Aggressive Christianity Missionary Training Corps
Encyclopedia
The Aggressive Christianity Missionary Training Corps (ACMTC, aka Free Love Ministries and Life Force Team) is an American absolutist
, military structured, intentional community
. Founded in 1981 by "Generals" Jim and Lila Green, (Lila also often known as Deborah Green) it is based in a remote area of Cibola County, New Mexico
. The Greens have been heavily criticized over the years for being an isolationist cult
. It is located 11 miles (17.7 km) east of Fence Lake.
home in Kentucky
. As a hippie
, he moved to California
, and later Montana
in the late 1960s. Lila/Deborah was born in 1945 - and was a young fan of Elvis Presley
and The Beatles
, Lila confessed that,
Lila and Jim in the early 1970s joined a "radical, back-to-nature" group in Montana
called the "Bear Tribe." Jim, then known as "Buffalo Sun," was experimenting with "blood ceremonies" where he found "pleasure inside of pain." He used to run around the mountains and live in teepees. Jim wore a loin cloth and howled at the moon." Jim described this time with him on crank
, throwing his hunting knife and screaming, "KILL, KILL, KILL." He said, "the blaring HARD ROCK MUSIC provided inspiration to my insane frenzy."
Lila attempted suicide at least three times, "the last time narrowly escaping death." She was addicted to marijuana, and experimented with many other drugs. At 24, Lila claimed to have been a drug burnout, until,
in 1978, and credit them for ACMTC's military structure. ACMTC may have taken its name from a sermon by Salvation Army co-founder Catherine Booth titled "Aggressive Christianity."http://www.gospeltruth.net/booth/cath_booth/agressive_christianity/cbooth_1_agressive.htm Unlike members of the Salvation Army the Greens do not appear to do charitable work.
The Greens then eventually established Free Love Ministries between 1979 and 1981 in Sacramento
, which, according to Schmierer, began as an "orthodox christian" ministry. Lila began to say that she was God's "number one prophet" and religious services began to include Lila's sermons and prophecies, chanting, writhing on the floor, and speaking in tongues.
According to one Sacramento resident, the ACMTC maintained a "very high profile." They appeared in public in marine-style clothing with a golden winged logo on their jackets; male members had short hair and wore polished shoes. Most members at the time lived in their "training center". This communal type of arrangement consisted of several adjacent houses which the group purchased and renovated with funds partially acquired from three art shops which were staffed and run by members of the group. Jim and Lila Green started out as "Colonels" and later came to be considered "Brigadier Generals" and then "Generals" by their converts.
Their show on KFIA
, a Sacramento Christian radio station, regularly warned listeners to brace for war against Satanic forces responsible for such modern scourges as homosexuality, psychoanalysis, fornication, rock 'n' roll and pride. KFIA removed ACMTC from their airwaves in 1984. They abruptly left Sacramento after a local television station investigated claims that they were a cult
and had intentionally damaged property as well as mistreating their members. Abrupt departures would become a hallmark of their style of ministry.
. Maura Schmierer claimed that the Greens had accused her of loving her husband more than God, brainwashed her, changed her name to "Forsaken," and then forced her and another brainwashed member to stay in a 5 x12 foot wooden shed with no bathroom or access to one for ten weeks, their only nourishment consisting of tiny peanut butter sandwiches. Schmierer's 5-year-old son's name was changed to "Demon" when the Greens accused him of being possessed.
The Greens never appeared in court. They lost the case by default and the court ordered ACMTC to pay Schmierer $1.2 million. The Greens were unable to produce the money, so their compound was seized by the court.
The ACMTC ministry states:
In 1993, ACMTC bought an old school building in Berino, and established another camp in Gallup, New Mexico
.
in the Bible.
To align themselves with this scripture the group prints thousands of gospel tracts and literature each month and distributes hundreds of pounds of literature for free. Another focus of the ACMTC ministry is evangelism and witnessing where they claim to see hundreds of souls pray to Jesus Christ for salvation monthly. They also claim to see numerous healings and miracles.
