Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 3, Nos. 2 &3, 2004, Page 141
Book Reviews
A Matter of Basic Principles: Bill Gothard and the Christian Life
Don Veinot, Joy Veinot, and Ron Henzel. Foreword by Ron Rhodes. Springfield,
Missouri: 21st Century Press, 2002. 384 pages
According to their website (http://www.midwestoutreach.org) Don and Joy Veinot formed
the Midwest Christian Outreach (MCO) in April 1995 ―to give clear answers, and a solid
defense of the orthodox biblical faith, to all types of unbelievers—atheists, agnostics, as well
as members of cultic groups ...‖ At the time the Veinots and a dozen other co-workers
established MCO, none of them had ever been involved with a cult. But as a group they had
many years of experience in various Christian counter-cult ministries. This book is the
latest product of a series of investigations by MCO over the past decade into Bill Gothard‘s
ministry, the Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts (IBYC), now known as the Institute in Basic
Life Principles (or IBLP). The investigations began when residents of Oak Brook and
Hinsdale, in the Chicago suburbs, contacted the Veinots and their collaborators with
concerns about how young people attending IBYC were being treated.
Bill Gothard began the IBYC in 1964, the year he was ordained and commissioned for work
among youths in the nondenominational Bible church in which he grew up in LaGrange,
Illinois. He had studied at Wheaton College from which he received a B.A. in 1957 and an
M.A. in 1961. The thirty-year-old Gothard established IBYC after working for fifteen years
with inner-city gangs, church, youth groups, high school clubs, and families in crisis. In the
ensuing four decades, the Basic Youth Conflict Seminars have attracted more than 2.5
million participants. Most of these would have come from conservative Protestant Christian
Churches, but the teaching of the IBLP had a decided impact on at least one of the covenant
communities that arose in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal before ecclesiastical
intervention brought about restructuring and reform.
At a meeting in 1997 between Gothard and three members of MCO, Ron Henzel, Marty Butz,
and Don Veinot affirmed that there were a number of very good things emphasized in Bill
Gothard‘s ministry. These include the fact that Gothard‘s ministry does have a biblical
approach. Second, there is a strong emphasis and striving for high moral ideals that takes
sin seriously. Third, Gothard‘s teaching does try to appropriate the Bible for practical
guidance in life. On the other hand, MCO has called Gothard a legalist who strongly
stresses submission to godly authority that serves as an umbrella of protection from worldly
temptations. MCO also calls into question Gothard‘s teaching about the need for all Christian
men to undergo circumcision and that uncircumcised men are more promiscuous than
circumcised men. MCO has expressed concerns about reports of many people who base
their lives around Gothard‘s teaching to an extent that they had never encountered with
other popular Christian leaders such Charles Colson of Prison Fellowship, Coach Bill
McCartney, formerly associated with Promise Keepers, and Dr. James Dobson of Focus on
the Family. Although it is true that these popular Christian leaders may have their fanatical
fans, MCO does not know of their having such an organized and devoted following for
themselves as Gothard has for himself. Finally, the authors accuse Gothard of not living by
some of his basic teachings on truthfulness and authority. A Matter of Basic Principles
presents many examples of correspondence or meetings where Gothard promises to
investigate a complaint or pursue arbitration. But then he neglects to follow up on his
promise to investigate the matter at hand.
The book contains ten chapters topically arranged. The authors sometimes draw upon
movie titles for their chapters. The first chapter, for example is entitled ―Citizen Kane and a
History of Inconsistency.‖ Although the authors do not suggest that Bill Gothard‘s life
parallels that of Charles Foster Kane, the main character in the 1941 Orson Welles film, they
Book Reviews
A Matter of Basic Principles: Bill Gothard and the Christian Life
Don Veinot, Joy Veinot, and Ron Henzel. Foreword by Ron Rhodes. Springfield,
Missouri: 21st Century Press, 2002. 384 pages
According to their website (http://www.midwestoutreach.org) Don and Joy Veinot formed
the Midwest Christian Outreach (MCO) in April 1995 ―to give clear answers, and a solid
defense of the orthodox biblical faith, to all types of unbelievers—atheists, agnostics, as well
as members of cultic groups ...‖ At the time the Veinots and a dozen other co-workers
established MCO, none of them had ever been involved with a cult. But as a group they had
many years of experience in various Christian counter-cult ministries. This book is the
latest product of a series of investigations by MCO over the past decade into Bill Gothard‘s
ministry, the Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts (IBYC), now known as the Institute in Basic
Life Principles (or IBLP). The investigations began when residents of Oak Brook and
Hinsdale, in the Chicago suburbs, contacted the Veinots and their collaborators with
concerns about how young people attending IBYC were being treated.
Bill Gothard began the IBYC in 1964, the year he was ordained and commissioned for work
among youths in the nondenominational Bible church in which he grew up in LaGrange,
Illinois. He had studied at Wheaton College from which he received a B.A. in 1957 and an
M.A. in 1961. The thirty-year-old Gothard established IBYC after working for fifteen years
with inner-city gangs, church, youth groups, high school clubs, and families in crisis. In the
ensuing four decades, the Basic Youth Conflict Seminars have attracted more than 2.5
million participants. Most of these would have come from conservative Protestant Christian
Churches, but the teaching of the IBLP had a decided impact on at least one of the covenant
communities that arose in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal before ecclesiastical
intervention brought about restructuring and reform.
At a meeting in 1997 between Gothard and three members of MCO, Ron Henzel, Marty Butz,
and Don Veinot affirmed that there were a number of very good things emphasized in Bill
Gothard‘s ministry. These include the fact that Gothard‘s ministry does have a biblical
approach. Second, there is a strong emphasis and striving for high moral ideals that takes
sin seriously. Third, Gothard‘s teaching does try to appropriate the Bible for practical
guidance in life. On the other hand, MCO has called Gothard a legalist who strongly
stresses submission to godly authority that serves as an umbrella of protection from worldly
temptations. MCO also calls into question Gothard‘s teaching about the need for all Christian
men to undergo circumcision and that uncircumcised men are more promiscuous than
circumcised men. MCO has expressed concerns about reports of many people who base
their lives around Gothard‘s teaching to an extent that they had never encountered with
other popular Christian leaders such Charles Colson of Prison Fellowship, Coach Bill
McCartney, formerly associated with Promise Keepers, and Dr. James Dobson of Focus on
the Family. Although it is true that these popular Christian leaders may have their fanatical
fans, MCO does not know of their having such an organized and devoted following for
themselves as Gothard has for himself. Finally, the authors accuse Gothard of not living by
some of his basic teachings on truthfulness and authority. A Matter of Basic Principles
presents many examples of correspondence or meetings where Gothard promises to
investigate a complaint or pursue arbitration. But then he neglects to follow up on his
promise to investigate the matter at hand.
The book contains ten chapters topically arranged. The authors sometimes draw upon
movie titles for their chapters. The first chapter, for example is entitled ―Citizen Kane and a
History of Inconsistency.‖ Although the authors do not suggest that Bill Gothard‘s life
parallels that of Charles Foster Kane, the main character in the 1941 Orson Welles film, they
