A Summary of Abuses

Muriel Mooney, Peter Clark and Jo Noetzel left an abusive shepherding/discipleship community inside a mainline church. Together, they came up with a list of abuses perpetrated by the group. For each of these abuses, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Was this applicable for my group?
2. Did I always think or act this way before I became involved with the group?
3. In respect to this point, what did our group teach that other churches don't normally stress?

In your group, did you see that ...

• Leadership was excessively esteemed?
• Leaders were not accountable to members?
• You were led to think that good solid teaching outside this group was rare?
• Doctrine often focused solely on behaviour to the exclusion of theology?
• The group wanted you to give as much time as you possibly could to their activities?
• Everyone was expected to act together?
• There was a legalistic emphasis on external behaviours which resulted in loss of focus on Jesus?
• There was an excessive emphasis on commitment to the group?
• Guilt was an important emotional lever for producing compliance and conformity?
• Appropriate feelings were denigrated at times?
• Members were taught not to feel for themselves or their own needs but to think of the group and not complain?
• Denial and repression of feelings encouraged mood-altering addictive behaviours?
• There was a feeling that there wasn't any security outside the group?
• "Confidentiality" was used to isolate members from each other?
• There was control over channels of communication and information, and that some teachings and/or policies were kept secret?
• Withholding of information sometimes impaired sound judgments?
• Many were lead to believe that the church represents all that was good and necessary to meet our needs?
• Your leaders had a corner on wisdom?
• Members needed extensive teaching to be lead to Christian maturity?
• Members needed extensive accountability to other men to be lead to Christian maturity?
• You were taught to be very concerned about your commitment to each other?
• Members were constantly asked to subordinate their own experiences to the group's teachings, mission, and expectations?
• Former life experiences and lessons were less valuable than what you learned in the group?
• At times, there was enormous pressure to conform in areas of non-moral issues?
• Some members' identities/personalities were reshaped in the process of discipling: dress, voice, vocabulary and appearance all changed and objectivity decreased?
• Women were taught to have a gentle and quiet spirit in order to keep them from asking questions or becoming leaders?
• Criticism, analytical thinking, free exchange of opinion, and an opportunity to verify facts were sometimes denied?
• Some members regressed to child-like dependency?
• Group-will often took precedence over an individual's will for the sake of unity?
• Individuality was perceived to be bad, conformity and uniformity as good?
• Unity depended on submission?
• Leaders were responsible for directing the body, leading it forward in unity; the rest were expected to submit to their direction?
• God's way was very narrow and specific (more so than in the Bible), so that it often seemed that there was only one way to do anything?
• A wrong choice could mean leaving God's protection?
• You were to ignore your inner self and instead trust authority?
• "Gatherings are a matter of commitment; we're not simply free to decide"?
• Attendance at all community gatherings usually took precedence over visiting families or friends?
• Members were expected to renounce good or neutral values simply because they held them prior to becoming group members?
• Your group provided "new family" which became the focus of relationships previously sustained by your natural family?
• There were weddings in which the group was more involved than the couples' own families?
• Teachings may have encouraged a pessimistic world view at variance with Christian hope?
• Your own reality testing was diminished by relying largely on your leaders for their opinions?
• A discipler sometimes assumed the power to decide whether a member had a valid reason for not sticking to a commitment?
• Leaders had unilateral power to decide who could be asked to leave?
• Members were lead to believe that without intense accountability from another person, they could not grow as fast?
• "Something bad" might happen if you left the group?
• Members who wanted to leave were told that each one of you is leaving a relationship?
• Jargon or cliches were used to dismiss your legitimate concerns?
• Calling people into "accountability" was often a euphemism for controlling and meddling?
• Words were redefined, amplified, or given new meanings?
• Disciplers were not just persons "coming along side" for guidance but became instruments for coercing conformity?
• Members were often told they were "working on something" or "struggling" because leaders didn't think they were measuring up?
• Disciplers often developed pride and arrogance?
• The group believed that the way to live a good Christian life was to get discipled; almost as if the leaders teachings, structure, and committed relationships could save us?
• Often carrying out certain agreed-to actions became a sign of one's commitment?
• The group environment (shaped by legalism) bred a critical, judgmental spirit?
• Members used each other, expecting each other to drop all prior commitments and reschedule to help out a brother or sister in various ways?

(From Appendix 3, Twisted Scriptures by Mary Chrnalogar).