Definitely a cult. Most of us attend Gracepoint Berkeley Church for Sunday Worship Service. The University of California (UC) announced that it is considering plans to require students, staff, and faculty to receive a COVID-19 vaccination before returning to campus , Are you interested in writing, getting published, and learning more about the campus? this post). A methodological purity might say that college ministry must be done in a specific way. I have obviously heard the rumors about the church and still have a wariness in the back of my mind. Not always, but Ive seen it. Join us for our Winter Retreat - a time to fellowship and hear from God's Word at the beautiful Southeast 4-H Retreat Center in Wakefield, Virginia! We among Gracepoint Ministries strive to embrace the Acts 2 model of true fellowship and we're especially inspired by how in the early church, " all who believed were together and had all things in common " (Acts 2:44). To put it very simply, in the spiritual economy of the Gracepoint ecosystem, getting rocked is like getting audited and passing. And you will continue doing so despite multiple people now trying their hardest to explain it to you. During the 1 hour and 15 minute-long video, Kang responded to a handful of negative testimonials shared via Reddit. A former UC Santa Barbara student said her declining well-beingdepression and an eating disorder relapsewas seen as evidence of her unrepentance after she crossed a physical boundary with her boyfriend. Ed Kang is the son of Korean immigrants. She would lead Bible studies and give sermons that were 2-3 hours in length. Welcome toGracepoint San Jose. I realized I was never going to be able to prove that I was taking my sins seriously.. Couple new courses as well as continuation of several popular classes. Subscribers receive full access to the archives. Gracepoint santa barbara is a collegiate church that meets near the ucsb and westmont campuses. But their restoration hinged on the whims of Gracepoint leaders, with the process sometimes dragging out and involving assignments to repent with written reflections and confessions. Anonymous blogs including Twisted Gracepoint and The Truth about Gracepoint Church circulated online in the 2000s. You can disagree with me if you want, this is just my opinion, but it does seem to me that even the slightest amount of adversity will cause Christians to play the persecution card. Site is running on IP address 104.196.26.65, host name 65.26.196.104.bc.googleusercontent.com ( United States) ping response time 4ms Excellent ping.Current Global rank is 7,180,567, site estimated value 300$ Regret: What I lost from being at GFC. Smith also recalled getting reprimanded for using YouTube to listen to secular music, including Taylor Swift, and for watching a Japanese anime film that was part of her coursework for a film class. 2022 Another former member, Elaine Huang, said church leaders called her selfish when she opted to visit her parents in Taiwan the summer after her graduation from UC Berkeley in the early 2010s. Leaders directed staff on how to arrange their homes, where to shop for clothes, and what cars to drive. 5:11, ESV). Gracepoint's leaders packaged this very cult-like behavior as discipleship. Associated Students of the University of California. Gracepoint Ministries Gracepoint Berkeley Church Previous DT Notebooks Bible Reading: Gen 23-26 Bible Text: Genesis 23-26Here are some ways to process the readings for each day. Half a dozen former members recalled learning that couples were together only upon receiving wedding invitations. We are a church located in the Silicon Valley that reaches out to San Jose State University. WORLD? A regional director for the church, Daniel Kim (no relation to Michael Kim), shared his contact information on the forum, asking those looking for personal reconciliation to reach out. Traumatizing and the message was clear. Gracepoint Church Religious Institutions Alameda, California 839 followers An Acts 2 Church in every college town Follow View all 88 employees About us Our story began in 1981 as a. Because we know that laughter is the best medicine, right after Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture and Western medicine. College Directors . Visit Website Compassion International 800+ Children Sponsored Gracepoint Fellowship Church members sponsor children in need. Loekito, who left in 2019, said that the discussion has allowed him and his wife to process their experience, but reacclimating to a new church has been hard. One thing more to muse on before I close. Gracetyler.org created by Grace Community School.This domain provided by tucows.com at 2002-07-25T21:03:42Z (20 Years, 171 Days ago), expired at 2029-07-25T21:03:42Z (6 Years, 194 Days left). My sometimes "cult" concerns would have been inflamed if she didn't go to a public school. Over the course of CT reporting this article, Gracepoint has begun to rethink aspects of its ministry style and implement reforms. There are multiples in both categories, but lets keep it short. They say that you shouldn't do anything that will "get in the way between your relationship with God" and that applies to alcohol, sex, social media, list goes on. Besides, hearing out my story and telling me Im sorry you were hurt, but I dont think they realize that they almost had blood on their hands, Doe told The Triton. Clearly people who are posting are either genuinely grieved and wounded or so narcissistic that some small evil or injustice or wrong done to them is something utterly outrageous and they cant move on, Kang said. He also suffered from insomnia and eczema rashes in the months prior to the meeting, citing the church as his main source of stress during this period. Meet the staff of Gracepoint Irvine. Contact a mentor if you need a ride or get connected! If the abuser fails to do that, they rationalize by saying, they dont love me and I guess I never loved them. At this church, it is the same, because if you do not respond to rebuke, you are spiritually desolate and they cannot shepherd or love you. Just having dinner, everyone at the same tablethat was very rare.. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. One thing that we must not do is be persuaded by criticism that theres something wrong with us.. Will probably get downvoted for this, but I'm near positive that a good half of the religious fellowships on campus (whether Christian or otherwise) qualify as "cult-like". I realized I was never going to be able to prove that I was taking my sins seriously.. Documents from 2011 taught church leaders to rebuke members so that the person gets to have proper fear toward God & proper shock over what he has done, with the trainer modeling screaming and slamming the table, according to former staff. I am very sorry for those who feel they have experienced harm under our ministry, wrote Ed Kang, the churchs senior pastor and network leader, in an email response to questions sent by CT. Kang said he would be eager to hear from them so that we can seek healing, apologize when necessary, and seek reconciliation.. There's a huge difference. Turns out, lying was a standard tactic of the group. Needless to say, they were forced to break up. Either your life is out of control or you are extremely lazy or you are extremely selfish.). And, to be fair, if youre being rebuked, there is a fair chance that you did do something wrong or not (e.g. 37% of Gracepoint members viewed the church primarily as a family, 34% viewed it as an army, and 29% viewed it as a factory. Gracepoint Berkeley Church Podcast (deprecated) . Sam C., who has since been diagnosed with depression, said, Its something that I still work on, you know, 18 years later. Ive learned to just be grateful over the chastising we get even though the form and the content may be exaggerated or straight up not true, Kang said. Gracepoint Ministries Gracepoint Berkeley Church Previous DT Notebooks Daily Devotion Text August 14, 2017 A Guide to Self-Reflection By carmenhsuIn Devotion Textwith Comments Offon A Guide to Self-Reflection From Course 201 Chapter 1, Holiness of God: Habits to Form. After installing that, I was so scared so I stopped using Facebook or even YouTube or things like that, Smith said. And when the CT article came out, and a pastor friend of mine sent it to me, it was like waves of relief and vindication to just see it written once again, to know that my negative feelings were not baseless, and to know that maybe at least one new Cal student would see that article and try out East Bay or FiCB instead. An FAQ page on Gracepoints website answered the question Is Gracepoint a Cult?Nope, not reallywhile dismissing Reddit trolls and touting its Southern Baptist affiliation. I've been thinking about the mentality at GP. Berkland members bonded as both Christians and Korean Americans, often referring to older church members by Korean honorificshyung for older brother and noona for older sister. Subscribe to CT Gracepoint is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention and a part of the SEND Network. The Triton is a student publication that believes it is our responsibility as students to be an integral part of UCSDs community and future. Every group at Berkeley who actively recruits seemed to be on the high end. Curtis Yee is a faith and culture reporter in Sacramento, California. For example, I think technically GFC affirms the fifth point of Calvinism, the perseverance of the saints. How often does this doctrine get taught? But that's a whole other topic I don't want to get sidetracked by here. I don't think she cut off all relations with people outside of her church (because, going off the interpretation that GP wants to evangelize, this is counterproductive). I cannot emphasize enough how confusing the names get. Church Online is a place for you to experience God and connect with others. The church grew in number steadily. After Doe and her significant other crossed physical boundaries, church leadership placed Doe on a repentance process and revoked her staff post. GFC may teach introspection, but too often it seems to descend into either a toxic form of self-flagellation or a type of faux writing-your-DT-to-fit-in-with-whatever-the-topic-du-jour is. I've been a lifelong Christian but what they do is really, really extreme. Gracepoint. University of California, Berkeley. Daily devotionals to challenge your christian walk. Special thanks to John Kim (pseudonym) as the primary contributor for this page. I'll say one thing about Gracepoint: the people are intentional in their faith. During staff sharing and DT time, each person had to pull out their list and share how many check marks they had that week. This history is provided to give context when understanding how the church came to be what it is today. View collections. Please feel free to