Community and Accountability

Another great post up on The Chief Sinner blog on community and accountability.

http://chiefsinner.org/2016/04/06/demystifying-church-community-and-accountability/

When I read that post, I am reminded of the amount of shame and guilty I experienced while at Berkland/Gracepoint. There were public and private rebuking sessions, public shaming for minor offenses, and so much guilt. So. Much. Guilt!

While I was there, I felt guilty about:

• not doing quiet time everyday
• forgetting someone's birthday
• forgetting to thank someone for something they did
• not wanting to become staff
• not going to prayer meeting
• not praying passionately for 1 hour +
• wanting to take care of my family or visit them during the holidays
• liking someone of the opposite sex (just having the feelings!!)
• when someone of the opposite sex seemed interested in me
• not repenting well enough
• being me
• not wanting to give someone a ride every Sunday. They lived in S.F. I lived in the East Bay. I did it anyway.
• not giving more money to Gracepoint
• getting reimbursed for valid church expenses
• not showing up to see Mary, John, Mark, and Grace off to ABCD
• not liking one of the members of my small group
• not liking someone in my class
• not having 10 people I was reaching out to
• etc.

What a drastic change compared to how I feel now. I feel little to no shame these days and guilty only when appropriate (when I've done something wrong).

Be free. It was for freedom that Christ set us free.

Good blog on church structure and authority

I recently started reading this blog called The Chief Sinner.

They have a post about the position of pastor at church and the use of honorific titles. You can find it here:

http://chiefsinner.org/2016/03/23/demystifying-church-the-pastors-calling-authority-and-our-use-of-honorific-titles/

Please read it. It's a good read.

If you are or were a part of Gracepoint Ministry, you are probably very familiar with ALL of the honorific titles that are or were used at that church. When I was a student, even the non Koreans used Oppa, Unni, Hyung, Noona, Jundosanim (JDSN - literal translation is evangelist) and Samonim (honorific title for a pastor's wife). At the time, I felt like it was a good thing to show honor to your elders by using these titles. But now I see it as potentially another way that the hierarchical and authoritarian structure of the church was reinforced.

I mean, it's a bit ridiculous that a white dude from the Midwest was calling an upperclassmen Hyung and Noona when he was not culturally Korean in any way, shape or form.

I realize it's a somewhat minor thing, but when I used to go there, I would have felt like a "rebel" if I had gone against their culture and did not call someone older than me Unni. I don't even call my biological siblings this! But I very easily conformed to this culture while at Berkland. Even now, I feel slightly uncomfortable when I write Kelly Kang instead of Kelly Samonim. And it's been over a decade since I left that church!

.

In light of Good Friday, let us all remember that nothing we do can earn or prove our salvation in Christ. It is a gift. Freely given to all.

It doesn't matter if you attend Gracepoint or another church or no church.
It doesn't matter if you do not have a desire to become staff, or explicitly don't want to become staff.
It doesn't matter if you do not want to move to some random city because Gracepoint decided that that's where the next church plant will be.
It doesn't matter if you love your spouse and are actually happily married.
It doesn't matter if you didn't do your quiet time every single day of the year.
It doesn't matter if you don't do what your leader says you should do.

These things do not make you a Christian. Nor more lovable to God, nor more worthy, nor more honorable. Do not believe the lies. You are enough, just as you are. God says so. You are worthy, just as you are. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for the ungodly.

Rest.

God calls you to rest. It's a commandment. Go read it. Want to be obedient? Obey that.

Evidence of abuse

I know someone who is a counselor/therapist at Cal and she mentioned to me that many of the students that she serves seek therapy because of the abuse/trauma they experienced while attending Gracepoint Fellowship Church in Berkeley. Seems like the legalistic culture of that church is still going strong. She did not share details due to client/therapist confidentiality.

Are you contemplating leaving Gracepoint or one of its affiliated churches? Perhaps the Antioch Baptist Church in Boston? A recent commenter shared that Berkland Boston has changed their name to Antioch Baptist Church. If you have left or are thinking about leaving, or are currently experiencing emotional abuse at a Gracepoint Ministry church, please read the posts and comments on this blog and be encouraged!

My understanding is that the dysfunction of Gracepoint can be attributed to the founding Pastor and his wife, Rebekah Kim. The most visited post on this blog is the letter from Ed Kang to Rebekah Kim.

Great Article on Raw Story about Religious Trauma

Great Article on Raw Story about Religious Trauma. Sounds like Gracepoint Fellowship (formerly Berkland Baptist Church) to me!!!


http://www.rawstory.com/2015/07/religious-trauma-syndrome-how-some-organized-religion-leads-to-mental-health-problems/

Those of you who are still suffering, please get help!

For all of you who have experienced the hardship of leaving Gracepoint (formerly Berkland) at any of it's elevent locations, you are not alone. You are not being a "bad Christian" by leaving that church. Many of us have left, or were kicked out, and are alive and well.

It's amazing how whenever I get together with the brothers or sisters who used to go to that church, we have so much to talk about and share. Recently I found out that one of the girls who were in my class was asked to leave the church upon graduation by the pastor's wife Kelly Kang. She basically told her, "Go experience the world and realize how much you need Jesus." I am appalled that someone who was entrusted to shepherd the sheep would mistreat her sheep this way.

Anyway, if you found my blog while wondering if Gracepoint church is a cult or not, please go ahead and read the many helpful blog posts. In my opinion, it's not technically a cult but it's doing a lot of damage to a lot of people. Yes, I also acknowledge that many people are getting to know Jesus through the church as well. Praise to God who draws all men to himself. 

New (ish) blog

I just did a google search and found this other blog about Gracepoint.

Just one post from back in 2010 but the list is a good one.

http://gracepointexposed.blogspot.com/

All other sites seem to be down

It seems like all the other blogs and websites, including Gracepoint is Dangerous, are down. I know some were taken down by the authors, and some seemed to be hacked. If any of the authors are reading this blog, kindly let us know why you decided to take down/no longer maintain your blog?

Anyway, if you are an ex Berklander or an ex Gracepoint attender, I encourage you to browse through the posts.

Gracepoint is Dangerous

Site is down for upgrade/redesign. Any new issues or questions about Gracepoint? Please comment below.

Gracepoint is Dangerous

I encourage everyone to read the message board at

http://gracepointisdangerous.com

hackings

I am very disturbed by the hackings that are happening to blogs trying to expose the truth about Gracepoint. If you have any information about this, please leave a comment.