Truth-seaker:

If you wish to learn more about the details you should check public records.

Aguilar's criminal record would be a matter of public record somewhere, it seems within the files of the California courts and prison authority.

Does anyone know how many churches they have in California and which cities?

I can attest that nothing ever happened to impede my Christian life at Set Free. It was a great season and I'm glad to have experienced it. I have grown from it. It has affected my Christian life forever and I'm thankful for it.

onesharingtruth:

Many people feel "Set Free" hurt them and there are probably more former members than current ones.

There are also very serious issues about Phil Aguilar's behavior and his accountability.

Moderator thank you. I just wanted to go on record here that Set Free was a great experience in my life and I am forever changed in a very positive way by the things I experienced there. I also attended the Huntington Beach Set Free and had a positive experience. I also helped open the Hawaii Set Free. This was many years ago but the people I was with had wonderful hearts and I didn't directly experience any hurt, nor did the people I met there.

Moderator, can you suggest anything to the people hurting to help them get through their feelings and go forward?

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onesharingthetruth
Moderator thank you. I just wanted to go on record here that Set Free was a great experience in my life and I am forever changed in a very positive way by the things I experienced there. I also attended the Huntington Beach Set Free and had a positive experience. I also helped open the Hawaii Set Free. This was many years ago but the people I was with had wonderful hearts and I didn't directly experience any hurt, nor did the people I met there.

Hmmmm....

Always amazing how many "fans" show up to speak for a whole group of other "people I met there." I'm curious, did or do these other people know you are speaking for them? How have you made the determination that none was hurt? And knowing how readily people within cults misrepresent the truth, both publicly and privately, are you really prepared to represent these people as a spokesperson of some sort? Are you aware of how many cult members are happy and willing to stand up and testify that "no one has ever been hurt by xxx cult or xxx guru?" (Or if they were, it was their own fault for: not trying hard enough, not working hard enough, not praying hard enough, not using the proper techniques/technology, not being sincere, not being humble, not believing wholly, or for being whoever they were being that "caused" hurt to happen.)

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Moderator, can you suggest anything to the people hurting to help them get through their feelings and go forward?

Not speaking for Rick Ross but I'll answer this:

Time, mostly.
Time, education, experience away from and outside the cult.
Talking to other victims.
Accepting that one can be fooled, tricked, and taken advantage of.
Speaking freely and openly.
Sometimes formal therapy with knowledgeable therapists.
Channeling negative energy into something creative or productive.
Working to help other victims.


Ellen

Phil Aguilar has formed a new motorcycle club called "Soldiers" and he is still controlling the Servants for Christ MC.
He does not have any elected officials in his "church". He has appointed himself the leader and allows those who agree with him to become leaders in various capacities.
There are no bylaws or doctrinal statements available to the general public or even to members of Set Free.
Once one starts to question Phil's orders and instructions he or she is said to be "out of God's will" and he tells the "in crowd" at Set Free to shun them.
Phil has an intense spirit of lust and control.
I know these things because I was there in 2001 & 2002 not because I was a drug addict, alcoholic, or prostitue but because I have a call on my life to minister to hurting women & Phil "dared me" to connect with him when I moved to California in 2001.
Phil often leered at me and other women; encouraging provocative clothes and sexually innappropriate behavior. I recall him telling me, "you sure are looking good lately" when I was dressed in tight pants and a tight shirt. Shortly thereafter the Holy Spirit started speaking to me about Set Free Orange County being a cult.
Phil and one of his leaders set me up with another leader of the group and i fell for the lie that the man loved me and wanted to marry me. The man with whom I was set up left the group a few days after our rendevous and started using heroin again. I was blamed for his leaving and falling into sin although I have never used drugs and went after the guy, begging him to come back to "the ministry home".
For years, phil's label of the "Jezebel" haunted me. Phil is very charasmatic and can lead people to believe he has their best interests in mind.
However, especially with women, phil actuallyhas only his best interests in mind. I am also intimately aware of phil's powers of coercion and intimidation. I can give you the names of many, many people who can attest to this through their only recent experiences with the man.
I have also wondered why phil thinks it's appropriate or Godly to have church "parties" and services in a bar: Club Roc of Costa Mesa. Manyof the Soldiers who hang outwith Phil at these events have issues with women, drugs, and alcohol. Why, then, tempt them with very scantily clad dancer women, alcohol, and ???
If anyone truly believes that phil really is serving and following Jesus then they can not actually be reading the same Bible that I read.

onesharingthetruth:

You say,

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can you suggest anything to the people hurting to help them get through their feelings and go forward?

Part of the recovery process for people victimized and hurt by groups such as "Set Free" may be to come forward and discuss what happened with others that have had similar experiences, which is part of what this message board is used for.

Elena said,

Quote

Time, mostly.
Time, education, experience away from and outside the cult.
Talking to other victims.
Accepting that one can be fooled, tricked, and taken advantage of.
Speaking freely and openly.
Sometimes formal therapy with knowledgeable therapists.
Channeling negative energy into something creative or productive.
Working to help other victims.

This pretty much sums it up.

Also see [www.culteducation.com]

This is the subsection within the Ross Institute database specifically about recovery from cults and cult-like groups.

See [www.culteducation.com]

This article by psychologist Margaret Singer has helped many former members of destructive groups. And there are other articles included in the Recover subsection by Singer about "Post Cult Adjustment" and "Practical Issues."

Someone coming out of "Set Free" specifically would benefit from reading "Churches That Abuse."by Ronald Enroth. Enroth wrote about "Set Free" and he is an evangelical Christian and professor of sociology.

See [www.amazon.com]

Another book written by an evangelical about churces that abuse is titled "The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse." Many people that have experienced abuse in groups like "Set Free" have found this book helpful because it goes into how faith can be manipulated by someone seeking to control, dominate and exploit others.

See [www.amazon.com]

It is important when recovering from destructive groups to sort through what happened and understand as completely as possible the techniques of coercive persuasion used by the group.

Again, this message board helps people to sort through such things and support each other in the recovery process.

I know Phil, He is drunk everyday, in the mornings he shakes so bad he can't even dial a cell phone. I've seen him "pass the hat" for money to get "massages", and I've heard the women he's given herpes to recount their abuse from him.
Set Free Huntington Beach was a front, Phil used an unassumimg northeast boy to change public perception of him. His real agenda can be seen at Club Roc in Costa Mesa, where he runs a bar "owned" by his long time sucker Eric Bryant. He can be found there almost everyday, drunk.

By the way he writes, I think "Skeptic" is Hebrew Aguilar, Phil's alcholic son.

Jeff Symour wise up buddy, he conned you into giving up your life and birthright, played on your own faults, and ruined your marriage. Yet you still defend him? Check this out Jeff:

1Ti 3:1 ¶ This [is] a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

1Ti 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

1Ti 3:3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;

1Ti 3:4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

1Ti 3:5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

1Ti 3:6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

1Ti 3:7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Phil does not fill even [u:59dec4463f]one[/u:59dec4463f] of these requirements. Is this your Pastor? Who assaults Women and children?

Check this out Hebrew(skeptic):

Luke 12:45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken;

Luke 12:46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for [him], and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

So, The Word calls [u:59dec4463f]you[/u:59dec4463f] an unbeliever now.