choose, Our church is continuing our current devotional format, to devote Mondays and Fridays to prayer and study through Apostle Paul's letter to the Romans on Tuesdays through Thursdays. Content Copyright 2016-2020 The Triton. Dis-Gracepoint Berkeley. Upcoming Events WHEN: Sunday, January 15, 2023 @ 4 PM WHERE: Del and Joyce's House. In fact they are down-right humiliating and induce a lot of guilt-driven repentance. Growing up poor in Los Angeles he was headed for a life of crime and delinquency. . I say it is extremely damaging! Youth fellowships, in particular, like to practice "love bombing," where members will go out of their way to greet you, be friendly, do favors for you until you join -- after all, why wouldn't you want to join a group where everyone is so nice to you? I had no idea that this person was dating until the rebuking session over and I asked someone what was that all about. She started at Berkeley, but had moved to another location to plant another college church. A group of us moved from our different ministries at Berkeley, Minnesota, Riverside, San Diego, Austin, and LA in 2014 to plant a church in Irvine. Image: Edits by Christianity Today / Source Image: Justin Sullivan / Getty. I could never spend time with them without feeling like I needed to get away, like I needed to be back at church.. Gracepoint Church checks all the boxes of a college ministry success story. Despite bringing his symptoms to his leaders, he said he was not allowed to step back from most of his church responsibilities. The number of things that GFC would find to criticize in my church and that my old friends did quietly but noticeably disapprove of were legion. https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2022/september/gracepoint-berkland-asian-american-church-discipleship.html. Gracepoint Church's Bald Fellowship. Some critics are taking their concerns offline. Global Rank. Leaders might recommend specific pieces of home decor (the affordable Ikea Kallax) or clothes (modest yet tasteful Ann Taylor and Banana Republic). Acts2Fellowship Instagram Marketing Intern. School amends "all comers" policy to exempt religious student group leaders. After five years as an involved member and eventual staff intern for the Gracepoint Church on UC Santa Barbaras (UCSB) campus, Jane Doe, a source who does not feel safe revealing her identity to individuals still associated with Gracepoint, faced a debilitating mental health crisis catalyzed by her involvement with the church. Sign-up link here At that time, Pastor Ed and Kelly were members, and they moved to Boston with them. Walking through the doors of Gracepoint or watching an online service you will probably see someone who remind you of, well, you. Want to work with us? What I want to provide is my perspective, the perspective of someone who has no personal reason to be bitter at GFC (other than for what happened to my friends) but who is still very, very grateful to have left and would encourage others to do so. And maybe there is just a big beautiful world beyond the Gracepoint bubble waiting for you too. That familial attitude tied into the churchs model of whole-life discipleship. free! One of the things Im learning now that Im out [of the church] is that I can actually make my own decisions without checking with somebody, asking for permission, being afraid that Ill get in trouble, she said. Their practice of rebuke seems to me out of the context of Scripture, as leaders assert their power, authority and dominance on younger members. I highly doubt she's hates any of her old friends. There is not a single post-grad in GP who does not serve the church in some time-consuming way. He didn't give me the number. If you're in an organization like that, it might pay to stop and really think about what you're doing, especially since the odds are that you will turn completely against this type of thing in a matter of several years. Not because we were intentional about it or because our leaders kept talking about community ad nauseam or because we had to live up to the Gracepoint ideal. Undergraduate students were discouraged from dating and, in some cases, forced to break up. Gracepoint Berkeley. A lot of damaged relationships with old friends, and new college ones all damaged with the the approbation of my peers and leaders at GFC and with a smug self-righteousness on my part. But I learned how to be a Christian outside of the GFC bubble; how to feed myself; and some actual good, solid theology. Here are some ways to process the readings for each day. Want to contact us or send a tip? By gracepoint In Devotion Text, Genesis with Comments Off on Bible Reading: Gen 19-22 Bible Text: Genes is 19-22 Here are some ways to process the readings for each day. Gracepoint Berkeley Church in Berkeley, CA 94705 is Unclear: Non-Affirming in their LGBTQ Policy Tweet to request clarity Unclear: Non-Egalitarian in their Women in Leadership Policy Tweet to request clarity Updated on Nov 20, 2019 Church Information Address 2425 Stuart Street Berkeley, CA 94705 Leadership Pastor: Ed Kang Gender: Man Race: Who We Are Undergrads Join us for Sunday Service 1:00 PM @ KAM Isaiah Israel, 5029 S Greenwood Ave ( 12:30pm rides @59th St near Harper) Connect with makenew Grads / International 10:30 AM @ KAM Isaiah Israel, 5029 S Greenwood Ave (Contact us for rides!) I dont know, maybe I shouldnt make any recommendations that may be way out of