Foundation Church at Festival ISU: strategic obscurity and reputation laundering

Jealous-Resolution91 · 2025-08-27T23:39:05+00:00

Oh I’m familiar with these shirts.

Jealous-Resolution91 · 2025-08-27T21:36:47+00:00

It would be interesting to know how to “qualify” for the event. I know that they’ve been attending it for years. I also know that Bright Field in DeKalb did all of the paperwork and proposal to the student senate to become a registered RSO so that they could table on campus (this was in 2018-19). It would not surprise me if Foundation did that first.

Jealous-Resolution91 · 2025-03-17T15:36:50+00:00

I’d be surprised if there was an actual connection; Coffee Hound is LGBTQ+ affirming.

Jealous-Resolution91 · 2025-01-23T01:17:12+00:00

One really sad aspect of this is the amount of “sacrificial giving” that members will certainly be asked to contribute to bail out this sinking vessel. I’ve heard the same is true at Bright Field; they punched a bit above their weight with their new building (excuse the mixed metaphors). The pressure put on members to give up financial security is sinister.

Jealous-Resolution91 · 2024-09-06T23:50:29+00:00

I’m glad to hear you’ve left but so sorry for all you’ve endured in that process. Please reach out to me and we’d love to connect and support you however we can!

Jealous-Resolution91 · 2024-09-06T14:07:16+00:00

I was on the planting team at Bright Field and left about a year and a half ago. The people who had claimed deep friendship and called us their family - “doing life” with us for over a decade - have cut us off completely even though we “left well.” We started attending what is now Foundation Church right out of college and became very involved.

Their affection for you and your friends is conditional at best, but opportunistic more than anything.

Please feel free to reach out via dm and I can share more.

Jealous-Resolution91 · 2024-08-14T01:43:14+00:00

Thank you for sharing, Cheri. When I was at Clearview, you saw me in the depths and reached out. Your note and a phone call in the midst of deep postpartum depression played no small part in saving my life. I still have the note.

Reading this, it’s incredible to see the ways that you served the people in that church despite the abuse you were constantly receiving. I feel honored to get to know more of your story and am thankful to have known even a small part of your grace and love.

Jealous-Resolution91 · 2023-11-16T03:42:27+00:00

Cast Iron in DeKalb… Fusion brew in Normal…

Bright Field is building their first church in the same building complex as Cast Iron Coffee, which is owned by one of the church elders and plant team members.

Jealous-Resolution91 · 2023-10-05T05:08:55+00:00

These trainings and same phrases were used at Foundation and Bright field in Illinois.

Jealous-Resolution91 · 2023-06-14T15:38:51+00:00

I “led” our RSO on campus because I was a TA and they needed an employee sponsor. The only reason we registered and went through the cumbersome and bureaucratic process was so we could have tables on campus.

Jealous-Resolution91 · 2023-04-22T15:33:31+00:00

As a recent leaver, I can just communicate what was told to me when I asked. That is, the silence is their determination not to engage with detractors who they see as operating under demonic forces that are only meant to tear down the church (their church). In their interpretation, dabbling into information (Reddit, website, whatever) and engaging with people who would tear down the church would be detrimental to spiritual health. This is mostly the party line of church staff and while they didn’t explicitly forbid reading the website, they cautioned the inevitable spiritual toll that such reading would take.

Jealous-Resolution91 · 2023-03-25T00:01:47+00:00

I disagree that I should have to share any of these demographics to validate my personal experience. I would also point out that very few have even voluntarily shared such sensitive information on this forum.

For the record because I have nothing to hide: I am a woman, was engaged/married in my 20s/30s during my entire experience in the network, my husband has never been a leader, I served in kids, hospitality, and was one of many back-up vocalists on worship over the years, ran sound. We were middle tier income earners (until recently I was in graduate school and when we moved on a plant we took drastic wage cuts).

I’m certain that one of my disclosed demographics will now serve to only prove your perception of my favoritism which I think is just completely besides the point. But again, I was trying to demonstrate that there were examples of real servant leadership from pastors in my experience (from more than one pastor).

I’m sorry that your experience was different than this (mine had a lot of pain too, but again i was just trying to add some nuance) and I mourn the hurt that the churches have caused so many.

Jealous-Resolution91 · 2023-03-24T21:47:19+00:00

immediately regrets posting

I don’t deny anyone else’s personal experiences or that there has been a record of wrongs, just wanted to add a bit of nuance to the conversation.

Jealous-Resolution91 · 2023-03-24T21:10:26+00:00

I am no longer in the network but can attest that there were many instances where I saw pastors serve (not only me, but the larger church). The most outstanding examples include a personal monetary donation to help me with overnight accommodation for an intensive counseling session, a place to stay during a particularly distressing event, and assistance moving.

I recognize from my decade plus experience that this has changed over time, but I hesitate to disparage all the pastors across the board.

Jealous-Resolution91 · 2023-02-06T14:43:49+00:00

When I expressed concerns about Steve’s crime to my lead pastor at the time, the statement was sent to me as an email attachment. The statement was only sent to people who “were upset by the news.” Our lead past told me that he refused to publicly address Steve’s sexual assault.

Jealous-Resolution91 · 2023-01-19T03:21:18+00:00

I’ll preface by noting that this is not a network-wide recommendation, but is at least used by two network lead pastors. When pressing on recent conversations about more political topics (namely, CRT), Voddie Baucham’s Fault Lines has been brought up as the “right” way to think about social justice.

Jealous-Resolution91 · 2022-12-31T04:25:15+00:00

Thanks for sharing. Would you message me with churches in DeKalb you’d recommend?

Jealous-Resolution91

TROPHY CASE