Free Gospel Bible Institute: What I Learned, What I Lost, and What You Should Know

I was 15 the first time I set foot on campus at Free Gospel Bible Institute.

After a four hour drive from Western New York, my mother and I meandered up the final stretch of Italy Road. We were going to visit my sister—a freshman at the time. As I took in the hilly, winding scenery before pulling into the parking lot, I tingled with anticipation.

I’d heard enough about the school to have elevated expectations.

In my youthful naivety, I imagined that the second my feet hit what I’d heard touted as ‘holy ground’, that I’d experience a sort of soul-quaking calling and clarity. I was a smidge disappointed when that never happened.

I remember climbing out of the car and looking around with surprise, thinking, “This is it?”

There wasn’t much to it.

An abandoned church building to the right.

An office building with a rusty, battered door that clanged shut directly in front of us.

A quaint, paved driveway with manicured bushes and small storage cabins alongside it.

And of course, the main auditorium—a square-shaped building with a white cross on the front, which I learned, in time, also held the ladies’ dormitory and the dining hall.

I honestly don’t remember much about our visit but on the way home I quietly processed my sense of “underwhelm.”

I thought about Sis. Claire Goodwin—Beam at the time. She gave a presentation about the school at our church’s camp meeting a few years earlier with swelling accounts of ‘moves of God’ and ‘the Holy Spirit working.’ In her sing-song voice she told dramatic stories of miracles of provision and recounted a compelling history of supernatural beginnings and “God’s hand” upon the school.

After the service I visited her table in the foyer—there was a stack of yearbooks and I began flipping through them. I saw pages with students worshipping—hands raised and tears streaming down their faces. I saw young people doing chores with smiling faces. I saw students at picnic tables with open Bibles and suit-clad teams that stood in front of vans who would travel around the country to minister. The images pulled at my heartstrings. The impression I received was that these were young people who were dedicated—sold out to God. That God was moving at FGBI—and that this was where you went if you were serious about serving God.

Looking back, I see how much of that pull was emotional, rather than theological. The glossy yearbooks, the dramatic altar shots. In time, Free Gospel Bible Institute would start having students produce promotional “mini cds” with picture presentations¹ that swelled with dramatic music to pack a soul-stirring punch. Years later I’d become the person that designed and printed all of the promotional print materials, so I know how meticulous they were about maximizing their impact. These things were crafted with care—and they worked. They successfully mastered an image—one that promised purpose, power, and proximity to God.

But behind that image is a system worth examining.

So, for anyone considering Free Gospel Bible Institute—here’s what I wish I’d known before I signed on the dotted line.

Key Doctrines, Teachings & Ideologies

Free Gospel Bible Institute describes itself as “Holiness, Trinitarian, & Pentecostal” with a stated mission of “Preparing Men and Women for Pentecostal Ministry.” Their roots are in the Holiness Movement—a loosely connected group of independent Pentecostal churches that place a strong emphasis on outward standards and experiential Christianity. Their current branding leans heavily into what they call a “Spirit first”² model, emphasizing a priority on emotional spontaneity and manifestations of the Holy Spirit.

To someone already formed in the Holiness Pentecostal tradition, these descriptions are familiar— but what is not expressed openly are the embedded ideologies that construct the FGBI framework. These often go unchallenged, not because they are biblically unassailable, but because questioning itself is often seen as spiritual immaturity or rebellion.

Authoritarian Leadership & Total Submission

One of the most defining—and dangerous—aspects of Free Gospel Bible Institute is its system of authoritarian leadership. While it may appear, on the surface, as promoting “respect for authority” or “submission to spiritual leadership,” the reality is much more rigid. In the context of FGBI, to question a ‘man of God’ is equal to questioning God Himself. To raise a concern, seek accountability, seek clarity, or even express confusion about a decision is not viewed as part of healthy spiritual discernment—it’s framed as rebellion.

In one Sunday School lesson, Rev. Thomas Peretic presented questions as disobedience designed to “wear the man of God down.”³ They were not only discouraged, they were often rebuked.