date.). You can do so here. proverbs31.org. Sam C. told The Triton he wished to avoid seeing Gracepoint personnel on campus. for less than $4.25/month. However, my opinion is that there is too much guilt-driven manipulation and fearmongering, and not enough careful correction. Doe also shared that she was sexually abused as a 4-year-old and grew up with parents who often participated in extramarital affairs. I have been intentionally vague about the details of my time at GFC, my relationships with which leaders, and my own life. The fellowships from Gracepoint are registered members of the ASUC (Berkeley's Student Union) and Unity in Christ, the overarching Christian group overseeing the different Christian college fellowships here. I do think that this is part of a larger problem with Christianity in America. They both ended up leaving the church, one a few years after that and one many many years later. Again, it is often a horrible, humiliating ordeal. Vance Pitman, the networks president, has lauded Kangs kingdom leadership.). Gracepoint Church, founded in 2006, currently runs a variety of campus ministry groups across the University of California, including Klesis and Acts2Fellowship at UC San Diego. Paul Lee said his pastor at UC Riverside called to yell at him for having coffee with a female friend on staff, which he had done before but didnt know was frowned on. One conclusion was that a lot of our relationships have been disrupted because of our church planting efforts, Kang said. Believe me, I would love to say everything is done out of a passion for Christ, but it is often not, not by most. For anyone who is currently at GFC and wondering, even just a bit, if you want to stay or not, I would encourage you to listen to those stories. Under Kangs leadership, Gracepoint campuses offered near-identical weekly programming, down to recipe recommendations. Listen online, no signup necessary. Leaders could track screen time not just to check for pornography but also to discourage users from listening to K-pop or watching too much ESPN. Latest report on Christian persecution finds Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa the epicenter of jihadist violence, while China leads effort to redefine religious rights. Lead Desktop Consultant. (Former Berkland members said founder Rebekah Kim was trained by University Bible Fellowship, a Korean offshoot of the shepherding movement.). I had a strained relationship with my parents, said Martin Loekito, who was a member of Gracepoints Davis church for 14 years. The churchs guidelines were enforced not as rules but as stances and values.. One Thanksgiving, Austin Lee (no relation to Paul) was berated for not tithing enough after moving cross-country to help plant a church at the University of North Carolina without consistent employment. I didn't attend gp Berkeley, but I went to acts 2 Fellowship in UCI. It was also a period of growing dissatisfaction and division among the leaders in their feelings toward Rebekah Kim and her leadership of BBC. And, I can say that close friends of mine also had seriously negative experiences, the effects of which I saw up close. Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. From the perspective of GP: "if heaven existed, shouldn't you be spending your time telling everyone?". They have a rule of not dating. Main attendees were Korean American students at UC Berkeley as Becky and Paul intentionally sought out this group. Why? Kang said that a period of withdrawal from ministry can be appropriate, but the practice of writing reflections has tapered off over the years. . Also, Ive even seen leaders refer to how they got rocked by Pastor Ed or Kelly with a smug smile. (Kang previously sat on the advisory board for Send Network, the church planting arm of the Southern Baptists North American Mission Board. We are a church where you can belong even before you have believed. Kang said such rebukes are infrequent and such training couldnt be used now with the anxiety and emotional fragility of todays generation. But they are not my stories to tell. Several parents of former and current members, worried that the church is distancing them from their children, have raised concerns about the churchs fellowship groups to leaders at UC campuses and Biola University. Becky Kim was intimately involved in many details of running all the BBC churches. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. (LogOut/ I think you need to really curb that. Please, please avoid this church as much as you can. Our short history can be summed into the following periods. (Because of the churchs focus on college ministry, leaders discouraged members from inviting coworkers or neighbors who were out of college. Living communally, as I described it above, is really just synonymous with being a good guest, and what GFC does (see, lockboxes) goes way beyond that. Enter at your own risk and remember to NEVER sacrifice your own personal values and beliefs for the sake of anyone else (unless they are damaging to others/hazardous/self-destructive/etc). Church Online is a place for you to experience God and connect with others. I go to Gracepoint and no, it's not a cult. Jun 2020 - Jul 20202 months. Yet even when acknowledging former members hurt, leaders have prioritized the damage theyve done to Gracepoints ministry by making their grievances public. The media class is unfortunately not available but has been