Is foursquare church a cult

Answer 1

I agree with you about the Foursquare denomination. No, I do not believe the denomination is a cult, even when Foursquare Pastors run a cult under them. I did report this to the Foursquare headquarters, a lot more than what is here, and they did nothing about it after talking to the pastors.

You are not answering the question you are airing your personal resentment. The question is asking if the Foursquare denomination is a cult, not are there screwed up individual church's. What denomination could not pull out multiple stories of controlling leadership? Or far worse. I'm sorry for your bad experience but it really doesn't justify your response. Again the foursquare denomination does not meet the qualifications for a cult. PS I am not a member of a Foursquare church so I have no personal investment in this pro or con.

I was part of the Ocala Foursquare church in Florida for over 12 years and the previous answer has nothing to do with whether it is a cult or not. It has to do whether they are true believers or not. I am in no way defending the Foursquare nor supporting them but the one I was a part of ran a cult on the side of the church and when I finally had enough of them screwing up my life and reported them to their headquarters they defended the pastors so they are still running the cult. A brief outline of them is after the list of characteristics. The characteristics are:

Characteristics_Associated_with_Cultic_Groups_-_Revised">Characteristics_Associated_with_Cultic_Groups_-_Revised">Characteristics Associated with Cultic Groups - RevisedJanja Lalich, Ph.D. & Michael D. Langone, Ph.D.

Concerted efforts at influence and control lie at the core of cultic groups, programs, and relationships. Many members, former members, and supporters of cults are not fully aware of the extent to which members may have been manipulated, exploited, even abused. The following list of social-structural, social-psychological, and interpersonal behavioral patterns commonly found in cultic environments may be helpful in assessing a particular group or relationship.

Compare these patterns to the situation you were in (or in which you, a family member, or friend is currently involved). This list may help you determine if there is cause for concern. Bear in mind that this list is not meant to be a "cult scale" or a definitive checklist to determine if a specific group is a cult. This is not so much a diagnostic instrument as it is an analytical tool.

‪

The group displays excessively zealous and unquestioning commitment to its leader and (whether he is alive or dead) regards his belief system, ideology, and practices as the Truth, as law.

‪

Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.

‪

Mind-altering practices (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, and debilitating work routines) are used in excess and serve to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).

‪

The leadership dictates, sometimes in great detail, how members should think, act, and feel (for example, members must get permission to date, change jobs, marry-or leaders prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, whether or not to have children, how to discipline children, and so forth).

‪

The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s) and members (for example, the leader is considered the Messiah, a special being, an avatar-or the group and/or the leader is on a special mission to save humanity).

‪

The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which may cause conflict with the wider society.

‪

The leader is not accountable to any authorities (unlike, for example, teachers, military commanders or ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream religious denominations).

‪

The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify whatever means it deems necessary. This may result in members' participating in behaviors or activities they would have considered reprehensible or unethical before joining the group (for example, lying to family or friends, or collecting money for bogus charities).

‪

The leadership induces feelings of shame and/or guilt iin order to influence and/or control members. Often, this is done through peer pressure and subtle forms of persuasion.

‪

Subservience to the leader or group requires members to cut ties with family and friends, and radically alter the personal goals and activities they had before joining the group.

‪

The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.

‪

The group is preoccupied with making money.

‪

Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group and group-related activities.

‪

Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.

‪

The most loyal members (the "true believers") feel there can be no life outside the context of the group. They believe there is no other way to be, and often fear reprisals to themselves or others if they leave (or even consider leaving) the group.

What I have to say is factual and I have very credible eye witnesses to back me up.

The Ocala Foursquare Church in Ocala, Florida in which I was a member of for many years. They are running two ministry houses on the side of this church known as the Sheepgate ministries in which they bring in people in that are in need. It started out to be a very good idea. They tell you how much they love you and consider you part of their family which is acceptance at first and convince you that they love you unconditionally. The people are then put in mental and emotional distressing positions, for instance I had to be hospitalized three times in the last few months with chest pains. I have personally lived in this house several times. One of those times was for two years strait.

The Pastors wife is the ultimate authority there striping her husband of any and all authority and almost everyone in the congregation sees it. I have personally witnessed the present manager of the Sheepgate Ministry houses scream at and correct the Pastor in public and the Pastors wife allows him to do so. They convince people that they cannot survive anywhere else but there. I have personally been taken into the office where the Pastors will throw things around with no regard of safety to anyone in there, cussing and screaming at me and I was not allowed to say a word. I have never been belittled like I have there. I would be taken into the office by her , the Pastor, and the manager one to two times per day for anywhere from 1 to 2 hours per time every day instilling fear into me accusing me of things I didn't even know about or did not do or say. I am not the only one who will testify to this because they would also do this to others in front of the congregation to further belittle the person.

The Pastors also allowed men and women live in the same house. There has been at least three women get pregnant there. One of them that got pregnant when she was 17 and the man was 36.

The Pastors wife uses the pulpit for correction to those in the ministry to instill her will, not God's. If you were to talk to the people on the streets they will tell you that she has turned more of them away from God than to Him. She has been seen during church throwing things around on the stage, cussing, belittling people, screaming at them and calling them names. When a couple has problems in their relationship she convinces them that the other person is no good and that they should not be together. My bible says that God is a God of reconciliation not division. Right now the people in the ministry house will defend her and them completely because of their fear of her.

I know out of experience from being there for so long that they control who you talk to and if they do not like the person they will verbally, emotionally, and spiritually abuse you. They will go through your cell phone and read texts and look at the call log to see who you are talking to. If they see anything they don't like then they will take your phone away from you for a period of time. They took mine away for three days at a time on two occasions. I was also told by the manager that per the Pastors wife after two very close family members passed away that I was not allowed to mourn their deaths and that no matter what, I had to keep a smile on my face. That is not biblical at all.

During the years I was there I did a lot of work there which I do not regret because I did it for God. They would work us sometimes till 3 or 4 AM and sometimes all night then require us to be ready by 7 AM to start our day again at the church with little or no sleep then tell me that I never did anything for them or the church and I was worthless. She would make a person feel like they were worthless and suicidal and then start kicking me when I was down. I was to the point that I wished I were dead than there.

My bible tells me that God is a God of love, forgiveness and reconciliation, not of resentment, hate, division and condemnation. She is never wrong. Ever! She is feared by almost everyone. To disagree with her is the same as disagreeing with God according to her. She will claim to have direct authority from God to control almost all aspects of your life. Questioning her or the so called program is seen as a sign of rebellion.

Guilt will be used to control you. If you seem to have problems of any kind, which everyone does from time to time it's always your fault, you are always wrong, and so you must try harder! You will also be made to feel very guilty for making a mistake. When you do exactly as you are told you still get in trouble because she will say she changed her mind but won't tell you till you get done. She has told me and others she does that because she can. She says she is the ultimate authority placed there by God and you will do exactly as you are told, right or wrong. You have no choice because most people that are there have nowhere else to go and she knows that and uses that as a tool.

From my understanding, the manager of their ministry houses I am talking about is not there any more as of sometime within the last week.