Liz25 I am absolutely horrified by what you relate. This would have been a couple of years before I came into the church. I came in just before the BT Shares fiasco - so never saw Miss T in ministerial action (only in the BT Shares/Mr B meeting). What I felt at the time due to the extreme reverence placed on this person 'Miss Taylor' was that I had missed it, and would never be able to be what I should be spiritually because I had not experienced this wonderful ministry that everyone was so affected by. I cannot even begin to imagine what experiencing this event would have done to me.

Though I didn't think so at the time I now give great thanks for the other Christian influences I had had before coming anywhere near SMC, and doubtless the associated prayer of many over the years.

It worries me that the current board is not addressing these issues of histroric harm and what the consequence of this attitude is for new generations.

I haven’t posted on here for some time, but I do continue to follow this Forum and have greatly enjoyed reading all of the recent posts. It’s so good to see such continual activity and to see posts from new contributors too.
So, welcome to the forum, ATheist 101, Iquitthestrutherscult, Blacksheep57, Mulberry and WestofEast. Also Welcome, Lesley and Liz25 and Thankyou both for speaking so honestly about your experiences in SMC. You are both in the position of having been kind of assistant leaders (hope it’s OK to say that) therefore your contributions are invaluable and very insightful. Do share more!

Welcome back, GirlWiston, and thanks for your accounts of past times in Struthers. I do remember all the cooking that was done at Camps. We had three Camps back then - two in July and one in August. Who remembers Miss Jennings, the Yorkshire lady? She did the cooking at one of the Camps and some of us used to help her in the big kitchen. No nonsense was allowed and woe betide you if the toast got burnt!!

Lesley, some of the events you speak of I was aware of, but not all of them, and I didn’t know why or how you had left SMC. We used to wonder how you seemed to “get away with things” like dating and going on holidays abroad whilst the rest of us seemed to be living under the strict Struthers rules. But we had been told by Hugh Black that the anointing was on you in a special way and thus we were to look up to you and receive what you said in preaching or in prophecy. You’re a lovely person: it wasn’t that we didn’t like you, it was just a bit confusing for us young ones. You were very caring and helpful to many young folk at that time in SMC.

Liz25, I do indeed remember the meeting at a Camp, called by Miss Taylor, which you mention. I didn’t actually go to it because I and my pals didn’t feel we had attained a high enough calibre of holiness (!) to attend it and we were too scared to go. That just shows that, whether one attended this meeting or not, one was left with feelings of not being good enough, being inferior and of no value to God or the leaders. I remember hearing about the five or six people and of course, we just wrote ourselves off because we knew it couldn’t be little, old us. We never found out who the five or six were, did you? Actually, We never heard any more about this.

Re Miss Taylor, I remember we used to get told repeatedly that she was a painfully shy lady who rarely left her hometown of Greenock. She had asked God for a helper after she felt God calling her to start a “movement” where holiness was key and revival was to be prayed for and sought after. Hugh Black was the answer to her prayer and they started the “movement” together in the 1950s, meeting in homes with a few others after leaving the Elim Church, and before they acquired the Greenock church building.

During my own time in SMC, I remember that Mr Black had to keep trying to persuade Miss Taylor to come to the Camps at Wiston or to visit the Glasgow church. It seemed to be a great ordeal for her, but once she was there, she was able to get up to preach and to minister with laying on hands. But what about the death to self, phobia deliverance and healing teachings which we were constantly given - why could Miss Taylor not get healed of her extreme shyness and fear of people? Why did she have an aversion to going anywhere outwith the town of Greenock? Nobody ever said that she needed deliverance, but all of the rest of us did, apparently. Lesley describes getting hauled in for deliverance and all she had done was to read a book!

Anyway, I’d say that most of us were terrified of Miss Taylor, just as, I think, GirlWiston said previously. We felt that she could see right into our souls and of course, this implied that she knew about all our sin and failure. She was somebody whom we just knew we had to obey and we were aware that we must believe every word which she uttered in preaching or prophecy.

Keep up the posting. Can’t wait to hear more!

blackwatch : Your patience is legendary and your posts have been informed and entertaining. I've read them all! Long may you continue as a valued contributor. - Thank you A Theist 101 - not sure about the patience part but the sentiment is appreciated. Similarly, you've already made an impact here with your insightful posts :-)

Liz25 That encounter is absolutely hideous. It's abusive and controlling. What kind of individual claims that they somehow know the mind of god and it's their job to impart it to others? It's utterly delusional. Or even to determine that someone was 'anointed'. Get an actual grip. Anyone, even today, claiming to have this kind of insight is at best, mistaken.

