Part VI:
There are too many people with too much invested in New Testament Christian Church to allow the group to simply fade away and die. It will remain intact for many years, though it cannot help but change as pressures from within and without manifest their inevitable and steady effect. The strength of NTCC lies not in their inspiration, nor with the power of their message, but with their exclusive claim to the truth. Those who buy in to this claim are prevented from thinking that escape is possible without leaving God. Such thinking would create a vulnerability, a weakness in the armor with which the organization equips itself. Such an unhealthy spiritual environment should not be tolerated, nor should it exist in the first place. The best thing to do for your own personal well-being and that of your family is to part ways with this group. If you think that by remaining involved you will eventually help other people come to their senses, you are entertaining a self-destructive fantasy based upon false hope.
But be informed: nobody is allowed to leave under favorable circumstances. You risk the loss of friends, sometimes even your spouse, because the church believes in the preeminent importance of its own cohesion above all other considerations. Do not think it will be easy. We will not attempt to deceive you into thinking there will be no exit trauma. But here are a few things you can keep in mind in order to make the transition to the real world just a bit more smooth.
The Seven Steps to a Departure
1. The first step to departure is allowing one’s mind to “see” what it has previously refused to see. The grip that NTCC has upon the minds of its members and ministers is carefully maintained through denial of the obvious. When a high-ranking preacher jumps down another man’s throat in an effort to intimidate him into submission, any witnesses to the event, including the victim, push their nauseated reaction to the back of their mind and refuse to believe that it is sinful. When MC Kekel, the President of the organization, is verbally abusing people in choir practice, everyone tells themselves that his position as leader makes this necessary, because the program is all-important, and the performance must be professional. In this way, utility routinely trumps grace, and personal Christianity takes a back seat to the needs of “the program”. This tendency to compartmentalize the offense and deny reality is taught to new converts almost from the beginning of their association with the group. People are trained to respond with unquestioning obedience to their leaders, and to question “the Lord’s annointed” is assumed to be a damnable offense.
2. One must accept the possibility that the leaders of the group are wrong. RW Davis, and his followers, have promoted a string of peculiar doctrines that are assumed to have been handed down from on high simply because Davis says he is God’s man for our time. No proof is required; the claim is simply accepted and the souls of all doubters consigned to the nether regions. When Davis says that “the thief on the cross” was not justified simply because he refuses to believe in what he calls “death-bed repentance”, one must consider the possibility that Davis has erred. Within the group, this possibility is never seriously considered. They like to toy with examples of the times he has misspoken or become tongue-tied, or silly stories he has told on himself about past “learning experiences” as evidence that he makes no claim to inerrancy. Yet these are not serious examples, and the real truth is that they will stand behind every nonsensical doctrinal claim that Davis makes, right or wrong. You must allow yourself to put this in perspective against the backdrop of history, and to realize that no serious Christian thinker has ever ventured onto such tenuous ground. Once you begin to entertain the possibility that Davis and his emulators are mistaken about some things, objectivity enters the picture and the psychological bondage is almost fatally weakened. This is important in the case of NTCC because the group claims to be led by a man who is among the 24 elders around the Throne, expressly and Divinely appointed to carry a special message to the world. They themselves have removed their own margin of error and cannot be allowed to easily escape the consequences. Although we realize that all churches make mistakes, and that minor errors are found virtually everywhere, keep in mind that opposition to NTCC is not an effort to create a perfect church, but is merely a conscience-driven effort to help you to escape from socio-psychological manipulation.
3. Ask questions at home. Vocalize the things that are troubling to you, and wonder aloud (but not emotionally) about inconsistencies that do not bear up under scrutiny. In this way, you can find out rather quickly whether your husband or wife is willing to allow themselves to see, or is more inclined to deny the obvious for fear of “touching the Lord’s annointed.”
4. If you are married, you must put your marriage above other considerations. NTCC considers disloyalty to the organization as grounds for divorce, and will encourage your spouse to leave you and remarry someone within the organizational fold. They have their members duped into believing that they cannot be saved if they leave, and your spouse will very likely be inclined to view your newfound insights as a symptom of spiritual death. Do not allow the organization to play this game with you. If you cannot convince your spouse to see the truth, do not be overly forceful. Stay close to the situation, and as time passes, you will find opportunities to impart eyesight to them.