Students and faculty are trained to view the President of the institute, as well as their pastors, not merely as ministers to respect, but as highly-elevated individuals uniquely anointed with the ‘mind of God’ who they must bring themselves under submission to.⁴ “The mind of God” extends far beyond Scripture—it includes the leader’s personal perceptions, preferences, desires, pet peeves, plans, practices, policies, expectations, etc. Any of these things (and more) coming from a “man of God” are framed as divine directives that you must submit and adhere to. Any disagreement or hesitation is not viewed as a sincere difference of understanding, but as spiritual insubordination that must be broken.

Students (and faculty) learn quickly that there is only one acceptable response to leadership, and that is to submit/agree in every respect, whether the leader is right or not. This ideology allows the President (and the many pastors who’ve adopted it as well) to operate with nearly unchecked power. The system creates a protective shield that insulates leadership not only from critique, but from disagreement of any kind.

This wasn’t a sidebar lesson—it was foundational.

Thomas Peretic has religiously taught and reinforced this framework as Sunday School staples for over two decades with extensive series like “Lessons in Loyalty,” and “Journeying with Joshua.” During the 2004-2005 school year, during the recordings of “Lessons in Loyalty” students sat through sessions of these teachings that lasted between 2-3 hours, Sunday after Sunday for a large portion of the school year. Under this constant repetition, students internalized concepts like:

• Your attitude toward your leader is your attitude toward God.
• If your pastor is unhappy with you, God is unhappy with you.
• You don’t have to understand authority to obey—you just obey.

These teachings have led students to believe that submission—even to flawed, inconsistent, or detrimental leadership—is the highest expression of godliness.

 “A Tale of Three Kings” by Gene Edwards was a long-standing tool, implemented as required reading to teach students that if a leader behaves harshly, unfairly, or even unbiblically, God is using that leader to “break” them. It’s a theology that glorifies spiritual abuse and calls it refinement.

Not only do these teachings undermine personal autonomy, and discourage critical thinking—they can, and have resulted, in severe damage to cognitive health, spiritual development, and an individual’s ability to read, interpret, and trust Scripture for themselves. Within this framework, spiritual maturity is not defined by discernment, truth, or the fruit of the Spirit—it’s measured by how unquestioningly you obey and how thoroughly you submit.

Eisegesis Over Exegesis

Another spiritually dangerous trend at FGBI is the misuse of Scripture, often through eisegesis—the reading of personal ideas into the text—rather than exegesis, which faithfully draws out the original and intended meaning from the text itself.

I recall, as a freshman, in the president’s Dispensational Truth class, having to memorize the ‘golden rule’ of Scripture interpretation.

“When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicates clearly otherwise.”

-David Cooper

Ironically, Rev. Thomas Peretic rarely practiced this in his own sermons. While this appeared in course instruction as a blip, his overwhelming example was consistent eisegesis. A broad sampling of his Sunday School materials alone demonstrates clearly that his teachings are often built on verses taken out of context or Old Testament narratives used allegorically to reinforce loyalty, submission, and obedience. Entire series would be formed around a single idea, with cherry-picked scriptures woven in to support a pre-decided point. There was little attention to author intent or proper hermeneutics.

Rev. Thomas Peretic is fond of saying, “It’s in the Book! I didn’t write the Book!” to establish his points. The statement is true—he didn’t write the Book—but he twists it, prolifically, to his personal ends.

I vividly remember an emotionally charged sermon Thomas Peretic preached about Paul’s shipwreck. He read the passage where survivors clung to broken pieces of the ship to reach the shore, and when the energy in the room reached a fever pitch, he handed out literal pieces of broken wood. Students clutched them, weeping at the altar. But he didn’t teach the passage—he didn’t walk us through its meaning or context. Instead, he pulled out a private, highly emotional interpretation designed to manufacture intense, seemingly spiritual, moments. This wasn’t an isolated incident. This was typical of his sermons—and unfortunately, of nearly every faculty member who preached. Scripture was not faithfully taught. It was used to support emotional narratives to stir a response.

