I am wondering if there are any ex Grace Community Church (John MacArthur) members still on this board, and if so, would you be willing to share your experiences at that church, and possibly why you left?


I am especially interested in how you were treated there- whether or not you felt controlled, or if you felt like "beaten sheep". Did you find the leadership to be condescending ("We are Godly men, you are mere sheep"), or were they respectful of the congregation?

Did you feel you were thinking for yourself there or that someone else was doing your thinking for you/telling you what to think?

Did you feel that the members of GCC were genuine, for the most part, or like they were trying to prove they were something they weren't?

Did you feel you had to strive and work to gain approval, or a sense of approval before God and/or the leadership?

Did the church live up to it's name- "GRACE"?

Did you feel safe admitting doubts or discomforts with any matters related to the church?

Also, are you aware of occasions on which lies were told to protect the church or JM's reputation?

And anything else that was inappropriate that you experienced or you saw done to others.


I have observed for maybe the last 20 years or so some common outcomes of people who put themselves under MacArthur's teaching. Often they take on a sort of different personality, and the new one is not an improvement over the old one. It is decidedly fake, seeming to sort of generate an appearance of exaggerated, "plastic" righteousness, and talking like someone else was thinking their thoughts for them. And they inevitably say (because apparently they can't help themselves), "I was listening to MacArthur this week and he said..." or, "I was reading such and such book by MacArthur and he said..." I have seen this effect often enough to coin the term "MacArthurized" to describe it. If it is a relatively rare occurrence then it goes away. But the more exposure they have, the more established they get in this mindset and they become increasingly "plastic" and fakey and less like themselves. I don't know of any other Christian teacher that has this effect on people. I don't think I've ever seen any Christian teacher so doted over and exalted. It seems cultic to me, and certainly inappropriate.

Pleas answer either on this thread, or by PM if you don't want to be public.

Any info would be greatly appreciated!