Concerns Regarding Free Gospel Bible Institute
From Alumni, Former Students, and Former Faculty
Are you considering attending Free Gospel Bible Institute (FGBI)? Are you a former or current student, faculty, staff, or board member? If so, thank you for taking time to hear us out! We are fellow believers, as well as fellow students/staff/faculty.
If you care about FGBI—more specifically, the people who comprise it—you’re in the right place. That’s why we’re here.
Based on the testimony of witnesses that has recently come to light, as well as our own observations and experiences, we have reason to believe that certain teachings and methods of leadership may be causing significant, long-term harm to students and faculty/staff. We have no desire to publish unfounded accusations. We do, however, desire to create a place to report firsthand accounts.
Our heart is to give a voice back to those who have been silenced, validate pain that has been dismissed, extend Christlike compassion to those who have been broken, support those who are processing a harmful experience due to the teachings and leadership of FGBI, provide resources for those who are disentangling from unbiblical teachings of FGBI, and for as long as these issues persist, caution and inform those who are considering attending or working at our alma mater.
Jamey Norman: Faculty 2013–2015
Grace and Peace,
My name is Jamey Norman. I grew up in a very strict Church of God (Cleveland, TN) setting and after preaching in that context for several years, I eventually migrated into the Independent Holiness Movement and ministered as an itinerate preacher and pastor. After resigning a church I pastored, I was invited to come to Free Gospel Bible Institute (FGBI) to be an instructor there. I accepted the invitation and taught at FGBI for two school years.
Other than living in pretty severe poverty, I, for the most part, had a positive experience teaching at FGBI. I got along well with the other instructors and staff, and I loved the students very much, a few I have maintained a personal relationship with all these years
(and changes) later.
With that said, however, I did notice during my time at FGBI that many of the students seemed tired, depressed, and greatly discouraged. I also witnessed the students were often dealt with in condescending ways that would disrespect their dignity as people created in the image of God. To make it worse, these were their fellow ministers of the Gospel. This was not only done at the school, but other ministers and ministry leaders would do this to the students while they were out doing ministry activities like helping at youth camps and camp meetings. This was not (and is not) surprising to me considering the way I was trained as a “man of God.” It is sad to say that because of that wrong training, I have been at best complicit in that disrespect, and at worst a participant and proponent. Further, I don’t have difficulty believing some of the testimonies of the more severe mistreatment and spiritual abuse (like Becky’s) because of the spiritual abuse I often saw taking place right out in the open.
This sort of mistreatment can be devastating for a young person, especially for a young person aspiring to ministry. It can be devastating by communicating something about Christianity that is not true, thereby distorting the Gospel and facilitating doubt in the lives of young people. It can also be devastating to the young minister who will think this is the way to do ministry and go on into ministry settings and perpetuate this sort of bad leadership, which will cause misery for the minister and misery for those to whom they minister.
Therefore, my purpose is two-fold. I want to help those who have been confused and wounded by real spiritual abuse see what they endured is not biblical Christianity. If they have departed in doubt and discouragement, I want to show them their only hope of healing is by believing the true Gospel and finding a true expression of Christianity, especially in a healthy local church. Second, I want to help my fellow ministers who have been influenced and/or discouraged by this sinful leadership model see the biblical model of leadership so they can minster to and leads God’s people wisely and biblically.
I pray God’s grace will empower me to help anyone I reach through this forum come to a place of spiritual health for the glory of God and the good
of God’s people.
Josh Ratliff: Student 2006–2007
Hello, my name is Josh Ratliff, and my wife, Valerie, and I attended Free Gospel Bible Institute from 2006-2007. My memories of FGBI carry very complex emotions for me. It was the place where I showed up with wide-eyed idealism and relished the fact that I could study the Bible and pray everyday with my peers. It was the place where I made lifelong friends (some of whom still hold to the doctrines we were taught there, and some who do not). And most importantly, it was the place where I met my wife with whom I have three wonderful children! But it is also a place of deeply painful memories.
The Apostle Peter, who learned leadership from Jesus, exhorted the leaders of the church in this way:
“Now as an elder myself and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory to be revealed, I exhort the elders among you to tend the flock of God that is in your charge, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it—not for sordid gain but eagerly. Do not lord it over those in your charge, but be examples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd appears, you will win the crown of glory that never fades away. In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you must clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for
“God opposes the proud,
but gives grace to the humble.”
