• No human can cover - only God can: The “covering” language used by Wellspring Church, which is borrowed from the shepherding movement, does not protect people but instead binds them.

• Surveillance and Control: Members are encouraged to report on each other, and leadership maintains detailed personal folders that track behavior, attitudes, and loyalty - records used to discipline and control.

• Intrusion into Private Life: Members are prohibited from marrying outside the church, and leadership seeks influence over family, education, and major life decisions.

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Only God can Cover

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Wellspring Church often uses the word “covering,” borrowing language from the old shepherding movement. This language suggests that spiritual protection flows downward from a human leader. But in practice, this kind of covering does not free people; it binds them. It creates a spirit of control, where obedience to a person is mistaken for obedience to God, and dependence on a leader is confused with dependence on the Holy Spirit. What begins as “care” becomes constraint, and what is offered as “protection” becomes pressure.

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Scripture, however, teaches that no human being on this earth can serve as a spiritual shield against the forces of darkness. No pastor, founder, or system has the authority to stand between a believer and the enemy. No leader possesses the spiritual sight, power, or purity to function as a barrier in the unseen realm. When the powers of darkness rise against us, the covering of a human leader has no effect.

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Only the covering of God’s own presence can protect us. Only the Lord of hosts commands the armies of heaven. Only the Holy Spirit restrains evil, guards our hearts, and keeps the enemy at bay. God alone is our refuge, our strong tower, our fortress, and our shield.

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Human leaders may teach and guide - but they cannot cover. And when they claim to, that claim becomes a chain rather than a shelter, a mechanism of control rather than a ministry of grace. The only covering that truly protects the believer is the presence, power, and faithfulness of God Himself.

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Surveillance and Reporting

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This church keeps a dossier on its members - a collection of documents and detailed information. The dossier may include written correspondence from the member to the leadership. The dossier may also include emailed or written comments regarding the individual from other members of the church, including friends, family and leaders. Church members are encouraged to provide information to leadership on how other members are expressing opinions, asking questions, or having ideas about how things might work better.

 

Members are expected to provide leadership with information on other members who are 'not doing well'. This is internal code language for someone who may be thinking of leaving, is questioning the system or is deviating from community norms. Members are encouraged to submit reports to the leadership regarding the speech, appearance, or conduct of other members, particularly if they display behavior or attitudes deemed 'suspicious,' including ongoing private discussions or close associations with individuals outside the church.

 

Items in this dossier may be pulled out in high pressure meetings with individual members. For instance, leadership may retrieve a document in a closed door meeting to support their claim against the member:  'We are concerned about you - Wilber wrote in to tell us you are not doing well' or 'You are rebellious - remember the time in sixth grade when you did this?'

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This group's practice of keeping dossiers on members parallels the methods of intelligence agencies. Referred to as 'control files' within intelligence circles, these internal records are used by an intelligence service to manage a person under its influence. These records function as instruments of surveillance and control, compiling personal information to ensure loyalty, suppress dissent, and exploit vulnerability. In effect, we believe this church is operating its own internal security apparatus, using information as a mechanism of domination.​​​

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​Control over member's lives

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Here are just a few specific examples of excessive control over individuals at Wellspring Church:

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• Members are prohibited from marrying anyone outside of this church. This is considered an 'unequally yoked' marital relationship to someone outside of God's kingdom.
   

• This church encouraged a newly married couple (married within this church) to divorce after the young man decided to leave this church.
   

• On multiple occasions, this church refused to join in marriage a believer with another believer, both of whom attended this church, for the sole reason that one spoke in tongues, while the other did not. They were said to be 'unequally yoked'.
   

• Members raised from birth in this church have been excluded from family weddings after leaving this church.
   

• Parents have been refused access to weddings of their children held at this church.
   

• Children have been refused access to funeral services of their parents held at this church.
   

• Members are pressured to educated their children through a homeschool cooperative.
   

• All members are encouraged “in an effort to maintain unity” to not allow their children to go on single dates until they are out of high school.
   

• Pastors have told certain members that their parents were no longer their parents, but new parents were to be given to them (another older couple in the church was to replace the members’ actual parents).
   

• Pastoral counsel is strongly encouraged for matters of home purchases, car purchases, job changes, college choices, career choices and at times family planning.

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In addition to control of individuals, here are a few examples of group level mindsets that promote control:

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• Nonconformity to group activities and culture is indicative of otherness.

• Maintenance of friendships outside of the fellowship is reason for distrust.

• Participation in activities like community or club sports is reason for distrust.

• Displeasure is expressed through distancing and gossip.

• Gossip between members is called a sin, but passing negative information to leadership is encouraged.

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