Bill Gottard FINALLY asked to take administrative leave- UBM take note

Recovering Grace, a blog for survivors and victims of IBLP and ATI reports that Bill Gothard, has been asked to take an administrative leave after years of broken, lives and abuse.

This follows the resignation of Doug Philips at Vision Forum, a highly influential player in the  "biblical womanhood" movement.

To those of us impacted or connected to these groups, it is a profound shock to discover the dark under belly, so carefully hidden from public view. 

Such is the case for spiritual abusers and high-demand church group leaders. They have an appearance of great wisdom, holiness, kindness and righteouness...but inwardly...other sins and motivations are operating.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. (Mt 23:27)

They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi^b by others.  (Matthew 23: 5-7 ESV)

There's only way out - genuine heart repentance.

A note to my friends and readers who feel uncomfortable with my language in this post. .Certain terms that were used to force compliance such as "repent" and scripture itself can feel very uncomfortable and triggering after enduring spiritual abuse. This is also called  a "trigger."

I apologize in advance for any discomfort this page may give you and any conflicted feelings that may result. Spiritual Abuse sanctuary has been a helpful resource for me on this journey as has learning about cults and cult recovery.

Peace.

UBM IS a cult part 2

Here is a link to the most popular post on this blog:

Unleavened Bread Ministries IS a cult

I can't handle this

Sometimes God's truth is so painful to our flesh, we are tempted to refuse it.

Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, “This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?” (John 6:60)

The Word puts to death many things we hold dear. 
It can be relationships.
It can be our world view.

But rest assured, that when the Lord delivered us of error...the end result is peace, joy, and deeper fellowship with Him.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy. 21“Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. 22“Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
(John 16:20-22)

Learning the truth about UBM is similar.
There are a lot of strong emotions and confusion.
We recognize that our spiritual house was not built on the rock...but built upon a foundation of hay. It is hard and troubling to accept that.

You may find it hard to trust.
It can be difficult understanding what are majors and what are minors in the faith.
You may be immediately drawn to another system of belief, spiritual, diet, lifestyle, that has very clear cut rules. Do this, don't do this. Eat this, not that.

Drawn near to God, and He will drawn near to you. Be patient with yourself and the healing process. The Lord deals with us with gentle purposefulness. Like a good surgeon, he often operates on one part at a time...not doing it all in one cut, or we wouldn't be able to handle it.

For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.

For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod.

 Bread corn is bruised; 

because he will not ever be threshing it, 

nor break it with the wheel of his cart,

 nor bruise it with his horsemen.

 This also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.

(Isaiah 28:23- 29)


That's you, dear ones. 

Just as a seed is threshed, God's purpose is not to destroy...but to release the seed so that it is fruitful.

We know that God works all things together for good for the ones who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28)


YOU are precious to Him!

New Comments

(formatting added by me for emphasis)

"False teaching should be reported. There is no need to do a Mat.18:15-17; in this matter. The local UBM church in TN, with the other apostle should deal with David E. relative to Mat.18:15-17; but they will not do so. Because David E. is unaccountable to anyone below him or any other Christian apostle or elders. on Unleavened Bread Ministries IS a cult."
Anonymous

(I had never heard the term "Nicolaitan ministry" - until my time at UBM. Never heard it mentioned...never knew about it. I believed that UBM was a true 5 fold ministry, and as such, was being led by the Holy Spirit. Please investigate for yourself...if this is true. Is UBM led by a plurality of elders? Or by yes-men? If it is Nicolaitan, led by one man, that is hypocrsy because DE teaches so strongly against the concept.)


"David E.'s manchild and bride teaching is a mixture teaching and that is not the pure words of God. Believers and obeyers have to be for the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. David E. is number one in the UBM group. Beware you be not control and manipulated by David E. David E. is the my servant David, in the song Days of Elijah. David E. needs to repent and fear God all the time, and not fear God when David E. decides to do so. Much is require of David E. anyway being a teacher. on Unleavened Bread Ministries IS a cult." 
Anonymous

(Indeed, it is mixture and a deadly one. There is enough truth, to draw many true seekers. This is the worst type of deception. A ministry that calls itself "unleavened" is actually highly leavened. A ministry that casts out demons actually imparts them. This is a great deception and I pray earnestly that God's people are set free from it. )



"Most of the former elders that David E. appointed left UBM in 2011 because David can not be corrected or David E. does not fear God all the time. Most brethren do not know the other side to David E. and have not labor enough with David E. to know the real truth and the mixed teachings of David E. If you idolized David, you are spell bound. Read 1 Tim.6:1-4; This describes David E., he did not obey or do Mat. 18:15-17; on April 19, 2013 in Madisonville, TN. With the witnesses there, David E. explain the opposite and did the opposite of Jesus Christ's written words. David's tactic is to turn matters to you with his favorite verses to counter you, to manipulate the brethren to his thinking. David E. is the elected apostle of UBM and even new subordinate apostles are under David E.. You will discover about David E. in due time if you on in local UBM IN tn for a season. Just now and then visiting you will not discover the real David E.. He will have to answer to God in Eccl.12:13-14; on Unleavened Bread Ministries IS a cult" 
Anonymous


