Corboy, Good to see you (you must be another rr old-timer.lol same name...)
Nicely put but it's your last line that I zeroed in on. Thanks for the reminder. I was in danger of feeling guilty.
But it's not about me or what I feel. It's only about stopping this evil regime.
Which simply has to be done.
Regards all, and happy days, Cornelius Dredd (Once Ifellaway).

Rensil, it all comes down to what one regards as a "Healthy" church...

[www.religion-online.org]

Hi folks

That's a very good point, Clive.

What do we regard as a healthy church?

OK, first up - and probably most importantly - you want church leaders who believe that their purpose is to serve God by serving the people who come to be members. That means nurturing and supporting the people both physically and spiritually and above all requires a huge amount of Humility, Love, Grace and Joy.

The Bible is very clear about the duties of the pastor to the members and it's also very clear regarding what these leaders should NOT do and how the members of the 'flock' can TEST the leaders, by questioning their motives and the results of their (sometimes outrageous) prophesies and claims of miracles. The jist of which is that if the prophesies are not coming true then those making them are false prophets. We didn't make that up, that's exactly what it says in the Bible I own - King James version.

Regardless of ANYTHING else the leaders of SMC have done or said or any other harm they have caused to anyone here. The fact that there have been 'prophesies' coming from the mouths of those in power in the church, since the early 60's - guys that's about FIFTY years - and not ONE SINGLE ONE of those prophesies has EVER yet come true. That very fact alone tells you ALL you need to know about these charlatans.

We know for a fact they are false and we know for a fact they are gaining material wealth off the backs of their long-suffering (or totally blind and blinkered) congregation for years. Not only this but they are creaming the benefits of Charitable status while continuing to build personal power and wealth in two or three singular families. To anyone outside, looking in - it's a total no-brainer, you would just laugh at the audacity of these people, cry 'Scammers!' and walk on.

I just find it frustrating that the rest of the membership can't see the wood for the trees - they have been so well and truly and completely hypnotised by these people that they've turned into spiritual zombies and it's nigh-on impossible to get through the fug they surround themselves in.

So with regards to the question of what is a healthy church - or what do we expect from a healthy church - I would say the complete and absolute OPPOSITE of SMC.

As always biiiiiiiiig love and huge huggggggggggs to all
God Bless xxx

Hello again.

I have returned from a much needed holiday in N. Ireland which was where my spiritual journey began at a Quaker school I attended from age 16-18. It was good to put some distance between myself and SMC.

I'm not so sure that I should call myself "Happy" Survivor. The truth is I am still utterly broken by my dealings with and time spent in SMC. I still cannot bring myself to walk through the doors of any place of worship on a Sunday. When I am in a group with other Christians in a worship setting I am anxious and distressed and usually break down in tears.

I wonder if Grace Gault and the other leaders are reading this. If so, how do they feel on the inside? They claim to be pastors and shepherds of the flock entrusted to their care. What does Grace Gault think of how she handled this life who came to her and entrusted itself to her spiritual care for five years? Is she proud of how she dealt with me?

SMC love to sing Mary Black's song "Thou vision of undying loveliness". The words are undeniably beautiful and very moving if they were sung in a different environment. When Grace Gault sings the line "when I stand alone at last before Him", does she envisage on that Day being able to tell Christ that she was "a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analysing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth" ????? (2 Timothy 2 v15)

Whilst I was attending SMC I once innocently asked a fellow member why Mrs Gault was not like other pastors I had known. I did not intend to criticise nor to be insubordinate. Mrs Gault got to hear about my question and I received a tongue lashing from her by phone one night shortly afterwards. I can still recall how I lay in bed that night believing that I had been rejected by God Himself. All the lights went out for me that night. I later asked Grace would she ever forgive me and she replied that she has a very long memory. I think I knew then that I was a failure in her eyes and always would be.

2 Timothy 2 v25 says that the servant of the Lord "must correct his opponents with courtesy and gentleness". I was not Grace's opponent...I was a lamb looking to a shepherd and it was certainly not "courtesy and gentleness" that I received that night. I was a lamb to the slaughter during my time in SMC. These so called shepherds have a lot to answer for and I can only hope that they are preparing their defence for when they have to give account on the Day when every tear will be wiped from the eyes of those whom they have damaged so deeply.

Thank you fellow contributors, for your kind words of encouragement and support. It can be a lonely road when you leave SMC. Thankfully there is One who has walked that road and Who suffers alongside us..."He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pains, and acquainted with grief...(Isaiah 53 v3).

Yes, there are shepherds who are false shepherds, unworthy to be called shepherds of God's precious flock but we can look beyond them to that great Shepherd who will not let anyone pluck us out of His hand and Who will keep us safe forever.

"In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old" (Isaiah 63 v9).

Goodbye for now.

