The war on Christmas comes to mind. I dont see reconciliation efforts made on their side. Half a dozen former members recalled learning that couples were together only upon receiving wedding invitations. Members said they were manipulated into confessing sins, screamed at by leaders, and overloaded with obligations to the point of illness. At our church, you'll find a wide range of people from those who have grown up in the church to those who are learning about Christianity for the first time. Ed Kang received his law degree from Boalt and practiced for a couple or few years before quitting to attend seminary and . Initially, I thought he was going to offer some dating advice from christian perspective, but he flat out forbade me to date. Traffic rank of this site. ! I made a lot of mistakes. College Ministry . We have a passion to build life-transforming, God-centered community, just like the one we found in college. . One of my old friends is apparently is in this church and I wanted to find out more about the "cult-like" organization after a mutual friend brought up how she's completely been brainwashed by them. Other churches in or near Berkeley include: First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, Livingwater Church, Evangel Bible Church of Berkeley, and Reality SF. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. I deconverted after the experience. They joined the church, paired with disciplers for mentorship, fervently studied Scripture, and evangelized on their campuses, seeing more added to the church. And I know people would do this. Soon multiple separate groups were created, which became A2F, Koinonia, Praxis, etc. Regardless of your background, we invite you to come check us out! But the worst is those who are still there, young people who I told to defy their parents and throw away their ambitions and throw away their future to join the [Gracepoint] cause.. Im not going to negate the truth that God reached me through Gracepoint, but it doesnt mean that Gracepoint is Gods heaven on earth.. This history is provided to give context when understanding how the church came to be what it is today. Latest was Christmas Part 1 | Isolation | Sunday Worship Service. Romans 1 - Gratitude. 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. If it's your friend, let him or her know that you're there. Leaders directed staff on how to arrange their homes, where to shop for clothes, and what cars to drive. They are hardworking, sincere, competent, and godly folks. After Doe and her significant other crossed physical boundaries, church leadership placed Doe on a repentance process and revoked her staff post. One conclusion was that a lot of our relationships have been disrupted because of our church planting efforts, Kang said. Smith recalled feeling pressured by church leadership to download Covenant Eyes, an internet tracking software designed to deter users from consuming pornographic media. Many other BBC churches followed suit, with some remaining affiliated with each other and others going their own way. It's highly possible your friend deleted Facebook because she felt that she was stumbling in her beliefs due to an addiction to social media or something to that effect. Doe initially planned on returning to Gracepoint, until she realized it was no longer a safe place for her. Years of whole-life discipleship took a toll. Website Developer. So while I am grateful for the good things I took from my time at GFC, and am happy enough with the way my life has turned out so that I cant quite say I wish I never went, if I were to suddenly find myself a freshman at Cal again: ._2JU2WQDzn5pAlpxqChbxr7{height:16px;margin-right:8px;width:16px}._3E45je-29yDjfFqFcLCXyH{margin-top:16px}._13YtS_rCnVZG1ns2xaCalg{font-family:Noto Sans,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-weight:400;line-height:18px;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex}._1m5fPZN4q3vKVg9SgU43u2{margin-top:12px}._17A-IdW3j1_fI_pN-8tMV-{display:inline-block;margin-bottom:8px;margin-right:5px}._5MIPBF8A9vXwwXFumpGqY{border-radius:20px;font-size:12px;font-weight:500;letter-spacing:0;line-height:16px;padding:3px 10px;text-transform:none}._5MIPBF8A9vXwwXFumpGqY:focus{outline:unset} I do think that this is part of a larger problem with Christianity in America. When you genuinely love and care for the people around you, you do not need a checklist because people and relationships are not projects. Youre not just a fellow brother in Christ; you are really my brother. (Are they still there? Scroll . Ed Kang says he tried his best to give her feedback but that she rationalized her behaviors and never repented. proverbs31.org. He has served as the pastor of Gracepoint Church since 1996. Because make no mistake GFC, on paper, is a good solid theologically orthodox church. My time at Gracepoint ended with me feeling at the lowest point of my life, reads a testimonial shared in April via r/UCSD. 