Welcome Anonanon

Your posts are very interesting and insightful…from your vantage point.

I’m sure the school was, for some, a place of nurturing but can you imagine ( and my guess is this wasn’t your experience) being there all day then church every night plus parents wielding the same views?

Someone more able than me needs to come in and address this next statement which should actually be turned around - ‘The connection it had with Struthers was its downfall financially ‘

The connection Struthers had with the school was its downfall financially.
Cedars was a ‘very poorly managed’ school.

I look forward to other comments on this.

Throwing in a few cents also.

"the connection it had to Struthers was its downfall financially" There's more there - the coffee shops gave the school a good amount of competition for gobbling general offerings up. The Board of Directors were completely out their depth to financially run anything. Why the auditors signed off accounts so easily is another question. As has been pointed out, the church had to give more than £2m from offerings, known and unknown, to keep the school afloat between 2008 and 2024.

I would also say the Forum has also established beyond doubt that SMC has had a bullying issue for at least 40 years.

I immediately think of just two examples from the 1980s. The early pages of the forum have plenty more. The internal battle behind the scenes between primacy of Scripture versus the highs of Spiritual Experience, glorification of "Deliverance" AND secondly, the public and private credibility assassinations of the 1987 financial scandal whistle-blowers - all leading to an exodus of many of the original waves of Struthers attendees and leaders by the end of the 80s.

The forum posts of 2025 have laid bare the bullying of the 1990s, 2000s, 2010s - putting the bullying activity fair and square on AS and some named acolytes and family.

The forum posts in between, 24+ active posting years, show bullying and spiritual abuse across all the decades, all age groups, varying locations, with both active participation and passive condoning, enablement by current leaders, leaders who have now left, current directors, directors who have resigned.

Having seen, experienced, heard how myself, siblings, parents, leaders interact in the decades since I was "born into" Struthers, bullying is certainly part of my lived experience and something I have to be personally aware of how I interact with anyone connected with Struthers if they have a view point that differs from me. I would not be surprised if many of us who were bullied may be able to dish out bullying ourselves very efficiently. Two things can be true at the same time.

As posts around about Christmas/New Year 2025 time often said - let's remember the gospel of kindness, let's demonstrate the fruits of the spirit ourselves.

I think AnonAnon is wise in writing "I believe this enforces the argument for setting out the truth without targeting those who weren't responsible for the suffering caused by struthers."

Here on the Forum we can firmly hold leadership factually to account, not wavering from shining a light on abuse that has occurred in the 70 years of Struthers existence.

Let's continue to be a supportive community to all survivors no matter what stage of the leaving journey they are at. I have been on this journey quite a while now, and I had attempted quite a lot of personal work to ease my mental pain before finding the Forum, but for me, it has been finding the Forum that has moved me significantly further on in my personal healing, and I hope that that can happen for all new readers and posters too.

Hi anon and welcome to the forum.
You’ve certainly opened up a discussion about the school.

Can I say before I address some of your points that I believe that many accepted there were paid teachers in Cedars (not all) who were not only qualified but also dedicated to give each pupil in front them quality learning and tried to give a positive experience. I’m thinking mainly of the ‘secondary’ teachers who presented pupils for qualifications in maths, biology, chemistry, English, modern languages etc.
To these teachers who are now in new positions I wish you all well.

But that doesn’t mean that Cedars had a healthy ethos or that it was managed well.

