If you grew up in the ANTM you may have heard whispers or even stories about a fateful day known as Black Sunday. What was it? What triggered it? What was the fallout from it? Let’s look back at it…

 

The mid 1990’s presented a time of impending transition in the ANTM.  Norman Jr. was the foreseeable heir apparent to his father. As early as 1993, the James’ Sr.s took a sabbatical to England. According to LCLC members at the time, this period where Norman II was in charge presented a glimpse at an alternative future ANTM, where the excitement and openness of the 70's and 80's would be carried on.

 

As the sabbatical ended, however, it became clear this was not to be. Norman Sr.'s style was hands-on and acknowledged to be deeply involved in members’ lives. Upon their return, they instituted an increasing focus on “just as” obedience, a signature NHJ Sr. doctrine that encouraged and mandated conformity to the ANTM way, down to the smallest detail.

 

As the decade continued, the James Sr.’s were admittedly growing weary in managing international expansion and were also coming to grips with an eventual need for retirement, citing ongoing health issues with Norman and the mental toll wrought by decades of stress from shepherding the lives of close to, at the peak, 800 souls around the world.

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Against this backdrop, in the Spring of 1997 a non-sanctioned, private prayer group formed among some of the members of Lakeview. Knowing that these types of meetings are typically leadership driven, and this one wasn’t, those gathered sought to have some of the leadership involved, specifically an elder, Mr. “X”. As the meetings continued over the Summer months, the people assembled began expressing that they were feeling abused by Norman and Becky. They spoke about how their children were treated in the school and most significantly, the personally abusive and demeaning language that was used in situation after situation. The worst treatment was typically reserved for those kids and families who were not in the church’s “in-crowd”. As the stories were told, patterns began to emerge and people began to recognize that spiritual abuse, as well as psychological abuse, was actually occurring.

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One of the attendees brought a copy of “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse” to one of these meetings and as the group considered the hallmarks of abusive church behaviors, they found that Lakeview checked off a disturbing number of boxes. It was like reading a ‘how-to’ manual of the way things were done at Lakeview. Blinders began to fall from people’s eyes as they realized that what they were experiencing was not the discipline of the Lord but was instead retribution dealt from an out-of-bounds controlling leader and his wife.

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They recognized that the relationships and dynamics in the church were not grace-based, but were instead shame-based and authority based. The book spoke about leadership characteristics that were common in abusive churches, and Lakeview matched all of them, such as: 

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• Leaders who create a culture that focuses on their place of authority

• Leaders who use out-loud shaming and humiliation to achieve compliance

• Leaders who use manipulation through unspoken rules to also achieve compliance

• Leaders who foster a culture of performance-based religion

• Leaders who make personal preferences into rules that must be followed 

• Leaders who instill a preoccupation with assigning fault and blame to people and situations

• Leaders who construct an environment where there is an inability to have concerns directly addressed

• Leaders who construct an “Us versus Them” mentality with the rest of Christianity and with those who leave their particular church

• Leaders who use relationship scare tactics such as shunning against adults and children 

• Leaders who implement dynamics that cause congregants to self-censor any opinion that runs contrary to the pastor

 

Knowing that something needed to be done about this, the hope of those in attendance was that these concerns could be addressed with an audience with the pastor. It is absolutely beyond dispute that the concerned members had a genuine desire for course correction and ongoing fellowship with the church, its leadership and members. On Saturday October 11th the elders and leadership met, and Mr. "X" shared what the group’s concerns were. The leadership noted the issues and agreed that the following day’s church service would become an open forum where these concerns would be addressed congregation-wide. 

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As the evening progressed, and into the early morning hours, many anticipated that Sunday’s meeting was going to be a time of healing. Again, all of the members with concerns attended with the full expectation that their concerns would be heard and indeed the course of ANTM could be adjusted. The historical evidence, of both the 30 years preceding this moment, and the 20-odd years since, perhaps give lie to the hope that any ‘mea culpa’ was forthcoming. An open forum was never going to happen. Vintage Norman Sr. style dictates that leadership control is always maintained and a narcissistic leader always blames others.

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So on the fateful morning of Sunday, October 12th 1997, the faithful filed in and began to pray at the altar and in their pews, dutifully at 9:45, while the elders were in the conference room learning how the meeting was actually going to play out.

 

Many who arrived that morning knew that this was going to be a different kind of Sunday. Others had no idea. Those arriving began to notice that things were going to be different as they saw that the pulpit had been moved to the far right of the platform and in the center taking its place was a long table with a single chair behind it. Due to his ongoing back issues, Norman was sitting during his sermons in those days, and so everyone knew who was going to be speaking that morning. Also, it was circulated that there would be no nursery that day. Everyone was required to be in the sanctuary. This was serious. 

 

After worship, Norman Sr. assumed his place in the center chair. Next to him were several stacks of files on the table. Yes, files. Dossiers. Thick ones containing all the transcription that the office workers had typed. Norman had decided that day that he was going to be prosecutor, judge and jury.  

 

And so he made his opening statement and then shifted to present the evidence. But, as in all the episodes of “family business” type meetings in the ANTM, Norman presented a largely one-sided case. There was no open airing of the prayer meeting attendee’s concerns. Instead the focus was on the wrongs done to him and done to the church by these irreconcilable malcontents who would dare to “bring a charge against God’s elect”.

 

Norman only cursorily and yet darkly and obliquely referred to the concerns and complaints people had raised. He also masterfully used his classic kind of "in-language" that he was known for. The kind of language where if you didn't know what was going on, you wouldn't know--but if you did, you absolutely knew. This day was a double shot of that, where he amorphously addressed accusations and half-denied them while hardly even saying what they were. When he did address them directly, he scoffed at them, tossing them away without a full denial. By doing this, he enabled himself to solidify his support with the faithful (the in-crowd) while subtly but explicitly shutting down those who might have any negative thoughts.

 

Some members were being directly accused of planting seeds of dissension. These people had received no opportunity for private audience or private correction, which would have been the biblical approach. Recognizing this, one of the elders went to the platform and in a brief, quiet private conversation with Norman Sr. pointed out that it is Satan that is known as the accuser of the brethren and that the meeting was being held in an ungodly format. He was immediately rebuffed and the accusations continued. As the prolonged prosecution continued, several members recall hiding out in the restrooms, crying, feeling frightened, sick to their stomach from what was transpiring. 

 

The spectacle went on for nearly 4 hours. What had occurred was more in line with a congressional filibuster than an open forum. After all, the point of that day was for those who had genuine concerns NOT to be heard.

 

It was at that moment that a member, Mrs. "Y" stood to address Norman Sr. The leaders likely thought she rose to support their stance, but it became apparent that this was not the case. She had the usual demeanor of those who are damaged and alone and brave in those situations. Even still, she could remain silent no more and right then and there in front of the whole assembled congregation, she publicly denounced Norman and the leadership for abuse of the sheep. Perhaps, it wasn’t as emphatic or as eloquent as one would hope in retrospect, but she stood. She exhibited courageous strength to stand when none else would. Despite the meager effort, it was the first time that Norman had publicly been accused of spiritual abuse. It would not be the last.

 

Immediately, several of the elders’ wives and a pastor’s wife, at the direction of the leadership, came up to Mrs. "Y" and tried to herd her away like a sheep while she kept saying “Don’t touch me!” As she was being moved to the back of the church, shouting erupted all over the congregation, some echoing Mrs. "Y"s words and demanding to be heard, others were more forcefully supporting the leadership.

Norman Sr. was incensed. He wanted all the dissidents to leave immediately. He tried to get everyone who was questioning his authority to walk out and never return. However, one of the elders, who subsequently left Lakeview, implored Norman Sr. not to act so hastily. Nonetheless, some families began to leave at that moment and fearful barbs from congregants could be heard, “And stay away from our kids!” Things were never going to be the same. Many families left that day, never to return. People long admired would soon become viewed as traitors, enemies, even in league with the devil. 

 

Those who remained were dismissed to their homes with strict instructions not to speak to one another about this at all, ever. They quietly collected their children who had been dismissed to the back earlier in the service when things started to get heated. The evening meeting was cancelled as people tried to silently piece together what had just occurred.

 

School was cancelled that Monday as kids were still at home, crying. Many recall crying off and on for several days. This also gave leadership time to form a singular narrative to give the teachers on how to handle school going forward. 

 

As school reconvened on Tuesday, it was as if the rapture had occurred. A student chair was empty where just days before a playmate had sat. Conversations that were at a midpoint on Friday would never be finished. Lifelong friendships suddenly evaporated. High school couples were forced to breakup. A school of approximately 120 kids was suddenly reduced by about 30. 

 

Trauma was visited on the remaining children instantly, as from a young age they were forced to learn the mind-altering lessons that one learns in the ANTM. Don’t love too fully. Don’t care too deeply. Reserve a piece of your loyalties for the church only. Wall off your heart from pain to maintain a posture of unity. These breaks with normal human emotion are the hallmark of life in the ANTM.

 

The following Sunday, Norman again applied the template of suppressing normal human emotional responses to trauma and loss by having the remaining “remnant” celebrate the casualties with a congregational wide victory dance and march around the church. No tears, no self-reflection, just an us versus them parade dehumanizing those who were once their closest friends and family. In Norman’s reframing of the Black Sunday events, the people were given the narrative to apply to those moments of sadness that would inevitably come up when reflecting on those who left - the church was better off without them. Norman emphasized that those who were opposing him, were opposing God’s authority and were in great “deception” – a trope that would always be marched out to explain away any legitimate grievance.

 

The following Sunday the church directory, which could be seen as the local copy of the Lamb’s Book of Life was read out from the pulpit and one by one, each member was made to stand in front of all of their friends and family and pledge their allegiance to the leadership. Those who had left were sent letters releasing them from their church membership.

 

Norman and the elders continued with a sense of paranoia in the ensuing months. They continued to wonder if everyone who remained were there for legitimate reasons, or were there wolves, moles and saboteurs remaining among the sheep. People were called in over the next few months and either kicked out, given ultimatums or generally harassed. In these meetings, husbands and wives, singles and divorcees were again forced to express loyalty and disavow any relationship with those who had left. Files on each member were used in those meetings to reference questionable conversations, questionable thoughts and questionable actions by congregants that demanded an accounting. After the season of The Inquisition was completed, by August 1998, a total of 33 families, 104 people, roughly 25% of the church’s population was gone.

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Next: From the World to Crumbling Remnants

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