Tag Archives: TX

What is Master’s Commission?

I recently started a forum to discuss issues related to this blog in further depth. You can access this article here: http://www.mycultlife.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=9. You must be a registered forum user to leave a comment on the forum, though.

You can also read the article here:

According to the Master’s Commission International Network, MCIN, website http://www.mcin.org, Master’s Commission and MCIN are described as the following:

Master’s Commission is an intense discipleship-training program dedicated to making Disciples of Christ. There are currently 120 programs world-wide in 15 different countries. Each program is based out of a local church and comprises of students mostly between the ages of 18-25. Master’s Commission International Network (MCIN) is the accountability and glue that holds these programs together. MCIN isn’t limited to any one denomination, but works with many churches.

An overview of the Master’s Commission USA program that Lloyd Zeigler currently oversees in his newly planted (as of 2008) Dallas, TX church, Relevant Church, states the following http://masterscommissionusa.com/page/overview/:

What started in 1984 as a small group of people agreeing to dedicate one year of their life to God has now grown into one of the most powerful, intense discipleship movements in the world. This one-year discipleship-training center started with just one program in Phoenix, AZ. Now it has spread to 91 affiliated programs in 10 countries and includes an international network (MCIN). Both Master’s Commission USA and Master’s Commission International Network, founded in 1995, are housed at Relevant Church in Dallas, TX.

MC USA has grown and developed each year by remaining on the cutting edge of this worldwide ministry. Between our ministry institutes: dance, drama, music, youth, children’s and evangelism, and our other ministries, including Restore community outreach, church services, travel within the US, missions, foster children mentorship, and more, you will be sure to find a place to develop your talents, pursue your dreams, and refine your desires. Last year Master’s Commission USA reached over 238,000 people with the gospel of Christ! Come join us as we endeavor to reach the world with the love and message of Jesus Christ.

You will be included in incredible Biblical teachings and ministry trainings from a staff whose calling and heart is to see you grow. To graduate our program each disciple is required to fulfill curriculum requirements, finish each discipleship obligation, and participate in all scheduled activities. Master’s Commission USA is committed to setting the pace in ‘hands on’ ministry training; therefore optional missions trips and ministry tours are available at an additional cost.

The staff is comprised of committed disciples who have lived the call and caught the vision of the Master’s Heart. Where other programs have one or two leaders for every twenty or thirty students, our staff-student discipleship ratio is better than one leader to two students. We look forward to meeting you and having you join our team. A year of your life spent ‘face to face’ with God is an experience that you will never forget, and one that you don’t want to miss!

You are eligible to apply for the year of discipleship (First Year Program) if you are of college age and have a high school diploma or equivalent. You are eligible to apply for our Second Year Leadership Program if you have completed one year in another affiliated MC program and Staff Internship Program. If you do not fall into these categories, we would still love for you to be involved with us. We welcome any help with City Lites, Youth, and other ministries at Relevant Church. Also, during the week our evenings are open to any one who would like to attend our After Hours. If you are interested in financial involvement, please visit the Master’s Society link on our home page. To be kept informed of all our major events, be sure to keep an eye on our Calendar. Master’s Commission begins in late September and ends in mid May.

Thinking of going to Master’s Commission? Think Again!

Awhile back, I had a potential MC student ask me about any advice I could give to her, as she was considering going to Master’s Commission 3D, now Experience 3D http://www.leadin3d.com/, at Our Savior’s Church www.oursaviorschurch.com, Lafayette, LA under the pastor Alex Jones and director Greg Thompson. I wrote the following to her. If you’re considering going to ANY Master’s Commission or “discipleship school” please read what follows below FIRST.

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to highlight conversations I’ve had with Lloyd Zeigler, the founder of the MCIN, Master’s Commission International Network and founder of Relevant Church in Dallas, TX.

I’m also going to talk about their financial situation and details on how they spend their money.

Finally, I’m going to update you on how my letters to the MCIN and Lloyd have been handled and the details there.

