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. Brainwashing is kind of an overused phrase, but it really is brainwashing.. Merritt said that even though he is feeling a sense of loss from his retirement, he felt the timing was right. Follow Samuel Smith on Twitter: @IamSamSmith. We love THE Church. Eagle Brook is one church with multiple locations. All that's just to help people who've never been to church before or people who've gone away from church.". Although Eagle Brook will still be his family church, Merritt said he is now just a church member. Because criticism and conflict are never comfortableand often we dont know how to deal with them. The more immature people on the other hand they were followers of a celebrity pastorand werent giving anything anyway. 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. I taught for the next three years. At some point I think it was when we went swimming in the summer he saw the scars on my legs., She was told to go talk to Pastor Szcepanski and his wife. They left and financiallythe church didnt feela thing (All this is initial. What I don't like about EB is the anonymity of the place. It was a mixture of clinical depression and the churchs lack of response, or inappropriate response to it, she said. It starts with spanking but leads to much more and reporting it is considered uncovering your fathers nakedness., Sarah said she was beaten and molested by a younger church member. I taught pre-algebra. Mandville recently went to visit their dad on Fathers Day, in part to prove to my sisters that Im not a demon spawn under the control of Satan, she said. Weekly church attendance was 25,340 people in 2022. I was just trying to keep all the balls in the air. It is a high privilege, to be sure, but again, tempered with the truth whichPaul reminds us toward the end of the chapter: So,he will say in verse 21, Let no one boast in men.. We're not allowed to have a female or male drive in a car alone together if one or the other is married. We want to create an environment where you can be challenged and encouraged, find Christ-centered community, and grow in your faith. April 17, 2017 / 10:10 PM She freaked out. Do you remember this church on the hill there? After the attempt, she remained despondent and numb. A lifelong addict, he says he's found faith and sobriety. Hed make me stand in the middle of the room. He volunteers with the church's recovery support group. The other campuses have their own campus pastor but watch the message from Merritt or another speaking pastor on a big screen. Soon -- thanks to $5 million in donations -- they'll stream live to the world on Sundays. As punishment for shaming him, Noah curses Hams offspring to a life of slavery. There was one or two times when I thought really seriously thought about giving myself just a ton of insulin, just go out that way, she said. 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. 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. Although Eagle Brook will still be his family church, Merritt said he is now just a church member. Jesus asked the people around him some tough questions while he was on earth. Wed be encouraged to brag about the spankings we got, Villareal said. In the early years it morphed and expanded under the charismatic leadership of Pastor Jim Durkin. Sometimes I would have to make up a sin, like, Ive been really hating my brother or Ive been thinking about sex and thats bad.. In the first year, almost didnt make it, he recalled. 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.. So, what keeps people in it for the long haul? She said something like, Remember, we dont put care into our appearance for ourselves; we do it because there are people here who have to look at us.. We're glad you're here! 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. Some readers may be unfamiliar with Chuck, but many will know that he is the longtime radio preacher for the radio program Insight for Living. She was a proponent of pro-abortion, pro-gay rights Republican Arne Carlsons campaign for governor in the early 90s. I wasnt doing well, he admitted. Sounds like something your grumpy neighbor struggles with, right? And so what I would say to pastors in this area is, if you've never given yourself the gift of seeing a coach or a counselor, you got to do that because I guarantee that you got some blind spots, some dysfunction, and it's affecting your life, your marriage, your career. Villareal confided in her, telling her about the abuse shed been suffering at the hands of her stepfather, including his habit of taking her clothes. If you would prefer not to see ads, we have another option. And they began hearing things from the staff and they began digging deeper., Merritt said there was one board member in particular who went through similar issues and began to lean in on it., He saw my verbal misconduct, impatience, harsh language, those kinds of things. A self-proclaimed introvert, Merritt speaks from Lino Lakes. Eagle Brook is one church with multiple locations in Minnesota's Twin Cities metro area. Cupholders? Local Springsteen fans bemoan spiraling ticket prices to see the Boss, State wrestling: Simley ties program-record mark with fifth straight Class 2A crown, Gophers gain commitment from in-state point guard prospect Isaac Asuma, Three St. Paul teachers among 33 semifinalists for MN teacher of the year, Wild say goodbye to Jordan Greenway to jump start busy day of trades, Transgender woman violently assaulted at Minneapolis light rail station; 2 suspects charged, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. The proper forum to challenge the Republican Party platform is not in the media but through the process established by the party. Boys and girls were very much equals., Villareal remembers an elder or pastor from the church in Grants Pass questioning this practice. You may not even know what it is, but others do. 