Rooted in Jesus Grace

For years, I struggled to understand why people stay in spiritually abusive churches. At first, I assumed they simply didn’t see the red flags. Maybe they were unaware—blinded by charisma, drawn in by compelling vision statements or emotional worship. I thought if they just had the facts, if they just knew the manipulation behind the curtain, they would wake up and walk out. Later, I changed my mind. I realized many  did  see the red flags. They just rationalized them. “Every church has issues.” “He’s just passionate.” “God still uses imperfect leaders.” I saw people justify concerning behavior, dismiss legitimate criticism, and explain away clear problems. And I understood that. I had done it too. Then I moved on to a third theory: maybe people were stuck. Paralyzed. Helpless. Maybe they wanted to leave, but couldn’t. Maybe they feared what would happen to their kids, or how their extended family would react. Maybe they were exhausted, broken down, spiritually confused, and u...

In marketing, a “bait and switch” occurs when a seller advertises one thing to draw you in, only to deliver something quite different once they have your trust. Unfortunately, some pastors and preachers do the same thing. They say what they know their congregation needs—or wants—to hear in order to maintain credibility and avoid controversy, but their actual teachings and practices reveal something altogether different. This dynamic is especially present in movements influenced by the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), a loosely organized but widespread network of churches and leaders exposed in part by the careful research of Holly Pivec and theologian R. Douglas Geivett. These leaders often profess mainstream evangelical theology—on the surface. But once you’re “in,” the language shifts, the emphasis changes, and suddenly you realize the foundation is not quite what it seemed. Orthodox Words, Heterodox Practice Take, for instance, the doctrine of  apostolic authority . NAR leaders ...