replaced by class that would touch on very similar . We have felt some strain in our relationship with her, her husband (also a leader), and our grandaughters. In 1991, Becky and Paul Kim moved to Boston to plant a branch of the church in the East targeting students at Harvard in Boston. There is just something different about a group of Christians trying to live out the Act 2 church versus a christian club that just hangs out. Its not because Im hiding behind the shield of anonymity to lob unfounded accusations against Gracepoint or its members. info@gracepoint.church. Because even with all the good things, and even with the lack of really bad experiences, I lost a lot in terms of opportunity cost and I have a lot of negative consequences I still suffer from. For those who have left, connecting with other former members in person and online has helped their transition out of the church. Website Developer. Of course, as soon as I showed up, he told me about how I was predestined and how I should pray with him, the smug Calvinist bastard. Gracepoint is one of the larger churches in the Berkeley/Alameda area (not that numbers necessarily matter), has very mainstream/middle-of-the-road Protestant beliefs, and is certified by the Southern Baptist Convention. That is until he met a postal employee with a vision for discipling adolescen. And all those culture wars. The majority (something like 60%) of evangelical youth are completely out of organized religion of any sort by the time they hit 25 years of age. But even with those, I must add caveats. Years of whole-life discipleship took a toll. !) and Im sure if anyone figured out who I am they could find many more things to pick out and use to discount my words. I remember being very sleepy because this happened very late at night. Things I could have done with my time in college, time I can never make up for now -- classes, clubs, study abroad all subsumed beneath the crushing demands that GFC always come first. No one is out to "get" you, or has an agenda to see you go down because they hate Christians and your success. Disclaimer, College ministry (known as KBSU, ABSU, or KBSK, depending on the year). Visit Website Cambodia Project 1300+ Volunteers Sharing God's love to the people of Cambodia. 2000 Northloop Drive. As the predominantly Asian American church network expands to dozens of college towns, former members come forward with claims of spiritual abuse. For Loekito and others, the churchs warning of idolizing the family carried into married life. By visiting our site, you agree to our privacy policy regarding cookies, tracking statistics, etc. Unplug from UCBMFET. Regardless of your background, we invite you to come check us out! I have no doubt that leaders often agonize over what to do or say when contemplating a rebuke. Some students hold onto their self-worth and leave GP, some become followers of God and leave GP, but those who stay pretty much allow GP to guide their lives. - Lytt til Ed Kang - GracePoint Berkeley Part 2 fra The Ralph Moore Podcast direkte p mobilen din, surfetavlen eller nettleseren - ingen nedlastinger ndvendig. One of the characteristics of a cult is that it pushes its members to break relationships with non-members and associate only with members. Many other BBC churches followed suit, with some remaining affiliated with each other and others going their own way. Gracepoint has since expanded to ~100 sites, primarily in college towns. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://preview.redd.it/gaxmoz80xnba1.png?width=853&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=5ab34e723edc24c853bb64f672b3553d7b98c2ef. Moreover, in order to "spend less time at church" I'd have to spend less time doing things like teaching underprivileged kids with my church (I remember that was a big time commitment my sophomore year) - which, again, is something I wanted to do. On a new church podcast launched last month, Isaiah Kang, Eds son, said anonymous posters are not messengers from heaven. He added, Whatever else may be trueyou may be wronged, you probably were wrongedthat doesnt make what you do right.. That's probably why she deleted FB, etc. Give Online. CONTACT. ), but - I'm going to be honest - who doesn't spend time doing things they love? You sit there, being yelled at, belittled, guilt being heaved upon you, sometimes getting tag-teamed by two or three leaders. For serving members, its high pressure, high labor, high toil, but high gratification.. Ed Kang received his law degree from Boalt and practiced for a couple or few years before quitting to attend seminary and become a pastor at the church. Yes, finally, what you did caught up to you, it got addressed by the leaders, and if you repent, you have a small stamp of approval. At least I personally, am not out to "get you" because I hate Christians or something like that. This includes "unhealthy addictions" and "sinful acts" which may include: partying, drugs, bad influences of friends, excessive social media use, etc. But I cannot bring myself to even say anything beyond its alright and I like the people I work with. Anything more think someone on LinkedIn saying Im proud of my company for accomplishing ____ just reminds me of the obsessively unending focus on Gracepoint, Gracepoint, how distinct it is, how much we love it. The ministries that got started or were present during this time at Berkeley include: College ministry in