Does anyone have any experience with setting up a concerned relatives/ex-members group?
The reason I want to do this is because I have information on my former "church" about their finances. It is absolutely shocking and the members are being milked dry to support lavish lifestyles for a few select men. I would like to forward this info to all members, but rather via some kind of organisation, rather than personally.
I know several other ex members and concerned family who would help. Anyone any ideas or advice?

I do not have any experience in setting up a concerned relatives/ex-members group, I do have experience in my own recovery from destructive groups.
The Rick Ross site has excellent information, including links to support groups from [www.culteducation.com] .
The Cult Education Forum has helpful thoughtful information also. You could possibly start a thread themed on this particular church, encourage others to join in.
You could set up a Yahoo or Usenet group to discuss the church. You could set up your own web page and host a forum there.
You could check with various organizations and support folks and see what resources they have to offer.
You could start with others a reading group, read through books on cults, thought control, recovery, legal matters etc. Could expand the reading group to include guest lectures from people in the cult recovery field and related themes.
It is admirable that you want to do such work, I'd suggest you make sure you take good care of yourself also.

Sarah

Thanks Sarah. There is already a website on the group with forum which is very good.
What I actually want to do is set up a group which can send out correspondence to the members. I have just obtained the group's annual reports and it is absolutely disgusting what they spend the money on. I would like to ensure all members receive a copy, however if I do it by myself they will never listen, as I am Jezebel incarnate.
However, if we could set up some sort of association on paper... that's where I don't know how to further proceed.
Thanks anyway.

Resource list on how to start a non-profit at:
[www.lib.msu.edu]

www.nolo.com is a great self help legal resource, their press also issues excellent how-to books.

Public library most likely will have specific books that are helpful, mine does, I think rules vary by state. Some books will even have the proper forms needed. Also, your local courthouse may have packets all ready to go for a fee of the forms needed.

Another idea would be to get a local newspaper reporter interested in the story, start the information flowing publically while you organize an official group.

Sarah

Cult survivor,

That sounds a lot like the group I am from. They are worth millions, and only a select few get any of the benefits.

I know that when I belonged to the group I would not believe anything anyone said that was negative towards the group. We would think people were making stuff like that up. Especially because all we ever saw was squalor and filth.

It will be tough to do but personally I think putting it in the local newspaper would be your best bet. I know my whole group reads everything in the paper about them (and then they say it is made up). But if one person believes it, it is worth it.

Jewels

Hi, cultsurvivor.

the group I'm from is worth over $100,000,000 and as a member I worked for next to free.

There are some groups in the making and some already in place from my group for those reasons.

And I'm working to get local state and fedral grant money to help in the crises of hundreds of disturbed youth leving and being excomunicated from my group.

You may qualify for a grant for this reason.
I'v just started this option so I have little info. on how to go about it.
The book from the guy on tv with all the question marks ??????? talking about free goverment money may help. I picked up a copy for $40.00 today at Bordrs Books for this very reason. It's titled 'Get Paid To Quit Your Job'.

Oops! I didn't post that right, I din't buy the book I was looking at it.
Sorry I clicked submit befor changeing it.

I am a former member of an abusive church whose pastor had gotten himself into some serious trouble with the law. As my days there were drawing to a close, I noticed a lot of things the church did that were neither Biblical nor right.

One of the sites which helped me in the knowledge and recovery process was this one, set up by two fellow ex-members:

[abusivechurches.org]

There are message boards, links to court transcripts, and an opportunity to share with other former cult/destructive church members.

Membership is open to anyone.