Factors that caused our confidence to be destroyed and led to us leaving meetings…
Dishonest accounts of doctrine or history; avoidance or lying to questions
Inadequate dealing with questions; fallacious replies to questions.
Workers using fear and guilt to keep people from examining their behavior and doctrines
Lack of understanding of the deity of Jesus and the complete effectiveness of his sacrificial atonement
Lack of emphasis on nature of sin and repentance
Lack of understanding the Holy Spirit and redemption.
Lack of accurate teaching regarding prayer for natural things.
Lack of teaching salvation is by faith through grace—not of works!
Misplaced emphasis on works.
Doctrinal ambiguity
Lack of charitable works/activities towards outsiders or insiders
Traditions of men taught/enforced as commandments of God
Misplaced emphasis on human appearance
Absence of God-centered worship
Lack of spiritual food
Idolization of workers
Idolization of the manmade 2×2 belief system and methodology
Presence of Exclusivism – Living Witness Doctrine- salvation only through the workers
Inaccurate, allegorical and twisted use of scripture
Presence of antifeminism
Incompetent advice and counsel
Indifference of workers towards members’ needs
Indifference of head workers and members to the needs of subordinate workers
Unscriptural withholding of participation in meetings, baptism and emblems
Absence of good fruit among some workers or members
Inappropriate remarks during funeral messages or at funerals
Lack of unity among friends and workers; yet refusal to admit it
Lack of unity re participation of divorced & remarried couples
Lack of joy, warm friendships or trust
Refusal to give a written mission statement of faith
Refusal to examine or teach scriptural doctrines and a denial of some of them
Presence of immorality among workers, elders and professing people
Presence of judgment and scorn for outsiders and for members as well
Presence of hypocrites
Secrecy regarding money
Ignoring the needs of ex-workers. Not supplying them with sufficient start up money when they leave the work; or paying for therapy
Secrecy regarding decisions and lack of protection against bad decisions
Abuse of power and authority among workers
Excommunication without scriptural grounds
Inconsistency in buildings for conventions and owning property, while condemning others for their church buildings and property
Refusal to admit the organizational structure within the church
Refusal to admit the names used for the church
Lack of teaching for adults and especially for children
No scriptural education for workers, children or members
Presence of extreme legalism
Lack of teaching on finances or the importance of honesty in business matters for members
Unscriptural requirement for workers to be unmarried puts everyone at risk for sexual deviancy and immorality
Moving workers from one field to another to hide sexual immorality
Questioning or disagreeing with workers’ decisions may result in excommunication
Misplaced emphasis on submission, sacrifice and suffering
Worker imposed emotional and mental alienation from society in order to be “sanctified and set apart”
Lack of joy and love
Lack of converts
Indifference to errors.
Not allowing Holy Spirit to guide members. Obedience is mandatory (not a free choice. Conformity is required at the risk of excommunication
Workers too slow in changing traditions; staying too far behind “the world”