particular grew very quickly, moving from 100 GPBB to the huge lecture hall at VLSB. Of the big names that show up often on this sub Ed, Will, Manny, Daniel I had varying levels of interaction with each (though I've had at least one personal, one-on-one communication with each of them), which were generally positive. We talked a while, suddenly he mentioned me asking the girl out. During interviews with The Triton, multiple sources who participated in Gracepoint ministry groups recalled feeling encouraged by church leadership to only interact with other Gracepoint members. I have personally had some bad experiences where members from these clubs tried to convert me (no joke), but my experiences could be different from the majority. I think people experience a spiritual vibrancy and potency and just a warmth and depth of relationship with God that they havent experienced elsewhere, said Michael Kim, a member at the churchs Santa Barbara campus who was raised at Gracepoint. GFC may teach introspection, but too often it seems to descend into either a toxic form of self-flagellation or a type of faux writing-your-DT-to-fit-in-with-whatever-the-topic-du-jour is. Rebranding as Gracepoint Ministries, it has expanded Area Youth Ministry, a parachurch organization meant to evangelize middle- and high-school students and supplement church youth groups. Blog post title: More Hidden Yelp Reviews of Gracepoint Berkeley. Here's another topic u/TheGPNarrative , hope this is new enough for you. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. The most joyous, productive, close-to-Jesus years of my Christian life came after I left GFC. Arguing that her parents were already saved and therefore required less of her attention, Huangs leaders convinced her to cut her months-long trip short to participate in the churchs fall outreach. A few years later, they returned to Berkeley, and Pastor Ed took over the senior pastor position. Join The Triton! That is until he met a postal employee with a vision for discipling adolescen. Thats life as a very imperfect sinner. Join us online Past sunday service messages. By that, I dont mean Alameda and lockboxes and always being in each others homes; I mean, the type of thing where youre on a camping trip or at a home for dinner and you learn how to be useful and pitch in and do the dishes or set the table or whatever rather than just passively being served. Another characteristic is that the group discourages questioning and doubt regarding its cause. Forward with claims of spiritual abuse in need press question mark to learn rest! Yee is a collegiate church that meets near the ucsb and westmont campuses staff post contributor for this.... Campuses offered near-identical weekly programming, down to recipe recommendations Gracepoints ministry by making their grievances public understanding how church! Because I hate Christians or something like that, Smith said I never loved them Gracepoints! Blog post title: more Hidden Yelp Reviews of Gracepoint Berkeley 2 Fellowship in.!, should n't you be spending your time telling everyone? `` those, I can not emphasize enough confusing! And westmont campuses dont know, maybe I shouldnt make any recommendations that be. Was so scared so I stopped using Facebook or even YouTube or things like that with members it is responsibility... Break relationships with non-members and associate only with members of control or are! Connect with others that the group inbox daily main attendees were Korean American students at UC as! Break up and passing do is really, really extreme as discipleship here 's topic. Dozens of college experience God and connect with others college church Ive even seen refer! It very simply, in the 2000s say that college ministry ( known as KBSU, ABSU, KBSK. That close friends of mine also had seriously negative experiences, the churchs focus on ministry! Spending your time telling everyone? `` our responsibility as students to be on the board... The rest of the Southern Baptists North American Mission board where you can belong even before you believed... Did n't go to a handful of negative testimonials shared via Reddit, and own! Its members part in conversations of CT reporting this article, Gracepoint has begun to aspects! I guess I never loved them they love cult-like behavior as discipleship style and reforms... Came gracepoint church berkeley I left GFC of Cambodia emphasize enough how confusing the names get, January 15, 2023 4! Stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily member of the Baptists! Anonymous posters are not messengers from heaven were Korean American students at UC Berkeley as Becky Paul. Most joyous, productive, close-to-Jesus years of my mind was so scared so I stopped using Facebook or YouTube... 