STORIES

Stories from those who have left The Network

READ FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCES FROM STEVE MORGAN'S NETWORK OF CHURCHES

TO DATE WE HAVE PUBLISHED 36 STORIES AND ARCHIVED 101 ONLINE REVIEWS

The results of the manipulative and abusive leadership practices on the lives of people within The Network have been heartbreaking. We are making this resource available to counter the repeated narrative within these churches that this toxic culture is virtuous, godly, or necessary.

To instead read news articles which reference The Network and are of interest to our community of readers, visit our IN THE NEWS PAGE →

 


STORIES BY REGION

NOTE: In order to protect our authors' privacy we have identified them by first name and last initial only, unless otherwise noted.

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  1. EASTERN UNITED STATES ⇣
  2. MIDWESTERN UNITED STATES ⇣
  3. SOUTHERN UNITED STATES ⇣
  4. WESTERN UNITED STATES ⇣
  5. SHARING YOUR STORY ⇣

(Click headline to read a story)

EASTERN UNITED STATES

RACISM IN THE NETWORK →

Urged to support the illusion of a "multi-ethnic" church while being shamed for my ethnicity.


MILDRED W. Left Cedar Heights Church in 2016
NOT ACCEPTED FOR WHO I AM →

The immense anxiety and pressure to conform leaders placed on me as a single mother left me feeling like my salvation was dependent on the church, not God


LAURA G. Left Cedar Heights Church in 2021
FROM ON FIRE FOR GOD TO BURNED OUT AND DEPRESSED →

How I lost myself to living, breathing, and serving a Network church


DANIELLE B. Left Cedar Heights Church in 2021
MY EXPERIENCE AS A COLLEGE SMALL GROUP LEADER AT CEDAR HEIGHTS CHURCH →

A critical review of cultural practices with “The Network,” including how I was told by my pastor that leaving his church to attend a Catholic church was "running away from the Lord"


JUSTIN "LARRY" KURTZ Left Cedar Heights Church in 2021
HOSEA CHURCH ONLINE REVIEWS →

These reviews corroborate the manipulative, abusive, and harmful practices which are documented throughout this site


GOOGLE, YELP, & SOCIAL SITES Hosea Church in Raleigh, North Carolina

MIDWESTERN UNITED STATES

ILLINOIS
A CULTURE OF CONTROL →

Reflections on the pressure to conform as a college woman at Vine Church and the stigma surrounding ending a relationship with a registered child sex offender


A.C. Left Vine Church in 2008
MANIPULATION BY DESIGN →

A staff member's inside story of how Network leaders introduced controlling practices to gain loyal followers


SKYLER T. Left Vine Church in 2014
CHEWED UP AND SPIT OUT →

After I shared the details of my abusive marriage I was removed from small group and treated like I was diseased


JESSICA H. Left Vine Church in 2014
A PARENT’S HEARTBREAK →

Our son severed all ties with us under the influence of Network pastors


LORI H. Left Foundation (ClearView) Church in 2015
WHEN A DEMAND FOR COMPLIANCE CROSSED THE LINE →

After years of weathering red flags, the demands for unity in all things at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic opened our eyes


MATTHEW M. Left Foundation (ClearView) Church in 2020
THE BULLY PULPIT →

How the deliberate, repeated, and unrepentant abuse inflicted on us by the pastors of Foundation Church disqualifies them from leadership


DEAN & SARAH FLETCHER Left Foundation (ClearView) Church in 2021
IT'S NOT ME, IT’S YOU →

After 22 years I'm leaving The Network along with all the shame and confusion it gave me. This is my breakup letter.


ROSE S. Left Vine Church in 2022
FINDING FAITH WITHOUT LOSING MYSELF →

How leaders at my first church pressured me to conform entirely to their expectations and urged my husband to make me fall in line


EMILY K. Left Bright Field Church in 2022
A PARENT'S PERSPECTIVE →

What I learned when my daughter joined a Network church plant during her university years

Note: This video is made available by FACC (Families Against Cults on Campus)


TRISH W. Left Vine Church in 2022
FOUNDATION CHURCH ONLINE REVIEWS →

These reviews corroborate the manipulative, abusive, and harmful practices which are documented throughout this site


GOOGLE, YELP, & SOCIAL SITES Foundation Church in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois
VINE CHURCH ONLINE REVIEWS →

These reviews corroborate the manipulative, abusive, and harmful practices which are documented throughout this site


GOOGLE, YELP, & SOCIAL SITES Vine Church in Carbondale, Illinois
INDIANA
ALL IN →

