I'm not at all surprised by the way this looks as if it's going - abusers never, ever see their faults or want to own their actions, and they never want to let go of the victims. Add money into the mix and you're always going to get an outcome that's designed to look as good as possible to the faithful to allow the income stream to continue unabated, even (as it's obvious to you and me) though the enquiry is going to be as effectual as a feather duster in a cow shed.
“In a way, they’re victims, too. But there is a point at which you become complicit in all this — and at this juncture, that’s what many of Arise’s campus pastors have become.”
Just weathering the storm, it’s not so bad, the Church can’t function without its leaders... Fish rots from the head. And this fish is STANKY 🐟
I'm not an accountant, but something that has often intrigued me about these churches is the difficulty of getting money out of them for the founders while being registered as a charity. They can of course pay a salary (and they seem to pay a wage bill of around 5m a year for pastoral care, which seems high) but it's not like you can pay out a dividend like a normal business on a profit (which was 3.8m in their last filed return).
Arise seems to have a great scheme worked out where John and co enjoy personal benefits from Arise staff (gardening, childcare and so on). I wonder if anyone has ever investigated systems like this from the angle of Fringe Benefit Tax liability?
So pleased you have Paul de Jong and LIFE on your radar David.
My own personal experiences, while working within the wider "para-church" world with LIFE, City Impact and some other well known Christian organizations in NZ, destroyed any naive expectations I had of why people are in ministry - but also made me extremely grateful for the Pastors and leaders at my own church; who restored my faith in leaders who genuinely love God and the people in their 'flock'.
Keep up this great work David. I hope it doesn't overwhelm or weigh you down too much - it's an important and timely bringing of light to the dark corners of NZ's wannabe mega-churches.
Eric Fromm wrote about the motivation behind these kinds of sadistic behaviour in "Escape from Freedom" in the 1940s. He described a number of common rationalisations, but while the sadist may appear strong he actual displays a strong dependency over those whom they try to control and dominate. Thus "The sadist needs the person over whom he rules, he needs him very badly, since his own feelings of strength is rooted in the fact that he is master over someone". The loss of mastery is crippling to the sadist's self image. If not rectified, then such a person will undergo psychological disintegration. Thus, there is a desperate impulse to return to the the place they once held, an unconscious need to stave off this disintegration of the self. For if they are not special, or gifted, they are nothing.
Also, there is this need to humiliate those they control. For such individuals can neither tolerate nor abide the idea that someone could be their equal, or even their superior. To maintain control, and superiority, any who pose a potential threat need to be subjugated and humiliation is a powerful mechanism for subjugation. Thus, the use of verbal insults, and infantile behaviours like "dead legging" and farting into the face of a follower. These actions serve to reinforce the inferiority of the follower, the followers purported weakness and the superiority of the abuser. Yet the necessity to abuse and humiliate illustrate their profound insecurity and fear of disintegration.
Daniel Shaw expands upon this idea when he observes the traumatising narcissist denies the subjectivity of their followe. rs. They and not individuals in their own right, but objects to be manipulated and controlled according to their narcissistic fantasies and delusions. The narcissist needs to be acclaimed and adored. This need is often subconscious. To be fallible is to be weak. To be vulnerable, rather than being an essential part of being truly human, is to be despised and denigrated. The vulnerabilities of their followers are to be ruthlessly targeted, exposed and ridiculed.
Survivors can escape the hegemony of their abuser, as I can attest from my own story. It begins by recognising the profound weakness of the abuser and their traumatising system of control. Doing so does not deny the pain of the abuse, but recognises that survival required the development of a number of tools to survive in an unhealthy abusive environment. Recovery also involves recognising that I am more than the abuse, that I am worthy of respect, that I have a number of untapped talents strengths and abilities. Indeed it was all those strengths and abilities that the abuser found so intimidating, requiring frantic efforts at denigration and control.
It goes back to a line you previously covered in an earlier article - Arise is John and John is Arise. This is not a church for God, it’s a literal ATM for those in charge. So of course it would be inconceivable for the Cameron’s to consider stepping down or allowing any other leaders to carry on their work. Because it’s not about the work at all, it’s their means to free labour, vast sums of money and the ability to carry out their narcissistic and malicious behaviour on vulnerable followers. In the words of the inimitable Maynard Keenan - “picture-perfect numb belligerence….”
With everything that Christianity-as-a-whole could ever produce on the topics of honesty, lying and Pharisaical language, this duplicitous and evasive construction of words is a disappointment to read; especially given that one can see how eager parishioners (I forget the Pentecostal word for this) will readily take the hints and give John, Gillian, Brent and Annie the benefit of the doubt
These people are unbelievable. They’re trying to find shade in the sunlight, and it’s beyond sickening. My heart hurts for those harmed by ARISE (what happened to Theo won’t leave my mind any time soon). My hope is that those inside Arise will speak out and take this “church” down for good.
I'm not at all surprised by the way this looks as if it's going - abusers never, ever see their faults or want to own their actions, and they never want to let go of the victims. Add money into the mix and you're always going to get an outcome that's designed to look as good as possible to the faithful to allow the income stream to continue unabated, even (as it's obvious to you and me) though the enquiry is going to be as effectual as a feather duster in a cow shed.
“In a way, they’re victims, too. But there is a point at which you become complicit in all this — and at this juncture, that’s what many of Arise’s campus pastors have become.”
Just weathering the storm, it’s not so bad, the Church can’t function without its leaders... Fish rots from the head. And this fish is STANKY 🐟
He’s all I’m blameless, just stepping aside to help everyone out. Shameless spin.
I'm not an accountant, but something that has often intrigued me about these churches is the difficulty of getting money out of them for the founders while being registered as a charity. They can of course pay a salary (and they seem to pay a wage bill of around 5m a year for pastoral care, which seems high) but it's not like you can pay out a dividend like a normal business on a profit (which was 3.8m in their last filed return).
