Because of his own experiences, Merritt encourages pastors to see counselors. "Most of my adult life I had not attended church except for maybe on the holidays," she said. And in the last couple of weekends, we've had 31,000 people [attend] and 25,000 watch online. Which, I believe, is why it is so popular- nobody asking you where you were last Sunday, no committees and such to dodge, etc. Chauvin recalls watching the movie version of Taming of the Shrew because it fits into their theology very well, she said. At one point it was all I could do to feel. But the workload and responsibility on Merritts plate as a seminary teacher and pastor might've gotten the better of him as he struggled with issues of anger and depression. Martin Luther employed the phrase to describe human nature as so thoroughly corrupted by original sin that it curvedly, and viciously seeks all things, even God, for its own sake.. In the early years it morphed and expanded under the charismatic leadership of Pastor Jim Durkin. Im thinking about my siblings and the other kids going through what I went through. So the key is never to get close to that line. He called me outside and told me that because I was living with my fianc I was in an evil spirit and I was a puppet of the devil., Mandville believes there are plenty of good people at Gospel Outreach, including their parents, but my dad has really bad depression and a really horrible guilt complex. Its 300 members exploded to 25,000 over the years, and the church took a new name, Eagle Brook. It is affiliated with Converge. Merritt said that counseling not only saved his career but also saved his marriage. Return to homepage. What's bad about Bob? he said. Christmas 2016. As she grew older she tried harder to fit in and make people happy. His dad would then talk to the elders, and if the elders approved theyd quiz [the young man] to make sure he could support a family, buy a house and a car, that he had money in the bank, etc. What is Paul? He says it's music people can relate to, and relatability is what Merritt, who's been at the church since 1991, is all about. In a phone interview, Merritt looked back on his time at Eagle Brook with fond memories, though some times were harder than others. When I was nine . Her voice broke. She was a proponent of pro-abortion, pro-gay rights Republican Arne Carlsons campaign for governor in the early 90s. She even told her parents about the cutting, and they were sympathetic. Eagle Brook's thriving environment caught the attention of Augsburg religion professor Hans Wiersma. A lot of times, God doesnt show us what is ahead. Come for some fun, worship and fellowship. When youre told that college is evil and you dont have any transcripts, so much prevents you from doing things, she said. My teacher from agegrades five through 12 would laugh at us and berate us, Villareal said. I thought of them like brothers. During Merritts tenure, Eagle Brook instituted strict rules for church staff to ensure they never get too close to that boundary. I called the current E.V. Catch & Release. Villareal and Esther Mandville were also enlisted to teach at age 15 or 16. You Betcha: Real advice for real marriages. The prior national committeewoman held her position for 22 years. I always wondered who they were, she said. Theyd say [to students], The sky is green? and wed say, Yes. The grass is blue? Yes. Youre supposed to repeat back illogical things to teach you not to disagree with what the leadership tells you.. And by the way, we've never had a scandal at our church.. There were these ingrained gender roles. Theyre not telling you you cant say no, but I guess I would say its frowned upon, Sarah said. [5][6] As of 2019, it had opened 8 campuses in different cities in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. Abigail Mandville, Esthers younger sister, said instruction both in school and out was more about indoctrination than education. You might be surprised to know that most (if not all) Christians have experienced doubt in their faith. I would often get three or four hours [of sleep] a night because there was always a new recital or a project or a play.. An irregular but steady stream of young adults have defected from Gospel Outreach in recent years or escaped, as several of our interviewees characterized it. My poor husband has had to deal with it. And they unloaded. The school is extremely emotionally abusive and taxing, she said. You might be thinking, "No definitely notthe tree is up, presents are wrapped, Christmas music on repeat" Pause. [10]. Eagle Brook is great for people scratching the surface of Christianity, and really, getting people to hear the Word is a good thing. Youre ripped away from everything youve ever known thats really hard, Mandville said. If you had a disagreement, you could be ostracized from the community in a moment, he said. But at some point, you gottta knowpushing towards the things you want will cause you to miss We all have blind spotsanyone else think its unfair that theyre so obvious to everyone but us?! The father is the ultimate authority. Reached by phone, her stepfather declined to comment on any specific things Celeste alleged, but in general, he said, I really dont want to tear down the church and I think that