Quote
Happy Survivor

Whilst I was attending SMC I once innocently asked a fellow member why Mrs Gault was not like other pastors I had known. I did not intend to criticise nor to be insubordinate. Mrs Gault got to hear about my question and I received a tongue lashing from her by phone one night shortly afterwards. I can still recall how I lay in bed that night believing that I had been rejected by God Himself. All the lights went out for me that night. I later asked Grace would she ever forgive me and she replied that she has a very long memory. I think I knew then that I was a failure in her eyes and always would be.

This beggars belief. What a self-absorbed, self-righteous woman. I often think some of these leaders may be mentally ill.

Congratulations on your escape. The only way is up! :-)

Hi folks

Happy Survivor, your story is so typical of many others who have had the same kind of mistreatment from these people. The true answer to your question regarding why Mrs. G. is not like other pastors is simply that they are NOT pastoral people. Other pastors support, love and encourage their members and show the LOVE, GRACE, HUMILITY and JOY of a life of SERVING God's people. You will find NONE of those qualities in a leader of an SMC church - quite the opposite in fact.

I would expect that since Jesus himself cried 'Forgive them Father, they know not what they do' as he was brutally hung on a cross, the least thing a PASTOR of God's people could do is accept your apology and show forgiveness for what was nothing more than a question and quite obviously misunderstood.

The only reason the so-called 'pastors' of SMC don't like to be questioned is because they have no solid answers which can be backed up by anything in the Bible, without contradicting or disproving the statements they have made.

I am so glad that you got out before things got any worse but you should know that you don't need to attend a church to be close to God - he's always there for you and doesn't need a special building in which to do his thing.

I don't profess to be a Christian or attend church any more but I still know that I just have to meditate (or pray) and I receive support and strength from my creator and that's the freedom I found - the freedom not to have to confine your God to a single building, He doesn't reside inside SMC churches or any other churches for that matter - He's in your heart and your mind.

When I attended SMC I remember being told, so many times, that the little niggly voice at the back of your mind was satan casting doubts in your mind. I now know that the little niggly voice at the back of your mind is God giving you a heads up that all is not well with your situation or that you are about to make a mistake. I have proved that one to myself in the many years since I stopped attending SMC. God is the voice of common-sense in your conscience and when you look at what is being taught and how people are being treated in SMC - well there isn't a lot of common sense to it, never mind Godliness or Holiness.

To my mind, the more people who get out of SMC fast - the better will be their health and spiritual well-being.

Look forward with excitement for a new a freer future, Happy Survivor, and only look back with pity for those who are still blinded by the mass hysteria and un-fulfilled prophesies of a bunch of self-absorbed loonies whose only achievement is being able to 'talk a good game' - just like politicians, dictators etc.

As always biiiiiiiig love and huge hugggggggs to all
God Bless xxx

Hello everyone,

I was interested to read Saturdaynightfever's comment about whether the leaders in SMC might be mentally ill. I am not at all qualified to assess whether the leaders are mentally ill as I am neither a Consultant Psychiatrist nor a Clinical Psychologist.

I did however once discuss the attitudes and beliefs of those in SMC with a Consultant Psychiatrist and he said that they may or may not be mentally ill but without putting them under a period of observation he couldn't say. What he did say was that they were "psychologically unbalanced".

I very clearly remember Grace Gault saying in a sermon that if the presence of God was not in an SMC meeting she would be "out of my mind". If God's presence is not in SMC can we extrapolate from Mrs Gault's comment that she could in fact be out of her mind?? It is possible. I rest my case.

I have suffered from some emotional difficulties in the past which were exacerbated by the time I spent in SMC from 2005-2010. I was mistakenly diagnosed with a severe mental illness by a less than competent psychiatrist whom I was under for 20 long years. My loving Dad believed this psychiatrist and supported his opinion for 20 years.

A year ago I moved to England where I was put under the care of a very eminent and well respected Consultant Psychiatrist who is the Associate Dean of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. He has turned my diagnosis on its head and declared 2 months ago that "there is no evidence and no symptoms of any psychiatric illness". It has taken a whole year but he has now withdrawn me from all my antipsychotic drugs.

My dear and loving Dad who is a retired doctor has had a long hard journey in getting his head around the misdiagnosis and his initial support of it. We have had to work through some painful times as a father and daughter.

Unfortunately Grace Gault is somewhat skeptical of the professional opinion of the Associate Dean of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. She would prefer it would seem to hold to the former psychiatrist's opinion which has been discredited. She said to me a few weeks ago at the end of the Glasgow Saturday night meeting that my father and that psychiatrist thought I was mentally ill, the implication being that she still considers me to be mentally ill DESPITE me carefully on TWO occasions explaining to her my new Consultant's eminent position in British psychiatry and his professional opinion.

The thing that staggers me the most is Mrs Gault's arrogance. I am revealing a lot of personal and private information to the forum because I know how those who walk away from SMC are smeared and discredited, sometimes from the pulpit. I know the lines along which the leaders could try and smear me and discredit me and I want to publicly counter what may be being said about me.

