- Apr 12, 2011
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I know that sounds rather weird, but I'm a little concerned for a college ministry here in my city. I have a number of friends apart of this group, and well, I often wonder if they are slowly slipping into cultism and even if they aren't, they get pretty out of line and consider it correct to do so. I'm just curios if any of these raise "Red flags" with y'all...
A few things I strange things I have noticed:
1) The main church is nothing like the college ministry. The church very much promotes unity among churches and going out, while the college ministry basically thinks that they're the only right ones and everyone should join them. The college pastor actually said this in a lesson "What I am saying right because this is what the Bible says. It doesn't matter what any other pastor has ever told you because they're not true followers"
2) They believe that if you do not share their viewpoint on everything, you are not a real follower, therefore you might as well be just be an admitting non-believe because that would be better.
3) They present themselves as "holier-than-thou" and then tell each other how the prayed for a random person or witnessed to this person. Not that there's anything wrong with those things, I don't think scripture says boast and brag about it.
4) They do not take no as an answer. If they ask you to church or one of their small groups, and you say no. They will ask you again, and again, and again, you get the point, until you say yes.
5) There's this weird hierarchy thing going on. On top you have Jeremy and Keith (the two college pastors). Then you have the section leaders, each section has several small groups in them (called Life Groups). I know a lot churches are set up this way, but you can't just start a life group without permission of our section leader and you must go through training to be a leader if they want you to (they pick and choose who). Also, they have discipleship groups, which are more informal but can't just be people one has to be a group leader.
I was apart of this group, I left because God told me to leave. It was spiritually damaging for me to be there. I noticed that when I started sharing my more liberal viewpoints, there was this growing distance between us. I finally sat down and told two of them (who I was grown closest two) that it had become spiritually damaging for me to be there, and my relationship with God was better apart from them. They understood and asked me to share it with the rest. I agreed. That was two months ago, I've asked several times to be able to do this and they either say: not now or just ignore the question and not answer back. I also have met a few people that go to the church and told me that they would never join the college ministry.
I don't know if I'm reading into things too much, I sometimes can do that. I am concerned as a friend that they are slowly walking into dangerous territory. Does any of this signal red flags to anyone else?
A few things I strange things I have noticed:
1) The main church is nothing like the college ministry. The church very much promotes unity among churches and going out, while the college ministry basically thinks that they're the only right ones and everyone should join them. The college pastor actually said this in a lesson "What I am saying right because this is what the Bible says. It doesn't matter what any other pastor has ever told you because they're not true followers"
2) They believe that if you do not share their viewpoint on everything, you are not a real follower, therefore you might as well be just be an admitting non-believe because that would be better.
3) They present themselves as "holier-than-thou" and then tell each other how the prayed for a random person or witnessed to this person. Not that there's anything wrong with those things, I don't think scripture says boast and brag about it.
4) They do not take no as an answer. If they ask you to church or one of their small groups, and you say no. They will ask you again, and again, and again, you get the point, until you say yes.
5) There's this weird hierarchy thing going on. On top you have Jeremy and Keith (the two college pastors). Then you have the section leaders, each section has several small groups in them (called Life Groups). I know a lot churches are set up this way, but you can't just start a life group without permission of our section leader and you must go through training to be a leader if they want you to (they pick and choose who). Also, they have discipleship groups, which are more informal but can't just be people one has to be a group leader.
I was apart of this group, I left because God told me to leave. It was spiritually damaging for me to be there. I noticed that when I started sharing my more liberal viewpoints, there was this growing distance between us. I finally sat down and told two of them (who I was grown closest two) that it had become spiritually damaging for me to be there, and my relationship with God was better apart from them. They understood and asked me to share it with the rest. I agreed. That was two months ago, I've asked several times to be able to do this and they either say: not now or just ignore the question and not answer back. I also have met a few people that go to the church and told me that they would never join the college ministry.
I don't know if I'm reading into things too much, I sometimes can do that. I am concerned as a friend that they are slowly walking into dangerous territory. Does any of this signal red flags to anyone else?
If God has led you away from that, well then keep on...
Persistance is key, I've been told. Sometimes annoying but hey, it worked 
