I don't know if anyone watched Newsreader, Huw Edwards, interview a spokesperson from the Cult Information Network, on BBC News 24 the other day. The interview came about as a result of the recent case in London, where three women escaped from a house where they'd been kept as slaves for 30 years. Huw Edwards was asking the man, who said he himself had got out of a cult some years ago, to explain how mind control worked and to explain how a person could be held by "invisible hand-cuffs" and be emotionally trapped yet physically free to leave. The interviewee explained it all very clearly and he confirmed several times that mind control of individuals, no matter how intelligent they are, really takes place today and could be happening in our locality but we might not know that.

Another important point that was made was that people who come out of a cult or controlling group need support and help to recover and that this could take time. The interviewee said it had taken him a year, even though he hadn't been in the cult for long. I was pleased to see this item on the BBC as it lets people know about cult-related issues and the dangers associated with cult involvement. There hasn't been much about this in the public arena for a few years.
Where SMC is concerned, there is not only emotional entrapment but spiritual bondage as well, leading to fear and guilt in those who want or try to leave the church.

Cbarb, I'm not sure about the amounts SMC donate or pay out, but they might not be large amounts. Maybe someone else may know? SMC just want people to think they are giving lots of financial gifts, in order that they might appear altruistic and generous. They like to boast about how they help people who are in need.
Byeee. God bless you all!

Hi again folks!

Sorry for going quiet on you...I have had a certain wedding and honeymoon to attend to!

I know that when I was a member of SMC I didn't object to church funds being poured into Cedars School. The school was very much regarded as an outreach and was considered to be a very precious work of the church.

I very much wanted to be a part of Cedars and to give of myself and my talents to this work of God. I have a postgraduate degree in Modern Languages and a Professional Development Award as a Classroom Assistant. I wrote a letter of application to Alison Speirs outlining my qualifications and teaching experience. I had also taught English in France for a year as part of my undergraduate degree. I had had difficulties with depression which I made clear to Mrs Speirs.

I had mentioned in my application letter that I was a member of Greenock SMC. I later discovered that despite all the information necessary to my application being contained in my letter, Mrs Speirs felt the need to get the lowdown on me from Grace Gault. She contacted Mrs Gault and they discussed me.

I was then invited to Cedars for an "interview". This was a sham interview because the decision had already been made that I was unsuitable. I was told by Mrs Speirs that they had a lot of volunteers and that they couldn't use me in any capacity within the school even for a few hours a week. I was stunned to be honest. I talked to my father about my rejection and he reckoned that as it was a private school Mrs Speirs wanted everything to be lily white and didn't want her outfit to be tainted by someone with depression.

I decided to phone Mrs Gault and to have it out with her. She admitted that yes, Alison Speirs had contacted her and they had discussed me. She vehemently denied that the decision had any bearing on my depression and rejected my father's idea of the school being tainted by me. She wouldn't say what she had told Mrs Speirs about me nor why I had been rejected.

A few weeks later, a member of SMC who had retired was employed by Cedars to assist in classes, despite the school having too many volunteers! She was not as qualified as I was but she could presumably be relied upon to toe the line and was considered kosher by Grace Gault.

So, I approached the local High School. I was upfront about my depression and told them about my qualifications and experience and I was welcomed with open arms. I was considered a valuable asset in French classes and spent a long while tutoring a sixth form student who had Aspergers in his French and English highers.

I was not considered by Alison Speirs on the basis of my qualifications or teaching experience. It was not enough to be a member of SMC. The final decision was left to the Supreme Leader Grace Gault and to her "discernment".

I am not bitter and it is not a case of sour grapes. I wanted to serve my God and my church...that was all.

I have further evidence that the school is clearly an outreach.

That's all for now folks.

Happy Survivor.

Hi folks,

I am coming to the conclusion that I am wasting my time posting about those idiots that are the SMC leadership. We are giving them more importance than they deserve or merit. Grace Gault, Alison Speirs and Diana Rutherford are a complete joke. They are a bunch of deluded, self important and vain women who think very highly of themselves.

When you encounter Grace Gault outside her comfort zone of an SMC building she is not half so confident as when she is when surrounded by her adoring worshippers after a meeting. She just becomes what she in fact is...an insignificant older woman with no credibility. If I met her now I would just laugh at her. She wants us all to fear her like we fear God but she is so pathetic and unworthy of the love and respect that belong to our God.

SMC members hero worship the leaders and give them much adulation. The leaders feed off this and it boosts their egos. Over time, this continuous adulation encourages them to become arrogant and conceited. They then have delusions regarding their own importance in the Kingdom of God. In fact, some members confuse Mrs Gault with God. Once, when I spoke lightly of Grace Gault, I was told I was "mocking God"!

