MERCIFUL: EDITED HIGHLIGHTS OF EXPERIENCES BY SMC EX MEMBER - MERCIFUL- ON GROWING UP IN SMC OR AS A YOUTH MEMBER IN SMC SELECTED BY ME - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : It feels strange to be actually posting on this forum after over a year of observing the postings of those formerly involved in SMC or, like me, someone who grew up in SMC. I have felt many times that I w
Forum: Destructive Churches

THE REMAINING EXTRACTS ARE ALL TESTIMONIES FROM PEOPLE WHO WERE AT SMC IN THEIR YOUTH. THEY UNDERLINE THE PARTICULAR WAY YOUNG PEOPLE WERE TREATED IN STRUTHERS. AGAIN - THESE ARE EDITED HIGHLIGHTS SELECTED BY ME - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING :
Forum: Destructive Churches

SAVED TEXT EXTRACTS FOR COVLASS - EDITED HIGHLIGHTS SELECTED BY ME - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : Ive had some very negative experiences of Struthers Memorial Church. Its a long story bit I'll try to bring out the main points here. It began by meeting a friend who went there, first online and then we develpoed the freindship in real life. She spoke about how the church was really &
Forum: Destructive Churches

SAVED TEXT EXTRACTS FOR CRAZYMIXEDUPKID - EDITED HIGHLIGHTS SELECTED BY ME - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : I feel I have to comment on the question of whether people are banned from speaking to those that leave the church. I realise this will identify me to the leaders of the church, and possibly to some others, but I value truth above reputation. Apologies for not posting direct, but I
Forum: Destructive Churches

SAVED TEXT EXTRACTS FOR TREETOP - EDITED HIGHLIGHTS SELECTED BY ME - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : I know many people in Struthers. I know for a fact that several faithful and devout people – christians for over 20 years in Struthers - are depressed and have needed medication to get through normal life. There are also some cases of serious mental breakdown in people associated with
Forum: Destructive Churches

SAVED TEXT EXTRACTS FOR UNCERTAIN - EDITED HIGHLIGHTS SELECTED BY ME - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : I am currently attending one of the branch churches. I recently started attending another church too after various restrictions were placed on me. I have been told that I need to repent but I do not know of what I need to repent. I have also felt very intimidated by control. I was
Forum: Destructive Churches

SAVED TEXT EXTRACTS FOR SUSIE - EDITED HIGHLIGHTS SELECTED BY ME - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : My experience of Struthers Memorial Church When I went there at first no one was allowed to talk to me. The Pastor of the Cumbernauld branch seemed to hate me on sight. The time I was there I was emotionally abused. The abuse was very subtle it came in the form of giving me di
Forum: Destructive Churches

SAVED TEXT EXTRACTS FOR SOLA SCRIPTURA - EDITED HIGHLIGHTS SELECTED BY ME - APOLOGIES FOR ERRORS, BITS MISSING ETC: I am so glad that others have had the same experience that I have had! I am also conscious of people having left the faith altogether because they are fed up of not 'feeling' anything or not understanding simple concepts such why God doesnt do everything
Forum: Destructive Churches

SAVED TEXT EXTRACTS FOR CLARE - EDITED HIGHLIGHTS SELECTED BY ME - APOLOGIES FOR ERRORS, BITS MISSING ETC: I stumbled on this forum after googling Struthers so i was intrigued . I go to their site from time to time to see the New Year Word . I think it would be useful if i share my evaluation of the church but i can only give an opinion as it related to me and my personal path. I alwa
Forum: Destructive Churches

SAVED TEXT EXTRACTS FOR GRACE GIRL - EDITED HIGHLIGHTS SELECTED BY ME - APOLOGIES FOR ERRORS, BITS MISSING ETC: I have recently left strutters. I was in one of the outlying branches and i have to say that the people there are kind and loving and not like the leaders being described in this forum. I do have issues with the main leadership in the west thou, which is one of the reason
Forum: Destructive Churches

SAVED TEXT EXTRACTS FOR PILGRIMESS - EDITED HIGHLIGHTS SELECTED BY ME - APOLOGIES FOR ERRORS, BITS MISSING ETC: My experience was years of commitment in Struthers, the last 10 or so where I felt bound in to something with a feeling of not being able to escape. It will seem incredible to anyone who has not been in this kind of situation to try to understand why I stayed in it for so lo
Forum: Destructive Churches

SAVED TEXT EXTRACTS FOR SMCEDARS - EDITED HIGHLIGHTS SELECTED BY ME - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : I am very concerned about the SMC churches, after being a member for many years. I left not too long ago but really struggling to get my life together. I unlike many of you have been unable to go to another church. As you probably know anyone leaving SMC is branded a backslider and
Forum: Destructive Churches

SAVED TEXT EXTRACTS FOR TRUTHSEEKER - EDITED HIGHLIGHTS SELECTED BY ME - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : I have been following the discussion on this site for some time but have been reluctant to comment as my involvement with SMC brings back painful memories. I also feel ashamed I did not do more to question what was happening at the time of my involvement. However if my comments add
Forum: Destructive Churches

SAVED AND COLLATED TEXTS FOR LINTAR - EXCERPTS CHOSEN BY ME. APOLOGIES FOR ERRORS, OMISSIONS ETC . I am so glad to have found this website and comforted, in a sense, to discover that I haven't been alone in trying to recover from my SMC experience. My husband was a long time member when I met him at work and joined in 1981. We were married there in 1986 and many times since,
Forum: Destructive Churches

