Bill Gothard

Once upon a time there was a thing called Integrity that all ministers of the Gospel were expected to have. It wasn't magic, and it couldn't keep them from all moral shortcomings, but it did lead them to do things like surround themselves with equals who could and would keep them accountable, never put themselves in a compromising situation, and preach the Gospel of sin and grace to themselves on a daily basis.

Those times seem long behind us, and the growing number of Christian leaders who have fallen into disgrace and disrepute is proof of that sad fact. Whether it's a pastor nailed for embezzlement, a homeschool guru caught in adultery, or a megachurch leader convicted of plagiarism, each fall seems a bit harder than the last because each successive minister was sitting on a higher pedestal than the last. At this point it's getting difficult to see with all the dust and smashed marble.

Why all these falls, and why now? Certainly, there are many distractions in our world, many temptations, and many opportunities for making the wrong choice. But are there more than in the past? There may be more opportunities, but there aren't more sins or temptations since the human race is neither more nor less fallen than it was 150 years ago, or 1500. The real difference today is the pervasive unbiblical attitude toward church and ministry leadership.

Few fallen leaders better exemplify this attitude than Bill Gothard, the man behind such ministries as Advanced Training Institute, the Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts, and the Institute in Basic Life Principles. Holding two degrees from Wheaton (obtained in the late '50s and early '60s) and a Ph.D. from Louisiana Baptist University (2004), Gothard began reaching massive crowds as far back as 1969, offering week-long seminars intended to help people live successfully and morally.

In the 1970s, the Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts (IBYC) reached millions of people in venues as small as church auditoriums, and as large as sports stadiums. Initially, Gothard used an overhead projector and spoke from his notes; as time went on, things didn't get too much more hi-tech, and Gothard still spoke at length while his listeners wrote copious notes. This was part of the appeal—the conservative approach struck a chord with many in a teetering society.

Even in the early years, many were concerned that Gothard's programs left a gaping hole where the Gospel of grace should have been, replacing it with multi-step lists of rules. In fact, IBYC's own marketing campaigns made it plain that believers and unbelievers were invited to attend the seminars, and these were no Billy Graham evangelistic crusades. Rather, Gothard lectured for hours at a time on the dos and dont's of a successful life.

Things went along for awhile, and there was a lot going on that the outside world never heard about until much later. Then there was 1980, and The Scandal that brought down IBYC. It became clear that Bill's brother Steve was having multiple transgressive sexual relationships with a number of young women on staff for the ministry, and that he was becoming more and more brazen in his conduct. But it got worse. Bill himself was implicated.

No evidence suggests that Bill Gothard actually had sex with any of the many young ladies he hired and groomed for service at his Illinois headquarters or at the Michigan retreat where his brother was stationed. And yet, he did have multiple inappropriate relationships of his own, that were sexual in nature even if they didn't involve intercourse of any kind. Worse, he knew what his brother Steve was up to, and continued to send girls to the Michigan complex to work for Steve.

The whole empire came crashing down, or so it seemed. Gothard stepped down, etc., many of his staff quit, and it seemed like the whole thing was over. But Bill Gothard was not so easily put down, and in almost no time had set up a new ministry devoted to the teachings disseminated by his former ministry. Advanced Training Institute (ATI) began in 1984, and this became the main breeding ground for converts to Gothard's teachings, as well as the pool from which he selected girls to work for him.

Over the years, more and more dos and don'ts were introduced. ATI member families, who subscribed to a homeschool program and a variety of retreat-based training events, agreed to follow the rules laid out in a massive tome that included everything from acceptable hairstyles to sexual morality. Children were given curriculum that dwelt much more thoroughly on Gothard's teachings than it did on academics.

There are many unsettling aspects to this teaching, but the two most bizarre pillars of Gothardism are his teachings concerning sexual morality and authority. All of the literature and teachings of Gothard's various ministries focuses to a highly unhealthy degree on sexual purity, often to a disgusting degree. Gothard insists that sexual purity is of the utmost importance (we agree it is what God calls us to), but then he doesn't stop talking about it.

For Bill Gothard, sexual purity is an idol. This may seem like an odd idol, but just as one's own goodness as a merit for God's grace is a form of idolatry, Gothard's unhealthy focus on sexual purity is idolatrous. He sees every male as a sexual maniac and pervert, and every female as a seductress luring these males who can't control themselves into sin. Consequently, there is danger behind every ponytail, friendly smile, and mere handshake.

This is bad enough, but it gets way worse. In cases of sexual abuse, Gothard actually calls on victims to apologize to their abusers for tempting them and causing them to sin. This is demonic. It sets up a situation in which victims are emotionally and mentally intimidated and indoctrinated to accept their own complicity in sins committed against them. And who shoulders most of this horrific burden? Children, especially children abused sexually by their parents and/or siblings.

Which brings us to the second of Gothard's blasphemous teachings. For Gothard, there is a chain of authority from God all the way down to children. Children are to unquestioningly obey their parents, mothers unquestioningly obey husbands, and husbands unquestioningly obey God. Except that between ATI/IBYC/IBLP husbands/fathers and God is another authority figure: Bill Gothard himself.

Because this chain of command is based on unquestioned and absolute authority, children (for instance) are not allowed to bring any kind of accusation against their fathers, or anyone else in authority above them. If such complaints should occur, they are summarily dismissed, or laid to rest through inaction and inattention. Within the authority structure of his ministries, Gothard treats all those under his authority (so, everyone) in exactly this way.

All of these things are extensively and often graphically documented and described on the website Recovering Grace, a site devoted to ministering the Gospel of Christ's grace to the thousands of Gothard victims, and to uncovering the multiple layers of sin and lies that have allowed this corrupt system to continue for so long. Much of the content of the site is difficult to read, as much of it deals with Bill Gothard's decades-long history of sexual harrassment and misconduct, that of his brother Steve, and the sexual abuse experienced by many children in ATI homes. However, the overall tenor of the site is godly and helpful.

To be clear: we are not saying that every ATI family or anyone who ever attended an IBYC or IBLP was involved in gross or any other kind of sexual sin, or that everyone ever involved with any of Gothard's programs is damaged or unhealthy. We are saying that Gothard's obsession with sexual matters and his radically unbiblical view of authority are rotten to the core, and that we do not any longer buy or sell his materials.

In many ways, Gothard is the poster-boy for the recent spate of pastoral and ministerial scandals. The idea that ministers are only answerable to God himself is the current approach to ecclesiology, and it stinks. All ministers of God's Word are to submit to those appointed for that purpose, to be held accountable, and to keep themselves from unrepentant and grievous sin. The irony in Gothard's case and all others like his is that his god-like status among staff and followers enabled his abuse of power, and his sexual preoccupations.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.