I had no idea that this person was dating until the rebuking session over and I asked someone what was that all about. Thirty-two former Gracepoint members who spoke with Christianity Today for this story described a culture that was controlling and coercive for the sake of ministry efficiency. Yes it's an "all in" church. Press J to jump to the feed. I wouldn't call the consulting clubs on campus "cults" because their members put in similar time commitments. Want to work with us? The leader, Suzanne Suh, said she did not recall the conversation but would not talk to someone who is suicidal using this type of approach or using these kinds of words.. Kang said such rebukes are infrequent and such training couldnt be used now with the anxiety and emotional fragility of todays generation. In fact, she might even ask you to go to church with her :). Early on, Ed Kang and Kelly Kang started attending the church as regular members. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Latest was Christmas Part 1 | Isolation | Sunday Worship Service. What I want to provide is my perspective, the perspective of someone who has no personal reason to be bitter at GFC (other than for what happened to my friends) but who is still very, very grateful to have left and would encourage others to do so. Gracepoint Church checks all the boxes of a college ministry success story. Editorials represent the majority opinion of The Triton Editorial Board. And the brothers and sisters I served with in my new church; the community was something special. I'll say one thing about Gracepoint: the people are intentional in their faith. When disciplers approved of a dating relationship, both parties were still expected to keep it private. I got involved in ministry with another church. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. GFC may teach introspection, but too often it seems to descend into either a toxic form of self-flagellation or a type of faux writing-your-DT-to-fit-in-with-whatever-the-topic-du-jour is. In April 2021, Gracepoint published a now private YouTube video of Ed Kang, the senior pastor of Gracepoint Church. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Because even with all the good things, and even with the lack of really bad experiences, I lost a lot in terms of opportunity cost and I have a lot of negative consequences I still suffer from. I've been a lifelong Christian but what they do is really, really extreme. Commitment to church ordered all of life: Tabulated spreadsheets organized staff schedules by the hour, often stretching late into evenings and weekends. There are multiples in both categories, but lets keep it short. Content Warning: The following article contains discussion of depression, suicide and sexual abuse. Gracepoint has faced decades of criticism from members who left its ranks, but allegations drew new attention last year on a channel of the message board site Reddit. At least I personally, am not out to "get you" because I hate Christians or something like that. Members said they were manipulated into confessing sins, screamed at by leaders, and overloaded with obligations to the point of illness. Another former member, Elaine Huang, said church leaders called her selfish when she opted to visit her parents in Taiwan the summer after her graduation from UC Berkeley in the early 2010s. Yet even when acknowledging former members hurt, leaders have prioritized the damage theyve done to Gracepoints ministry by making their grievances public. Posters allege they were belittled by church leaders, encouraged to take on credit card debt to fund ministry expenses, and slandered after choosing to leave the church. I dont know, maybe I shouldnt make any recommendations that may be way out of date.). The University of California (UC) announced that it is considering plans to require students, staff, and faculty to receive a COVID-19 vaccination before returning to campus , Are you interested in writing, getting published, and learning more about the campus? I didn't attend gp Berkeley, but I went to acts 2 Fellowship in UCI. One thing more to muse on before I close. Global Rank. For anyone who is currently at GFC and wondering, even just a bit, if you want to stay or not, I would encourage you to listen to those stories. There isn't a need to "brainwash" in the stereotypical way that people think when you use that term -- social pressure, from subtle to intense, will do the same thing just fine. Website Developer. But that's a whole other topic I don't want to get sidetracked by here. This was posted two months ago but for those of you who missed it, there is now a Discord channel for anyone who wants to have a conversation there: My perspective is different from many posters on this subreddit. Faith and Beliefs. But many who were involved in Gracepoint say the churchs desire to pursue radical living, coupled with the pace of its ministry, has come at a costits members. Now let me address one regret I have, and one lasting consequence. And when they violated those expectations, often unknowingly, the results could be explosive. You can do so here. Members realized their schedules were no longer their own. The Real Housewives of Atlanta The Bachelor Sister Wives 90 Day Fiance Wife Swap The Amazing Race Australia Married at First Sight The Real Housewives of Dallas My 600-lb Life Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Are they