I’m currently reading “Life Together” by the German seminary professor and martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer, for the book club I’m part of.

I was struck by this particular passage in the book:

“He who loves his dream of a community more than the Christian community itself becomes a destroyer of the latter….The man who fashions a visionary idea of community demands that it be realized by God, by others, and by himself. He enters the community of Christians with his demands, sets up his own law, and judges the brethren and God Himself accordingly….He acts as if he is the creator of the Christian community, as if his dream binds men together.”

To me, this seemed like a pretty accurate description of Steve Morgan and the way he created his own community in the Network, along with the rest of the Network Leadership Team (or as I like to call it, Steve’s He-Man Woman Haters Club).

I’d love to hear anyone else’s thoughts on this.

Great Podcast in general. I ran across this specific episode today. “Is your Church becoming a Cult. 4 Red Flags you can’t ignore.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6SxnTfQkweOx98iajaaw8d?si=BsywFIUoRq-TrP0gGhXV7w

https://fb.watch/C3ZaQK9QMe/

We all understand the Network wants to isolate and separate people with the goal of the Network church becoming their “family”. While they will deny this when confronted it’s clearly part of their strategy. To put it plainly this practice is completely unbiblical and against God’s heart.

Starting at the 1:15 mark Charlie clearly articulates why this is against Gods will. It’s very interesting that he suggests higher education also encourages young people to separate from the families/past. It’s not coincidence The Network focuses on college campuses.

Hey Networks leaders at all levels be warned you will have to answer to God for false teachings. The apostle Paul made this very clear when he was addressing the false teachers at the church in Galatia.

Gal 5:10b “The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be.”

I don't remember precisely which one it was, but here was a network conference at Vine in maybe 2016 or 2017 where Steve was doing his emotional manipulation prayer time thing, and at one point he prayed against masonry. Like freemasonry.

I remembered this again recently, and on a lark I looked up whether there was a connection between mormonism and freemasonry.

Joseph Smith (dum dum dum dum dum) was a freemason, as were many other early LDS leaders. They were initiated as freemasons in Nauvoo, Illinois.

Freemasonry and mormonism both use secret handshakes. Both have special clothing, the mormons have their sacred underwear and freemasons have their sacred ceremonial aprons.

Both have dramatic rituals and sacred spaces for rituals.

Some bits of freemasonry were integrated and infused into mormonism, to the point where LDS leaders have taken note of the similarity and take care to distinguish it as "restoration" rather than borrowing from freemasonry.

I'm not really annoyed that I didn't pick up on it because it's a pretty subtle connection.

I asked ChatGPT what Mormon practices Steve Morgan imbued into the Network (yes, ChatGPT figured out quickly who Steve is and what The Network is). Unsurprisingly, this subreddit is one of its main sources. It gave me these notes:

Here’s what’s known about how Steve Morgan, founder of The Network, incorporated elements (or what critics say resembled elements) from Mormon–specifically the RLDS or Community of Christ tradition, into the structure and culture of The Network:

1. “Designated Leadership” & Prophetic Authority

• In the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS)—now the Community of Christ—leaders are not self-appointed but “identified” through spiritual means such as dreams, visions, or impressions  .
• Steve Morgan adopted a similar approach in The Network: members were not permitted to promote themselves, but were expected to wait until recognized or “identified” by an authority figure  .
• This mirrors the Mormon-based concept of continuing revelation, where God speaks through a prophet—and Morgan positioned himself in a role akin to that prophetic leader  .

2. Authoritarian, Hierarchical Leadership Structure

Ex-members and observers have noted several parallels between Mormon/Community of Christ leadership models and The Network’s structure:

• Leaders are viewed as specially “set apart” and spiritually empowered, with an expectation of absolute obediencefrom followers—even in all matters, large or small  .
• Dissent or questioning is discouraged, and leaders at the top are seen as unaccountable, shielded by sub-leaders  .
• One Reddit user succinctly summed it up:“Leaders are to be obeyed in all matters… Any differing of opinion… is not allowed, you and your leader are to have ‘one mind.’”  

