Has anyone heard of or had experience with a group called Eagles' Wings or their director, Robert Stearns?

I know a few people who have been involved with them and have been to some of their conferences. Most of the staff seem to be in the 20s, they live in communal housing, and have to get permission from their leadership to date, marry, make major personal decisions or consider leaving the group... Many of these young people have given up college for this, live on missionary support, and actually PAY the organization to work for free and live sometimes three to a bedroom...

I've gone to conferences and got to know many of the young people and leaders over the years and heard their stories. What started out as a bare bones solid ministry, well intentioned has tuned into a controlling, self absorbed, mico managed mess with a large majority of the former staff and interns lives in need of reprogramming after leaving. Former members are considered ostracised as it's unheard of to leave on good terms because they always want more. They need to be exposed and parents warned. They may have the right doctrine on many issues, however the way they treat the staff can only be interpreted as being a cult.

I wish I could say that this is a safe ministry that has some flaws but well-meaning motives underneath it all... but it's not. It may or may not have started out with an innocent agenda, but it has turned into what I believe is a cult. I have been to many conferences and held friendships with team members. After you get past what seems to be a pretty impressive Christian exterior what you find is deeply concerning and cannot be excused.

From my experience, they mainly target the impressionable age range of 18-25 (though there is the token adult or family from time to time). It starts out as an opportunity to serve, be discipled and help change the world. But after the first few months there is subtle intimidation, humiliation and control that is placed on the intern. As is normal in typical cults, during this time they are broken down and then picked back up by the ministry... which causes a dependency and in some ways a "debt". Most interns will tell you that by 6 months they want to leave, but by the time their 9 months is over they want to stay. Why would you want to commit a year of your life to a place that you despised the first 6 months? Again, as is typical, they are made to believe that they wanted to leave because of deeper issues, pride and not being able to "take the heat" that comes from true community.

Another reason they do not want to leave is because they form friendships in a very close knit community. It is a place where they do feel the initial closeness of community, but they form unhealthy bonds with teammates and they don't get exposure to the real world and real relationships. Most people they meet are through Robert, through his conferences, ministry trips, churches affiliated with him. They loose the ability to form normal social skills, to build a relationship from scratch. Often they only date people who are in the ministry or are willing to join. Often the people they do date are not people they would have normally been attracted to outside of the ministry, and some ex-staff members believe these setups have been arranged by leadership (or strongly suggested). I know of one person who dumped her boyfriend because he was not "called" to Eagles Wings. She later grieved that loss and she is not the only one, many have grieved as a result of realizing what they did.

Their esteem of and allegiance to Robert is extremely unhealthy. I know of one individual that said that if Robert felt they were not to marry someone they would most likely heed his advice because they believe God has placed him over them and as a result, whatever he thinks is best for their lives is probably what God thinks is best. They agreed there were exceptions and they should seek God, but in most cases the leadership will be right. Some of the more devoted team members believe in a "head and shoulders" structure (actual words used by team members) where Robert is the head and that other authorities, including parents and local pastors are the shoulders and though their advice is welcome, Robert is the ultimate authority and all counsel given is processed through and with him and the leadership team. This is not biblical. Some staff members have told their parents that they were no longer their covering, but Robert was.

Another thing that plays into the reason the interns and staff stay so committed is that they are worn down too thin to even realize what is happening right under their noses. They have the occasional day off, but the time off is normally spent in a secure environment - with roommates or team members. They are often physically wiped out, which keeps them dependant on leadership for help when breaking down.

I am so grateful for this forum because I have desired an outlet to be able to warn future interns/staff and their families. It is similar to the proverbial frog in the boiling water. If you stick a frog in boiling water, it jumps out immediately. But if you put it in cold water and turn the stove on, it dies a slow death in the pot. That unfortunately is what is happening here with Eagles Wings. The team members join with good hearts and a desire to serve and over time their trust is broken down and they are become so committed and so brain washed (you can even see a glaze over the eyes of the most devoted ones). They keep family and others out and only allow team members and leadership to truly access their hearts and lives fully. There is a fear and a wall that is put up and they think it is a healthy boundary and a part of Godly covenant – which brings a blessing. But they do not realize true life and true relationships are being stolen from them. Even some who leave still have an allegiance to some degree. It takes a long time to fully deprogram and fully realize what they were a part of.

