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==Discipleship Summer Training Program==
==Discipleship Summer Training Program==
Today, Short continues his campus evangelism efforts.<ref name="ShortReport"/> He also runs a summertime retreat in [[Columbus, Ohio]] for college students and graduating high school seniors "designed to ... prepare you for your next step in life as a college student and a [[Great Commission Association|Great Commission Christian]]" through intensive training in "Christian theology and thought, disciplines for spiritual growth, how to share the love of God with others, how to discover God's calling in your life, and apologetics." Schedules include full days and weekends, lasting for a month and a half for seniors and over two months for college students. In addition, students are invited to attend the [[Great Commission Churches]] National Pastor's Conference in central [[Missouri]].<ref name="Bootcamp"/>
Today, Short continues his campus evangelism efforts.<ref name="ShortReport"/> He also runs a summertime retreat in [[Columbus, Ohio]] for college students and graduating high school seniors "designed to ... prepare you for your next step in life as a college student and a [[Great Commission Association|Great Commission Christian]]" through intensive training in "Christian theology and thought, disciplines for spiritual growth, how to share the love of God with others, how to discover God's calling in your life, and apologetics." Schedules include full days and weekends, lasting for a month and a half for seniors and over two months for college students. In addition, students are invited to attend the [[Great Commission Churches]] National Pastor's Conference in central [[Missouri]].<ref name="Bootcamp"/>

===Criticism in newspapers===
In March 1978, the first public criticism of the movement and its practices was reported by the ''[[Iowa State Daily]]'', after an Iowa State student who was later diagnosed as a manic-depressive spent 18 days in a psychiatric ward, followed by another 23-day stay in another, due to emotional problems his psychiatrist attributed to involvement with the movement's Iowa State campus ministry.<ref>
{{ cite news
| title = Bible Study plays role in mental breakdown
| publisher = Iowa State Daily
| url = http://www.gcxweb.org/Articles/ISD-03-28-1978.aspx
| date= 1978-03-28
}}
</ref> Subsequent criticism of the movement appeared eight months later in a front page article by the [[The Des Moines Register|''Des Moines Register'']], in which campus pastors expressed concerns over "manipulation" and "a kind of brainwashing."<ref>
{{ cite news
| title = Evangelicals arise on campus
| publisher = Des Moines Sunday Register
| date= 1978-11-26
| url= http://www.gcxweb.org/Articles/DSR-11-26-1978-a.aspx
}}
</ref> Throughout the late 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s, similar criticisms were published by newspapers in [[Ohio]],<ref>
{{ cite news
| title = Ex-Bible Study member says the group ostracized her
| publisher = Ames Daily Tribune
| date= 1979-12-10
}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite news
| title = Ex-members say religious group controls, intimidates its followers
| publisher = Columbus (Ohio) Lantern
| date= 1982-10-11
| url= http://www.gcxweb.org/Articles/OSU-10-11-1982.aspx
}}
</ref><ref>
{{ cite news
| title = 'I think I was brainwashed' Religious group criticized as cult-like is now at KSU
| publisher = Daily Kent Stater
| date= 1982-12-03 <!-- this date was errornously converted to be in March, not December -->
| url= http://www.gcxweb.org/Articles/KentStater-12-03-1982.aspx
| quote = ..some members he knew while in the group had nervous breakdowns as a result of the pressure, while others completely turned their backs on religion.
}}</ref> [[South Carolina]],<ref name="OfficialsLimitInfluence">
{{ cite news
| title = Students tell story of cult involvement: Officials work to limit influence
| publisher = The Gamecock (University of S. Carolina)
| url = http://www.gcxweb.org/Articles/Gamecock-04-30-1990.aspx
|date=1990-04-30
}}
</ref> [[Maryland]],<ref>
{{cite news
| title = Silver Spring Fundamentalists: Church or 'Cult'?
| publisher = Silver Spring (Md.) Montgomery County Sentinel
| date= February 1985
| url= http://www.gcxweb.org/Articles/MCS-02-06-1986-a.aspx
}}
</ref><ref name="NewLifePoliciesScrut">
{{cite news
| title = New Life policies scrutinized
| publisher = Towson (Md.) Towerlight
| date= 1985-05-09
| url=http://www.gcxweb.org/Articles/Towerlight-05-08-1985.aspx
}}
</ref><ref>
{{ cite news
| title = Beware of cults on campus... (...And beware of Great Commission)
| publisher = The Diamondback (University of Maryland)
| date= 1986-09-22
}}
</ref><ref>
{{ cite news
| title = Destructive cults eliminate freedom of thought
| publisher = The Diamondback (University of Maryland)
| date= 1988-04-14
}}
</ref><ref>
{{ cite news
| title = Cult debate prompted by group involvement
| publisher = The Diamondback (University of Maryland)
| date= 1988-09-08
}}</ref><ref>
{{ cite news
| title = James McCotter: How he brought GCI to Silver Spring
| publisher = The Montgomery County Sentinel
| date= 1986-02-06
| url= http://www.gcxweb.org/Articles/MCS-02-06-1986-c.aspx
}}
</ref> [[New York]],<ref>
{{ cite news
| title = Group Members Dispute Cult Labelling by Loomis
| location = Ithaca, New York
| publisher = The Cornell Daily Sun
| quote = "The cult issue is an issue of human oppression and freedom.… It's not a religious issue", according to Ronald N. Loomis, director of Unions and Activities. Loomis discussed two new campus groups that he considers cults in a recent interview. Members of Great Commission Students and a former member of EST (Erhard Seminars Training), both of which Loomis categorized as new cults on campus, defended their organizations.
}}
</ref> [[Illinois]],<ref>
{{ cite news
| title = Cult label follows new church: Cult watcher calls GCI 'shepherding cult' Pastor: 'We're just New Testament Christians;' Critics: 'Subtle danger'
| publisher = The Sunday Journal (Wheaton, Illinois edition)
| date= 1988-11-06
| url= http://www.gcxweb.org/Articles/Wheaton-11-06-1988-a.aspx
}}
</ref><ref>
{{ cite news
| title = Ex-members label GCI a coercive environment
| publisher = The Sunday Journal (Wheaton, Illinois edition)
| date= 1988-11-06
| url= http://www.gcxweb.org/Articles/Wheaton-11-06-1988-c.aspx
}}
</ref><ref>
{{ cite news
| title = Evangelical association reviews complaints against church group
| publisher = The Daily Herald (Dupage City, Illinois edition)
| date= 1988-11-11
| url= http://www.gcxweb.org/Articles/Herald-11-11-1988.aspx
}}
</ref><ref>
{{ cite news
| title = Church group draws fire
| publisher = The Record (Wheaton, Illinois)
| date= 1988-12-02
| url= http://www.gcxweb.org/Articles/Wheaton-12-02-1988.aspx
}}
</ref> [[Toronto]],<ref name="UofGuelphBan">
{{ cite news
| title = Bible club evicted from U of Guelph campus: group accused of authoritarianism, cult-like control over members
| publisher = Toronto Globe & Mail
| date= 1989-09-27
| url = http://www.gcxweb.org/Articles/Guelph-09-27-1989.aspx
}}
</ref> nationally across [[Canada]],<ref name="Guelph2">
{{ cite journal
| publisher = The Canadian Press
| title = Extremist fundamentalist groups make inroads on canadian university campuses
| month= September | year= 1989
| url= http://www.gcxweb.org/Articles/CanPress-09-1989.aspx
}}
</ref> and in other locations, particularly those near college campuses where the movement was active. The movement was often accused of [[authoritarian]] practices, and some accounts quoted former members and cult researchers who accused the movement's leaders of [[Brainwashing|"brainwashing"]] and [[Mind control|"mind-control"]] techniques.<ref>
{{cite news
| title = 'I think I was brainwashed': Religious group criticized as cult-like is now at KSU
| publisher = Manhattan (Kan.) Daily Kent Stater
| date= 1982-12-03
| url= http://www.gcxweb.org/Articles/KentStater-12-03-1982.aspx
| quote = ..some members he knew while in the group had nervous breakdowns as a result of the pressure, while others completely turned their backs on religion.
}}
</ref>



