As I sit here at a very late hour, relaxing after a long day of domestic tasks, I am looking forward with bitter sweet anticipation of sharing with you the questions and insights that this past week held for me. Not every week is like this past one. Many slide by with no events to note. This week however was different. Rarely do I see such a week coming, but these last few days have been filled with serious reflections and new insights. Let me explain.

During these last few days, I have had a few opportunities to talk to Bryan Bullock, the latest survivor from Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). I have been able to ask him several questions and have not been surprised at many of the answers. At some point, I asked him if he ever witnessed people being slapped inside WOFF. He said – yes, in prayer. He went on to share other things that we may review later. But, the main question I had was if he could again confirm the physical abuses inside WOFF. Some he had seen himself, some he had not. The understanding that physical abuses continue inside WOFF did not surprise me – it just concerns me deeply every time it is affirmed.

Continue reading When is life made cheap? (video) →

    Don and Angela Tumioli are survivors of the New Testament Christian Church (NTCC). We have mentioned their work and their blog in previous posts. (blog is here: http://ntccxerblog.blogspot.com/ )

As a comment to the post- “Not “If”, But “When”?”, Don and Angela wrote the following about blind zeal. The piece contained  honest observations and encouragement so, I have reprinted it for the foundation of this post. Don, Angela and I have been shocked at the similarities between their former group and Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). Here is their comment:   

 Submitted on 2011/06/06 at 12:59 am

“Just because you may be a part of a “non-denominational, Protestant church” as WOFF bills themselves, does not mean it requires blind zeal to be in that church.”

The similarities between the NTCC and WOFF are alarming. The blind zeal is definitely prevalent in our former church. Zeal was almost an understatement. We would raise our hands and work ourselves into a frenzy during many of the services. I’m not saying that the raising of hands is wrong but we really took zeal to a whole new level. Most of our members were young male soldiers in their teens and twenties that were already trained to follow orders and were motivated to be all that we could be. We opened our services in prayer which consisted of “holy hands being uplifted to God”. This would include a very loud offering of voices at maximum decibels in addition to the pastor’s amplified voice often enhanced by a sound system.

Then we would have our song service which many times would consist of singing loudly, clapping, dancing and sometimes running. I’ve seen folks doing somersaults around the altar on occasion. The preaching would usually be loud and in your face. Ultimatums would fly from the pulpit. The primary thrust was to create more tithe payers and to get folks to give more in offerings. There was an altar call that involved much pleading and the supposition that all non-members were lost. Those of us who worked the altars were taught to “make the people realize they are lost” so they could be saved. We were expected to hound them and be persistent to the point that many would walk out of service during the alter call. People were made to feel uncomfortable and uneasy. People that prayed were called brother or sister, but people who claimed salvation already were not called brother or sister. They must first receive NTCC style salvation. Some exceptions were made for tithe payers or givers.

There was definitely blind zeal in our former group. If we questioned anyone, we were rebellious. If we looked in our bibles to find references while the preacher was preaching we got blasted from the pulpit. If we did not act or think or live the way that we were expected, we were also castigated and demeaned. The only way to live a Christian life was to follow their non-biblical policies and doctrines with unwavering faith and blind zeal.

Continue reading Survivors of NTCC Share Concerning Blind Zeal →