This is not just a stylistic problem. To mishandle the Word of God is to misrepresent God Himself. To set the example for future ministers, that Scripture may be used as a decoration, rather than the full substance, or as a prop to support cute ideas, is to train them to distort the Gospel. And to stand behind a pulpit, week after week, without regard for the author’s intent, is to speak presumptuously in the name of the Lord.

For a Bible College, interpreting the Word of God correctly and presenting it accurately should be a sacred concern and the highest priority. The faithful handling of Scripture isn’t optional—it’s foundational. (2 Tim. 2:15; Acts 20:27) Exegetical preaching should be the standard in any institution claiming to prepare individuals for ministry, but at FGBI, this is tragically not the case.

The president/pastor, of all people, should model reverence for the text and integrity in interpretation. So should every faculty member entrusted with opening the Bible before students. But by failing to teach or model biblical exegesis, FGBI sends dozens of young people into pulpits—untrained in how to rightly handle the Word—but well-trained in how to manipulate it.

Brokenness as a Virtue

One of the most unique cultural aspects of Free Gospel Bible Institute is a pervasive preoccupation with the concept of ‘brokenness.’ Songs were sung about it, whole classes were taught on it, sermons frequently mentioned it, deep discussions were had about it.

In Scripture, ‘brokenness’ is defined as a posture of humble repentance and contrition before God. Psalm 51:17 implies that it’s a heart that recognizes sin and casts itself on God’s mercy.

At FGBI, ‘brokenness’ referred to something entirely different.

It was the breaking of a person’s will—the surrendering of one’s autonomy to leadership at any cost. This disproportionate focus on ‘brokenness’ goes hand in hand with the upheld system of authoritarian spiritual leadership. As individuals are going through this process, of learning to live a life of total submission and perfect obedience to a spiritual leader, the experience is incredibly painful. Bit by bit, you are required to relinquish boundaries, convictions, resources, critical thinking, your grasp of reality, aspects of your personality, even at times your sense of morality. This concept of brokenness is spiritualized by the administration and promoted as a virtue to secure compliance, and students and faculty subject to this constant pressure tend to cling to it to ease the dissonance it creates within them.

Unspoken Curriculum

Ultimately, FGBI’s most formative teachings were not the ones found in syllabi—but the ones absorbed in church services, altar responses, public and private rebukes, and unchallenged assumptions. While their goal and their purpose may be to train people for ministry, the reality is that they are re-wiring minds and redefining what spirituality looks like. The tragedy is that this formation is not built on the foundation of the Gospel, but on spiritual authoritarianism, emotionalism, and fear of stepping out of line.

Faculty & the Quality of Education

Not long ago, my husband and I attended a preview day at a legitimate seminary. We spent the day sitting in on classes, meeting professors, and observing how a true theological institution trains future ministers. That night, back in our hotel room, we shared something neither of us expected:

A deep sense of grief.

It was undeniable.

The contrast between what we were witnessing—scholarship, academic rigor, biblical fidelity—and what we had received at Free Gospel Bible Institute was painful. We were both processing the sobering reality that the time we had set aside earlier in our lives to be trained for ministry had not been honored with real training.

Unqualified Faculty

One of the most glaring issues at Free Gospel Bible Institute is the overall lack of qualified instructors. While a handful of teachers over the years have had legitimate seminary degrees or meaningful ministry experience, many were not trained educators.

New hires often consisted of recent graduates—individuals who were earnest, eager, and deeply committed to the ministry vision they had been formed under. But while their intentions may have been sincere, they typically lacked the formal credentials and real-world ministerial experience necessary to train others. Many were only a year or two older than the students they were assigned to teach. I was hired to teach at barely 19 years-old. The majority of my students were older than I was!

In many cases, faculty were not selected for theological depth, ministry background, or teaching skill, but for their perceived loyalty and alignment with the president’s authority. The result was a faculty culture shaped more by compliance than expertise—one that was dependent on the president’s approval, vulnerable to spiritual manipulation, and ultimately unable to provide the kind of sound, theologically grounded training students deserved.

