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A Matter of Basic Principles: Bill Gothard & the Christian Life

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With deep regret we feel the need to encourage the reading of this book. We are "insiders" who understand and have experienced life under Bill first hand (for 10 years) and have been under his teachings for 15 more. I have worked for him at his headquarters in Oakbrook, IL. With great sincerity and respect we accepted his material as "gospel truth" and applied it to our lives. It would not be fair to omit that we experienced many benefits for making the scriptures the center of our lives, as his followers are encouraged to do. However, the more I became involved with him first hand, the more I began to realize that the ministry, as it appears on the outside, is not at all what it is on the inside. Great inconsistencies surfaced almost immediately after "signing on". With highest regard for Mr. Gothard we over and over again (almost foolishly, looking back at it) gave him the benefit of the doubt; and this to our hurt (almost losing all our savings, our home, our relationships with our children and our health) as so many others have.

Bill Gothard's organization has many devoted and sincere followers who accept him at face value. He is one of the best salesmen I have ever met...his apparent success, testimonies and achievements are carefully promoted (usually by himself). But what is sadly lacking is the absence of genuine love, Christ's kind of love that "seeks not its own", but the welfare of those it serves. He carefully maintains the image of a super-Christian and keeps himself on this pedestal by pushing away any who get too close and would dare to question him or provide any kind of healthy accountability. He is an authoritarian tyrant whose treatment of others is nothing less than oppressive, heartless and cruel. What's so confusing and keeps people coming back is that he can be quite charming and kind at times. When Jesus walked on earth, the greatest problem He had, was with the religious leadership of His day; for although they had an outward display of religious zeal, Jesus pointed out that a heart for God (which should be demonstrated by love for others) was sadly lacking in their lives. This error was so serious that Christ considered them His enemies - they later confirmed their "enemy" status by openly turning on Him and putting him to death.

Great pains were taken in the writing of this book to be fair and accurate. Much room and allowance was given for normal human frailties. But as we have witnessed, the half has not been told. Having now been away from this organization for some time, I am amazed as to how blinded I have been. If it had not been for the pleas, prayers and fastings of my closest friend I don't think I would have realized my mistake before it was tragic. Sadly, most that leave are not as fortunate as I have been, but leave used, destitute, and disillusioned. This book very clearly explains the irony as to how this could continue to happen over and over again.

The final chapter of Bill Gothard's life has not been written and if things continue as they are, it will be one of great heartache, sadness and loss for many, especially for those who propagate his authoritarian hypocrisy in families and churches across the land. The pages of this book would save many from great error if they would but prayerfully consider the restorative spirit in which it was written.

Having spent nearly 30 years in Christian ministry and writing, I know that sometimes biblical deficiencies and spiritual ignorance that are propagated publicly need thoughtful, well-reasoned, documented examination and critique. There are few who do it well. The authors of this book are in that class. From cover to cover the reader will find evidence, logical analysis, first-hand interviews, balanced presentations, and kind corrective. Should I ever be a party to the doctrinal errors and hurtful practices such as those documented in Bill Gothard's ministry, I pray that I will be corrected and admonished as gently, patiently, accurately, and lovingly as has Bill Gothard in this book. Venoit, Venoit, and Henzel have demonstrated the best in biblical and doctrinal discernment.

I usually am reticent about books -- especially in the Christian market -- that claim to be critical evaluations of a particular ministry, teaching, or leader. They are usually full of emotive language, sectarian bias, and would best be reserved for use as a journaling exercise for a Christian who needs therapy because he/she has been hurt in the name of Christ. This book does not belong in that category. However, a number of the negative editorial reviews posted here (nearly always anonymously) demonstrate the worst in discernment. The supporters of Bill Gothard who wrote these reviews demonstrate the very deficiencies noted by the authors.

If you have been impacted by Bill Gothard and his ministries -- positively or negatively -- you owe it to the scriptures (1 Thess. 5:21-22, Acts 17:11, for example) to check it out by reading A Matter of Basic Principles.