(1 Peter 5:1-5)
No description of leadership could possibly be further from what we experienced at FGBI. Oversight was not humble. It was “lorded” over us, and spiritual manipulation–not humble shepherding by example–was the primary tool used to maintain control. One’s personal relationship with Christ could be questioned if you did not conform to the leader’s direction for your life. And in many tragic cases (including my wife), the act of leaving the school was portrayed as following the path to hell. The stories that will be told through this effort will not only confirm these things to be true, but will demonstrate with evidence that it was the deliberate, unabashed strategy of the leadership to maintain dominance. Break people down, so that you can build them back up under your control.
It has been many years since I have engaged those painful experiences. I do not glorify the work of our adversary in the confusion and pain he tried to cause in our life. I glorify God who held us by His grace! The Spirit’s deep inner work of healing, the discovery of an undistorted biblical Gospel, and simply finding healthy Christian community, has contributed greatly over these last nearly 20 years to our moving forward in Christ. I now have the privilege of leading a congregation to follow the way of Jesus, and God has redeemed my past harmful experiences, including those at FGBI, to shepherd people toward spiritual health and avoid the domineering, “lording-over” leadership we found ourselves under. Although my wife and I have been healed and thoroughly recovered, I know there are many who have not, and that’s who I am here for. I stand with those who are exposing darkness, and I offer my support to those who are walking into the light.
Natalie Edmonson: Class of 2017
fHi there!
I’m Natalie Edmonson, Valedictorian of the Class of 2017. For me, Free Gospel Bible Institute provided an opportunity to study my favorite topics (theology, Church history, apologetics), while growing in my personal walk with the Lord, and making many Christian friends. Many ministry opportunities came out of my time there, including missions trips to South Korea and the Philippines, regularly teaching kids’ Sunday School, Playcast twice, and pioneering a weekly kids’ outreach in Export.
The rules never bothered me; I kept them meticulously. I was never campused or punished, because in three years, I never intentionally broke a rule. After my first freshman semester, I didn’t receive a single late minute. I put my all into FGBI as a student, and I excelled. I graduated with a 4.0, President’s List every semester.
Like Paul in Philippians 3, I don’t think much of these accomplishments, but I share them for a reason. I share them because I want you to know that I loved my time at FGBI. My survival strategy was simple: stay out of the way—lost in study, praying in the sanctuary, walking the Pennsylvania hills—and be so unpopular that no one came looking for me. As an introvert, I thrived.
But the fact that I had a good experience does not give me an excuse to dismiss the harm that others endured.
The reason why I fully believe Rebecca and others who are coming forward to share their experiences is because of what I saw, heard, and witnessed while I was a student. I had a front row seat to watch one student after another bend over backwards to please leadership, especially the school president, only to be worked into the ground and then discarded for some minor infraction. I saw, firsthand, how many Jesus-loving teenagers came into the school zealous to do something great for God, only to be worn down by undeserved rebukes, impossible workloads, and spiritual manipulation. Even if they graduated, they were discouraged and disillusioned. Tragically, many walked away from Christianity entirely.
The more I reflect, the more troubling memories resurface—safety hazards, legally questionable activities, school incidents we were forbidden from talking about… The red flags almost always trace back to the authoritarian, top-down leadership style.
Not too long ago, I shared a few of my memories from FGBI with my mom, a devout Holiness Pentecostal. She listened for a while, and then asked, “Natalie, if this is all true, then why would Holiness pastors and parents be sending their kids to FGBI?” I answered, “You sent me.” To which she replied, “Yes, but I didn’t know all this!”
Exactly. And that’s what bothers me, Holiness parents, pastors, and prospective students don’t know. Year after year, teens and young adults are being sent off to Free Gospel Bible Institute to train for ministry. And just as often, there are those who graduate or quit feeling burnt out and broken. Not because of the pressures of life, but because of the very preventable, un-Christlike actions of leadership.
That said, not every student who sees the authoritarianism takes issue with it. Some fall for the idea that it’s biblical and, tragically, go on to perpetuate it in churches around the country. Thus, the Independent Holiness Pentecostal Movement spirals into even more authoritarianism and dysfunction, with the sheep in the pews paying the price.
If you are a current or former FGBI student, staff, faculty, or board member (especially since 2001) and you share our concerns, those of us on this page want to hear from you. Would you like to share your experience face to face (via Zoom)? Please use the form below to let us know; thank you for trusting us with your story! If you have questions about how what you were taught and experienced at FGBI compares to Scripture, it would be our honor to help you disentangle. We know firsthand how disorienting erred teachings and spiritual abuse can be.
You’re not alone in what you experienced; may the gospel of grace bring clarity and healing to us all.
Kristi Benfield: Student —-
I’m Kristi Benfield. I attended FGBI in the early 2000s. While I will admit there were some fun times, friends made, and Biblical knowledge gleaned, there were many more moments of fear, hurt, and confusion.
