The ministries that got started or were present during this time at Berkeley include: College ministry in particular grew very quickly, moving from 100 GPBB to the huge lecture hall at VLSB. Leaders directed staff on how to arrange their homes, where to shop for clothes, and what cars to drive. Imagine the disciples in the Bible who went around preaching to everyone. Latest was Christmas Part 1 | Isolation | Sunday Worship Service. Smith also noted this pressure to remain in the Gracepoint community also affected students relationships with their families. 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. 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. A third is that the group attempts to keep its members extremely busy so that they don't have time to develop those doubts. Address. Want to contact us or send a tip? Several parents of former and current members, worried that the church is distancing them from their children, have raised concerns about the churchs fellowship groups to leaders at UC campuses and Biola University. He jumped so quickly to scolding me, really making sure I was in this posture of shame, Lee said. And maybe there is just a big beautiful world beyond the Gracepoint bubble waiting for you too. Its because I dont want my life to be turned into an object lesson one told not with malice but just with sadness about why one shouldnt leave Gracepoint. CONTACT. By visiting our site, you agree to our privacy policy regarding cookies, tracking statistics, etc. 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. I did it too and it makes me sick to remember the ways I twisted myself into parroting the party line, masking cruel thoughts with a holy sheen. Regardless of your religious background, we want to welcome . One of the things thats good about the Korean culture is that when someone wants you close to them, they make you part of their family, said a former longtime Berkland member who asked not to be named due to his close ties with Gracepoint leadership. It feels like the bridge is being burnt from the other end, said Mun. Those kinds of values were considered essential as part of the church.. 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. These outbursts shamed members for not following the standards of their community. And all those culture wars. The irony is, that on numerous occasions, Ive heard a rebuke about not doing things out of a love for God and others, but the result is that people act because they do not want to get rebuked again. Gracepoint Church Faces Abuse Allegations Across the UC, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), UC System Creates Largest Vaccine Mandate in Higher Education. Located on over 60 campuses, it has launched church plants in 35 cities nationwide, as well as one in Taiwan, with 15 new churches planted in 2021 alone. 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. You're confusing a "War on Gracepoint" with "Not getting a free pass." 87 reviews of Gracepoint Berkeley "I first went to this here when I started going to college. I remember being very sleepy because this happened very late at night. Living communally, as I described it above, is really just synonymous with being a good guest, and what GFC does (see, lockboxes) goes way beyond that. I don't think she cut off all relations with people outside of her church (because, going off the interpretation that GP wants to evangelize, this is counterproductive). A group of us moved from our different ministries at Berkeley, Minnesota, Riverside, San Diego, Austin, and LA in 2014 to plant a church in Irvine. 37% of Gracepoint members viewed the church primarily as a family, 34% viewed it as an army, and 29% viewed it as a factory. I do think that this is part of a larger problem with Christianity in America. Special thanks to John Kim (pseudonym) as the primary contributor for this page. 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. Are they still okay? Summary: - Key verses - Sentence summary of each chapter and/or key events I also suspect that their spouse was chosen because there were two instances when the male staff suddenly announced their engagements. Associated Students of the University of California. 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. ! I realized I was never going to be able to prove that I was taking my sins seriously.. I have made my faith personal here, and I have truly devoted my life to God. 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. 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. 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. $100M Ad Campaign Aims to Make Jesus the Biggest Brand in Your City, Died: Jack Hayford, Pentecostal Pastor Who Wrote Majesty, Federal Judge Tosses Challenge to Christian College Exemptions, The 50 Countries Where Its Most Dangerous to Follow Jesus in 2021, Recant or Leave: Mobs Expel Christians in Central India, damage theyve done to Gracepoints ministry. She's deleted her Facebook and apparently cut off all relationships with people outside of her church. Growing up poor in Los Angeles he was headed for a life of crime and delinquency. First is that I am a much more introspective person than I used to be. I work at a big company now, and its a company thats pretty good in its field. 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.. My experience at Gracepoint has been spiritually abusive. These included statements like You are a hopeless, morally bankrupt sinner, and nothing good can come from you.. (LogOut/ Please, do not get sucked into this cult. The building has since been demolished and there are now apartments/condos there instead. (LogOut/ Yes, they are very intentional in their faith. Im not going to get into the correct, or Biblical way to rebuke, for that material is abundant. Gracepoint's leaders packaged this very cult-like behavior as discipleship. 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. I wouldn't call the consulting clubs on campus "cults" because their members put in similar time commitments. Not always, but Ive seen it. One of the things Im learning now that Im out [of the church] is that I can actually make my own decisions without checking with somebody, asking for permission, being afraid that Ill get in trouble, she said. The Triton is a student publication that believes it is our responsibility as students to be an integral part of UCSDs community and future. This type of behavior is scummy, to say the least, and to be honest, every religious group seems to exhibit cult-like aspects in some way, but established, non-charismatic, non-evangelical organizations seem to inhabit the lower rungs of the ladder. Dis-Gracepoint Berkeley. 5:11, ESV). Curtis Yee is a faith and culture reporter in Sacramento, California. There's a huge difference. Again I'm not a historian. He told CT that eight people have contacted him since he first posted in April 2021. They are hardworking, sincere, competent, and godly folks. 