Most of ACMTC's printed matter is directed at teenagers and young adults, in the form of printed booklets illustrated with clip art. ACMT also publishes comics drawn by Jim Green.
The basis for the deliverance beliefs held by ACMTC is:
. Accordingly, churches which accept homosexuals as legitimate or admit them as clergy are denounced as "false Christians". In some publications members take pride of having confronted homosexuality in the 1980s "even in the heart of sodomite
San Francisco".
The group has also taken a strongly anti-Islamic
position, publishing several brochures which strongly denounce Muhammad
as a "false prophet", direct questions about the accuracy of the Koran, and assert that Muslims are bent on world conquest.
Sacramento
. Disturbing revelations of treatment by the Greens against children and adults were graphically described in this report
In December 1999, Darren White
, former secretary of the Department of Public Safety for New Mexico
, and then reporter for KRQE, CBS channel 13
, Albuquerque, reported on the questionable practices of the Greens.
On November 4, 2005, Jim Maniaci, of the Gallup Independent's Cibola County
Bureau in Grants
, reported on the co-leader of an isolated religious group who was jailed on an aggravated battery with a deadly weapon charge named Jim Green. The article reported that Green was booked into the Cibola County Detention Center on Oct. 29 after an altercation with two other men at the Shim Ra Na Holy Tribal Nation farm near Fence Lake in the rural southwestern portion of the county.
In June, 2006, Annie McCormick of KRQE, CBS channel 13
, Albuquerque, NM, also investigated the Greens using first hand reports from former members and families.
Moral absolutism
Moral absolutism is an ethical view that certain actions are absolutely right or wrong, regardless of other contexts such as their consequences or the intentions behind them. Thus stealing, for instance, might be considered to be always immoral, even if done to promote some other good , and even if...
, military structured, intentional community
Intentional community
An intentional community is a planned residential community designed to have a much higher degree of teamwork than other communities. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, religious, or spiritual vision and often follow an alternative lifestyle. They...
. Founded in 1981 by "Generals" Jim and Lila Green, (Lila also often known as Deborah Green) it is based in a remote area of Cibola County, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. The Greens have been heavily criticized over the years for being an isolationist cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
. It is located 11 miles (17.7 km) east of Fence Lake.
Hippies
Jim Green was born in 1946, and had been raised in a ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
home in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. As a hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
, he moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and later Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
in the late 1960s. Lila/Deborah was born in 1945 - and was a young fan of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
and The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Lila confessed that,
Lila and Jim in the early 1970s joined a "radical, back-to-nature" group in Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
called the "Bear Tribe." Jim, then known as "Buffalo Sun," was experimenting with "blood ceremonies" where he found "pleasure inside of pain." He used to run around the mountains and live in teepees. Jim wore a loin cloth and howled at the moon." Jim described this time with him on crank
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
, throwing his hunting knife and screaming, "KILL, KILL, KILL." He said, "the blaring HARD ROCK MUSIC provided inspiration to my insane frenzy."
Lila attempted suicide at least three times, "the last time narrowly escaping death." She was addicted to marijuana, and experimented with many other drugs. At 24, Lila claimed to have been a drug burnout, until,
Free Love Ministries
After becoming Christians, Lila and James Green both served in Miami's Salvation ArmySalvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
in 1978, and credit them for ACMTC's military structure. ACMTC may have taken its name from a sermon by Salvation Army co-founder Catherine Booth titled "Aggressive Christianity."http://www.gospeltruth.net/booth/cath_booth/agressive_christianity/cbooth_1_agressive.htm Unlike members of the Salvation Army the Greens do not appear to do charitable work.
The Greens then eventually established Free Love Ministries between 1979 and 1981 in Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
, which, according to Schmierer, began as an "orthodox christian" ministry. Lila began to say that she was God's "number one prophet" and religious services began to include Lila's sermons and prophecies, chanting, writhing on the floor, and speaking in tongues.