It was during my senior year in high school that I decided to give up my academic scholarships and attend Master’s Commission instead of college. I regret that decision now. I didn’t start my college years until I was 25 years old, because I wasn’t allowed to go to college while I was in Master’s Commission. I also wasn’t allowed to date while I was in the program, so I didn’t have the normal young experience of falling in love, choosing a partner, getting married, etc. I wasn’t able to listen to secular music, or watch regular tv programs or watch normal movies. Essentially, all of my decisions were made for me. That’s not how God wants us to live. He wants us to live able to read the Bible and make decisions on our own. Will we sometimes need the advice of our parents? Yes! I ask my parents advice a lot! But, my parents’ advice is different from the advice I got from pastors that directed my Master’s Commission group. My parents’ advice is to tell me their experiences and then let me make up my mind. The pastors told me what to do, time and time again. That’s no kind of place you want to be–nor do your parents want you to be there.

I don’t recommend the program or any Master’s Commission for many reasons, but the following are more specific and you can find where I’m pulling this information on the top portion of my website under Helpline: Cults and Cults: Signs of an Unhealthy Group is another good one to read:

“Some of the intensive indoctrination techniques they employ (and consequently things to look out for) include
* removing people from their normal surroundings and friends, often with weekend “trips” and “retreats”
* sleep and sensory deprivation
* development of a deep emotional debt
* public confessionals
* low-risk relationships (unconditional acceptance)
* fear of punishment or damnation for even thinking about leaving the new “family”
* viewing all of the outside world as evil or satanic so that any desire to return to it is also evil.

Other things to be on the lookout for are:
* leaders who claim divinity or special relationships with God and insist on being the sole judge of a member’s actions or faith
* demands for total control over members’ daily lives (one of the hardest to recognize once involved)
* isolation and exclusion from the surrounding community
* demands for control of members’ finances
* absolutist views toward difficult life problems and spiritual questions
* special (exclusive) promises of salvation or keys to spiritual understanding (i.e.: “It is only through adherence to our beliefs and our rules that you can be saved”).”

I’d also recommend sending your parents those two articles to read, or you can ask them to read my website. If you want, have them email me.

Finally, I realize that when I was 17 deciding on whether to go to MC or college, the deciding factor for me was that I wanted a closer relationship with God. I wish I could say that I got that, but I didn’t. What I got were people manipulating my thoughts of what God was, and placing themselves in the position of authority in my life. No human being should do that. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Since you’re asking (and since I didn’t seek you out), I’d also like to say, please talk over with your parents some of your concerns. Or if you can’t talk to your parents, please find someone you trust outside of the church to talk to. Make an informed decision, not one based on emotion, or obligation. EDUCATE YOURSELF, and don’t be afraid to read secular information. The only obligation you have is to yourself–making yourself a better person. I personally feel I’ve become a better person through my college education. I highly recommend attending a secular university and studying and working hard. I also recommend staying away from any church or ministry group that has the characteristics of a cult or an unhealthy group, and those 2 resources I recommended above can fill you in more on what that means.

To specify more, I’m going to go through and talk about each one of the above mentioned traits a bit more:

* Removing people from their normal surroundings and friends, often with weekend “trips” and “retreats”–On several occasions, we’d have meetings or events that would happen in MC and we’d be told that our parents “probably wouldn’t understand, so it’s best we don’t tell them.” This fits in with removing people from their normal surroundings and friends. If you consider where the church dorms are, and the amount of time you’ll be spending away from your friends and family, this is just a common sense thing. You WILL be removed from your friends and won’t see them.

* Sleep and sensory deprivation–During my third or fourth year in MC, I developed migraines due to sleep deprivation. My doctor told me that I needed to sleep more, and I told him I didn’t have a choice due to the work and time obligations Master’s Commission put on us. I was prescribed medication for it, but it often didn’t work because it had to be taken at the onset of a headache and we were working so much I didn’t keep my medication on me. I’d sometimes have to leave a project in tears because my migraines hurt so badly.

I lived in a dorm with several other girls and there was no peace and quiet for me to rest and get better. Also, during Hurricane Katrina, the tuition-paying students at Our Savior’s Church under Alex Jones were asked to work 15 hour days and were reprimanded if they didn’t work hard enough. Talk about sleep deprivation! Also, that’s illegal. Many other Master’s Commission groups drove to Louisiana to help work, as well. They are breaking all kinds of labor laws by enslaving minors to work for the church like that while they got government grants. In addition, staff members at nearly ALL Master’s Commissions are treated as “interns” and not paid! How do you like the idea of signing up to be a life-long intern?

