The San Antonio Church of Christ that is the subject of this page is not affiliated with any other mainline, conservative, or ICOC Church of Christ in the San Antonio area. This church believes theirs is the only one going to heaven, and they do not accept the baptisms of any other church—Church of Christ or otherwise. Is it a cult? You’ll have to decide for yourself.
San Antonio Church of Christ
435 Recoleta Rd
San Antonio, TX 78216
Brief history
If you are part of this congregation or have been in the past, please take some time to familiarize yourself with this website to learn more about the group’s origins, history, beliefs, rules, and practices. The sect’s founder, Merie Weiss was withdrawn from by East San Diego Church of Christ in 1958 for sowing discord and division. She eventually became the lead teacher in the Spring Valley Church of Christ, and the group militantly attempted to spread their brand of legalism around the country with new congregations. This San Antonio church is one of those “church plants.”
Neither San Antonio nor affiliated churches nationwide have elders, but teachers in lieu of elders who are the de facto leadership of the congregation. They say they aspire to have elders someday, but their interpretation of the qualifications for elders is such that no human could ever qualify. The sect has been around for 50 years and not one of them has elders.
Non-member classes
If someone from this church knocks on your door to invite you to a Bible study, understand that it is really what they call a non-member class, meant only for recruiting. It is not an open study of the Bible. As evidence, once you are “converted” (baptized) they will start introducing you to many extra-Biblical rules called judgments, arrived at by seeking counsel from a teacher.
They do not generally invite the public (non-members) to their Sunday services, because they have some practices that are off-putting to most people, like public confession and closed communion (they won’t serve the Lord’s supper to you). This is why they recruit exclusively through door knocking and inviting prospects to their non-member classes first (what they call “personal work” or “the work”).
Here is a recent example of a flyer passed out by this San Antonio church while knocking on doors:
One of the biggest dangers of this sect is their abuse of a practice they call withdrawal. This is their form of church discipline. Since they believe strongly that their entire brotherhood must have the exact same opinions on church doctrine, they hold an annual meeting called May Week to discuss matters of doctrine. The decisions that come out of this meeting cannot be openly or even privately criticized or questioned, not even to a spouse, under threat of withdrawal for what they call murmuring. Once withdrawn from, that member is not allowed to eat or socialize with other members.
Numerous fathers are withdrawn from, and if they have adult children in the sect, those children are not able to eat with or socialize with their father. As you can imagine, this divides families very quickly. The withdrawn from member is expected to come to church and sit in humble silence until making a public confession, and they cannot do that without advance permission of the teacher in charge of the congregation.
Good start, Kevin.
I would love to be a mouse in the corner and see for myself how their cult service is on a Sunday. So weird!
Anon 10:31 not sure if you mean San Antonio’s or the cults service in general. All the congregations should be similar in format. Open with a prayer, man has speaking part to prepare for public confessions. Prayer, Two songs no instruments. Speaking part to prepare for Lords Supper. Prayer for unleavened bread. It’s serverd to members. Prayer for fruit of the vine. It’s served to members. One song is sung. Speaking part to prepare for the collection. Prayer. Collection basket is passed around to members and children. One song in preparation for sermon. Sermons are generally boring and drawn out sometimes lasting upwards to two hours. Merie’s cult really has no one that would be worthy of sounding like a preacher except for one man in the Maryland congregation. Much of sermons are often read from notes that are on notebook paper or index cards. I’ve heard there service referred to as like going to a funeral. I’ve been to a few churches since attending the cult and every preacher has put Merie’s cult preachers to shame. Everyone they preach from what they have on there mind not reading from notes. Maybe occasionally looking down. Oh well after the often dull sermon one song and a prayer.
Oops there is the public confessions after the speaking part to prepare for public confessions. Which by the way is an add on to worship by the cult.
just curious kevin, who do you get your insight of the church in san antonio from? how do you know they are 100% truthful about everything they have to say about the church in san antonio before you post an entire article about it?