still okay? This history is provided to give context when understanding how the church came to be what it is today. Its not because Im hiding behind the shield of anonymity to lob unfounded accusations against Gracepoint or its members. I ain't paying $7 + tax for Boba and Coffee. Still, based on my experiences, I cannot be more thankful I found a group where I can grow in my faith. Again, not out of malice, but because, when youre at Gracepoint, you learn to fit everything into the Gracepoint narrative. For example, I think technically GFC affirms the fifth point of Calvinism, the perseverance of the saints. How often does this doctrine get taught? She's deleted her Facebook and apparently cut off all relationships with people outside of her church. When they became part of the ministry team, Gracepoint members were required to install internet filtering software like Covenant Eyes on their devices. It is the reason why many people who leave feel so traumatized. Thats life as a very imperfect sinner. Doe initially planned on returning to Gracepoint, until she realized it was no longer a safe place for her. The experience I have had at this church has led me further away from God, and I really hope no one will experience what I underwent. On a new church podcast launched last month, Isaiah Kang, Eds son, said anonymous posters are not messengers from heaven. He added, Whatever else may be trueyou may be wronged, you probably were wrongedthat doesnt make what you do right.. And, to be fair, if youre being rebuked, there is a fair chance that you did do something wrong or not (e.g. Again, it is often a horrible, humiliating ordeal. There's been quite a few abuse allegations and it's safer just to stay away from this church. Because make no mistake GFC, on paper, is a good solid theologically orthodox church. He Gets Us, an effort to attract skeptics and cultural Christians, launches nationally this month. According to Hendrickson, that was when her relationship with her son began deteriorating. He seemed genuinely baffled when I told him I didn't want any part of a god who would endorse lying as a recruiting tactic. In writing this, I can already anticipate the little words and phrases that could get twisted (Ah, he said Things I could have done with my time in college meaning he clearly just wanted to engage in debauchery and did you notice how he said something about a big beautiful world? When I objected and reminded him of his promise, he acted like he'd done nothing wrong, because after all, he was working for god, so nothing he did could be wrong. Gracepoint Church's Bald Fellowship. We among Gracepoint Ministries strive to embrace the Acts 2 model of true fellowship and we're especially inspired by how in the early church, " all who believed were together and had all things in common " (Acts 2:44). Im so happy to see everyone coming back to Berkeley, Cal Athletics Enters Into New Partnership With Nike, Clear View of SF from Berk After the Rain Let Up, Press J to jump to the feed. They are excellent at outreaching to newcomersit is insane. Gracepoint santa barbara is a collegiate church that meets near the ucsb and westmont campuses. Huang, the UC Berkeley student, said a church leader told her that her suicidal thoughts were because she didnt love God enough. She said this response pushed her to walk away from Christianity. Gracepoint Church - for college students near Berkeley Sunday Worship Service. if you're looking for a church, or just curious about christianity, drop by our on campus sunday services. One member who attended Gracepoint Berkeley for 22 years worried that her involvement stunted her maturity. This is a quote from http://gracepoint-berkeley.blogspot.com/ a blog that exposes the cult-like qualities and history of Gracepoint Ministries, a church with many branch ministries such as Koinonia, ABSK, Acts 2 Fellowship (A2F), Kairos, and Berkland. The charismatic shepherding movement of the 1970s and 80s ended with former leaders disavowing their own intrusive practices. These constant assessments about me being unrepentantthey didnt reflect what I was actually thinking and feeling, said Noelle, who is also an abuse survivor and asked CT not to use her last name due to her job as a teacher. Turns out, in the end, most people come to their senses. 506 Followers 63 Following. Jun 2020 - Jul 20202 months. (LogOut/ used for personal study and small groups. Kang confirmed the church no longer operates on the campus, though some students still attend the San Francisco location. Members even purchased similar vehiclesthe Nissan Quest or Honda Odyssey, affordable minivans that could easily transport students and ministry supplies. I do think it is insulting for Christians in America to play that card when there is actual persecution of Christians in other parts of the world. I was never a member at Gracepoint. After all, there was a lot of yelling, most likely some crying, and maybe some forced fervent and desperate prayer. Phone (423) 728-5050. Acts2Fellowship Instagram Marketing Intern. Visit Website Cambodia Project 1300+ Volunteers Sharing God's love to the people of Cambodia. Many of its members have to seek psychiatric treatment at the UC Hospitals after going to this cult and joining their core group, the email read. We moved out in July 2021 with the hope of creating a gospel-centered church for college students. This is how you move hundreds