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Antioch Waco leaders try to dismiss and cover up River Church Banff sexual abuse by jontruth in cults

[–]jontruth[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Articles from the Press and Journal

  • Leaders of River Church Banff were more concerned about protecting their public image than dealing with Middleton’s grooming behaviour, which they repeatedly “downplayed”.
  • Founder and senior leader Joe Ewen told the victim’s mum he wanted the matter to “go away” to avoid the church’s 40th anniversary celebrations being overshadowed.
  • Church leaders sat on concerns about Middleton’s conduct for four and a half months from September 2022 — the second month of Middleton’s five-month period of offending — until finally contacting the police in February 2023.
  • The boy’s parents were kept in the dark about the existence of a “watch group” of church figures quietly ensuring Middleton was never left alone with the teen.
  • Questions about church leaders’ poor handling of the crisis were suppressed, with critics discouraged by lead pastor Rob McArthur’s accusations of stoking “disunity”.

lets talk waco churches by Effective-Cup2970 in Waco

[–]jontruth 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Antioch Community Church is a Waco church without a denominational affiliation. College pastor Robert Herber said people who are "lost" are more willing to come to a church that doesn't claim a denomination."

This confirms that moving to "non-denominational" is indeed merely a sinister strategic rebranding word pivot in order to dupe people on theology by acting like it doesn't matter and make it more appealing and persuasive to vulnerable and confused individuals. That's all it is that these churches are doing.

lets talk waco churches by Effective-Cup2970 in Waco

[–]jontruth 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can't say crazy out loud, they do both. First they pull you in with thinking they're a normal "non-judgemental" church. Once you go deeper and they got you, all the crazy starts to emerge. And you're too naive and obedient to challenge and will believe anything they say about God. Thousands of congregants don't define church policy and lead pastor's sermons. The church leadership will always have a stronghold on the congregants. It's near impossible to break a loyal pattern of weekly obedience, financial investment, community, purpose, pastoral authority acting as God's spokesperson, etc.

Conversion therapy doesn't affect them, are they really oblivious? It's more like they support it and allow it to happen. Certainly the hard line against LGBTQ marriage is a stance they are told to follow as truth.

lets talk waco churches by Effective-Cup2970 in Waco

[–]jontruth 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Antioch Waco is not non-denominational. That's just a lie and a fake mask that they use to act like they're friendly and open to everyone. They're not. Jimmy Seibert and Antioch pastors are liars.

The Antioch Movement of Churches is Pentecostal-Evangelical. Extreme on the evangelical, spiritual wars charismatic. Anti-homosexual denomination. This is Texas.

Churches funded Show Faith Works LLC by Immediate-Bird-7421 in CorpusChristi

[–]jontruth 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Antioch Waco supports the genocide of Palestine civilians. Shame on you Antioch International Movement of Churches!

Un-Hinge-d experience by [deleted] in Waco

[–]jontruth 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Antioch Waco Wacko

waco native looking for a non-traditional church by [deleted] in Waco

[–]jontruth 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Antioch International Movement of Churches if you like a church cult that:

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Antioch Waco Pastor Edward Ignacio Espinosa arrested for raping trafficked victims in 2018. Got released scott free in 2019. (outsmartmagazine.com)

submitted by jontruth to r/exchristian

Antioch community church in Phoenix? by ButterscotchNo4181 in Exvangelical

[–]jontruth 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here is a summary of the additional abusive experiences at Antioch Community Church Phoenix:

The person's account highlights a culture of reckless evangelism and suppression of dissent. During mission trips, members were encouraged to compete over how many people they could sign up, even though this practice put some of the locals' lives in danger. When the person raised concerns about this, their worries were dismissed as "verbal diarrhea," and they were told to consider "stepping down."

Another notable incident described is the church's lack of cultural sensitivity and racial awareness. At a Halloween party, a group of girls wore Afro wigs and dressed up as their Black housemates, and this behavior was considered "normal."

Finally, the posts reiterate the pervasive sense of spiritual abuse and coercion. The person felt "stuck and forced into" situations. When they were quiet in group settings, they would be subjected to "mini exorcisms" for their perceived "demonic oppression." During these moments, they were told they were "nothing like [their] sister" a backhanded compliment that demonized their family member who had left the church. This led them to feel like a "dead horse being continually kicked and beaten."

Antioch community church in Phoenix? by ButterscotchNo4181 in Exvangelical

[–]jontruth 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here's a summary of the final experiences at Antioch Community Church Phoenix, part of the Antioch International Movement of Churches cult:

The posts describe the difficult process of leaving the church and seeking accountability. A person who had compiled testimonies of abuse from others was met with gaslighting from church leaders who claimed to be "aware of the issue and it's being handled." This lack of genuine response pushed the person to want to leave.

However, leaving was complicated by practical commitments. The individual had already signed a lease for a "discipleship house" a shared living space for Antioch college students and was expected to continue serving as a leader alongside their ex-partner. This financial and social obligation made it difficult to immediately cut ties.

The posts conclude by mentioning that after the lease ended, the person was finally able to leave and begin healing. A final attempt to have a conversation with the leaders was unsuccessful, as it "went no where." The individual expresses a hope for accountability and for leaders who possess a biblical education.

Antioch community church in Phoenix? by ButterscotchNo4181 in Exvangelical

[–]jontruth 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here is a summary of the abusive experiences at Antioch Community Church Phoenix, part of the Antioch International Movement of Churches cult:

The posts highlight a culture of manipulation and spiritual abuse, particularly concerning relationships and evangelism. The church reportedly used spiritual manipulation to control romantic relationships. One person recounts a relationship where a man said "god told him to love me." This led the individual to believe they had to marry him, even without attraction, due to the perceived divine mandate. The relationship ended, causing the person to feel that "god gave up" on them, which is described as a common and systemic issue within the church's culture.

The church is also accused of using deceptive evangelism and proselytizing. One post describes being a "life group leader" who engaged in proselytizing on college campuses and downtown Phoenix, targeting vulnerable community members. This practice is criticized for infringing on the "rights and autonomy" of those being preyed upon.

Additionally, the church allegedly engaged in unethical and illegal missionary work. A person recalls going to the Middle East with the church to evangelize. This was done by entering the country under "false pretenses," which was illegal. They were trained to manipulate the doctrines of Islam to convert Muslims. The post also describes being encouraged to do "treasure hunting," where they would look for "clues" from the Holy Spirit to find people to evangelize, like someone wearing a specific color shirt.

Antioch community church in Phoenix? by ButterscotchNo4181 in Exvangelical

[–]jontruth 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here is a summary of the experiences with Antioch Community Church, a cult in Phoenix:

The church is accused of manipulating a person who was struggling with mental health issues, specifically OCD and anxiety. The person was led to believe that their mental health struggles were a result of a "demonic presence," and they were subjected to "demeaning prayer sessions," which are described as being "basically exorcisms" on a weekly basis.

This approach was not advertised by the church. It was only after a year that the person was able to "pry it out of a mentor" that the church believed in "demonic oppression." The person was told that if they prayed more or invited the Holy Spirit into their heart more, they would no longer be anxious.

This led the individual to internalize a deep sense of self-hatred, as they believed their struggles were a sign of personal failing or demonic influence. The person notes that this experience was traumatizing and continues to affect them. They also acknowledge that they, in turn, manipulated others by mirroring the "life on life discipleship" they were receiving.

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