19 November 2011

Scott TompkinsHow should churches respond when a ministry in their area is accused of wrongdoing?

Such is the dilemma of churches in East Texas after the youth discipleship ministry Teen Mania was featured in an MSNBC report called "Mind Over Mania" recently. It focused on five young women who claimed they experienced emotional trauma and “thought reform” during their time at Teen Mania’s Honor Academy.

Teen Mania leader David Hasz told ResonateNew.com the program was “sensationalized” and some sections were “completely false.”

In Matthew 7:15-23, Jesus set a standard for detecting whether someone in ministry was a true or false disciple. It boils down to whether they do the will of God (as confirmed through Scripture) and whether their life and ministry produces good or bad fruit.

East Texas pastors have had ample opportunity to assess the fruit of Teen Mania. Since the ministry’s Garden Valley, Texas, training center opened in 1996, its students have often attended churches in neighboring Tyler, Lindale and Van.

Did local pastors find those students to be strange and cultish? Or were they genuine, Jesus-loving teens? Was there anything about them that caused concern? If so, did local pastors ever visit the Teen Mania training center and discern for themselves?

The MSNBC report largely focused on a three-day training event now known as The PEARL (an acronym for Physical, Emotional, and Relational Learning). It’s been described as a mix of "Fear Factor" and Navy SEALS training camp that is run by past Honor Academy students. Teen Mania leaders say it is optional but there appears to be significant peer pressure for all students to do it.

The MSNBC report did interview some current Teen Mania students, who spoke positively about their experiences. But none of those shown in the documentary were asked specifically about PEARL. Some students have told Resonate News it was the highlight of their one-year Honor Academy training.

“We are being judged based on an event that constitutes less than 1 percent of our total training program,” Hasz said. “And we have made significant changes in the program in response to suggestions from a team of outside advisers.”

Because of the power of the Internet to keep before the public eye both founded and unfounded criticisms of any organization, the MSNBC report seems likely to undermine Teen Mania’s enrollment, at least in the short term. Whether they survive in the long term depends largely on the parents and pastors who send their teens to the Honor Academy.

The most immediate fallout has been a decision by East Texas organizers, with the blessing of Teen Mania, to move a community church event in January to another location. The event had been scheduled in the Teen Mania auditorium. Those on the organizing committee, that includes Teen Mania, said they made this decision not as a judgment on Teen Mania, but so the questions raised by the TV program would not detract from the gathering.

Rather than keeping silent on the issue of whether Teen Mania is abusive to its students, I urge that local spiritual leaders go seeking the truth about the matter. If Teen Mania programs are producing “bad fruit” parents and churches should be warned to keep their kids away from them. But if they are producing “good fruit” or if its leaders are repentant in responding to any correction that is needed, then the church — in Texas and beyond — needs to rise up to defend them.

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