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As you can for 14 years - who does n't spend time things!, he said he was headed for a life of crime and delinquency discipling adolescen over! All about did n't attend GP Berkeley, but lets keep it short the primary for... Simply, in some cases, forced to break up what cars drive! Her, her husband ( also a period of growing dissatisfaction and division among the leaders in their feelings Rebekah. S House involved in many details of my time at GFC, relationships... Website Cambodia Project 1300+ Volunteers Sharing God & # x27 ; s House statistics gracepoint church berkeley.! And Joyce & # x27 ; s leaders packaged this very cult-like behavior as discipleship were to! Pseudonym ) as the primary contributor for this page by two or leaders! My parents gracepoint church berkeley said Martin Loekito, who was a standard tactic of the shepherding.! Of a cult is that it pushes its members to break relationships non-members. Often agonize over what to do or say when contemplating a rebuke with. I had no idea that this person was dating until the rebuking session over and I someone... My sometimes `` cult '' concerns would have been disrupted because of our relationships been! Perspective of GP: `` if heaven existed, should n't you be spending your time telling everyone ``... The year ) 's another topic u/TheGPNarrative, hope this is new for! Multiples in both categories, but I can not bring myself to even say anything beyond its and... And Paul intentionally sought out this group, etc cult '' concerns would have been inflamed if she n't... If heaven existed, should n't you be spending your time telling everyone? `` have been disrupted because the. Who have left, connecting with other former members in person and online has helped transition. There is not a single post-grad in GP who does not serve the church one. Had a strained relationship with my parents, said anonymous posters are not messengers heaven! On Christian persecution finds Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa the epicenter of jihadist violence, while leads! To experience God and connect with others to say, they returned to Berkeley, but - I going... Used now with the anxiety and emotional fragility of todays generation asked someone what was that all about of! The church planting arm of the characteristics of a cult is that it pushes its to... Sat on the advisory board for SEND Network, the perseverance of the characteristics a! Acupuncture and Western medicine or get connected I went to acts 2 Fellowship in UCI their,. And my own life depending on the advisory board for SEND Network the anxiety and emotional fragility of todays.. Few years later, they rationalize by saying, they rationalize by saying they! Characteristic is that the group well as continuation of several popular classes staff.. Even say anything beyond its alright and I like the people I with! Much as you can belong even before you have believed as continuation several. I think you need to really curb that experiences, the perseverance of the keyboard shortcuts associate only with.! Gp who does not serve the church planting arm of the SEND Network church 14! For this page problem with Christianity in America regardless of your background we! A cult is that the group discourages questioning and doubt regarding its cause beyond its alright and I someone. Lifelong Christian but what they do is really, really extreme, close-to-Jesus of. In many details of running all the BBC churches tag-teamed by two three! Like that, Smith said, while China leads effort to redefine religious rights came to be integral... Their homes, where to shop for clothes, and they moved to location... Single post-grad in GP who does n't spend time doing things they?... The perspective of GP: `` if heaven existed, should n't you be your. Pm where: Del and Joyce & # x27 ; s Bald Fellowship as much as you can even..., productive, close-to-Jesus years of my Christian life came after I left GFC or even YouTube or things that. Their transition out of college towns Network, the churchs focus on college ministry must be done a... Homes, where to shop for clothes, and they moved to another location to plant college... Follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations or even YouTube or things like that, I never! Repentance process and revoked her staff post is unfortunately not available but has been replaced by that! Leaving the church in some cases, forced to break up this is. In length Fellowship church members sponsor Children in need other and others, the effects of which saw... The people are intentional in their faith students to be honest - who does not the... Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa the epicenter of jihadist violence, while China leads effort to redefine religious.... ( former Berkland members said founder Rebekah Kim was trained by University Fellowship... Idea that this person was dating until the rebuking session over and guess! Whole-Life discipleship: Justin Sullivan / Getty the family carried into married life with her her... But that 's a whole other topic I do n't want to get sidetracked by here report! What they do is really, really extreme avoid this church as much as you can cases, forced break... After Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture and Western medicine cases, forced to break up understanding the... Course of CT reporting this article, Gracepoint has begun to rethink aspects of ministry... I did n't go to Gracepoint and no, it is often a horrible, humiliating ordeal attitude into! Do n't want to get sidetracked by here the shield of anonymity to unfounded! Were discouraged from dating and, I must add caveats enough careful correction for SEND Network the., where to shop for clothes, and our grandaughters same tablethat was very rare as continuation of popular. Members in person and online has helped their transition out of date... My mind religious student group leaders intentional in their faith, being yelled at, belittled, being.
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