5. You must be prepared to lose your friends. If the pastor of the church believes you are salvageable, then your departure will only elicit overwrought expressions of care and concern. Overtures will be made as soon as you leave, in the hopes that you can be convinced to reverse course. When this fails, however, you can expect to be shunned as an apostate. Many people have suffered ignomiously at the hands of the leadership, who have invented lies and unfounded rumors designed to strike fear in the hearts of anyone else who might be thinking of leaving. If you listen to RW Davis, it seems that most people who leave NTCC have committed adultery and then succumbed to the horrors of cancer, wearing words of regret upon their dying lips. These stories are not true, but you must realize that lies will also be told about you when you leave. The same people who were encouraged to snitch on you while you were in the church, the same people who were intimidated by the pastor into reporting your whereabouts when you missed a service, are the same people who will faithfully spread the stories that he spins to explain your mysterious disappearance. You must be determined to ride this wave.
6. Realize that a wonderful life awaits. There is Christianity outside of NTCC, and life is very good. There are quality churches and fellowships that are prepared to meet your spiritual needs. There are friends beyond the walls of your past experience. The people about whom so many lies were told are out here serving God, raising families, and enjoying the freedom that is in Christ. They are waiting to welcome you without chiding words and “I-told-you-so’s”. Be open to new ideas, realizing that many teachings you have come to accept are questionable, and that to love your brethren is better than to spend your life trying to get them to dress right. You have the opportunity to get your life back from the devourers, and to realize your goals and dreams. Your goals–not the goals that someone else has convinced you to pursue.
7. Know why you left. Remember the reasons behind your decision, and do not second-guess yourself. Do not be fooled by crocodile tears and empty tokens of affection. Remember that the doctrine of this cult-like group, and its exercise of abusive control upon everything they claim to love, are the reasons for your decision. Escape is only the beginning. You must also remain free. NTCC believes that their doctrine is so superior, and their way of life so much more exemplary than that of other churches, that misery and condemnation will dog your steps because “you know too much”. Do not believe this lie, and do not be afraid. Do not attempt to find another group that is similar. Simply reclaim your life and do not forget the hard lessons you have learned about control, authority, and the vulnerabilites of the mind.
There are too many people with too much invested in New Testament Christian Church to allow the group to simply fade away and die. It will remain intact for many years, though it cannot help but change as pressures from within and without manifest their inevitable and steady effect. The strength of NTCC lies not in their inspiration, nor with the power of their message, but with their exclusive claim to the truth. Those who buy in to this claim are prevented from thinking that escape is possible without leaving God. Such thinking would create a vulnerability, a weakness in the armor with which the organization equips itself. Such an unhealthy spiritual environment should not be tolerated, nor should it exist in the first place. The best thing to do for your own personal well-being and that of your family is to part ways with this group. If you think that by remaining involved you will eventually help other people come to their senses, you are entertaining a self-destructive fantasy based upon false hope.
But be informed: nobody is allowed to leave under favorable circumstances. You risk the loss of friends, sometimes even your spouse, because the church believes in the preeminent importance of its own cohesion above all other considerations. Do not think it will be easy. We will not attempt to deceive you into thinking there will be no exit trauma. But here are a few things you can keep in mind in order to make the transition to the real world just a bit more smooth.
The Seven Steps to a Departure
1. The first step to departure is allowing one’s mind to “see” what it has previously refused to see. The grip that NTCC has upon the minds of its members and ministers is carefully maintained through denial of the obvious. When a high-ranking preacher jumps down another man’s throat in an effort to intimidate him into submission, any witnesses to the event, including the victim, push their nauseated reaction to the back of their mind and refuse to believe that it is sinful. When MC Kekel, the President of the organization, is verbally abusing people in choir practice, everyone tells themselves that his position as leader makes this necessary, because the program is all-important, and the performance must be professional. In this way, utility routinely trumps grace, and personal Christianity takes a back seat to the needs of “the program”. This tendency to compartmentalize the offense and deny reality is taught to new converts almost from the beginning of their association with the group. People are trained to respond with unquestioning obedience to their leaders, and to question “the Lord’s annointed” is assumed to be a damnable offense.