==References==
==References==

Revision as of 20:38, 20 March 2012

Tom Short
Born (1957-03-23) March 23, 1957 (age 67)[1]
United States
Occupationcampus evangelist
NationalityAmerican
SubjectChristian apologetics
Literary movementGreat Commission church movement
Website
http://www.shortreport.com/

Tom Short (born March 23, 1957) is an American traveling campus evangelist[2][3] affiliated with Great Commission Churches.[2][4] [5] His beliefs are largely Evangelical, based on the Bible, including salvation from sin through faith in Jesus Christ, and that all Christians should publicly profess their faith, be baptized, and make other disciples. As of 2007, Short claims to have visited over 100 campuses nationwide.[3] Short's stated goal is to see everyone he speaks to on campus turn to Christ. [1] Though he often travels, he lives in Columbus, Ohio. He is a husband and the father of five children.[1]

Partisan and pastor

File:R Lee Hornbake Library U Maryland College Park.jpg
R. Lee Hornbake Library at the University of Maryland, where Short first began his "open-air evangelism"

Tom Short was ordained in the late 1970s by elders of The "Blitz" Movement at Solid Rock Church (now Linworth Road Church) in Columbus, Ohio.[6] Missionaries of the movement at the time operated by filling buses with people, musical instruments and tracts in order to execute a 2- or 3-day campus blitz. They used singing, intensive tract distribution and organized sidewalk canvassing to draw impromptu crowds and to achieve saturation of the intellectual marketplace.[7] By 1980, Short himself began preaching on campuses while stationed at a church in College Park, Maryland, becoming a fixture outside the Hornbake Library on the University of Maryland campus.[6][8] The movement which was The Blitz finally established itself as "Great Commission International".

