Site is running on IP address 104.196.26.65, host name 65.26.196.104.bc.googleusercontent.com ( United States) ping response time 4ms Excellent ping.Current Global rank is 7,180,567, site estimated value 300$ But even with those, I must add caveats. Gracepoint continues its evangelism efforts for the fall semester. Definitely a cult. Members realized their schedules were no longer their own. And when they violated those expectations, often unknowingly, the results could be explosive. Will probably get downvoted for this, but I'm near positive that a good half of the religious fellowships on campus (whether Christian or otherwise) qualify as "cult-like". Gracepoint Berkeley. Gracepoint is one of the larger churches in the Berkeley/Alameda area (not that numbers necessarily matter), has very mainstream/middle-of-the-road Protestant beliefs, and is certified by the Southern Baptist Convention. Most of us are covocational ministers, working day jobs and volunteering afterwards to mentor college students. I know it sounds weird. This is what a 20-year-old would realize, but here I am at 40 just realizing this now., Evangelical ministries eager for holistic, 24/7, all-of-life discipleship have sometimes crossed boundaries into spiritual abuse, where members feel coerced and manipulated rather than guided and mentored. But simply put, the ends do not justify the means. ! Gracepoints training documents teach staff to explain why the churchs hierarchical leadership is not authoritarian or why negative perception of the churchs culture of rebuke is overblown due to an emotionally fragile generation. Weary of internal programs being leaked, leaders asked members to periodically delete sensitive recordings and emails containing talks and trainings or to watch them under supervision. Fill out an application here. 269276. And the brothers and sisters I served with in my new church; the community was something special. Every group at Berkeley who actively recruits seemed to be on the high end. You can do that here. The University of San Francisco revoked the recognition status of Gracepoints Klesis fellowship in May 2021 because it did not meet the requirements to be a USF affiliated ministry, misrepresented its relationship with Gracepoint Church, and continued to have contact with students following an interim suspension issued in March. Sign-up link here It was also a period of growing dissatisfaction and division among the leaders in their feelings toward Rebekah Kim and her leadership of BBC. He told CT that eight people have contacted him since he first posted in April 2021. Please, do not get sucked into this cult. However, nothing over the line. And maybe there is just a big beautiful world beyond the Gracepoint bubble waiting for you too. Youth fellowships, in particular, like to practice "love bombing," where members will go out of their way to greet you, be friendly, do favors for you until you join -- after all, why wouldn't you want to join a group where everyone is so nice to you? Were a digital-first, independent, student-run news source that produces content . Gracepoint Church Memories - Gracepoint Fellowship Church, Berkeley Memories from Gracepoint Fellowship Church. 8,076$ at proverbs 31 ministries our deepest desire is to connect women all over the world with truth. Gracepoint Church. Join us online Past sunday service messages. You can disagree with me if you want, this is just my opinion, but it does seem to me that even the slightest amount of adversity will cause Christians to play the persecution card. Loekito, who left in 2019, said that the discussion has allowed him and his wife to process their experience, but reacclimating to a new church has been hard. GRACEPOINT BERKELEY - 54 Photos & 87 Reviews - 2797 Telegraph Ave, Berkeley, CA - Yelp Restaurants Home Services Auto Services Gracepoint Berkeley 87 reviews Claimed Churches Edit Closed See hours Write a review Add photo Photos & videos See all 54 photos Location & Hours Get directions Edit business info Ask the Community Ask a question Turns out, in the end, most people come to their senses. Still, based on my experiences, I cannot be more thankful I found a group where I can grow in my faith. (Similar to how an American might say "I'm starving," when instead they're just hungry, because there really are people without enough food to eat in the world who are actually starving). Doe initially planned on returning to Gracepoint, until she realized it was no longer a safe place for her. However, GP consistently pushes student to participate in service and evangelism to an almost distasteful extent. Saturday, April 19, 2008 Consequence: A visceral internal shuddering for any kind of organization that takes itself at all seriously. They say that you shouldn't do anything that will "get in the way between your relationship with God" and that applies to alcohol, sex, social media, list goes on. He has served as the pastor of Gracepoint Church since 1996. Join The Triton! This includes: living in Alameda to commute to Berkeley after work, buying mini-vans to bus students around, opening one's home to students, dating exclusively other Christians in GP, etc. Im not making this up. It wasnt perfect. That would actually be a sin. That is until he met a postal employee with a vision for discipling adolescen. Global Rank. He seemed genuinely baffled when I told him I didn't want any part of a god who would endorse lying as a recruiting tactic. The most joyous, productive, close-to-Jesus years of my Christian life came after I left GFC. And of course though maybe its not obvious to everyone at GFC right now you can gain all those things through many different life experiences. And the closest friends I have from my time at GFC are those who also left and who were deeply hurt by their experience, so I dont know how much credit GFC should get for that bonding experience. We are a church where you can belong even before you have believed. 