* Development of a deep emotional debt–this occurred any time the pastors gave us something or helped us out; whether it was one-on-one counseling or a very tiny paycheck.

* Public confessionals–we were repeatedly asked to go before the entire MC group and confess some sin were struggling with. We were also made to do private confessionals, too.

* Low-risk relationships (unconditional acceptance)–it’s very easy to enter into this group and gain acceptance but it’s very difficult to leave. if you do leave, you lose all your friends.

* Fear of punishment or damnation for even thinking about leaving the new “family”–this is actually true. you will get punished if you leave the “family.” and they DO call you a “son” or “daughter in the house” and “family.”

* Viewing all of the outside world as evil or satanic so that any desire to return to it is also evil–anyone or anything who disagrees with their theology or dictatorship can be seen as satanic. We were often told that if we questioned them we were rebellious and being rebellious was from Satan. So we were basically being satanic if we rebelled against them.

If you have anymore questions or would like me to send an inquiry to a particular Master’s Commission group (while keeping your name private, of course), feel free to email me at mycultlife@gmail.com.
Good luck in your decision!
Lisa

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Wear Pink or Be Called Manly

A Former MCA Student tells her very personal story about spiritual abuse and discrimination that happened to her during her years in Master’s Commission of Austin.

MCL: Year you were in Master’s Commission?

Former MCA Student: 1998-2000, 2000-2001 Intern under MCA

MCL: City you were in Master’s Commission?

FS: Austin

MCL: What were you doing before Master’s Commission?

FS: Working and I was a youth leader at my church assisting the youth pastor

MCL: What first introduced you to Master’s Commission?

FS: I met people from Master’s Commission in Dallas

MCL: Why did you decide to join Master’s Commission?

FS: Thought it would be a great place for me to go since I did not plan on going to college (went to college in the Fall of 2001)

MCL: Who were your Directors at the time?

FS: Nathan Davies

MCL: Once you entered MC, what was your impression of the rules that were presented to you? Can you remember any specific rules? Please describe them.

FS: I remember how we had to keep our rooms really really neat!!!! Nathan could come in anytime and check our rooms. If he did not like what he saw he would take everything that was “out of place” and throw it in a pile in the middle of the floor. I remember felling like I was in the military. I remember one girl stating that everyone should have matching bedding so it would look nicer. I remember thinking that I did not want to look like everyone else

We had lights out at a certain time. I really do not remember what time it was, but I do remember that if we as students broke the lights out, we would be in trouble. If lights out was broken because we were up late working on a project that was fine.

We also had to ask permission from our staff leader before we went anywhere. I understand that they wanted to know where we were, but if you were not able to find this one person you were not supposed to leave. I went to the laundry mat with another girl because we were out of clean clothes. Tim and Victoria came running into the laundry mat and said we did not know where you were and they chewed me out for leaving without permission. Funny thing is they must have know where I was or they would not have found me. It was quite embarrassing that it all took place in public, how weird did that look.

I remember that we had a strict dress code. We had to dress up for prayer and class in the morning, but then we had to change to work. If you had to go into the church office you could not go in your work clothes. I spoke with an MC student from a different church and they stated that they have never seen people change clothes so much.

MCL: What was your impression of “20/10?” Did you ever have a hard time staying awake reading your bible? Please explain.

FS: I do not remember the 20/10. That might have been after I left. I do remember being required to read a lot. I could never keep up. It was not for a lack of effort. I even remember having to turn in book reports. It was so hard keeping up with all the reading while we were building the coffee shop, cleaning the youth room, and working on many other projects all day long. On the books that I could not read in time I just skimmed. I was so afraid that if I did not finish I was going to get in trouble.

MCL: What was your impression of the “no dating” policy? Did you ever have a personal instance where you asked to avoid someone that you had feelings for? Please explain.

FS: I thought the dating policy was a little odd, but I just figured that it was because we were all in such tight quarters. I figured that they did not want a girl getting knocked up and causing problems.
MCL: Did you ever have a conflict with the leadership or directors? Please explain.

