What is Happening at BCF?

Faith Hopegood
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What is Happening at BCF?

Post by Faith Hopegood »

I thought I would just ask the question, What is Happening at BCF?

I have heard stories (2nd hand) about some possibly major changes in operational and teaching directions in BCF - possibly handed down to the massed sheeple at the annual BCF youth camp in January 2019.

There are stories of leaders and elders being taken off the tithe and told to go and get paying jobs.

There are other indications that BCF, and a lot of other regional fellowships, are possibly suffering a loss in disillusioned congregation numbers due to previous dodgy teaching and maltreatment of people. Part of this reduction in congregation has also been a revelation to either a group of leaders or the congregation members as a whole, about the scale of money grabbing, corruption and activities of a former star messenger dictator from the Hill Country to the west of Brisbane.

Has anyone else heard of these changes of direction at BCF and regional fellowships?

Of course, there are practical self serving implications and assumptions that we can make in all this.
1. There has been a continued reduction in congregation numbers in the various fellowships.
2. This reduction has a direct impact on monies received by the elders in the form of reduced tithes and giving.
3. The logical result is for Vic to save his own skin (and regular income stream) and "get a special revelation from God" to tell the other elders and leaders they are no longer on the tithe and have to fend for themselves.
4. There is also probably an element of realisation that the general false teachings over the past years are now reaping their reward and people are waking up that they have taken for a ride. This has prompted a response from the high eldership to make some teaching/belief changes - again in order to save their skins.
5. It could be we are seeing a tipping point being reached in some of the smaller regional fellowships through out Australia, where they can no longer afford to actually continue as a congregation and reduced to being a local homegroup and being forced to travel long distance to attend "official CF events". The practical effect of this means that all the tithes from these smaller regional fellowship go directly into Vic's coffers in consolidated revenue and Vic is cutting out the middle man in effect!

I truly doubt that any of the above changes are being made due to guilt or regret in the BCF corporate conscience about having been teaching wrong theology of the years. If there is a true change of heart and the BCF leaders are sorry for their historical wrong teaching, I would hope they are following up the people they have caused trouble to in the past and making apologies and amends for their wicked ways.

My cynical side tells me that Vic, being of a general narcissistic and psychopathic nature, will make some token cosmetic changes in order to impress the sheeple but the main reason for the changes is to ensure survival and maintain control.

We shall see if the leopard can change its spots.
robocop
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Re: What is Happening at BCF?

Post by robocop »

I would hope they are following up the people they have caused trouble to in the past and making apologies and amends for their wicked ways.
Oh Faith, I really don't expect that Vic would stoop to that level as his puffed-up ego would not allow him to do it. Could we see Vic following in the footsteps of Jesus, and stooping down to wash the feet of his disciples. I think not.
robocop
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Re: What is Happening at BCF?

Post by robocop »

I thought I would just ask the question, What is Happening at BCF?
Well Faith, I can tell you something that IS happening at BCF with the news that has surfaced that IAN BARLOW has announced his engagement to BRONWYN REYNOLDS. Many of those ex-BCF people will remember Bronwyn as a beautiful girl who used to sing with the group of singers consisting of Kate Wylie/Helen Maguire/Michelle Jensen, and various others back in the 70's and early 80's.

Seems to be another arranged relationship, approved by the hierarchy at BCF.
Bagel
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Re: What is Happening at BCF?

Post by Bagel »

Well I hope that’s good news for them both, be it arranged or otherwise.

But heck, it’s sounding more and more like a police state those people have to live in. Maybe rigid boundaries make some people feel safe? Unfortunately some of us have personalities that are easy targets for the xCF ‘thought police’ and so end up in trouble whether we deserve it or not.

Bagel
Faith Hopegood
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Re: What is Happening at BCF?

Post by Faith Hopegood »

thanks for the update Robocop.
Bagel, it is true, I wish them both well. It is a good thing to have company and I imagine it would be very hard and lonely to lose your spouse for many decades. I was very saddened when Glady Barlow passed away as I really loved her genuineness and love.
Lillith
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Re: What is Happening at BCF?