Harmful Staffing Patterns

At various points, staffing decisions at Free Gospel Bible Institute have been deeply irresponsible, with lasting consequences for students. Faculty members were sometimes hired despite serious moral instability, emotional immaturity, or a lack of ministerial and academic preparation. In several cases, this led to unsafe and inappropriate situations—predatory behavior, bullying, or disturbing advice. Concerns raised by students were often dismissed as disrespect or insubordination.

Theological instruction also suffered. One Soteriology instructor taught that a woman who died wearing pants—even after conversion—would go to hell. Another was unable to answer the basic question, “What are we saved from?” These are not small oversights; they reflect a severe lack of theological integrity and put students at risk of lasting confusion.

Some might say, “God doesn’t call the qualified—He qualifies the called.” And yes, God has always used imperfect people. But that’s not an excuse for spiritual irresponsibility.

When instructors are unqualified—academically, theologically, and even sometimes morally—it is not possible to claim that students are being genuinely prepared for ministry. Regardless of intent, the consequences were real, and the damage was deep.

Faculty Culture & Turnover

Faculty turnover at Free Gospel Bible Institute was high. Most instructors stayed only one or two years. Those who left quietly were often labeled as disloyal and even backslidden, while those who remained were frequently overworked and underpaid.

Single faculty members typically earn between $2,600 and $6,500 annually. Married couples functioned as “two for the price of one” –the husband received a paycheck while the wife was often expected to volunteer on a full-time scale. At my highest salary as a single faculty member, I earned $125 a week (I started at $50). As a married couple, we earned $150 combined. I painfully joked to my husband on one occasion, “Which one of us is doing all of this for $25 a week?” But the reality wasn’t funny. It was impossible to live on this income. Some faculty went on food stamps, and most attempted creative side incomes—though these were difficult to manage under the school’s extensive demands.

Despite the wages, each faculty member was expected to teach multiple subjects, supervise student work programs, police students, handle extensive administrative duties, manage elaborate ministries, attend all church and revival services, lead and participate in corporate prayers, carry out any number of side projects or maintenance. They were expected to remain available at all hours. Requests from the president or his wife required immediate response and highest priority—even on a day off or during personal emergencies, and vacation was often denied.

One might expect that those who lived and labored so sacrificially would be treated with respect, dignity, and gratitude. Sadly, this was not the case. Faculty were held to impossible standards on a daily basis and subject to demeaning public correction for minor oversights that resulted from being stretched far too thin. It was not uncommon for them to be humiliated and even cruelly belittled in front of students and peers.

The dynamic was akin to slavery and few qualified individuals would subject themselves to it. As a result, faculty were often selected not for their preparedness, but for their willingness to endure. Many were sincere and eager to serve, but vulnerable—drawn in by the promise of ministry, and unprepared for the demands and pressures they would face. In an environment where healthy boundaries and basic dignity were routinely disregarded, it was difficult to attract and retain capable, grounded teachers. The cost was borne not only by those hired, but by the students who depended on them.

Manufactured Credentials

In 2010, the issue of faculty credentials rose to the surface. Rather than addressing the lack of qualifications through legitimate academic pathways, the solution pursued involved acquiring degrees from Andersonville Theological Seminary—an institution widely recognized as a diploma mill.^{5 6} The president himself acquired his credentials from Andersonville, and staff were encouraged to follow suit.

For approximately $600, a few hours of audio material, and a small number of substandard assignments, “degrees” were issued. This wasn’t an oversight—it was a calculated attempt to create the appearance of legitimacy. I know this firsthand, because I was one of the faculty members who obtained one at the request of Thomas Peretic. I still have the folder of courses and completed work on my computer, and I can say candidly: it fell far short of legitimate bachelor’s level standards. It was a shortcut designed to present a polished image in the school catalog, and to convey academic credibility to prospective students, donors, accreditation associations, and external observers.

To be clear, I do not wish to dismiss or diminish the credentials of those who rightfully earned them. I am aware of a very, very small handful of faculty, spanning Free Gospel Bible Institute’s 67 year history, who were professionally qualified in their field. To be fair, there may have been extremely isolated instances where the school contributed financially toward a legitimate degree. But if so, they were few and far between—exceptions that stand in stark contrast to the broader pattern of neglecting academic integrity.

