I have kept my name unlisted in the posting of this message for my own safety and privacy. My intent is not to slam or tear apart the Morning Star International Church, but I feel that is my job to write about my own personal experiences with them for future reference to anyone even thinking of attending their services.

It all started about 3 1/2 years ago in the early months of 2000. I was a service member serving onboard a U.S. Naval warship. One of My long time Navy Buddies if you will, was getting pulled away from his social life and drawn into an unknown local church at the time (take a guess who.) Being the young gullable person that I was, I didn't see the harm at that time in attending church on Sundays (and in all honesty, attending the right church isn't a bad thing.) Although the thing that bothers me still to this day was that once I had attended their services a few times, I had experienced what I would call in my opinion "harassment" from the senior members and on down. It was like its own form of military structure in a way. It all starts with "Gods has big dreams for you" and then it becomes "give 10% before taxes", working its way down the chain of command. If I was to stay clear of the church "Oh say hang out on my base" where I felt I couldn't be bother by the pastors or long time members, they would then use my long time service buddy to find me and ask about why I wasn't attending their services on Sundays, and tell me that I was an "ungodly" person not answering the calling of God by not attending (Tithing was one of their big emphasis, I wonder why.) To say the least I was uncomfortable with this situation that I was in. After two years of "putting up with it" if you will, I was finally able to get a transfer to a new location. However, that didin't matter since one of the military members from the church coeincidentally got transferred to the same location. I hated it, I felt like my own sense of identity was about destroyed at that point. I felt like a branded cow who took heat for their glory. Sometimes, the things that I would do that were "even remotely bad" were used against me by other members who had really big ears, it was almost like they were waiting for me to mess up to gain leverage on me. The really screwed up thing was that I would be accused of doing bad things that I really wasn't doing by some of the members attending (why do you think that is?) Why should a person feel threatened to the point that they need to move in order to avoid such a group? The other thing is that the people would littorally have the gal to tell me what I should do with my time as well as my earnings. I guess that being a military member made me an easy target, they knew when I got paid, they analyzed my work schedule, they paid attention to who I was around, collected intel from my buddy. They knew when my earnings were going into my bank account and not in their collection baskets, and that angered them.

The thing that really disturbs me is when I recently read about the roots of Morning Star International being traced back to Maranantha Minitries (a group know for its cult-like tactics i.e. recruiting methods, mind control, and the ever famous having people get down on their knees bit.) That sounded very familiar. Let me also testify that the senior party was very defensive and threatened when ever they were questioned about what they stood for. Their anger would show when any member would even hint that they were going to attend another church (hmmmm.) For the record it basically boiled down to if you weren't living the life that they wanted you to have, then you weren't living the life that God had meant for you. But then again, what do I know? "It's all strictly Jesus!" Right.....

My advice "TRESSPASSERS BE WARNED! STAY AWAY!"

In response to Richard on Satantic Ritual Abuse - The hype was spread by a group of social workers who trained others to suspect and look for evidence of Satanic Ritual Abuse. To my knowledge, there has been no evidence uncovered; there was one famous phoney ritual abusee who now claims to be a Holocoust survivor - I forgot the name. This is part of the recovered memories symdrome, and also children being interrogated by psychologists to elicit tales of abuse - whether satanic or otherwise.

I knew someone who had been in Maranatha. She told me stories about their "marriage prophecy" system. The way they get married is one person gets a "prophecy" about marrying a certain person. They tell their "elder" who prays about it and tells the other person's elder. He prays about it, tells the person that someone has had a marriage prophecy about them, the person is supposed to pray and "get" the answer too. If everyone agrees they get married soon. And you thought blind dates were bad :)

Morningstar International

lots of things has happened, maranatha disbands years ago and re-group.
Half part of them changed, the othr half have not and still controlling. Morning Star International, which includes former Maranatha leaders, as recently as year 2000 lost one-third of the people because of cult-like activities. Same thing, discipleship programs. Submit to authority or you will be labeled rebellious.

They think they are the ELITE group. "If you obey me (discipler) then you are obeying the pastor and then you are "obeying God." They literally are teaching this.

A pastor can be found "rebellious" if he refuses to submit to authority. Many pastors literally signed on a dotted line that they would give up their church if found in sin or in the wrong.

Some did not sign the papers.

Plus churches give up to 12 % or 13 % of tithes to this organization.