I should probably say right up front that I'm nearing completion of my master's degree in Christian Apologetics. My emphasis has been on the study of cults, toxic groups, and borderline ministries. In particular, I've had a lot of exposure to, as well as personal experience with, the "ministry" of Bill Gothard.

I should probably also share another observation: I have never met anyone who was not a Gothardite that thought that Bill Gothard was a responsible minister, faithful teacher, or solid Christian. It has been my experience that the only people who think highly of him are his own followers, who tend to be fanatically loyal. Futher, it has also been my personal experience that Gothardites mimic Gothard in responding to criticism: they attack, slander, and defame anyone who goes after their beloved leader, Bill Gothard. These personal attacks are often accompanied by lip service to concepts like "Christian unity" and "forgiveness." It's ugly to watch, but I've seen it, in person, many times. This ugly behavior is not unique to Gothard and his followers, however. It's a classic symptom of those involved in many similar fringe groups.

I was not surprised, therefore, when I saw a few reviews on this site in which Don Veinot was attacked and slandered, Gothard praised, and Gothard's utterly bizarre book on prayer was recommended. I expected this exact type of thing, I'm sorry to say.

Having read both Gothard's and Veinot's writings, I must heartily recommend Veinot's book. It is among the most gentle, fair, and patient displays of genuine Christian character I've ever seen. Don Veinot and his co-authors bend over backwards to avoid calling the IBLP (Gothard's organization) a cult, even though it has all the markings of one. They document, in vivid terms, their attempts to discuss Gothard's teachings with him, and his un-Christlike response to these attempts. They further document some of his teachings, which range from the strange to the extremely harmful. (Truthfully, they only scratch the surface here. Gothard's teachings are so bizarre as to be almost beyond description. Gothard attributes Noah's flood, for example, to the fact that people in his time had begun "dating," instead of engaging in "courtship" or arranged marriages. I'm not kidding. I have Gothard's booklet right in front of me as I write this. He claims that God brought the Flood on the world because people were going on dates with one another.) Veinot continuously attempts to hold Gothard accountable with grace, charity, and with a constant eye to the possiblity that Gothard might repent and see the light. Thus far, Gothard has shown no signs of doing anything like this, but the patience of Veinot and his co-authors continues. This book is a modern textbook example of the way church discipline in situations like this should be carried out.

I would highly recommend this book to those trying to escape Gothardism, or who are dealing with friends, relatives, or churchgoers who are involved with the IBLP. I also think this book would be helpful to those who are struggling with leaving any toxic or fringe group, not just Gothard's. The principles are, in my opinion, universal.

It would also not surprise me one bit if another reviewer (a Gothardite) were to read what I've written, and slander the heck out of me for writing it.

I have been to the Basic Seminar many times, with my family growing up and then individually as a young man. I attended the Advanced Seminar at least once, went through the video-based seminar on finances in our church, the one on the Founding Fathers a few times, spent a week in Indianapolis, and more. The church I attended through these many years was very much into Gothard's ministry, as was I. Most or all families home-schooled with the ATIA curriculum and sent their older children on mission trips to Russia through the program.

As someone interested in finding the correct approach to knowing God and living righteously, I wasn't as interested in the accounts of Gothard's possible personal failings (as instructive as they might be) in the Veinots' book so much as his failure to accurately handle God's Word (2 Tim. 2:15).

I don't think it unfair to say of many I've known in the program that "they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge" (Rom. 10:1). I believe that my own spiritual growth was stunted by a hermeneutic (method of interpreting Scripture) that left the deepest truths to the inscrutable feelings or senses one might get while meditating or in the presence of certain objects (e.g. evil Cabbage Patch dolls). Those principles of Gothard's that seemed disconnected from Scripture were derived, I assumed, from mystical insights that I just didn't have, probably because of sin in my life.