According to one Sacramento resident, the ACMTC maintained a "very high profile." They appeared in public in marine-style clothing with a golden winged logo on their jackets; male members had short hair and wore polished shoes. Most members at the time lived in their "training center". This communal type of arrangement consisted of several adjacent houses which the group purchased and renovated with funds partially acquired from three art shops which were staffed and run by members of the group. Jim and Lila Green started out as "Colonels" and later came to be considered "Brigadier Generals" and then "Generals" by their converts.
Their show on KFIA
KFIA
KFIA is a radio station broadcasting a Christian radio format. Licensed to Carmichael, California, USA, the station serves the Sacramento area. The station is currently owned by New Inspiration Broadcasting Company, Inc. which is a part of Salem Communications . The station features programing...
, a Sacramento Christian radio station, regularly warned listeners to brace for war against Satanic forces responsible for such modern scourges as homosexuality, psychoanalysis, fornication, rock 'n' roll and pride. KFIA removed ACMTC from their airwaves in 1984. They abruptly left Sacramento after a local television station investigated claims that they were a cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
and had intentionally damaged property as well as mistreating their members. Abrupt departures would become a hallmark of their style of ministry.
Excommunication
In 1988, Maura Schmierer filed a lawsuit against Free Love Ministries, asking for $20 million in damagesDamages
In law, damages is an award, typically of money, to be paid to a person as compensation for loss or injury; grammatically, it is a singular noun, not plural.- Compensatory damages :...
. Maura Schmierer claimed that the Greens had accused her of loving her husband more than God, brainwashed her, changed her name to "Forsaken," and then forced her and another brainwashed member to stay in a 5 x12 foot wooden shed with no bathroom or access to one for ten weeks, their only nourishment consisting of tiny peanut butter sandwiches. Schmierer's 5-year-old son's name was changed to "Demon" when the Greens accused him of being possessed.
The Greens never appeared in court. They lost the case by default and the court ordered ACMTC to pay Schmierer $1.2 million. The Greens were unable to produce the money, so their compound was seized by the court.
The ACMTC ministry states:
Life Force Team
Later, Free Love Ministries settled in Klamath Falls, Oregon. By then, ACMTC had dwindled to only about 19 people. At this point, the Greens were focusing their printed articles on abortion, homosexuals, rap and rock music, and other issues that they thought society needed to change. Lila began signing her articles, "Deborah L. Green," and ACMTC now called itself by "Life Force Team" as well as ACMTC.In 1993, ACMTC bought an old school building in Berino, and established another camp in Gallup, New Mexico
Gallup, New Mexico
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 20,209 people, 6,810 households, and 4,869 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,513.7 people per square mile...
.
Main objectives
ACMTC believes in the subjective interpretation of the Bible and the doctrines therein to suit their purposes. Their focus and mission is based upon Mark 16:15Mark 16
Mark 16 is the final chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. It begins with the discovery of the empty tomb by Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome — there they encounter a man dressed in white who announces the Resurrection of Jesus.Verse 8 ends...
in the Bible.
And Jesus said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
To align themselves with this scripture the group prints thousands of gospel tracts and literature each month and distributes hundreds of pounds of literature for free. Another focus of the ACMTC ministry is evangelism and witnessing where they claim to see hundreds of souls pray to Jesus Christ for salvation monthly. They also claim to see numerous healings and miracles.
Most of ACMTC's printed matter is directed at teenagers and young adults, in the form of printed booklets illustrated with clip art. ACMT also publishes comics drawn by Jim Green.
Deliverance and demons
ACMTC has never believed or does believe now that a Christian can be possessed by a demon, but rather that Christians may possess one or more demons and it is the Christian’s responsibility to drive them out.The basis for the deliverance beliefs held by ACMTC is:
- Jesus cast out Devils (Luke 11:20, 13:32 etc.)