Anon 910, I left SA less than a year ago and while this text is just a duplicate of what he already had on this site, I am sure our conversation about the church verified that this is true in SA as in other churches that come from Merie Weiss's founding. I don't have anything to hide; I already was having doubts about the church and then finding that Merie Weiss actually founded it and was withdrawn from, the treatment of others and the elevation of "judgments", and it having a system without elders were enough for me to leave. In explaining these things to my family WHO LIVED IN MY HOME in being asked WHY I left, I was then taught against with my children n husband there. He left after that. The teaching was simply a way to make sure others would not hear about this blog thru me. Instead JG just went around it by saying "Google is not your friend" and to stay away from me. So sad that it's like a communist country where information is censored. I guess they think people can't think for themselves.
Y'all just keep doing what you're doing; hurting families and continuing the divisiveness Merie started. It's the past playing out continuously there. I am so glad I left and thankful to God for his mercy in allowing me to see what so many are still stuck in.
I am glad you left and glad you found this blog and participating. I wish more would find it and participate in discussions.
Well said M. Long! Anon at 9:10-what should really make you wake up and take notice is that SA is just like ALL of the other congregations in Merie's group. You can keep looking the other way if you wish, but it doesn't change the reality or the facts. This group is a cult, and it is damaging families and relationships.
I left in 2006, and it's appalling that ALL of the reasons I left are still valid. This group learns nothing and intends to change nothing. The leaders don't care about a person's spiritual growth, nor do they care about seeking and following God and Christ.
Their main concern is maintaining control over their members. And, I hate to say this, the two so called evangelists (by biblical definition they are not evangelists) are taking money from members and are not held accountable.
As I've said before, if you don't believe me about the money, try and find out how much the two get, and from which congregations. You will be met with stiff opposition and, if you persist, withdrawal. I saw it happen while I was in.
And do you know the excuse one of the evangelists gave? "It's my personal business, not yours."
Really? Why is it that anytime anyone else comes forward to ask for money, they have to share their personal business? And they have to ask for a specific amount. And EVERYONE knows. Yet with the two "evangelists", it's different.
ALL members should be asking why all of the secrecy?
But back to the point-if you open your eyes, you will see all of the confirmation you need to prove that all that is said on this blog is true.
But perhaps you'd rather keep your eyes closed? It is easier that way. But eventually you will wake up. It's not a pretty sight, but it is a life saver.
It is work to get out. Or be complacent and would you rather give your money to these liars and let them control you through guilt and shame. It is a sick sick game they are playing. You can get out and you can save yours and others souls by doing so.
@Debbie oh my that's so rude!!!i'm sorry that's happened did you like just go up to him and say it or like did you ease it in to a conversation? because every time i would ask a evangelist TC of GP they were never rude!!
Courious, but did they tell you how much they were taking from the treasuries and from which church? I wasn't able to find out either and I was a teacher in there at one time.
Anon at 6:07 AM:, no, he said it in a talk! He was trying to put a stop to people asking him how much he receives as an evangelist! So it was to all of us at the time, not just one person 🙂
Debby Stevens 3:46- Thank You for the kind suggestion of opening up my eyes, I appreciate your concern. But my eyes are fully open and although I may not agree with everything the church has to say or teaches, it is not the cultish place you all make it to seem. I used to attend the church in SA and I received nothing but the open and welcoming arms of the christians there and I was respected. The church did not bear their opinion on me or my conscience either. In fact, they told me that my conscience determines whether I sin or not on the things that are not cut and clear sins in the bible. And the church did not damage my family it actually helped mend my family and thanks to them me and my husband are still together and my children are no longer headed for the deep end. So when you say all of these things, do not speak for everyone, because not everyone had the same experience as you or M Long with the congregation in SA. We all have our different stories and we should respect that about each other and not make it seem like my opinion is wrong or I need to "open my eyes" because of the way I feel. Because isn't that exactly what you guys despise the church for? Them bearing their opinions and thinking on yours?
Anon 6:25, first of all, thanks for reading and engaging in a peaceful, rational way. This blog is about reasoning together, not bashing anyone. I am to speak the truth in love here.