FS: I had plenty of conflict, but I never really said anything. I was actually told by a staff member at one point that I had not grown enough over the time that I had been there (first year) so I was not allowed to go to Royal Family Kids Camp. She told me that God woke her up at 3 am to tell her this. My thought was that she was not listening to God or he would have told her sooner and when she was awake. I was so sad. I really wanted to go and work with the kids. I found it funny that I was good enough to work in the nursery just about every Sunday, but I was not good enough to go to Royal Family Kids Camp. I was allowed to go the next year and I cam back from San Antonio for four years after that to go to the camp.

MCL: Was there ever a time you were put on the spot and completely embarrassed? Were you ever made to be “an example?”

FS: I was made as an example. We were working on the set for Hell’s Alternative and I was assigned the task of pinning an extra piece of fabric to the curtain to make it longer. The curtain did not touch the floor. I was given a pile of black fabric that did not match the black curtain. I wanted it to be perfect because I was afraid that Nathan would make a big deal about how bad of a job I did if it was not perfect. I asked two people that were not doing anything to assist me because it was hard to pin it with all the extra fabric and making sure the safety pins did not show on the outside. After we had pinned up a good portion I went to the front pew where Nathan was sitting. I stood there by him not saying anything (MC students had to wait until they were acknowledged to speak if a staff person looked busy). I stood there for almost a 1/2 hour and he never even looked at me, so I went back and finished up the curtain. We ran out of fabric before curtain, that is when I found out that the so called “extensions” were not made for the curtains specifically as I had thought. Nathan had us all come into the youth room and gave us icecream to thank us for all our hard work. I took a seat in an armchair. One of the other girls wanted to sit in the same seat, but I had beat her so she sat on the arm of the chair and put her legs across to the other arm. He then tore into another MC student and then into me. I had wasted several hours and many people’s time. He could not believe how bad of a job I had done and it would have to be done all over again. I was then called into one of the offices in the youth room with Tim, Victoria, Kathie, and Nathan. Nathan told me how I made him sick to his stomach. He told me that I always walked around with another girl hanging on my arm. I was shocked. Many of the MC girls held hands, played with each others hair, and rubbed each others backs. I did not like doing that stuff. I was getting in trouble because someone came up to me and hooked arms with me while we skipped like in the Wizard of Oz and because another girls decided to sit on the arm of a chair that I was in (we were not even touching). They told me that I was too manly. They were calling me a lesbian without coming out and saying it. When the meeting was over I went to one of the Sunday School rooms and I cried for two hours. I just imagined what things would be like if I was dead. Then I thought it is time to leave and I thought about walking/hitchhiking back home (which was 5 hours or more away) did not tell anyone what happened. I wondered if anyone would miss me.

I was able to deal with what had been set before me. I found that they wanted me to wear pink to look more like a girl. What a joke!! I loved pink, never had a problem with it, but I just never found anything that I liked in pink. I was also told that I needed to be more open with Kathie. She set up nightly meeting with me so we could talk about what happened that day. I informed her that I was an open book, ask and I will tell. I was told that I knew what I needed to tell them and they expected me to come to them. This did not last long because she did not have time to meet with me. I was also told that I needed to stop hanging out with certain people that I had a strong friendship with and make a friend ship with another certain person. I did not like speaking with this person because things that were said went back to staff. I attempted, but all my attempts were ignored.

I was told that not wearing make up made me look like I was not presentable. I had put on some make up, but it was not enough. A certain person chewed my butt for 15 min telling me how I needed to wear make up. Other students were walking by and could hear what was going on. I tried to explain how I had on make up. I was then quizzed on what I had on. I responded that I was wearing what they had told me I needed to wear. I was then told that I needed to wear more. I explained that I ran out of and I was told to borrow the make up from someone else. Borrowing others make up is gross, there are diseases that are transmitted that way. Me being rebellious did not borrow anyone’s make up and I did not put anymore on.

Just an FYI to all those that thought I was too manly, I have been married for almost 5 years to the love of my life, and I love to get dressed up when I want too not when I am told. I still wear blue jeans and t-shirts and I do not look sloppy. I still don’t wear make up and my skin looks great!! It has taken me a long time to realize that God has made me a beautiful woman and that I don’t need anything else to make me look better especially make up.