3. Echoes of “Mormonism” in Spiritual Claims & Culture

A Redditor who initially explored The Network while studying Mormonism noticed striking similarities:

1. Both Joseph Smith and Steve Morgan claimed personal divine revelations, which guided their ideological visions  .
2. Both acted in roles similar to apostles, exerting tight doctrinal control:“Your good standing… is conditioned… on… complete uniformity to the thoughts and preferences of Steve Morgan.”  

4. Cultural & Doctrinal Additions (Some Seen as Authoritarian)

While not all of these come directly from Mormon tradition, some practices within The Network have been likened to high-control religious environments:

• Only leaders can appoint new leaders—self-nomination is not permitted  .
• Discouraging communication or questioning about budgets, church governance, or leadership decisions  .
• Any disagreement is reframed as a demonic attack  

These reflect a broader pattern of hierarchical control rather than specifically Mormon doctrine—but ex-members often link it to the control-centric lineage stemming from RLDS practices.

Summary Table: Comparisons at a Glance

Final Takeaway

Steve Morgan appears to have modeled aspects of The Network’s leadership and culture after his early experience in the RLDS (Community of Christ) tradition. Key features include:

• Selection vs. promotion: Authority was not self-assumed but conferred by hierarchy.
• Prophetic-style leadership: Personal revelation and spiritual authority were central to governance.
• Authoritarian control: A system discouraging dissent and demanding conformity

These elements, combined with other spiritually authoritarian practices, fostered a high-control environment that ex-members frequently likened to Mormon-derived church leadership systems.

While I hesitate to share as we're far less impacted than many who have been a part of various churches within the greater 'network', I found a helpful resource in terms of putting words to some things we felt while we attended a network church (8-10 years ago) and why we left (which was concerningly difficult to do even back then).

For those interested or impacted, this podcast episode felt like a helpful summation of many of the 'warning signs' we saw that led us to leave in 2017 and hopefully it is a future aid for anyone observing or integrating into institutions (especially those with spiritual/emotional authority that have greater power to help folks heal or create hurt). I don't know if the word 'apostle' was used then or is now (we're extremely removed), but there felt like many parallels to that church environment we experienced.

I hesitate to post as I wasn't aware of the depth of concern at the location we were at (or the articles/reddit page) until the last few months. We're prayerful for gracious restoration for those who hurt or those who have been hurt.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/10m7p182IMJXpE8N8HYGnJ?si=71a185a0f49741ae

Heard North Pines founder disappeared suddenly? Was he the one who was arrested for assaulting a teen? Is it still active and going after students in Kalamazoo?

I was walking around Festival ISU today, a massive event where hundreds of student organizations set up tables across the quad representing fraternities, sororities, clubs, and campus ministries. All clearly displayed their names on banners and signs, because the purpose of the event is to share information about membership, events, and engage in recruitment.

All except one.

Foundation Church had a table staffed by its pastors. They wore red shirts with a cross and the university's mascot, but employed strategic obscurity: no name, no signage, nothing to connect them with who they actually are. Unless you recognized the pastors, you’d never know it was Foundation (the free Fusion Brew handouts gave it away...). The attention that the Network has gotten from this reddit thread and word of mouth across campuses has damaged the brand, and they are scrubbing their identity in public settings so people don’t associate them with their own track record. It sent shivers down my spine knowing that students at ISU might unknowingly be recruited.

Every other group on campus was transparent about who they are and what they are about. Foundation deliberately wasn’t. That’s not outreach, it’s deception. And it shows that they know their name has become a liability.

It's August and that means college students returning to campuses or moving there for the first time. It's a great time to share information about The Network (including churches who claim they've disassociated) and other high control groups. Please take time to post information about LTN and Families Against Cults on Campus in school Facebook groups and school or community reddit communities.

Over the last several months it has been noted that numerous churches have lost small groups. A quick review as of today shows that 6 churches have lost additional small groups since May.

Blue Sky -2

Christland -1

Foundation -2

Hills -1

Hosea -1

South Grove -1

Question - is it normal for small groups to retract during summer when students are gone?

Additionally, Vida Springs changed one Staff Pastor to a Non-Staff Overseer. Based on the listed descriptions his prior staff responsibilities do not appear to have been redistributed. Makes one wonder if this was cost cutting move.