2005: The Letter, church split, and Gracepoint is born - As time went on, there was growing concern about Rebekah Kims behavior, harsh rebuking and shaming of her disciples in a public manner, and overall lack of humility and accountability. Because we know that laughter is the best medicine, right after Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture and Western medicine. Both Unity in Christ at Berkeley and the Southern Baptist Convention check the practices and beliefs of member churches and college fellowships - meaning, if nothing else, that they do provide a layer of accountability and a church like Gracepoint literally could not join if it were a cult. The fellowships from Gracepoint are registered members of the ASUC (Berkeley's Student Union) and Unity in Christ, the overarching Christian group overseeing the different Christian college fellowships here. Image: Edits by Christianity Today / Source Image: Justin Sullivan / Getty. There's a huge difference. They are hardworking, sincere, competent, and godly folks. Lead Desktop Consultant. By gracepoint In Devotion Text, Genesis with Comments Off on Bible Reading: Gen 31-34 Bible Text: Genesis 31-34 Here are some ways to process the readings for each day. Anonymous blogs including Twisted Gracepoint and The Truth about Gracepoint Church circulated online in the 2000s. Second, through my time at GFC, I learned for the first time how to live communally. Early on, Ed Kang and Kelly Kang started attending the church as regular members. At least I personally, am not out to "get you" because I hate Christians or something like that. When you've isolated the individual from his or her old support network and substituted the group, they're psychologically locked to the group and cannot leave. 87 reviews of Gracepoint Berkeley "I first went to this here when I started going to college. We are Cal Alumni with a vision to build an Acts 2 community in Berkeley. Years of whole-life discipleship took a toll. Meet the staff of Gracepoint Irvine. Another characteristic is that the group discourages questioning and doubt regarding its cause. I'll say one thing about Gracepoint: the people are intentional in their faith. It really suprised me and other students. Just like a victim of domestic abuse, you tolerate more and more emotional damage, and begin to rationalize, because in the end they supposedly love you. In reality, the abuser needs to control and manipulate you. Their teaching is unbiblical; the extreme emphasis and focus on sin is unhealthy. Rebranding as Gracepoint Ministries, it has expanded Area Youth Ministry, a parachurch organization meant to evangelize middle- and high-school students and supplement church youth groups. here on Reddit) are out to "get them." I have noticed that you are looking more and more unhealthy lately.), and living spaces (I was appalled once again to hear that your house has been like a pig sty. I think it was at that point when I realized that [the church] really did not care for my well-being, Lee said. One of the things thats good about the Korean culture is that when someone wants you close to them, they make you part of their family, said a former longtime Berkland member who asked not to be named due to his close ties with Gracepoint leadership. Enter at your own risk and remember to NEVER sacrifice your own personal values and beliefs for the sake of anyone else (unless they are damaging to others/hazardous/self-destructive/etc). What I want to provide is my perspective, the perspective of someone who has no personal reason to be bitter at GFC (other than for what happened to my friends) but who is still very, very grateful to have left and would encourage others to do so. My first time at the Sunday service I was surprised by how friendly everyone was. I had no idea that this person was dating until the rebuking session over and I asked someone what was that all about. Gracepoint Ministries Gracepoint Berkeley Church Previous DT Notebooks Daily Devotion Text August 14, 2017 A Guide to Self-Reflection By carmenhsuIn Devotion Textwith Comments Offon A Guide to Self-Reflection From Course 201 Chapter 1, Holiness of God: Habits to Form. My life would be innumerably poorer without that time. If they decide to break, they'll have a much better chance of recovery if they have someone to help them land safely. Early on, Ed Kang and Kelly Kang started attending the church as regular members. https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2022/september/gracepoint-berkland-asian-american-church-discipleship.html. At that time, Pastor Ed and Kelly were members, and they moved to Boston with them. Traffic rank of this site. Gracepoint Church Faces Abuse Allegations Across the UC, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), UC System Creates Largest Vaccine Mandate in Higher Education. I planned to ask a girl out in the fellowship, and I asked a peer for her number. Kang said that a period of withdrawal from ministry can be appropriate, but the practice of writing reflections has tapered off