Bill Gothard resigns from the Institute in Basic Life Principles

The allegations against Gothard dovetail with financial woes. In recent years, IBLP’s net revenue has dropped significantly, and the ministry is losing money. Between 2009 and 2012, it lost $8.6 million. Its net assets dropped from $92 million in 2010 to $81 million in 2012. It held 504 seminars in 2010, but that number dropped to fewer than 50 in 2012.

Observation: 30 years ago - who was warning fundamental churches about the aberrant Gothard doctrine. I was in the GARBC circle back then, and IBYC was the in conference!

Question: Is Growing Kids God’s Way this generations’ cultic teaching? That the church is failing to be discerning about?

Links:

http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/exposes/ezzo/ezzokids.htm

http://www.equip.org/articles/the-cultic-characteristics-of-growing-fam…

http://ezzo.info/Articles/groupmag.htm

http://www.ezzotruth.com/growing-kids-gods-way-faq.html

What a shocker! A conservative religious institution, led by someone who enjoyed “absolute” power and drove a “cult” like status, found to have a leader practicing impropriety. Who would have thunk it!

He was found to have practiced impropriety?

http://www.recoveringgrace.org/gothardfiles/

–– [ MOD note …. update]…….

I was informed / corrected by another moderator that above link to the files on Bill Gothard aren’t from GRACE, but from Recovering Grace. They have no connection. Recovering Grace is a “survivors” group. GRACE is a different organization.

Oh right. I read those as accusations. I must have misread where someone said he was found out to have done them.

[James K]

Oh right. I read those as accusations. I must have misread where someone said he was found out to have done them.

Interesting. Recovering Grace has 34 women’s accusations. How many would it take before some people would believe them? In fact, what proof would some people accept? I don’t know where James is but I did hear from some Gothard supporters recently who told me emphatically that everything on Recovering Grace is lies.

Several points I previously made:

1. IBLP isn’t a church and neither is Recovering Grace, yet they are treating this like a church discipline matter outside the church.

2. If something criminal has occurred, then there are steps to take.

3. An accusation of sexual misconduct/assault isn’t proof of actual sin unless you are also willing to condemn Joseph.

4. I am not ATI and never will be. I have no interest in defending Bill Gothard. I have no vested interest in this other than my belief that the handling of this all is clumsy at best and probably more asinine than anything else.

I never took Mr. Gothard’s kool-aid after I came to understand he would not support my separating (at the age of 19) from my parents’ liberal\neo-orthodox United Presbyterian church and joining the Baptists after my salvation. My dad, on the other hand, told folks who asked he was happy I was still going to church at the age of 19.

My concern is that many will now distance themselves from Gothard himself without distancing themselves from his doctrine. I have seen for years people who say they want nothing to do with Gothard because the recognize that he is a off base, but yet they hold on to so many of his teachings even though their church does not.

[James K]

He was found to have practiced impropriety?

Yep! Despite the legal, moral and ethical issues he is facing from an increasingly large number of women, I think we can all agree that his doctrine and practices can be found to be improper as well. This probably with an even lower threshhold than the womanizing accusations that he now faces.

Again, 34 women. What is acceptable proof if 34 women giving similar testimony is not? Without trying to take sides, I am just trying to get an answer to that question.

[GregH]

Again, 34 women. What is acceptable proof if 34 women giving similar testimony is not? Without trying to take sides, I am just trying to get an answer to that question.

Well if we knew the total pool of woman that Gothard came into contact with, we could run a statistical hypothesis test on this. With that said, I would say that there is a very high probability that there is truth in these statements. I am also sure that the 34 number most likely will grow.

Can we agree that an accusation isn’t proof of guilt? If you read this as trying to protect Gothard, you are missing my point. I have zero desire to defend him. I have many doctrinal problems with his views. Truth is though, that is true of many who post on here. I won’t get sucked into a mob mentality. If someone was criminally mistreated, there is an avenue. Starting a website isn’t it. Plenty of people have websites that serve only to perpetuate confusion http://indefenseofthegospel.blogspot.com/

[James K]

Can we agree that an accusation isn’t proof of guilt?

You only have to know about these people / events to have to agree on that!:

• McMartin Preschool trial. Teacher Ray Buckey served five years in jail without ever having been convicted OR
• The tragic case of Richard Jewell (Centennial Olympic Park bombing)

But in the case of Gothard, there is enough smoke to justify his dismissal from IBYC (which is different than a conviction)