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. That situation developed into [some of] those young kids, the victims, reenacting those experiences with other very young children, he said. It is affiliated with Converge. I called the current E.V. Paulsums up thissectionwith a not-to-be-forgotten truth: it is God who gives the growth, whether in an individuals spiritual life, or in a churchs statistics. She stopped it immediately and told the leaders. Ray DeSoto, who grew up in the church with his brothers, described Durkin as a positive character who would welcome homeless refugees from the beach into his religious commune. So on behalf of Eagle Brook Church, as its senior pastor, I need to say that we are not that kind of church. Its got to line up with my giftings. He never put that kind of pressure on me. Asked what she hopes for in telling her story, she just wants the kids still inside to have more information. Any success weve experienced has little to do with us, and everything to do with the grace of God. Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone by making a one-time donation today. 00:38:38 - Have you ever lost sleep over a heated disagreement or harsh words? And if you allow yourself to get close to a certain line, your emotions override your intellect, Merritt said. Her dad followed her and tried to order her to come back home with him but she resisted, with support from her friends family. And by the way, we've never had a scandal at our church.. So the key is never to get close to that line. He was definitely a major reason, she said. 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. 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. [1] The senior pastor is Jason Strand. She told him it was stuff at home that she wasnt comfortable talking to him about and he asked if there was a woman shed like to speak with. I was going so fast. Chauvin was working as a part-time teacher when she first heard that Todd had molested two girls. Chauvin said that when she turned 16 she was told that it was time for her to be done with school, so she took the high school proficiency exam. "The trappings of a religious institution seem to be missing form Eagle Brook's worship space," he said. There were these ingrained gender roles. 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. Why cant you stop peeing the bed? Or it was shameful and hidden, just not brought up., One day, feeling numb and depressed, Villareal went to church without doing her hair or makeup. Hed long been depressed, they said, and about a year after he left the church he killed himself. That's where I really kind of misbehaved, and at home as well, he said. At Gospel Outreach, an all-male group of elders sits atop the hierarchy. Below youll find some suicide-prevention resources: Advertising supports our journalism. Then in the second year, we went from 300 to 400 [members], then from 400 to 500 and then it just started to climb.. Trusted by 5,200 companies and developers. Eagle Brook is a satellite church and has campuses all over the metro and Rochester. Amen. He says he brings students to services so they can see what's attractive about it. Young women tend to accept their fate. They described the tight-knit congregation of roughly 150 people as zealous and insular and the church as a place where children are forced to spend long hours singing, arranged marriages are the norm and negative emotions are considered selfish and sinful. Required fields are marked *. 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. Eagle Brook Church Overview 60 Reviews 32 Jobs 25 Salaries 4 Interviews 9 Benefits 9 Photos 18 Diversity Follow + Add a Review Employee Review See All Reviews ( 60) 2.0 Former Employee, more than 1 year A bittersweet experience in ministry due to poor leadership and negative environment. 25K views, 519 likes, 239 loves, 381 comments, 197 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Eagle Brook Church: You are watching today's LIVE service, broadcasting from Lino Lakes, MN. I was like, What do you mean? She said, If you have to think about it, it probably wasnt., She told me if I became virtuous then the Lord would give me a husband and take me away from all the abuse.. A sign for Gospel Outreach faces Harris Street near the entrance to the McKay Community Forest. Expectations to wear multiple hats were strict, high, and unattainable due to limited support and undermining from multiple managers. . The most stressful scenario for many of the kids came during the morning circle meetings, where students would gather with Pastor Sczepanski to talk about his latest sermon and other spiritual matters. My arms would just be bruised, black and blue, and my parents would be like, Dont antagonize him., The abuse didnt stop there. MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) The largest church in Minnesota is expanding from the suburbs into downtown Minneapolis. Bob Merritt | Message 25 of 127. People looked at me like I was the problem, like I asked for it, she said. Abigail Mandville no longer cuts herself, and shes feeling better about the world and her place in it. 2023 Eagle Brook Church . I thought of them like brothers. If you do something evil? She described her stepfather as excessively controlling and emotionally volatile, often having all-out screaming arguments with her mom and regularly spanking Villareal for such transgressions as getting an answer wrong in her multiplication tables. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Perhaps the most unconventional part is the way the sermon, or message, is delivered. His audience is captivated by his words. There are no pews at Eagle Brook, nor are there any stained glass windows or choir robes. And this guy basically interviewed all my friends, my family members, my staff, anybody who knew me and asked two questions: What's good about Bob? | Photo by Ryan Burns. His messages are also posted online, with viewers in all 50 states seeing them. I definitely suffered from sleep deprivation and insomnia, Esther Mandville said. Most of us have. He advises pastors not to even get close to a line they are not willing to cross. Get started with your Free Employer Profile. There wasnt any pressure from him. Eagle Brook Church Process, not media I am not surprised that Pat Anderson has come out supporting same-sex marriage (Feb. 27). Eventually, she said, one of the dads recognized that she was suffering a rare thing to acknowledge at Gospel Outreach, Villareal said and asked what was wrong. It does not award high school diplomas or offer special education. Her dad apparently felt otherwise. Villareal said her stepfather regularly abused her and her mother for years, starting shortly after he married her mom, continuing during their missionary work in Mexico and following their move to Humboldt County. These were guys I grew up with. He dug a little deeper and got to the real issues of where my anger was coming from and my unwillingness to forgive people and those kinds of things.. What does that tell you? In Shakespeares play, a man named Petruchio marries then tames a headstrong shrew of a woman, Katherina, by employing psychological torments telling her the sun is the moon, for example, until she agrees, at which point he says the opposite. As a child you see this weird inner sanctum vibe going on, he said. The Outpost was unable to confirm the COVID outbreak emails and voicemails left with Gospel Outreach went unreturned, and when we knocked on the churchs doors, no one answered. 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.. We were expected to stay in the kitchen. What is Paul? He didnt show Abraham what was ahead. Our history [classes] relied a lot on the Bible, Villareal said. Mission: Empowered by God to reach others for Christ. And, to be honest, if you struggle with this, you probably dont think you need to tune in. Its a lot more subtle.. [1] The senior pastor is Jason Strand. Hed accuse you of doing something . ), DeSoto said kids are expected to maintain a cheerful demeanor. When Id try to say something from my own opinion, they would kind of attack you, Abigail said. Wed all be in the classroom early before school, listening to Bastille or some other emo music. Im hoping if someone is having doubts and they know about this article, Im hoping they can get some clarity, she said. I was probably clinically depressed, burned out, completely tired. I just had a couple of really discerning board members who saw it. I am not surprised that Pat Anderson has come out supporting same-sex marriage (Feb. 27). Sermons | Eagle Brook Church Messages Latest Message Why did you doubt? I remember seeing Chuck Swindoll at an E.V. The phrase theyd use is, Dont uncover your fathers nakedness, Chauvin said. and State College Blvd. Stelton was raised Lutheran. Each one is around 30 minutes. Long hours with little respect for time away from full time ministry. Which, I believe, is why it is so popular- nobody asking you where you were last Sunday, no committees and such to dodge, etc. Well, the Apostle Paul knew a thing or two about immature believers and celebrity pastors, and he wrote about them in 1 Corinthians 3, For when one says, I follow Paul, and another, I follow Apollos, are you not being merely human? Ive worked a lot on that, and now Im able to pursue things I like. One night, he was told at a church board meeting that he needed to get help or he was going to be fired. Search past episodes of Eagle Brook Church Podcast. Certainly, as a kid, if you got in trouble at school you were in trouble in literally every aspect of your life. 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.. Abigail said Gospel Outreachs instruction used similar tactics. The first thing Merritts counselor told him to do was to resign from his teaching role at Bethel Seminary. "Not everybody likes it, and that's OK," Merritt said, describing the sound, which is full of electric guitars and big drum beats. 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. Pat Anderson is a big tent Republican. I just dropped my head in my hands and started crying. The prior national committeewoman held her position for 22 years. 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. This employer has claimed their Employer Profile and is engaged in the Glassdoor community. Anytime you experience that a young child playing sexual games you can assume they were also victims of abuse. Truxton, a member of the church since 1958, eventually confessed to committing the sexual acts. If youre selfless, if youre here to serve and be a vessel, then you dont have any time or energy to be sad or anxious or depressed. Sczepanski would invoke Incurvatus in se, a Latin phrase used to describe a life turned inward. And the fact that Humboldt Countys mental health services are just not enough to address the need. Eventually someone cries and then we can go to choir practice it was really so predictable like that. Franklin, Weinstein: What is a reasonable approach to masking right now? Chauvin recalls watching the movie version of Taming of the Shrew because it fits into their theology very well, she said. Therefore, I apologize for what Wednesdays front page article may have communicated about our church. They dont go very high just Algebra 1. And I was just split wide open.. 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. *Empowered by God to reach others for Christ* The tiredness is just showing your true soul, so you need to repent for being grumpy.. I am not sure what that is going to look like, he stressed. I decided this is a cult and I left.. Looking back, she realized that in her teens she ticked all the boxes. Eventually she decided she needed to get out. In late March, the church opened its newest campus in Anoka. Theyre listening to the devil.. Kids wetting the bed way too old, kids with speech impediments past when they should. "It's very comfortable, very comfortable here," said volunteer Phil Resendez of West St. Paul. My boyfriend, Ill ask him every five minutes if he needs a drink or food. He took the job after receiving his Ph.D. from Penn State University in speech communications. It messed with our immune systems, the stress and the amount of sleep we were getting it just wasnt good for your body.. At that time, the church still had the last vestiges of the hippie Jesus movement from Lighthouse Ranch, she