Hope City Church Fredericton - A warning.

I attended this church for some time, and what I experienced and witnessed would make the masses fill with rage. Many others have their own stories, and I pray they start to speak without fear of retribution. Because what they are doing is harmful, hurtful, wrong, and so alarming and our truth needs to be shared.

To begin, some examples: Isolating vulnerable people no matter their age for their own financial gain. Using mental and emotional manipulation tactics to target specific people they deem "worthy" to fulfill their own greedy desires to be popular and trendy in the name of God.

Push a pack like mentality and call it unity aka the Hope City Code. Bleed parishioners of their money so they can expand and build their fancy buildings while 10% of the city they say they serve uses the food bank every month.

Anyone hear of their kingdom builder campaign where they flew in a "leader" from Hillsong, and asked people of the church to each pay 5000$ to be a kingdom builder, and meet him in this private room at a local hotel? Yeah- that happened. (This fund was slotted in particular to find their building expansion, which was delayed due to Covid.

Senior members of staff/volunteers isolating certain people and warning not to associate with certain other people who have left the church because they don't believe the exact same thing they do and are exposing the truth.,

Senior leadership staff with no actual theological training, and using other younger staff to do the same- again no formal education or training in theology, or dealing with mental health and trauma.

Ex communicating homosexuals and not letting them serve due to their sexuality.

Allowing certain public figures who openly support another NB church known for sexual abuse and cult behaviour attend and hold substantial power within their church.

Have a board built primarily of their own family members or close friends.

Have an operating budget of over a million dollars each year and say they "serve" their community. While you see Lexus cars, Volvos,$ 500 thousand dollar houses for their "leaders".

Asking and pushing volunteers into certain areas of serving to get free labour to maintain their operation every week, signing agreements to which they have to follow in order to “serve” God. The more you fit their image or gain their trust the closer you get to the inner circle. It is taught to “protect the leader at all costs”.

Having "counsellors" on staff, and when asked to assist, say for couples counselling, clients told to just “have more sex". Or have people join sessions who have absolutely NO training in counselling, without prior approval by the clients, to “mentor” and learn to be a counsellor, without consent.

Copying sermons from other pastors as part of their "pastor network" with a church, Champions Centre, out of Washington State. Look up “Team Church” or “Leading Second.” These groups travel through their church network “training” teams - but what they’re training is how the leaders can exploit people for free labour to keep their weekly operation going. (They will NEVER use these terms, and will gloss it over and make it sound exclusive, for God, be a part of a community/family). Kevin Gerald, pastor of champions centre , mentors leaders of this church. He’s on the board of the church that Steven Furtick pastors. Yeah, THAT Steven Furtick. Look up ARC churches on the US. That’ll send you down an interesting rabbit hole.

Needless to say, all that glitters is not gold. Once you get past the lipstick, the flashy lights and smoke, smoke and mirrors if you will, you will find a space that is very harmful, but all in the name of power and control.

There are GOOD PEOPLE at this church, but also very sinister things happening as well. Proceed with caution, friends.