Cultic Studies Journal, Vol. 3, No. 2, 1986 Page 41
We were just sitting there when three people approached Judy at different times and
said to her that the Lord told them that Judy had something to confess and that she
had better not deny the work that the Holy Spirit is trying to do in her life. Judy kept
refusing. Helen put her hands on Judy‘s shoulders and began messaging her and said
that there was something that Judy had to release. Then she came to me and began
the same therapy and also spoke in tongues over me. I freaked! Judy was crying so
hard I couldn‘t take it. I ran outside.
Given the diversity of the students attending, it seemed plausible that the confessions had
been spontaneous and necessary. Later, I learned that YWAM has labeled these sessions
―Openness and Brokenness,‖ and that they always begin a DTS. This made me a little
suspicious that the staff had engineered the confession time more than the Holy Spirit had.
I might not have wondered so much if we had stopped after the first few days. By the third
day we did move on to the second step of Intercession, but that did not signal the end of
Openness and Brokenness. Throughout the first three months, many hours were specifically
set aside for confession and self-exposure, including an eight-hour ordeal focusing on
masturbation, lust, and homosexuality. On that particular occasion, we were instructed to
place our chairs in a large circle in the lecture room and then had to sit quietly and wait for
someone to feel ―led by God‖ and confess. One student commented:‖they keep telling us to
open up, open up, let everyone see inside of you. They treat me like a number ‗When is it
time for her to burst? I really wonder how she‘s doing?‘, they say, and disregard what we‘re
really worth.‖
All of this confession emotionally exhausted us, made us feel self-conscious and extremely
vulnerable. Not only was it uncomfortable to have everyone know every deep, dark secret
of your life, but many times it was equally disconcerting to hear what terrible things people
had done prior to becoming Christians.
Aside from these lengthy sessions, the daily small group Intercession afforded much
opportunity and pressure to expose imperfections. ―I felt like people silently pressured me
to confess sins,‖ one student remembered. A lecturer insisted: ―You are secret if you are up
to something bad.‖ Therefore, if a student went too long without confessing something,
people assumed she was trying to hide something, that she was not being honest.
I am not opposed to all forms of group confession. In moderation, it seems to be effective in
teaching people to be humble -to stop trying to hide their imperfections. It also allows
people to experience forgiveness and acceptance by a group of Christians. Confession is
certainly not without Biblical backing: ―Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray
for each other so that you may be healed‖ (James 5:16). Unfortunately, I believe that this
practice was taken to an extreme. The purpose of this confession was supposedly a clear
conscience and a clean heart so that God could hear your prayers. Instead, it caused people
to become obsessed and neurotic about any imperfection. ‗Sharing for the sake of sharing
can easily lead to group manipulation, exploitation, and autocratic control.‖8
God’s Will and Authoritarianism
Another aspect of Intercession that stood out to me concerned God‘s will. We were
instructed on the first day of DTS that during Quiet Time we should ask God what he
intended to teach us through this school. We were expected to receive an answer during our
hour with God. I was not accustomed to putting God on a time schedule. I had always
wanted to know God‘s thought right away, but I didn‘t feel that it was my place to demand
an answer. I didn‘t know exactly what to do and I hoped that I would not be required to
produce a detailed account of why God had called me there. I was also in the habit of
adding to my prayer requests, ―If it be Thy will.‖ In the lecture on Intercession, we were
We were just sitting there when three people approached Judy at different times and
said to her that the Lord told them that Judy had something to confess and that she
had better not deny the work that the Holy Spirit is trying to do in her life. Judy kept
refusing. Helen put her hands on Judy‘s shoulders and began messaging her and said
that there was something that Judy had to release. Then she came to me and began
the same therapy and also spoke in tongues over me. I freaked! Judy was crying so
hard I couldn‘t take it. I ran outside.
Given the diversity of the students attending, it seemed plausible that the confessions had
been spontaneous and necessary. Later, I learned that YWAM has labeled these sessions
―Openness and Brokenness,‖ and that they always begin a DTS. This made me a little
suspicious that the staff had engineered the confession time more than the Holy Spirit had.
I might not have wondered so much if we had stopped after the first few days. By the third
day we did move on to the second step of Intercession, but that did not signal the end of
Openness and Brokenness. Throughout the first three months, many hours were specifically
set aside for confession and self-exposure, including an eight-hour ordeal focusing on
masturbation, lust, and homosexuality. On that particular occasion, we were instructed to
place our chairs in a large circle in the lecture room and then had to sit quietly and wait for
someone to feel ―led by God‖ and confess. One student commented:‖they keep telling us to
open up, open up, let everyone see inside of you. They treat me like a number ‗When is it
time for her to burst? I really wonder how she‘s doing?‘, they say, and disregard what we‘re
really worth.‖
All of this confession emotionally exhausted us, made us feel self-conscious and extremely
vulnerable. Not only was it uncomfortable to have everyone know every deep, dark secret
of your life, but many times it was equally disconcerting to hear what terrible things people
had done prior to becoming Christians.
Aside from these lengthy sessions, the daily small group Intercession afforded much
opportunity and pressure to expose imperfections. ―I felt like people silently pressured me
to confess sins,‖ one student remembered. A lecturer insisted: ―You are secret if you are up
to something bad.‖ Therefore, if a student went too long without confessing something,
people assumed she was trying to hide something, that she was not being honest.
I am not opposed to all forms of group confession. In moderation, it seems to be effective in
teaching people to be humble -to stop trying to hide their imperfections. It also allows
people to experience forgiveness and acceptance by a group of Christians. Confession is
certainly not without Biblical backing: ―Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray
for each other so that you may be healed‖ (James 5:16). Unfortunately, I believe that this
practice was taken to an extreme. The purpose of this confession was supposedly a clear
conscience and a clean heart so that God could hear your prayers. Instead, it caused people
to become obsessed and neurotic about any imperfection. ‗Sharing for the sake of sharing
can easily lead to group manipulation, exploitation, and autocratic control.‖8
God’s Will and Authoritarianism
Another aspect of Intercession that stood out to me concerned God‘s will. We were
instructed on the first day of DTS that during Quiet Time we should ask God what he
intended to teach us through this school. We were expected to receive an answer during our
hour with God. I was not accustomed to putting God on a time schedule. I had always
wanted to know God‘s thought right away, but I didn‘t feel that it was my place to demand
an answer. I didn‘t know exactly what to do and I hoped that I would not be required to
produce a detailed account of why God had called me there. I was also in the habit of
adding to my prayer requests, ―If it be Thy will.‖ In the lecture on Intercession, we were
