January '13 Chicago Mag article "Let Us Prey" reports on First Baptist Church of Hammond

Another image from the article

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

-Matthew 7:15-20

I know it may seem like I’m just hating on Hammond again, but if Matthew 7:15-20 holds true (and we know that it does), then I re-double down on any and all criticisms that I’ve aired against the institution of FBC, Hyles-Anderson and any other affiliated ministries there. For too long, that organization exports troublemakers and criminals as ‘pastors’, with a very thin slicing of sugar on top to make it look like they’re doing the right things spiritually, and organized IFBdom seems to want to turn a blind eye to the excesses and abuses that a toxic culture creates, fosters, and then exports to unsuspecting churches; that, or they are so utterly lacking in discernment that they buy into the ‘few bad apples’ argument.

I am shocked, appalled, and disgusted that any sane ‘fundamentalist’ or ‘evangelical’ of any Biblical grounding can have any idea that cooperating or promoting anything from that poisoned tree is noteworthy or praiseworthy. I have said it before and will say it again - come out from them, and be ye separate. Do not have anything to do with this church until they are serious about gutting the church and rebuilding it on Christ instead of a pragmatic, man-centered, numbers oriented ‘church’.

Are there some that have escaped and are doing good work - that are dead serious about hard hitting exposition and discipleship - absolutely, and I rejoice in them and the work that they do. But stories like this - and there are probably a dozen at this point that I’m aware of without looking hard - point to serious, structural deficiencies that have now been in existence for 40+ years. That’s not a one off incident. That’s a pattern of wickedness that is being (at best) protected, and at worst willingly nurtured.

I thought this excerpt from pg. 144 was insightful. I added the numbers to demarcate out the 4 characteristics of a cult that were mentioned.

What makes a church a cult? I asked Rick Ross, whose nonprofit institute maintains an online archive of data on cults and controversial movements. (He says he is not familiar with the details of First Baptist.) Ross points to a landmark 1981 Harvard study on cult formation, which suggests that all cults, destructive or not, share three elements: [1] an absolute authoritarian leader who defines the group; [2] a “thought program” that includes “control of the environment, control of information, and people subordinating themselves and their feelings to the demands of the leader”; and [3] a lack of accountability for the head of the group. Another common characteristic of cults, Ross says, is that [4] they use shame and some sort of exploitation—financial, spiritual, or sexual—to exercise control. Members of a Bible-based group for example are made to believe that “it’s a sin of pride for you to think for yourself,” he says. “It’s your ego or a demon or Satan’s influence that causes you to doubt the edicts of the leadership.”

That would apply to FBC Hammond, in my opinion. Not necessarily is it a doctrinal cult (as in heterodox theologically), but culturally or organizationally it functions as a cult.

They will not turn a corner until they tear down this statue

Surely there are some godly people in this church. They should remove themselves and gather at some other place to worship The Lord. Good night, how far does this stench extend? I weep for the abused men, women and students.

I will say that I am not a supporter of FBC Hammond, HAC, or any related institutions. Obviously, the covert (Hyles and others) or overt (Schaap) sexualization and sexual predation needs to stop. Not only that, but the apologists for them need to cease and desist. Schaap himself says that he would be judged by the Lord. Nor do I endorse the “legalistic sanctification” approach that is taken by them. (Note: I separated out sanctification from salvation when discussing legalism, because they are two different subjects)

The environment there was indeed cultish, even if you don’t want to say it was a cult. I would say it was clearly a personality cult. The absolute power that is given is so often corrupting. That is why the checks and balances of a good system need to be carried out appropriately.

The question is more whether the teaching and cultish leadership led to the devastation. I would say the teaching and the leadership helped create an environment where this behavior could flourish. It also is a question of whether others who should know better followed such teaching out of pride or from being browbeaten to do so.

I was starting this article to try and remember the high percentage of people in this sphere of influence who have not fallen into these errors and sins. And that is true. However, let’s be gracious and help those who have seen the light and want to get out gracefully.

For the past 30 something years, the Country has heard about these horrors from Hammond. The sad part is that most of what the Country has heard is true. There is no such thing as a perfect ministry but when is enough ever going to be enough?

are finally getting connected with solid, dark, black lines.

