Over the next five weeks, as an exercise in discernment, I’ll critique the teaching associated with the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), Advanced Training Institute International (ATI), and specifically their founder, Bill Gothard. I believe Mr. Gothard’s teaching as a whole is a great example of a shrunken, distorted, and slightly Gnostic Christianity—in short—how not to be. As I contemplated the value of this effort, I was amazed to find that at age eighty-four he is still at it.[1] Because his influence has been so pervasive in American conservative Christian sub-cultures over the last fifty years—IBLP “has drawn more than 2.5 million people to its seminars,” much of what I’ll say in this analysis will apply to hundreds of other lesser known or related movements and individual teachers.[2]
Furthermore, Mr. Gothard’s teachings represent well a brand of biblically distorted fundamentalism Christianity that gives the appearance of godliness—something that is often “almost right,” but is in fact a distortion of true spirituality, something that kills rather than gives life. Seemingly innocuous, I’ve observed it to be a subtle yet primary contributor to dangerous Christian homes and churches among conservative, fundamental, Protestant circles.
Four years ago, my wife and daughter developed a weekly habit of watching the reality TV show about the Duggars called 19 Kids and Counting. Out of curiosity, I sat down several times to watch it with them. There was an authentic innocence to several of the soon-to-be-married Duggar kids, and a number of episodes were dedicated to their courtships and weddings. It became immediately apparent that purity and a childlike innocence were major reasons for its appeal. In contrast to other popular “reality” shows like Keeping Up with the Kardashians, Dating Naked, or The Bachelor, these qualities were curious novelties to many and welcome changes for some.
In June of 2015 it came out that Josh Duggar had molested several girls when he was fifteen. The family had dealt with it internally and privately in the past, and, in the view of many, inadequately. More dirt surfaced about Josh in the following months, exposing the hypocrisy of his reality TV image where he was presenting himself as an exemplar of the values of the Family Research Council. As a result, 19 Kids and Counting was canceled to the delight of some and disappointment of others. Josh was exposed as a hypocrite, liar, sex addict, and cheater.
My greatest concern with the Duggars, however, was one I had prior to these scandals. It was the isolationist, legalistic, and repressive kind of Christianity they were displaying for the culture. It was not surprising to find out that one of their primary teaching influences, “and regular guest at the family’s guarded compound,” was the then eighty-two-year-old Bill Gothard.[3] Interestingly, Mr. Gothard has had to deal with his own share of sexual accusations in recent years, resulting in his disgraced resignation from leadership of the ministry he founded.[4] Although it was dropped in February of 2018, Gothard and IBLP faced “a lawsuit from 18 people alleging sexual harassment,” and lost their “stamp of approval from the leading group[5] that sets standards for evangelical ministries.”[6]
Watching the Duggars, who have been identified as “devout Gothard followers,”[7] combined with knowing more than the average person about the ministry and legacy of Mr. Gothard, has stirred up memories concerning my own spiritual journey. As I look back over the last thirty plus years of ministry involvement, Bill Gothard’s voice was one of the most pervasive in the conservative evangelical circles in which I worked. In what follows, I have made every effort to express Mr. Gothard’s teaching as accurately as possible. Unlike many critics of his ministry, I have considerable first-hand exposure to his writings and ministry, having heard him speak live on many occasions—including six Basic, two Advanced, and three Pastors’ seminars. I have also had thirty years to observe the fruit in the lives of many who have been his most avid disciples, even some who had worked with Gothard personally.
Admittedly, there are positive aspects to Bill Gothard’s ministry, and these help explain why he has had such an appeal and influence:
- An emphasis on the practical, where the Bible is relevant to life
- A strong family-focus, wherein family is the believer’s first ministry and priority
- An emphasis on dealing with personal sin and unresolved issues from the past
Despite these helpful aspects, however, Mr. Gothard’s teaching includes a myriad of distortions. In the next four posts, I’ll discuss these under six main headings:
- Use of general principles as foundational proof texts for certain strange teachings.
- Devaluing the place of women.
- Misuse of the original languages and an over-reliance on the wooden literalness of King James Version (KJV).
- Misuse of “the weaker brother principle” and a distortion of the believer’s freedom in Christ.
- Elevating the culture the Bible was written in over others.
- Misrepresenting his ministry in relation to that of others.
Next week, we’ll look at examples under the first two of these headings: the use of general principles as foundational proof texts for certain strange teachings and devaluing the place of women.
[2] “Gleanings: May 2016.” Christianity Today, Volume 30, Number 4 (May 2016): 16. See also here.
[3] Michelle Tauber, “Josh Duggar’s Cheating Scandal: His Shocking Double Life,” People (September 7, 2015): 49.
[4]See https://billgothard.com/news-and-statements/ for Mr. Gothard’s perspective and response to his accusers. To read about the accusations of the 60 women who accuse him of sexual harassment and worse see http://www.recoveringgrace.org.
[5] The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (EFCA).
[6] “Gleanings: May 2016.” Christianity Today, Volume 30, Number 4 (May 2016): 16.
[7] Tauber, “Josh Duggar’s Cheating Scandal,” 49.