If you are currently or were ever a student and/or member of Faith Christian Church in Tucson, PLEASE, read this survey and post your comments below!! I was shocked when I read this and MORE shocked that FCC is on here!!
University of Arizona University Religious Council Survey
Posted: September 14, 2011 in On CampusTags: Christian, Church, Faith, faith christian church, Red Flags, Tucson, university of arizona, University Religious Council
Comments
Former Members of Faith Christian Church Tucson and its offshoots 
As a student, when I was first “coming in” to the church, I got persistent calls and door knocks. One time, I didn’t want to go to church and Bill rang my room over and over on Sunday morning. I also felt pressure not to date and to disengage from my family. We were made to feel very suspicious of other Christian groups on campus, and the leaders would even mock and make fun of them. As a student, I remember many people leaving the church. They were ostracized as rebellious and opposed to God’s will.
If it wasn’t for your persistent door knocks and calls, I would not be saved!
I think I personally violated ALL of the red flag warnings!! So many times, we demanded to know people’s personal, financial situations, who they were dating and why, etc. I look at each one and give an example:
1. Persistent unwanted door knocks, standing around,etc…I will admit that most people honored this but it took someone saying “don’t call me anymore” to get the hint that people didn’t want to be hounded.
2. Invasiveness: See above comments. We were forced to break couples up, even if they were honest about their relationship and were Christians!!
3. Deception: Like how Native Nations books the prayer meetings or WFC “sponsors” the surveys and the give aways…FYI, the elders set up the “officers” when I was there. It had nothing to do with student votes or recommendations.
4. Pressure: pressure not to date was HUGE, especially if member was outside the church. it’s obvious from the stories on the Facebook page that families were separated and forced apart through the pressure of the church. It took years for our extended family in Florida to say all this, but they felt the church forced us apart and it’s taken a long time to mend those wounds.
5. Shame: wow…I would imagine most people in there now experience this…I had so many great friends that left and we were pressured to not speak to them, to move on and find “true” disciples that were here to “build” with us. Also, we really did shame people into tithing. I remember one student who was taking a break from school to work and pay off his debt. Truthfully, he was giving what he felt he could but it wasn’t 10%. One of the elders and I sat down with him and asked him how much he made and why what he was giving didn’t equal 10% of that number. The student looked down at the ground and I could tell he was angry and sad and incredibly frustrated. He looked at the elder and said “man I don’t have 10% to give but I will give what I can. I have school loans to pay off, credit cards and my rent. but I’ll try and give 10% moving forward.” The elder opened his Bible to some obscure passage in Leviticus and told him “that’s great. but since you didn’t tithe, the Bible says here that these folks had to pay interest on top of the tithe that they didn’t give. So I challenge you to give 10% on TOP of the 10% that you OWE for your tithe.” My friend was shocked. He left a few weeks after and got the heck out of town. Months later, this elder called the student and apologized but he had long left town and the student was not recognized as a member or affiliate of the church.
Wow, this is unreal. They are talking about FCC exactly.
That was how I read the red flags as well, on almost every count.
FCC to a tee…did anyone contact the UA religious council about this? What will/can they do? I am assuming it is hard to do something when the FCC leaders put on such a powerful facade. I liken it to an abusive parent who gets a heads up that CPS is coming. They clean up their act for a small time…and thus the abuse continues.
Hey Damara, How’s it going. It me Thandi. Do you remember me, Daven and Rori. I think about FCC from time to time and I found this site. Hope to hear from you soon. Hope all is well.
The University should require that handout be given to every group listed and that the groups be required to distribute it with anything they do on campus.
The University should give this brochure to all of the groups listed on it and require that they hand them out with any surveys or promotions that the groups do on campus.
I was told I had to cut off all ties to all of my friends when I joined the church. We were told we had to give a certain percentage of our income or we couldn’t be members in the church. When we left, everyone we knew was told to no longer talk or have contact with us. I believe that all 7 of these red flags occurred regularly while I was a member of CFC.
Last year they were banned from “surveying” outside four or five dorms because of complaints from people. It doesn’t surprise me at all that they are on this list. There are so many things wrong with their so called “Christian” behavior.
I too felt this way at FCC….I was pressured not to hang out with people outside the church…and mending those relationships is hard…
holy cow. I think that they made this for FCC. I was personaly violated for every one of these things. I was once even asked about why I “missed” a “tithe payment”. I knew of people who were harrassed because they gave less one week. Funny how it was never questioned to give more… just less.
Anonymous from Oct 23rd..I just went to the memorial service for one of my close friends and teammate that I was told to distance myself from after joining FCC. I lost touch and was never able to find her…I can’t tell you how much regret and sadness I felt seeing the pictures of her over the years..seeing her now grown children and realizing how much I missed out on by not being in her life….it still makes me angry that I lost touch with so many for so long. Thankful that, through FB I have reconnected with several.
This is absolutely amazing, especially that they are ON THE COUNCIL. GCC (Grace Christian Church) in Fort Collins at CSU (Colorado State University) also has many of these red flags. Come to think of it, I’m not surprised at all that they are on the council. Being on the council makes them appear normal.
Wow this makes sense now. I didn’t realize this was the same council Steve said he sat on. I remember stories of how he would tell us some of the arguments he would have with people on the council during some of their meetings. He would mock them and say how he would condemn them for some of their practices or past “personal” conduct.
I was a member my freshman year of college, the first semester was great. I felt like they really invited me in, and made me feel extremely welcome. Things started getting strange when they started asking me about my home life. They asked about my friends back home, and whether or not I was friends with people of “other” religions. My roommate at the time, was Jewish, and she overheard them and my feeble attempt to stand up for my friends. I started becoming more angry and irritable, which, unfortunately I took out on my family and friends when I was at home.
The second semester started, and I started dating someone, which is a huge no-no, something of which I was not aware. I had a campus minister, one of her friends and another member tell me the evils of dating a non-Christian, and referred me constantly to 2 Corinthians, and told me I needed to end my relationship with my boyfriend to fully grow in the church. I tried to keep my two lives separate, which seemed to work okay for the semester. However, when sophomore year started, one of the campus ministers asked me to lunch and we sat and talked about the summer, and what we both did, etc. She then jumped right into my relationship and asked if I was “still dating THAT guy,” and when I told her I was, she again, told me the dangers of being “yolked to a non-believer” and that I needed to heed her warning and “come to a place of repentance or go my own way.” I again, dragged the inevitable out. It finally came to having the same campus minister schedule a meeting with the associate pastor, and he pulled me aside after church and told me that he too, was concerned about my relationship, quoted 2 Corinthians, and another bible verse about what to do when a brother sins against you. I was given a week to decide, and had to give him or the campus minister my answer by the following Sunday.
I met with the campus minister the following Saturday, tried once again to argue my point, which she shot down, and told her that I would indeed be “going my own way” and left. The effects of being almost shunned was immense.
I definitely felt and saw all the warning signs, and it took this site for me to really realize I made the right decision.
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