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. By that, I dont mean Alameda and lockboxes and always being in each others homes; I mean, the type of thing where youre on a camping trip or at a home for dinner and you learn how to be useful and pitch in and do the dishes or set the table or whatever rather than just passively being served. Their practice of rebuke seems to me out of the context of Scripture, as leaders assert their power, authority and dominance on younger members. I have no personal grudges, and really no serious negative interactions with Gracepoint leadership. Kelly Kang worked as an engineer. I had no idea that this person was dating until the rebuking session over and I asked someone what was that all about. One of the biggest differences in the lives of current teenagers and young adults, compared to earlier generations, is that they spend much less time connecting with their peers in person and more time connecting electronically, principally through social media. Also, Ive even seen leaders refer to how they got rocked by Pastor Ed or Kelly with a smug smile. Curtis Yee is a faith and culture reporter in Sacramento, California. ), By getting involved in Berkland, and later Gracepoint, students were expected to forgo the typical liberties associated with college life. And he teaches us to value diversity and individuality. GRACEPOINT BERKELEY - 54 Photos & 87 Reviews - 2797 Telegraph Ave, Berkeley, CA - Yelp Restaurants Home Services Auto Services Gracepoint Berkeley 87 reviews Claimed Churches Edit Closed See hours Write a review Add photo Photos & videos See all 54 photos Location & Hours Get directions Edit business info Ask the Community Ask a question 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. By gracepoint In Devotion Text, Genesis with Comments Off on Bible Reading: Gen 31-34 Bible Text: Genesis 31-34 Here are some ways to process the readings for each day. Here's another topic u/TheGPNarrative , hope this is new enough for you. My sometimes "cult" concerns would have been inflamed if she didn't go to a public school. Another characteristic is that the group discourages questioning and doubt regarding its cause. Definitely a cult. Welcome to Gracepoint! The church changed its name to Gracepoint in 2006 when Ed and Kelly Kang split from the founders. 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. The Berkland network disbanded in 2006, and the Berkeley and Davis churches rebranded as Gracepoint, eventually planting churches in college cities and towns beyond California. Lets start with the first, and probably the most important. Ive learned to just be grateful over the chastising we get even though the form and the content may be exaggerated or straight up not true, Kang said. It seems your friend is walking down this path. What kind of religious organization are they really? You have to disciple them in a particular way, or you need to isolate them or separate them from certain influences, Tang said. I'm not a historian criticism of GP is on the exact same level as those things. Whatever you subconsciously need to decide that so-and-so church is hurting, or so-and-so critic isnt credible. On the border of Berkeley and Oakland, the church was named Berkland Baptist. Join us online Past sunday service messages. But lets talk about the culture of getting rocked Gracepoint. Just having dinner, everyone at the same tablethat was very rare.. 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. This is how you move hundreds of young people to mobilize quickly, efficiently, and without much complaint or deviance. 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. Both Unity in Christ at Berkeley and the Southern Baptist Convention check the practices and beliefs of member churches and college fellowships - meaning, if nothing else, that they do provide a layer of accountability and a church like Gracepoint literally could not join if it were a cult. Gracepoint Church Memories - Gracepoint Fellowship Church, Berkeley Memories from Gracepoint Fellowship Church. That would actually be a sin. 269276. Becky Kim was intimately involved in many details of running all the BBC churches. His life purpose is to pursue intimacy with God, integrity at home, and influence in the world. Others on this subreddit had much more negative experiences than I did. 8,076$ at proverbs 31 ministries our deepest desire is to connect women all over the world with truth. How helpful are reviews of a church when they're left by their own members? I don't know. 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. To be fair though, some people just need to get corrected more often, because frankly, they just screw up a lot. 2022 Join The Triton! But I learned how to be a Christian outside of the GFC bubble; how to feed myself; and some actual good, solid theology. But that's a whole other topic I don't want to get sidetracked by here. Search in Google Gracepoint Abuse, Gracepoint Berkeley, or Gracepoint Legalism - whatever you feel like. During an April 2021 sermon on one of the Beatitudes, Kang told the church not to be discouraged by their online critics; Jesus himself warned that detractors would utter all kinds of evil against you falsely (Matt. Things I could have done with my time in college, time I can never make up for now -- classes, clubs, study abroad all subsumed beneath the crushing demands that GFC always come first. Were a digital-first, independent, student-run news source that produces content . On March 12, 2017, UCSD Chancellor Pradeep Khosla received an email from a concerned community member about Gracepoints presence on UCSDs campus and classified the church as a cult.. Church Online is a place for you to experience God and connect with others. 