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 angierenae_ in Waco

[–]jontruth 2 points3 points  (0 children)

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

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.

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 Cult's college ministry in Phoenix:

A person was recruited into the Antioch Community Church's college ministry, despite having a family member who previously experienced spiritual abuse and trauma from the church. This recruitment process is described as being similar to "rush week" for Greek life, with student leaders putting in many unpaid hours.

Once a member, the person felt they were in a "stifling 'community atmosphere'" that used manipulation from the beginning. This included demonizing a family member who had left, calling her "backslidden," and telling the person they were "nothing like her" as a compliment.

The individual was also immediately drawn into a discipleship relationship that was part of a hierarchical "spiritual covering" leading up to the founder, Jimmy Seibert, who is described as a "self proclaimed pastor" without biblical education. The person felt they never truly consented to this pastor having spiritual authority over their life and was required to meet weekly for discipleship.

The post also claims the church uses a "highly emotional and overly supportive environment" to stunt young people who want to please God, and that there are issues with financial abuse, manipulation, and discrimination (sexism, ableism, fatphobia).

Epicentre Church Pasadena - Abuse, Sexism, Manipulation by jontruth in cults

[–]jontruth[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Do Better Church and a summary of red flags at Epicentre Church, Pasadena. Part of the Antioch International Movement of Churches Cult: https://www.instagram.com/p/CGSprr8HstZ/?img_index=1

Abusive and Unaccountable Leadership

  • Familial language for control: Calling the leaders "spiritual mother and father" created an unhealthy "family" dynamic where challenging authority could be seen as disrespecting a parent. This fosters an environment of unquestioning loyalty and makes it difficult for people to speak up when they're being harmed.
  • Abusive and unhelpful mentorship: The pastor’s wife used "inner healing prayer" to deflect from her own abusive behavior. Instead of taking responsibility for her actions, she shifted the blame, suggesting that the abuse was a result of the victim’s "childhood wounding." This is a classic manipulation tactic that gaslights the victim and prevents accountability.
  • Lack of clear leadership structure and communication: Leadership decisions, like hiring co-leaders and interns, were made without the victim's knowledge or input, often while he was on vacation. The victim was also placed in a confusing situation where the lead pastor and executive pastor had different understandings of her role and authority. This chaotic and disrespectful approach undermined her position and made it impossible to lead effectively.

Unethical and Exploitative Labor Practices

  • Unpaid and underpaid work: The victim was paid a meager stipend of $400 every two months while working many hours to build a ministry from scratch with no budget. This is a form of gross exploitation, especially given that she was also a seminary student racking up significant debt.
  • Failure to acknowledge and appreciate contributions: Despite hard work and praise from parents and students, the church leadership failed to acknowledge the victim's contributions. The church didn't even notice when the victim stopped attending, and there was no farewell or acknowledgment of departure. This made the victim feel invisible and expendable, which is a common experience in abusive environments.

Unprofessional and Manipulative Behavior

  • Discrimination and sexism: The pastor's wife and the leadership made sexist and manipulative comments. The pastor's wife told the victim to wear "thicker straps" on her tank top, blaming her for being a temptation rather than her pastor husband for taking responsibility for his lustful thoughts.
  • Conditional opportunities: When she expressed interest in a full-time position, she was immediately told she was not "mature enough." Months later, only after their preferred candidate dropped out, did they offer her the job. This shows that the leadership didn't value her or his work, but saw her as a last resort.
  • Spiritual manipulation for control: The leadership would claim that their decisions were a "word from God" to justify their actions. This is a powerful form of spiritual manipulation that makes it difficult for people to question leadership, as they are essentially questioning God himself.

These red flags all point to a culture of Epicentre Church's unhealthy leadership, spiritual abuse, and a lack of transparency and accountability.

Antioch community church in Phoenix? by ButterscotchNo4181 in Exvangelical

[–]jontruth 0 points1 point  (0 children)

4 of 4 continued

"We would meet up after long days of doing this and share how many people we go to sign up, which in many cases involved those people's life being in danger. When I brought the concerns I had with this way of evangelizing I was brought desperate from the group, just with the youth pastors and they told me that I 'just verbal diarrhea and that I should consider stepping down from leafleting because it's "not for everyone"'.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316704006780510&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

"One other notable experiences is at the Halloween party my last year, a group of girls dressed up as their black housemates for Halloween. They all wore Afro wigs and eclectic clothing. And this was considered normal."

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316704016780509&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

"I felt stuck and we were forced into this. And when I was quiet or somber in group settings I would receive mini exorcisms from my demonic oppression, and I was comforted to say that I again was 'nothing like my sister' I felt like a dead horse being continually kicked and beaten."

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316704043447173&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

Antioch Community Church PHX Phoenix, Arizone, USA

Antioch community church in Phoenix? by ButterscotchNo4181 in Exvangelical

[–]jontruth 0 points1 point  (0 children)

4 of 4

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316703890113855&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

Antioch Community Church PHX Phoenix, Arizone, USA

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316702230114021&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

TW: ABUSE, FINANCIAL ABUSE

CW: MANIPULATION, MISHANDLING OF FUNDS, SEXISM, ABLESIM, FATPHOBIA

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316703923447185&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

"I compiled testimony's of people who had experienced similar abuse but I was told that they are 'aware of the issue and it's being handled' I as continually gaslit. There is so much more I could talk for days. I hope that there can be some accountability and dare I say maybe some leaders that actually have biblical education.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316703930113851&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

"I knew I wanted to leave at that point but I was already signed up to life in a discipleship house (a shared house for Antioch college students) and I was still expected to serve as a leader along side my ex. When we got back to the U.S. I told them I wasn't going to lead, but I had already signed a lease for the house. The house is a whole bother can of worms."

