An Obedience Pyramid Structure?

You might want to check out a blog with a similar title:

Sovereign Grace Uncensored

Note: I am NOT the owner or a moderator of the other blog. This other blog has a considerable number of posts and comments about Sovereign Grace from former members and their experiences with the organization.


As promised before, I am going to try and summarize some of the points brought up on the above blog about Sovereign Grace Ministries. So here goes.

One point brought up on the blog is that people in Sovereign Grace Ministries get promoted based primarily on how well they submit to authority above them. One person called this a "pyramid structure." Stating this another way, one becomes a member based on how submissive they are to their care group leader and pastor(s). The pastors are selected from the care group leaders who are the most submissive to their pastors and those above them.

This type of system can have drawbacks. One person put it this way, "In a pyramid structure, leaders come into their leadership role based upon their own level of submission to the leaders over them. And as you get higher in the leadership, there are fewer and fewer people to answer to…until you get to the top, where perhaps one or just a few (usually) men have the final say."

Another problem is that it can tend to places in leadership people that don't question. It can lead to a culture that learns to not question what comes down from on top. If you want to be promoted and not lose your position that make sure you "tow" the party line. Even if something comes down that doesn't seem right or agree with God's word, there will be a tendency to not question it in this type of culture.

This is certainly something to think about.