If you are seeking a legitimate ministerial education, it is not unreasonable to expect all teachers and administration to be robustly qualified. A Bible college president ought to have a doctorate—he should be an expert in his field and possess impeccable character. Professors also ought to have doctorates, but at the absolute minimum, a master’s degree in a field relevant to the subject they’re teaching should be required. Would we accept this level of under-qualification from a medical school? From an engineering program? How much more sacred is the task of teaching God’s Word?

Student Life

The image of student life at Free Gospel Bible Institute is carefully curated. Catalogs and promotional materials depict photogenic groups in matching FGBI shirts—smiling, laughing, singing together, creating what looks like the ideal Christian college experience. And to be fair, lifelong friendships are formed at FGBI. There are meaningful connections, shared memories, and a sense of camaraderie that many carry for years.

But the picture is incomplete.

The catalog describes a quaint life of worship and study, supported by a few light chores in exchange for low tuition.

In reality, the demands go far beyond that. The school is built on student labor. Without it, daily operations would grind to a halt. Students are assigned to work extensively across all areas of campus life: cooking, cleaning, childcare, groundskeeping, vehicle repairs, building maintenance, demolition, remodeling and even full-scale construction projects. The workload is not a minor detail—it’s a constant, physically demanding, time consuming element that makes keeping up with your studies extremely difficult.

Those with marketable skills—whether music, media, preaching, or leadership—are in constant demand. Some students are sent on ministry trips nearly every weekend. Students who are pulled from classes for maintenance tasks, ministry, or events are still expected to keep up academically, with no adjustment to their load. Some are additionally tasked with massive undertakings like writing and directing the school play, training and leading the choir, pastoring a church, or planning major events—all on top of studies and work requirements. Burnout is common, but often dismissed as a lack of surrender or spiritual maturity. Students who express exhaustion, or an inability to keep up with the demands are not met with understanding, but with cold, unsympathetic responses and unrelenting pressure to push through.

Students with trade skills—like HVAC, electrical, mechanical, or construction—are likewise called upon frequently, sometimes daily, to meet the school’s ongoing physical needs. They are not treated as valued contributors generously offering expertise—they are taken advantage of as unpaid labor, enabling the school to avoid hiring professionals. This isn’t a relationship marked by appreciation or mutual respect. It’s an unrelenting extraction of a person’s time and skill to the point of exploitation. Gratitude is rarely shown. Instead they are often met with constant expectation, criticism, and the clear message that their work is never enough.

At times, students are sent to perform free labor on private property, including rental houses owned by the president or other ministers. This labor has nothing to do with their education, but they are silenced by being told this is “God using them.”

This misuse of spiritual language is common. The song lyrics, “Jesus, use me”— are stretched far beyond a healthy, biblical model of service. Students are taught that to be “used” is to be worn out, wrung dry, unquestioning, and exploited. Exhaustion is reframed as spirituality and boundaries are reframed as self-serving.

Time & Appearance

Time is tightly controlled. Students are not permitted to have jobs, and they are only permitted to leave campus in small, specified male/female time allotments on a handful of days. Men and women are only permitted to eat meals together, and attend a faculty-supervised 20 minute social time in the evening. A lights-out curfew is enforced at 10:30 PM and students are routinely disciplined for infractions as small as talking in bed, brushing their teeth or reading their Bible after lights out.

Aside from the expectation of maintaining the generally accepted outward standards of the Holiness Movement, female students are subject to “outfit inspections” by the Dean of Women. Students have reported feeling humiliated and disrespected by this, and for no small reason.

These are adults—many in their 20s and 30s, some even older—being treated like children. At a stage in life where independence should be encouraged and individuals ought to be respected as trustworthy, autonomous, and responsible, they are restricted by rules that foster an unnatural dependence on authority. Instead of being encouraged, as growing Christians, to make wise, Christ-like decisions, their ability to think critically and act independently are gradually eroded. They are systematically conditioned to embrace the strict control and micromanagement of authoritarian spiritual leaders, leaving them vulnerable to manipulation and deception for the rest of their lives.