Just addressing some of your points:
1. Although AS left in 2017 she did not give up her ‘control’ or ‘influence’ in the school. The reason she ‘walked’ away from SMC was because she was ‘asked’ not to come into Cedars schools (2023) after an incident that involved the school directors. Anon if you were so ‘close’ to the school at this time and know how it was functioning you would know this incident did not portray a ‘nurturing’ ethos.
2. You also mention Cedars had pupils who were not SMC members and were of other faiths. Is this not expected? Cedars needed to bring in pupils outwith SMC to fill the ‘seats’ otherwise it would have crashed years ago! And was not the initial vision to proselytise these pupils? Did AS herself not state they she was the main vehicle of evangelism?
3. ‘This was genuine mission work that wasn’t roping people into one small cluster of churches’ So this would be an interesting statistic…how many non-Christian pupils found salvation and are still active today in their Christian walk in another church…(or even in SMC itself.) Would you say this was a successful mission?
4. ‘The connection to the church was loose…The church was only used for prize giving and concerts..’
Here’s a question how could the connection to the church be loose when the congregation of SMC paid (without knowing the full extent) for the private education of the pupils and paid the salaries of the teaching staff? Without the individual churches of SMC there would have been no Cedars and the teachers would not have had a job!
Can I also say that the church should not have been used for anything school related. The fact it was used for prize giving and concerts was to get non-SMC parents and relatives through the SMC doors, ‘part of the mission’.
5. I also know of pupils who were non-SMC and had the opposite experience.
I met parents of a pupil (at another church who has nothing to do with SMC) who had attended Cedars. This pupil complained about how unhappy they were at the school but the parents insisted they attend not understanding fully the extent of ‘unhappiness’. But then in 2023 came the exit of AS along with her daughter at that time (went off sick)which caused upset in the school and made this pupil more unhappy because of the atmosphere it created at the time. This prompted the parents to remove their child in 2023!. I met them in 2024. They (and other parents) were never told about any of the ‘incident’ and why AS had been suspended at that time. I advised them of some of the details. Their response …sorry they hadn’t removed their child sooner..who is now happy in a very good non-private school.
6.‘I assume it has changed from how it was in the past..’ I.e. after AS stopped being headteacher!
Did AS actually STOP! No she didn’t. She still came into the school, she still tried to influence its running and certainly tried to change any instructions given to her daughter from the headteacher especially temporary headteacher JO.
And there was certainly a few!
In addition when JO was trying to hold things together after the suspension and ultimate walk out of AS she did try and separate church life from her professional life. One way of doing this was to act how any Christian headteacher would act towards unprompted teachers when giving them instructions. Did she get thanks …no..one of AS acolytes complained about her ‘professionalism’. So no not all were happy that the ethos of SMC was being separated from the ethos of the school.
Did the bullying continue…yes it did…maybe Anon you didn’t see it or chose not to see it. Perhaps if you were a teacher in the school you yourself felt more relaxed with AS just coming in and out. Maybe AS no longer had influence over you directly but she certainly did over others which ultimately resulted in AS walking out.

‘seems the school that closed last year is very different to the one you attended. I'm not saying you are lying.’

No the school wasn’t a very different school in the last year. It was a school holding on by its fingertips and should have been shut down immediately.
Why? It was NOT sustainable.
The individual churches now knew the extent of financing it and were given a vote to whether it should continue as I’ve already posted.

Also re ‘the mission’ AS shut down ‘mission’ or evangelism in Glasgow especially through the ‘older’ generation - it became ‘mission impossible’ if it was not through her I.e. the school.

Wish you well
AG

So pleased at last folk are seeing how cultish this church is. We all suffered but forgiveness is powerful and thank God I was saved and baptised in Holy Spirit and in water long before joining this movement. I left when the Lord gave me a revelationo of the deep deception the leaders and congregation are in.
It takes true discernment. We tasted of the bad fruit Sadly the tree and its roots are rotten.
Many are actually not moving under the Holy Spirit but familiar spirits. When Satan fell many religious spirited fell too and love to deceive the elect. True Christian’s know the Holy Spirit is not proud but He always points to Jesus. Jesus came to fulfil the law. That we love Him wuth all our hearts mind and strength and our neighbour as ourselves. You know a Christian by his fruit. Be wise guys love much forgive and move gently on from this rubbish. Jesus will heal you as He has for me.

I can assure you that nearly every member while I was in the movement were criticised bullied or else shunned and many lies said. This church is ruled by counterfeit demons basically masquerading as the Holy Spirit. They don’t read or understand the bible. Very few healings and certainly no real deliverance. Their sessions were ridiculous. Folk would report for abuse these days.
The Lord does not dwell where there is division and perversion which is what this church does masquerading as Holiness movenent.
Even my 2 year old daughter was shunned by Mr Black. Who would not smile at a toddler when they run up to you giggling with absolute joy.
The leasders stole joy from many lives. Death to self to the extreme where unless you were a favourite who could go on holiday and other favours you must crucify yiur personality. Thank God I was saved and filled with Holy Spirit before joining this bunch. When I left Mr Black phoned our land line to say we would be cursed.then promptly phoned back to apologise. The devil showed his hoof. I moved in as did others and oh the relief deep
Peace and joy. Never regretted it. God is good my cup filled to the brim and overflowing daily.
God bless everyone who suffered and continues to do so. Jesus loves you so much and you will come through.

