I regret Tommy Sirotnak (vicnetwork) had a problem with MSI.
I have requested information on his claims. In the meantime however, I would make a few observations:
1. He talks about problems going back to 1982. MSI was not founded until 1994. Some of the MSI leaders' former associations with Maranatha were as worker bees who got hurt, pulled out of there, and learned from those problems. So to paint them with the Maranatha brush is entirely wrong.
2. Tommy draws some strange inference from the fact that I posted on this thread that is entitled somethign about the so called "Spiritual Fathering" movement, whereas I've clearly said I don't agree with the criteria attributed to Spiritual Fathering and don't know any MSI leader who does. This thread merely seemed like a convenient place to defend MSI from some of the snide comments about it.
3. MSI, as far as I can see, having been a leader in my current church since 5 years prior to its association with MSI, seeks to emulate the kind of relationship Paul had with Timothy, a father in the Lord, using discipleship and spiritual reproduction as commended in 2 Tim. 2:2 - "these things you have seen of me among many witnesses, these commit to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also." In the almost-decade we've been associated with MSI, we've seen a handful of people who cannot submit to anyone or anything fall by the wayside, but for the most part, many have grown in the faith through these nurturing, discipleship processes. I have progressed from leadership roles to servant roles sometimes. I do not see a power-structure building or pyramid-type scheme here, as some have suggested. I have been a VLI instructor and director this past year, which is the most advanced teaching they offer at the local church. I have sought to bring others into this teaching level, and let them increase and me decrease. I am planning on bowing out of this advanced position next year in deference to others I am helping to bring to this level, and instead offer to serve as an usher/greeter, which is a role I've never been blessed with in the 13 years I've been in this MSI-associated church in Abilene, Texas. So you can see, I am on a real power trip here! :)
My user name of Haiglaw here refers to the fact that I am a Texas lawyer. My email ID currently is
Dama@cox.net, and I invite anyone interested to write me direct if you like. The "dama" means "Dave/attorney/mediator/arbitrator."