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). Lead Desktop Consultant. Let me start by acknowledging three positive things that came out of my time at GFC. Want to work with us? Traumatizing and the message was clear. The leaders force you to confess to the point where you better start crying and feeling contrite. Berkeley, California, United States. 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. October 7, 2014 ~ Leave a comment. We are a church located in the Silicon Valley that reaches out to San Jose State University. here on Reddit) are out to "get them." Most of what Gracepoint preaches is standard Christian stuff, nothing crazy here. 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. Blog post title: More Hidden Yelp Reviews of Gracepoint Berkeley. Humor site for Gracepoint Berkeley Church and church plants at Davis, Austin, Minneapolis, San Diego, Riverside, Hsinchu, Los Angeles, Irvine, Santa Barbara, Seattle. All I learned from this was to perform kindness, love, and care in order to check as many boxes as possible. Without the church's support, he might have had nowhere to live. Gracepoint Church Religious Institutions Alameda, California 839 followers An Acts 2 Church in every college town Follow View all 88 employees About us Our story began in 1981 as a. While college ministries like InterVarsity and Asian American Christian Fellowship were launching programs to serve a growing wave of Asian immigrants and second-generation Asian Americans, Rebekah and Paul Kim (no relation to the other Kims) planted a church to minister to Korean Americans at UC Berkeley in 1981. According to emails from former leaders, members were asked to change their wardrobe (I think I need to get some odd clothes out of [this members] closet too so she doesnt get tempted to keep wearing them.), dietary habits (I found out [that you] regularly eat late at night. (Kang previously sat on the advisory board for Send Network, the church planting arm of the Southern Baptists North American Mission Board. Founded in 1981 around the concept of whole-life discipleship, the churchthen known as Berkland Baptistestablished itself as a home for Asian American students attending the University of California, Berkeley. From young adults to retired, we've got them all and we are so excited for you to join us. May 2020 to March 2021. Gracepoint Church checks all the boxes of a college ministry success story. Yes, I am pretty involved with my church (I cook freshmen dinner, I volunteer at elderly centers when we visit, etc. People walk through Sproul Plaza on the UC Berkeley campus. Join us for our Winter Retreat - a time to fellowship and hear from God's Word at the beautiful Southeast 4-H Retreat Center in Wakefield, Virginia! My leaders words were like the words of God, said Mun, who left the church last year due in part to anxiety. - Lyssna p Ed Kang - GracePoint Berkeley Part 2 av The Ralph Moore Podcast direkt i din mobil, surfplatta eller webblsare - utan app. A former UC Santa Barbara student said her declining well-beingdepression and an eating disorder relapsewas seen as evidence of her unrepentance after she crossed a physical boundary with her boyfriend. These included statements like You are a hopeless, morally bankrupt sinner, and nothing good can come from you.. When disciplers approved of a dating relationship, both parties were still expected to keep it private. Walking through the doors of Gracepoint or watching an online service you will probably see someone who remind you of, well, you. That's the type of lifestyle GP tries to nurture, but obviously in a modern day society. 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. Some former members said their departures were mischaracterized within the organization, with current attendees saying that those who left did so to pursue the world by purchasing pets or getting Disneyland passes. this post). https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2022/september/gracepoint-berkland-asian-american-church-discipleship.html. But simply put, the ends do not justify the means. He told CT that eight people have contacted him since he first posted in April 2021. A lot of damaged relationships with old friends, and new college ones all damaged with the the approbation of my peers and leaders at GFC and with a smug self-righteousness on my part. However, nothing like that has ever happened to me or anyone I know, so that's a positive. Saturday, April 19, 2008 Why? When they became part of the ministry team, Gracepoint members were required to install internet filtering software like Covenant Eyes on their devices. I have been attending this church for two years now (I'm a sophomore), been somewhat involved, and I think I kinda know how things are run. Read more. (Former Berkland members said founder Rebekah Kim was trained by University Bible Fellowship, a Korean offshoot of the shepherding movement.). Doe stated that during the repentance process, the church leaderships repeated statements about her character eventually made her question her reality. I remember being very sleepy because this happened very late at night. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. CRU wants you to kiss dating and sanity goodbye, Navigators: They scope out people to recruit and groom you to ask for money, Navigators: Costly Programs, Social Hierarchy, Dating Restrictions, Cru - "one of the most extreme christian groups", "has damaged me and others ", InterVarsity (IV) - "a lot of prejudices", "treated him differently, looked down on him, almost", CRU "only wanted to take, never to give me time or answers to my questions", CRU's Negligence Led to Young Missionary's Death, Navigators: "Brainwashing Cult", "the same kind of round [about] answers", Navigators: Pervasive Negativity and Pyramid Scheme Concerns, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBr4V4ynYt0, Anonymous Testimony Submission Google Form Link. You are being held accountable. Yes, finally, what you did caught up to you, it got addressed by the leaders, and if you repent, you have a small stamp of approval. 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. Log In Sign Up I had a strained relationship with my parents, said Martin Loekito, who was a member of Gracepoints Davis church for 14 years. Couple new courses as well as continuation of several popular classes. But I don't think anyone has specifically addressed this issue as a post, so I'll take a stab. We control your dating life, you need to tell your leaders everything,you will be shamed in front of your class if you dont obey what we say. 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: In fact they are down-right humiliating and induce a lot of guilt-driven repentance. When you've isolated the individual from his or her old support network and substituted the group, they're psychologically locked to the group and cannot leave. Yet even when acknowledging former members hurt, leaders have prioritized the damage theyve done to Gracepoints ministry by making their grievances public. Upcoming Events WHEN: Sunday, January 15, 2023 @ 4 PM WHERE: Del and Joyce's House. I realized I was never going to be able to prove that I was taking my sins seriously.. Not always, but Ive seen it. According to internal emails obtained by The Triton, Center for Student Involvement (CSI) Executive Director Emily Trask followed up individually with the president and did a check-in with the group and the CSI sent educational information to all student organization principal members about high pressure groups via the student organization listserv., In response to an email inquiry from The Triton, UCSDs Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD) said they were not aware of any allegations involving Gracepoint Church.. Now let me address one regret I have, and one lasting consequence. I didn't say that, but they did in fact send her to the local public school. July 2020 to August 2020 . 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. Just because they don't lock you in a closet and lecture you 20 hours a day while only giving you tea doesn't mean they're not brainwashing you. (LogOut/ Jun 2020 - Jul 20202 months. After installing that, I was so scared so I stopped using Facebook or even YouTube or things like that, Smith said. Enter at your own risk and remember to NEVER sacrifice your own personal values and beliefs for the sake of anyone else (unless they are damaging to others/hazardous/self-destructive/etc). - Lytt til Ed Kang - GracePoint Berkeley Part 2 fra The Ralph Moore Podcast direkte p mobilen din, surfetavlen eller nettleseren - ingen nedlastinger ndvendig. Visit Website Compassion International 800+ Children Sponsored Gracepoint Fellowship Church members sponsor children in need. Independent, student-run news source at the University of California, San Diego. I remember all too clearlythe day thatmy entire classgot rebuked because one class member was found to be secretly dating another member of the church. Every group at Berkeley who actively recruits seemed to be on the high end. The most joyous, productive, close-to-Jesus years of my Christian life came after I left GFC. In an internal survey of 1,004 Gracepoint members late last year, 37 percent viewed the church primarily as a family, 34 percent viewed it as an army, and 29 percent viewed it as a factory. 295 were 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. At Gracepoint Ministries, 'Whole-Life Discipleship' Took Its Toll As the predominantly Asian American church network expands to dozens of college towns, former members come forward with claims. Of the big names that show up often on this sub Ed, Will, Manny, Daniel I had varying levels of interaction with each (though I've had at least one personal, one-on-one communication with each of them), which were generally positive. Moreover, my friends spend the same amount of time or even more time for consulting, pre-med, fraternity, and computer science organizations on campus. Some years later, they issued a statement renouncing past practices and saying that they'd been wrong in the past, but they'd be better now. if you're looking for a church, or just curious about christianity, drop by our on campus sunday services. Julia Smith, who remained anonymous due to fear of retaliation, attended Gracepoint at UCSD from 2013 to 2017 and attributed her hesitation to leave the church to her fear of losing the community. I didn't attend gp Berkeley, but I went to acts 2 Fellowship in UCI. Tjhen said that his own actions were totally inappropriate and not our church policy.. Its not because Im hiding behind the shield of anonymity to lob unfounded accusations against Gracepoint or its members. My experience at Gracepoint