2. One must accept the possibility that the leaders of the group are wrong. RW Davis, and his followers, have promoted a string of peculiar doctrines that are assumed to have been handed down from on high simply because Davis says he is God’s man for our time. No proof is required; the claim is simply accepted and the souls of all doubters consigned to the nether regions. When Davis says that “the thief on the cross” was not justified simply because he refuses to believe in what he calls “death-bed repentance”, one must consider the possibility that Davis has erred. Within the group, this possibility is never seriously considered. They like to toy with examples of the times he has misspoken or become tongue-tied, or silly stories he has told on himself about past “learning experiences” as evidence that he makes no claim to inerrancy. Yet these are not serious examples, and the real truth is that they will stand behind every nonsensical doctrinal claim that Davis makes, right or wrong. You must allow yourself to put this in perspective against the backdrop of history, and to realize that no serious Christian thinker has ever ventured onto such tenuous ground. Once you begin to entertain the possibility that Davis and his emulators are mistaken about some things, objectivity enters the picture and the psychological bondage is almost fatally weakened. This is important in the case of NTCC because the group claims to be led by a man who is among the 24 elders around the Throne, expressly and Divinely appointed to carry a special message to the world. They themselves have removed their own margin of error and cannot be allowed to easily escape the consequences. Although we realize that all churches make mistakes, and that minor errors are found virtually everywhere, keep in mind that opposition to NTCC is not an effort to create a perfect church, but is merely a conscience-driven effort to help you to escape from socio-psychological manipulation.
3. Ask questions at home. Vocalize the things that are troubling to you, and wonder aloud (but not emotionally) about inconsistencies that do not bear up under scrutiny. In this way, you can find out rather quickly whether your husband or wife is willing to allow themselves to see, or is more inclined to deny the obvious for fear of “touching the Lord’s annointed.”
4. If you are married, you must put your marriage above other considerations. NTCC considers disloyalty to the organization as grounds for divorce, and will encourage your spouse to leave you and remarry someone within the organizational fold. They have their members duped into believing that they cannot be saved if they leave, and your spouse will very likely be inclined to view your newfound insights as a symptom of spiritual death. Do not allow the organization to play this game with you. If you cannot convince your spouse to see the truth, do not be overly forceful. Stay close to the situation, and as time passes, you will find opportunities to impart eyesight to them.
5. You must be prepared to lose your friends. If the pastor of the church believes you are salvageable, then your departure will only elicit overwrought expressions of care and concern. Overtures will be made as soon as you leave, in the hopes that you can be convinced to reverse course. When this fails, however, you can expect to be shunned as an apostate. Many people have suffered ignomiously at the hands of the leadership, who have invented lies and unfounded rumors designed to strike fear in the hearts of anyone else who might be thinking of leaving. If you listen to RW Davis, it seems that most people who leave NTCC have committed adultery and then succumbed to the horrors of cancer, wearing words of regret upon their dying lips. These stories are not true, but you must realize that lies will also be told about you when you leave. The same people who were encouraged to snitch on you while you were in the church, the same people who were intimidated by the pastor into reporting your whereabouts when you missed a service, are the same people who will faithfully spread the stories that he spins to explain your mysterious disappearance. You must be determined to ride this wave.
6. Realize that a wonderful life awaits. There is Christianity outside of NTCC, and life is very good. There are quality churches and fellowships that are prepared to meet your spiritual needs. There are friends beyond the walls of your past experience. The people about whom so many lies were told are out here serving God, raising families, and enjoying the freedom that is in Christ. They are waiting to welcome you without chiding words and “I-told-you-so’s”. Be open to new ideas, realizing that many teachings you have come to accept are questionable, and that to love your brethren is better than to spend your life trying to get them to dress right. You have the opportunity to get your life back from the devourers, and to realize your goals and dreams. Your goals–not the goals that someone else has convinced you to pursue.
7. Know why you left. Remember the reasons behind your decision, and do not second-guess yourself. Do not be fooled by crocodile tears and empty tokens of affection. Remember that the doctrine of this cult-like group, and its exercise of abusive control upon everything they claim to love, are the reasons for your decision. Escape is only the beginning. You must also remain free. NTCC believes that their doctrine is so superior, and their way of life so much more exemplary than that of other churches, that misery and condemnation will dog your steps because “you know too much”. Do not believe this lie, and do not be afraid. Do not attempt to find another group that is similar. Simply reclaim your life and do not forget the hard lessons you have learned about control, authority, and the vulnerabilites of the mind.
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