Arise seems to have a great scheme worked out where John and co enjoy personal benefits from Arise staff (gardening, childcare and so on). I wonder if anyone has ever investigated systems like this from the angle of Fringe Benefit Tax liability?
I really hope Arise people are smart enough to see through all this bs! Can't wait for the paul dejong/life series!!!
The whole “we’ll await the review and then be back” really doesn’t sound like they care what the review says.
Proverbs 26:11
“As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.”
Not really fair on dogs, folly could be swapped out for On-going Systemic Power & Status over the Vulnerable.
Business as usual.
So pleased you have Paul de Jong and LIFE on your radar David.
My own personal experiences, while working within the wider "para-church" world with LIFE, City Impact and some other well known Christian organizations in NZ, destroyed any naive expectations I had of why people are in ministry - but also made me extremely grateful for the Pastors and leaders at my own church; who restored my faith in leaders who genuinely love God and the people in their 'flock'.
Keep up this great work David. I hope it doesn't overwhelm or weigh you down too much - it's an important and timely bringing of light to the dark corners of NZ's wannabe mega-churches.
(I couldn’t resist so here’s the lyrics, shout-out to Stephen Schwartz)
Alas alas for you
Lawyers and Pharisees
Hypocrites that you be
Searching for souls and fools to forsake them
You travel the land you scour the sea
After you've got your converts you make them
Twice as fit for hell!
As you are yourselves!
Alas, alas for you
Lawyers and Pharisees
Hypocrites that you are
Sure that the kingdom of Heaven awaits you
You will not venture half so far
Other men that might enter the gates you
Keep from passing through!
Drag them down with you!
You snakes, you viper's brood
You cannot escape being Devil's food!
I send you prophets, I send you preachers
Sages and rages and ages of teachers
Nothing can bar your mood
Blind guides, blind fools
The blood you spilt
On you will fall!
This nation, this generation
Will bear the guilt of it all!
Alas, alas alas for you!
Blind fools!!
The saying "Nothing changes if nothing changes" is rather apt in this case.
Eric Fromm wrote about the motivation behind these kinds of sadistic behaviour in "Escape from Freedom" in the 1940s. He described a number of common rationalisations, but while the sadist may appear strong he actual displays a strong dependency over those whom they try to control and dominate. Thus "The sadist needs the person over whom he rules, he needs him very badly, since his own feelings of strength is rooted in the fact that he is master over someone". The loss of mastery is crippling to the sadist's self image. If not rectified, then such a person will undergo psychological disintegration. Thus, there is a desperate impulse to return to the the place they once held, an unconscious need to stave off this disintegration of the self. For if they are not special, or gifted, they are nothing.
Also, there is this need to humiliate those they control. For such individuals can neither tolerate nor abide the idea that someone could be their equal, or even their superior. To maintain control, and superiority, any who pose a potential threat need to be subjugated and humiliation is a powerful mechanism for subjugation. Thus, the use of verbal insults, and infantile behaviours like "dead legging" and farting into the face of a follower. These actions serve to reinforce the inferiority of the follower, the followers purported weakness and the superiority of the abuser. Yet the necessity to abuse and humiliate illustrate their profound insecurity and fear of disintegration.
Daniel Shaw expands upon this idea when he observes the traumatising narcissist denies the subjectivity of their followe. rs. They and not individuals in their own right, but objects to be manipulated and controlled according to their narcissistic fantasies and delusions. The narcissist needs to be acclaimed and adored. This need is often subconscious. To be fallible is to be weak. To be vulnerable, rather than being an essential part of being truly human, is to be despised and denigrated. The vulnerabilities of their followers are to be ruthlessly targeted, exposed and ridiculed.
Survivors can escape the hegemony of their abuser, as I can attest from my own story. It begins by recognising the profound weakness of the abuser and their traumatising system of control. Doing so does not deny the pain of the abuse, but recognises that survival required the development of a number of tools to survive in an unhealthy abusive environment. Recovery also involves recognising that I am more than the abuse, that I am worthy of respect, that I have a number of untapped talents strengths and abilities. Indeed it was all those strengths and abilities that the abuser found so intimidating, requiring frantic efforts at denigration and control.
Kia kaha.
Just a thought...if you take the 'i' out of 'Arise' you get a lot closer to the truth - Arse!
Assemblies of God churches INVENTED spin. They couldn’t survive if they were transparent.
John is in for a rude awakening from St. Peter...
Jesus wept.
For my music heads out there give this a listen:
Jesus destroying Men in power
“Alas for you” godspell (1969 movie version)
I could post the lyrics but the whole song is poetry in motion
It goes back to a line you previously covered in an earlier article - Arise is John and John is Arise. This is not a church for God, it’s a literal ATM for those in charge. So of course it would be inconceivable for the Cameron’s to consider stepping down or allowing any other leaders to carry on their work. Because it’s not about the work at all, it’s their means to free labour, vast sums of money and the ability to carry out their narcissistic and malicious behaviour on vulnerable followers. In the words of the inimitable Maynard Keenan - “picture-perfect numb belligerence….”
With everything that Christianity-as-a-whole could ever produce on the topics of honesty, lying and Pharisaical language, this duplicitous and evasive construction of words is a disappointment to read; especially given that one can see how eager parishioners (I forget the Pentecostal word for this) will readily take the hints and give John, Gillian, Brent and Annie the benefit of the doubt
These people are unbelievable. They’re trying to find shade in the sunlight, and it’s beyond sickening. My heart hurts for those harmed by ARISE (what happened to Theo won’t leave my mind any time soon). My hope is that those inside Arise will speak out and take this “church” down for good.