has been spiritually abusive. Despite bringing his symptoms to his leaders, he said he was not allowed to step back from most of his church responsibilities. Gracepoints training documents teach staff to explain why the churchs hierarchical leadership is not authoritarian or why negative perception of the churchs culture of rebuke is overblown due to an emotionally fragile generation. Weary of internal programs being leaked, leaders asked members to periodically delete sensitive recordings and emails containing talks and trainings or to watch them under supervision. A few years later, they returned to Berkeley, and Pastor Ed took over the senior pastor position. Im not sure who started calling getting rebuked, rocked, but it really turns something negative into something of a badge of honor. Church Online is a place for you to experience God and connect with others. Please feel free to choose from these questions to help remember and process the text. They are excellent at outreaching to newcomersit is insane. They helped believers in Ephesus (Acts 18:18-28), in Rome when they were allowed to return, and again at Ephesus (2 Tim 4:19)." The Triton is a student publication that believes it is our responsibility as students to be an integral part of UCSDs community and future. 1995-2005: Growth and Division - This was a time of growth and multiplication for BBC. These outbursts shamed members for not following the standards of their community. Estimate Value. Top SEO sites provided "Devotions for church deacon meetings" keyword . 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. 2000 Northloop Drive. 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.. Although the sites primarily focus on the issues surrounding the Gracepoint Berkeley church run by Ed and Kelly Kang, many of these issues are also manifested in other Gracepoint churches including Davis. 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. 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. I feel that it's unfair to call Gracepoint a cult simply because of the time people spend. The building was used for Sunday service, bible studies, prayer meetings, and many other church activities until the congregation became too large to fit into the sanctuary for Sunday service. Members under discipline could be asked to refrain from serving in ministries and even attending services. Gracepoint Berkeley Church Podcast (deprecated) . Kelly Kang/Ed Kangaccused all of us of using the church for personal gain (marriage). Like many college ministries where young adults commit to codes of conduct, accountability, and community obligations, Berkland attracted Asian American students with its strict but tight-knit ministry philosophy. My daughter is involved with this church, as a leader. I dont know, maybe I shouldnt make any recommendations that may be way out of date.). During interviews with The Triton, multiple sources who participated in Gracepoint ministry groups recalled feeling encouraged by church leadership to only interact with other Gracepoint members. I was told that in order to accept the truth about myself I need to accept that I committed the same sins as my abuser and as my parents and that it would be extremely sinful and arrogant of me to think that Im any different, Doe said. Log In Sign Up But it's their lives and they seem committed and happy, and are not walling off their kids from the world. Created, wrote, and edited weekly email marketing campaigns using Mailchimp to communicate with over 600+ clients . 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. I guess you could say we were just a bunch of people who enjoyed college life so much that we never left it, the church quips in a promotional video. They met in a building on Alcatraz Ave on the border of Berkeley and Oakland, hence the name Berkland. Their teaching is unbiblical; the extreme emphasis and focus on sin is unhealthy. The charismatic shepherding movement of the 1970s and 80s ended with former leaders disavowing their own intrusive practices. Yes it's an "all in" church. It took me a year of therapy and an unsuccessful suicide attempt to start dismantling those things that I was told about myself, Doe said. We are a church where you can belong even before you have believed. One thing more to muse on before I close. Some experts see the rise in depression as evidence that the connections social media users form electronically are less emotionally satisfying, leaving them feeling socially isolated. Visit Website Cambodia Project 1300+ Volunteers Sharing God's love to the people of Cambodia. Undergraduate students were discouraged from dating and, in some cases, forced to break up. That familial attitude tied into the churchs model of whole-life discipleship. Continue to next article: What does Gracepoint have to say? The pastor and his wife are a fine couple that lead the congregation and have given up lucrative careers to do so. Kang said such rebukes are infrequent and such training couldnt be used now with the anxiety and emotional fragility of todays generation. 2005: The Letter, church split, and Gracepoint is born - As time went on, there was growing concern about Rebekah Kims behavior, harsh rebuking and shaming of her disciples in a public manner, and overall lack of humility and accountability.
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