So BEWARE and please STAY AWAY from Robert Stearns and his Eagles Wings team!

Here is a link to an article on why one ex-member considers EW a cult.

Why I Consider Eagles' Wings a Cult

Here is the text from the blog entry:

SUNDAY, MARCH 13, 2011

Why I Consider Eagles' Wings a Cult
Ok, so lots of people have been surprised that I have referred to Eagles' Wings ministries, led by Robert Stearns, as a Christian cult. Many have been shocked that I would use this word to describe a group made up of such great people that they (and I) have had wonderful spiritual experiences with.

In my opinion, many of these people:

a) Don't see the full picture of what goes on behind the scenes at EW
b) Only have a vague understanding of what truly constitutes a cult

In this post, I will address these issues briefly, and point readers toward a clearer understanding of cults in general. I will also begin to address why I believe EW is an unhealthy cult, though it will probably take a few more posts to complete this in a way that people who have not been in EW can understand.

Before I get into details, though, I want to address another response I have received from many people. This response neither expresses agreement or disagreement with my opinion on EW; it simply views my expression of that opinion as wrong or inappropriate for various reasons, with which I respectfully disagree.

Some people feel that whether I am right or wrong, "God's heart is for reconciliation" and it is therefore wrong to air these concerns. Others take a more fear-based view, saying, "Touch not the Lord's anointed," warning me that even if what happens at EW is wrong, God will punish me for speaking about a leader the way that I have.

I believe that both of these (well meaning) responses sidestep important issues through selective interpretation of scriptures denial of various scriptures aspects of church history. They also border on character assassination, refusing to evaluate and weigh the perspective being offered, and instead attack my right to have an opinion or share my perspective in the first place.

First off, let's remember that, love it or hate it, the state and direction of the broader Christian church today did not come about through blind submission to leadership or denying reality while meditating on the "father heart of God." Most of what we now take for granted, in doctrine and practice, even down to the canonization of scripture came about through conflict and what seemed like and often was bitter division.

Jesus didn't pull any punches when dealing with hypocritical, politically motivated behavior cloaked in piety and religious leadership. It was Martin Luther's PUBLIC critique of the corruption of the Roman Catholic church in his day that is partially responsible for the fact that today we don't feel obliged to buy our way out of hell or purgatory at church gift shops. The first publicly available editions of the Bible were printed with flagrant disregard to church leadership, which did not want laypeople to be able to read scripture in their own language.

And many other brave change agents who have dared to DEFY church leadership throughout the centuries have helped craft an understanding of Jesus and Christianity that no longer views burning heretics and heathens at the stake as a good thing.

Let's also remember that the Bible is full of challenges to speak out on behalf of the afflicted, confront injustice, and "sound the alarm" when we are aware of evil taking place.

Am I calling myself a modern day Jesus or Martin Luther? Definitely not. I am simply concerned about what is being done in God's name and how it is hurting and taking advantage of people that I care about. I have a sense in my heart/gut/spirit/whatever that confronting and exposing this wrong is the right thing to do. And for those who want to be legalistic about it, I think my view will come out on top if we look at precedent in scripture and church history.

I may be wrong, but I'm willing to take that risk. If it spares one person from getting sucked into the world that had taken over my life, it will be worth it to me. I think it is only fair that prospective members know what they are getting into.

Ok, enough of why I'm talking about EW as a cult and not keeping my opinion to myself... Before we talk about EW being a cult, let's answer the question, "What is a cult?" The answer below, from howcultswork.com is simple enough:

"The modern definition of a mind control cult is any group which employs mind control and deceptive recruiting techniques. In other words cults trick people into joining and coerce them into staying. This is the definition that most people would agree with. Except the cults themselves of course!"