of young people to mobilize quickly, efficiently, and without much complaint or deviance. I've been thinking about the mentality at GP. It may not be for everyone. Gracepoint is one of the larger churches in the Berkeley/Alameda area (not that numbers necessarily matter), has very mainstream/middle-of-the-road Protestant beliefs, and is certified by the Southern Baptist Convention. And, I can say that close friends of mine also had seriously negative experiences, the effects of which I saw up close. I thought someone mentioned somewhere that PED suggested the people who criticize him and GP (i.e. After installing that, I was so scared so I stopped using Facebook or even YouTube or things like that, Smith said. Gracepoint Ministries Collegiate Churches Parachurch Ministries and Fueled by 1600 Covocational Ministers 1 Collegiate Churches An Acts 2 church in every college town. Gracepoint Berkeley Church in Berkeley, CA 94705 is Unclear: Non-Affirming in their LGBTQ Policy Tweet to request clarity Unclear: Non-Egalitarian in their Women in Leadership Policy Tweet to request clarity Updated on Nov 20, 2019 Church Information Address 2425 Stuart Street Berkeley, CA 94705 Leadership Pastor: Ed Kang Gender: Man Race: Church leaders were also encouraged to write positive Yelp reviewsand sometimes report negative ones. Everyone was crying. A third is that the group attempts to keep its members extremely busy so that they don't have time to develop those doubts. Sam C. participated in ABSK from 1999 to 2003, eventually taking on a leadership role within the group. Or, to the contrary, are you constantly getting the feeling, encouraged by your leaders, that if you leave GFC, you might lose your salvation? Sam C., who has since been diagnosed with depression, said, Its something that I still work on, you know, 18 years later. The source, who disclosed their bisexual orientation to church leadership, was advised not to be alone in a car or have a roommate of the same gender. They say that you shouldn't do anything that will "get in the way between your relationship with God" and that applies to alcohol, sex, social media, list goes on. I deconverted after the experience. At graduation, it encourages young Christians to live life on mission by joining staff at one of its campuses or helping launch a new one. Other churches in or near Berkeley include: First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, Livingwater Church, Evangel Bible Church of Berkeley, and Reality SF. Saturday, April 19, 2008 Without the church's support, he might have had nowhere to live. Last year, Pete Nguyen left Gracepoint after experiencing severe depression and suicidal thoughts while attending. But I cannot bring myself to even say anything beyond its alright and I like the people I work with. Anything more think someone on LinkedIn saying Im proud of my company for accomplishing ____ just reminds me of the obsessively unending focus on Gracepoint, Gracepoint, how distinct it is, how much we love it. For fledgling believers, it is very hard to know the right thing to do or how to respond, especially if you are a young impressionable college kid. Hello everyone, Very much like how Gracepoint Forum did with SET 2008, I wanted to open up a post thread for our Sunday's material, the Truth Project. The building has since been demolished and there are now apartments/condos there instead. During this time, Becky was revered and spoke at many retreats at Berkland Berkeley as a special guest. If it's your friend, let him or her know that you're there. Gracepoint Berkeley: Truth Project. Recently, the news exploded out of the Christ-o-sphere: A popular Berkeley, California college-based evangelical church, Gracepoint, fueled its meteoric success through iron-vise-grip control and devastating emotional abuse. July 2020 to August 2020 . Regardless of your background, we invite you to come check us out! Alameda, CA 94502 Gracepoint Fellowship Church, a Berkeley church located near the UC Berkeley campus, is having free seminars / workshops called Life Matters. Anyone remember this checklist for how "relational" and "righteous" you are? The fellowships from Gracepoint are registered members of the ASUC (Berkeley's Student Union) and Unity in Christ, the overarching Christian group overseeing the different Christian college fellowships here. According to Len Tang, director of the Church Planting Initiative at Fuller Theological Seminary, high-pressure churches like Gracepoint often enforce a methodological purity within their ministry. She would openly rebuke some leaders during her Bible studies and they seemed honored to be loved by her in this way. Others on this subreddit had much more negative experiences than I did. GracePoint Community Church is a member of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Gracepoint | Church Sundays 8:15 & 10:00AM FACEBOOK LIVE YOUTUBE INSTAGRAM TV SOUND-CLOUD LISTEN "Crossing into the Unkown" by Ilse Gainsford 10AM SUNDAY SERVICE: Watch Live Sunday Service: "Crossing into the unknown" by Ilse Gainsford 01.01.2023 Sunday 10AM NEW TO GRACEPOINT "Checkout the site" This includes: living in Alameda to commute to Berkeley after work, buying mini-vans to bus students around, opening one's home to students, dating exclusively other Christians in GP, etc. 88 episodes. Gracepoint has established multiple churches at several new campuses across the country this