[The following is a letter between two former congregants, from early May, 2023, primarily in response to a concern about calling the church a cult.]
Thank you for your very thoughtful response. It is obvious that you've taken the time to think through your position, and I very much respect that--and I respect your position. I agree that the way they run their leadership and the teaching about the role of women are both very unhealthy, and that Elder-Led should look very different than the way the elders at GCC are leading.
I have seen some who have loudly and perhaps somewhat rashly called them a cult. I had serious reservations about whether they are actually a cult, or if they are a church with cultish tendencies. I spoke with Anna about my hesitations, asking if they might not simply be a rather legalistic church with pretty solid theology but with an over-controlling, poor leadership model. She did not answer me directly, but showed me the widely-used metric, the BITE Model, for evaluating organizations which exert coercive control. Forgive the repetition if you are familiar with the model. If any sort of organization--religious, secular, gang, political, sexual, commercial, whatever--registers in any single area on the metric, they meet the criteria for being a cult. BITE measures the type and amount of control exerted over Behavior, Information, Thinking, and Emotions. The degree of control in these areas indicates how damaging or dangerous the group is. GCC registers significantly in all four areas of the model, based on the testimonies of many individuals and on the way the leadership is structured. By using the BITE Model, it is necessary to identify GCC as a cult. In order to say it is not a cult, we have to throw out the standard metric and just decide in our own minds that we don't think it's a cult. Because, ya know, we were there for a long time, and we are good, sensible, intelligent, godly people. And there are some really wonderful people that I love who are still there. So, it can't be a cult, can it? That would be really embarrassing, and it just doesn't make sense that we would be involved in THAT.
I think the really, really uncomfortable issue for me and for others is the term "cult," which conjures up wild visions of Jim Jones, Kool-Aid, David Koresh, weapons, weird robes, and Reverend Moon. Chris Riser isn't moving his people to a compound or doing such bizarre, crazy things. But it is undue influence and control that are the criteria for determining what is a cult, not the external, dramatic, made-for-TV-movie stuff. At GCC, the exertion of control and undue influence are increasing; the teaching for women is insulting and demeaning and, in some cases, dangerous; spiritual terms are being redefined; extra-biblical doctrine is being taught as truth; a strong us-versus-them mentality is actively cultivated; and the leader is accountable to no one except for the elders whom he has put into place, who enable him to do as he wishes. He places undue pressure and threats on some who try to leave and on those who question his decisions. That is all very concerning and very cultish; I just wish there were a different word with a better connotation. "Cult" sounds so drastic for a place that has good people, mostly good theology, some awesome programs, and that recommends good authors.
Through much reading and study, however, I have slowly and reluctantly come to see that they do meet the criteria for being called a cult, but I'm still a little uncomfortable using the term. I think you are right in saying that the cult mentality--and the power that goes along with it--are centered in the leadership and the inner circle who enable that kind of thought and behavior (classic cult structure). The vast majority of congregants are unaware of the problems and concerns, just as most of us who have left were at one time unaware. Once we became aware, we all overlooked or justified things that were a little off because of all the good things that were happening there, until we couldn't any longer. Because of the great number of people who have tried to talk with him about various issues, I disagree with your perspective that he is unaware of the influence he holds over the congregants. It seems he is very much aware of the power he holds. I, too, pray that he is receptive, but I also believe it would have to be an act of God. Yet, God is very much able to change hearts and minds.
Pastors and elders from some area churches have been invited to the meeting for the same reasons you mentioned. So many former GCC families are in these local churches, and many have profound hurts. (BTW, I personally know 29 families who left under hurtful conditions, just during the time that we were there and after, and some who left before we did, like the families who founded the church. There are likely many more.) I know our pastors are compassionate, but they don't yet understand the breadth and depth of the issues. Hopefully, they will be able to attend. If not, Anna said that she often meets with local pastors to help them understand what their new congregants have experienced, and how to better shepherd them. She is a devout Christian and has plenty of rigorous credentials; she is not just a layperson with an opinion. I appreciate that our new pastor has talked of being mindful of safeguards for his leadership. We stressed to him the importance of having a variety of men within and outside of the church who will actually, really and truly, hold him accountable.
I am so very glad that you've had a close circle of friends and people to help process through the issues. We started the group because a few of us had conversations with people here and there, and we realized that nearly everyone who left under a difficult departure had been cut off from others, (information and behavior control) and when members asked about them, the leadership often said the people didn't want to be contacted, which was false (an example of information control). Many people have benefited from hearing that they aren't the only ones who experienced the accusations and threats, the lies and the mind games, and the shunning that came with the process of leaving. Many of the people need information, resources, and encouragement, which is what the group is designed to offer. I’ve said an awful lot here. If you want to talk about anything that I’ve said, or want clarification about anything, I am happy to get together with you!