Once nominated, the Elders are ratified by a vote of the General Assembly of the church.

Transparent,

I spoke in defense of cabable and proven men and women of God.
I will do the same again, but not after this: this is becoming devisive.

As to living arrangements, you make sound scandalous what is healthy, traditional, and practiced many places. Some places it is called "au pair," and others "nanny," or "governess." But they are not "roommates."

I have been in Radiant Life Church for 15 years, to varying degrees of involvement. I stayed here in the beginning because the people loved me without even knowing who I was. Over the years, as many will, I've had ups and downs. I have questioned, I have doubted, I have almost walked away from RLC, but I looked around me and saw people loving each other.

I saw people loving me when I didn't want to love them, and wasn't sure I wanted them loving me. Still they loved me. When I was difficult to love, (and those who know me best can testify to the fact that I can be as difficult to love as anyone!) they loved me, not only with words, but with their actions.

I can tell you for sure it was an unselfish love because they certainly didn't get anything out of it, except to grow in the character of Christ. More often than not it was at some cost to them personally.

Do you see, now, why I could not sit idly by and see them spoken of so?

One thing I don't recall ever being accused of is being a conformist, so, one non-robot to another; look me up. I'll buy you coffee.

Somite:

Who nominates elders?

Are there competing nominations?

Come see for yourself.

Peace out.

I read a good blog on a site called ProgressiveU. It's largely college students who use it. It echoes my own sentiments regarding religious persuasion.

[www.progressiveu.org]

Dunno, it may or may not interest you.

To whom it may concern:

Somite has made it quite clear from emails he sent me that he has been a member of this church for many years and is deeply devoted to it.

He also has gone on and on explaining in his emails that democratic church government is somehow not biblical.

It seems that the church is not democratic and elders are hand picked, without an election and/or opposition candidates.

There is therefore no meaningful accountability of the elders to the general membership through checks and balances, as provided by most Protestant churches through church government.

And whatever salaries, expenses and compensation is paid out from tithes/donations, it appears this is likewise not subjected to meaningful financial transparency through regularly published and audited financial reports.

I want to first thank Transparent for bringing the misteachings of Radiant Life to my attention. The things that you have mentioned along with other pratices made me question this church immediately. They harrassed me up until Christmas and they finally got the point to leave me alone. I thank God for giving me discernment and showing me that this church was not of him.

As a crisis intervention counselor who has studied psychology, I knew that this church was working the power of mind control on its members. They were misguided by thinking that their heavy persuasian and their acts of kindness were going to led me to believe that they were legit. See churches or cults like Radiant Life prey on the lonely, despair, and broken hearted individuals. They want you to feel so love that you will never leave them or you feel obliged to their teachings. My heart really goes out for anyone who is so desperate in their walk for the Lord that they will become a victim of RLC.

These are the following reasons as to why I knew in my heart that RLC was a cult or a misguided church:

Like Transparent mentioned the single young women living with elders & pastors of the church. I thought that it is strange to have these so called "adoptive daughters" living with them. How do they convince these young girls to leave college or not attend college and follow them. There is something fishy about that.

The Pastors not having a degree in theology or have not studied in an accredited university or bible college. Where did Pastor Tony or Pastor Tom get their degrees? This church is operated by the teachings of Pastor Tony and the others follow his flock. Will you allow a surgeon to operate on you without a medical degree or medical training? Their school SOMA forces individuals to stay with them. No one with a SOMA training can get a job in Christian ministry anywhere else.

Pastor Tony's so call power to heal the sick and perform micracles. His expensive trips to Kenya, India, and other places to spread his teachings.

Pastor Tony thinks he is some type of prophet from God place here on earth to reach people. It is amazing that one man could get so many people to follow him. When I met Pastor Tony I thought he was a Jim Jones in the making. He has a narcissist personality and feeds off the fact that he has so many people following him with the deception of them being disciples of Christ.

The constant overbearing, over persuasian, over dominance of church members

Planting churches in other places so that other people are not aware of their teachings. I advise the lady in Katy, Texas to leave RLC before she feels like she can't. Yes, they are nice and they will continue to be passive aggressive towards you. They want you to feel like you are a part of their family. Most cults do not gain members from being mean.