fall, and multiple sources have expressed concern regarding these plans. Smith also recalled getting reprimanded for using YouTube to listen to secular music, including Taylor Swift, and for watching a Japanese anime film that was part of her coursework for a film class. And if I had stayed, I shudder to think how much more I would have lost, and how much more I would have been damaged. Ed and Kelly Kang and most of the leaders spoke of her highly and looked up to her, almost as one who could do no wrong. Over the years, church members were told to avoid driving traffic to the online criticism and were instead encouraged to protect the churchs online reputation. At times, Gracepoint leaders asked staff and members to search and click on church webpages or positive blog posts at least three times a day to improve Google search rankings. Scroll . (Kang previously sat on the advisory board for Send Network, the church planting arm of the Southern Baptists North American Mission Board. Browse 60+ years of magazine archives and web exclusives. You can disagree with me if you want, this is just my opinion, but it does seem to me that even the slightest amount of adversity will cause Christians to play the persecution card. I work at a big company now, and its a company thats pretty good in its field. Gracepoint Church, founded in 2006, currently runs a variety of campus ministry groups across the University of California, including Klesis and Acts2Fellowship at UC San Diego. info@gracepoint.church. Please feel free to choose, Our church is continuing our current devotional format, to devote Mondays and Fridays to prayer and study through Apostle Paul's letter to the Romans on Tuesdays through Thursdays. And I know people would do this. By gracepoint In Devotion Text, Genesis with Comments Off on Bible Reading: Gen 19-22 Bible Text: Genes is 19-22 Here are some ways to process the readings for each day. for less than $4.25/month. Sam C. told The Triton he wished to avoid seeing Gracepoint personnel on campus. It seems your friend is walking down this path. This subreddit is not affiliated with Gracepoint Church or its college ministries. Their teaching is unbiblical; the extreme emphasis and focus on sin is unhealthy. Nguyen, who left in 2021 after attending Gracepoint for a decade, has spoken at length with his former leaders at the Riverside and Pomona campuses, as well as with Daniel Kim, about the ways he felt wronged. Address. School amends "all comers" policy to exempt religious student group leaders. Materials produced by The Triton do not reflect the views of the Regents of the University of California and the Regents do not endorse, warrant, or otherwise take responsibility for said content. . And third, I made some good friends. Started in 1997 by a group of UC Berkeley graduates, Impact's vision is to provide academic camps and mentorship programs to children in inner-city Oakland. How does one achieve such a dedication to God and the church? Next Session: 8/22 @ 7:30-9PM Gracepoint Berkeley Church - Alameda 2000 Northloop Drive. I think people experience a spiritual vibrancy and potency and just a warmth and depth of relationship with God that they havent experienced elsewhere, said Michael Kim, a member at the churchs Santa Barbara campus who was raised at Gracepoint. - Lytt til Ed Kang - GracePoint Berkeley Part 2 fra The Ralph Moore Podcast direkte p mobilen din, surfetavlen eller nettleseren - ingen nedlastinger ndvendig. But their restoration hinged on the whims of Gracepoint leaders, with the process sometimes dragging out and involving assignments to repent with written reflections and confessions. 295 were here. The war on Christmas comes to mind. My time at Gracepoint ended with me feeling at the lowest point of my life, reads a testimonial shared in April via r/UCSD. I realized I was never going to be able to prove that I was taking my sins seriously.. Trena Hendrickson, whose son started attending Gracepoints UCLA chapter in 2016 as a freshman, echoed Smiths sentiment and told The Triton that her son came home less often due to his involvement in Gracepoint. Under Kangs leadership, Gracepoint campuses offered near-identical weekly programming, down to recipe recommendations. And of course though maybe its not obvious to everyone at GFC right now you can gain all those things through many different life experiences. Loekito, who left in 2019, said that the discussion has allowed him and his wife to process their experience, but reacclimating to a new church has been hard. In recent years, former members and staff of campus ministry groups have spoken out about the trauma they experienced as members of Gracepoint on UC campus subreddits, including UCSD, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, and UC Davis. That familial attitude tied into the churchs model of whole-life discipleship. I cannot emphasize enough how confusing the names get. They do good, but the process in which they enforce that good is spiritually abusive, said Joshua Mun, a former member who grew up attending the Berkeley church and served at various Gracepoint church plants throughout his 20s. The media class is unfortunately not available but has been replaced by class that would touch on very similar . The church started using Willard Middle Schools auditorium/cafeteria for Sunday gatherings when the building on Alcatraz became too small to fit all the members.