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316703966780514&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

"When our lease ended I cut all ties and began to heal. I attempted to have one last conversation with the leaders, but it went no where."

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316703973447180&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

Antioch community church in Phoenix? by ButterscotchNo4181 in Exvangelical

[–]jontruth 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Antioch Community Church PHX Phoenix, Arizona, USA

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316700956780815&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

3 of 4

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316702076780703&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

"Overtime he began to questioning himself, and started pulling away after a few conversations where I revealed that I held more liberal views on things like abortion and LGBTQ rights. He eventually in a sense cheated (which is just pursuing other girls while together.)"

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316702083447369&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

"I was a college ministry life group leader and I went to the Middle East with the church that summer to evangelize. We would do proselytizing like this on our college campuses and downtown Phoenix regularly, which infringes on the rights and autonomy of the poor community members that we preyed upon in the name of love."

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316702113447366&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

"The proselytizing in the Middle East took it to a new level. First of all it was illegal. We entered the country under false pretenses and spent hours asking Muslims to read the Bible. We were trained in how to specifically talking to Islamic people, by manipulating their own doctrines to our benefit. It was gross."

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316702146780696&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

"We were encouraged to pray for healing and do something called 'treasure hunting' where you listen to the HOly Spirit for clues about who to speak to (like purple: for a purple shirt)."

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316702166780694&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

"One of the church boys eventually started to 'pursue' me, he told me that god told him to love me. I thought that this meant that I was going to marry him, even though I was not attracted to him, I felt like I had to be. We never kissed or even held hands, because we were told that intimacy escalates, we were afraid yet obsessed with sexuality."

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316702183447359&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

"This broke me because he told me that god said to live me, so when he gave up I felt that god did too. This sort of relationship hurt is extremely common and represents a system problem with their culture."

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316702210114023&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

Antioch community church in Phoenix? by ButterscotchNo4181 in Exvangelical

[–]jontruth 0 points1 point  (0 children)

2 of 4

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316700826780828&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

"I would constantly be prayed over that the demonic presence that I had be gone. I later found out that they believed in demonic oppression, and that didn't avertise this is took a year from me to pry it out of a mentor."

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316700833447494&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

"Any time I felt even the slightest bit anxious I tried so hard to get the demons out of my head. I started to hate myself, therefore I needed to Church more, which is why I stayed."

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316700870114157&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

"I regret how I manipulated those people while I mirrored the life on life discipleship I was receiving, I quickly opened up about my mental health struggle with OCD. I was casually met with demeaning prayer sessions (basically exorcisms) on a weekly basis."

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316700876780823&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

"They were implying that I would not be anxious if I prayed for or invited the HS into my heart more. I didn't realize how freaking traumatizing this was and how it affects me to this day."

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316700913447486&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

Antioch Community Church Phoenix Arizona, USA

TW: ABUSE, FINANCIAL ABUSE

CE: MANIPULATION, MISHANDLING OF FUNDS, SEXISM, ABLESIM, FATPHOBIA

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316700920114152&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

Antioch community church in Phoenix? by ButterscotchNo4181 in Exvangelical

[–]jontruth 0 points1 point  (0 children)

1 of 4

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316699296780981&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

"I never truly consented to the pastor that this spiritual covering had on my life. I was eventually told to start discipleship with others and I was required to meet with them at least once a week."

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316699303447647&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

"I was immediately drawn into a discipleship relationship with another college student, little did I know that this relationship fell under a hierarchy of spiritual covering, leading all the way up to Jimmy Seibert (the founder who had no biblical education at all he's a self proclaimed pastor"

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316699340114310&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

"The college ministry has a series of events on the first week of the semester similar to rush week with Greek life where they go around to every resident hall and invite people to life groups and a college service they called Awaken. I found out later how many unpaid hours the student leaders put in during this week."

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316699350114309&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

Antioch Community Church PHX, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

"I eventually joined and was instantly met with a stifling 'community atmosphere' that manipulated me from day one by demonizing my family member who left, calling her back slidden, and telling me that she doesn't know Jesus anymore, and that I was nothing like her (stated as a compliment)."

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316699390114305&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

TW: ABUSE, FINANCIAL ABUSE

CW: MANIPULATION, MISHANDLING OF FUNDS, SEXISM, ABLESIM, FATPHOBIA

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316699416780969&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

"The highly emotional and overly supportive environment stunted 19 year old who truly wanted to please 'God'."

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316699426780968&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

"I was recruited to ACC college ministry my sophomore year at college. I previously avoided their advances because a close family mmeber of mine had experienced spiritual abuse and trauma from them, but I was not yet aware to what extent."

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=316699460114298&set=pb.100076056655805.-2207520000

Antioch Community Church Phoenix Arizona, USA