The other day (on the 16th) I reported my initial impressions of DISC here:
[
board.culteducation.com]
Today I was out there volunteering and got to speak privately with the pastor for a bit. Earlier I'd emailed her asking about the ministry's political structure, board, budget, finances, donations, all that stuff. The Big Three criteria by which a healthy, non-abusive or non-controlling church can be recognized from once that is an unhealthy, abusive, and overly controlling one: political transparency, financial transparency, and educational requirements for leaders. I her asked in a professional, respectful, however direct manner after explaining my bad experience with another, better known Dallas "ministry". I asked her, surely you must know where I am coming from?
In fact, here is a copy of the email I sent her; I sent it last night:
[b:a57c2fd401]
Hi Karen. I'll tell you, I have been involved (in the employ of) a psychologically and spiritually abusive ministry/"cult" in the past (Trinity Foundation) and have taken about a year to get back into community building/ministry activity ever since. It was a bad experience but God brought me out of it and I want to get involved in a church family again now. Like, REALLY involved, not just Sunday morning and Wednesday night or something, you know?
So, there some things I like to "check out" before I get very involved with any church now; it makes me comfortable to ask about certain details. Not that I am at all coming out of an accusatory or suspicious spirit, just asking about certain things for my peace of mind:
1) Does DISC have any kind of constitution or bylaws by which it operates, or some kind of charter, and if so, may I have a copy of it? Is there a board of directors or otherwise some type of governing body, and if so who are they?
2) What is DISC's operating budget, what are the financial reports, donations, etc.? Do you as the Pastor have a discretionary fund at your disposal? What is in it?
3) What are your educational credentials? What are the staff's?
Like I said *****, it's not that I am accusing you of anything or something like that; not at all. It's just that I have been burned before by a pseudo-Christian cult and now that I am out, and ready to get back into the "church world", try and exercise discernment in what I involve myself in. I'm sure you understand. It's just that I know what to look for now.
Spiritual abuse is every bit as real and damaging as physical or sexual abuse or any kind of destructive relationship. That's my ministry; I want to get into cult-awareness/spiritual abuse counseling.
See you soon,
B[/b:a57c2fd401]
When we spoke in person she told me that she'd never been asked those kinds of questions by a volunteer/visitor before and that frankly that that stuff was not my business for her to discuss with me. I told her that in fact it [b:a57c2fd401]is[/b:a57c2fd401] my business if I plan on contributing and further explained that as a non-profit organization all that kind of info must be publicly available anyway, so I [b:a57c2fd401]do[/b:a57c2fd401] have the right to ask. She told me that everything I need to know is on the website and when I asked about a charter, whether DISC is incorporated in the State of Texas, what's the budget, etc., she told me to read the website and that any information other than what is there is none of my business. To me, she seemed a bit indignant that I'd asked, but said that she wasn't [i:a57c2fd401]offended[/i:a57c2fd401] and made it clear that such things were not my business.
www.kdministries.org
[
www.dallasinternationalstreetchurch.org]
Notice how on the two sites the boards are listed as two different sets of people.
Also, in the course of the meeting, she told me a bit about her background and how she was educated and ordained through the Assemblies of God. But, she explained, that she'd left denominational Christianity to form DISC 10 years ago and that she didn't want to align DISC with one denomination or another because "most denominations are all about the money".
I told her of the Biblical mandate to expose and speak out about evil (Eph. 5:11), especially evil in The Church, she told me that I had a point but that rather than trying to investigate and so be sure that I was not involved in another abusive situation, I should pray and "seek the Lord" and also that one will always find error in people, but never in God.
A few big red flags waving to me here. I have done several hours of volunteer work for them this week checking them out. What do you all say? Feedback please?