Hmm. Where to begin? I guess that my name is Mark. I was very recently at Teen Mania as an intern and also as a Core Advisor. In this story(or rant) I will be, for the first time, recounting some of my experiences at TM. So if my thoughts are scattered, I apologize in advance. […]
Since I came to Teen Mania as a staff member instead of an intern, my story is a little different than most here. I graduated from Bible College in the early 90’s and struggled with what I was supposed to do with my life. I always had a desire to work in TV and the
“Hangman we played double dutch with a hand grenadeBehind the church, hiding place. Apathetic to the devil’sFace. Wear the sheriff’s badge put your toys awayThey let us go saying let us pray!“ Time passes at an individual pace but offers us–the individuals–absolutely no negotiation. We do not get a say, nor can we decide how
Youth Without Youth Read More »
After leaving Teen Mania last year, David Hasz went to work at a company in the Houston area that was staffed by many Honor Academy alumni. Now, he has moved on to another “ministry” job. After serving on their Board for several years, he has been hired by Bethany International – the group that collaborated
David Hasz Hired by Bethany College of Missions Read More »
“There has to be a better way to love God and feel free.” -Esther, Paradise Recovered Paradise Recovered is an independent film that follows a fundamentalist believer’s journey to freedom. The Parable of the Good Samaritan is at the heart of story, though here it is a church that has robbed our victim and left
Filmspiration: Paradise Recovered Read More »
Ever since I saw the Mind of Mania broadcast and found this blog, I’ve considered posting, but never did until now. I suppose it is because I am embarrassed to say I ever had anything to do with Teen Mania or even worse, that I recommended it to others. I was horrified by what I
Note: This is a response to a video made by an intern and aimed at interns, about how to work as a Christian in a non-Christian job. I’m hoping that those in our community who are not Christians will also contribute to this discussion, as I know there’ll be great points made. Above is a YouTube video for Honor
If You’re Working in “The World”, You’re Doing it Wrong. Read More »
I write because its 2013, and I’m still pretty torn up. I went on a mission trip with GE in 2011. But who knew one month of my life could hurt me so much?! Right when I think I’m over it, I can see and feel everything all over again.Its like time picks at scabs
Last month on the Honor Academy Director’s Blog, Ron Luce wrote a post called What’s the Real Cost of a Video Game? (which has since gone defunct) In it, Ron made a correlation between violent video games (aka worldly culture) and the Newtown Massacre: If we know nothing else about this 20 year old gunman,
Creating a Culture of Killing Read More »
(disclaimer: I’m not endorsing the United Methodist church–I just think this is a good message.) Christmas is complicated. At least, that’s my experience, but I would guess it’s a hard time of year for others in the community as well. In my case, the holidays stir up a deep loneliness and longing for family. Some
So This is Christmas… and What Have We Done? Read More »
I recently hosted a screening of The Pink Room Movie with a small group of strangers–mostly friends of friends and college students five to ten years younger than myself. Someone asked how I’d found the film and I gave a brief explanation that a Teen Mania friend introduced me to it. Two girls beamed up at me
Ever since Mica asked me if I would like to take over the RA blog, I have been contemplating how to start my first post. In the past I have spontaneously and awkwardly contributed my story, as well as some thoughts about healing or lessons I learned at the Honor Academy. But taking over the
I’ve been deficient in blogging the last few months…but not for lack of things to blog about. Teen Mania continues to do crazy things, interns continue to reach out to me with the SAME stories as always and Ron Luce continues his unethical and unbiblical ways… But today, I’d like to talk specifically about Teen
Exploiting a Tragedy to Raise Money Read More »
This is another guest post by community member, Shannon Ashley. My entire Teen Mania experience has followed me with a very deep cost. I lost many things in my life as a result of the lessons I learned there. Among those things, one of the most damaging losses was love—my belief in love and also
Guest Post: Teen Mania’s Version of Love Read More »
This post is written by community member, Shannon Ashley. This past summer, I turned thirty. It’s strange to consider I’m in an entirely new decade of my life and that my time at Teen Mania ended eleven years ago. My first Acquire the Fire convention was sixteen years ago! Those numbers boggle my mind because
Guest Post: On Recovery Read More »
In a surprising turn of events today, Honor Academy leadership announced that the abusive ESOAL/PEARL event will be suspended indefinitely because the secular media is portraying it negatively. Not because hundreds of people have been injured, some near fatally. Not because people have nightmares and PTSD from the psychological effects (even years later). Not because its
Teen Mania Annouces ESOAL (PEARL) Suspended Indefinitely Read More »
This story was posted on the RA Facebook page last week…something I had long forgotten. So I am dealing with a backed up septic tank at my new apartment. This brought back a memory from the HA. A staff member had a big talk with the ladies about flushing tampons down the toilet because maintenance
Do Interns Work With Raw Sewage? Read More »
2021 Update: Aside from the closure in 2015, the board has changed a bit over the years. The link points to the Wayback Machine and redirects to different lists of staff from the list below. According to the Teen Mania website, there are only 2 members of the Board of Directors other than Ron and Katie Luce:
What Happened to Teen Mania Board’s of Directors? Read More »
Since Teen Mania has a history of lying about why people leave the organization, we may never know the answer to that question. Personally, I have a hard time imagining that Dave left willingly and voluntarily. He hasn’t announced his next steps and given the fact that he built a mansion across the street from Teen
Was David Hasz Forced Out or Did He Resign? Read More »
In an absolutely horrific tragedy yesterday, 4 people were killed in a plane crash. One of them was a Teen Mania staff member. I’m told that as of right now, Hannah Luce is the only survivor and she is in critical condition with burns on about 1/3 of her body. If you are still the
Plane Crash Kills Teen Mania Staff Member Read More »
Teen Mania just sent out an email announcing the departure of David and Jon Hasz. Here is the text of that email: For 25 years, Teen Mania Ministries has been reaching teenagers with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. Still committed to this mission, we enter into our next chapter ready to meet this generation
David and Jon Hasz Leave Teen Mania Read More »
I don’t know, but I’d like to find out! Interns who’ve been financially dismissed tell me that they often have to sign a paper promising to pay back their account since they’ve falled behind on their “donations.” In some cases, I’m told that Teen Mania even threatens them with sending their account to a collections
Is It Legal to REQUIRE Donations? Read More »
It’s been 2 years now since I found the blog. I can’t even begin to tell you what a difference it’s made for me. I’ve tried so many times to write my story. It would mean so much to me to have someone read it. I have a folder on my computer dedicated to doing
After each of the previous media stories done on Teen Mania, we’ve seen them lie both to the reporters and to the public at large. So it was no surprise that it happened again with the most recent story from the Fox Los Angeles story. This time, the lies come courtesy of Teen Mania’s Communication Consultant, Cindy
Teen Mania Lies to the Media Again… But This One Is a WHOPPER! Read More »
Fox News Los Angeles recently did a story on ESOAL. It was originally slated to run in tandem with the Southern California ATF, but that event was cancelled. The producers interviewed me as well as two other recovering alumni for the piece. I had hoped it would cover the Honor Academy in general, but they
Teen Mania in the News Read More »