It wasn't until I got older, my involvement with Gothard's ministries wound down and friends from other churches began taking me to task on certain Biblical issues, that I was forced, like the Bereans (Acts 17:11), to really study Scripture, not just memorize it, or meditate on it, or find anecdotes to support a list of principles. Only then did I really start to study the Bible, not based on the mystical guidelines of a guru, but just by putting in the work to really understand the grammar used by the writer and the culture in which he wrote. I felt like I had been told for years to spend time in the gym but never how to use the equipment, never to actually exercise.

I would consider this a purely personal shortcoming if I hadn't observed those who were experts in Gothard's principles and character qualities nonetheless stupefied by fairly basic interpretive or doctrinal issues, and if I didn't know many of Gothard's own principles to be Scripturally indefensible.

I read the book, A Matter of Basic Principles, last July. I am so grateful for having my eyes opened to the truth of the IBLP ministry. I personally talked to Don Veinot as well as made phone calls to some of the persons involved in the incidents mentioned in the book. I wanted to be sure that the documentation, which is well cited by the way, was indeed accurate. As sad as I was to find out about the deception and scripture-twisting within the ministry, I will be forever grateful. A man in ministry should never be exempt from accountability. Those who are devoted to him will not even listen to the allegations brought against him, a dangerous practice indeed. All in all, the book was well written and well documented. I believe it is a must for all Christians to read and evaluate.

In the 1980's and 90's my wife and I attended the Bill Gothard basic seminar (twice) then later the advanced seminar. As a young believer at the time, I thoroughly enjoyed the material and tried to apply the teachings to my life. As years went by and I grew as a Christian, I began to see that some of Mr. Gothard's teachings drew conclusions from Bible verses that I felt were misconstrued or misunderstood, although I still felt (and still do) that much of his teaching was helpful. This book confirms those original concerns I had as it systematically analyzes Mr. Gothard's teachings. What I didn't know about the book beforehand was the stories of alleged mistreatment of people associated with the ministry. Without having read Mr. Gothard's side of things nor having seen any confirming testimony from some of the people involved, I feel that to be fair to Mr. Gothard I should reserve judgment on those accounts. There are two sides to every story. I also feel as though the authors, while offering an analysis of his teachings, couple some of their critique with comments that I felt were emotional. I still feel the book does a service evaluating his teachings, but it also presented other issues that, to be fair and balanced on my part, I would want to know more about before accepting.

Having attended several of the basic youth conflict seminars in the 1980 and having parents who did the same I was fairly familiar with his teachings. Like most, I didn't agree 100% with the teachings, but thought that "for the most part" he provided biblical and helpful information. However, since growing in the Lord and having a better handle of Scripture than I did fifteen years ago, and given the details in this book, one should be very cautious about utilizing Gothard's resources.

This book, in my mind, can be broken down into two areas: issues surrounding Gothard's personal life and ministry, and issues dealing with his teachings. The book starts off dealing moreso with the personal life of ministry, and of the many failures within his organization morally and in accountability. This was frankly a surprise to me, as I was not aware of the many moral shortcomings and the overall internal lack of control and accountability (to put in gently) - I'll let you read the book to get the details. I do wish that the authors, with whom many of the personal issues had involved, had refrained from editorializing and providing back-handed comments, as in my mind this undermines the "objectivity" in their writing (another issue - surely they could have a different cover to the book without making Gothard look like a magician lurking in the wings of a stage).

In the second area, the authors show the many problems biblically with Gothard's interpretation of Scripture. Being a Christian, this is an area of greater concern - how one handles the Word of God. After reading this book, which prompted memories of sitting and listening in the auditorium to what was being taught, I would strongly encourage those who agree with Gothard to take an independent study of the Scripture, as his handling of law, Israel, and the Christian (under the new covenant) are shaky at best (whether you are dispensational or a covenant theology adherent you will agree that Gothard twists and manipulates Scripture to satisfy his presuppositions) and borderline heretical and legalistic at worse. As one reads the book, it is not a stretch to imagine Gothard as falling prey to the same trap as the Pharisees, with an added odd mixture of mysticism and subjectivity. On the one hand, he is very legalistic in his approach to the Scripture, and on the other hand also uses personal feelings and thoughts as "divine guidance", rather than relying upon the Scriptures - seemingly choosing which path to take as it suits his needs.

