Bill Gothard
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William W. Gothard Jr. (born November 2, 1934) is an American
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
minister, speaker, and writer, and the founder of the
Institute in Basic Life Principles The Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) is a nondenominational Christian fundamentalist organisation established by American Christian minister Bill Gothard in 1961. The stated purpose of the organization is to provide instruction on ho ...
(IBLP), an independent
fundamentalist Christian Christian fundamentalism, also known as fundamental Christianity or fundamentalist Christianity, is a religious movement emphasizing biblical literalism. In its modern form, it began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among British an ...
organization. His
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
teachings encourage Bible memorization, large families,
homeschooling Homeschooling or home schooling (American English), also known as home education or elective home education (EHE) (British English), is the education of school-aged children at home or a variety of places other than a school. Usually conducted ...
, aversion to
debt Debt is an obligation that requires one party, the debtor, to pay money Loan, borrowed or otherwise withheld from another party, the creditor. Debt may be owed by a sovereign state or country, local government, company, or an individual. Co ...
, familial
patriarchy Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of authority are primarily held by men. The term ''patriarchy'' is used both in anthropology to describe a family or clan controlled by the father or eldest male or group of males, and in fem ...
, the submission of wives to husbands, and modest attire. At the height of Gothard's popularity during the 1970s and 80s, his Basic Youth Conflicts seminar which became the Basic and Advanced Seminars were regularly filling auditoriums throughout the United States and beyond with attendance figures as large as ten thousand and more for a one-week seminar. In this way, he reached many in the
evangelical Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...
community. Other seminars during this time included events for pastors, physicians, and
legislator A legislator, or lawmaker, is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are often elected by the people, but they can be appointed, or hereditary. Legislatures may be supra-nat ...
s. In 2014, he stepped down from IBLP after 34 women accused him of
sexual harassment Sexual harassment is a type of harassment based on the sex or gender of a victim. It can involve offensive sexist or sexual behavior, verbal or physical actions, up to bribery, coercion, and assault. Harassment may be explicit or implicit, wit ...
and molestation, with some incidents allegedly occurring when the victims were minors. In 2016, Gothard and IBLP were sued by a group of alleged victims. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2018, as the
statute of limitations A statute of limitations, known in civil law systems as a prescriptive period, is a law passed by a legislative body to set the maximum time after an event within which legal proceedings may be initiated. ("Time for commencing proceedings") In ...
had been exceeded.


Biography

Bill Gothard received his BA in biblical studies from Wheaton College, 1957 and then his MA in Christian education in 1961. He completed his Ph.D. in biblical studies at Louisiana Baptist University in 2004. In 1961, Gothard started Campus Teams, an organization which changed its name to the Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts (IBYC) in 1974. The organization's name changed again in 1989 to the
Institute in Basic Life Principles The Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) is a nondenominational Christian fundamentalist organisation established by American Christian minister Bill Gothard in 1961. The stated purpose of the organization is to provide instruction on ho ...
(IBLP), of which Gothard was the president and a board member until his resignation in 2014. In 1984, Gothard founded the Advanced Training Institute (ATI), a homeschooling program with a curriculum based on the
Sermon on the Mount The Sermon on the Mount ( anglicized from the Matthean Vulgate Latin section title: ) is a collection of sayings spoken by Jesus of Nazareth found in the Gospel of Matthew (chapters 5, 6, and 7). that emphasizes his moral teachings. It is th ...
. Gothard had many political connections with Republican political leaders, including
Mike Huckabee Michael Dale Huckabee (, born August 24, 1955) is an American diplomat, political commentator, Baptist minister, and politician serving as the 29th United States Ambassador to Israel, United States ambassador to Israel since 2025. A member of ...
,
Sonny Perdue George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III (born December 20, 1946) is an American politician, veterinarian, and businessman who served as the 31st United States secretary of agriculture from 2017 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party (United States), ...
, and
Sarah Palin Sarah Louise Palin (; Heath; born February 11, 1964) is an American politician, commentator, and author who served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009. She was the 2008 Republican vice presidential nomi ...
. His ministry was also popular with the reality TV Duggar family and others. He has never married.


