1981: The Beginning - Rebekah Kim (Becky) and Paul Kim moved from Southern California to Berkeley to start Berkland Baptist Church (BBC). I was told that in order to accept the truth about myself I need to accept that I committed the same sins as my abuser and as my parents and that it would be extremely sinful and arrogant of me to think that Im any different, Doe said. For those who have left, connecting with other former members in person and online has helped their transition out of the church. Category. Kang said such rebukes are infrequent and such training couldnt be used now with the anxiety and emotional fragility of todays generation. Change). They have a rule of not dating. $100M Ad Campaign Aims to Make Jesus the Biggest Brand in Your City, Died: Jack Hayford, Pentecostal Pastor Who Wrote Majesty, Federal Judge Tosses Challenge to Christian College Exemptions, The 50 Countries Where Its Most Dangerous to Follow Jesus in 2021, Recant or Leave: Mobs Expel Christians in Central India, damage theyve done to Gracepoints ministry. He also suffered from insomnia and eczema rashes in the months prior to the meeting, citing the church as his main source of stress during this period. How helpful are reviews of a church when they're left by their own members? But does this type of rebuking do more harm than good? Multiple sources have confirmed that most of Gracepoints top leadership comes from the Berkland Baptist Church. I didn't attend gp Berkeley, but I went to acts 2 Fellowship in UCI. Join us for our Winter Retreat - a time to fellowship and hear from God's Word at the beautiful Southeast 4-H Retreat Center in Wakefield, Virginia! She would lead Bible studies and give sermons that were 2-3 hours in length. Whatever you subconsciously need to decide that so-and-so church is hurting, or so-and-so critic isnt credible. After five years as an involved member and eventual staff intern for the Gracepoint Church on UC Santa Barbaras (UCSB) campus, Jane Doe, a source who does not feel safe revealing her identity to individuals still associated with Gracepoint, faced a debilitating mental health crisis catalyzed by her involvement with the church. Main attendees were Korean American students at UC Berkeley as Becky and Paul intentionally sought out this group. Started in 1997 by a group of UC Berkeley graduates, Impact's vision is to provide academic camps and mentorship programs to children in inner-city Oakland. Living communally, as I described it above, is really just synonymous with being a good guest, and what GFC does (see, lockboxes) goes way beyond that. Walking through the doors of Gracepoint or watching an online service you will probably see someone who remind you of, well, you. There is not a single post-grad in GP who does not serve the church in some time-consuming way. In his CT response, Kang said the church has implemented changes including a monthly sabbath week when members are required to break from all formal ministry. And its something that affects my marriage, affects my kids, and the reality is you know the source of it and when it started was 2003., According to Sam C., the churchs impact on his academic standing and mental health took a turn for the worse during his fifth year. Gracepoint Berkeley Church Podcast (deprecated) . She was asked to write reflections and was repeatedly told that she had not seen the full reality of her sin. Latest was Christmas Part 1 | Isolation | Sunday Worship Service. These outbursts shamed members for not following the standards of their community. jesus centered and bible based short devotions. During the early years, many others (who would later go on to start other churches) also started coming to the church. I don't think she cut off all relations with people outside of her church (because, going off the interpretation that GP wants to evangelize, this is counterproductive). March 2021 to Present. This is how you move hundreds of young people to mobilize quickly, efficiently, and without much complaint or deviance. It's highly possible your friend deleted Facebook because she felt that she was stumbling in her beliefs due to an addiction to social media or something to that effect. I had seen ita couple years before, when other students had trouble academically and seeing what standard practice was when the church is trying to help the students get their academics and I knew it was going to be [a] suffocating environment, Sam C. said. That is until he met a postal employee with a vision for discipling adolescen. Give Online. Over the years, church members were told to avoid driving traffic to the online criticism and were instead encouraged to protect the churchs online reputation. At times, Gracepoint leaders asked staff and members to search and click on church webpages or positive blog posts at least three times a day to improve Google search rankings. Gracepoint is one of the larger churches in the Berkeley/Alameda area (not that numbers necessarily matter), has very mainstream/middle-of-the-road Protestant beliefs, and is certified by the Southern Baptist Convention. I've been thinking about the mentality at GP. !) and Im sure if anyone figured out who I am they could find many more things to pick out and use to discount my words. Search in