So the church turned out to be a cult, or cultic..

[navygoat1998]

Originally Posted by n david

Wow. I'm really sorry you had to experience that with the first church you found.

I've had a couple friends who have each been in a church where the Pastor was very controlling over vacation or time away from church.

In some it goes much deeper than that.

[Jermyn Davidson]

Originally Posted by n david

Whoa! Are you sure you weren't attending a church of Scientology??? Seriously though, that sounds more like what I've heard from Scientology than a Pentecostal church.

In my entire lifetime of being in Pentecost, and the majority of that time in the UPC, I have never heard of these kind of "minders," "handlers," or "liaisons." Maybe I'm just an incredibly lucky guy...I've never had or witnessed this phenomenon.

I have.

It doesn't have to be a bad thing. What the poster described can all be done in a way of love and care and not in creepiness, if done with prayer.

The only thing I would take issue with is the liason contacting the new believer's friends. If done behind the new believer's back and without the new believer's approval and if the liason has no connection to the new believer's friends other than through the new believer, then what was done was wrong.

[Jermyn Davidson]

Originally Posted by NewbieMisfits

I indeed have been told of weekly meeting where all "officials" get together and discuss our case and other newcomers.

As for message boards, no idea. Hints of such, but nothing directly. If so then it is what it is.

I guess I'm just the odd man out but, I don't see what is wrong with this.

[n david]

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

What the poster described can all be done in a way of love and care and not in creepiness, if done with prayer.

They see to it you do not miss any services, they keep you in line, they come to your home, they "teach" you the guidelines or the church, they show up at you different times and different places (like when they stalked our Amish friends to cut us off from them), they are those that limit your connection with others in the church, they are those that explain tithing, they are those that tell you to go down front, they are those that control who's in or out, they approve your study bible, they teach your bible study, one who tells you what you need to correct in life, they decide when social shunning is needed, they are your "handlers", and much much more.

I believe there should be people who visit and follow up with new converts. I believe someone should give new converts a bible study. I believe new converts should be taught what the church believes and preaches - aka guidelines. I believe the new convert should be given as much information about the church as possible, so they can know and understand what they're getting into.

However, I do NOT believe any church should be doing what is in bold above. Making sure you don't miss services; keeping you in line; showing up to find you at different times/places; limiting connection to others in church; telling you to go down front; approving a study Bible (!?); telling you what you need to correct in your life; social shunning??!!

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

I guess I'm just the odd man out but, I don't see what is wrong with this.

Based on the above, it's just creepy and wrong.

[Esaias]

Hey Jermyn... you're a democrat, right?



Sorry, couldn't resist...

[Ferd]

Originally Posted by n david

Whoa! Are you sure you weren't attending a church of Scientology??? Seriously though, that sounds more like what I've heard from Scientology than a Pentecostal church.

In my entire lifetime of being in Pentecost, and the majority of that time in the UPC, I have never heard of these kind of "minders," "handlers," or "liaisons." Maybe I'm just an incredibly lucky guy...I've never had or witnessed this phenomenon.

Whew! me either. im 44, been involved in ministery with the UPCI for 20+ years, and never heard of that.

if i showed up to a church and they gave me a "handler" I suspect i would stick around long enough to figure out what they were up to, then blow the lid of the place.


and DUDE the first time i was told to socially "shun" someone there would be a serious dust up.

[RandyWayne]

Originally Posted by Ferd

Whew! me either. im 44, been involved in ministery with the UPCI for 20+ years, and never heard of that.

if i showed up to a church and they gave me a "handler" I suspect i would stick around long enough to figure out what they were up to, then blow the lid of the place.


and DUDE the first time i was told to socially "shun" someone there would be a serious dust up.

I have heard of the whole handler thing several times but I don't believe it was with any churches that were actually in the org itself, rather independent churches.

Now the thing our church DID do was officially practice "shunning" which was almost comical to watch after the fact as some of the mind numb robots who attended would cross the street when they saw you coming or hug the wall of a restaurant as to keep as many compromising feet as possible between their holy bodies and our cursed skin.

And being that this is me, if I did somehow find myself in a church which practiced shepherding to this degree, I would most certainly have some fun with it before leaving. Maybe only a few days or a week or two, but I would get every nickle of entertainment out of it that I could.

[kclee4jc]

Originally Posted by navygoat1998

In some it goes much deeper than that.

navygoat...i saw a man that looks quite like yourself in WV this weekend? is this possible?

[navygoat1998]

Originally Posted by kclee4jc

navygoat...i saw a man that looks quite like yourself in WV this weekend? is this possible?

Brother, twas not I. I was in Jacksonville all weekend.