THIS IS MY SAVED TEXT EXTRACTS FOR RELIGIONLESS - EDITED HIGHLIGHTS SELECTED BY ME - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : I attended a wedding last week of two friends of mine in Cumbernauld and had to stop myself from walking out of the ceremony, The female minister basically launched a character assassination of the bride. The couple have a young baby and the entire ceremony was bas
Forum: Destructive Churches

THIS IS MY SAVED TEXT EXTRACTS FOR CALVARY - EDITED HIGHLIGHTS SELECTED BY ME - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : After having followed this forum for the past year or so. I've finally plucked up the courage to post something... I no longer attend Struthers and haven't done so for some years. My experience of this Church was like many other peoples - firstly very positive, then
Forum: Destructive Churches

THIS IS MY SAVED TEXT EXTRACTS FOR SQUAREONE - EDITED BY ME - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : I hear what you're saying about anger, Merciful7 and how thinking it all through can consume and not help. I don't want to live my life angry either but I'm finding it more helpful and healthier to at least direct my anger in the right direction and not inward as I'
Forum: Destructive Churches

THIS IS MY SAVED TEXT EXTRACTS FOR BLACKWATCH - EDITED BY ME - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : Fairly recently, I had the great privilege of sitting under the ministry of a pastor who had been properly trained in biblical scholarship. His exposition of the word was a real eye-opener to me. Why? Because it was totally different from the sort of 'teaching' we get at strutter
Forum: Destructive Churches

THIS IS MY SAVED TEXT EXTRACTS FOR RENSIL - EDITED BY ME - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : "I also found that rules made by the church leadership can change but with no announcement of the fact or instruction to the members. For example, it used to be that women were not allowed to wear trousers, especially not jeans. Nowadays most of the women there wear trousers including, in
Forum: Destructive Churches

THIS IS MY SAVED TEXT EXTRACTS FOR THEPETITOR - EDITED BY ME - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : "I was a member of SMC for a number of years and, although I left some time ago, am still confused about a number of things. Two comments I relate to specifically are the “discernment” bit and the lack of communication with ex-members. In my case, the two are very much related as it was m
Forum: Destructive Churches

THIS IS MY SAVED TEXT EXTRACTS FOR IFELLAWAY - EDITED BY ME - APOLOGIES IF BITS ARE MISSING : "Hi all. Initially I'd like to introduce myself, but can't really. I have family who are still very much "in". I am already the black sheep and "do drugs", drink etc (Actually this is a misconception that I cannot rectify without blowing apart other myths and li
Forum: Destructive Churches

QuoteCornelius Dredd Clive, anything you saved for posterity, I would say, would be worth adding back in, if you get the chance. I don have any way of telling when the post texts I made copies of were made, so a lot of them might actually be still on here, but in any case i'll just post the lot. I'll do one post per "poster" here. The texts are heavily edited by me to f
Forum: Destructive Churches

I collated some highlights - the most moving stories from various posters on this thread a while back. I could maybe post some of them on here in a few very large posts - just so they are there - if people want. As for the backup error. We all make mistakes. After all - we ARE all human ;)
Forum: Destructive Churches

Hi IFellaway QuoteIfellaway Would any member openly say that they had depression for instance? Let's be clear...anything mental is surely "demonic" in nature, if you subscribe to smc learning.. I imagine a lot of SMC folk - like other evangelicals - particularly pentecostals, have a copy of Rick Warrens mega-best selling book "Purpose Driven Life". Pentecosta
Forum: Destructive Churches

QuotecbarbHi guys Just to let you know, I finally plucked up the courage to talk to my folks about some of this. It seems that Joan Jewell had a hand in the antics that drove them out of SMC Encountering Joan Jewell was the first time I was exposed to SMC and from that very first encounter I sensed that this was not right. Only to be reinforced in my mind months later, when unquestioning
Forum: Destructive Churches

QuoteClive D.R. is Christos. A Christ. A False Christ. On the other hand the Greek word for "Christian," is Christianos. Historians tell us that originallyChristianos was probably a term of mocking or derision meaning :– "little Christs." And as even CS Lewis has written - every christian is supposed to be a "Little christ" ;)
Forum: Destructive Churches

While listening to an answer to a question on a podcast called "The Bible Geek" just now, something occurred to me. A lot of the problems that stem from the SMC seem to have at their root the strong emphasis one certain leaders as being the chosen, anointed ones. The current leadership - in particular - Diana Rutherford, where chosen - hand picked one could say - by Miss Taylor
Forum: Destructive Churches

CBARB - I am so very sorry and shocked to read your recent sharing of your story of abuse that you went through in your youth. It does make one angry that your church at the time could not help you deal with it. If anything damns the SMC it is things like this. Just being plain uncaring - to such a point that victims are too fearful to share their trauma. QuoteIfellaway Meant to say, Cl
Forum: Destructive Churches

Quotecbarb It's scientific fact that we only use a small percentage of the total capacity of our brains - what do you think the other, unused, 70 odd percent might make us capable of? Hmm... sorry cbarb, you have the ability to google. There is no excuse for just going on believing every urban myth or bad idea that been passed on in "believer" circles through the years.
Forum: Destructive Churches

IFellaway "I don't know any Christians who think like this." Really ? does the phrase "answered prayer" mean nothing to you ? Pentecostal land is replete with anecdotes about the "Power of prayer". It is the fuel that feeds pentecostlism and a lucrative christian book industry. But it is the nature of things that all the times prayer failed t
Forum: Destructive Churches