Morning star calls this ADMINISTRATIVE FEES. I call that EXCESSIVE.

Missionaries also have to pay 12% - 13% for administrative fees also.

I call that GREED.

About a third of us who left still think Morningstar is a cult.

After wasting our lives, many were in this church for 15-20 years. Elders, music group, students, even a pastor left his church as early as year 2002. Students who are the lucky ones were only here as much as 4 years.

But people like us who wasted our lives have to pick up where we started.

Some of the students who were abused has to go through a year of school counseling because of this church. Now some of you guys still think this is not a Cult ?

Wake up!

I have been out for 3 years now, I am so glad I am out, because I still have friends who talk about the abuse that they are still in there and who live in fear.

If members talk to the people who left they get disciplined for that.

And the students clean up the pastors homes, and take care of their kids. I just counseled and ministered a student that recently left and told her that's slavery NOT servanthood.

Specific scripture : Jesus said, "For Pagans EXCERCISE THEIR AUTHORITY over you but NOT SO WITH YOU, But serve."

In other words if you are a pagan you exercise your authority and if you are a Christian, especially if you are a leader, then you must serve.

Leaders often don't serve their sheep at Morningstar.

Though not all Morningstar leaders are like that, they are a few good ones.

Most of the good ones are the ones that don't have a Maranatha background.

By the way if any of you want to leave this cult your pastor may say, "I am afraid that something bad might happen to you OR something bad will happen to your children."

ANd if you tell them that you are not growing there expect them to say, "We will change, just wait. "

Don't believe that lie. we wasted 15- 20 years of our lives there. Just go.

My advice is to get away from these ministries, as far as possible.

Ginger38,

What you just wrote about pretty much sums up my experiences with Morning Star International. They play those mind control games with people, and try to make decisions for the people who are attending their services. It's funny that you mention the ones that struggle, because the one I went to in Southern California was, and still is constantly moving from shady location to shady location. Bottom line is that you're right, "If you are reading this and are someone attending their services.... GET OUT NOW!!!!" You need to grow, and they aren't going to let you do that. They will try to run your life for you.

Morning Star International.

In response to KAnn, this is what the bible said specifically PAul

" If I seek the approval of men, I cannot be a servant of Christ ".
In other words, if I care so much on how my pastor think, or kept seeking his approval, I cannot be a servant of Christ. And thats all Morningstar wants, is to seek the disciplers or the pastors approval , they call it authority and submission.

Look it up Galatian 1:10. Here is another one for you Romans 6:16
DO you know that when YOU PRESENT YOURSELVES TO SOMEONE
AS SLAVES FOR O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E, YOU re slaves of the one whom you obey.....

I don't mind authority, because bible talks about we need it, but Morningstar just go to the extreme that they dictate the student
to clean the pastors house and take care of their kids.
or they label them as rebellious.

2 Corinthian 12:12 The signs of a true Apostle were performed among you with all perseverance , by signs and wonders and miracles.

Since Morningstar labeled Phil Bonasso and Rice Brookes as Apostles, just when did they show signs , wonders and miracles ? A true Apostle should have these. Sound more like a false one. I have been here for 20 years , never seen it happen.

This group started in my home (much against my will) at the insistence of my ex-husband. This was in October 1982. I manage to get out in 1997 shortly after my abusive marriage ended. In the process of writing a book about the horrors my family went through and how we are recovering. The lady and her husband featured on the HBO documentary left in Sept. 2003 when Mr. Riggs finally admitted to an affair with one of the counselees featured in the video. I am not saying that SRA does not occur but when someone is not qualified there is much more damage than healing.

Is the church still just the single one in Tulsa or has it branched out?

This particular group is still in existance but from the update I received last week there are only about 4 -6 members left. It is not a member of any particular denomination thus there are no other groups related to it. However there are groups involved with this kind of "ministry" throughout the world. I am in the process of trying to locate of the creator of the HBO documentary to get him to do an update since the film is still aired periodically by HBO. Also I am a regular speaker at a Deviant Religious Movements course at the university where I am working on my degree. This film is used as part of the curriculum.

In that HBO special there were segments where this pastor Riggs was suppose to actually be excorsizing demons from one or two members who were supposedly possessed and this demon was suppose to be talking back. Was this all staged?

No, it wasn't staged but sometimes these sessions would go on for hours. But how much was actually demonic and how much was soulish activity is open to question.