The SMC members are responsible for their part in all of this. By fawning over the female leaders they are giving these women carte blanche to be a law unto themselves and to cause havoc in the Church of Christ.

Reflect on these things, Grace, Alison and Diana and indeed all members of SMC. I am addressing YOU!

Happy Survivor.

Hi Happy Survivor,

We all hear what you're saying and have been discussing for some time the narcissism which is rife among these so-called leaders. There is a huge amount of mind control going on there.

We have also feared for a long time that the school was being used to 'groom' young people into SMC mentality. The leaders were publicly saying that the school was 'definitely NOT part of their outreach and that they only followed the school curriculum and had NO hidden agenda'.

We knew, for a very long time that this could not possibly be the case because we all know SMC mentality very well and could not consent that these people (who were also leaders and family members of leaders of SMC) would not be trying to groom (or 'convert') so many young people; in order to bolster the fold and ensure a never-ending stream of brainwashed followers.

These are the kind of revelations the public and the authorities need to know. This is a very dangerous group of females who are suffering from delusions of grandeur and are extremely skilled in manipulation and mind control; they are NOT the type of people you should leave alone with your kids never mind have them TEACHING your kids.

All of us here, and multitudes more who do not post here, KNOW first-hand what mental, physical and spiritual damage is done by these people especially to young and impressionable children.

These people have even caused splits between families, some folks no longer see their own children or grand children! Are these really the sort of people who are fit to be teaching kids? Would YOU trust YOUR child to be taught by these women? I most certainly wouldn't.

Some time ago we discussed Derrin Brown, who did a series of TV programmes a while ago - showing how easily we can be influenced by the power of suggestion. The techniques used by Mr. Brown are so simple and yet so extremely effective. It kind of wakes you up to just how much BS you've swallowed in your life. When you watch this man at work you can identify with the signals and suggestions he makes and you can see how easily you were hoodwinked by SMC from the very start.

This is why asking questions about things you are being taught is a NO-NO because this is like questioning God himself. That is complete rubbish and the only reason this unwritten rule abides is because the leaders can't answer these questions without contradicting themselves, since they have twisted the words in the Bible to begin with to suit whatever purpose there was to the particular sermon. It seems they can' just waffle on about anything and make any assumptions they like about the Bible and everyone believes that they're being spoken to by God. They're rewriting the Bible to suit their own ends and this is why they cannot deal logically and Biblically with any questions of theology or Biblical interpretation.

This is also why there is no handbook with WRITTEN rules of membership (unlike just about any other charity we could name). Because, much like the varied interpretations of Biblical verses, the various UNwritten rules have a habit of changing to suit the whims of the queens of SMC and, if they were actually written down, they would all be expected to live by their own written example. Hmmmm, I think that would be very hard for them!

As always, biiiiig love and huge hugggggggs to all
God Bless xxxxx

PS. Have a look at this article CLICK HERE

Hi folks

Just thought you'd like to know, we are finally back on the first page of Google searches for 'Struthers Memorial Church'. Well done guys.....
they can't keep us silent for very long, eh?? :-)

As always biiiiiig love and hugest hugggggggggggggggs to ALL!!
God Bless xxx

What a compelling read on the end of that link Cbarb. Interesting, if not downright creepy!
"Delusions of grandeur" a common term on my school report.Hahaha, it must be a contagious.
But it is definitely the trickled down message, not that I'm blaming smc for anything on my
rapsheet..
Another enduring influence at that time though was the God-will-provide attitude, which is
linked in some way to the elitist message from smc. Some seem to be provided more at the
expense (metaphorical and financial) of others. Surely it is those who give and give that
really deserve.
Ahh, but the narcissism blinds the undeserving. I can totally see how that works...now.
I would like very much to know the long-term effects, if any, of being tutored by people
who suffer this disorder. (Oh no, wait! I can infer from experience.)
Happy Survivor, how obvious in hindsight that you were wholly unsuited to the post you
applied for. Quite simply a matter of not fitting the mould. They need proper yes-men;
qualifications can be overrated if it leads to you being less able to completely and
utterly control, I mean "manage"! There was way too much danger that you might teach from
your heart. Doing this you would stray from the most crucial point about smc being superior
in all aspects. I hope you were not too disappointed. I mean, I do think that would have
had the potential to be a rewarding and fulfilling post, but you would have had to pretend
to agree with stuff you know ain't right, and on a daily basis. That would be corrosive
and damaging.
I do think that you have given a stark example of how jobs are allocated at Cedars. It
smells iffy to me. I wonder how they advertise vacant posts, if they do. Imagine a real
life Joe Bloggs applied for a job there. Fully qualified and armed with a CV to die for,
but unaware of how things are in la-la land. They say the right things at interview and
get the job. (Of course, we know this can't happen, but...) They would last a short time,
and I can easily picture a tribunal being told that they were dismissed because of
something discerned.
Anyway, your experience fills me with yet more dread relating to the school's staff-
recruiting methods. And the resultant ability to absolutely control, apparently free from
the mainstream constraints.
Scary..