Church & Worship

Church services are lengthy and intense. Students are expected to participate in demonstrative displays of prayer.  Those who don’t meet an acceptable expectation of what this looks like are publicly rebuked. Services tend to prioritize emotional expression and spiritual manifestations. The tragic result of this is that students learn how to perform a convincing display of worship to evade rebuke, but they lack the doctrinal depth and Christian growth that comes from solid, consistent exegetical preaching of the Word.

During my time there, the president’s sermons were frequently laced with rebuke. His preaching style embodies a lot of snark, mockery, and cutting sarcasm. It’s fairly common for his messages to be used to frame narratives about himself and others. The pulpit is transactional—meaning that public praise is currency—handed out to those who serve his image and criticism is dished out publicly as a consequence for falling out of favor. Students were often broken down with angry, backhanded, or passive-aggressive swipes from the pulpit, creating a church atmosphere that felt oppressive and emotionally exhausting.

Occasionally, students would be required to participate in group fasts, and those who failed to complete them successfully were publicly rebuked.

Graduation: Few Make It Through

The percentage of students who graduate from Free Gospel Bible Institute is remarkably low. Many arrive full of zeal for the Lord, but leave disillusioned, burned out, or emotionally and spiritually devastated. The reasons students walk away are rarely shallow—most leave because of the legitimate concerns outlined throughout this article: unqualified leadership, spiritual manipulation, exhaustion, and impossible expectations.

In spite of this, those who leave are almost always branded as rebellious, un-submissive, or even backslidden. They are rarely spoken of again, except as cautionary tales. To justify this dynamic, Thomas Peretic, in one of his promotional sermons, quotes 1 John 2:19 out of context: “They went out from us because they were not of us.” The message is clear—if you didn’t graduate, you were never truly called, faithful, aligned with God—you might not even be saved. He goes as far as calling them ‘evildoers.’

There is no respectable way to leave FGBI without being socially or spiritually erased or maligned. Students who depart are not allowed to simply go with grace—they are dismissed, discredited, and forced to be forgotten. Many carry long-term effects: confusion about God’s character, guilt over “failing,” anxiety, identity loss, and religious trauma that takes years to unpack.

Graduation, in this context, becomes less of a mark of theological or ministerial readiness, and more a testament to how much spiritual pressure and psychological strain a person can survive. On that token, we can’t truly feel that graduation automatically equals ministerial preparation. We shouldn’t be surprised if the models graduates were given result in performance-based spirituality, limited theological depth, or vulnerability to damaging teachings. Patterns aren’t always intentionally repeated, but they can become embedded defaults when deeper discipleship and sound teaching are lacking.

In Summary: What Are You Really Committing To?

If you’re considering attending Free Gospel Bible Institute, take a moment to ask yourself:

• Is this truly theological training—or culture-shaping indoctrination?
• Are you being equipped to study the Word for yourself—or trained to accept someone else’s interpretation without question?
• Do you feel freedom to ask hard questions—or pressure to simply obey?
• Will your voice be heard—or silenced if it disrupts the status quo?
• What happens to those who leave? Are they respected and loved—or erased, vilified, and forgotten?
• Do the leaders model Christ-like humility and servant-heartedness—or demand submission under the banner of authority?
• Is “surrender” a call to serve Christ—or a call to comply with man?

These are not small matters. They go to the heart of discipleship, integrity, ministry, and truth.

Is FGBI Preparing People for Ministry?

If ministry means obedience-based loyalty to a movement, shaped by hierarchy, performance, and emotional control—then yes, it trains people for that very well.

But if ministry means a Gospel-rooted, Christ-exalting, theologically sound calling to serve the Church with humility, clarity, and integrity—then the answer becomes far less clear.

Many former students have had to relearn theology, rebuild their faith, and recover from extensive trauma after leaving. That’s not ministry preparation. It’s spiritual survival.

Final Thoughts

Do I regret my time at Free Gospel Bible Institute?