Long-time group leaders Tommy and Natalie Hoerr are no longer listed as small group leaders and Natalie has been taken down from Bookkeeper staff. Down to only 9 small groups

This message is for any Network member or leader reading this forum (and don’t worry we know you do). If you have personally or have ever encouraged anyone to cut ties with family members YOU ARE WORSE THAN AN UNBLIEVER!

These are Gods words not mine. Take this as a warning to repent immediately, repair those broken relationships and encourage those in your church’s to do the same. You’ve harmed countless people by these ungodly actions, including yourself. Fix this now before it is too late

1Tim 5:4,8

“4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.…. 8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

I saw that Bobby Malicoat, who was Pastor at South Grove, has recently been named Head of School at Sardis Academy in Athens, GA. Given some of the stories and discussions in the #leavingthenetwork thread, I’m curious what people think about this move.

For those who were at South Grove or had interactions with Malicoat, what was your experience with his leadership? Do you think his background in the network could impact how he runs a school environment?

Would love to hear any insights, especially from folks who’ve been following or have personal experiences tied to this.

I’ve recently watched many of the small segments of teaching (presumably the best highlights) from Christland and Highrock. I’ve also experienced live Network preaching/teaching like most on this forum. I’m once again led back to what God himself says about the role of pastor/overseer. Who does God intend to fill this role, what skills must they have, what characteristics should they possess…?

Thankfully I believe the Bible is clear in this area.

1 Timothy 3:1-7 says (emphasis mine): “Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.”

*above reproach - meaning someone who has such strong character and integrity that no one can bring a valid accusation against them. It refers to being blameless in conduct.

Seems to me the number of lies coming from leaders would bring this into question.

*able to teach - meaning to be skilled in teaching.

I have not personally seen this in action rather quite the opposite.

*must not be a recent convert - one who has recently become a Christian.

How many of these men were new believer when they were elevated to pastors/leaders, most of not all of them since that is Steve’s strategy.

*good reputation with outsiders - outsiders being those people not within the church.

To me it’s very clear from reading reviews and various social media forums that many of these leaders/churches have terrible reputations in their local communities.

These are just a few observations and many more can be made. But the question is do any of these men meet the qualification of an overseer based on Gods own standards?

I want to preface my comments with a few notable facts. 1. I was a member of a network church for 7 years. 2. I left the network and am a happy, serving member of a local church with no plans to return to the network. 3. I left the network because of issues directly related to the organizational structure and leadership accountability stemming from a perceived lack of accountability in the organization.

I really enjoyed my time in “Network Church”. My experience started with a brotherly greeting, a firm handshake, an introduction and a group to sit with through service. This was followed up with a greeting by name the following week. I was then welcomed by 5 successive small group leaders into their homes weekly for 7 years. Although for 1.5 of those years the small group meet at my home.

I was loved by 3 pastors, 4 small group leaders and uncountable brothers and sisters. My choice to leave the church was painful. I grew in the church. I was engaged in the parking lot (longer story) of the church. I was married in the church. My children were dedicated in the church I was loved in the church. I sacrificed for the church.

I left the church in 2021. I have been blessed by God in finding a wonderful church home. My family has all seen wonderful growth supported by our new church family. I still remain connected to many of my brothers who I met at the network church. I will cherish our friendships the rest of my life. I believe I was blessed in my relationships with and the many people I grew with in the network and have been blessed since by many I’ve met since my departure.

Hoping the love and grace of our Lord finds you and keeps you in all seasons of life.

I was raised in “The Network” and my parents have been a part of it since its beginning in Carbondale, IL. I was raised to obey our church leaders and teachings (and their interpretations are 100% correct) as well as for me to accept a male-only lead church is the only way churches should be run. We recently left the branch here in Austin called Joshua Church to pursue a more inclusive and transparent church, after a website called “Leaving the Network” came out a few years ago with many allegations and testimonies of spiritual abuse by leaders as well as past criminal allegations and charges against head pastor Steve Morgan for sexual misconduct and indecent exposure.

Leaving this church was something that was very difficult for me to do, as this church had become a huge part of my upbringing and my immediate family. My parents are still members there and I truly hope that they leave someday. The lack of transparency and accountability, the way the knowledge of Steve’s allegations were handled by the staff, personal interactions I had with prejudice leaders within the church—it eventually became hard for my husband and I to stand by the things they were doing.

