I have never met so many people using the term spiritual abuse asRead more , Concern, Who are you to judge!? Our staff represents a vibrant community of people who have been transformed by Christ to love like Christ. "With tears in my eyes, I confessed how far I had drifted from that first moment when I was so in awe of Him and how I chose the things of my flesh over the life He offered to me." We did one a week, so this stretch over several weeks. University Park has the advantage though of a much lower tax rate for obvious reasons. Once you've signed your life over to them, you must either form your own community group or go through the process of being placed in one. Ive written and researched extensively on this topic, and have done podcast episodes on cults also; this definitely sounds like its on the cult spectrum. If youd like a suggestion for a charity outside of our church well gladly help you. They dont even take a collection in church! 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. Grace is a term often used at WM, although I found it either seldom accurately exercised or forgotten completely behind their right to execute Matthew 18 because we all know punishing people draws them back toRead more , Thank you for your comment. How can you be under church discipline if you leave the church? Watermark Church 103 Elmer Rd. Im providing links and screenshots of Watermark Church literature that explicitly asks its members to do exactly that. 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. 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. I had concerns while attending and when I decided to leave it was a BIG deal. Watermark Community Church contacts (added by reviewer) Phone number +1 214 361 2275 Address 7540 LBJ Freeway, Texas United States Website www.watermark.org Category Religion and Spirituality Watermark Community Church alternatives ADVERTISIMENT Every argument you put forth seems to be based on your subjective opinion based on your speculation, assumption, and judgement.. Watermark encourages people to confess their sins to one another and to admonish faithfully but thats because thats what the Bible tells us to do as believers.. No software installation. Todd Wagner, the embattled pastor of Watermark Church, a Dallas multisite megachurch with a pre-pandemic congregation of 20,000 people, has resigned his position as senior pastor and elder. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. And in Ecclesiastes 12:14, For God will bring every deedRead more , I would be curious to know if you are ok with disclosing all of your financial information to your community group and seeking their approval on life decisions? restitution in the bible. That is only for the married folk. 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. Genuine question, The house was given to him from a member of the church years ago. My husband has been involved with Watermark for over two years beginning while we were separated. Just checking out the church and looking at the background info the house has tripled in value since the Wagners bought it 20 years ago hardly a 7 figure home when purchased. He counseled my former fiance and after several meetings with him my fiance broke up the engagement and I was left devastated. The guy has an ad that comes on YouTube where he goes through how his org is run. 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. There might be some VERY unsafe people grouped up, causing some serious damage, all in the name of community. My challenge to Susan is to give citations for the quotes she gives. It is very helpful and lets us plan financially well. I have nothing to hide, and sharingRead more , As an ex-Watermark member (8 years), and former CG leader (6 years), I can say unequivocally that I had no problem sharing my financial information with my guys. In community we are known, loved, cared for, pursued, encouraged, and challenged to be more like Jesus. We are excited for what God has in store for us in 2022 and beyond, and we are so honored to be on this journey with you. Im thankful you have experienced the controlling, entrapment, and triangulating side of WM. Dallas, Texas, United States. Not to gotcha, but I just want to set the record straight that the gift tax doesnt make it unrealistic that Todds family was gifted that house. The womans story you shared sounded like her personal interpretation of events that has no factual evidence to back it up.. We areRead more . She called Watermark to inform them of her concerns and was told Its none if your business. We believe authentic relationships lead to spiritual transformation. At least that was how I understood what he said. Not in your writing, but in the people who felt that they were being personally attacked and never took the time to speak to a leader or to actually consider the teachings that are found in the Bible. My fellow watch blogger Julie Anne at Spiritual Sounding Board shared this video on the BITE model for cults. Watermark Church has 6 core values for Community Groups: Community Core Value #1: Devote ourselves daily to a personal relationship with Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:21 