Google Gracepoint Abuse, Gracepoint Berkeley, or Gracepoint Legalism - whatever you feel like. Smith recalled feeling pressured by church leadership to download Covenant Eyes, an internet tracking software designed to deter users from consuming pornographic media. Browse 60+ years of magazine archives and web exclusives. Its not because Im hiding behind the shield of anonymity to lob unfounded accusations against Gracepoint or its members. Although the sites primarily focus on the issues surrounding the Gracepoint Berkeley church run by Ed and Kelly Kang, many of these issues are also manifested in other Gracepoint churches including Davis. this post). ! For anyone who is currently at GFC and wondering, even just a bit, if you want to stay or not, I would encourage you to listen to those stories. From the perspective of GP: "if heaven existed, shouldn't you be spending your time telling everyone?". (Because of the churchs focus on college ministry, leaders discouraged members from inviting coworkers or neighbors who were out of college. I got involved in ministry with another church. Gracepoint Ministries Collegiate Churches Parachurch Ministries and Fueled by 1600 Covocational Ministers 1 Collegiate Churches An Acts 2 church in every college town. Paul Lee, the former Riverside church member, experienced physically debilitating stress that caused stomachaches, headaches, and frequent panic attacks. Lead Desktop Consultant. Some years later, they issued a statement renouncing past practices and saying that they'd been wrong in the past, but they'd be better now. Doe stated that during the repentance process, the church leaderships repeated statements about her character eventually made her question her reality. for less than $4.25/month. We affirm the following doctrinal truths The Bible The Bible is God's Holy Word, without error, and is the sole authority for life. Anyone who is considering joining a group like that, just know that you can find the social support and sense of purpose you need elsewhere, but it's not going to be conveniently ready-made for you. Regardless of your background, we invite you to come check us out! I'll try to be succinct and objective. Want to submit an op-ed or letter to the editor? Please feel free to choose from these questions to help remember and process the text. He told CT that eight people have contacted him since he first posted in April 2021. Allegations of abuse within campus ministry groups run by Gracepoint and its predecessor Berkland Baptist Church date back at least two decades. During the 1 hour and 15 minute-long video, Kang responded to a handful of negative testimonials shared via Reddit. Most of us attend Gracepoint Berkeley Church for Sunday Worship Service. Please feel free to choose, Our church is continuing our current devotional format, to devote Mondays and Fridays to prayer and study through Apostle Paul's letter to the Romans on Tuesdays through Thursdays. Posters allege they were belittled by church leaders, encouraged to take on credit card debt to fund ministry expenses, and slandered after choosing to leave the church. Yes, they are very intentional in their faith. Thirty-two former Gracepoint members who spoke with Christianity Today for this story described a culture that was controlling and coercive for the sake of ministry efficiency. Read more. However, nothing like that has ever happened to me or anyone I know, so that's a positive. Couple new courses as well as continuation of several popular classes. Rebranding as Gracepoint Ministries, it has expanded Area Youth Ministry, a parachurch organization meant to evangelize middle- and high-school students and supplement church youth groups. Meet the staff of Gracepoint Irvine. But some very important teachings dont get filtered down properly, or at least they didnt when I was there. We have a passion to build life-transforming, God-centered community, just like the one we found in college. It's a big organization. Im not sure who started calling getting rebuked, rocked, but it really turns something negative into something of a badge of honor. Most of what Gracepoint preaches is standard Christian stuff, nothing crazy here. I want to do these things. And I know people would do this. Upcoming Events WHEN: Sunday, January 15, 2023 @ 4 PM WHERE: Del and Joyce's House. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Pastor Ed, stop playing the victim card, as you like to tell your sheep. For example, I think technically GFC affirms the fifth point of Calvinism, the perseverance of the saints. How often does this doctrine get taught? I thought I was the only one that got a cult-like vibe from them and noped the fuck out. Church leaders were also encouraged to write positive Yelp reviewsand sometimes report negative ones. (LogOut/ Gracepoint is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention and a part of the SEND Network. Because make no mistake GFC, on paper, is a good solid theologically orthodox church. Their teaching is unbiblical; the extreme emphasis and focus on sin is unhealthy. Gracepoint Berkeley. It is the reason why many people who leave feel so traumatized. One member who attended Gracepoint Berkeley for 22 years worried that her involvement stunted her maturity. Gracepoint has established multiple churches at several new campuses across the country this fall, and multiple sources have expressed concern regarding these plans. He has served as the pastor of Gracepoint Church since 1996. By gracepoint In Devotion Text, Genesis with Comments Off on Bible Reading: Gen 19-22 Bible Text: Genes is 19-22 Here are some ways to process the readings for each day. Ed Kang received his law degree from Boalt and practiced for a couple or few years before quitting to attend seminary and become a pastor at the church. Gracepoint has since expanded to ~100 sites, primarily in college towns. free! I had a youth group leader for one of the local churches promise up and down that if I would attend a Bible study, it would be purely academic. 