MCL: What was the most difficult thing you faced once you were back in “the real world?”

FS: I went to a church that had an MC program in San Antonio. I never thought I would have problems because I was in MCA. People that were in their MC group knew my name before I introduced myself to anyone. At the new church their MC group had a meeting about me. They thought that I was a spy from MCA that was coming to see what they were doing. Their MC pastor had some problems and went to Nathan. I had to explain myself over and over again that I was not in MC anymore and that I was not there to spy on them.

Being alone with the opposite sex was really hard for me when I left MC. It was terrible to be in a car or anything without a second person to be a witness to make sure that we did not start making out randomly. It took me a long time to get over this issue.

MCL: What were the circumstances surrounding you leaving?

FS: I just kind of disappeared. I did not have any really tight relationships with anyone. I was made fun of for my car that had a bad fan belt, for being Native American, and for growing up in Holliday, TX (yes 2 “L’s”). A few of the MC’s said good-bye to me.

MCL: What year did you leave?

FS: 2001

MCL: What was your position at the time (example: 1st year student, 2nd year student, Staff, etc.)?

FS: I did two years as an MC and then I was a part of the trial program of interns, it was not really under MC

MCL: Were you blessed when you left? Were you humiliated when you left?

FS: No one really cared that I was leaving. They did not talk to me when I was an intern. I left just about everyone my phone number and email address so they could contact me.

MCL: How many hours did you work on average during a week?

FS: I never really counted the hours that we worked, but it was sometimes around the clock. I got really sick from the lack of sleep.

Is A Car Wreck a Direct Result of Disobedience to your Pastor?

A former MCA student talks about his experience in Master’s Commission of Austin, under the leadership of Nathan Davies and Tim Wilson. What you are about to read is a real experience that helps to illustrate the controlling nature of leadership in MCA, and the ways they’d isolate us from our parents.

“When Nathan Davies left MCA, Pastor Dan Matlock from Rockford MC took over. He was amazing. He realized how spiritually and emotionally messed up we were and we had a healing service the first week with the counselors of Glad Tidings. It was healing spiritually and emotionally. In your blogs on mycultlife.com, there is mention of needing permission to do things and if you disobeyed the [leaders] there would be affliction from the devil. One specific instance is when we were on a travel trip to Winnie, Texas. PE [Pastor Nathan] let me drive my personal car because it was close to my home town. I wanted to take my car so in down time I could go see my mom and dad.

PE had told me that during my down time I was not to go see my mom and dad—that I was to hang out with the team. Well I did not do that. I decided that no one was going to stop me from seeing my mom or dad, for they had just recently given their hearts to God at one of our services. On the way back [from visiting my parents] I had fallen asleep at the wheel and slammed my car into a guardrail on the side of the highway while driving back to the church where we were staying. When it was all said and done while back in Austin, PE called me into a meeting with him and Tim Wilson. I was told that the reason I got into the wreck is because I did not obey [Pastor Nathan] when he told me to not to go see my parents. Because I disobeyed him, the wreck was a direct result of my disobedience. The reason I fell asleep is that I was so tired and ran so thin from all the travel trips back to back that I could not focus.

I was so convinced that it was my disobedience that caused the wreck that I was never going to disobey again. PE made me write a letter to my parents apologizing to them for almost killing myself through disobedience. That same year I injured my neck by falling. One day after that, while still in my neck brace, Tim Wilson cornered me in the hallway of the Third Floor by the Master’s Commission Offices and said, “Josh you notice how you’re always getting hurt or injured? What’s going on man? What kind of secret sin are you hiding?”

I did not have any secret sin that caused me to injure my neck. I did not have any secret sin at all, so I just made something up to appease him. Because when I said I had nothing to hide, that answer was not good enough.”

JOSH SPORT

Rainy night in Austin, TX

It was a rainy night in Austin, TX (not Georgia) the year 2000; I flew out to visit my daughter Lisa; it was her first year there at MC. I had never been to Austin, TX so when I arrived at the airport I expected someone from MC to greet me (as they did at Phoenix, AZ MC); no one was there. I got a rental car, no gps, no cell phone, a road map and started to drive to Glad Tidings Church. The rain was pouring down; eventually I looked up and saw a sign saying I was almost in another state; I pulled over to use a payphone called MC Heather Brown answered and I chewed her out saying “Do you people not want any visitors, I am really lost and scared. This is no way to greet out-of-towners.” It was near midnight, and for those of you who know “mom time” we are in bed by 10 p.m. That was my first impression of Austin, TX, MC and I was quite naive about churches and Lisa and I were already in the first stages of brainwashing. What a terrible way to greet parents of MC students and staff.