Here is another checklist on what constitutes a cult, taken from the ICSA website:

The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law.
‪ Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.
‪ Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).
‪ The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry—or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth).
‪ The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar—or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity).
‪ The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society.
‪ The leader is not accountable to any authorities (unlike, for example, teachers, military commanders or ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream religious denominations).
‪ The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members' participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities).
‪ The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt iin order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.
‪ Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group.
‪ The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.
‪ The group is preoccupied with making money.
‪ Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities.
‪ Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.
‪ The most loyal members (the “true believers”) feel there can be no life outside the context of the group. They believe there is no other way to be, and often fear reprisals to themselves or others if they leave (or even consider leaving) the group.

In my opinion, each of the above points is true of EW to varying degrees. Also, see these links for more details on what constitutes a cult:

[www.howcultswork.com]

[www.ihop.org]

Finally, why do I consider EW a cult?


For now, I will simply say that it boils down to WHAT they do to people there and HOW they accomplish it. To me, the WHAT represents the structure and mindset of the group, which consists of the following:

1) Team members are taught that Robert Stearns and EW leadership are their "primary spiritual covering" and that EW is their church. (Meaning that they tithe to the ministry) They also believe that EW walks in a level of anointing and revelation that sets them above most other churches, giving the group an elitist mentality.


2) As an organization, EW does not have any true accountability. The advisory board cannot enforce decisions and can be selected or removed at Robert Stearns' discretion.


3) Team members work full time for the organization, without salary, and actually have to raise money to pay for the cost of working for free... (I believe most team members currently pay between $200 and $600 per month for the privilege of working 40+ hours per week)


4) Team members mostly live in "discipleship houses", with up to four sharing a bedroom. Many of these houses are actually owned by Robert Stearns, who, I am told by those who have worked in the group's finance and real estate departments, receives "rent" from the organization for each person who lives in one of his houses.


(Nice setup, Mr. Stearns - convince people to work for you for free during the day, then get them to raise money to pay for the mortgages on your rental properties where they sleep at night. What's unbelievable is that some of these team members work FULL TIME in the real estate department, meaning they spend 40+ hours per week servicing the very properties they are raising donations to live in so they can work for free... Must be nice to have tenants who pay to live and work for you!)


5) Team members are taught that Robert Stearns and the EW leadership team need to approve of ALL major life decisions, including:
-Whether and whom they can DATE
-Whether and whom they can MARRY
-Business decisions
-Major purchases
-Whether they can LEAVE THE MINSTRY

Ok, I know that many people reading this must be thinking, "Who would fall for a scheme like that?" or "Where are these people? Up in the mountains in Utah?"

Let me say that the people who make up the ministry of EW are some of the best, most well-meaning people I have ever met. I do not hold a grudge against a single one of them. In my opinion, they have become caught in an extremely unhealthy, codependent relational structure. This system entices young people to join, with promises and incentives custom tailored to fit each person's dreams, then breaks and reprograms them to function as part of an unhealthy and manipulative system that knows how to look great on the outside, but leaves a trail of broken, used people who have "seen behind the curtain."

I have spoken with many former team members, and with most of the core (with the ministry for 2+ years) team members who have left over the past ten years. When I left, which was quite difficult, many of them reached out to me in support that has been much appreciated. And though not all of them would agree on whether EW should be considered a cult, very few have positive views of the group, and fewer still would ever consider sending their children there after what they experienced.

At this point, I am not so much interested in shutting down "the work" of the ministry, though I have different perspectives on it now than when I was slaving to accomplish it. I am much more concerned for young people looking to do good in life, who may get sucked into this group as I was.

Getting sucked into the whole mess is what I would consider the HOW I referred to above, and I will elaborate on this manipulative process in a future post.

For now, please take a few steps:

1) Put aside any concerns about whether the work of EW will be damaged by my post. God is bigger than EW or me, and if I am wrong, I am sure he will find a way to shut me up...

2) Put any good memories from EW conferences or positive experiences with any team members that well up in response to this on hold. We are not arguing about whether they are good or bad people, but rather taking a look at the system they are a part of.

