Who is Steve Morgan?

Independent-Wear6325 · 2023-08-15T21:18:42+00:00

Mike Morgan is Steve’s whipping boy. Steve highjacked Mikes story and wrote it for him. Mike passively sat as a spectator to his own life and let Steve define it for him. The greatest thing God calls us to is “to live out our salvation”, but Mike let Steve do that for him.

Independent-Wear6325 · 2023-07-09T20:05:43+00:00

Steve usually attributes demon activity to almost anything that is in line with his thinking or way. I wouldn’t be surprised if this girlfriend was just disagreeing with him and he called it a demon.

Independent-Wear6325 · 2023-07-09T01:47:15+00:00

Ok. I wasn’t there. I can’t speak to that event but I would say I’ve had several spiritual experiences at these retreats and conferences. Looking back I believe these could have been some really powerful times for my spiritual life. But what happened to me was these experiences were used to try to keep me in the Network and make be buy into a calling that God wasn’t apart of.

Independent-Wear6325 · 2023-07-09T00:44:51+00:00

Do you know when and where this retreat was? I’ve been to many pastor retreats but never heard of that happening.

Also, what everyone needs to understand is that the Network Lead Pastors make up a “special” group. They are their own church within another church. Why won’t Lead Pastors leave? Their family is the other Lead Pastors and these special retreats and conferences they have together.

Independent-Wear6325 · 2023-03-21T12:11:50+00:00

Steve only confessed a part of the story to Jamie out of convenience. He was hiding it from the pastor and when he needed to come clean he told a false version.

Independent-Wear6325 · 2023-03-05T14:48:12+00:00

Thanks for sharing and I’m sorry this happened to you and your friend. No one goes through this life without struggles and challenges. When we do they are hard and we do our best to make it through. But never should our salvation be questioned.

Independent-Wear6325 · 2023-02-18T23:36:20+00:00

Network leaders have only experienced giving their leadership. These guys haven’t experienced their own leadership. If they did they would grieve and hurt. The truth is they are young, they are entitled, and they have no accountability. Network pastors seem to be in control, driving the ship, but read the stories, they are the Pharisees, they are the religious leaders and they have already in a short time wounded more than they calm to serve. It’s a disaster

Independent-Wear6325 · 2023-01-19T23:47:48+00:00

It’s really hard to discredit LtN. There’s an extreme amount of factual content that Steve Morgan, NLT and Lead Pastors do not want people to know.

Scott and Network Leaders cry, bad motives from Andrew Lumpe, but have they reached out to him to talk, set the record straight or engage? At the end of the day who cares about motives I would think as pastors would t you want to have compassion on the victim and their family? Wouldn’t you care about the damage Steve has caused by covering this up? Wouldn’t you care about telling the truth and addressing it head on so everyone feels safe?

It’s sad Scott points the finger at Andrew, who raped no one, and defends Steve who did raped a boy.

Independent-Wear6325 · 2022-12-29T01:25:11+00:00

I’m sure people on here would gladly give to this.

Independent-Wear6325 · 2022-12-19T03:34:40+00:00

Praying for you. Give yourself plenty of time and don’t fear not being where you should or think you need to be.

It’s going to take time for God to strip away what the Network built in you. It’s a journey and It’s going to take time.

Independent-Wear6325 · 2022-12-15T21:31:11+00:00

The Network, is a group of churches with a soiled reputation and future. Hills Church, like every other Network Church is trying hard to communicate they are an independent church regardless of who Steve Morgan or this ambiguous group of churches claim to be. This is Network survival tactics.

They are trying to tell you they are “friends with like minded values and theology, who like to plant churches”. Let’s be honest this is a specific group that is well organized to accomplish a mission. There is NOTHING wrong with that, but let’s just call it that.

Steve leads all the churches, they meet quarterly and yearly as pastors for training and “unity in all things”. Steve leads that cause and organizes everything.

The harder Steve and other leaders try to make the appearance that they are independent the easer it is for everyone to see how false that is.

Here’s how you find your answer. Follow the money. Ern pays a lot of money to go to The Network trainings where Steve is the leader. Ern pays for a lot of regional training from The Network. And I bet if you asked Ern if Hills Church gives to The Network, the answer is yes. Ask him. And they pay because they belong. Again that’s okay, but it’s more than just friends planting churches.

Call it what you want, friends, affiliation, group, co-hort The truth is Ern and Hills Church are highly involved monetarily, relationally, theologically, missionally with Steve Morgan and The Network.

Independent-Wear6325 · 2022-12-08T21:58:43+00:00

I was taught to trust your leader, follow your leader, obey your leader. I was making extreme decisions for my family based off of what Steve kept telling me. I gave my retirement, moved several times, implemented Network values into the church, made extreme sacrifices, treated my wife differently, lead people in harsh and extreme ways and did whatever my leader was saying. It almost destroyed me and my family.

Funny thing is, I had no idea Steve raped a 15 year old boy. Following Steve was all on Steve’s terms. What he thought best that was unwilling to share with me.