The comments about holidays abroad / abstaining from dating. Just let that sink in. Imagine letting another, utterly insignificant, human being influence you in this way. Furthermore, why did they want to do it? I'll tell you why - inside they were hateful, twisted people wracked with unseen jealousies and burning desires that got excreted through their vile actions. I've said it many times: anyone who has the desire to tell others how they should live their lives should be treated with extreme suspicion.

Rensil You make an excellent point re ET's crushing shyness and her need for 'deliverance'. In the same way that HB was a glutton, given to extreme excess and therefore morbidly obese, ET was another good example of hypocrisy and contradiction. It's astonishing that she was given the place that she had.

I've been giving a lot of thought to this idea recently: What makes otherwise intelligent, sound-minded people subject themselves to the will of others? I've gathered some information that I thought might be helpful to others in understanding this destructive behavior:

This kind of authoritarian religious control follows well-documented psychological and sociological patterns. Even intelligent, caring people can become deeply involved due to a mix of social, emotional, and cognitive factors. Here are some key reasons why:

1. Group Psychology & Social Influence
Social Proof & Conformity – When people see others following certain rules or beliefs, they assume it's correct and comply to fit in.
Obedience to Authority – Many people are conditioned to respect and obey leaders, especially those claiming divine insight.
Fear of Ostracism – Leaving or disobeying can mean losing friends, family, and a whole support system.

2. Psychological Manipulation
Love Bombing & Emotional Control – New members often receive extreme kindness and inclusion, making them feel special and wanted.
Guilt & Shame Cycles – Leaders instill the belief that members are inherently sinful or weak, reinforcing dependence on the group.
Thought Reform (Brainwashing) – Constant repetition of ideas, along with controlling external influences (like banning movies, dating, etc.), narrows people’s thinking.

3. Cognitive Biases & Belief Traps
Cognitive Dissonance – When faced with contradictions (e.g., “this is abusive” vs. “this is God's will”), people tend to justify the abuse rather than reject the belief.
Sunk Cost Fallacy – The longer someone stays, the harder it is to leave because they don’t want to feel their sacrifices were wasted.
Us vs. Them Mentality – Teaching that the outside world is corrupt or evil, increasing reliance on the group.

4. Trauma Bonding & Fear-Based Control
Cycles of Reward & Punishment – Leaders alternate between condemnation and praise, creating emotional dependence.
Fear of Divine Punishment – Many are left feeling that leaving the group will result in eternal damnation or severe consequences.

Now, does anyone recognise any of the above? :-)

This dynamic is not unique to religious groups—it’s common in cults, high-control organisations, and even abusive relationships. Breaking free requires a safe environment, critical thinking, and sometimes therapy to process the manipulation.

For anyone still entrenched in the SMC trap, please take time to seriously consider these things. If anyone wants to reach out and discuss further I can promise absolute discretion. You don't need to post - you simply create an anonymous account and you can then send a private message (to myself or anyone else in the group).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/13/2025 06:06PM by blackwatch.

As a matter of interest - may I ask if this forum still has a moderator?

Thank you very much RedRoad and others for your insights. From an outsider perspective it really is some story, it’s just so sad the hurt and pain it has also caused.

Interested to hear that the original schism came from Elim/Assemblies of God. A close family friend (long passed now) was to the best of my knowledge the founder of the Assemblies of God Church in Greenock (on Watt St). He died in the 70s I believe but I used to regularly visit his wife.

Just an observation;

I looked through the previous posts regarding Miss Taylor you recommended. Several of them reference around the time she ‘lost it’ - mid 1980s. Now, I’m not for a minute trying to excuse any behavior, and I am aware understanding of mental illness has changed over the last 40 years, but, where was the duty of care to her? Allowing an elderly woman, who by several accounts was not mentally well (someone mentioned taking up the mantle of Elijah) to stand and preach, rant, accuse etc. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but it does seem at the least inappropriate and potentially cruel. Then again it could speak to the cult of personality built around her.

Welcome any thoughts

I'm glad a few of us were able to help fill in gaps for you EastofWest. It is difficult for me to consider whether one particular leader was cared for sufficiently, but it is a valid question to raise. And I do notice that you are being considerate in your language, "not for a minute trying to excuse any behavior".

In my opinion, there was only one other person who could have stopped ET (initials of "Miss Taylor") that was HB himself. Which he did not do. And by not carrying out his duty of care to ET, in turn no duty of care was given to the children and teenagers who had no choice to hear and see her bullying whoever was in front of her, whenever she felt led by the spirit so to do (....which spirit?).

