9 months since I left the Lord's Recovery, and I stand by my decision.

It's been 9 months since I left the Lord's Recovery, and I stand by my decision benevolently.

What I will disclose can be controversial to some but now as an observant former member, I will share some take-home points.

1. The Lord's Recovery is a Christian cult. As I recognize the symptoms and repercussions of leaving this church community, I am a cult victim. I have confirmed this sensation with others.

2. Shepherding in most cases is love-bombing.

3. A lot of fellowship are coercive persuasions. The feeling in the Body is the feeling of someone or group's opinion who has more power and more say in the church.

4. This church uplifts narcissism and protects narcissistic leadership.

5. Female members are and will always be oppressed. This is a warning. You won't be leprous or disobedient if you leave this church. Don't waste your time to please people or men.

6. Witness Lee's words are recorded and replayed and used for profit. As a former FTTA trainee the ministry books were charged half price. Why aren't these books charged at this price for everyone. How much does it cost to maintain Grace Terrace - located at Rose Hills Memorial Park, the largest cemetery in North America. It's impressive for a not-for-profit church to afford a sizeable burial plot in a multimillion dollar cemetery, donations aside. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

7. The repetition and wanting to be Witness Lee's tape recorder is a sign of becoming brainwashed of your own identity. God does not want unity in the form of conformity. Does God expect the whole world to adhere to a Chinese dominated church culture and philosophy. As the world is progressing to be culturally educated and diverse, followers of Witness Lee are at a great disadvantage socially, emotionally, and spiritually.

8. The Full Time Training schools profit a lot of money with the help of labour of the trainees doing service as a form of character discipline. This school is paid for and students clean the facility under a strict regimented schedule with not enough rest. This promotes workaholism mentality. Hire more janitors and cooks so students can enjoy the training more without immense fatigue. Stop exploiting students.

9. Victim mentality is rampant in the leaders and church members. Did Paul ever called his opposers satanic? Take responsibility for your behaviours or rise to the challenge to improve your community. God did not give us a spirit of cowardice.

10. The one church in one city is not only exclusive to the Lord's Recovery. Other Christian cults follow this teaching. They also ascribe to Christian elitism.

11. Many teachings in the Recovery form an exaggerated sense of self worth, a superiority complex, or an overstated sense of unworthiness, an inferiority complex. Both are unhealthy and trap your mind in survivor mode.

12. Many church members are really tied to this community for financial, familial or marital reasons. This is not a good representation of the kingdom of God. Nonetheless it is an important reason people stay in spite of the high demand and mental exertion.

13. Church members are conditioned to think, be, act a certain way that is approvable by the church community. Most people behave unconsciously, and at times are emotionally reactive, sometimes aggressive. Genuine self-expression is stifled and there is a loss of self-awareness.

14. The nature of this cult preys on the financially illiterate. All your hard earned money is spent on donation FEES.

15. Witness Lee was deeply involved in money laundering. Ask his relatives.

16. This group preys on well meaning people who have been through complex trauma. Transference and trauma-bonding occurs. Whether members know it or not, they cannot live without the cult because of spiritual codependency. Was Jesus attached to a church organization?

[Sons to Glory!]

First of all - welcome to this LC discussion forum and thanks for posting!

Sadly, I agree with most all of your points, although I can't say I have personally experienced all of them. However, there has been many here to state much of the same thing. When I was in, in the early 70s to late 80s, things were not as blatant. There are many stories about how wonderful the experience of the Lord was in the 60s and 70s - as I've repeated many times, I praise the Lord He lead me there, and I also praise Him He lead my back out! In the 80s it became apparent that another spirit was taking over . . .

Regarding your point #10, in general this is not a bad idea and I believe is scriptural. That is, here in Scottsdale I am one with every regenerated believer in this city. I can freely fellowship with any believer. The LC took this idea - one church one city - to a fleshly extreme, and became quite elitist with it. They made a good principle into a dogmatic teaching causing more division. The proper understanding of the oneness is not like that, and we should feel 100% free to fellowship and take the table with any other born again ones in God's family (including at wherever these other ones fellowship). It's another example of holding tightly onto anything other than Christ, that is even "good teachings" can be a distraction and will cause problems in the body.