NWITimes article

A former East Chicago pastor was sentenced Wednesday to a year of probation for stalking an underage girl. The Rev. Chester Mulligan, 44, pleaded guilty to felony stalking in return for Lake County prosecutors dropping two counts of felony sexual misconduct that were pending against him, Lake Criminal Court records state. Details of the plea agreement were not immediately available. Mulligan originally was accused of having sex multiple times with a then 14-year-old girl, court records state. The alleged incidents occurred from 1997 and continued to 2001, court documents stated. He ministered during that time at the Central Baptist Church in East Chicago. Mulligan resigned from Central Baptist in December 2001. Court records allege Mulligan first tried to have intercourse with the girl in his house in East Chicago. He stopped when she said it hurt, prosecutors said. But throughout the next two years, according to court records, he had sex with her several times at his house, the church office and baptistry, prosecutors alleged. When the girl wanted to end the relationship, Mulligan threatened to “start using her sister,” prosecutors said. The girl’s sister told investigators she was fondled by Mulligan when she was the front-seat passenger in a car he drove from a Kentucky wedding in August 2000, prosecutors said.

Grace Baptist Church, Miami Florida

After many trials and chastisements, Pastor Mulligan succumbed to God’s calling and surrendered his will to preach, March 22, 1994, at Pastor School in Indiana. Pastor Mulligan was ordained by Dr. Jack Hyles, at First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana, and received a General Studies diploma. Pastor Mulligan now holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Landmark Baptist College, a Master of Divinity from Great Plains Baptist Divinity School, and a Doctor of Divinity from Bethany Theological Seminary. He currently is the pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Miami, Fl. This is his third pastorate. Pastor Mulligan pastored Central Baptist Church in East Chicago, Indiana, Victory Baptist Church in Ft. Myers, Florida and served as a chaplain for the Army at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. God has greatly used Pastor Mulligan in all areas of his ministries and many souls have been led to Christ, baptized and lives changed forever.

The ministers looking on in awe at the Polishing the Shaft sermon

@Andrew-K: Unfortunately the description of Schaap’s sermon isn’t exaggerated in the least. You can easily find the video Youtube, and there is no way on earth that the pastors behind him (not to mention that vast majority of those in attendance at the teen conference) knew quite well that he was practically engaging in public masturbation.

According to the Miami church web site, Mulligan was called to their church in October, 2003. He was out of the ministry for only 22 months.

[Bob Hayton]

I thought this excerpt from pg. 144 was insightful. I added the numbers to demarcate out the 4 characteristics of a cult that were mentioned.

What makes a church a cult? I asked Rick Ross, whose nonprofit institute maintains an online archive of data on cults and controversial movements. (He says he is not familiar with the details of First Baptist.) Ross points to a landmark 1981 Harvard study on cult formation, which suggests that all cults, destructive or not, share three elements: [1] an absolute authoritarian leader who defines the group; [2] a “thought program” that includes “control of the environment, control of information, and people subordinating themselves and their feelings to the demands of the leader”; and [3] a lack of accountability for the head of the group. Another common characteristic of cults, Ross says, is that [4] they use shame and some sort of exploitation—financial, spiritual, or sexual—to exercise control. Members of a Bible-based group for example are made to believe that “it’s a sin of pride for you to think for yourself,” he says. “It’s your ego or a demon or Satan’s influence that causes you to doubt the edicts of the leadership.”

That would apply to FBC Hammond, in my opinion. Not necessarily is it a doctrinal cult (as in heterodox theologically), but culturally or organizationally it functions as a cult.

Bob….I would agree fully. If not fully a cult, it was and is “cultic.” I’m quite comfortable with the term cult from my unique perspective. Now to stir the pot further….

By that definition, I can also name no fewer than a dozen additional similar fundamentalist ministries that would also be thus categorized.

Just saying.

[Jim] The ministers looking on in awe at the Polishing the Shaft sermon

At some point you’d think someone with some sense would have stood up and did something to protest - pushed Schaap out of the pulpit or something. Something to indicate that maybe, just maybe, imitating that kind of behavior in a pulpit in front of kids and teenagers isn’t acceptable behavior for a ‘gospel preacher’.

But then again, this is FBC Hammond we’re talking about. People like that probably don’t stick around too long if they even want to stay.