choices, healing from damaging effects. Pray for the Comrnunity, that God's g1ace and mercy will abotrnd :rmong us, and that He will lead us. Conrmunication With Othere Communicate with other brothers and sisters about both positive and negative aspects of our Word of God experiences. Listgr uncritic-lly to others who need to share; none of us need to be alone in this. Tdk o forsrer mesrbers and those who have already worked through the issues, if that would be helpfui. Erpress any areas of concern with appropriate pastoral leadets or oordinators. Forgive and release others and seek forgiveness and release as needed.
Education Consider educating yourself on thought reforur. Read Eorrre of the books listed in the bibliography. Find out what your churdr teaches about these lssues; think critically and form your own condusions, and share what you are learning with

your children.
Suggestions For the Futrue Be kind and accepting,toward yourself along the

way. C'et adequate rest, nutrition, and health care. Giv! yourself perurission to have fun and Pursue enioyable pastimes. Spend time nourishing fanily relationships and friendships. Learn more about conflict resolution and problem solving. Relearn how to think things
through independently and make your own decisions. Consider attending a bible study outside of the Community. Resolve in the future, to comsrunicate with the leaders on issues about which you feet strongly. necogni" youl own spiritual integrity and that of everyone else, and the resporuibility of eadt of us to do yhat we believe is right before the Lord.

The

follon

Mahriels for

study
the ways and

,u

we, as a cdnrmuniry, have engaged


Books Blessing or Curse? Combatting Cult Mind Control Cutts and Consequences _Ct!ts, Sects, and the New Age

ffi individual who wish* to discern

iliftiHff:;#$Ir*nTrhffi ffi#ffiffi ' il hio*Ji;rE*o b


i" *,rrornyEr,""iorr.
Author
Derek Prince Steve Hassan Radrel Andres Fr. |anes I Bar, et al. Robert Aaldini Dr.Larry &abb
Stephen B. Clark

what erdenr

Btbliogrrphy

Influence Inside Out Patterns of Christian Community: A Statement of Community Order The Dangers of Growine IJo ' in a Christian Home" r The Grace Awakening
Magazines Fidelity magazine: "Charismatic Covenant Community: A Failed promise"

Donald E. Sloat Charles Swindoll

Adrian l. Reimers

Other Writines Perrotta napeis (3 memos to the Head Coordinators 19g& lgg}) Scripture
Gospel of ]ohn & I-ettetrto the Galations Tapes Sword of the Spirit Conference February 1991

Kevin Perrotta

Spceher

& Bruce

?t9y" Clark, Mike Guenther, yocusr

The Word of God General Community Gathering (le2t_90)


The Word of C,od Ouueach Confermce (2-22-e0)

Ratph Martin

R.lph Martin
Ken Wilson

Dynamics of Legalism (Emmaus Felowship It-1&90)

}!X.,ryd-nry Uc drend or dupltcehd tn hop of fudrcrtng


Orc heeting

.uror,g.re

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