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Watermark church's 'loving correction' helps members deal with sin Gratefully, The Watermark Elders Todd Anders, Ben Caldwell, Mickey Friedrich, Blake Holmes, Kyle Thompson Latest Updates Frank Abbott - Photographer - Watermark Community Church - LinkedIn Anna Keith Does It Again: the Aftermath: Stories From Former Watermark Click on each one to enlarge. Download Watermark Community Church and enjoy it on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Please allow up to 3 business days for a response. Todd was my counselor at Kanakuk Camps for a summer. I was one of the cold ones! Even though the CG leaders (or even the members of the group) promise not to disclose any of this information, no one is legally obligated to maintain confidentiality. But it was a brutal experience that cost a marriage and many other relationships.Read more , GREAT Article. Its a 12 step like program. The indication in the sermon I took as this type behavior was common in the marriages of core members, and this system for family members to have a safe network should the man become overwhelming was being recommended.Read more , Thank you for these articles. I knew several people who visited, but who clearly didnt fit in and later left. It was a class before the main church service where people around the same age as you sat in a room, listened to a bible lesson, maybe interacted a bit, shared prayer requests, took up a small offering, held hands and said a closing prayer. Watermark's Church Contract One of those, David Leventhal, announced that he had resigned last month They have stated 6 Core values for every community member to adhere to in order to be a member of the community. Ron also stated that Bible Study is not a part of the Community agenda. Came home from college to learn that my parents are going to a megachurch in the area called "Watermark Community Church". In the video below, its quite clear that Watermark Church, while maintaining traditional Christian doctrine, is operating in a many ways like a cult. I wonder if the pride and arrogance just can not handle situations where the leaders are not properly identifying what is causing the symptom (sin) of the actual core struggle an individual is having. I guess I was more grateful than offended. What is Watermark? : r/Dallas - reddit.com After leading the Watermark Community Church in Dallas, Texas for more than 20 years, Todd Wagner, the church's senior pastor and co-founder has officially resigned. Splash Sunday School classes learn about God's word through Bible lessons, scripture memorization, songs, games and crafts. Its legalism re-packaged in reformed gospel-speak, and its abusive. WM hides abusers and minimizes victims. You are way off base. @WorriedMom, I would love to connect with you. Listening for root issues and how they cause hurt for make more senses than listening to reply in a sermon. Watermark Church pushes for everyone to become members of a church, because in their opinion, it is assumed in the Bible. I have first hand experience with a senior pastor doing exactly this and teaching younger families how to properly budget and cost of having kids. *Michael knew he was done with Watermark Church when he was invited to another blindside meeting by a Watermark Church staff member. 7540 Lyndon B Johnson Fwy Not every word from a person in a pulpit will always be perfect considering that they are imperfect humans and will admit it. It is your duty and requirement as a CG member to share your life story, which Watermark refers to as Life Maps: *Michael went through this process and joined a community group. what is the oldest baseball bat company? My former GF was one of them and she was run off, I was run off for supporting her. Do whatever you want with a Meet the TeamCentral Atlantic Conference United Church . Because of the leadership structure at Watermark, we believe this is the best way to shepherd our local church body. At this link, you will find lots of information about how their community groups operate. Watermark Church - Dream Team At Watermark, we want to be an authentic people known for our . I canRead more , I can tell you that I know Todd Wagner personally over 20 years ago. Such was the case recently when a former member of Watermark Community Church in Dallas, Texas wrote a Facebook post in which he criticized the church for excommunicating him for being. After surviving the mental mind games; requirements which forced your focus onto WM (over Gods children as a whole); moved from a small/community group dialogue of what can we do to serve Gods children and one another to a focus on everyones sins/short comings; and focus on surviving their destructive behaviors under theRead more . It has the usual stuff like submission, gossip, blah, blah, blah. Champion and maintain the brand of photography at Watermark and The Porch. Todd raised 6 kids there and has never take a big salary. I found some interesting comments about Watermark Church from a very cursory search online. When her treatment program. Find a serving opportunity at Watermark or within the Dallas community. Im in a similar similar situation. *Michael (pseudonym) was the first person to contact me about Watermark Church and its abusive practices, after he found my blog when researching similarities between Scientology & church abuse. Sure, lets not address anything that is rumored to be strange about Watermark and say that Jesus sounded cultish. Home - Watermarke Church Third, Todd said Christians should live their lives in a way that looks radical or extreme to other people, and Watermark is the best at it, because most churches arent very radical! Staff - Watermarke Church Under the veil of confession, it was all about him. Everyone acts super happy, wanting a high five that you are there.Read more . My fellow watch blogger Julie Anne at Spiritual Sounding Board shared this video on the BITE model for cults. They gave you a false fraudulent form of love, because it was ConditionalRead more , I dont want to make light of this, but I do want to say that this is beyond misleading. John Dorhauer, the church's president and general minister. All of the years I attended Kanakuk I had awesome and incredible counselors except for Todd. What strikes me most clearly is that Watermark fits clearly two of Dr Robert Liftons 8 markers of cults: the demand for purity and the cult of confession. They must have a spiritual problem and you should have them provide scriptures to justify why they dont want to provide their financial information. He walked with an air of superiority that was disgusting. The host will then reach out to you to schedule the meeting. They have three grown daughters that live in three different states. The guy has an ad that comes on YouTube where he goes through how his org is run. One of the core values of the community groups is Live Authentically, which they define as being completely honest with one anotherthis means giving others permission to know the real you by sharing authentically. This includes sharing your sins, struggles, along with your entire life story, potentially to a room full of complete strangers. Helping others Believe in Christ. Unsure why he is getting criticized for living in a house that is experiencing uber appreciation b/c of the school district it resides in. Tim The information is on Watermark Churchs website: Voluntary Member Termination: Members who move from the local area, change churches, or no longer meet the requirements for active Membership may be removed from Watermark Membership.. Through our membership covenant, members commit to pursue what we call (for ease of remembering) the 4Bs: 1. Their way is by controlling- knowing everything about you through unrelenting, constant confession & sharing, knowing how much money you make & how you spend your money, full input regarding your life decisions, AND the freedom to love you by admonishing anyone in your community group at will. If you dont want to share your story you dont have to. Staff | Watermark Community Church I think you need to expand on the 4B Spiritual Assessment forms. When someone does decide to become a member, they can do so by agreeing to Watermark's membership covenant. My husband and I were watching a movie the other night, the 1993 classic The Firm, based on a novel by John Grisham. For example, people that he personally knew, people with obvious character flaws, were given staff positions. When I watched his stepping back/pride/ sin talk, I wanted to either vomit or laugh out loud.. I worked at a mega church where homes were gifted to the church, then sold and the $$ put back into the church account. Community Core Value #3: Offer and receive biblical counsel in all areas of life. We didnt share our financial information until almost a year into our meeting. Todd could use he had no use for you. He told me several times that my failure to participate has limited him from being involved in a community group, blah blah blah. "We are fully convinced that . Share your testimony verbally with someone from our team. Im happy to answer any questions, but you need to know this is absolutely wrong information. Find freedom from codependency, pornography, addiction, eating disorders, anger, depression, abuse, same-sex struggles, and more. If so, youre ready for our two-part Membership Class. So unless this person gave away 7 more $1.5 million homes, they would not be taxed on any of those gifts ever. If you arent a covenant member at Watermark Church, you cant join a community group, and that is where all the getting involved starts. During his later days at Watermark Church and continuing after he left, *Michaels experiences included several behaviors and actions, which in his opinion, mimicked the legal definitions of stalking, malicious representation, slander, psychologically & financially abusive practices and manipulation. *Michael then knew that Watermark was not a healthy church and this meeting further confirmed his decision to leave. If a member doesnt leave in good standing, WM will pursue that person and enforce church discipline. The congregation was small but affluent. Additionally, unless you have seen all of the financial reports from the last 22 yrs, you have no idea how Wagner was