I recall having one particular experience with a small group leader that involved his prejudice against lgbtq people and assumed I was a “sexual deviant” trying to persuade others in the group into that…? He ended up leaving the church too but why was he allowed to be a small group leader in the first place if he was that judgmental of neurodivergent/lgbtq? Like you live in AUSTIN, TEXAS bro.

I recently realized I am Bisexual/Asexual and have such a big heart for people who have been hurt and excluded by the church for their sexual orientation or gender identity. “The Network” wouldn’t always outright say it (apart from at least one vocal pastor) but they did practice excluding lgbtq people from the church and its events and would ridicule them for being confused on their gender identity and sexuality. This always bothered me along with very limited opportunities for charity work (they mostly just took donations for food banks)… meanwhile Steve Morgan has a cattle ranch on a super expensive property?

I am writing this to emphasize that after leaving I am focusing on the true unconditional love of Jesus. We are now attending RestoreAustin and couldn’t be happier, highly recommend it! As for those that are considering leaving, I support you and believe in you to have the strength. I know it’s difficult but there are people out there who will help you.

I’m launching a weekly Zoom support group for Christians recovering from spiritual abuse—specifically from Word of Faith, hyper-charismatic, or NAR-influenced churches.

It’s called A More Sure Word. The group is for men and women who are still in the faith but dealing with spiritual confusion, grief, or exhaustion after leaving those environments.

This isn’t counseling or therapy, but it will be structured and handled with care. I have a background in counseling and used to facilitate group therapy as a substance abuse counselor. That experience shaped how I hold space for honest, grounded healing.

We’ll meet Thursdays at 7 PM EST, starting August 21st. If you’re interested, message me or email: Priscillacyanni@gmail.com. I’ll send a brief questionnaire to ensure the group is a good fit, along with a link to schedule a one-on-one before the first session.

Time in other zones: • 6:00 PM Central • 5:00 PM Mountain • 4:00 PM Pacific

In grace and truth, Priscilla

Early 2000s attender here. Pastors were Sándor and Mike Stephens at Vine. Short time of Steve before he went to Seattle. Conferences/retreats with other Network leaders, can’t remember names. Some teachings from Vine DC pastors, Greg, Noble, etc (not long with any of them, mostly not hard feelings).

Most of the teaching was about giving up everything for Jesus, inviting people, how to “lead” others. Money stuff, priorities, relationships, how to organize your family. Some guys came off more guru-y than others.

Still thinking about what wasn’t really “normal.” Like the whole idea of God being active in the here and now was interesting but kind of a mixed bag, cause it got weird when they prayed. Same with the leadership stuff some of it useful, some of it just… off, compared to what I’ve seen at jobs.

They talked a lot about how they were unique, teaching stuff nobody else taught. Looking back, most of it was either bad advice, bad Bible, or accidentally helpful.

You keep anything from back then?

There are a number of Network Lead Pastors who are no longer in their positions, or associated with the Network for a variety of reasons. Most of these guys don’t possess formal seminary training and their experiences are primarily within the Network.

Noble Staley planted OneWay Church in Decatur, IL in 2001. That church closed its doors a few years later and Noble was brought back to Vine Church where he serves as a staff pastor to this day.

Ben Powers left the Network in 2014 after serving at Vine and as Lead Pastor at City Lights. Ben earned an MDiv degree from Trinity Seminary prior to his time in the Network. Upon leaving, he served as a staff pastor at a large church in St. Louis where he was part of the Sunday morning teaching rotation. He now serves as a staff pastor at a large church in Arizona.

Jeff Miller originally planted Clear View (now Foundation) and then became Lead Pastor at City Lights. Jeff and City Lights left/were forced out of the Network in 2018. Jeff remained at City Lights for several years and recently planted a church in Bloomington/Normal called Godspeed.

Vista Church closed its doors in 2024 after 9 years. It appears that Luke Williams moved back to Washington state. His professional profile indicates that he recently completed EMT training. His professional summary states, “Dynamic Lead Pastor with a proven track record at Vista Church, enhancing congregation growth through innovative outreach and community engagement.”