In summary, the book is very informative (even with the author's biases, which come through from time to time) and should be read by those who follow his teachings, have been to his seminars, or have heard about him and are considering doing so. While he does teach *some* truth, what he teaches that is not in accord with the Bible, and the dangerous legalistic trap should necessarily push people away from his teachings - or else it will lead to bondage. In the final analysis of IBLP, there is too much sifting through to get to the truth, and what you sift through may end up trapping you, as this book clearly shows.

I read this book a year ago and was shocked and amazed by what it exposed about Bill Gothard and his teachings. I knew some families that were into Gothardism but I did not know all the teachings and principles behind it. The first couple chapters were very in-depth and the authors bent over backwards to show that they were NOT merely spreading slander but addressing real problems with accountability and sin. I read most of the reviews here and stopped after about 30; they were pretty much all the same--either supporters of the book, or supporters of Bill Gothard. I noticed a trend in the reviews of the followers of Gothard. They pretty much consistantly attacked the character of the authors of this book, while defending Gothard and his teachings and wonderful seminars. My father is a lawyer and it is common for the person who cannot argue with truth to attack the character of the one who is telling the truth. I actually got a good laugh out of their reviews, if you have some time to spare please read through them and see what I am talking about. I thought the reviews in and of themselves gave a good example of how gothardites (lack of better term here) respond to the truth about Gothardism. One review talked about how the authors were wrong in pointing out the sexual sins of Gothard's brother. They in turn named how the son of the authors got into trouble with the law. I wonder if this person even read the book...they obviously missed the point, when I got it clearly, and I am still quite young. The point of the authors was Gothard's handling of the sins of his brother, which was not in accordance to God's Word. THis is just one example of many stupid and ridiculous attacks made in these reviews.
Read the book, I promise it will make you think. And it might make you mad. Good. Truth is controversial.

One of the first Christian families we ever met were attractive and friendly. But I began to be suspicious when their Christian witness to us revolved around dropping hints about the various wonderful rules that they lived by and how wonderful and wise Bill Gothard is to have thought of them (or derived them from the Bible). There was much about rules, much about Gothard, and very little about Jesus in their witness to us.

Even though we eventually became Christians, that brush with a Gothard family always disturbed me, especially as I began to realize that Gothard must have been twisting Scripture mightily to wring out many of those rules.

I read A Matter of Basic Principles with interest. It was well researched and deeply disturbing.

Church leaders should have and read this book as part of protecting their flocks against self-serving, legalistic leaders.

Many thanks to the author for caring enough about the Body of Christ to warn us.

This book needs to be studied and not just read. It's worth reading. And it's good to go back and check out all of the Biblical references in their context.

I have attended three Basic seminars on three different occasions in the '70s. The first time I learned a lot of valuable things and overlooked what I felt I couldn't agree with. The second time I reviewed what I did learn, appreciated them but found myself disagreeing with even more and feeling a bit more uneasy. The third time I had a lot more problems and fewer blessings. But so many of my friends were gung ho on Bill Gothard that it was hard to talk about where I disagreed with him.

Suffice it to say, after receiving other materials in the mail for the "alumni" (people who have been to his seminar) and purchasing some reading items, I was getting more and more troubled. Finally, I asked to have my name removed from the alumni list.

This book is a good critique on Bill Gothard's ministry. It is accurate, not mean-spirited and badly needed for people who have been tied up in unblblical rules and regulations, many either not in the Bible or based on Bible references out of context or with meanings twisted.

It seems like people who review this book either love it or hate it. I appreciate the book very much and would strongly recommend it.

Jesus says that we will know the truth and that the truth will make us free. I hope some day Bill Gothard learns the same.