I have just joined this platform. Left Struthers many years ago. The movement has always been controlling, bent on destroying any happiness laughter and destroying the persons personality. In my day it was death to self that was preached a lot. Of course there is always truth mixed in with the devils poison. The churches were not but lucky sound, relied on revelations, loud tongue speaking that was in fact not the Holy Spirit. I can discern deception having been in this movement for nearly 10years. It could have destroyed me but I looked for the fruits of the Holy Spirit in leaders and congregants alike and they were not to be found.
No love, preferring one another graciously, no patience. Haughty arrogant unreachable leaders. So my friends it’s always been so. Rotten roots so bad fruits. I was saved outside of Struthers amd baptised in Holy Spirit for which I am thankful. When I left the deep peace and release was amazing. Haven’t looked back on this crowd except to kneel begire the feet of Jesus and forgive them all. They did me much harm but Jesus heals restores and there is LIFE outside of Struthers. God bless you all my friends, stick close to Jesus.

Death to self to the extreme where unless you were a favourite

Interesting quote and takes us all right back to she who shall not be named. She was famous for having faviurites:

1:Mc K Smith famous for repeating the mantra, " Break, break, break to AS or you have no future here. God will not bless until you totally break".

2: JH poor duluded, brainwashed, sychophant
of AS we can only pray she gets free
someday.

3: The incestuous Cedars toxic teaching
staff group, now scattered asunder, blowing in the wind, free or struggling away from the AS guru?
The idea was yield, break, have no independent thought life and if you
Were really lucky you could lead a chorus, say a prayer or repeat what AS told you to say.

Where these folks lucky or totally deluded?
Did the breaking yield fruit, excuse the pun?
Are they free?.
Has there been change or do leaders get their beasties to do the:
preaching?
Singing?
Praying?
Nurturing?
Back to, she who shall not be named'thirty years for total non sense, a leader you are having a laugh.?

Clarification from previous post, should have been Besties!..

So now the denigration of a generation:
She who shall not be named did and said the following:

" E Mc K S favourite.
JH favourite
EW of won't grow up fame.
DM & KM favourites along with LM.
Lambchops terrible teacher Huge
GMc K S
favourite.
So they got to take the singing, speak, pray and even pray with everyone, what a mockery of God's true word, but remember AS knew only one scripture from Hebrews! Now they whinge and wine about being discussed!

Now that may seem unfair or is it?, These people were allowed to Lord it over their elders, how demeaning was that for my uncle and others. My gran sat gracefully watching the disaster unfold.

So denigration of a Generation.

"No you are not spiritual? Her mantra (AS) to Mary's children now mature bible reading believers"

"Pray with people no, no, no you have never broken to my will. This was said to quite a number. How do l know because it happened to my very godly granmother".

" Preach, well know l have EMcK S to do that and darling lamb chops and several others. You have never try yielded to me. You were Mary's child and living in the past"

These were all God fearing good people with gift and calling that died on she who shall not be named, watch.

Meanwhile we have the band of juvenile Cheshire cats, forgive the insult to cats. They got what the wanted because mummy auntue, uncle or cuz gave it to them whilst decimating the Glasgow Church of a mature group.
So there we have it the decimation of almost a whole generation. The few left now try to rebuild what they can but it will be a slog.
Meanwhile she who shall not be named prance around Largs giving it Kum bye Ya!
Good bye everyone.

Mirmac, there is the example I mentioned of bringing people into this who had nothing to do with the issues in the forum. I can assure you that the person posting this is not one of those people you mention but a select few have put struthers behind them and do not deserve to be dragged back into this forum. You may have been wronged and that is perfectly valid but some of these people have been wronged as well. Again, this is not a defence of AS, in fact she was probably responsible for most of the wronging. I'm not criticising you as a person but this behaviour will discourage new posters, especially young people, to say anything on the forum. The young people who have left or still attend could be sharing but if people they know (and know are well away from the harmful side of struthers) are having their names thrown around, it simply makes it less appealing.

We've all suffered at the hands of struthers. Some have gotten involved more than others and have done wrong things. However, we need to forgive. Granted that doesn't mean forget, especially for those who did significant damage or still continue to harm people. However, many regret being a part of such a system. There has also been mention of some people in previous posts who were either not in the position they were described in or were unhappy with the leadership in that position. The situation is especially difficult for relatives. Its difficult to distance oneself from the past at struthers and there is no need to make it more difficult. You don't know where someone is at at this point in their lives. You don't know the thoughts they've had in the past or the treatment they've faced. Don't generalise individuals who have had their own difficult walks away from struthers unless it was a walk that intentionally damaged others. The leaders at struthers wrongfully named and shamed people who didn't deserve to be lumped into certain contexts. Pupils for example or others not in attendance at the sermon. Let's not make the same mistake. This forum is meant to rise above the level struthers is at and frankly this behaviour doesn't cut it.

Thank you and I hope you are all enjoying the lovely weather.

Anon anon your hypocrisy is breathtaking you gave us all a great laugh, so take a bow!