This story told by Lisa’s mother, Laura.

As many of you have read under the Articles section, one of the signs of an unhealthy group or cult is the alienation from friends and family. This story from my mother is a prime example of one of the ways Master’s Commission of Austin alienated us from our friends and family. My parents lived in California, so to visit me they had to take a four to six hour flight, not to mention take time off work. Needless to say, my parents trusted my judgment and were always very supportive of my decisions but neither of us had been to visit the church or Master’s Commission in Austin before I made the decision to move out there.

Letter to Lloyd and MCIN from former MCA Member

The following is a letter from Sean M. Mitchell, who was one of my best friends during my years in Austin, TX. Sean was a wonderful friend and support during those years in Austin, and has remained a true friend as well as the voice and face of kindness to me when I was in the darkest moments of my life. Thank you Sean for never turning your back on me, always reminding me of the goodness that lay inside me when I couldn’t see it, and supporting me through the years. Thank you, also, for allowing others to read this very heartfelt letter that many others will be able to relate to.

July 26, 2010

RE: Spiritual Abuse in Lafayette, Louisiana

Dear Lloyd and MCIN Board:

I am writing in regards to my growing concern for the practices by high leadership at Masters Commission 3D and Our Saviors Church (OSC) in Lafayette, Louisiana. I spent over four years at Masters Commission of Austin under Nathan Davies in Austin, Texas and know everyone who went to Lafayette very thoroughly. I have strong reason to believe that there is spiritual abuse and potential cultic practices taking place at OSC.

Since many of my friends moved to Louisiana, I have had multiple conversations with over ten former staff members who have been personally manipulated, controlled, and ostracized by Alex Jones, Nathan Davies, and Tim Wilson. I have heard from multiple friends that disagreement and questioning of leadership is strongly condoned. Any staff member that questions executive leadership on a decision is often brought up in front of staff meetings for the purpose of embarrassment and isolation. Staff members are told to unconditionally obey leadership in order to stay under the covering of their spiritual authority; not obeying authority is said to result in affliction by the devil. The type of tight-lipped control executive leadership has on its staff members characterizes some of the symptoms of well known cultic groups like Heaven’s Gate, Branch Davidians, and Mormon fundamentalist.

Additionally, the control that executive leadership has over day-to-day life decisions of staff further concerns me. In the name of Godly submission and shepherding, I have heard that staff is required to ask permission for things like having babies, buying new homes, receiving permission to court someone of the opposite sex, and divulge details of personal finances. Failure to submit to these controlling practices would require those in high power to disown and dismiss those on staff, justifying their actions by stating that the staff member has chosen to no longer be “a son or daughter in the house.”

I can personally attest to similar dealings during my time as a staff member at Masters Commission of Austin (MCA) under Nathan Davies. The many manipulative and controlling practices at MCA are undoubtedly from the influences of Alex Jones over the last 20 years, not a reflection of the leadership at Glad Tidings. While I was on staff, Nathan Davies often used strong, coercive language to manipulate members of his staff to do what he thought was the will of God. For example, after telling Nathan that I was not traveling to Louisiana with others but moving to Norway to be apart of a missionary organization, he told me that he was very “sick to his stomach” about me leaving. It took the encouragement of the, at the time, Senior and Associate Pastor of Glad Tidings to convince me I could hear the voice of the Holy Spirit myself. After departing MCA, I was faced with a long journey to deprogram my thinking from the toxic teaching that everything had to be approved by a leader or else it was sin. I realized that I could make my own decisions without asking permission for every single action.

I am asking that Masters Commission International Network investigate the abuse of my dear friends who have left OSC hurt and confused. Furthermore, I fear that some of my closest friends still at OSC will incur long lasting mental and spiritual damage if nothing is done.

Sincerely,

Sean M. Mitchell