"It was Sun. June 17, 2013, I was not thinking about David Eell's earlier and the prophet I contacted months earlier did not contact me either or after. I had a dream and I appeared before David Eells. David looked real angry at me. We did not exchanged any words. David was dress in a white shirt with the patch with the capirtal letters on his shirt sleeve: A.S.G. He was wearing a tan color pants. The dream ended. Later I ask some brethern to pray to get a interpretation. Could this be meaning David is: Against Sovereign God. Brethern do not let yourself be deceive or be led astray by man. on Unleavened Bread Ministries IS a cult."
Anonymous


Why all of the anonymous comments? If you have spent anytime listening to UBM online, you know the pattern. Anyone who criticizes or warns against the ministry or head teacher (sole teacher)will be slandered on online radio, BY NAME. Personal and counseling emails will be read. Most importantly, the accused will never be given a chance to respond.


The control of information flow is a tactic to maintain control and to maintain UBM's number one resource- the reputation of its founder in the eyes of the followers. UBMers desire righteousness. They desire to walk in holiness and not be in apostasy. David has taught them that most Christian ministries are apostate. On the website are dozens of articles about the error of Christians and ministries "in the Harlot Church." This belief alone is why many UBMers won't even entertain the suggestion, by men, the Word, or even the Holy Spirit, that David and UBM are also in spiritual unfaithfulness.
Where else would they go?

The answer- friends....to Jesus Christ alone.
With no man or ministry as an intermediary between you and he.

Thanks for the recent comments.
I've been neglecting this blog as of late. Sorry!


Some verses to ponder:

As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him. (1 John 2;27)

They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, 7and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men. 8“But do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers. 9“Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10“Do not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ.  (Matthew 23: 6-10)


Friends,
Did you know that Babylon is not only out- there but any place where Jesus is not Lord. Did you know that a minister or a minster can be an idol?  This is the message of the Charles' Newbold's  Harlot Church System. 

Babylon is spiritual...it is a place of bondage, manipulation, and control. You can be home churching and still in Babylon. You can be in a ministry that teaches about Babylon and the Harlot...and still be in both, spiritually. (!!) This is not to scare you, but to help you and me to understand the very subtlety of deception. If you are in a system ruled by one man...and not a true five fold ministry...you could still be in Babylonian captivity. 


"Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE," says the Lord. "AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; And I will welcome you. (2 Cor 6:17) 

What language does your church speak?

From Battered Sheep

Rebellious, as in "a rebellious spirit" or "a rebellious heart": (1) When a young person in the congregation or group asks the pastor or leader an honest question about the justification for a peculiar practice or belief of the church or group, and the pastor is unable to answer the young person's question with an open Bible, then that young person has a "rebellious spirit" or heart. (2) Also used as another term for anyone, who is "unsubmissive", most especially a wife who is "unsubmissive". See also "a Jezebel Spirit". (3) What a person is when they are "unwilling to reconcile". (4) Anyone who doesn't get with "the program". 

Teachable: You are "teachable" when you passively accept what you are taught without questioning the exegesis or logic. (See "unteachable")

Troublemaker: (1) Someone who has the audacity to think the elders should be effectively accountable to the congregation. (2) Anyone who had the nerve and gall to see through the pastor's slipshod exegesis and pseudo-scholarship, and as a result refuse to accept the pastor's interpretation and application. (3) People who have left the church. They were just "troublemakers" so we don't have to give any serious thought or care as to why they left. (4) Anyone in a business meeting who asked critical questions the elders didn't really want to have to deal with even though the questions were very relevant to the issue at hand. (5) Anyone who voted "no" on a proposal or matter the elders favored. (6) Anyone who said anything that was in any way negative about the church. See also "slander".

Unteachable: (1) You are "unteachable" when you have the audacity to go home and study an issue for yourself from the Bible, and come to a different conclusion then what you were taught. The sin in doing this is you're exposing the teacher or preacher's flawed exegesis and sloppy scholarship. (See "teachable" and "unsubmissive") (2) Also used to describe "not getting it". "I was supposed to "get it" when the elders asked me to "resign" from being deacon. I am guessing that what I was supposed to "get" was that "it was all my fault", and the actual offending party had no responsibility whatsoever. In that group of churches to be labeled "unteachable" is equivalent to a "death sentence". Someone who is "unteachable" is on the road to excommunication; they have committed the highest offense a Christian can commit." (3) Also used to describe those who visit the church for a period of time, but then cease coming and go to another church.