They convinced 20 plus families to move to Katy, TX outside of Houston to plant a church with there.

Not that I have a problem with homeschooling, but many of its members homeschool their children for the purpose of religious brainwashing and not for education.


The list goes on. I witness so many things during my visits there. After a so called pot luck dinner I decided that these people were not of God.

I just want to advise anyone attending RLC to leave. Anyone attending their plant churches need to leave. This church does a great job with controlling members through mind control.

I knew in my heart that RLC was not right. I just want others to know that yes no church is perfect, but RLC is definitely not of God.

I have also experienced an issue [...] I was told by a couple of people who attended Radiant Life, that ultimately led to my refusal to get involved with the church.

There were constant remarks made [...] about how we were to obey this "chain of command", and it ran all the way down to even the way a prayer was conducted [...] People within this group were chastised publicly when they did something the [...] leader decided was an overstepping of bounds, often just as simple a time as when a person in the group offered up a very emotional prayer.

And then when I ultimately questioned the choices made by the group leadership that excluded a great number of people from full participation in the group's activities, I was informed that it was a choice made because the Lord told them to. A classic example of "special pleading".

God can inspire us to do lots of things, but the last time I checked, Christianity is supposed to practice attraction, not rejection. I can't imagine Christ placing his disciples and followers into [...] groups.

Also, I was growing tired of being informed that my participation in the group was subject to "evaluation". I noted a direct correlation between paid SOMA memberships and invitations to fully participate in the group activities.

[b:e8a9dd4560][Moderator note: This was edited to avoid preaching, which is against the rules agreed to by members of this message board][/b:e8a9dd4560]

Why do people take scripture and create systems that put things into controllable boxes that explain what God has chosen to, not explain. But there’s the problem. You see they coin terms and create paradigms that force you into an either or that scripture does not force you into. Then they take these coined terms and created paradigms and they demand that you and I take a side. And then they separate from all who disagree with their side. I believe it is just a step above demonic. You see it all over the place, words that are not in scripture that men create to kind of take a side. You see it, churches will split over are you pre-millennial? all millennial? Or are you post millennial? There’s another one, another word a term that is not ever set against it’s self in scripture ‘charismatic’. Are you Charismatic? Or are you not Charismatic? I’ll separate fellowship with you, I swear! Just let me know are ya Charismatic or not just tell me!.and people separate Fellowship over it.

Here is new paradigm at Radiant Life….they call it [b:c11ec84b62]Spiritual Parenting[/b:c11ec84b62]. You ask me, What does it mean? I don’t really know….but it was explained to me like this…it kind of looks kind of like Paul and Timothy…as Paul refers to Timothy as his son…so I am told. So what does it look like in the church it was a concept that was originally introduced to the SOMA students and the leadership members…and now we have people breaking off relationships with their birth parents and being adopted as new spiritual children…people who are ranging from 16-50+. Where is it taught in the bible?....I don’t know…I can not find anything in my bible that teaches this…
Husbands and wives coming under “the covering” of another couple in discipleship and then becoming “Spiritual Parents to the couple they are discipling. Many youth and collage age students have gone to their birth parents and informed them that their way are but filthy rags and that they will not have anything to do with the birth parents any more. That they will not receive there birth parents ways from them. The end results….we have Parents walking around hurt and dejected by the very people they thought were offering love. And those scars go very deep.

Then there is the teaching of the…[b:c11ec84b62]Covenant Relationships[/b:c11ec84b62]….[b:c11ec84b62]Apostolic Authority[/b:c11ec84b62]…[b:c11ec84b62]Five Fold Ministry[/b:c11ec84b62]…I have never heard the exact term “[b:c11ec84b62]Shepparding Movement[/b:c11ec84b62]” I have been taught through the discipleship that God has designed divine authority.

I have had many people come up to me and ask me who is my covering…when I say that would be Jesus the say no, no… who are you in covenant with that is my wife? No...who are you discipled by?
Who is your covering under?….

Somite summed it up well
[i:c11ec84b62]“One in authority is always and only there for the good of those under his authority, and no one remains under authority except and unless they are submitted to that authority. Once you walk out of submission, you walk out from under that authority and its cover, including the good the one to whom you once submitted may do you.

