It's really interesting to read the recent responses and hear the developments. The branch of Struthers I was a part of has since closed down but I was often shipped off to Scotland as a young person and subjected to intense prayer, sometimes one on one, including "deliverance" (for what, I was never told). Adults with little to no training in youth work or safeguarding were placed
Forum: Destructive Churches

It's really interesting to hear everyones stories and experiences, and to see the updates on what is happening in the organisation now - Certainly the cracks are showing! Thank you escapedtofrance for your writing and words, such a painful story but you tell it beautifully,
Forum: Destructive Churches

I think it's really important for folk looking at Struthers, even their youth groups, to have the full picture of what has gone on in the past and what continues to happen. That's why I think this forum is important. I also think it's healing to know other people understand what some of us have been through and can relate/empathise.
Forum: Destructive Churches

Some interesting reporting here from the BBC about the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, a church it seems with very similar practices to SMC. They believe mental health issues are because of dark spirits or demons, that sexuality can be changed through prayer, and that deliverance can be performed on young people - Sound familiar?
Forum: Destructive Churches

Hi all, Thanks for the recent posts - It's really interesting, saddening, and not at all unexpected to hear about these experiences at the school. This is much the way young people have been treated in the Struthers churches, evidenced by so many of the posts on this forum. It's also unsurprising to hear the leadership are having difficulties, and that such a significant figure i
Forum: Destructive Churches

Good to hear from you ThePetitor - what surprises you? I wonder if perhaps the mid noughties presents a different experience to others (both before and after).
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Two hours of a chap from the (now defunct) Pudsey Church sharing his experience as a teenager on a popular podcast here,..
Forum: Destructive Churches

This was certainly the case in the Pudsey church (which has now thankfully closed) - I was directly told on one occasion that I shouldn't visit the house of a family friend who was from India because of the "evil spirits" that might lurk there. It won't surprise anyone that the entire congregation was white.
Forum: Destructive Churches

It may be of interest to you all that the Pudsey (Leeds) branch of Struthers has folded. There is information here from the local C of E parish church who are looking to take on the building to run as a community centre Maybe only ten years ago there were hundreds of young people passing through the youth clubs and Sunday school, with a regular congregation of about 40/50 people. The lea
Forum: Destructive Churches

It's been a number of years since I first posted here, and I've been keeping up occasionally with the forum from afar. Maybe I'll share some more personal experiences soon. It's certainly a testament to the damage Struthers does that so many ex-members regard the place as a cult. The practices of intimidation, coercion, and psychological/emotional abuse, particularly direct
Forum: Destructive Churches

The thing that bothers me most (I had a quick flick through it, haven't listened to the sermon in full) is that she says we don't understand them, we don't understand what they stand for or why they do what they do. That couldn't be further from the truth, most of us here did it! We've been there and done the things she says we don't understand ourselves. We do under
Forum: Destructive Churches

I am beyond ecstatic to have found this forum. It sounds strange I know, but for a good two years I though it was just me. Clearly not. I had some really bad experiences in this Church, and I would post about them but they were quite specific and I wouldn't be happy to be identified just yet, but I'm glad to have found others with similar experiences.
Forum: Destructive Churches