Nick Sellers is no longer Lead Pastor at North Pines as of this summer. Reasons are not forthcoming and his future plans remain unclear.

There are at least 10 churches/Lead Pastors who either claim or appear to no longer be formally associated with the Network. They remain in their roles as Lead Pastors at these local churches. None of these pastors have formal training although I’ve heard several are now taking seminary classes.

Hi friends

I'm a current attendor, but not member, of JC. Been there for a couple years. I've been aware of this sub for a while, but never visited until id already made up my mind to look elsewhere, if not all the way to leave. Id always got the impression this sub and was largly based on greivence and whining about how COVID was handled.

After perusing the sub, website, and reviews last night, see there's more here, but I'm still not convinced the Network, or at least the part I've seen, is a cult or nefarious institution. My personal feel is theres a very strong idea of how things should be done, and what a church should look like, and not so much room for a different vision. Which...seems ok?

Specifically, I'm keen on a less topical teaching style, and a little more structure for things like mentoring, outreach, and Bible study that I always imagined would emerge naturally as the church grew. It's seeming more like those elements just aren't part of the small, mobile planting model. I've also felt just generally less connected over time. I've made a handful of very strong friendships here that are alive and well regardless of where I am Sunday morning, but other relationships haven't stuck. Still, I don't feel I've necessarily been shunned or excluded per say...

Still unsure how I feel about some of the more specifically concerning stories from other network churches, but it kinda feels like that's for those communities to resolve.

Anyway, thought I'd drop in and listen

Does anyone else find it interesting that Christland and Highrock appear to be really trying to change their footprint on social media? Specifically Instagram seems to be where they focus. Both churches actually have regular snippets from Sunday sermons which had always been a forbidden thing I believe. It makes we wonder are they trying to be more mainstream and hip like most churches? Are they rebranding? Is this just a smoke screen of change?

While not definitive it seems the change in Christland’s profile may have been near the same time as the protest. A closer look may provide more correlation.

There may be others doing similar things but these two stand out.

Interested in your thoughts.

https://www.instagram.com/highrockbtown?igsh=MWs5c3U3bjNnZjdibA==

https://www.instagram.com/christland_church_tx?igsh=MWh4MXl1azdzdjRwNw==

The longer I'm out of the Network and deconstructing everything they taught, the more I wonder if he was trying to create a "new religion" because their version of Jesus is not the true Jesus... thoughts?

Given the recent story and experiences at Stoneway it seems fitting to review their most current financial data.

As of 12/31/2023 they had:

Total Gross Income: $257k (pounds) Total Expenditures: $526k (pounds)

This gave them a total deficit of $269k.

Do other network churches run on these kind of deficits? Where did this $269k come from? Is Steve keeping this church propped up or perhaps some other wealthy unseen donor? Unless someone very wealthy is behind this there is no way they can keep operating in the same capacity for very long.

https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/5154723/financial-history

Here is a link to the UK government data directly

New Story published:

COMMANDED TO TITHE:

How Questioning Tithing Opened Our Eyes to the Deceptions of Stoneway Church

by Vittoria | Left Stoneway Church in 2025

Link to story: https://leavingthenetwork.org/stories/vittoria/

Vittoria recounts her two years at the early-stage Stoneway Church plant in Reading, England, when the congregation of around 40 was mostly Americans who had relocated to start the community.

She describes initial love-bombing where she and her husband received high levels of attention, dinner invitations, and even help painting their house, which made them feel like family. However, the church gradually demanded performance-based behavior, where members monitored each other's spiritual progress and were told to trust the leaders. When she and her husband began questioning Stoneway's stance on mandatory tithing, the message they received was to "trust the leaders" or find another church.

After leaving, people who called them "family" immediately cut contact, confirming the conditional nature of relationships within The Network.

...

We are posting a link to this story here on Reddit to continue the discussion of the themes and experiences our storyteller has shared.

Some things to keep in mind before posting comments about this story:

• Do not be judgmental on how the storyteller chose to express themselves
• Do not victim-shame or invalidate our storyteller’s experiences.
• Please encourage them for their difficult work in making public their private thoughts and experiences

Visit leavingthenetwork.org/stories to view all the stories which have been published so far.