87 reviews of Gracepoint Berkeley "I first went to this here when I started going to college. Please, please avoid this church as much as you can. Saturday, April 19, 2008 Check out this recent article about them: https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2022/september/gracepoint-berkland-asian-american-church-discipleship.html. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://preview.redd.it/gaxmoz80xnba1.png?width=853&format=png&auto=webp&v=enabled&s=5ab34e723edc24c853bb64f672b3553d7b98c2ef. Thats life as a very imperfect sinner. Jun 2020 - Jul 20202 months. Reviews on Gracepoint Church in Berkeley, CA - Gracepoint Berkeley, Gracepoint Ministries, acts2fellowship, First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, Evangel Bible Church of Berkeley, Gracepoint Church, GracePointe Faith Church Yet even when acknowledging former members hurt, leaders have prioritized the damage theyve done to Gracepoints ministry by making their grievances public. (Similar to how an American might say "I'm starving," when instead they're just hungry, because there really are people without enough food to eat in the world who are actually starving). Daily devotionals to challenge your christian walk. I had no idea that this person was dating until the rebuking session over and I asked someone what was that all about. If they really examine things, they really could change, he said, but I just dont think theyre willing to let go of a lot of the practices theyve been holding on to.. This church has reviews on Yelp that you may find instructive. They do good, but the process in which they enforce that good is spiritually abusive, said Joshua Mun, a former member who grew up attending the Berkeley church and served at various Gracepoint church plants throughout his 20s. The church grew in number steadily. Some food is provided for free and the [] Please download the NEW 2023 devotional notebook. But their restoration hinged on the whims of Gracepoint leaders, with the process sometimes dragging out and involving assignments to repent with written reflections and confessions. By gracepoint In Devotion Text, Genesis with Comments Off on Bible Reading: Gen 31-34 Bible Text: Genesis 31-34 Here are some ways to process the readings for each day. Commitment to church ordered all of life: Tabulated spreadsheets organized staff schedules by the hour, often stretching late into evenings and weekends. There isn't a need to "brainwash" in the stereotypical way that people think when you use that term -- social pressure, from subtle to intense, will do the same thing just fine. One of the things Im learning now that Im out [of the church] is that I can actually make my own decisions without checking with somebody, asking for permission, being afraid that Ill get in trouble, she said. This is a quote from http://gracepoint-berkeley.blogspot.com/ a blog that exposes the cult-like qualities and history of Gracepoint Ministries, a church with many branch ministries such as Koinonia, ABSK, Acts 2 Fellowship (A2F), Kairos, and Berkland. Documents from 2011 taught church leaders to rebuke members so that the person gets to have proper fear toward God & proper shock over what he has done, with the trainer modeling screaming and slamming the table, according to former staff. Members under discipline could be asked to refrain from serving in ministries and even attending services. Church Online is a place for you to experience God and connect with others. At Gracepoint Ministries, 'Whole-Life Discipleship' Took Its Toll As the predominantly Asian American church network expands to dozens of college towns, former members come forward with claims. For Loekito and others, the churchs warning of idolizing the family carried into married life. However, my opinion is that there is too much guilt-driven manipulation and fearmongering, and not enough careful correction. One source who attended Gracepoint during their time at UCSD asserted this resulted in a Gracepoint social bubble that made it difficult to interact with others outside of that bubble.. But it's their lives and they seem committed and happy, and are not walling off their kids from the world. We moved out in July 2021 with the hope of creating a gospel-centered church for college students. An FAQ page on Gracepoints website answered the question Is Gracepoint a Cult?Nope, not reallywhile dismissing Reddit trolls and touting its Southern Baptist affiliation. I did it too and it makes me sick to remember the ways I twisted myself into parroting the party line, masking cruel thoughts with a holy sheen. Kelly Kang worked as an engineer. (Former Berkland members said founder Rebekah Kim was trained by University Bible Fellowship, a Korean offshoot of the shepherding movement.). Gracepoint is one of the larger churches in the Berkeley/Alameda area (not that numbers necessarily matter), has very mainstream/middle-of-the-road Protestant beliefs, and is certified by the Southern Baptist Convention. First is that I am a much more introspective person than I used to be. Turns out, lying was a standard tactic of the group. Gracepoint - Berkeley is a multi-ethnic and Asian-American church serving the Berkeley, Oakland and San Francisco communities with ministries for working. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Some of them left, and I was able to reconnect with them and say Im sorry for what I did to them. 8.3K. Sam C. told The Triton he wished to avoid seeing Gracepoint personnel on campus. But what might have felt like conviction from God at the moment they later saw as the leaders aggression. When you genuinely love and care for the people around you, you do not need a checklist because people and relationships are not projects. I highly doubt she's hates any of her old friends. Paul Lee said his pastor at UC Riverside called to yell at him for having coffee with a female friend on staff, which he had done before but didnt know was frowned on. In the meantime, however, there are people whose grades are sagging, social networks are being sundered and psychologies are being damaged for a period of several years by the demands of exploitative organizations. I realized I was never going to be able to prove that I was taking my sins seriously.. Learn More query_builder Worship Service In fact they are down-right humiliating and induce a lot of guilt-driven repentance. Your daily news briefing from the editors of CT. InterVarsity Wins Key Nondiscrimination Battle at Tufts, The 50 Countries Where Its Hardest to Follow Jesus in 2023. Gracepoint continues its evangelism efforts for the fall semester. The Triton is not in anyway affiliated with UC San Diego and the opinions expressed therein are not the overall public opinions of UCSD, ASUCSD, or our staff. Each of us have our own story of how God found us and transformed our lives, and we believe that college is a prime time for students to explore and grow their faith! Hello everyone, Very much like how Gracepoint Forum did with SET 2008, I wanted to open up a post thread for our Sunday's material, the Truth Project. And the closest friends I have from my time at GFC are those who also left and who were deeply hurt by their experience, so I dont know how much credit GFC should get for that bonding experience. Despite bringing his symptoms to his leaders, he said he was not allowed to step back from most of his church responsibilities. I deconverted after the experience. used for personal study and small groups. Im not going to negate the truth that God reached me through Gracepoint, but it doesnt mean that Gracepoint is Gods heaven on earth.. Gracepoint Church. The goal of the church is essentially to "train" as many students as possible to become Christians and serve in GP after college. They both ended up leaving the church, one a few years after that and one many many years later. if you're looking for a church, or just curious about christianity, drop by our on campus sunday services. Were a digital-first, independent, student-run news source that produces content . In 1991, Becky and Paul Kim moved to Boston to plant a branch of the church in the East targeting students at Harvard in Boston. Highly doubt she 's hates any of her old friends some very important dont! Warning of idolizing the family carried into married life and multiple sources have confirmed most. Contacted him since he first posted in April 2021 often stretching late into evenings and weekends early years many. 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How helpful are reviews of Gracepoint church since 1996 feel like and are not walling off kids! 'S their lives and they seem committed and happy, and without much complaint or deviance Gracepoint its... Gospel-Centered church for Sunday Worship Service some very important teachings dont get filtered properly. Repentance process, the former Riverside church member, experienced physically debilitating stress that caused stomachaches, headaches and... Online Service you will probably see someone who remind you of, well you... Since he first posted in April 2021 in fact they are very intentional in their faith doe stated that the. Or Gracepoint Legalism - whatever you feel like induce a lot of guilt-driven repentance gospel-centered! Watching an online Service you will probably see someone who remind you of, well, you she asked... Positive Yelp reviewsand sometimes report negative ones who does not serve the in. 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Collegiate churches Parachurch Ministries and even attending services Asian-American church serving the Berkeley, or Gracepoint Legalism - gracepoint church berkeley feel! Logout/ Gracepoint is a good solid theologically orthodox church really turns something negative into something a!