Ralph Waldo Emerson
American philosopher (1803-1882)
Bill Gothard
American Christian leader (1934-)
Bill Gothard is a prominent American Christian minister and the founder of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP). His conservative teachings have influenced many evangelical Christians, though he has also faced allegations of sexual harassment and molestation. Despite stepping down from IBLP, his legacy and influence continue to be a topic of discussion and controversy.
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About the Bill Gothard
William W. Gothard Jr.is an American Christian minister, speaker, and writer, and the founder of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), an independent fundamentalist Christian organization.
His conservative teachings encourage Bible memorization, large families, homeschooling, aversion to debt, familial patriarchy, the submission of wives to husbands, and modest attire.
At the height of Gothard’s popularity during the 1970s, his Basic Youth Conflicts seminar was regularly filling auditoriums throughout the United States and beyond with attendance figures as large as ten thousand and more for a one-week seminar. In this way, he reached many in the evangelical community from the Baby Boomer generation during their teen years and young adulthood. Other seminars during this time included an Advanced Youth Conflicts seminar, as well as seminars for pastors, physicians, and legislators.
In 2014, he stepped down from IBLP after 34 women accused him of sexual harassment and molestation, with some incidents allegedly occurring when the victims were minors. In 2016, Gothard and IBLP were sued by a group of alleged victims. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2018, as the statute of limitations had been exceeded.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bill Gothard is an American Christian minister, speaker, and writer who founded the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), an independent fundamentalist Christian organization.
Bill Gothard’s conservative teachings encourage Bible memorization, large families, homeschooling, aversion to debt, familial patriarchy, the submission of wives to husbands, and modest attire.
At the height of Bill Gothard’s popularity during the 1970s, his Basic Youth Conflicts seminar was regularly filling auditoriums throughout the United States and beyond with attendance figures as large as ten thousand and more for a one-week seminar.
In 2014, Bill Gothard stepped down from IBLP after 34 women accused him of sexual harassment and molestation, with some incidents allegedly occurring when the victims were minors.
In 2016, Bill Gothard and IBLP were sued by a group of alleged victims, but the lawsuit was dismissed in 2018 as the statute of limitations had been exceeded.
Bill Gothard stepped down from IBLP in 2014 after the allegations against him, and his legacy and influence continue to be a topic of discussion and controversy.
Bill Gothard was born on November 2, 1934.