compensated. Then she shares the sheep aspect which is they did help financially which is Christ like. Just because you havent personally experienced or have personal knowledge of these things happening does NOT mean they didnt happen to someone else. He is heavily involved in it and has brought along my impressionable twelve year old daughter. Sure, we made friends with our peers in the class and had fun at summer camp, and it all developed out of normal human interaction. Its inappropriate and wrong for a pastor serving the church to live an opulent lifestyle. Just because you have not experienced or witnessed the things that happened to the person who told their story that I featured in this post, does not mean those things did not happen. There is an underbelly of control and abuse that starts at the top with the leadership and as long as these guys remain in control, theres little hope for change. People leave churches all the time. Dallas, Texas, United States. Small groups you were required to attend. Secondly he says that even Jesus himself said things that might be considered cultish: If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Luke 14:26. I was called repeatedly. Groucho Marx. It is a long process to leave unless you just dont fill out the yearly form. Ex-member Callie Nicholson, a 25-year-old nutrition student and behavioral therapist, told The Daily Beast she struggled with an eating disorder while in Dwell. Watermark Church 3,500-seat adult worship space Watermark Church The Loft, 500-seat multipurpose space At the center of all of this sits the 20,000-square-foot Town Square, a gathering space that the church uses for a number of different events. Seeking 3 interns for a paid 6-month, an in-person internship in Greenville, SC, to begin on Monday, April 3 rd, 2023. Its a clear sign of an abusive environment. The church was founded on Biblical principles from families that really love the Lord. At least that was my experienceRead more , The house referenced in the post belongs to the correct Todd Wagner. *Michael was beginning to feel that there was a great deal of hypocrisy going on, given that he was constantly being called out as not living authentically for being a nice guy, while at the same time he was the one trying to organize serving opportunities to which no one was willing to participate. My perception is this former member did take their concerns to leadership. During our four-step Membership process, youll learn what it means to be a Member here at Watermark. When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. plan your weekend visit Watermark Church - Community / Non-Profit / Government - Local South Dallas Neighbors Question North Dallas Megachurch Expansion He became heavily involved in all aspects of the community group, but soon discovered that sharing time became an issue for him, like it was for *Susan. It all starts out with the love-bombing (just like what happened in the movie, The Firm), which is a tactic commonly attributed to narcissists who draw in their victims with lofty promises and over-the-top love & affection. He is a gifted teacher and speaker and could have made so much more money over the years with the opportunities he was given, but he didnt take them. Yet it turns out they are getting people toRead more , Hi to all, Ive been a member of Watermark for over three years, went through Re:Generation and now co-lead a community group. Thank you for providing educational dialogue which is very needed and an under served area for those exploring Christianity. But not everyone wants that, and for those people there are lots of other churches that offer community groups, small groups, life groups, etc. We are so glad youre planning to join us at Watermark Dallas. In *Susans story, she told me that in community group, you were expected to tell your group about any major decisions you were contemplating and the group was supposed to provide input and guidance into those decisions. Were big on community. I cannot overstate how this should alarm people to the abusive tactics of Watermark Community Church. How can you be under church discipline if you leave the church? It also lists Fellowship Church and Village Church in its top 10 on cults (Village likely is, Fellowship is more of a personality cult centered around Ed), strangely Gateway Church isnt listed (and several people think it may be more of a personality cult than Watermark or Village). Membership Process | Watermark Community Church Then you pressure them, of course! Ive been at Watermark for 7 years and experienced people in my community group leaving the church; there are NO such requirements or stipulations that prevent you from leaving the group or the church entirely. Perhaps more focused prayer from true believers to individually and collectively speak truth and take a stand for Jesus examples in the Bible will goRead more . Throw money at him; the car, the house, after a couple of years your kids are in private school, youre used to the good lifethen they tell you. Astonished by the revelation that his new employer represents the mob, he asks FBI agent Moyle, Who in the firm knows? to which he responds, Every partner knows.. I find it so interesting that Watermark Church has had to repeatedly defend itself against being labeled a cult. Either a family moves, a person feels they outgrow the church and/or its programs, maybe hurt feelings or drama preceded a sudden exit there are all kinds of reasons that people leave churches, but almost always it is exercised by someones free will under no duress or fear of repercussions whatsoever. Glad I never did. Watermark, a fast-growing nondenominational church in northeast Dallas, says the case involves accusations of adultery, a wife who wanted to save her marriage, a husband who sat on a board of a national Christian organization, and another woman who works for another church. We were raised Baptist and raised our daughter that way initially. By then, it was too late. What does being your authentic self really mean, in the context of community groups? When I was 17, I started attending church regularly with my boyfriend (now husband) in high school, and we would go to Sunday School. Church harassed trans ex-bishop for months before firing: lawsuit toyota mr2 ferrari body kit for sale. 2. He did end the video by defining what HE thought the three marks of a cult were: Im going to address #3, because I did my own Google search of the Dallas County Central Appraisal District and discovered that Todd Wagner lives in a $1.5 million dollar home in a very prestigious area of Dallas. He was then the most arrogant and disrespectful person imaginable. The fourth and last step in Watermarks Membership process is joining a community group. These Community Group Core Values are not negotiable. Interviews are to begin on March 13th. And this is important. I haveRead more , Two anecdotes: Through a friend I learned of a professional counselor making note of how many Watermark clients she had who were women who felt emotionally abused and demeaned by their husbands. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 It shocks me how much fear this church has put inside of the people who dared leave it. Like Scientology, once they know these things, they can use them against you. If by community you mean confessing every single sin in your life to a group of virtual strangers, disclosing your personal financial information, and seeking the approval of the group to change jobs, buy a house, start a family then no,Read more , Christian community can have so many different levels, and not everyone is seeking the same depth in all relationships. It was an attempted blindside, but *Michael knew the real reason behind the meeting, which is why he chose to go in the first place. At least that was how I understood what he said. The Aftermath: Stories from Former Watermark Church Members A friend had a baby and a new neighbor kept bringing food. She first discusses what I see as the wolf. He couldnt understand why NOT struggling with things, like habitually viewing pornography, was suddenly a problem? watermark church ex members The highest quality of care for individuals with developmental disabilities Thanks to you for writing and Susan for sharing. Watermark was founded in November 7, 1999 with an outward-focused ministry that sought to minister to "the unchurched, dechurched, dead-churched and unmoved." [1] Watermark averages about 9,000 weekly attendants. I think they speak for themselves: In the Watermark Church online document titled, Dealing With Financial Hardship, what the commenter referenced above about a community group supporting one of their members by writing her a $500 check every month definitely lines up with their teachings: I am simply astonished that thousands of people have subjected themselves to this level of control in their lives. As I learned how WM was initially started, out of manipulative behaviors and lies, I knew I had to leave. Watermark Church does not believe that single ladies & gentlemen should be in coed community groups. He meets with an FBI agent in a park in Washington DC, who proceeds to tell him,They bring in the new rookie. I think these behemoths are fueled by a bizarre tendency of people to adulate and worship grand pumba pastors the fealty and reverence paid to them always astonishes me. Like *Susan, he was pressed to share more, and when he assured the group that he just didnt have much to share in the way of struggles, he was accused of lying or holding back. Gotcha. But please make sure your referencing the right guy. You cannot randomly (or otherwise) place 5-6 people in a group and immediately expect them all to uphold such high standards, without knowing these people and giving them the time to prove themselves trustworthy. Its because Watermark wants to know all of of your deepest darkest struggles & sins. Therefore, one of the most important steps we take to be fully devoted followers of Christ is to connect with others in a community group.. Pastor of Dallas Megachurch Dogged by Allegations of Spiritual Abuse (they didnt provide any scripture to support this). They were told that since money was something very personal to them, what they earned & howRead more , Part I and Part II both great and spot on.