Church bars woman
by SARAH BIESKE, 16 March 2004, p.5
A WOMAN given just two years to live says she has been ostracised from her church because she moved in with her family.
Zivka Igic, 62, arrived at the Geelong Revival Centre with a personal carer last month after being released from hospital, only to be turned away because she is living with her daughter and son-in-law who were ex-communicated from the assembly last year.
The Yugoslavia-born woman, who suffered a ruptured artery and was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver in January, was given a letter and told she would have to meet with pastor Noel Hollins before returning to the church again.
“She’s a very sick lady who needs looking after and we’re the only family she has,” son-in-law David Erwin said.
“But basically what the church is saying is that if she wants to go back there she must also go back to living on her own.”
Lyn McCarter, from Best of Care, accompanied Mrs Igic to the revival centre and said her patient, who she labelled as frail, did not receive a welcome reception.
“She was given the letter and although she couldn’t understand what it said because she needed it to be interpreted, she was concerned about what was in it,” Mrs McCarter said.
The letter from Mr Hollins informed Mrs Igic, a member of the church for 18 years, that the only other people to attend the meeting about her future with the assembly would be two elders and a translator if needed.
Mr Erwin replied to the church and said his wife, who has power of attorney for her mother, would be present if a meeting took place.
He has not had a response.
“We gave them seven days to reply, that’s now over two weeks ago and have since confirmed that Zivka has been ostracised from the church fellowship, ” he said.
“It’s not the first time this has happened. It happened to myself and my wife but to do it to an elderly lady is just wrong.”
Mr Erwin and his wife Helena were ousted from the church but have never been given an official reason for their ex-communication.
Mr Hollins could not be contacted yesterday but an elder from the church said the centre would not comment on the matter.
Church is tearing us apart claim: Members lose faith in centre
by SARAH BIESKE, 6 April 2004, p.7
THE GEELONG Revival Centre has come under attack from former members who claim it is tearing families and marriages apart.
The former members have joined together to speak out against the born-again Christian church which forbids its members to form close relationships with non-members, including their own families.
Several ex-members of the centre have contacted the Advertiser since it was revealed three weeks ago a woman, Zivka Igic, was under pressure from the church’s Pastor Noel Hollins to disown her family because they were no longer members.
Her son-in-law, David Erwin, a former ministry worker with the church, said he was told about two years ago he was no longer welcome at the centre after questioning Mr Hollins about many rules and regulations.
The doctrines, posted on a noticeboard at the back of the church, forbid members from visiting ex-members and taking part in discussions on principles contrary to Assembly teachings.
The doctrines also tell members to report any disturbing points to the Pastor.
Mr Erwin said he questioned many doctrines, but was not given any answers.
He also said after he left the centre, his wife Helena was given an ultimatum to leave her husband or leave the church.
She stopped attending the centre’s meetings last year.
Mr Hollins, who founded the centre in 1972 after breaking away from Revival Centres Australia, has repeatedly declined to comment about the concerns.
But Ansje Avietti, who was a member of the church for 25 years, said Mrs Igic’s heartache was all too familiar.
Mrs Avietti said she would have lost her grandson if she had stayed with the church.
She left the centre five years ago.
“I only have one daughter that speaks to me because I left the church and I just want all of this to stop,” Mrs Avietti said.
“Because one of my sons was put out of the church I was told (by the church) I would not be allowed to attend the church because I was seeing my grandson.”
Mrs Avietti said her husband Bruno was told by Mr Hollins she could only return to the church if she cut ties with her son and grandson.
John Pierri has his own story after leaving the church of his own accord in 2001.
Mr Pierri said, like Mr Erwin, he began questioning the centre’s teachings.
Mr Pierri said leaving the centre had thrown him into a world he had become unfamiliar with.
“One of the first things that got me thinking was their non-acceptance of other Christians who believe the exact same salvation message,” he said.
“When I eventually got the courage to leave I found myself lost. What did I like? What didn’t I like? I was so much into the group and what it wanted that I really didn’t think for myself.”
The same went for Tony Lucas, who said he was also told to obey Mr Hollins’ ministry “unconditionally” before leaving the church almost two years ago.
“I’m not out to undermine the church in any way or anyone who goes there but I do want to warn people who are naive to the controlling nature of the organisation because there’s no avenue to question any of their decisions,” Mr Lucas said.
Another former member, who did not want to be named, left the centre after 40 years.