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. ), but - I'm going to be honest - who doesn't spend time doing things they love? 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. 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. Category. 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. 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. I was very involved as fully involved as any college student for a couple years when I was in college at Cal, but I left after graduation. One member who attended Gracepoint Berkeley for 22 years worried that her involvement stunted her maturity. This subreddit is not affiliated with Gracepoint Church or its college ministries. Explore Gracepoint Berkeley Church's 186,086 photos on Flickr! The number of things that GFC would find to criticize in my church and that my old friends did quietly but noticeably disapprove of were legion. . 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). Others on this subreddit had much more negative experiences than I did. Browse 60+ years of magazine archives and web exclusives. 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. Ed Kang received his law degree from Boalt and practiced for a couple or few years before quitting to attend seminary and become a pastor at the church. The University of San Francisco revoked the recognition status of Gracepoints Klesis fellowship in May 2021 because it did not meet the requirements to be a USF affiliated ministry, misrepresented its relationship with Gracepoint Church, and continued to have contact with students following an interim suspension issued in March. But does this type of rebuking do more harm than good? Ed Kang is the son of Korean immigrants. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Church Online is a place for you to experience God and connect with others. During staff sharing and DT time, each person had to pull out their list and share how many check marks they had that week. 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. 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.. Gracepoint Ministries Gracepoint Berkeley Church Previous DT Notebooks Bible Reading: Gen 23-26 Bible Text: Genesis 23-26Here are some ways to process the readings for each day. Couple new courses as well as continuation of several popular classes. One conclusion was that a lot of our relationships have been disrupted because of our church planting efforts, Kang said. They met in a building on Alcatraz Ave on the border of Berkeley and Oakland, hence the name Berkland. Our affiliation with the EPC began in 1982 and we have walked with this body of. If the abuser fails to do that, they rationalize by saying, they dont love me and I guess I never loved them. At this church, it is the same, because if you do not respond to rebuke, you are spiritually desolate and they cannot shepherd or love you. 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. Ed Kang says he tried his best to give her feedback but that she rationalized her behaviors and never repented. If they really examine things, they really could change, he said, but I just dont think theyre willing to let go of a lot of the practices theyve been holding on to.. The most joyous, productive, close-to-Jesus years of my Christian life came after I left GFC. 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.. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. I have been intentionally vague about the details of my time at GFC, my relationships with which leaders, and my own life. Gracetyler.org created by Grace Community School.This domain provided by tucows.com at 2002-07-25T21:03:42Z (20 Years, 171 Days ago), expired at 2029-07-25T21:03:42Z (6 Years, 194 Days left). 35 35 International Student Groups 40 40 Elderly Care Facilities 80 80 Documents from 2011 taught church leaders to rebuke members so that the person gets to have proper fear toward God & proper shock over what he has done, with the trainer modeling screaming and slamming the table, according to former staff. Pastor Ed, stop playing the victim card, as you like to tell your sheep. Scroll . Served 113 Homes Since 2006, we've had the privilege to share God's love (the greatest love) to the elderly on Valentine's day. 2000 Northloop Drive. Multiple sources have confirmed that most of Gracepoint's top leadership comes from the Berkland Baptist Church. Dropping any "idols," or things you always think about more than God. Anonymous blogs including Twisted Gracepoint and The Truth about Gracepoint Church circulated online in the 2000s. I dont see reconciliation efforts made on their side. Most of us attend Gracepoint Berkeley Church for Sunday Worship Service. Welcome to Gracepoint! You can ask questions and have discussions regarding the Truth Project by responding to this post. This history is provided to give context when understanding how the church came to be what it is today. In fact, she might even ask you to go to church with her :). Klesis is a campus Christian group at UC Berkeley, open to all students at Cal. Gracepoint santa barbara is a collegiate church that meets near the ucsb and westmont campuses. You'll have to work at it, but it'll be yours, and you're not going to cast it aside when you grow up. Yes, I am pretty involved with my church (I cook freshmen dinner, I volunteer at elderly centers when we visit, etc. I didn't say that, but they did in fact send her to the local public school. Moreover, in order to "spend less time at church" I'd have to spend less time doing things like teaching underprivileged kids with my church (I remember that was a big time commitment my sophomore year) - which, again, is something I wanted to do. It is the reason why many people who leave feel so traumatized. 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. Who We Are Undergrads Join us for Sunday Service 1:00 PM @ KAM Isaiah Israel, 5029 S Greenwood Ave ( 12:30pm rides @59th St near Harper) Connect with makenew Grads / International 10:30 AM @ KAM Isaiah Israel, 5029 S Greenwood Ave (Contact us for rides!) At campus clubs like Klesis and Acts2Fellowship, Gracepoint pushes college students to wrestle with tough questions and pursue church mentorship. 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. The results are easy to find . 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. The church grew in number steadily. 295 were here. I debated for a while if I should post this. Humor site for Gracepoint Berkeley Church and church plants at Davis, Austin, Minneapolis, San Diego, Riverside, Hsinchu, Los Angeles, Irvine, Santa Barbara, Seattle. Do n't have time to develop those doubts site, you are using. A while if I should post this things you always think about more than God, competent, and own. And I guess I never loved gracepoint church berkeley they do n't have time to develop those.! She rationalized her behaviors and never repented of rebuking do more harm good! The name Berkland Berkland Baptist church on Alcatraz Ave on the border of Berkeley and Oakland, the! 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