God is the ultimate and only authority. Those in authority in the church are answerable to him. A pastor is answerable also to the Elders of the church, who in turn have scriptural provisions in place should they be led or wander astray.”[/i:c11ec84b62]

In otter words if I am submitted to my discipler and lets call him (Bob)...and if Bob is a godly man that is submitted to the pastor (Anthony)….if Bob gives me improper (bad) council like I think you should sell your house and buy this one…as long as I remain submitted to Bob…good things will come…because…they teach God honors covenants and is opposed to people breaking their word….You can look it up it is right there in 2nd Opinions 2:42 (NLT) :lol: and if I loose everything it is because I was not totally submitted to the discipler Bob. And because Bob and Anthony are in covenant your covered.

Somite you also said
[i:c11ec84b62]“We are commanded in scripture to submit to the authorities placed over us. In I & II Samuel, we see in the life of David how authority plays out, both good and bad. David was blessed for his submission even to the wicked authority of Saul, & when he didn't retaliate against the rebellion against his authority by Absolom, he was again vindicated.” [/i:c11ec84b62]

That is correct you never saw David appoint himself to be the next “self appointed apostle” of Jerusalem….or Sacramento.

There are many false teachings here. And there are some who have not given in. [u:c11ec84b62]It reminds me of the 7 churches in Revelation. [/u:c11ec84b62]

[u:c11ec84b62][b:c11ec84b62]What distresses me the most is knowing all the people who have been hurt by this false teaching The marriages that have been broken apart because of miss aligned loyalties to leadership and the arrogant manipulating attitude that prevails.[/b:c11ec84b62][/u:c11ec84b62]

The relationship that we have had with Radiant Life Church started back in 1998-99 and it has been great up to the middle of 2005. Our child was attending the 3 year bible school SOMA and came home one day and asked to speak to my wife and I. Our child said that our ways are but filthy rags and no longer wanted to receive anything from us. Our child is going to become a spiritual son of the worship leader at the church. The worship leader is young man who recently married and is only 5-6 years older than our child.

Both my wife and I were stunned. I went to an elder that I was in a discipleship relationship with and asked him to clarify for me this new teaching. He pretty much said that this is a new revelation that God has shown the pastor and it was the pastor who taught this in SOMA. It is exactly what the pastor did with his parents when he was in collage. The one little detail the pastor left out with our son is his parents were pagans at the time. So we were told not to worry this will all blow over soon and God will work it out in His perfect timing. As my wife and I continued to seek the Lord and Pray for insight and wisdom we continued to hear and see several students do the same thing with their parents. 4 female students moved in with one of the associate pastors and renouncing the relationship they had with their parents.

I saw and incredible amount of hurt and pain in some of these parents and the spin that leadership put on it is when you have controlling parents this is very hard for them to accept that their children are growing up.

About five months latter this fantastic couple (an elder and his wife) that we have been discipling with and growing in friendship invited us over for a dinner with some other couples that they also were discipling. After eating the elder began explaining what Spiritual Parenting is all about and invited the couples sitting around the table to submit to this kind of spiritual parenting relationship with them. That this would be a covenant cut before God and this is simply extending a spiritual covering over all who are submitted to them. One of the other couples jumped in with both feet and they both said "what ever is mine is yours" and "we submit to you as a child is submitted to their parents we submit to you as our Spiritual Parents to receive your ways, your council and teaching." I sat there I could not believe what I just heard. I was embarrassed for this couple and at the same time I was wondering if I'm the only one who just did not understand this Spiritual Parenting thing maybe its just me. I just didn't understand why everything that night was laid out in such a ritualistic ceremony. Them another couple sitting next to me his wife spoke up and did pretty much the same thing but it was just the wife pledging her loyalty and submission to this couple. Then there was another couple who pledged there loyalty to this couple and devoted themselves to this couple as "Spiritual Parents."

Does any of this sound or appear to be out side of scripture?

I don't see any scripture that in context supports this kind of loyalty except for the warnings that Jesus gives to the seven churches in Revelations see Rev 2:12-29

Any thought or suggestions