Teaching

Gothard's primary teaching, his "Basic Seminar", focuses on what he refers to as seven "Basic Life Principles". He teaches that these principles are universal, and that people will suffer consequences for violating them. Gothard's principles are called Design, Authority, Responsibility, Suffering, Ownership, Freedom, and Success. The "umbrella of authority" is the idea that in order to be protected from the devil, one must have absolute obedience to those above them in the chain of authority. Gothard teaches that
dating Dating is a stage of Romance (love), romantic relationships in which individuals engage in activity together, often with the intention of evaluating each other's suitability as a partner in a future intimate relationship. It falls into the cate ...
is morally dangerous and that
courtship Courtship is the period wherein some couples get to know each other prior to a possible marriage or committed romantic, ''de facto'' relationship. Courtship traditionally may begin after a betrothal and may conclude with the celebration of marri ...
is the better alternative. Gothard encourages parents to be involved in their children's courtship, and that a father should be involved in his daughter's relationships, and should at the very least have the right to say "no" when a man asks to marry his daughter. Gothard also advocates conservative dress. Gothard's teachings discourage dating and syncopated music, including
Christian rock Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus in Christianity, Jesus. This music is typically performed by Christians, Christian individuals. The extent to whi ...
. He has warned that Cabbage Patch dolls are idolatrous. Gothard has been the subject of much debate in Christian circles, and occasionally in mass media. Various books and articles have challenged Gothard's teachings on legalism, law, and
grace Grace may refer to: Places United States * Grace, Idaho, a city * Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois * Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office * Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uni ...
, and questioned his handling of the IBLP ministry.


Sexual harassment allegations

On February 27, 2014, the board of directors of the
Institute in Basic Life Principles The Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) is a nondenominational Christian fundamentalist organisation established by American Christian minister Bill Gothard in 1961. The stated purpose of the organization is to provide instruction on ho ...
placed Gothard on indefinite
administrative leave Administrative leave is a temporary leave from a job assignment, with pay and benefits intact. Generally, the term is reserved for employees of non-business institutions such as schools, police, and hospitals. Definition The definition of adm ...
while it investigated claims that he sexually harassed several female employees and volunteers. No criminal activity was uncovered, but an investigation found that Gothard had acted in an "inappropriate manner". The claims had been publicized on the ''Recovering Grace'' website, which is a support group for former followers of Gothard's teachings. As many as 34 women who worked for Gothard have claimed that he harassed them. Gothard denied the allegations and admitted no wrongdoing but announced his resignation from the Institute in order "to listen to those who have ought icagainst him". On June 17, 2014, IBLP issued a statement, summarizing the investigation conducted by "outside legal counsel". They asserted that although no criminal activity was uncovered, Gothard had acted in an "inappropriate manner" and so "is not permitted to serve in any counseling, leadership, or Board role within the IBLP ministry". In July 2015, Gothard re-launched his website, including testimonials from several women. In 2016, Gothard and IBLP were sued by a group of alleged victims who accused him of sexual harassment and assault. The plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed their lawsuit in 2018, citing "unique complexities" with the
statute of limitations A statute of limitations, known in civil law systems as a prescriptive period, is a law passed by a legislative body to set the maximum time after an event within which legal proceedings may be initiated. ("Time for commencing proceedings") In ...
, but emphasized: "We are not recanting our experiences or dismissing the incalculable damage that we believe Gothard has done."


Books

* ''Advanced Seminar Textbook''. Institute in Basic Life Principles, 1986, * ''Basic Preparation for Engagement''. Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts, 1971 * ''Basic Seminar Textbook''. Institute in Basic Life Principles, 1979, * ''Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts: Research in Principles of Life''. Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts, 1981, * ''Men's Manual, Vol. 1''. Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts, 1979, * ''Men's Manual, Vol. 2''. Institute in Basic Life Principles, 1983, * ''Nuestro Dios Celoso/Our Jealous God: El Amor que no me deja ir/The love that doesn't let me go''. Editorial Unilit 2004, * ''Our Jealous God''. Life Change Books, 2003. * ''Rebuilder's Guide''. Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts, 1982. * ''Research in Principles of Life: Advanced Seminar Textbook''. Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts 1986. * ''Rewards of Being Reviled''. Life Change Books, 2004. * ''Self-Acceptance''. Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts, 1984. ASIN B0007270AO * ''The Amazing Way''. Institute in Basic Life Principles, 2010. * ''The Power of Crying Out''. Life Change Books, 2002, * ''The Power of Spoken Blessings''. Life Change Books, 2004. * ''The Sevenfold Power of First Century Churches and Homes''. Life Change Books, 2000. * ''Why Did God Let It Happen?'' Institute in Basic Life Principles, 2011.


References


External links


Official Bill Gothard Website

Official Bill Gothard Twitter

Institute in Basic Life Principles

Bill Gothard Seminars
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gothard, Bill 1934 births Living people 20th-century Protestant religious leaders 21st-century Protestant religious leaders American Christian religious leaders American people of Mexican descent Hispanic and Latino American writers Leaders of Christian parachurch organizations Louisiana Baptist University alumni Protestant writers Wheaton College (Illinois) alumni