How I gave myself completely to the culture of High Rock Church


CAITLYN G. Left High Rock Church in 2016
NO EMPATHY →

How I realized High Rock Church was part of a system which willfully neglected those with real needs


K.S. Left High Rock Church in 2021
TOLERATED, NOT LOVED →

How I came to realize I deserved to be treasured for who I am, not simply tolerated as someone whose faith, age, and physical limitations didn't "fit" the Network mold


LISA W. Left Clear River Church in 2021
BLACKLISTED BECAUSE OF BAPTISM →

How God faithfully protected our family through unbiblical submission demands


MICHELLE B. Left Clear River Church in 2022
CLEAR RIVER CHURCH ONLINE REVIEWS →

These reviews corroborate the manipulative, abusive, and harmful practices which are documented throughout this site


GOOGLE, YELP, & SOCIAL SITES Clear River Church in Lafayette, Indiana
HIGH ROCK CHURCH ONLINE REVIEWS →

These reviews corroborate the manipulative, abusive, and harmful practices which are documented throughout this site


GOOGLE, YELP, & SOCIAL SITES High Rock Church in Bloomington, Indiana
MICHIGAN, MISSOURI, & OHIO
OBEDIENCE AND LOYALTY →

I gave up my degree to pastor one of the first church plants. Even when the church was too broke to pay me, The Network wouldn't let me leave


ERIC H. Left CityLights Church in 2013
USED UP THEN DISCARDED →

I experienced a culture of manipulation, control, and isolation while planting Brookfield Church


CASEY H. Left Brookfield Church in 2014
SILENT SERVITUDE →

My experience as the wife of a Network pastor


CHERI M. Left The Network in 2018
TRUTH, AND WHY I QUIT MY JOB AS A CULT LEADER →

Former lead pastor of City Lights Church and founder of ClearView Church (now called Foundation) shares why his realizations about his role in The Network prompted him to leave

Note: This story links to Jeff's substack blog. Jeff shares more of his story in our article Biblical Leadership, a refutation of Network teachings


JEFF M. Left The Network in 2018
THE CHURCH THAT LEFT TOGETHER →

My story of pushing back against the demotion of women and leaving The Network without leaving City Lights


HOLLY F. Left The Network in 2018
I “MISSED” GOD’S CALLING →

After prophecies that I'd plant a church didn't come to pass, I joined City Lights' board after we left The Network


TONY F. Left The Network in 2018
BROOKFIELD CHURCH ONLINE REVIEWS →

These reviews corroborate the manipulative, abusive, and harmful practices which are documented throughout this site


GOOGLE, YELP, & SOCIAL SITES Brookfield Church in Athens, Ohio
NORTH PINES CHURCH ONLINE REVIEWS →

These reviews corroborate the manipulative, abusive, and harmful practices which are documented throughout this site


GOOGLE, YELP, & SOCIAL SITES North Pines Church in Portage (Kalamazoo), Michigan
ANONYMOUS MIDWEST CHURCHES
CALL IT WHAT IT IS: ABUSE →

I gave 10 years of my life as a loyal member in a Network Church. Obedience, control, and conformity gradually shaded the freedom of the Gospel


ANONYMOUS Left The Network in 2020
CHURCH PLANTING AT ANY COST →

How manipulation and abuse were systematically used to grow and multiply our church


ANONYMOUS Left The Network in 2020
THE GOOD FOLLOWER →

How years of spiritually abusive leadership changed my life


ANONYMOUS Left The Network in 2020

SOUTHERN UNITED STATES

CAST OUT →

After years of judgement and rejection I was permanently removed by a pastor from a Sunday service while on the Christland Church plant


NICOLE B. Left Christland Church in 2018
DEATH BY A THOUSAND MICROAGGRESSIONS →

Despite claiming to be a "multi-ethnic community," whiteness was always seen as the default and something that needed to be adopted by those who wanted to be accepted in community at Joshua Church


KELLY P. Left Joshua Church in 2020
LABELED A SINFUL WOMAN →

The constant pressure to conform to The Network's views on femininity left me with more shame than I started with


MORGAN M. Left Joshua Church in 2021
DOUBLE STANDARDS FOR GRACE →

I was excommunicated after my divorce while my ex-husband was forgiven and embraced


WHITNEY J. Left Rock River Church in 2021
SURVIVING SPIRITUAL TRAUMA →

Spiritual abuse in Network churches shattered my sense of self, resulting in hospitalization with persistent thoughts of self-harm