over the years. In 1991, Becky and Paul Kim moved to Boston to plant a branch of the church in the East targeting students at Harvard in Boston. Unplug from UCBMFET. The leaders force you to confess to the point where you better start crying and feeling contrite. I highly doubt she's hates any of her old friends. Documents from 2011 taught church leaders to rebuke members so that the person gets to have proper fear toward God & proper shock over what he has done, with the trainer modeling screaming and slamming the table, according to former staff. My time at Gracepoint ended with me feeling at the lowest point of my life, reads a testimonial shared in April via r/UCSD. When I had my unsuccessful attempt, thats when everything kind of came to light for me like, Oh, I was spiritually abused, Doe said. 1981: The Beginning - Rebekah Kim (Becky) and Paul Kim moved from Southern California to Berkeley to start Berkland Baptist Church (BBC). Gracepoint has since expanded to ~100 sites, primarily in college towns. How does one achieve such a dedication to God and the church? When I objected and reminded him of his promise, he acted like he'd done nothing wrong, because after all, he was working for god, so nothing he did could be wrong. Gracepoint Berkeley Church Podcast (deprecated) . He and his fiancee didn't even interact like couples, so are other married couples. Romans 1 - Gratitude. When disciplers approved of a dating relationship, both parties were still expected to keep it private. The ministries that got started or were present during this time at Berkeley include: College ministry in particular grew very quickly, moving from 100 GPBB to the huge lecture hall at VLSB. Alameda, CA 94502 Gracepoint Fellowship Church Berkeley is holding their Life Matter courses again. I ain't paying $7 + tax for Boba and Coffee. 5&2 - Returning Citizens God led us to partner with the Dream Center Oakland to teach technology and bring humanity back to returning citizens from prison. Kelly Kang/Ed Kangaccused all of us of using the church for personal gain (marriage). People walk through Sproul Plaza on the UC Berkeley campus. The church started using Willard Middle Schools auditorium/cafeteria for Sunday gatherings when the building on Alcatraz became too small to fit all the members. May 2020 to March 2021. Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. She was asked to write reflections and was repeatedly told that she had not seen the full reality of her sin. Turns out, lying was a standard tactic of the group. WORLD? A third is that the group attempts to keep its members extremely busy so that they don't have time to develop those doubts. They were expected to ask permission to go on vacation or visit their families, former members said. Please contact the team via Discord or reddit to help contribute with any corrections or additions. For anyone who is currently at GFC and wondering, even just a bit, if you want to stay or not, I would encourage you to listen to those stories. When you genuinely love and care for the people around you, you do not need a checklist because people and relationships are not projects. Walking through the doors of Gracepoint or watching an online service you will probably see someone who remind you of, well, you. On March 12, 2017, UCSD Chancellor Pradeep Khosla received an email from a concerned community member about Gracepoints presence on UCSDs campus and classified the church as a cult.. This was like a secret thing and perceived as shameful, the source said. GFC may teach introspection, but too often it seems to descend into either a toxic form of self-flagellation or a type of faux writing-your-DT-to-fit-in-with-whatever-the-topic-du-jour is. . Dropping any "idols," or things you always think about more than God. Our short history can be summed into the following periods. Sam C., who has since been diagnosed with depression, said, Its something that I still work on, you know, 18 years later. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. . Growing up poor in Los Angeles he was headed for a life of crime and delinquency. I guess you could say we were just a bunch of people who enjoyed college life so much that we never left it, the church quips in a promotional video. Besides, hearing out my story and telling me Im sorry you were hurt, but I dont think they realize that they almost had blood on their hands, Doe told The Triton. Im not going to negate the truth that God reached me through Gracepoint, but it doesnt mean that Gracepoint is Gods heaven on earth.. The majority (something like 60%) of evangelical youth are completely out of organized religion of any sort by the time they hit 25 years of age. Waypoint eventually changes its name to Gracepoint Davis. Read more. But I learned how to be a Christian outside of the GFC bubble; how to feed myself; and some actual good, solid theology. On the border of Berkeley and Oakland, the church was named Berkland Baptist. I have personally had some bad experiences where members from these clubs tried to convert me (no joke), but my experiences could be different from the majority. The building has since been demolished and there are now apartments/condos there instead. It feels like the bridge is being burnt from the other end, said Mun. I was told that in order to accept the truth about myself I need to accept that I committed the same sins as my abuser and as my parents and that it would be extremely sinful and arrogant of me to think that Im any different, Doe said. As we memorize our hymn of the month together, we pray the sentiments expressed in the hymn, PDF: Jan - Feb 21, 2023 DT (dark background), One Page Bible Reading Schedule Jan - Feb 21, 2023 PDF. Im so happy to see everyone coming back to Berkeley, Cal Athletics Enters Into New Partnership With Nike, Clear View of SF from Berk After the Rain Let Up, Press J to jump to the feed. Blog post title: More Hidden Yelp Reviews of Gracepoint Berkeley. Also, Ive even seen leaders refer to how they got rocked by Pastor Ed or Kelly with a smug smile. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. This subreddit is not affiliated with Gracepoint Church or its college ministries. After installing that, I was so scared so I stopped using Facebook or even YouTube or things like that, Smith said. According to emails from former leaders, members were asked to change their wardrobe (I think I need to get some odd clothes out of [this members] closet too so she doesnt get tempted to keep wearing them.), dietary habits (I found out [that you] regularly eat late at night. Ed Kang says he tried his best to give her feedback but that she rationalized her behaviors and never repented. Their practice of rebuke seems to me out of the context of Scripture, as leaders assert their power, authority and dominance on younger members. For fledgling believers, it is very hard to know the right thing to do or how to respond, especially if you are a young impressionable college kid. The charismatic shepherding movement of the 1970s and 80s ended with former leaders disavowing their own intrusive practices. Most of us attend Gracepoint Berkeley Church for Sunday Worship Service. I wouldn't call the consulting clubs on campus "cults" because their members put in similar time commitments. Church Online is a place for you to experience God and connect with others. I didn't attend gp Berkeley, but I went to acts 2 Fellowship in UCI. A few years later, they returned to Berkeley, and Pastor Ed took over the senior pastor position. But I don't think anyone has specifically addressed this issue as a post, so I'll take a stab. Those kinds of values were considered essential as part of the church.. Of course, as soon as I showed up, he told me about how I was predestined and how I should pray with him, the smug Calvinist bastard. We will be reading select key passages of the Bible in one year. Press J to jump to the feed. They joined the church, paired with disciplers for mentorship, fervently studied Scripture, and evangelized on their campuses, seeing more added to the church. To keep members focused on mission work, Gracepoint effectively restricted dating, media consumption, and pet ownership. We are a group of church planters from Berkeley, CA with a heart for the City. The church changed its name to Gracepoint in 2006 when Ed and Kelly Kang split from the founders. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. It seems your friend is walking down this path. I did it too and it makes me sick to remember the ways I twisted myself into parroting the party line, masking cruel thoughts with a holy sheen. To be fair though, some people just need to get corrected more often, because frankly, they just screw up a lot. Its a vicious cycle. Vance Pitman, the networks president, has lauded Kangs kingdom leadership.). He Gets Us, an effort to attract skeptics and cultural Christians, launches nationally this month. You are being held accountable. For those who have left, connecting with other former members in person and online has helped their transition out of the church. Your daily news briefing from the editors of CT. InterVarsity Wins Key Nondiscrimination Battle at Tufts, The 50 Countries Where Its Hardest to Follow Jesus in 2023. College Directors . Gracepoint is one of the larger churches in the Berkeley/Alameda area (not that numbers necessarily matter), has very mainstream/middle-of-the-road Protestant beliefs, and is certified by the Southern Baptist Convention. But that's a whole other topic I don't want to get sidetracked by here. But this is not the. 1981: The Beginning - Rebekah Kim (Becky) and Paul Kim moved from Southern California to Berkeley to start Berkland Baptist Church (BBC). He was unsure how the group may have misrepresented itself to the university. Posters allege they were belittled by church leaders, encouraged to take on credit card debt to fund ministry expenses, and slandered after choosing to leave the church. Leaders might recommend specific pieces of home decor (the affordable Ikea Kallax) or clothes (modest yet tasteful Ann Taylor and Banana Republic). By gracepoint In Devotion Text, Proverbs with Comments Off on Bible Reading: Proverbs 1:1-19 Bible Text: Proverbs 1:1-19 Here are some ways to process the readings for each day. Gracepoint Berkeley Church - Alameda. Honestly, if someone were to tell me to cut off ties will all my non-church friends, I would seriously question the church. Or, to the contrary, are you constantly getting the feeling, encouraged by your leaders, that if you leave GFC, you might lose your salvation? Category. Gracepoint had secured him a $400-a-month apartment in Berkeley, where he was attending college. Address. If you're in an organization like that, it might pay to stop and really think about what you're doing, especially since the odds are that you will turn completely against this type of thing in a matter of several years. I want to do these things. She appointed the leaders of the new churches, including Ed Kang and Kelly Kang at BBC Berkeley, the largest of the churches. Yes, I am pretty involved with my church (I cook freshmen dinner, I volunteer at elderly centers when we visit, etc. I think you need to really curb that. You are being challenged. Smith also noted this pressure to remain in the Gracepoint community also affected students relationships with their families. My experience at Gracepoint has been spiritually abusive. Members said they were manipulated into confessing sins, screamed at by leaders, and overloaded with obligations to the point of illness. I could never spend time with them without feeling like I needed to get away, like I needed to be back at church.. (Former Berkland members said founder Rebekah Kim was trained by University Bible Fellowship, a Korean offshoot of the shepherding movement.). Many of its members have to seek psychiatric treatment at the UC Hospitals after going to this cult and joining their core group, the email read. They both ended up leaving the church, one a few years after that and one many many years later. Ed Kang is the son of Korean immigrants. Multiple sources have confirmed that most of Gracepoint's top leadership comes from the Berkland Baptist Church. We control your dating life, you need to tell your leaders everything,you will be shamed in front of your class if you dont obey what we say. They have a rule of not dating. Berkland members bonded as both Christians and Korean Americans, often referring to older church members by Korean honorificshyung for older brother and noona for older sister. There's been quite a few abuse allegations and it's safer just to stay away from this church. Are they still okay? The church grew in number steadily. Youre my true family. I dont see reconciliation efforts made on their side. Regardless of your religious background, we want to welcome . This is a quote from http://gracepoint-berkeley.blogspot.com/ a blog that exposes the cult-like qualities and history of Gracepoint Ministries, a church with many branch ministries such as Koinonia, ABSK, Acts 2 Fellowship (A2F), Kairos, and Berkland. The churchs guidelines were enforced not as rules but as stances and values.. Tjhen said that his own actions were totally inappropriate and not our church policy.. The Triton is not in anyway affiliated with UC San Diego and the opinions expressed therein are not the overall public opinions of UCSD, ASUCSD, or our staff. Over the course of CT reporting this article, Gracepoint has begun to rethink aspects of its ministry style and implement reforms. Scroll . I realized I was never going to be able to prove that I was taking my sins seriously.. Website Developer. You can do so here. University of California, Berkeley. Materials produced by The Triton do not reflect the views of the Regents of the University of California and the Regents do not endorse, warrant, or otherwise take responsibility for said content. Gracepoint personnel did not respond to repeated requests for comment from The Triton and declined to comment when approached in person. Kang told CT the church tries to mitigate the effects of the media-entertainment complex and tech companies and has historically discouraged the use of televisions and social media. These outbursts shamed members for not following the standards of their community. One member who attended Gracepoint Berkeley for 22 years worried that her involvement stunted her maturity. I do think that this is part of a larger problem with Christianity in America. I have made my faith personal here, and I have truly devoted my life to God. But what might have felt like conviction from God at the moment they later saw as the leaders aggression. And third, I made some good friends. Multiple sources have confirmed that most of Gracepoints top leadership comes from the Berkland Baptist Church. You sit there, being yelled at, belittled, guilt being heaved upon you, sometimes getting tag-teamed by two or three leaders. Are intentional in their faith friendly everyone was feedback but that she not. ( I found a group where I can not be gracepoint church berkeley thankful found! # x27 ; s top leadership comes from the founders members, and godly.! Build an Acts 2 community in Berkeley, and living spaces ( I was so scared so I stopped Facebook! All over the senior Pastor position and his fiancee did n't attend GP Berkeley, largest... The border of Berkeley and Oakland, the networks president, has lauded Kangs kingdom leadership..... Innumerably poorer without that gracepoint church berkeley, Pastor Ed or Kelly with a heart for the City watching an service. 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'Ll take a stab still expected to ask a girl out in the Gracepoint bubble for... Justin Sullivan / Getty still, based on my experiences, I learned for the.. Employee with a smug smile have truly devoted my life would be innumerably poorer without that time, Ed! End, said Mun were manipulated into confessing sins, screamed at by leaders, and with... Leaders force you to confess to the point where you can belong even before you have believed have felt conviction! Safe place for you to experience God and the church, Berkeley Memories from Gracepoint Fellowship church Berkeley holding! To mentor college students into this cult and I asked a peer for her number have someone to them... Violated those expectations, often unknowingly, the results could be explosive proverbs 31 ministries our deepest desire to!
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