By R.L. Stollar, HA Community Coordinator
Bill Gothard resigned today from the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) and its affiliated organizations.
Last month the IBLP board placed Gothard on administrative leave. According to a report by WORLD Magazine, the administrative leave would be in place “while the board investigates claims that he years ago engaged in sexual harassment and other misconduct.” Allegations and evidence have surfaced recently about how Bill Gothard has sexually harassed and molested over 30 young woman, including children, for decades. There are rumors that David Gibbs, Jr. — the former president of ACE who was the longtime attorney for convicted child abuser Jack Schaap‘s church, First Baptist Church in Hammond, Indiana — was hired by the IBLP board to spearhead the investigation.
Today, however, David Waller — the Administrative Director of the Advanced Training Institute (ATI) — sent out an email to families involved with ATI and announced that Bill Gothard has resigned from the Institute in Basic Life Principles and all its affiliated organizations. Waller said that Gothard “communicated to the Board of Directors his desire to follow Matthew 5:23-24 and listen to those who have ‘ought against’ him.”
Waller did not state if Gothard planned to return to leadership at some point. He did say, however, that IBLP and ATI will continue as is. Their upcoming conferences in Big Sandy, Nashville, and Sacramento will be held as planned. The organization also “expects to appoint interim leadership for IBLP in the very near future.” Chris Hogan, ATI’s president, “will play an active role.”
You can view David Waller’s email in its entirety as a PDF here.
Homeschoolers Anonymous 
Reblogged this on Pax Puero and commented:
Bill Gothard has resigned! Still praying for the women who lost so much because of him.
LikeLike
Glad steps are being taken, but still entirely heartbroken for the students forever scarred by him. May he reap what he sowed, and may his students find comfort and healing.
LikeLike
Jack Scaap’s church? ROFLMAO. And that’s a lot of laughing.
LikeLike
“Polishing-the-Shaft” Schaapf?
With the appetite for Jail Bait that finally got him caught and jugged?
LikeLike
And Gibbs… Anyone have a link to his article advising churches how to “avoid pitfalls in children’s ministry”? Can’t find the link, but it’s telling.
LikeLike
If you find the article, Cindy, I’d be very interested in reading it!
LikeLike
Try this video from CLA’s Seth Kraus: http://bscm.e-quip.net/presentations/show/3313
LikeLike
My comments sound so goofy — must be because I’m in shock!
LikeLike
Wouldn’t be surprising if David Gibbs has been involved. I don’t think he was Schaap’s attorney though – I understand he came into act for the church to clean up the mess. That’s what Gibbs does best: Save face for the ministry. If he is involved, this isn’t good news for victims.
ACE’s founder Donald Howard had many affairs and was eventually divorced by his wife and pushed out of ACE because of it. No one ever talks about it… That’s Gibbs for ya.
LikeLike
As in “THE COVER-UP IS ON!”
And the victims can expect a carrot of hush money and a stick of slander lawsuits?
LikeLike
I couldn’t comment. But I don’t think Gibbs is an ethical operator.
LikeLike
It disgust me that it took so long! There will be a great sized millstone for that mans neck and all those who blindly closed their eyes and purposedly looked the other way! I am praying for these families affected by this evil. They are going to need much strength and grace.
LikeLike
I just wish he could be locked up.
LikeLike
‘5 steps to this’ and ’10 steps to that’ — all that legalism mumbo jumbo he concocted and shoved down our throats; and the hiding of evil cloaked in “don’t give a bad report”. All the while there is physical, emotional, sexual, spiritual, and financial abuse going on at IBLP and Gothard is the ringleader!
Bill Gothard, I hope jail is in your future; you need to think about the “prisons” you created for so many with your “principals” probably born out of trying to relieve yourself of your own personal guilt!
LikeLike
Sorry to be a pain – but even if this is the original BG quote, it’s misspelled, and this article’s getting linked to again. Worth correcting?
” Gothard “communicated to the Board of Directors his desire to follow Matthew 5:23-24 and listen to those who have ‘ought against’ him.””
Not ‘Ought, but Aught.’
If you’re going to be archaic, y’know, it’s worth being genuinely archaic, imho. =)
LikeLike