Horrowing Ex-PCG Member Testimony from El Salvador

Exit and Support Network has published another harrowing testimony regarding PCG, this time from an ex-PCG member in El Salvador.

The first time we met with [a certain PCG "minister" named in the testimony] he said to my children that they would be put out of the Philadelphia Church of God if they ever dated someone outside. So they were obedient. Then [the PCG "minister"] wanted my children to cut off all their friends and acquaintances out there. My daughter was shocked as she had very good and decent girlfriends in school. But both followed the instructions to unfriend the ones from UCG from Facebook.

Here we see a PCG minister trying to control people's social life and romantic life.

Later the son fell in love with a woman outside of PCG and consequently had to stop attending PCG. Because of this the PCG minister in question ordered the mother to kick out her own son.

I began a spiral of anxiousness and sadness. I could not understand why I should put my son out of my house and stop any contact with him. (Gerald Flurry's no-contact policy) Being a single mother is not easy and having such a son was an immense blessing. I spent around two weeks without sleeping very well. The first two nights were awful, I only could sleep two hours.

Disturbed by this draconian order she went looking for help from her follow PCG members in her congregation.

I first tried to look to the "loving brethren" for consolation, but I just got cruel criticism and accusations from them. One man accused me of having my children as my idols and that by leaving my son at home I was allowing a "bad spirit." A lady, someone to whom I considered "my best friend" in PCG, accused my son to be "Laodicean" with an insulting tone. I felt so sad. She was very caring and loving [before joining PCG]. But she became so self-righteous. My son is not baptized and such absurd policy excludes spouses and non-baptized children.

In another conversation with the PCG "minister" he accused her of causing her divorce.

During my conversation with [the PCG "minister"], he said to me, "All of the brethren in the ... congregation are happy" as I had stopped the attendance, due to so much friction with my "loving" brethren. His intention was to purposely hurt me, and he accomplished his objective. If he were loving and compassionate--a true Christian--he would have never told me that, even if it was true (but he was lying). I tried not to even think of having resentment at that very moment, it was too much for my mind. I had really loved these ministers.

He even brought to the conversation an off topic: The causes of my divorce. I got divorced due to the alcoholism of my husband and subsequent adultery. [The PCG "minister"] said to me (screaming), "I am pretty sure your husband became alcoholic because of you, you are a troublemaker and you are not converted." I was shocked by that time; I did not know how to react, I did not know if I had to smile or cry.

She looked for help elsewhere within PCG.

My last call was to a family that I thought was close to me, one that was not involved in the problem. I asked the father, "Did you tell [the PCG "minister"] that you are happy that I am not attending??" He said he did not. I believed him. But he was so blinded and said, "You probably misunderstood him." That is when I realized the level of mind control this particular "church" has. They make people think they are unquestionable.

But thankfully she later got out of PCG.

This testimony is yet more evidence of the disturbingly authoritarian tendencies within PCG.

Why would people in PCG behave in such a terrible way? It is probably partly because they read stuff like this.

Are you afraid of living? Of men? Of losing your job or family? Human fear shapes most men’s lives! But the love of God is that we keep His commandments, or His law (1 John 5:3)—and perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).

This is the towering issue in God’s Church today. Many of God’s people are turning away from God because the law is not in their hearts!

Ultimately, this is how you must control your godly life. How we eat, dress, gain pleasure, date, marry, work and play all depends upon how deeply God’s law is etched in our hearts. How we conduct our lives reveals how much we love God! (Gerald Flurry, Isaiah's End-Time Vision, 2013 version, p. 111.)

In practice what this really means is that one must submit to what those in power within PCG says must be done, as has been seen in this harrowing testimony.