We handle this by ourselves. The second is sort of humorous. Todd raised 6 kids there and has never take a big salary. Hint: It has nothing to do with being in a physical church, but all about being The Church. I often wonder if complicit Christians are becoming one of the most effective tools to the mis representation of Jesus teachings in todays world. Thank you for your reply! sabbath school superintendent opening remarks P.O. Even now, her parents (who worship there) refuse to talk to her or visit her children, simply because she was dutiful enough to report on the pedophile acts of a man who used to work at Prestonwood. Just a thought here Nueva inadvertently lays out some data which is interesting. Please allow up to 3 business days for a response. https://www.watermark.org/about/governance. Thanks to you for writing and Susan for sharing. In the beginning you are blissfully unaware that just under the surface of all the whirlwind of activity and belonging, there is an undercurrent of control about to take hold of you. 7540 Lyndon B Johnson Fwy I jokingly said Maybe theyre from Watermark (referring toRead more , Jan, emotional abuse and demeaning relationships are somewhat of a watermark of of how they care for the people who become involved. There is forgiveness for a church also and I hope they are humbled one day so they can grow past some of there root issues. I dont mean to discredit anyones experience, but mine overall has been encouraging, and yes, challenging, but biblically sound. Confession, of course! It sounds like maybe you want Todd to fall in line with the way you think things should be instead of what is biblical. Im in a similar similar situation. When I watched his stepping back/pride/ sin talk, I wanted to either vomit or laugh out loud.. 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.. By then, it was too late. Its legalism re-packaged in reformed gospel-speak, and its abusive. The following is from a discussion I had in Nov 2019 and speaks directly to your statement regarding it being all about WM. Part of Membership at Watermark is participating in regular, gospel-centered service. Its how relationships are formed and accountability is established or thats what they want you to think. The Aftermath: Stories from Former Watermark Church Members. Feb 2022 - Present1 year 2 months. Then you are asked to come prepared to ask questions with everyones financial portfolio in hand. It is a long process to leave unless you just dont fill out the yearly form. He didnt formally withdraw his membership, to avoid suspicion and detection. I have edited some of her answers for content and length. There are many issues at Watermark. If youve never been to Watermark Churchs sprawling Dallas Campus, its a sight to see. Community groups are the epicenter of Watermark Church. Where are you getting this information? This is not freedom in Christ this is just another form of bondage that Watermark Church has devised. I've never heard of them, but after googling it I've seen some pretty worrying things about it. 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. Email: pastoraloffice@watermark.org Statement From Watermark Community Church Recently, one of our former members posted a letter he received from some close friends and the leadership of our church informing him that his membership status had been removed. Amy Smith of the blog Watchkeep has documented her experience there, and it bears much of the hallmarks of a cult. Build deeper relationships with other young adults on mission to leave a lasting impact on the world. There are people who are genuinely afraid to withdraw their membership for fear of being put under church discipline, pressure from the community group to conform, and outright harassment. Small groups you were required to attend. Splash Sunday School classes learn about God's word through Bible lessons, scripture memorization, songs, games and crafts. Marvin Walker (left), the pastor of Watermark South Dallas, laughs with the neighborhood panel after church member Micheal Sneed (right) remembers he should have been talking about his views about the church, but gave a 10-minute testimony of his life growing up in South Dallas at the rezoning community meeting on Monday, Nov. 7, 2022. We were raised Baptist and raised our daughter that way initially. The reason I go to pride is because often times pride does not allow the person to admit they are incorrect or unable to identify theRead more , Having attended Watermarks Dallas campus for over 12 years, my attendance came to an abrupt end when I was unfortunate enough to notice their leaderships aggressive handling of the broken and wayward, as well as experience the lack of compassion and even humanity toward the victim of anothers sin. It was founded in 1960 as a private school in part by funding from the United Church of Christ, said Rev. that would be a better fit. These Community Group Core Values are not negotiable. Yes WM hides abusers and minimizes victims. I received some emails from former Watermark Church members who wanted to tell their stories, but were hesitant to share too much online, for fear of repercussions, or as I refer to it, fair game. IfRead more , Adding to people in good standing who have zero knowledge of any discipline issues also fear leaving due to verifiable stories where watermark members have harassed and stalked people for leaving in cases where the person leaving has come to realize the place at its core is Not what is represented on its surface and middle layers. 