Throughout the 1980s, Tom Short preached on college campuses, while also helping to establish New Life Christian Students, a campus ministry run by members of Great Commission International.

Short briefly served as pastor of Woodstock Community Church in Roswell, Georgia in 1990 while conducting services in the Roswell Holiday Inn,[9] and then moved to San Diego to pastor MountainView Community Church.[4][9]

Returns to campus

In 1996, he resigned as a full-time pastor and dedicated himself to the traveling ministry.[4] Short's approach to preaching has continued to be a source of controversy for some, yet a source of hope for others. Rick Whitney, an ardent supporter of Short, and Regional Director within Great Commission said, "It's a public forum; it's a free speech issue, some people don't like the way Short presents his ideas."

Observers note that Short makes no purposeful effort to cause offense, though that is often the result of his controversial views.[10] Short himself says, "I realize when I come on campuses that I am presenting truths that are unpopular and do challenge commonly held beliefs in the university, so I realize some people will react to that, it is not my goal to upset people, but if a person hears God's truth and won't turn to it, it will be upsetting. We see that throughout the entire Bible where people are being persecuted for standing up for God and for truth."

Speaking loudly to gather the crowd, he points out that morality and issues of sexuality generally get the most attention.[6] "You've eaten of the same tree Eve ate of, the same tree Hitler ate of," Short said at the University of North Texas. "And that's got us on the highway to hell."[11]

One hot topic of debate that recurs in most of Short's messages: homosexuality. "I love homosexuals," Short declared in 2005, claiming that he and his wife Rosalyn have counseled 15 homosexuals to a successful heterosexual lifestyles with their love and prayer.[11] He stated to the UCM Maneater in 1997, "Over the years I have led many homosexuals to Christ. Often, I am the first one who's told them there is a way out of homosexuality and that is through Christ." At that time he had claimed to have led at least 20 people away from homosexuality. "I think God loves everybody, but he doesn't condone what they do," he said.[6]

Short's website, "The Short Report," has been on the web since at least late 1999 with news relevant to Christian issues and a FAQ demonstrating his biblical views; it details upcoming dates and other ministry information.[12][13] In 2001, Premier Publishing Company printed Short's 5 Crucial Questions About Christianity.[14]

In 2004, Tom Short spoke in a non-debate forum aside Jamal Badawi, a renowned Islamic scholar at Iowa State University. The two featured speakers presented their religions' view of Jesus and answered questions in the forum, co-sponsored by Islam on Campus and the local Great Commission Churches student group.[2]

Discipleship Summer Training Program

Today, Short continues his campus evangelism efforts.[12] He also runs a summertime retreat in Columbus, Ohio for college students and graduating high school seniors "designed to ... prepare you for your next step in life as a college student and a Great Commission Christian" through intensive training in "Christian theology and thought, disciplines for spiritual growth, how to share the love of God with others, how to discover God's calling in your life, and apologetics." Schedules include full days and weekends, lasting for a month and a half for seniors and over two months for college students. In addition, students are invited to attend the Great Commission Churches National Pastor's Conference in central Missouri.[1]

Criticism in newspapers

In March 1978, the first public criticism of the movement and its practices was reported by the Iowa State Daily, after an Iowa State student who was later diagnosed as a manic-depressive spent 18 days in a psychiatric ward, followed by another 23-day stay in another, due to emotional problems his psychiatrist attributed to involvement with the movement's Iowa State campus ministry.[15] Subsequent criticism of the movement appeared eight months later in a front page article by the Des Moines Register, in which campus pastors expressed concerns over "manipulation" and "a kind of brainwashing."[16] Throughout the late 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s, similar criticisms were published by newspapers in Ohio,[17][18][19] South Carolina,[20] Maryland,[21][22][23][24][25][26] New York,[27] Illinois,[28][29][30][31] Toronto,[32] nationally across Canada,[33] and in other locations, particularly those near college campuses where the movement was active. The movement was often accused of authoritarian practices, and some accounts quoted former members and cult researchers who accused the movement's leaders of "brainwashing" and "mind-control" techniques.[34]