I don't know how long you've been in the sect, but their kinder/gentler way of letting you have your own conscience is typically followed by more and more stringent judgment upon you if you don't eventually come around to their view. And if you actually arrive at a different opinion based on scripture, you certainly can't question them or even voice your concern without being labeled a murmurer or other such thing. This is a highly unbiblical, not to mention hypocritical accusation.
Read this to help wrap your mind around the fallacy of Stanton's teaching on murmuring:
The hypocrisy of the murmuring charge
You are correct in that I don't want others to think for me, and tell me HOW to think as well!
Your experience with the SA group sounds great! That was my experience while I was in Portland, OR too. It took a few years before things began to go sideways, and when I moved to Florida it got worse. I saw the same problems in the congregations that we met with. So, maybe-as Kevin said-it just hasn't happened to you yet, or maybe SA has changed.
In every congregation that I was in, and was in contact with, there were wonderful people! Not all of the group are oppressors and hypocrites, that's what makes it difficult to see the problems.
And it took stepping away from the group to fully realize just how oppressive they are. When you are in the midst of it all, and doing all the works and going to all of the classes, you really don't have time to see it all.
I also recommend that you miss a few classes/personal work days and spend more time with your family. One, families are precious! Two, you will soon see another side of the group.
So long as I towed the party line, all was well. It's when I started to study on my own, and think for myself, that it all started to unravel. It didn't happen overnight. And it wasn't just one event or one thing-it was many little things that opened my eyes.
But I have never meant to say or infer that ALL members of the group are oppressors and unloving. If that were so, I would have left a long time before I did!
Anon 625, I dont completely disagree. The church helped me in many areas too. MOST of the teachings there, which really Merie learned from the mainstream COCs she attended, are true. Unfortunately it's the system of power she set up that's the issue. If there is never an issue for you, then that works for you. It may not eventually for your children. Who knows. To Me, I could at the time deal with some things I saw as wrong. MOST weren't things that were on me. Maybe it was someone else being reproved publicly or gossipped about. Maybe it was another family being divided and we were told only one side so it always felt justified. Like with Tracy's story, I only knew one side. I never knew that she had questioned things I have questioned, etc. But my type of personality couldn't just stand by and watch unfairness in a place that's supposed to be true. Going to a meeting and finding out brethren were never allowed to see family in Mexico bcs they'd have to miss classes so he hadn't seen his mom in a decade. Having a sister who didn't understand English be told that she couldn't even signal in worship if the translation equipment isn't working. People being pressured to leave kids at babysitting to do the works when their babies were still weeks old. That kind of stupid and unscriptural stuff. I am just that kind of person and couldn't deal with it.
So why couldn't I just walk away? Why couldn't I tell my reasons to my own family without severe consequences?
If you ever look at the Scientology cult, they do the same thing. People there learn lots of good things that improve their lives too. Does that mean it's from God? No.
I sincerely wish you well and hope things are positive for you. We are not all at the same place at any given time.
Well mlong the way i see the people didnt have to leave kids it was there own decision to or not.and you could go see your family in mexico ALL you want as long as you don't miss a worship or midweek. Heb 10:25
Anon 1108, Here's Hebrews 10 24-25
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Yes we absolutely should attend where we assemble. However, my issue is calling it a SIN to miss a class. I do not believe that this is saying it's a SIN to miss. To me he is saying to strive to do this. And even so, why do people have to be publicly reproved for missing to do something they might feel is important enough?
In this instance the family was in deep Mexico. Not easy to come n go in a couple days. Certainly not ALL YOU WANT. And if they did go n miss class to see mom once a year or whatever, shouldn't they be able to without fear of MAN?
As for leaving kids, I was pressured multiple times to leave mine. The worst was having a preacher n his wife try to get me to do that while I had a little baby I was struggling to nurse! Choice, yes. Yet I knew people who were weaker who did what they were told and were miserable doing it.
It's just not my thing to be sitting idly by ignoring all this stuff because I am a person who can say no while others just take it and some eventually leave there, and worse, leave God entirely, due to the discouragement and oppression. Maybe it's your thing, but just not my thing to just sit by and watch that happen.
And I have to ask here, with Heb 10, how does one know that he is speaking of worship and bible classes? How do we prove that? And how do we prove they met for bible classes? When you read Acts, they met daily. So which assembly can we prove he was exhorting to not forsake?
The evangelist in the south told those of us in Lakeland that there is no scripture to support bible classes. He said the scripture he would use is the one in James that says "he who knows to do good and does it not, to him it is sin." Really? That means that missing a bible class is sin? That's the scripture that proves that all bible classes are required?
As to "it was their decision", yes and no. Yes, literally, it was their decision. But why should ones be pressured to do things? And what happens if they don't do it? When I was attending, you were publically rebuked. Maybe that has changed? But it was always said it was your choice-do it or be publically rebuked. And all of the things that happen after that rebuke.
When I started attending other places, I found things to be so different! I saw devout folks, loving folks, and edifying sermons and classes! The preachers didn't mince words, they spoke on hard to hear subjects, but they didn't rebuke members. Instead, they offered solutions, shared how others dealt with the situations, etc-things that help!
But as I said, it took leaving the group to be able to fully see things.
Debby, excellent points that I have often wondered. The "do good" scripture is used for all sorts of things, as is the forsaking assemblies one. All day Sundays, First Fridays, meetings, midweek classes, nonmember classes, personal work, men's works, babysitting, etc. You literally could have one week with all that crammed in it if it's the right calendar week! It's ridiculous what they demand! But it does exactly what is intended. It keeps members so busy they have no time for others outside the sect.
I'm seeing the same thing in the place I now attend. It's amazing to be edified without all the crazy uncomfortable moments! No one is specifically put down! My cosncience can still be pricked without being called out! That's how it should be. Like you said, you have to leave to really see it fully. And it takes time to get a lot of those "judgments " out of your system and realize they are way out of context.
What I found is that Merie's church is a very immature Christianity. It has no temperance. It's almost all SIN, SIN, SIN. Learning about sin is necessary, but THERE IS SO MUCH MORE! Look at how much Christ showed and taught compassion. And towards WHO! His special public reproof was many times to the Pharisees who loved to say THEY were the righteous. He taught on so much more! Get back into the gospels, people, back to basics of CHRISTianity and see if what Merie established really flies with what Christ established and his example in how HE taught and how HE treated others.
@mlong
i don't understand these. 24 has nothing to due with that but any ways i disagree because we will not forsake the assembly of of church for visitation i see it is a sin to miss class for no reason say you we're sick then i could see you staying home. but deep in mexico you cant if you can make it with out missing class.
Well I try to read scriptures in context, and 24 was part of the sentence in 25. Perhaps what stood out to me there is to stir each other in love… if someone forsake a class to see mom far away from a church, do we publicly deprive that person? Is that stirring someone with love?
Anyway I can see we are not in agreement. Thank you for your willingness to at least consider another viewpoint.
Anon 6:54, this verse is frequently misapplied, and not just by Stanton. Here's the passage:
Hebrews 10:23-25 – Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
The letter to the Hebrews was circulated amongst the Jewish Christians to help them (a) understand the new covenant in context with the old and (b) to steel them against the Roman persecution coming in 70 A.D. This particular passage is right on point with that.
What the author is actually telling them is to spur each other on to love and good works in the face of the coming persecution, and with that in mind, to not abandon meeting together as a church, as some of the Christian apparently had. Many congregations had lost their fire and simply stopped meeting together. The writer says nothing about missing a meeting for whatever purpose. It is only discussing the group abandoning their habit of meeting altogether.
This is what happens when we try to turn love letters into law books. We make them into government code books of regulations, then have to hold May Meeting to pontificate the correct interpretation to the masses. Nonsense.
Both points of view are valid believe it or not. Some in the SCOC truly love it as they are treated like royalty recieveing free house repair, free car repair, free labor in their self employment business but only a few in each congregation can be supported by the rest. The rest of the brethren were expected to cater to and support the ruling elite. If you were on top life was great and if you were in the lower ranks life was miserable.
to be completely honest, alot of people have told me to read this blog because i am part of the "merie weiss" COC. and they said that it would help me to see that the church is wrong… and people have said that this blog can help one to question and what-not, but this blog didn't really effect me in anyway. i feel the same way that i do about the church. ive been in the church for 18 years and i love every bit of it and i would never leave or give it up. it is a home to those who are lost and seeking and it is honestly not bad at all. some people just have problems with the teachings and people have problems with judgements. i don't agree with every judgement in the church and ive talked to and counseled with multiple preachers and teachers about my disagreements and never once was i reprooved or rebuked for it. in fact they think on what i've brought to them. ive read pretty much every single page and comment and article in this blog and my opinion of the church still hasn't changed because i know that even though some things have been done wrong in the past, it doesn't change the fact that everything the church teaches is right. i feel like the happiest and most free person due to the church and although i've gone through rough times, ive learned to forgive and not grudge. the christians in this church are beautiful people and it hurts to read bad things about people i love. i read some bad things that are written on here about people and i know for a fact that the things people are saying about them isn't true at all. if one opens their home to another christian and gives up their master bedroom for them, do you honestly believe that is them just 'love-bombing'? no it isn't. it is called brotherly-love and kindness. please do not twist the intentions of the christians if you do not know it to be fact. it isn't right that some of you are making the good things that christians do seem like bad things.
Anon 8:24, thanks for reading. I'm honored that you have taken the time to read the blog Yet you still attend, and although I don't understand it, I at least can respect your choice. Most people have formed their judgments of the blog based entirely on hearsay, and don't bother to check it out for themselves.
All I've ever asked is a fair hearing by fair minded readers, and if what's written here hasn't changed your mind, I can't argue with that. Atheists read the Bible sometimes and still come away atheists, so I have to be content with the hope that something you've read here will click at a later date.
God bless,
Kevin
Anon at 8:24-It is great that you have taken the time to read this blog! And no one expects you to agree with all that is written here, I doubt you will find anyone on this blog that agrees with it all!
However, there are a couple of things I'd like to point out.
For one, you have to remember that a lot of the things that I have relayed on this blog were not well known events. Most happened in private, or "under the radar" so to speak. Not all were in the form of public rebukes. Also, event happened that the real reason was given in private but another reason was presented in public.
That is one reason why it took so long for me to see what was really going on. I, too, loved the group. I gave my life to it and for it. I couldn't understand why ones would leave.
It wasn't until our last set of teachers were sent to Lakeland that things changed. And it wasn't just one event that set it all in motion, but years of constant events that set it all in motion.
Not that I didn't hear of things being done that were wrong, or members mistreated. But I chose to believe the best of the teachers and leaders, and so I closed my ears to the bad things I was hearing.
But when they started happening to me, and I saw and experienced first hand the things I had been hearing, THAT opened my eyes. I don't know if some of what I have shared are some of the things you claim are not true, but I experienced them. I know they are true.
When these things happened to me, I didn't just sit on them and then leave. I tried to work it out with those teachers privately. To no avail. As a matter of fact, I would be publically rebuked and was threatened. I was told to "stop bothering the teachers with trivial matters." Funny, they weren't trivial when I was rebuked on them. Only trivial when I went to talk with the teachers PRIVATELY about them.
My point is that just because you haven't experienced some of the things that ones have shared on this blog, that doesn't mean they didn't happen. It doesn't mean they are lies.
As to opening a home to someone and giving them your master bedroom…yes, that can seem like love. But it also depends on the whole story. One of the groups lackings is in teaching and encouraging ones to work out problems in relationships. To tell the son or daughter of a Christian that the answer to the problem is to move out is only damaging to the relationship. The only time that helps is if the relations is abusive, which in M. Long's case is NOT what was happening.
I can only imagine the heartbreak that caused! I know who difficult it was to have my youngest move out, and that was on good terms! She was ready to be on her own, and that was heart wrenching enough! 🙂 I can't even imagine her being told to move out and never talk to me again. Wow!
And the fact that your spin on it is to think the ones who counselled the daughter to move out as being loving people tells me where you are at in your walk. And that's ok. As M. Long said, we are all in different places.
Just remember, however, that not all see those kind of events as loving and wonderful.
Thank you, Debby. Wise words, and kindly spoken.
Anon 824: that's good for you if the church coincides with your beliefs and conscience in everything. The problem is when it doesn't for others. I should have been able to have a conversation with my own kids in my home without them pressured or even hinted to leave my home by others there. We should all have been taught to respect other's decisions yet instead teaching goes out to stop talking to their own parent. I'm sorry you don't see the abuse of withdrawal from family members such as parents and grandparents as dangerous. Because in the long term it is. But that is my opinion.
As for the whole master bedroom thing, when one's just adult child is taken from their home and given "a place to stay" when they already had one is an insult, particularly amongst BRETHREN. Instead of talking to the young person and encouraging a positive relationship with their own mother who has made significant sacrifices for them their whole lives and was there for them in everything, my child was told to leave. Yes that may have been where she was headed, but it should have been done in a better way with cooler heads. As for the brethren who counseled her against me and took her in, I too once viewed them as kind. But their lack of consideration and lack of love toward me and my husband when I spoke my thoughts about Merie showed their true colors. They were not willing to hear dissent and wanted to make sure I told no one else of the blog. My guess is word has gone out anyway.
As for the church teaching everything that's right, I respectfully disagree. The reasons are all over this blog, and its fruit in the last 50 years is evident.
But thanks for speaking your mind and your willingness to search for yourself.
Anon 8:24. Truth of the matter Merie’s church is a cult. Truth of the matter things that are negative being said about certain members is because they did evil things that harmed and continue to harm families such as mine. Everything I’ve commented on is truth and fact. From this haha withdrawn from NONMEMBER. Really you’ve read all the articles and all the comments. Wow I was totally disgusted I was ever stepped foot in such an evil organization. My Nonmember conscious was sickened. I would never give a thought to be apart of these so called Christians. No elders for one should be a great cause of concern. Anon 8:24 ask the two paid preachers what there support is. Be sure to tell the SV paid preacher you were reading the blog as well. Lol
Anon 8:24
What was said earlier was correct in that they mainstream members didn't know what was going on how they were treating some members. I don't want to hash over what I went through as you can read it on the left of this blog.
It is really easy to show love to people while they are in front of you, but can be challenges to some in the private. I can show up with smiles and shake your hand and bring food to fellowships, but what about extending myself to those who are in physical, emotional, and/or spiritual need? Some just can't do it. I have a talk where one of the Evangelists actually admits that it is not within him to extend himself to the help of others.
We are taught all over in the NT how we are to be with others in bearing one another's burdens especially what it teaches in the second half of Matt. 25. What some leaders have resorted to is oppression to those in need rather than extend themselves to minister to the saints.
There are people who did not see these things because they were being lead down a road of understanding that we don't help each other. We have to fend for ourselves, so they didn't see it. Neither were these points brought before the congregation. What was brought out before them is, "that brother/sister isn't following teaching", and was left as vague as that.
I loved my brethren and the church. I love the teachings, but these brethren were holding the truth of God in unrighteousness by teaching and applying it the wrong way. I.e., inn my situation I developed a disability that put me in a lot of chronic pain and was on some powerful drugs, but my congregation's leaders would rebuke for missing classes and not doing as much as "they" thought I could. It turned into many, many rebukes, teachings,l sermons, and questioning any time they could get in. Does this sound like a loving congregation?
I, over time, much study, and prayer realized that I could not get the exhortations, guidance, counsel, etc., I needed form there. I was losing my joy to be around my own brethren.
What's interesting is that some of the teens of this congregation were seeing what was going on and didn't like it. If you check you will see that most of the children did not join the church. They instead left.