I naturally tend to follow most rules without any issue. Being raised holiness only made that even more innate in me, so it wasn’t necessarily the rules of the school that bothered me, although they are designed more for children than young adults. It definitely leaned more toward the outright disrespect and intentional humiliation that I saw inflicted on others that did the most damage.
References to fallen pastors were made while their sons were in class with us… and not in any kind of necessary or helpful way. A culture of hazing was there. (My now-husband was a targeted victim of this by some of FGBI’s esteemed alumni ministers.)
Money was, quite frankly, stolen from me/my parents. Items were literally thrown at my now-husband by the school’s president when he tried to ask questions regarding why that money was taken. He was forced to sweep and mop hallways while on crutches with a swollen, severely sprained ankle. Growing up in a home with a father out of the faith completely, he desperately longed for and needed good, healthy, godly direction from a man and thought he would get it at bible school. However, the type of treatment the leadership bestowed only made him struggle with questions even more.
Threats of “ruining/stopping ministries” before they even began were made on the regular. At times, these threats were carried out with illegitimate calls to pastors within the movement just to enforce the control the president had over us kids.
We were told “the best” singers/preachers were sent on ministry every weekend to better advertise for the school, rather than sending everyone equally to better equip and prepare them, leaving the majority of students feeling like they were not actually called or “less favored by God” than their other peers.
This kind of environment is dangerous for anyone for even short amounts of time… but a young heart and mind that is still developing and trying to find their place, understand their purpose, and really solidify their faith can be utterly destroyed. Keeping them entrapped in this for a year… two years… three years… Well, they lose their identity and the creative qualities God gave them for their life and those for which they were meant to minister, either by leaving the faith entirely or melting into the image someone else prefers for their own gain.
To be completely honest, my husband and I dealt with some years of paralyzing confusion and unhealthy trust issues all because of trauma incurred while at FGBI. We had the anger, the “is this really Christianity” battle, the discouragement, and the “we’re just done with it all” moments. It took a while to even understand what healthy leadership looked like. We were so used to being inappropriately handled as children and young adults that any kind of direction felt like an attack.
Thankfully, we were able to hold onto the Lord long enough to find healthy, Christian environments that exhibited a true Christ-centered, Christ-like atmosphere. Over time, we were able to break free from most of the anger and confusion we experienced in our younger years. So, my reasoning for supporting this page is simple- I’ve lived the before, during, and after FGBI… and I know the struggles that come from the latter two, whether my own or others to whom I’m closest. There are much healthier options available to a young person hungry for Jesus and desiring to do work for Him. Until the foundation of this school has shifted and accurate, Biblical leadership is available, I highly recommend choosing one of those.
And if you, too, have experienced or are continuing to experience confusion or even disdain for Christianity because of what you witnessed while at FGBI, I pray even now, that we could somehow act as a conduit for the true Gospel, Christ’s love, and God’s amazing grace in your life. You are loved like crazy by a Savior who saw everything you ever endured and you are not alone in your journey now.
Rebecca Pruett: Class of 2007
Faculty 2007–2015
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Rebecca (Nichols) Pruett. I was a student of Free Gospel Bible Institute from 2004–2007 and then served as faculty for 8 years. In all, I invested 11 years of my life into this school, caring deeply about the students and the work I was doing. While ministering was certainly the intent, I can’t help but see the unquantifiable hurt and deep harm that’s been caused—not in isolated cases, but on a wide scale.
So many who attended FGBI, entered full of zeal for God, but walked out shattered and confused—and I understand why.
In retrospect, I see clearly that God and the Gospel were grievously distorted on these grounds, and my heart breaks. I want nothing more than to see these mangled, false presentations of God exposed, so that every precious life that has walked through those doors may see with clarity, Who God is, as He is revealed in Scripture.
I also see the students who went on to serve. As intended, many graduated and rose to pulpits and platforms across the nation. I sincerely hope that, in each case, truth has been separated from error—and that the harmful culture we experienced together is not being replicated. But if it is—quietly repeating itself somewhere—this is why I’m speaking up.
Because I participated in this school’s ministry and was part of its influence, I feel like I have a responsibility—to express my sorrow and repentance for contributing in any capacity to harm in individual lives and across the Holiness Movement. My desire is to extend compassion and support to those who are still suffering, and to warn those who may still be spared. My heart is that the Gospel is presented faithfully, and that Scripture is held in highest esteem. I speak the truth in love and share my story to bring clarity where there’s been confusion, healing where there’s been hurt, and above all, to point back to the true Gospel—unfiltered, unmanipulated, and anchored in Scripture.
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