Unsubmissive: (1) When you follow your own conscience in the light of your own understanding of Scripture instead of doing what the pastors or elders told you to do, you are "unsubmissive". (2) When a godly Christian wife refuses to tolerate the outrageous, dictatorial overbearing abuse of her husband, then she is an "unsubmissive" wife. See also "a Jezebel Spirit" and "Rebellious".

Unwilling to reconcile: What a person is when they will not accept the pastor's non-negotiable version of what took place and agree to back his version.

Divisive: (1) What a person is called because some people actually realized what that person said was the truth so the church is split. (2) A term used of someone who doesn't swallow the party-line hook, line, and sinker. See "Apostate".

A Bitter spirit (variation "Don't be bitter"): (1) The charge made against a person because that person still stands by what they first said. (2) Former members who say anything negative about the church or group are charged with having "a bitter spirit", so what they say is not given any credibility and ignored even though it is factually true. (3)"Don't be bitter." Said by the truly unkind in order to deeply wound, for (spiritually abused) survivors aren't bitter--we just hurt... a lot! Said to shame, usually in a very public venue and/or in front of other kind people or, worst of all, in front of the "Undecideds" who, upon hearing this condemnation, decide that yes, the (spiritually abused) survivors are indeed "bitter", when all we are doing is hurting... a lot! 

Black sheep: see Apostate 

A Jezebel Spirit: (1) A term used specifically to describe a woman who is "unteachable". See also second entry for "unsubmissive". (2) Also used to describe a woman in the congregation or group who has the audacity to seek to publicly expose the unwanted and unasked for sexual harassment she received from the pastor or other prominent male church member. Such harassment usually fits the definition of a criminal sexual offense as defined by statute law, and exposure would result in negative publicity in the community at large. (See "a family matter") ( A Judas Spirit- for a male- ed added) 

The "World": "The classic, them against us attitude. It was often used when we would do something that some took as "worldly"; watching certain TV programs, or too much TV, buying an expensive car, suit etc. The lists could go on and on, and it was always up to those in authority to interpret it the way they wanted to. We were never totally sure what was worldly or not. Usually, it was the unspoken rule that we should all know. It led to a lot of conformity to this image of what was part of the "World" and what was part of the "Church". So we were always second-guessing all the things we did. It left one with a certain uneasiness, knowing that we were always wrong in certain areas and slipping up. Kept us on the endless treadmill of perfectionism to work at our own salvation. This contributed to never measuring up and was the cause of depression and in rare cases, leading to suicide with a few. I know personally one of my friends who committed suicide. He was always going over the deep end in this area."


More terms to reevaluate in the light of Scripture

"Babylon"
"The Harlot"
"Hidden Manna"
 "Confirmation"
 "The Manchild Doctrine" 
"sowing your own seed"
"The Apostate Church"

Spiritual Abuse Clearinghouse

Stumbled upon this blog today.

Provender- A clearinghouse of sources on spiritual abuse and cult like 
practices in groups and churches


There is an extensive blogroll and research list.

 Some of the subtitles:

"What does elitism have to do with spiritual abuse"

"Stories of Abuse and Survival"

"Using Words to Manipulate"

Spiritual Abuse Questionnaire 


I'll leave you with this def of SA from the Provender website:

WHAT IS SPIRITUAL ABUSE?

Spiritual abuse. It can happen in big churches and small. It can happen in churches that at first seem sound, biblical or healthy. Certain signatures define spiritual abuse: authoritarian leadership, claims that the group or leaders have a special calling or gifts, inability of leaders to handle criticism, harsh treatment of those who question or try to leave. These are just a few. Though the manifestation of abuse differs in externals, underneath are similar traits, repeated in abusive groups. Become familiar with spiritual abuse in a variety of churches and you will soon see how these leaders manipulate and control.

Breaking the Chains - Overcoming the Spiritual Abuse of a False Gospel by Shari Howerton

Breaking the Chains- Overcoming the Spiritual Abuse of a False Gospel.
by Shari Howerton.

The name says it all.

The similarities between Gospel Tabernacle (CGT) and Unleavened Bread Ministries (UBM) are stunning and I found myself weeping as I read.

 The author's tone, humility, and transparency have been a balm for this heart.

UBMer's will see many practices, attitudes, and teachings that are familiar to them.

And a hopeful message of God's power to make all things work together for the good of those who love Him. (Romans 8:28).

We prayed for truth...and God sent us to ministry XYZ

Have you ever said this
or heard it said by others.

RED FLAG.

We need to pray for more of Jesus and to know Him.
Not to simply know "truth."

We could become someone who is "always learning and never coming to knowledge of the truth."

The desire for more knowledge can puff us up...."Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies."

Get this book!!!

Breaking Free
Escaping an Exclusive Christian group.
by Reb Bradley


You will be blessed!