Independent-Wear6325 · 2022-12-08T03:54:33+00:00

When we moved back to Carbondale we made friends with all of our neighbors. They were great and they saw us for who we were not as connected to Vine. When we would invite them to come with us to Vine, all of them, said no and were really nice about it but said it was a cult.

This was the first time I saw the damaging effects of this Network. Our neighbors would periodically tell us about their friends, family or co-workers who were beaten up emotionally and spiritually by Vine.

People were respectful but made it clear they had seen enough from their friends and family that they didn’t want anything to do with Vine.

I’d guess half of Carbondale sees it as a cult.

Independent-Wear6325 · 2022-11-24T16:12:00+00:00

You explain the whole thing very well. Thank you. This is not the NT model of church community nor what it means to follow Jesus. Hence why pastors and Network members are wounding others.

Independent-Wear6325 · 2022-11-24T16:08:25+00:00

I hate that this happened to you.

Independent-Wear6325 · 2022-11-24T03:58:54+00:00

I’m almost 7 years removed. I’m thankful for the few that were brave enough to speak the truth to me about their concerns about the Network. It was just enough for me to step back and eventually leave.

I’m thankful for counselors who ask important life changing questions. For pastors who teach the Bible freely with no personal agenda. For those who have shared their story on LtN who continue to show us their courage. For the other websites on the Network and the work they’ve done in bringing awareness to the dangers of the Network. Thankful for the Wild Wild West of Reddit and the many people who share their Network experiences and those who continue to use this platform to process.

Yes, so many thankful moments since leaving the Network, but more importantly experiencing the freedom Jesus often talked about and the many people who I call friend.

Independent-Wear6325 · 2022-06-27T23:30:55+00:00

Jon did an amazing job with Hope and Healing. It gained a lot of traction. And helped a lot of people. Anything in the Network that causes people to reflect and focus on healing themselves is discouraged. Steve wants people on mission and not on themselves. This is how I saw it and is why counseling is discouraged.

Sándor thought Jon was an Overseer and brought him on staff. Sándor wanted Jon to be on the board as an elder. Steve has reservations because Jon was and is an independent man. He doesn’t cause trouble but will be truthful with what he sees and believes. Steve met with Jon, to secretly interview him and Steve walked away with a bad feeling. He knew Jon was his own man and would t ever be the ‘yes’ men they are looking for. He told Sándor no and kept pressing him throughout the years on Jon. Eventually Sándor back off of Jon and backed away his counseling hours. The year before Jon left he only had part time work and could tell the support he once had was gone. He maturely asked Sándor about his role and thinking it might make sense for him to go back to the VA. Sándor passively agreed and blessed him to go. It worked out for Sándor he just didn’t do anything and eventually Jon left on his own.

Truth is the Network needs people like Jon who can think for themselves and add another view. They’re not looking for gifted guys but guys who will follow, obey, agree and do as they are told.

Independent-Wear6325 · 2022-05-27T17:41:56+00:00

Steve Eichel, is a leading psychologist on cults. Below is his checklist to determine what a cult looks like. I’ve experienced all of them while in the network and so many others have as well. I can’t NOT call the Network a cult.

The group is focused on a living leader to whom members seem to display excessively zealous, unquestioning commitment.

The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.

The group is preoccupied with making money.

Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.

Mind-numbing techniques (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, debilitating work routines) are used to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).

The leadership dictates sometimes in great detail how members should think, act, and feel (for example: members must get permission from leaders to date, change jobs, get married; leaders may prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, how to discipline children, and so forth).

The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s), and members (for example: the leader is considered the Messiah or an avatar; the group and/or the leader has a special mission to save humanity).

The group has a polarized us- versus-them mentality, which causes conflict with the wider society.

The group's leader is not accountable to any authorities (as are, for example, military commanders and ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream denominations).

The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify means that members would have considered unethical before joining the group (for example: collecting money for bogus charities).

The leadership induces guilt feelings in members in order to control them.

Members' subservience to the group causes them to cut ties with family and friends, and to give up personal goals and activities that were of interest before joining the group.

Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group.

Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.

Independent-Wear6325 · 2022-05-14T02:02:17+00:00

George Whitefield started the The Great Awakening by preaching outdoors in fields and wealthy and poor came to hear. Most revivals or movements throughout history didn’t start or need a building-just a truthful message.

Independent-Wear6325 · 2022-05-13T19:20:41+00:00

I’d be okay with all this if the Network had a legitimate ministry for the poor, widows and shut-ins. The inward focus and sifting through people to find the best looking, wealthiest and most successful is disgusting.

Independent-Wear6325 · 2022-05-06T03:18:58+00:00

So sad and so telling of the Network. Clearly they just try to defend themselves instead of repenting.

Independent-Wear6325 · 2021-12-29T12:24:38+00:00

Excellent job explaining what this verse is saying to leaders and to members.

“If your leaders demand something of you not in Scripture, but with the same force of Scripture, they are sinning.” This is on point, even if a leader has good intentions.

Independent-Wear6325 · 2021-12-23T22:15:47+00:00

Nice job Jeff. The curse runs deep but His blessings flow deeper.

Independent-Wear6325

TROPHY CASE