As I’ve mentioned here before, I like to believe that Dave Hasz and the rest of the Honor Academy staff have good intentions. Unfortunately, their sincerity does not negate the damage they have done. The book Soul Repair has this to say about spiritual abusers: Spiritual abusers usually are not conscious of what they […]
Grace for Spiritual Abusers Read More »
I was an August intern, from the class of 2000. I was K-Crew, Breakfast Crew – and I LOVED Teen Mania. Don’t get me wrong – I still believe God brought me there. I had a deep peace that it was where I was supposed to be. And there were many good things He
I read your website last night about recovering from the Honor Academy and it was life changing for me. I have been on 4 trips with TM and have been graduated from the HA for 5 years. Everything made so much sense to me, the more articles I read on your site the more everything
Spiritual abuse can happen in a variety of ways, but I’d like to highlight a great description of what I think is the most common way it occurs at Teen Mania’s Honor Academy. I’m returning to the excellent book, Soul Repair, that gives this description of how spiritual abuse happens: For some of us, our
How Spiritual Abuse Happens Read More »
Spiritual abuse can occur in many contexts and in many ways but the same threads run through it all. In the first chapter of the book, Soul Repair, spiritual abuse is described this way: Whenever we give others the message that their relationship with God depends on something other than God’s love and grace –
Elements of Spiritual Abuse Read More »
Some of you might be wondering if I am over-reacting in my diagnosis of what is wrong with the Honor Academy. Sure, no ministry is perfect – so am I just being overly critical? In his book, Recovering from Churches that Abuse, Ronald Enroth tells you how to recognize if you have been spiritually
Is it Really Spiritual Abuse? Read More »
If you need help leaving the Honor Academy, please get in contact with me. It doesn’t matter if you are quitting or being dismissed. If you need a place to stay, someone to pick you up, or just a couch to crash on for the weekend while you think things through – I have sympathetic
Leaving the Honor Academy Read More »
I recently came across this great interview with Jeff VanVonderen, author of “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.” Towards the end of the interview, he discusses the recovery process. I’ve found this example to be very true in my life. This especially applies to those who have experienced rejection or disapproval from the HA staff
Why Recovery is So Hard Read More »
We did this new L.T.E. (Life Transforming Event) called “World Awareness.” They didn’t tell us what was going on and it wasn’t optional. It was said to be called “The Movie LTE” we were going to watch movies about persecution and talk about it. We went in for our first movie then all the
Erin’s Story, Part 2 Read More »
This is part 1 of Erin’s story. Check back tomorrow for part 2. I was a January intern in 2007. I think that says SO MUCH right there.(Many of us lovingly referred to the common miss- treatment of the January intern as the ‘Jan-Shaft’) I was welcomed to my new room on day one with
Erin’s Story, Part 1 Read More »
I received this email from an intern recently. She told me her story, which was heartbreaking, yet all too familiar. Though she wanted to keep specific details under wraps, I’m able to share her summary which articulates so well the common experience of life after Teen Mania. It’s important to note that during the internship
The Damage is Real Read More »
Even though I abandoned many of the things I learned at Teen Mania, like many of you I still lived under guilt and condemnation. Even years after leaving the Honor Academy, the thought of Dave’s disapproval still hurt and hung heavy over me. Getting over his opinion of me was one of the greatest days
Going through therapy with a professional counselor was the best thing I could have done after leaving Teen Mania. I highly recommend it if you are struggling through these same issues. The next milestone in my recovery, was about 3 years ago. I was driving across town listening to the radio. Just another ordinary day.
In the Honor Academy, you are taught to give absolute submission and obedience to your leaders there. You are told that the leadership are basically God’s representative to you. To disobey them is to disobey God. They actively promote the idea that you, as an intern, should submit to them in every way and take
Dangerous Leadership Read More »
“I, too, was there the same year as Recovering Alumni. I think it was kind of a transition year…some of the old-timey crazy was still in full-effect, and some of the NEW! IMPROVED! CRAZY hadn’t yet been implemented. (examples: We still had to build the Quonset huts and do lots of other (extra) manual labor
This quote has really been a blessing to me this week: (2021 Update: link now points to Wayback Machine) Sanctification is never advanced by self-focused grief or guilt. It is energized by joy and driven by love. This is the distinction that gospelized sanctification emphasizes. Only a remembrance of the gospel will free us from our
An anonymous commenter recently asked: Does the Honor Academy give the impression that in order to grow closer to God, one must suffer physically? I would answer emphatically, YES. But it goes far beyond just the forced exercise. In fact, by using this philosophy, the leadership at the Honor Academy had discovered what is possibly
Possibly the Best Control Technique Ever Devised Read More »
For those of you that may not know, David Hasz is the director of the Honor Academy at Teen Mania. He has a very visible leadership presence on campus – in fact, every part of the Honor Academy bears his fingerprints. Now, it’s normal for people to look up to their “hero” or to a
hi there, I’m an HA alumni that graduated august of 08. my name is Jeff and i would like to share one particular incident that happened while i was there. if you’d like to publish this, be my guest. I want to start out by clarifying that the HA isn’t all bad, i did get
Jared Wilson at the Gospel Driven Church has done some excellent writing on the nature of the Gospel and the Christ-less Christianity that inhabits much of our consciousness. He consistently takes apart our desire to “do” good works and “be” good Christians vs. what God has done for us in Christ. “Do” isn’t any less
The parable of the prodigal son offers an interesting contrast to both the leadership and environment of Teen Mania’s Honor Academy. Take a moment to read the story here. The son wandered off to live in sin and squalor on his own terms. When he repented he just hoped he could return and work for
The Prodigal’s Father vs Dave Hasz Read More »
Here’s another excerpt from my correspondence with Erin (not her real name). I think the disconnect between the atmosphere people think they promote, and what is actually experienced by the people not in authority, is fascinating. It’s as though they lack the imagination to follow their ideas and teaching through to the logical conclusion. I
A mutual friend introduced me to Erin (not her real name). She has given me permission to reprint some of her emails which contain fabulous insights on how TM has affected her. My first reaction when XXXXX told me you’d started writing about spiritual abuse at Teen Mania was kind of funny and telling, so
Still Feeling it Years Later Read More »
We’ve been talking about why the impossibly high standards at Teen Mania are so unhealthy. But, I can already hear the objections. “Many people can and do live up to these standards!” you say. Many people live up to these standards for a while. I know I did. I can think of several reasons why people
Why Standards are Evil Read More »
ESOAL starts tomorrow. I just want to encourage any current interns who will be participating that there is NO SHAME in ringing the bell (or not even starting in the first place). Often, the environment at the Honor Academy makes you feel like you don’t measure up as a Christian unless your meet all of
