An ex-member (mostly likely former Chicago UBF)

(Originally posted on the reformubf.org discussion forum.)

Posted by An ex-member (206.135.217.163) on February 26, 2001 at 16:59:26:

UBF was a place were I came to know Christ through the wonderful one to one Bible study, with a buddy I went to high school with. I really loved the study of Genesis and the Study of John's Gospel. I made a decision to go to College and serve as a bible teacher to the students. God blessed my life in college and after the summer retreat and making a decision to go to school, a full tuition was in the mail. I was so focused on GOD & JESUS not on man that he protected me and blessed my ministry. I was outspoken during the meetings and believe that created some jealousy even with leaders, but I was walking with Christ and happy. My first 7 years in UBF were blessed years, years of growth and fellowship. I stayed in this ministry for 13 years total; the last 6 were hard and dry due to the fact that I did not follow the beat of the leader's drum after graduation. It was the only time I had to deal with the leader and the unthoughtful words and actions that came out of his mouth. But like I said before...God Protected me from the garbage and helped me to stay focused on Him. I felt that I was stuck in this place until I started attending another church. I realize how small a view of Christianity I had in UBF. God is SO, SO much bigger and better. Unfortunately, any organization that puts others down, and says they're the only one and the only way, and if you leave you're doomed...this is a danger sign and a sign of a cult. UBF began at the Clark Street Center as a nice humble place. There were so many good people with giving hearts in this ministry that wanted to serve God. I have heard many heartbreaking stories of lives crushed by the words and actions of Mr. Lee and his followers. God used me to encourage them to move on. There is Life after UBF. And God will use what we learned there. I dare not call Mr. Lee a Reverend, Pastor or Shepherd. The proper name for such a power hungry man with wrong motives in using and abusing authority is a A SPIRITUAL DICTATOR. That's exactly what Mr. Lee has turned out to be. He can live in denial all he wants, but we know better. Through his desire & hunger for power he has divided good honest believers, especially from his own country, and many have suffered under his authority even to death. THIS MAN WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BEFORE GOD ALMIGHTY. Where is his fear of God to continue like this? As for the woman who partnered with him, Sarah Barry, she was a very sweet lady once upon a time, when I knew her. She has allowed the abuse and unBiblical ways of treating those under the leadership in UBF (Chicago) although she was raised in the South with a strong biblical background and worked with the navigators. She too will be held accountable to GOD for not opening her mouth and putting Mr. Lee in his place, though she has every right being an equal partner. Read the Scriptures, open your Bible, It says that those in leadership positions will be judged with strictness because they are to oversee God's flock, not lord it over them. A Reformed UBF must remove MAN rrom the throne and put JESUS back up on the throne. In conclusion, The Scriptures have been taught in UBF, granted, but not followed. UBF leaders have interpreted the Scriptures their way, and want people to live their way, not GOD's way. Jesus says he came to set the captives FREE. UBF has put many emotional and physical burdens on people and called it TRAINING. God has ways of training and maturing us through our jobs and relationships and service through natural experiences in life. Mr. Lee and his devoted followers in UBF try to play GOD and train people. The church of JESUS should be a place of refreshment, encouragement, joy, fellowship and growth to support believers living for Christ, not a place of lording it over the flock and placing heavy loads on the flock. Jesus said WOE to the Pharisees who placed heavy burdens on the flock. To those of you who feel stuck, you're not. There is life outside of this UBF.

God does not want you living in BONDAGE. He comes to set you FREE. There are many good churches in our country. I have been attending one for 7 years now and have served there, I have good quality friendships, and the Lord has taught me so much. Be bold. Move On. Do not be afraid. Ask God for strength. You're not stuck. You're not bound. I have NO bitterness about UBF. I thank God for what I have learned there. I was grounded in his word. When I council people who have come out of there, I encourage them to move on and take the positive and let God heal them of the bitterness. Of course, not all stories are the same; some are more painful then others. But I write this to make a statement, that God will judge those who MISUSE his authority. If I were Mr. Lee, I would be trembling before God. But does he even fear God? Dictatorship knows no GOD but SELF.

UBF Hamster

(Originally posted on the old RSQUBF discussion forum.)

I remember when I was first love-bombed in UBF. People always wanted to feed me, encourage me, tell me how handsome I looked, and how SPIRITUAL I was. The love bombing stage is the best time to be in UBF because there is the least responsibility and it is the most fun time. After the love-bombing stage, there is the stage of assimilation. This is where you are homogenized by common life or continual fellowship with other UBFers. You learn to write testimony by script, attend all the meetings, how to dress right, talk right, (learn to call people "missionary," "shepherd," and "shepherdess." This stage is still tolerable because God's word is still fresh and new and of course you do still receive some love bombing. The last stage, is the stage of "burnout." After 7 to 10 years, after you are married, and have a wife, a family, and a job to be concerned with, you realize that you are nothing more than an automaton, a cog in the UBF machinery that must keep turning with its never ending cycle of meetings, conferences, and drills. It is the period where you feel like you are a hamster on one of those spinning wheels that just keeps running around, trapped with no where else to go but can only just sit there spinning around. By this time your own shepherds and shepherdess are either more burnt out or have long since gone, so there is no one left to give you an occassional love bomb. I guess when you realize that the only thing you can do is to keep running on your wheel or leave, then you make the decision at this point to do it. I found an online journal of a young UBF member. You can read it yourself and gradually trace the stages of his "growth." Wish I could highlight the love bombing contained in all the passages. Here it is: http://www.livingtorah.org/~pchan/journal.phtml

UBF Hamster

USA - Tuesday, February 19, 2002 at 06:04:17 (EST)