I have looked back to reflections of previous posters, once the same age that you were when you attended the Larkfield school, memories of those who were born to parents who were congregants.

those critical of the Struthers environment growing up:
p11 oldskool, p23 Anonymous43762, p39 HappiestEver, p50 Merciful7, p53 Squareone, p101 Wistongirl, p149 EscapedtoFrance, p150 Wise Piglet, p199 Mulberry
balanced by p39 Marty, p86 growing123 and school attendees, not children born to congregants, p140 yourself, EastofWest, p162 StandbyFive
(Apologies to any "born into" church who has posted whom I have not picked up on - and please if you want a blether, PM me)

All experiences narrated are valid. But believe me in my recent post, I did not exaggerate the extent of the terror that ET had on us as children and teenagers. And that is only one aspect out of many more that could be listed as a dereliction of duty of care to young people by both their parents and the church leadership. As I have said in my posts a few times now, we had no escape. Our home environment backed up the church meeting environment. This is why it is difficult for me to consider whether ET was not cared for sufficiently, one leader amongst 10s of children and teenagers over an extended number of years.

And to those who came to Struthers as adults and would say they too have had traumatic experience of spiritual abuse, this is not a competition of who has been hurt the most. I am not minimising your experiences. I am simply posting the experience of one who had no choice of experience until I was old enough to make my own decisions.

I'm glad a few of us were able to help fill in gaps for you EastofWest. It is difficult for me to consider whether one particular leader was cared for sufficiently, but it is a valid question to raise. And I do notice that you are being considerate in your language, "not for a minute trying to excuse any behavior".

In my opinion, there was only one other person who could have stopped ET (initials of "Miss Taylor") that was HB himself. Which he did not do. And by not carrying out his duty of care to ET, in turn no duty of care was given to the children and teenagers who had no choice to hear and see her bullying whoever was in front of her, whenever she felt led by the spirit so to do (....which spirit?).

I have looked back to reflections of previous posters, once the same age that you were when you attended the Larkfield school, memories of those who were born to parents who were congregants.

those critical of the Struthers environment growing up:
p11 oldskool, p23 Anonymous43762, p39 HappiestEver, p50 Merciful7, p53 Squareone, p101 Wistongirl, p149 EscapedtoFrance, p150 Wise Piglet, p199 Mulberry
balanced by p39 Marty, p86 growing123 and school attendees, not children born to congregants, p140 yourself, EastofWest, p162 StandbyFive
(Apologies to any "born into" church kids who has posted whom I have not picked up on - and please if you want a blether, PM me)

All experiences narrated are valid. But believe me in my recent post, I did not exaggerate the extent of the terror that ET had on us as children and teenagers. And that is only one aspect out of many more that could be listed as a dereliction of duty of care to young people by both their parents and the church leadership. As I have said in my posts a few times now, we had no escape. Our home environment backed up the church meeting environment. This is why it is difficult for me to consider whether ET was not cared for sufficiently, one leader amongst 10s of children and teenagers over an extended number of years.

And to those who came to Struthers as adults and would say they too have had traumatic experience of spiritual abuse, this is not a competition of who has been hurt the most. I am not minimising your experiences. I am simply posting the experience of one who had no choice of experience until I was old enough to make my own decisions.

Quote
Complex PTSD: From surviving to thriving - Pete Walker
P111
"Rageaholic narcissists are infamous for using other people as dumping grounds for their anger. They are addicted to the emotional release of catharting in this way. The relief often does not last long before they are looking for another fix of venting their spleen. This type of narcissism is pure bullying, and bullying alone can cause ptsd. If it goes on long enough as it does with bullying parents in a dysfunctional family, it can cause Cptsd."

My personal journal comment: This so reminds me of Miss T.

Who were the parents and who was the family?

WestofEastAnother wee set of thoughts have risen to the surface, my subconscious working away on my behalf overnight.

I well remember as a primary school kid of the 1970s being told by my parents that the Church of Scotland school chaplains that came in to the school to do assemblies were not properly Christians, and that people who attended Church of Scotland, my older school teachers for instance, believed a "social gospel". Anyone else remember that being a phrase?

I discovered late into my secondary school years that there were a variety of children that would probably have met most of Struthers criteria for contact between children - other kids who attended Free Church of Scotland, the Methodist Church, the Baptist Church, Elim (when it was one congregation at Kelly St). But Struthers exceptionalism did not even bring that into sight.

As I left in 1987 the swathe of Glasgow and Falkirk weddings were underway, had been for a couple of years. Because the Larkfield school opened when I was in my 20s and still hearing news, I know the Rutherford, Sharkey and Offord children were there. So you may have been sharing the playground with Struthers nobility. They were protected at that point. A lady called Jean Darnell had promised great things would come from this generation of children. Mary Black was convinced of this.

I know from my own up-bringing, despite the terror of ET, I too felt privileged, I was from one of the first families. I held my head high, my nose in the air at times. I was capable of strutting. If you were in school with these children, it is more than possible they had the same vibe, they would know where they and their parents stood in the Struthers hierarchy of importance.

As you said in your post "it’s a very odd thing to say in the playground. I suppose it speaks to the indoctrination."
We are all older and wiser now, including those same children who said the odd things to you in the playground.