The man said he had witnessed a number of changes within the church over the past 10 years.
The final straw for him came just under a year ago.
“When I was told I was not allowed to take my Aboriginal neighbours to the church any more, I decided to leave myself,” he said.
He said he was now happily involved with another church.
Adrian van Leen, director of religious monitoring group Concerned Christians Growth Ministry, said he had dealt with many revival centre members over the years who had concerns about what the groups were preaching.
“People are beginning to speak out and have been deeply concerned so it is one of the groups we try to monitor fairly regularly.”
Church Guidelines
THE following guidelines are practical applications for the teaching of scriptures to the church. It is necessary for the trouble-free running, and continued joy of the Assembly in general, that these principles be adhered to.
ALL newcomers must be introduced to Pastor. This includes those who may have received the Holy Spirit elsewhere;
NO visiting of new members, or accepting of invitations to visit new members, without first checking with Pastor;
NO private meeting for prayer, or for getting around the Word to be arranged, or held, without first checking with Pastor;
NO literature, including Full Gospel literature, (other than literature available at the Assembly book stall) to be brought into the Assembly, or passed between members, without first checking with Pastor;
NO interest in, or membership of, other churches;
DOCTRINES contrary to Assembly teachings not to be discussed between members. Such teachings to be discussed with Pastor if desired. Bring Bible.
DOCTRINES from other assemblies not to be debated or criticised by Assembly members.
NEVER criticise one Assembly member to another.
REPORT anything definitely out of order, that is, any strange doctrine, behaviour, or situation within the Assembly.
GIFT of tongues — not more than once every four weeks. Pause between each operation of the spiritual gifts.
NO loud praise while someone is speaking with Tongues, Interpreting or Prophesying;
A PERSON disciplined, but not stood down from the fellowship, not to be comforted concerning his fault, or listened to by others. To be accepted as a brother, but not for private discussion about the fault;
BOYS under 18 years of age not to pair off with girls;
NO young boy or girl to be encouraged in a romantic affair until at least nine months saved;
IF a young couple going together break off their friendship, they must not embark on a new venture of this nature for at least three months.
YOUNG people who desire to pair off must notify the Pastor.
Family `torn apart’ by church’s edict
by SARAH BIESKE, 29 April 2004, p.5
A GEELONG teenager fought back tears yesterday as she told how her parents chose life in a church over their love for her.
“Sue” (not her real name) left the Geelong Revival Centre more than a year ago because it forbids its members from making friends outside the church.
But the 19-year-old never imagined her decision to leave the church would also mean cutting ties with her family.
“I just wanted to live, I wanted to have a career and I wanted friends but when I told my mum I was leaving the church she basically said `There’s the door, get out’,” Sue said.
“I don’t think I ever really believed they’d tell me to leave but in the end it was either stay there and go to church and put my whole heart into it or leave home.”
Sue’s father spoke in private with the Geelong Advertiser yesterday but declined to comment publicly.
Sue said she wanted to tell her story after reading of the heartache experienced by other former members of the centre who spoke out against the church earlier this month.
She said she longed to be a part of the “outside world” and told of her struggle to fit in at school.
She also dreamed of being a ballerina, but knew it was nothing more than a dream because she said she “was never allowed to do anything if it wasn’t with the church”.
For almost 17 years Sue said she accepted the church was her way of life — even its doctrine forbidding members from visiting ex-members, which in her case included her older sister who she did not see for four years.
Sue now lives with her grandparents, who were also members of the church for about 18 years.
But they, too, have become strangers to their son and daughter-in-law, Sue’s parents, after being told by a church leader they could not return to the centre while their granddaughter was living with them.
Sue has only seen her parents twice since leaving the church 13 months ago.
They missed her high school graduation and are not expected to join her for birthday celebrations.
She said the loss was not getting any easier, but she was slowly coming to terms with life in a world that was very unfamiliar to her.
“I miss them, the first few months were really, really hard,” she said.
“When you leave the church you lose everybody and everyone you’ve ever known because going to church is all you do.”
Sue’s grandmother blames the church for tearing the family apart and said she would have left sooner but was too scared she would lose her grandchildren.
She also pleaded for her son and daughter-in-law to reunite with their daughter.
“I’ll never understand how a parent can do this to their child, all because someone tells them it is what they should do,” she said.
But for Sue, life has only just begun.
She is taking ballet lessons and studying nursing. She only wishes she could share her new life with her parents.
