Bethany Church is accused of abusing kids through rigorous "boot camps," "fight nights," and humiliation. It's senior pastor, Jonathan Stockstill, has apologized for the pain the program in question has caused to those who became part of it.
According to NBC News, who looked into the matter following the pastor's apology, teenagers were matched up against one other during "fight nights" hosted by a youth pastor leading a Christian leadership training program.
"Boot camps," where students learn the Way of the Cross by training until they vomit or dirty themselves - and by lugging huge logs about on their shoulders in the scorching summer heat.
Racist and homophobic comments were directed at participants who were Black or suspected of being homosexual, while female interns were body shamed.
More than a half-dozen individuals who participated in Bethany Church"s "220i" leadership program, located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, from 2005 to 2013, reported these and other alleged abuses to NBC. The training program claimed to develop interns, as participants were called, into ministerial candidates while also providing them with "marketable skills" such as "media production."
A mom who thought the show was a cult from which she had to "rescue" her daughter was among those questioned.
The church's current senior pastor, Jonathan Stockstill, reportedly apologized on his Facebook page on April 29 for the "painful experiences" many of the 500 or so young Christians had in the program, which was designed to "train young leaders."
"While there was some positive fruit that came from that ministry, there were also leadership and cultural flaws that led to painful experiences for many," he wrote. "It's obvious to me now and to the current leadership at Bethany Church that we significantly missed the mark in that program in many ways."
Former interns claimed, "he was aware of what was going on and did nothing to stop it." Some talked on the record, while others used different aliases out of fear of reprisal from the prominent megachurch, which has thousands of followers.
They said his elder brother, Joel, was the ringleader, tormenting the interns with the assistance of "second years," as well as Joel's late wife, Amy, and his present wife, Amie.
The nondenominational Bethany Church, founded by the Stockstill brothers' grandpa Roy in 1963, has grown from Sunday services in the family's living room to one of the country"s largest megachurches. It has over 8,000 members scattered over five campuses in Louisiana, with a sixth on the way in New Orleans, as well as a television ministry and supports missions both at home and overseas.
The religious institution refuted the most severe charges in a statement signed "Bethany Church," but also apologized to "those we have disappointed in any way."
The church said, "This highly disciplined program that was totally voluntary to participants was not perfect and we chose to end it 8 years ago. As we reflect on the program, it pains us to know that although so many lives were changed for the good, it's clear the one-size-fits-all approach to physical and spiritual discipline was not effective in some areas."
"As the lead pastor of Bethany, I would like to take responsibility and repent to anyone that had a negative experience. Please forgive us," Stockstill added.
Several commenters on Jonathan Stockstill's Facebook page complimented him for apologizing. Those who talked to NBC News, on the other hand, viewed it as a public relations gimmick intended at averting a "potential lawsuit by the more than 100 men and women" who have formed an online survivors' group.
According to them, the 40-year-old pastor is attempting to maintain "his public image as a hip preacher" who effectively connects with younger people and also serves as the vocalist for the Christian rock band Deluge.
Gume Laurel, 34, a Texan who participated in the 10-month program in 2007 and 2008, described it as "damage control."
"It looks like he's trying to shift the blame and say, 'The leadership at the time.' He was 'the leadership' at the time," said Laurel.
However, not all of the interns had a bad time. Bridget Linville, a former intern, said she enrolled in the program after two of her friends suggested it to her.
"I actually had two of my friends from my church who had gone the previous two years. And they had much more positive experiences," Linville said. She claims that her pals were in a "favored category" so they didn't "really deal with a lot of the awful treatment" she endured.
Joel Stockstill, who bragged at a 2011 leadership conference that "the Lord has given me a creative ability for servanthood and discipline" has yet to issue an apology.
In a YouTube video, he remarked, "I just have supernatural creative ideas on how to administer the rod of brokenness to the backside of a foolish intern."
Joel and Amie Stockstill, 35, who bills herself as a Christian life coach and maintains the website Let's Echo, did not reply to NBC's email requests for comment as of writing.
According to the Bethany Church website, Joel Stockstill, 42, continues to lead the Surge ministry, which was founded by his father, Larry.
The boot camp was accused of instilling a "cult mentality" as well as "physical and mental torture." These were thoroughly explored in this article.
