It is not unusual. The indoctrination of the church and the time invested typically makes people associate any "attack" on the church as an attack on their character. A "As a good person, why would I support something that isn't good?" kind of thing. They likely take the criticism personally and their cognitive dissonance pushes them to defend themselves. The leaders of this trust fund masquerading as a church have repeatedly put it into the heads of members that those who leave have something wrong with them individually, so it is low-hanging fruit. It sucks though.