3) Remember, if the ministry is truly "of God" it will hold up under any form of scrutiny.

4) Ask yourself the following question: "Do you believe that the five points listed above are happening at Eagles' Wings?" These are not "he said, she said" rumors, but factual statements that can be verified or disproved.

If these statements are true, and you were thinking about joining the group, would you want to know about them?

I think it is only fair that young people considering giving valuable time to an organization should know what they will be a part of. Yet these aspects of the group have not been revealed up front.

Until now...
Posted by Steven Plaat at 4:58 AM

There is a bit of very low-level buzz here about "Eagles Wings". A Google Search reveals quite a few groups usurping this name. Can you tell us where this group is located? Are there other branches? Thanks in advance.

They are in buffalo, NY, but they do conferences around the country.

Www.eagleswings.to is their website

Here is a link to another post on the same blog that has actual emails between their leader and a team member trying to "break free"

It all sounds so creepy! Not sure how they manage to look so good on the outside to so many people...

Blog Link - Click Here

Here is an article written by someone else who was once part of the team. It is long, and approaches the ministry from a theological perspective that probably won't resonate with everyone, but goes into some of the manipulation and mind control:

Robert Stearns and Eagles' Wings Exposed

And here is another post, an "open letter" to members on the team.

An Open Letter to the EW Community

As the letter states, the people serving on the team are some of the most sincere, dedicated people on earth. I know many of them personally, and really hope they can get out and get help. What they are going through there is abuse!

Our family is greatly negatively affected by Eagles Wings Ministries. We are strong Christians and proud and happy to be Christian. Initially, our family member thought it was a good thing to volunteer for the 9 month internship program. Gradually, when time went by, we saw that it exploited our family member for free labor. They were put into a low income rental property owned by Robert Stearns, the founder that uses the housing by the ministry for his personal gain. Usury is not prope, nor the way for a Christian minister to act. We opposed, and it caused estrangement and caused serious problems in our family. We learned quickly that we cannot question Robert Stearns. He cannot be questioned. This caused trouble and created division and estrangement with our family member. We continue to pray about it and for our family member.
We are very concerned and realize there are other families that suffered as we have and have a story to tell. We hope that they post here to tell their stories also. People need to know about Eagles Wings and Robert Stearns in Clarence New York.

To whom it may concern:

See [www.culteducation.com]

Here are some basic "warning signs" regarding a potentially unsafe group or ministry.

Ten warning signs of a potentially unsafe group/leader.

1. Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.

2. No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.

3. No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget, expenses such as an independently audited financial statement.

4. Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions.

5. There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil.

6. Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.

7. There are records, books, news articles, or television programs that document the abuses of the group/leader.

8. Followers feel they can never be "good enough".

9. The group/leader is always right.

10. The group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing "truth" or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible.

Ten warning signs regarding people involved in/with a potentially unsafe group/leader.

1. Extreme obsessiveness regarding the group/leader resulting in the exclusion of almost every practical consideration.

2. Individual identity, the group, the leader and/or God as distinct and separate categories of existence become increasingly blurred. Instead, in the follower's mind these identities become substantially and increasingly fused--as that person's involvement with the group/leader continues and deepens.

3. Whenever the group/leader is criticized or questioned it is characterized as "persecution".

4. Uncharacteristically stilted and seemingly programmed conversation and mannerisms, cloning of the group/leader in personal behavior.

5. Dependency upon the group/leader for problem solving, solutions, and definitions without meaningful reflective thought. A seeming inability to think independently or analyze situations without group/leader involvement.

6. Hyperactivity centered on the group/leader agenda, which seems to supercede any personal goals or individual interests.

7. A dramatic loss of spontaneity and sense of humor.

8. Increasing isolation from family and old friends unless they demonstrate an interest in the group/leader.

9. Anything the group/leader does can be justified no matter how harsh or harmful.

10. Former followers are at best-considered negative or worse evil and under bad influences. They can not be trusted and personal contact is avoided.