Also I noticed we have pretty much disappeared from the search engine. I used to type "smc
cult" and we would pop up even above latigo. Incidentally, kudos latigo or latigos, I
think I see what you've done...very sage indeed.
Now I can't even find us using several different word-combos. Just wondered if anyone else
is having better results and if so, what is the best phrasing for the search?

And I do hope everyone keeps well and apologies for recent absences. I am still reading
but due to a shoddy connection haven't yet posted anything successfully. (Shame because I
lost a couple a pure masterpieces too...lol!)

Regards all, and happy days, Cornelius.

Oops, sorry about that. I just copied and pasted and it looks ugly.
I didn't see what you just said about being back up the listings, Cbarb. Hehe...nice one. We is back then!?
It seems we can't be ignored. :)

Hi guys

I think I may have jumped the gun a bit with my post about us being back on the first page of Google. I think the search term I actually used was "struthers memorial church cult" and not just 'struthers memorial church' - for that search term we still seem to be hovering around page 6 at the moment.

But keep searching on the church search term (rather than on the cult search term) to help us get back up the rankings for that search term too!

Welcome back Cornelius, good to see you again. I agree, the article is VERY apt and, as you say, a bit creepy. In most cases it just epitomises SMC.

Anyway, keep Googling your socks off guys and we'll be back at #1 in no time!

As always, biiiiiiig love and huge huggggggs to all
God Bless xxx

Hi folks!

I agree with Cornelius when he says that there are aspects of Cedars School that are a bit "iffy", although that is an understatement. I would use the word "alarming" especially when we are talking about vulnerable young lives.

I wonder when prospective parents meet Alison Speirs for the first time are they aware that the smiling lady sitting across the desk from them is the leader of Glasgow SMC? Would they still be happy to send their children to her school if they went along to a "service" at SMC and saw her in action, with all that that entails? What would these parents think if they knew that Mrs Speirs is resident leader of a commune/collective in the west end of Greenock...a large house, also called Cedars where many single SMC members live together, some of them are teachers at the school? I believe that there are children in this commune as well.

Personally, I find this Cedars commune very disturbing, unhealthy and unnatural. There are some people who live in the commune, teach at the school and spend the rest of their time at SMC meetings. Hardly a recipe for a balanced life. And these are the kind of people teaching and influencing vulnerable young people. It's truly shocking and appalling.

The well known ex Rangers footballer Ally McCoist sent his kids to Cedars School. He was a little surprised when Mrs Speirs asked him what he did for a living when she interviewed him! She hadn't the faintest idea who he was. What "Super Ally" was blissfully ignorant of was that his children's headmistress believes that the television is evil and that it is banned in her church. He wouldn't have known either that sport is a bit suspect,a bit of a no-no, and that newspapers are also frowned upon. Grace Gault's husband reads The Herald every day so the leaders are a bit reticent to say too much about newspapers!! Anyway, Wesley Gault is considered to be a bit of a maverick and a loose canon...I always liked him...he has quite a risqué sense of humour.

I remember well one Sunday evening meeting in Greenock SMC. Andrew Jewell was speaking off the cuff from the pulpit. He told us how the school had invited a certain speaker to address the children on spiritual matters. One young boy who had been in Mr Jewell's class for nearly a year came to him and said "that man really got to me". Andrew Jewell then said to us "It made me wonder why after being his teacher for so long, I hadn't got to him".

Correct me if I'm wrong but I was under the impression that a teacher's role is to educate the young people in their care...not to "get" to them with an SMC agenda. I accept that Cedars School describes itself as a "Christian School". Do they make parents aware that they aim to convert their children and then recruit them into SMC?

Now, I attended a Quaker state Grammar school from age 16-18. Some of the teachers were committed Christians and some were agnostic and some were atheists. There was a Christian Union that met one weekday after school hours. The Christian teachers ran it. These teachers came from a wide range of churches and denominations. They never pushed their own church. They never tried to "get at" us. If we had wanted to attend a church we would have had many to choose from. Not so with Cedars pupils...no other churches are invited to speak at school events...are representatives of the Baptist, Brethren, Methodist, Episcopal, Free Church or Church of Scotland invited to the school? Not on your nelly! No way! Any pupils who find faith fall into the clutches of SMC and we all know what that means.

That's all for now. I find it all very upsetting...what is going on in that school and in SMC. And all in the name of Christ. Parents are being hoodwinked. The OSCR is having the wool pulled over its eyes.

Keep up the good work guys!

Happy Survivor.