[Robert]

I would like to add my comment about past decades.
I am not so aged as You, but I also remember the very beginning of this movement in my country.
I remember first years in 90' when so called "ministry" was brought by believers from UK or USA.
I can also testify that we were full of hope, enjoying many good things.
However, I guess the reason why it is so different now and then.
When this "ministry" arrived to USA end my country as well, they found already saved believers. Really saved and born again.
I don't want to say, that people who came later are not saved.
But... Generally, this movement and teaching had in fact cultic goal. No matter what language they used and how much Christian like they are.
JW also consider themselves as Christians, by the way.
As is written, "by fruits they will recognize us".
I think, that our view and first original experience of Christ was giving us the kind of pink glasses. When they said "Jesus" we understood this as "Our Jesus". Real, by whom we were saved!
That is why they caught us as fishes.
No matter how honest we were and how honest today saints there are.
It is not about honesty.
After so many years I can say, that they preach the other Jesus. Kind of Chinese idea of Jesus. Breathing, calling, etc.
I heard so many stories and was witnessing, about saving by calling 3 times the name of Jesus.
It was only catchin followers but not giving spiritual birth.
I am also shocked how far in religion went even my brothers who was really saved.
I can full confirm Your words about amazing beginning. But I think that it was not because of that teaching but because of real Holy Spirit in us.
I did not hear so much in WL teaching about Holy Spirit.

[Robert]

Originally Posted by LeftLC

4. This church uplifts narcissism and protects narcissistic leadership.

In one city, certain brother, leader, after training, has no fellowship in local church and decided attend to meetings in another local church 1 hour drive from his city. Brothers asked " central board" for advise and fellowship to solve division. They were sad that this brother is selfstanding and claiming oneness while his behavior and dishonesty was testifying opposite.
So called "blended" refused to help explaining that they need this brother as worker, translator, and they don't want to lose him in case he will feel offended.
Got it?
Similar happened in 3 cities.
This is exactly feeding Ego and narcissistic tendency.
Testimony was put aside for sake of corporation.

To be very honest, I felt much closer to the lord since I left. I am not saying all are bad, but some folks there are super cold, fake, and thinks highly of themselves.

They used to tell me that other Christians can't become an overcomer and I used to tell them that's not the case. Later on, I realized, the lord pulled me out of this church and I never felt more free and intimate with the Lord.

I remember helping this sister and getting treated as a "fornicator" and the same thing happened to someone else I knew who was helping out a new one. Also, someone made fun of me for not knowing certain verses during HM. That really pissed me off. This kind of behavior tells you it's all about knowledge but not actually about love, kindness, meekness, or humbleness.

They also encouraged us to date someone within the recovery, but often time (personal experience), it's arranged (or used to be) and it wouldn't work out. I've heard of several DVs, cheating, alcohol problems, or financial problems amongst some trainees and they end up getting divorced. But brothers will encourage you not to sue, nor pursue divorce despite all the issues described above. They even go to that point where they'll start telling you to "cover" but look if it becomes an actual crime, you have the right to call the cops.

Also, I remember while attending conferences a few years ago, they would constantly promote several books (new) at the end... I used to look at this particular sis and told each other "why would they promote book subscriptions?" My suspicion started to grow from thereon.

## I'm not saying all are bad and some did really go out of their way to help me out. But that didn't really happen in the US to be very honest.. I've really enjoyed the church life in Europe because they really were really various kinds with various experiences... I will tell people to just follow Jesus only and TRUST IN HIM ONLY and not the church nor elders.

[Robert]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

## I'm not saying all are bad and some did really go out of their way to help me out. But that didn't really happen in the US to be very honest.. I've really enjoyed the church life in Europe because they really were really various kinds with various experiences... I will tell people to just follow Jesus only and TRUST IN HIM ONLY and not the church nor elders.

Conclusion is very precious. Thanks for sharing!
Only personal, intimate relationship with Jesus!
I ve heard one sermon about music prophecy service in OLD TESTAMENT.
I told few saints, that for me, in last century it was Howard Higashi.
His ministry was really from his heart uplifting many hearts and spirits.