As a child of God it is not for me to fret about defending my reputation nor am I concerned about what men, or more to the point, women, in positions of leadership are saying behind my back. What does concern me is that those reading my contributions may be tempted to write off what I am saying because of an untrue label that Grace Gault, Alison Speirs or their loyal henchmen/henchwomen may or may not be applying to me.

I do wonder if the personal attacks that Bingowings was attempting to post on this forum recently were directed at me and if so, what was the nature of them? Was Bingowings in fact one of the leaders? Who knows?

I sometimes wonder if we are banging our heads against a brick wall. I would be very keen to know why the other contributors post on this forum. What motivates you? Part of me would love just to walk away and leave SMC to it. For now, I believe that it is right for me to keep posting but it is not easy and I wouldn't put myself through this if I didn't believe that God has a purpose that He is working out in the hearts of some of those who are reading this.

Goodbye for now.

Happy Survivor

Your treatment by the SMC leadership really has been appalling. It is so sad when people who are struggling are kicked when they are down instead of supported to stand on their own two feet. It is good to hear that you are moving forward however, and you have been withdrawn from the drugs. I am sure things will continue to improve, although life is rarely a straight-forward upwards path!

The arrogance of the SMC leaders truly is staggering. Not only to believe they have the right to judge others, but to be in charge of a church that is meant to be so much better than others yet be unable to offer any help. If they really had something to offer, then people would be benefiting – more robust and able to cope with whatever life threw at them, not less.

The detail of your experience of Grace Gault:

Quote
Happy Survivor
Whilst I was attending SMC I once innocently asked a fellow member why Mrs Gault was not like other pastors I had known. I did not intend to criticise nor to be insubordinate. Mrs Gault got to hear about my question and I received a tongue lashing from her by phone one night shortly afterwards. I can still recall how I lay in bed that night believing that I had been rejected by God Himself. All the lights went out for me that night. I later asked Grace would she ever forgive me and she replied that she has a very long memory. I think I knew then that I was a failure in her eyes and always would be.

shows that the same things that were happening 20 years ago are still happening now.

And that brings me to the question you have asked – why other people post here. My own reason is very simple. Even after decades away from Struthers, I have really been helped by the other testimonies on this site. Because of that, I want to let others know that they are not the only ones, it is not their fault. That is why I post here.

The SMC leaders will of course, in their arrogance, tell us that they know our reasons better than we do. Even if they have not been in touch with someone for 20 years, or if they do not have a clue who they are, they will ‘know’ that the reason is “seeds of bitterness” or something like that. Apart form the appalling arrogance of suggesting that you somehow have knowledge of the motives of someone you do not even know, I do not think this conclusions is bourne out by the facts.

For a start, I have found this forum to be gracious and generous, with individuals apologising for things they get wrong and being kind and supportive to others.

I also find it interesting that no-one appears to have followed up recent posts about coverage of other stories by contacting the media about SMC. I am not saying it would be wrong to do that, I think it will hit the press at some point anyway, possibly when OSCR reports, but it is interesting that no-one from this forum appears to have stirred things up by contacting the press at this point. To me, that shows that people are not motivated by bitterness or a desire for revenge, they are motivated by a wish to help others.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/2013 06:05PM by ThePetitor.

At the very least, if someone feels worried about a friend or relative in Struthers, or goes to Struthers and feels something just is not quite right, such persons can run a search and discover what has been written here.

And learn how they will be treated if they get further involved with Struthers--and especially what they will be in for when they disagree with the leader and leave.

Hi folks

I agree with the Petitor with regards to our reasons for posting on this forum - we have all been severely damaged by our relationship with SMC and we wish nothing more than for this kind of abuse of people and power to stop. In all seriousness, I personally believe the church should be totally disbanded and that the members should be given support to help them overcome years of hypnosis and the mass hysteria conjured up by a handful of hopelessly misguided and utterly megalomaniac individuals; who just can't seem to give up their craving for absolute power and control of other peoples' lives. And, yes, I believe that IS a mental illness (Maggie Thatcher suffered from it when she got older and many others, who are given a touch too much responsibility and control, are just as susceptible to it if they are not extremely careful how they handle such power).

As far as taking the story to the papers, I have to admit to having considered this - however, like others here I don't want to add fuel to the 'seeds of bitterness' line coming from SMC as it is and I tend to think (like the Petitor) that this may well be out of our hands when the OSCR complete their investigation and make their findings public.

In the meantime, we keep posting to encourage others and support each other where we can. There are many others who read this forum and find it helpful but they don't make any contributions. So we don't post just for each other here, we post also for all those others (who number far more than we do) who need the support but prefer to stay anonymous.

We have really been seeing some changes now and it's fabulous when we see another 'soul saved' FROM the clutches of SMC madness and we support you guys all the way. These days I find myself doing the Happy Dance more and more and it's great!!

Happy Dancing to all, with biiiiiiig love and huge hugggggggs too!
God Bless xxx