said. The very first weekend the Anoka location opened, 6,545 people showed up, with some watching from the hallway as the venue flooded with visitors. Members would be barefoot, running around with ribbons on sticks., Durkins death in 1996 had created a leadership vacuum and a power struggle within the organization. Thats not what this is. Its just a cycle of abuse.. One church with multiple locations in the Midwest. Most of us have. The church has six campuses across the metro: in Blaine, Lino Lakes, Woodbury, Spring Lake Park, and White Bear Lake. I always wondered who they were, she said. Then I became a teacher in the school for free, she said. The church chose Strand to succeed Pastor Bob Merritt who has retired. The official Eagle Brook Church app connects you to a variety of resources, including live church services, on-demand messages, worship music, and other tools to help you grow in your faith. Merritt led the church for . Hope youll give us another try and check out some other articles. Gospel Outreach of Eureka. What's Our Responsibility to the Next Generation? That never would have happened had I not dealt with my dysfunctions.. Additionally, Eagle Brook staff are not allowed to have lunch alone with somebody of the opposite sex if one person is married. Months after announcing his plans to retire, the 63-year-old Merritt officially stepped down as Eagle Brooks senior pastor on his March 1 birthday, giving way to longtime teaching pastor Jason Strand to assume his position. Eagle Brook exists to reach people for Christand that's the heart behind everything we do. There just seemed like there was a convergence of my time coming to an end and his time coming.. I told my mom and [my parents] had him buy me a new pair of rollerblades. (It sounds like you might be harboring bitterness toward that grumpy neighbor) Time to let it goit'll lead to healing in you and your relationships. In his messages, Merritt often speaks of his past personal struggles. 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. I think a lot of times the students were just looking for who was going to be the one that day, DeSoto said. I've learned over the years as I've observed this stuff, it's not rational; it's emotional. After over nearly three decades of leading what has grown to become the largest church in Minnesota, pastor Bob Merritt has retired from the nine-campus Eagle Brook Church. "I think it's a sin for people to come into a church and be bored," he said. " Therefore, He is ultimately the only one we should ever look to for spiritual sustenance, though we recognize He uses undershepherds. Eagle Brook megachurch opening Lakeville branch, its 8th in MN. Watching. During Merritts tenure, Eagle Brook instituted strict rules for church staff to ensure they never get too close to that boundary. I should be in the office, interacting with my colleagues and thinking about the message and getting busy with writing that. It was how we knew our parents loved us because they cared enough not to spare the rod.. 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.. Eagle Brook Online Watch Live on Sundays at 9 & 11 AM (CST) Connect with us Learn More About Jesus Request Prayer Here's what's happening with Eagle Brook Online: What are your questions about faith? Its all very interesting, looking at it afterwards, she said. But some churches are growing and one in particular is exploding. Put this image on your website to promote the show -, Report inappropriate content or request to remove this page. So he was tough to deal with for a year. Villareal holds the church at least partly responsible. Allow this non-statistician to hazard a guess myamateur interpretation of the data tells me that the mature people were primarily there forJesus, not Chuck, and they stayed and kept giving. Interacting with attendees was a huge plus 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. There is a real grieving thats going on in my own spirit.. We had conversations about him being the guy to succeed me. In the morning youre doing math and language, basic subjects. I mean, its molestation., DeSoto had heard about Todds crimes and said the cycle of abuse expanded. Thanks to donors, they built it debt free. My son, who was 15 years old at the time, said, I just want to know why my dad's angry all the time. And it wrecked me, he said. Education Bethel University Psychology. Free church at the corner of Bastanchury Rd. OBITUARY: Dwight Galen Griffith, 1990-2021, Quarantined: A New Law Is Disrupting California School Reopenings . But her just-now-stated position against a foundational Republican Party platform and principle lacks integrity. I remember as children being told that being grumpy because youre tired because youve been practicing choir for four hours, plus school and then choir for two hours after is not an excuse. 1,892 talking about this. Embarrassingly to admit, I was horrified, Chauvin said. After all that was said and done, our church took off again. 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. Sarah escaped when she was 19 and drove to the house of a friend whose entire family had left the church six months earlier. Weekly church attendance was 25,340 people in 2022. Seeing Spirits // Does God really fight for me? To the editor: The harmful community impact of the McGee Automotive Family's proposal to construct two large car dealership buildings and accompanying service centers at the corner of Pittseld and New Lenox roads was made clear in a Feb. 23 letter to the editor from one of my neighbors.. My name was mentioned in The Berkshire Eagle's article on that proposal, noting my assertion that . I don't think the congregation was aware of all the backstory. If you had a disagreement, you could be ostracized from the community in a moment, he said. She even told her parents about the cutting, and they were sympathetic. Theres this divide: Thats the mens meeting.. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. I had an associate who basically wanted my job and he didnt get chosen. 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.