shes not accurately representing the way that I raised her.. He was definitely a major reason, she said. Our history [classes] relied a lot on the Bible, Villareal said. His audience is captivated by his words. Notably, Guatemalan dictator Gen. Efrain Rios Montt became a convert and, following a 1982 military coup in that country, he employed Gospel Outreach in the notorious rural pacification program known as beans and bullets. Church members supplied food, medicine and clothing to local residents before Montts forces came in and razed their villages, killing hundreds of indigenous Mayans and rendering survivors wards of the government. Almost all their money ($53million 2020-2021) goes back into the church, not back to the community. [2] In 1991 Bob Merritt became the senior pastor of the 300-member church. . According to the Pew Research Center, since 2007 the number of Minnesotans who attend church regularly has dropped by 4 percent. Bitterness. Hey, are you missing Christmas? They left and financiallythe church didnt feela thing (All this is initial. Eagle Brook exists to reach people for Christand that's the heart behind everything we do. / CBS Minnesota. From the parking lot attendants and front door greeters to the coffee shop and expansive kid play areas, the church offers a visitor-friendly experience. *Empowered by God to reach others for Christ* Like, Im 9 and I forget my notebook thats $20. She paid her debts by doing odd jobs like babysitting and car washing. Esther Mandville said the only way to get off the hot seat was to admit guilt and show remorse, even if it was a performance. The employees who work every weekend, literally every weekend, are not afforded the same respite, sabbaticals, and time away to re group as the senior pastor or campus pastors. In late March, the church opened its newest campus in Anoka. We begin with a time of singing and worshiping God, hear a message based on the Bible, and then wrap up by praying together. Stelton was raised Lutheran. | Photo by Andrew Goff. But a lot of it was I just didn't have any capacity to deal with the demands on my life. Early life and education [ edit ] Merritt's father was Calvin Merritt, pastor of the First Baptist Church in Neshannock Township, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania . When there was a potluck, girls would bring a dish. Around 1999, Villareal said, leaders from Gospel Outreach Eureka began meeting more frequently with leaders from sister churches in Grants Pass and Olympia. In the days that followed, other former members reached out wanting to tell their own stories. Most of us have. I taught for the next three years. Quite often that reason is just made up.. I was probably clinically depressed, burned out, completely tired. The mom came out [of her house] and saw that hed pulled her underwear down and was touching her in her private areas, Chauvin said. That never would have happened had I not dealt with my dysfunctions.. Get Wise: Make Great Decisions Every Day. Brainwashing is kind of an overused phrase, but it really is brainwashing.. DeSoto remembers being intimidated when, as a teenager, he became one of the boys tasked with preparing and serving coffee to the elders at these meetings. The music is the best in the Twin Cities. Then in the second year, we went from 300 to 400 [members], then from 400 to 500 and then it just started to climb.. The 8,000-square-foot church resembles a convention center, with the peaked roofline of its cream-colored exterior set off against a backdrop of spindly redwoods. [1] The senior pastor is Jason Strand. Villareal said sometimes a young man will initiate matters by going to his father and saying hes ready. We want to create an environment where you can be challenged and encouraged, find Christ-centered community, and grow in your faith. The teachers were women from the church, none of them accredited. When Id try to say something from my own opinion, they would kind of attack you, Abigail said. It can ruin you, Merritt said. After that, girls were not allowed to play paintball. Wed be encouraged to brag about the spankings we got, Villareal said. In the first year, almost didnt make it, he recalled. Maybe he has a specific bride in mind. Sounds like something your grumpy neighbor struggles with, right? He took the job after receiving his Ph.D. from Penn State University in speech communications. We all have disfunction, he said. At first my dad didnt think it was that big of a deal he thought it was just my hands, Abigail said. She was horrified and so angry.. I've learned over the years as I've observed this stuff, it's not rational; it's emotional. Skipping meetings and playing hookie werent really options, according to DeSoto. I told my parents and they were concerned about me but also kind of pushing me not to talk about it because his parents still go to the church and he has a lot of brothers and sisters.. Merritt did not believe First Baptist Church, which was the name of the church since 1945, was a good name to reach people. He sat on that opinion for about five years as he gained credibility and confidence with the congregation before suggesting that the name be changed. Hed make me stand in the middle of the room. Guest Speaker John Dickerson | Message 84 of 127, Guest Speaker Kyle Idleman | Message 98 of 127, Guest Speaker Jon Weece | Message 114 of 127, Guest Speaker Kyle Idleman | Message 116 of 127, Guest Speaker Bob Merritt | Message 117 of 127, A Time To Think About What Really Matters, To Have Relationships that Flourish (Greg Speck), Proven Biblical Money Principles (Dave Ramsey). More drastically, the number of Minnesotans who say they don't believe in God has tripled in the past decade. Back in May, two former members of Gospel Outreach of Eureka, a church that grew out of the Christian hippie commune at Lighthouse Ranch, contacted the Outpost to report a COVID-19 outbreak among the congregation. Im always checking on people around me.. in Fullerton, CA sometime in 1982 thru 1984 (probably closer to 1984). My gifting is teaching. Little white lie or major fibdishonesty can happen to the best of us. The week WCCO visited his church, Merritt talked about how to conquer your burdens. Its all very interesting, looking at it afterwards, she said. The best Podcast API to search all podcasts and episodes. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He had sexually abused me. I remember looking around the room going, Were all depressed and just not talking about it., All of us were just constantly sick. Eagle Brook Church Sep 2020 - Present 2 years 7 months. I think a lot of times the students were just looking for who was going to be the one that day, DeSoto said. Most people who leave do go a bit wild because they dont know how to function in the real world, so they [church leaders] use them as examples: Look at him; he went into sin., Esther Mandville struggled after leaving, as many do. So, instead of avoiding eye contact, let's face the tough stuff together, using the Bible as our guide. Below youll find some suicide-prevention resources: Advertising supports our journalism. Villareal holds the church at least partly responsible. One church with multiple locations in the Midwest. Shed make fun of how I dressed. (Though the school is only accredited through 10th grade, Villareal said, The boys generally continue taking classes until grade 12, [and] the girls will only take select classes if any at all past age 16, as theyre generally placed in teaching positions. "It's not a suit-and-tie place.". I grew up in the church and its a dark place, Christen Chauvin said in an email. As a pastors kid from Pennsylvania who graduated from both Bethel Seminary and Bethel University, Merritt was brought on as the pastor of what was then the 300-member First Baptist Church of White Bear Lake in 1991. By year 10, Merritt said the church had grown to over 5,000 people. I can only speak for the first year, and Im not sure howI heard this (maybe a contact in the Free Church) but I always found it interesting. (This same passage was employed by Christian slavers as justification for human bondage. In this strange way it pushed you to be part of the community 24/7. Hes very loving but Im always waiting for him to hit me or berate me. Never been there. I don't mean that they should be entertained, because I think God's word is the most compelling thing on the planet, but so often we take God's word and we just bore people with it and to me that's sinful," Merritt said. I felt like the thing I told her was. One case that all seven of the former Gospel Outreach members talked about involved a boy who, as a teenager, allegedly molested a number of young girls. "I do not feel judged, not at all," Resendez said. She and others said the phrase often employed to reinforce this lesson is come under. Anyone showing signs of independent thought would be told to come under their leader, be it a babysitter, a soprano coach or an elder. About a week later I attempted suicide, she said. If your homework assignment was late you werent allowed to go to choir practice or play on the weekend. Excellent fellowshp, all are welcome, friendly and truthful. They wanted you to adhere: Dont stray off the script., Chauvin got the same message. He volunteers with the church's recovery support group. He advises pastors not to even get close to a line they are not willing to cross. Theyre listening to the devil.. There was also a huge emphasis on music. "The kids loved it too," she said. Hes doing the work; were just trying to keep up. The former members of Gospel Outreach said talking to people from outside the church was discouraged, and so virtually all social interactions, including work, school and family, occurred within the group. He compiled 240 pages of feedback from all these people and spent three days reading it back to me. We love THE Church. The tiredness is just showing your true soul, so you need to repent for being grumpy.. al. Every weekday at 7 a.m. they hold a mens meeting where they pray, drink coffee and discuss various matters, sometimes rendering binding decisions on issues ranging from child discipline to marriage approvals. I think there may have been issues down the road for the church as if often the case when well-known pastors leave). I just heard the story. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Roger's reflections on grace, God and other grand topics. "I felt like I belonged, I felt instantly loved, I felt cared for.". I have to say, It wasnt you; it was me. Its hard to work through those things., Robinson said it took her a while to realize the full extent of how Gospel Outreach affected her. Sczepanski is the executive director and sole administrator. What happens on the weekend is not always lived out in the office and meetings with upper management and leadership. There was this self-policing to find the one who was the most out of line so everyone could gang up on that person to explain why they were utterly failing and in sin and need to repent. But one of the aspects of cults is that they push teens to make bigger ultimatums youre either all in or all out, he said. Anything like this is dealt with in the mens meeting because women are not in charge of anything, Chauvin said. And until you give someone the permission to dig around in your life a little bit, you may not ever find out until it's too late.. . She said her stepfather would play emotional games that kept her up well past midnight. There were countless times Id wake up when my body was hitting the floor., He would also take her clothes from her as punishment, she said, ordering her to get naked and do chores, a form of discipline she remembers being particularly disturbing when she was 12, 13, 14 years old and very much struggling through puberty., Her mother declined, through her daughter, to be interviewed for this story. Day by day, I believe God will reveal that to me.. Boys and girls were very much equals., Villareal remembers an elder or pastor from the church in Grants Pass questioning this practice. The circle meetings usually end up with everyone fiercely berating one person, trying to get them to break and give themselves over, like breaking a horse, Chauvin said. But I bring this up because I find it fascinating what happened to Fullerton E. Free when Chuck left after more than 20 years of ministry. Suggested duration 1-2 hours Eagle Brook is one church with multiple locations in Minnesota's Twin Cities metro area. I realized I was in a place that makes me unhappy. Asked what she hopes for in telling her story, she just wants the kids still inside to have more information. It messed with your immune systems, the stress and the amount of sleep we were getting it just wasnt good for your body., As a teenager, Sarah was prone to illness and infections, which she later attributed to stress. But if lying is your pattern, its most certainly hurting your relationshipswith the people in your life and with God. Robinson and others said that eventually Todd wound up admitting to at least some of the crimes hed been accused of, but his only punishment was that he wouldnt be allowed to marry anybody in the church. On Easter Sunday, Eagle Brook broke an all-time attendance record, with more than 51,000 people showing up at services, and 10,200 people watching online. Celeste Villareal was nine when, in 1997, she, her mom and stepfather joined Gospel Outreach after moving to Eureka from Mexico, where theyd been doing missionary work. With her mom stuck in the same cycle of abuse, she had gone to the only person she could think of who might be able to help and instead felt dismissed. You dont think of a cult as something you see every day you think of it as, like, sister wives and all that, she said. A historic first: Vietnam allows Franklin Graham to hold evangelism event with 300 churches, Teen who had breasts removed says health system lacks 'standards of care', School district rejects student-teachers from Arizona Christian University, Its smut: Kid reads sexually graphic book he got from school library to school board members, Ukraine war exposes weaknesses in Russia and the West, ChatGPT, consciousness and the human mind, Done with That: Escape the Struggle of Your Old Life. And if God is the One who causes things to grow, then all of us (both full-time vocational ministers like meand volunteers) are only planting and watering, and even that we are doing only by His power and strength. It was a mixture of clinical depression and the churchs lack of response, or inappropriate response to it, she said. Now I think, Thank God Im out., Sarah said shes not surprised that most Humboldt County residents have no idea such a community exists right here in Eureka. Many church members assumed that Durkins son, Jim Durkin, Jr., would take over, but instead it was a man named David Sczepanski, whod been among the early residents at Lighthouse Ranch. Looking back she thinks that this containment, this narrowing of the world into a hermetic and rigidly controlled society, is as damaging as anything else at Gospel Outreach. Jason Strand | Message 24 of 127. Whether it's the temptation of clicking buy now on Amazon or the seemingly endless pursuit of a life-long dream, no one is immune to discontentment. Because he was a minor when the alleged abuse took place and has not been convicted of the crimes, well call him Todd (not his real name). Our values are to pursue God, build community, and unleash compassion both locally and globally. Pastor Bob Merritt of the multi-campus Eagle Brook Church in Minnesota. The former Gospel Outreach members said punishment was typically meted out both at home and at school in one of three ways: monetary fines, psychological torment or physical violence.