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. #5: Encourage and admonish one another faithfully towards maturity. 2. Again,Read more , http://www.dianelangberg.com/2020/03/wolvessheepandshepherds/, When I asked Ron Smith, the Watermark Church appointed Community Launcher/Shepherd for our new Community group for a compelling reason to be in a community group he replied as follows (this is his text message to me): The #1 compelling reason for community is that Watermark elders have made it mandatory for membership in the church, hence the name Watermark Community Church. Securely download your document with other editable templates, any time, with PDFfiller. My daughter occasionally attends their weekly singles service, The Porch, which she enjoys. The whole situation reeks of status and power, neither of which is a good look for a pastor. WM hides abusers and minimizes victims. One of those, David Leventhal, announced that he had resigned last month Spiritual authority has nothing to do with title, education, or rhetorical ability (2 Cor 10-13). Do whatever you want with a Meet the TeamCentral Atlantic Conference United Church . Can I be a Member of Watermark if I dont live in the area? *Michael knew he was done with Watermark Church when he was invited to another blindside meeting by a Watermark Church staff member. I know his church was started in Lake Highlands at the HS and then he gained enough followers and was able to purchase a house in HP. 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. Thats not to say that churches shouldnt be inviting and friendly they should if the goal is to guide you into a fellowship of believers that have a common goal of worshipping the Lord in Spirit and in truth, take part in the breaking of bread (communion) and offering support and love in a community setting. He is heavily involved in it and has brought along my impressionable twelve year old daughter. Watermark Community Church exists to call all people to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. You do make the near perfect member with your automated trust in leadership, over having an open mind to others sharing their personal experiences. 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. If youre pursuing community to get Christian friends, to study the Bible, or to get an accountability partner, those are all great things, but you might be setting your sights too low. When I was 17, I started attending church regularly with my boyfriend (now husband) in high school, and we would go to Sunday School. You CANNOT, however, attempt to withdraw membership to avoid church discipline. I am certainly not an atheist and am a regular church attender. Hes not the pastor of Watermark. watermark church ex members summer seminar usafa 2021 watermark church ex members. We are beyond thankful and humbled that members and guests bless our church with their tithes and offerings. If you dont fill out the form you can leave easy if your just quiet. SERVICIO DOMINICAL EN ESPAOL 11:15 AM. A major focus of the Community Groups at Watermark and many other churches is to foster the development of deep connection with a small group of fellow believers that enables true Christian accountability. I would be ok disclosing financial information to my community group. 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. If you arent a covenant member at Watermark Church, you cant join a community group, and that is where all the getting involved starts. Spiritual authority influences others toward Gods purposes. I wont tell *Michaels story in its entirety, I will interject some of his experiences into what I have discovered during my research of Watermark Churchs ministries and practices. Having community is not the issue its how Watermark DEFINES community. Thats not the goal at Watermark Church, however. They have three grown daughters that live in three different states. At this link, you will find lots of information about how their community groups operate. Completed Discover Watermark? I have read some articles on this before, and find it incredibly interesting. You can see it on their instagram! First of all, Ryan did NOTHING to answer the actual concerns about WHY Watermark is sometimes labeled a cult he went straight into defense-mode. (I share this not to be super-negative, but just because this practice is far [], CALL TO ACTION Former WM Members Did WM pray for you, or did WM prey on you? No where BEFORE or AFTER Matthew 6:3-4 or II Corinthians 9:2 is any further context given that would justify their belief that a Christian should expose their financial portfolio to a room full of people. At least that was my experienceRead more , The house referenced in the post belongs to the correct Todd Wagner.