Note: This video is made available by FACC (Families Against Cults on Campus)


GENEVA M. Left Joshua Church in 2022
CHRISTLAND CHURCH ONLINE REVIEWS →

These reviews corroborate the manipulative, abusive, and harmful practices which are documented throughout this site


GOOGLE, YELP, & SOCIAL SITES Christland Church in College Station, Texas
JOSHUA CHURCH ONLINE REVIEWS →

These reviews corroborate the manipulative, abusive, and harmful practices which are documented throughout this site


GOOGLE, YELP, & SOCIAL SITES Joshua Church in Austin, Texas
SOUTH GROVE CHURCH ONLINE REVIEWS →

These reviews corroborate the manipulative, abusive, and harmful practices which are documented throughout this site


GOOGLE, YELP, & SOCIAL SITES South Grove Church in Athens, Georgia
VIDA SPRINGS CHURCH ONLINE REVIEWS →

These reviews corroborate the manipulative, abusive, and harmful practices which are documented throughout this site


GOOGLE, YELP, & SOCIAL SITES Vida Springs Church in Gainesville, Florida

WESTERN UNITED STATES

SWORN TO SECRECY →

How I was coerced into keeping Steve Morgan's alleged sexual assault a secret for 12 years


ANDREW L. Left Vista Church in 2020
MISOGYNY AND CONTROL →

Steve Morgan's disregard for women and dominance over men became unmistakeable when I joined the Seattle church plant


JENNA H. Left Blue Sky Church in 2008
COLLATERAL DAMAGE →

When Summit Creek Church leaders defied public health precautions we voiced our concerns for the vulnerable and were told “the health of the church is more important than following the restrictions”


MARTIN & MARIE B. Left Summit Creek Church in 2021
KICKED OUT FOR SUGGESTING A WOMEN'S MINISTRY →

Offering to fix a problem got us labeled as a problem to be fixed


AARON M. Left Vista Church in 2021
SPIRITUAL ABUSE AT VISTA CHURCH AND THE NETWORK →

My confession and call to repentance

Note: This story links to notovercome.org


CELESTE IRWIN Left Vista Church in 2021
BLUE SKY CHURCH ONLINE REVIEWS →

These reviews corroborate the manipulative, abusive, and harmful practices which are documented throughout this site


GOOGLE, YELP, & SOCIAL SITES Blue Sky Church in Seattle (Bellevue), Washington
HILLS CHURCH ONLINE REVIEWS →

These reviews corroborate the manipulative, abusive, and harmful practices which are documented throughout this site


GOOGLE, YELP, & SOCIAL SITES Hills Church in Pullman, Washington
SUMMIT CREEK CHURCH ONLINE REVIEWS →

These reviews corroborate the manipulative, abusive, and harmful practices which are documented throughout this site


GOOGLE, YELP, & SOCIAL SITES Summit Creek Church in Eugene, Oregon
VISTA CHURCH ONLINE REVIEWS →

These reviews corroborate the manipulative, abusive, and harmful practices which are documented throughout this site


GOOGLE, YELP, & SOCIAL SITES Vista Church in San Luis Obispo, California

WANT TO SHARE YOUR STORY?

We will continue to publish stories until we stop receiving them. There is no “final” deadline for submissions.

Sharing your story can be an emotional process, and making it clear for others to read and follow takes time and patience. We've put together some suggestions to help you write it down.

READ THE SUGGESTIONS

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER I SUBMIT MY STORY?

Once submitted, we will pair you with someone who can work with you to make your story as clear as possible. Your partner may ask you clarifying questions or suggest grammatical changes. You determine the level of feedback you would like for your story and decide which suggestions to accept or discard.

We will do our utmost to ensure you are comfortable with how your story is published and portrayed. A final preview of your story will be sent to you from a hidden link for you to approve.

SUBMIT YOUR STORY

REDDIT COMMUNITY

We have been made aware of a relatively unmoderated discussion which has sprung up on Reddit where people are sharing thoughts, impressions, and stories from their time in The Network. This Reddit community has become a place where former members are openly sharing their pain, grief, loneliness, regret, and anger over their time in The Network in raw, uncensored ways along with the context of what happened to them.

This subreddit is in response to but not directly moderated by the contributors of this site. LeavingTheNetwork.org makes no claim on the authenticity of these posts. We offer a link below to this Reddit community as a supplement to the stories we are publishing here.

Visit reddit.com/r/leavingthenetwork →

 

FURTHER READING:

IN THE NEWS: The following news articles reference The Network and are of interest to our community of readers