References

  1. ^ a b c "GCBOOTCAMP". Retrieved 2007-03-18.
  2. ^ a b "Great Commission Churches - Ministries in GCC". http://www.gcachurches.org. Retrieved 2007-03-18. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help) [dead link]
  3. ^ a b "about tom and his ministry". http://www.shortreport.com. Archived from the original on 2006-12-08. Retrieved 2007-03-18. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  4. ^ a b c William Hatfield (October 4, 1996). "Travelling pastor shouts scriptures about sin to crowd". The Southern Illinois at Carbondale Daily Egyptian. Retrieved 2007-03-18. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help) [dead link]
  5. ^ "Great Commission Churches - About GCC". Retrieved 2007-03-18. [dead link]
  6. ^ a b c d Pierrette J. Shields (October 24th, 1997). "Students debate with pastor". The Missouri State University Maneater. Retrieved 2007-03-21. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite journal requires |journal= (help) [dead link]
  7. ^ John Hopler (Herschel Martindale, guest speaker) (2006-12-30). Church planting and the 'ordinary' Christian (Speech). central Missouri. Retrieved 2007-03-21.
  8. ^ Scott Rank (September 20, 2004). "COLUMN: You can't be neutral when it comes to Tom Short". The Iowa State Daily. Retrieved 2007-03-21. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help) [dead link]
  9. ^ a b "www.wcchurch.org - Our History". Retrieved 2007-03-18. [dead link]
  10. ^ "Preacher visits U, communes with students about Christianity". Retrieved 2007-04-19.
  11. ^ a b Kasey Crill (October 27, 2005). "Evangelist shares message publicly". The North Texas Daily. Retrieved 2007-03-21. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  12. ^ a b "The Short Report". Retrieved 2007-03-18.
  13. ^ "Internet Archive Wayback Machine". Retrieved 2007-03-23. {{cite web}}: Cite uses generic title (help)
  14. ^ "Amazon.com: 5 Crucial questions about Christianity (5 Crucial Questions about Christianity)". ASIN 0971419809. {{cite web}}: Check |asin= value (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
  15. ^ "Bible Study plays role in mental breakdown". Iowa State Daily. 1978-03-28.
  16. ^ "Evangelicals arise on campus". Des Moines Sunday Register. 1978-11-26.
  17. ^ "Ex-Bible Study member says the group ostracized her". Ames Daily Tribune. 1979-12-10.
  18. ^ "Ex-members say religious group controls, intimidates its followers". Columbus (Ohio) Lantern. 1982-10-11.
  19. ^ "'I think I was brainwashed' Religious group criticized as cult-like is now at KSU". Daily Kent Stater. 1982-12-03. ..some members he knew while in the group had nervous breakdowns as a result of the pressure, while others completely turned their backs on religion.
  20. ^ "Students tell story of cult involvement: Officials work to limit influence". The Gamecock (University of S. Carolina). 1990-04-30.
  21. ^ "Silver Spring Fundamentalists: Church or 'Cult'?". Silver Spring (Md.) Montgomery County Sentinel. February 1985.
  22. ^ "New Life policies scrutinized". Towson (Md.) Towerlight. 1985-05-09.
  23. ^ "Beware of cults on campus... (...And beware of Great Commission)". The Diamondback (University of Maryland). 1986-09-22.
  24. ^ "Destructive cults eliminate freedom of thought". The Diamondback (University of Maryland). 1988-04-14.
  25. ^ "Cult debate prompted by group involvement". The Diamondback (University of Maryland). 1988-09-08.
  26. ^ "James McCotter: How he brought GCI to Silver Spring". The Montgomery County Sentinel. 1986-02-06.
  27. ^ "Group Members Dispute Cult Labelling by Loomis". Ithaca, New York: The Cornell Daily Sun. "The cult issue is an issue of human oppression and freedom.… It's not a religious issue", according to Ronald N. Loomis, director of Unions and Activities. Loomis discussed two new campus groups that he considers cults in a recent interview. Members of Great Commission Students and a former member of EST (Erhard Seminars Training), both of which Loomis categorized as new cults on campus, defended their organizations.
  28. ^ "Cult label follows new church: Cult watcher calls GCI 'shepherding cult' Pastor: 'We're just New Testament Christians;' Critics: 'Subtle danger'". The Sunday Journal (Wheaton, Illinois edition). 1988-11-06.
  29. ^ "Ex-members label GCI a coercive environment". The Sunday Journal (Wheaton, Illinois edition). 1988-11-06.
  30. ^ "Evangelical association reviews complaints against church group". The Daily Herald (Dupage City, Illinois edition). 1988-11-11.
  31. ^ "Church group draws fire". The Record (Wheaton, Illinois). 1988-12-02.
  32. ^ "Bible club evicted from U of Guelph campus: group accused of authoritarianism, cult-like control over members". Toronto Globe & Mail. 1989-09-27.
  33. ^ "Extremist fundamentalist groups make inroads on canadian university campuses". The Canadian Press. 1989. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  34. ^ "'I think I was brainwashed': Religious group criticized as cult-like is now at KSU". Manhattan (Kan.) Daily Kent Stater. 1982-12-03. ..some members he knew while in the group had nervous breakdowns as a result of the pressure, while others completely turned their backs on religion.

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