When the Worldwide Church of God started to loose income because of its doctrinal and tithing changes, one of the fist things to go was the Big Sandy Campus. It was not a quick sale though, it drug on and on while it drained money from the Worldwide Church of God's pocket book. Eventuality it was sold to
ALERT Academy, the right wing fundamentalist sect that Bill Gothard dreamed up because he thought the churches around him were too liberal.
Over four decades ago Gothard formed the
Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP). Since that time the belief system he started has been hit with one scandal after another. From child abuse and pedophilia, to sexual misconduct by Gothard. Numerous lawsuits have been field over the years which forced Gothard to resign from the board of his various "charities."
The biggest public face of the movement was the Dugger family who let the world into their fundamentalist family with
19 Kids and Counting. That world came crashing down after their son was discovered to be a serial adulterer and pedophile. Instead of send the guy to jail, he was sent to ALERT Academy where he received "counseling" from its leaders. These were not professional counselors that were experienced with working with pedophiles, but men who tried to "pray" the pedophile demon out of Dugger.
Gothards main headquarters was based in Chicago. There is a 10 part series (
Dark Secrets) here detailing the child abuse and sexual improprieties that went on at that HQ. Listening to it is like listening and reading about the Worldwide Church of God HQ in Pasadena. When powerful corrupt men who claim to speak for God take on power they end up abusing that power by abusing members, sexually, mentally physically and spiritually.
The Institute in Basic Life Principles, a Chicago-based
organization, has operated the Indianapolis Training Center on the
city’s Northside for a decade. Its Bible-based learning program has
been praised as an example of how state and church can work together
to help troubled youth.
But
the Eyewitness News Investigators found shocking allegations of child
abuse at the center. After we began looking into the allegations, the
state Child Protective Services agency opened an investigation into
the claims of abuse and confinement of children in a so-called prayer
room.
Gothard has announced that they are selling the Chicago HQ and moving the entire operation to Big Sandy, Texas. This came soon after 5 women came forward two says ago and filed a lawsuit against Gothard and the group for sexual abuse.
Five women sue Bill Gothard’s ministry that has ties to the Duggars
Five women have sued the Institute in
Basic Life Principles, once a leader in the Christian homeschooling
movement, charging that the organization and its board of directors
enabled and covered up sexual abuse and harassment of interns,
employees, and other participants in its programs.
The IBLP was hugely instrumental in the push in the Homeschooling Movement here in the United States. Along with the public face of the Dugger's, the other prominent face of this movement is Hobby Lobby. Gothard's group is also heavily into Christian Reconstructionism.
Reconstructionism, which is closely related to Dominionism, found a
niche with homeschoolers, especially conservative Christians who bought
the idea of being fruitful and multiplying (Quiverfull Movement) in order to take over or subdue the earth.
I am sure the residents of Big Sandy are groaning again about another cult taking over the campus with weird doctrines and teachings. After ridding themselves of the craziness of Armstrongism they are now going to be taken over by an even more aberrant cult.