Post by Lillith »

Nice to see the well wishes re the marriage of Ian Barlow and Bronwyn.
Since the topic was opened up and their names mentioned -
I need to say that I have it on good authority that it was NOT arranged.
I was told it by someone close to them that it was actually quite the opposite.

Also, I have not seen arranged marriages in the branch I was in. There was a respect for couples to choose for themselves who to court. The engagement announcement testimonies I saw, were always from couples sincerely gushing about how they were marrying their best friends.

HOWEVER, I have seen a number of relationships which were terminated by elders.
Stargazer
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Re: What is Happening at BCF?

Post by Stargazer »

Current intel from within MCF by young person who attends young adults there. This person wanted to date a person of own choice. But no it wasn’t on the leaders list of possible suitors for this person. To be told that their courtship could not go ahead “was the most brutal thing they had ever experienced”, was the exact quote from the person. Arranged marriages are certainly on the agenda.
Lillith
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Re: What is Happening at BCF?

Post by Lillith »

Oh Stargazer,
- oh how awful and brutal indeed for those ones.
Thank you for keeping us up to date.
My observation in QLD was that dating (within the church of course) was allowed (?freely).
BUT yes, to back up what you shared, relationships could nevertheless be terminated by the leaders when the couple wanted to proceed to courtship.
😔
Faith Hopegood
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Re: What is Happening at BCF?

Post by Faith Hopegood »

Thanks Lillith and Stargazer for your updates.

Separating topics for a second.

Firstly, I would truly wish Ian Barlow and Bronwyn every happiness and blessing - every married couple deserved this.

Secondly, from a general perspective and my historical observations there appear to be double standards within the Christian Fellowship with respect to dating, engagements and marriages. People higher up the CF food chain, and particularly those related to exulted leaders such as the Halls, are given a free pass to their choices. Money and connections speak.

However if you are a standard young person in the CF, then very strict standards and rules (mostly unwritten) are fairly brutally enforced across the board. Dating or even thinking of having a relationship with someone who doesn't attend the CF is strictly verboten. Only a relationship with another attending CF person is allowed and even then, must be approved by the elders/leaders. And as to flex their ungodly muscles, be enforcers, and reinforce their position of controllers over every relationship, the elders/leaders regularly split dating people up, sometimes just because they can. They have even been known in numerous cases to play tricks on dating people and get the guy to break off the relationship under leadership instruction with a view to getting the guy to disagree with the elders and fight for his relationship. This is just pure evil mind games and strong cult control. This type of behaviour is just devastating to those on the receiving end. And to be frank, some of them never recover mentally from the ordeal, or even worse decline into depression and mental illness after being manipulated in such an ungodly, unchristian and uncaring way.

Another form of manipulation is that there is plenty of evidence to show that the CF elders and leaders also have "approved lists" of people whom they deem might be suitable for a particular person. Consequently, a man might only be able to pick from a very small group of CF females for his mate. They also might tell people they are not marriageable material and are destined to be single - because it is "gods will" - I have seen this happen numerous times.

The behaviour in the Christian Fellowship groups really is a like a wild jungle with people being deliberately manipulated to see if they are strong enough to survive. Sadly thousands of people have not been strong and have truly suffered at the hands of these monsters.

Sadly, all the above behaviour is still going on within the CF to this very day. They have not repented of their ungodly controlling and manipulative destructive ways.
Stargazer
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Re: What is Happening at BCF?

Post by Stargazer »

The more I hear the more I get frustrated with the group! I know down at MCF the leaders personally went around to certain single people, telling them “they are unmarriagable”.. How hurtful, rude, disrespectful and manipulative is that! Who the heck has the right to tell another person they are not free to look for a life partner? Unbelievable!, how the heck dies this place continue to operate. These places need to be exposed and shut down.
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