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Reposted by Rita Lady The Arising Church is dangerous. I attended a ceremony and witnessed several disturbing practices:
1. Performative Service The worship felt more like a performance. Members seemed pressured to outdo one another. They prefaced worship with, “If you are uncomfortable, that’s a sign God is working.” This manipulates people into ignoring natural reactions like skepticism that are supposed to keep us safe. 2. Meaningless Worship The music was repetitive and lacked depth, more like indoctrination than worship. It reminded me of how cults use repetitive chants to shut down critical thinking, focusing on emotion over substance. 3. Outbursts of Speaking in Tongues There were frequent outbursts of speaking in tongues, celebrated as divine revelations. It was hard to tell what was spontaneous or rehearsed. Verses were cherry-picked and framed as organic but felt contrived, contributing to an unsettling and confusing atmosphere. 4. Selective Hebrew Roots Teachings The church selectively used aspects of Judaism, misrepresenting core beliefs by incorporating superficial Hebrew phrases. 5. Insensitive Funeral Story The preacher told a story about a woman’s funeral, implying she went to hell for not being a true believer. This had nothing to do with the wedding and seemed like a passive-aggressive jab at those not in the group, using fear to manipulate people into compliance. 6. Incoherent Messaging The service lacked clear messaging. Verses were taken out of context to fit the church’s narrative, and there was an overemphasis on the book of Revelation. For a group claiming to interpret the Bible literally, they twisted scripture to serve their agenda. 7. Sexual Undertones There were disturbing sexual undertones throughout the service. For example, the bride said she would take “all” that the groom would “give her,” and the men in the audience whooped. This alone would have been cringey, but with the recurring sexual undertones, it felt like a cult that justified treating women as property. I didn’t feel safe as a woman. 8. Unfair Standards for Women The preacher made a comment about how a bride must be “ready” for her wedding, implying pressure on women to conform to strict standards. This was followed by unsettling vows where the bride mentioned her reluctance toward the relationship, and the groom claimed prophetic visions of their union. It felt coercive, as if the bride had been pressured into the marriage. 9. Support of Marital Rape The vows were extremely concerning. The bride explicitly vowed, “I vow to respond when you initiate, all the time, not only when I feel like it.” This is an endorsement of marital rape, suggesting that women in this community are expected to submit to their husbands regardless of their own needs or desires. 10. Impersonal Ceremony The ceremony felt more about the church than the couple. It lacked any personal touches and seemed scripted, reinforcing the idea that individual identity is discouraged in this group. Everything revolved around obedience and submission to church leadership. 11. Emphasis on Obedience Obedience to leadership was heavily emphasized, with the bride and groom praised for following “instruction.” This felt less like spiritual guidance and more like control, where deviating from church expectations would be punished. 12. Aggressive Recruitment Aggressive recruitment tactics were employed, particularly at the reception. My husband had to step in when my refusal wasn’t being taken seriously. I sprinted out of that place—it felt predatory and unsafe. Final Thoughts: The Arising Church manipulates its congregation through fear, control, and coercion. I strongly encourage caution for anyone considering involvement with this group and recommend seeking faith communities that promote respect, authenticity, and love without manipulation.
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