- Jesus' disciples cast out Devils (Luke 9:1, 10:17)
- Jesus commands His Disciples to cast out Devils (Matthew 10:8, Mark 16:17)
Kingdom Now
ACMTC also holds a "Dominionist" or "Kingdom Now" theology. They hold to attempting to become "Overcomers" or "Victorious". Like many other groups with similar beliefs, they believe that a devout Christian group of people will move out of the Church and overcome all the enemies of Christ including even death itself. This will include unheard of miraculous power as well as acts of judgment such as calling down fire on God's enemies.Opposition to Homosexuals and Islam
Publications of the group assert that homosexuality is "an abomination", that a homosexual person cannot be a Christian unless giving up completely their sexual practices, and that homosexual people who die without "repenting" are doomed to eternal perditionHell in Christian beliefs
Christian views on Hell vary, but in general traditionally agree that hell is a place or a state in which the souls of the unsaved suffer the consequences of sin....
. Accordingly, churches which accept homosexuals as legitimate or admit them as clergy are denounced as "false Christians". In some publications members take pride of having confronted homosexuality in the 1980s "even in the heart of sodomite
Sodomy
Sodomy is an anal or other copulation-like act, especially between male persons or between a man and animal, and one who practices sodomy is a "sodomite"...
San Francisco".
The group has also taken a strongly anti-Islamic
Criticism of Islam
Criticism of Islam has existed since Islam's formative stages. Early written criticism came from Christians, prior to the ninth century, many of whom viewed Islam as a radical Christian heresy...
position, publishing several brochures which strongly denounce Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
as a "false prophet", direct questions about the accuracy of the Koran, and assert that Muslims are bent on world conquest.
In the media
In 1989 Jodi Hernandez was part of a group of reporters that examined the Aggressive Christians from 3/89-9/89, through KOVR-TV, CBS channel 13KOVR
KOVR, channel 13, is an owned-and-operated station of the CBS Television Network located in Sacramento, California and licensed to Stockton. KOVR-TV shares its offices and studio facilities with sister station KMAX-TV in West Sacramento, California, and its transmitter is located in Walnut Grove,...
Sacramento
Sacramento
Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...
. Disturbing revelations of treatment by the Greens against children and adults were graphically described in this report
In December 1999, Darren White
Darren White (politician)
Darren White is a former Sheriff of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, having been elected that post in 2002, and re-elected in 2006. Prior to his election as Sheriff, he served as Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Public Safety in the Cabinet of Governor Gary Johnson. White resigned his...
, former secretary of the Department of Public Safety for New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, and then reporter for KRQE, CBS channel 13
KRQE
KRQE, digital channel 13, is the CBS-affiliated television station serving the Albuquerque, New Mexico television market; the station is owned by LIN TV Corporation and is sister station to Fox affiliate KASA-TV...
, Albuquerque, reported on the questionable practices of the Greens.
On November 4, 2005, Jim Maniaci, of the Gallup Independent's Cibola County
Cibola County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*41.8% White*1.0% Black*41.0% Native American*0.5% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.1% Two or more races*12.5% Other races*36.5% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
Bureau in Grants
Grants, New Mexico
Grants is a city in Cibola County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 9,182 at the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Cibola County....
, reported on the co-leader of an isolated religious group who was jailed on an aggravated battery with a deadly weapon charge named Jim Green. The article reported that Green was booked into the Cibola County Detention Center on Oct. 29 after an altercation with two other men at the Shim Ra Na Holy Tribal Nation farm near Fence Lake in the rural southwestern portion of the county.
In June, 2006, Annie McCormick of KRQE, CBS channel 13
KRQE
KRQE, digital channel 13, is the CBS-affiliated television station serving the Albuquerque, New Mexico television market; the station is owned by LIN TV Corporation and is sister station to Fox affiliate KASA-TV...
, Albuquerque, NM, also investigated the Greens using first hand reports from former members and families.
External links
- New Mexico Highways Page
- JudgmentIsMercy.info – sister site of ACMTC
- Dr. Phil $10 Million Diet Scam The Proof He's a FRAUD! – at sister site of ACMTC
- ACMTC at the Cult Awareness and Information CentreCult Awareness and Information CentreThe Cult Awareness and Information Centre is an organization based in Brisbane, Australia that provides resources and information on groups they identify as cults and other controversial groups...
(more here)