For the most part, yes. I feel as though I lost eleven years of my life—years spent adapting to a system that ultimately unraveled my identity. Theologically, I had to start from scratch: Who is God? What are His attributes? What is salvation, really? I had to unlearn distorted teachings and rebuild my understanding of core doctrines from the ground up. How do I study the Bible? How do I know I’m not misinterpreting it? What do I do if I disagree with my pastor?

Relationally, the aftermath was just as hard. Over the years I severed ties with people I loved for the sake of approval. I lost years of time with people who truly loved me and wanted what was best for me. My husband and I had to disentangle teachings that bled into our marriage. I had to learn how to be in a relationship built on trust, rather than approval.

Personally, I had to relearn who I was. What do I enjoy? What is actually okay for me to pursue? What gifts has God given me? It’s not a spiritual failure to be an introvert?!  Even my accomplishments had to be re-evaluated. My education was not legitimate. My degree was not credible. The work I had done for years wasn’t grounded in proper qualifications. The résumé I left with didn’t translate into real-world value.

I had to rebuild my ability to think critically. To make decisions without fear. To trust my memory after being gaslit for years on end. To have confidence in my conclusions. To step out of an approval-based system and learn to truly trust that Christ is my righteousness and that He is sufficient. There has been a lot of work—emotional, mental, and spiritual—on the other side of my time at this school.

Mercifully, not everything was lost. Mingled among the traumatic memories there are happy memories. Life was lived there. I met and married my husband there. I made lifelong friends. I have cherished recollections of deep conversations and laughter with people who were trying to love God the best they knew how.

Still, the cost was high. I lost time. I lost trust. I lost my sense of self.

But I believe God is sovereign. He allowed those years for a reason I couldn’t see at the time. If I hadn’t walked through that season, I wouldn’t be writing these words now—offering the warning I wish someone had given me.

If you doubt the things I’m saying, I encourage you to speak with several former students and faculty of FGBI. (Pro. 11:14) What I’ve described here is no secret within the broader community of those who have attended or served at this school. It’s widely known, yet rarely discussed—largely due to a deeply ingrained fear of speaking out. For decades, many have remained silent, afraid of the personal or ministerial consequences that could follow.

I’m speaking now because I can no longer sit back and watch innocent young people with a passion and a zeal for God, march blindly through those doors, only to crawl out, spiritually battered beyond recognition. The devastation this school has caused in the lives of actual people—not statistics, but individuals—is staggering.

If you desire to serve God and pursue ministry, I implore you: choose a college that values sound doctrine over emotional hype, biblical training over image management, and discipleship over control. Choose a place where the Gospel is taught with integrity, and your growth is cultivated through the Word—not coerced through fear.

If you’re a prospective student of Free Gospel Bible Institute, or a returning student, please know: I am praying for you. That God will give you wisdom. That He will protect and guide you. That you’ll pause long enough to ask the deeper questions—questions I wish I had asked as a teenager.

May the Lord truly guide your steps as you seek Him—not a system, not a spotlight, not a substitute, but Him.

1. https://youtu.be/U8dAo2jXDws?si=u8WY6TBLIBRE2Oaz
   https://youtu.be/waZ98ZzB8Sk?si=Mho1hdBlXJSSWoz9 ↩︎
2. http://fgbi.org – accessed June 23, 2025 ↩︎
3. Journeying with Joshua Sunday School Series by Rev. Thomas Peretic ↩︎
4. Second Level Leadership, Sunday School Lessons by Rev. Thomas Peretic ↩︎
5. https://www.geteducated.com/college-degree-mills/204-fake-agencies-for-college-accreditation/#/ ↩︎
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unaccredited_institutions_of_higher_education ↩︎

If you’re a former student or faculty member of Free Gospel Bible Institute and need a safe place to process what you’ve experienced, I’d like to invite you to talk with myself or a trusted team member equipped to walk with you—whether you’re looking for pastoral counsel, help untangling what you experienced, or simply someone who understands, we’re here to help.

You’re not alone.

To share your experience or get connected, visit:
👉 BereanHoliness.com/fgbi
To reach me directly, feel free to use the form below: