Gothard: The man and his ministry : an evaluation

This was the first book I read showing an honest critique of the Institute In Basic Youth Conflicts (now called the Institute in Basic Life Principles)I agree with some of the other reviewers that Bill Gothard doesn't actually teach that Old Testament laws are necessary for salvation. But he makes a big point about obeying a lot of them to be truly pleasing to God.Anyone who has read this book will know that Bockelman approves of a lot of what Bill Gothard teaches. He also doesn't approve of aspects of the ministry and points those out, too.I attended the Institute of Basic Youth Conflicts (as it was called back in the '70's) and each year it got more difficult to listen to. Especially difficult for me was Bill Gothard's insisting on single adults living at home until they are married and getting parental approval for almost every decision made.I love, honor and respect my parents . . . in fact, at my age (considerably over 21) I feel fortunate and blessed that I still have them both. But I have made some decisions without consulting them and guess what! My relationships to both God and my parents are still intact.Wilfred Bockelman critiques the ministry without trashing or badmouthing it. This book was and still is badly needed in a Christian culture where many people have been hurt by Bill Gothard's ministry.

I have been to the Gothard seminar three times. There were a lot of valuable things about it, but I found that the more I attended and the more I listened, the more stifling it became.I appreciate Bockelman's book because it answered a lot of nagging questions, the most important being "Is Bill Gothard trying to get us to obey the old Jewish laws?"For anyone who would like a basically supportive but realistic evaluation of Bill Gothard's ministry, I would strongly recommend this book. It was written over 20 years ago, but still applies.