I recently had the experience of speaking with a dear friend from Milestone Church. I was asking this person about some major life decisions that they had recently made. I kept hearing the word "margin" repeatedly....even several times in the same sentence. I thought this was odd as "margin" is not really a word that we use in normal conversation and the repetition seemed particularly weird.
After pondering this for a day, it occurred to me. I did a quick google search on Milestone Church and "margin." Lo and behold. A recent sermon series.
Bear in mind that this is one of the people who had to repeatedly assure people that Milestone is not a "cult."
Well, what else do we call it? What else do you call a place where you don't even get to make major life decisions based on your own thoughts? Or worse, you think that the pastor's thoughts actually ARE your thoughts?
Now I know that some would say, "The Lord was speaking through the sermon series."
Really? I don't know. Maybe if the word was "righteousness" or "humility" or "godliness" I'd buy that. In my mind, it's the same old thing. A group of people who are somehow predisposed not to think on their own and a group of leaders who are predisposed to like that just fine.
The bottom line is this: not everyone at the church becomes a Milestone robot. But cult-like churches prey on people who are hurt or injured or insecure, people who have a rocky family background and need authority and stability. The church gives them a sense of belonging and security. I know...I was one of those people.
Is it the fault of the leadership? Yes, to a degree. Is it the fault of the people themselves? Yes, more so. As James Allen said, "One man is an oppressor because many are slaves; let us despise the slaves." How foolish it is for all of us who were or are complicit with this cult-like system to go along with it. Without congregants, the manipulation would stop altogether.
As a final note, I experienced a wonderful emotion when I realized the depth of control that is still being exerted over folks at Milestone. GRATITUDE. Thank you, Lord, that I got delivered from such a place, such a system. Thank you that I now think my own thoughts and, hopefully, can hear from God about my life without needing it to be filtered through a sermon series first!
