General Discussion

Re: Teen Challenge Exposed!

KatM1979 — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:07:49 GMT

I came across a TC solicitor in front of Wal-Mart and had a panic attack. I did not realize they still existed. The director and one of the counselors at the facility in Indianapolis 30 years ago were charged with abuse. I remember being told of a girl overdosing and dying before I got there, and I witnessed all kinds of abuse to others and myself for non-compliance or resistance to God’s ways. I can't believe Wal-Mart is letting these people solicit money for their reform centers.

Re: Teen Challenge Exposed!

Farmer Fred — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:33:04 GMT

First of all, thank you for your informative and honest site exposing the Teen Challenge franchise.

I am a Farmer on the Big Island of Hawaii, and in 2006 I was introduced to Pastor X and his franchise.

My property is adjacent to a large parcel of overgrown Rainforest near Pahoa Hi., which had a small, rotting single family residential house, which was owned by the Hawaii Assemblies of God.

One day, I saw a strange car and walked around the back where two men were laying out “The Pulpit” form what I overheard with discarded PVC pipe. I introduced myself, and they informed me that they had “Taken Over” the property and were going to start managing it. They were from the Hawaii Assemblies of God Church in Kurtistown, at least 15 miles away.

This started my ongoing conflict with Teen Challenge.

I contacted the Building Department, and low and behold, No Permits! No Backflow Device! No Special Permit for a Recovery Home on Ag Land! In fact, they hadn’t even applied for a permit. To me, it looked more like a bunch of squatters than a viable organization. It was apparent that Fact, Rule of Law, and Building Permits were alien to these people.

So, I did what every law abiding citizen would do. I filed a complaint with the Building Dept regarding unpermitted construction. I filed a complaint with the Water Department regarding the requirement that all Churches must have a Backflow Device, and I contacted the Planning Department regarding the proposed Rehabilitation center.

I also filed a formal Police Report for the Trespass, Destruction of Property and Littering with the local Police Department.

I recall arriving at the Teen Challange sit, just as a Building Inspector was finishing up. I observed him smiling Ear to Ear, and apparently chuckling to himself for some reason, while Pastor Keith and one of his flunkies were seriously concerned about the event. I could tell they were very disturbed by what they were told.

As I saw the County Regulatory Machine officials start taking notice of these idiots, I was able to finally move on to the difficult task of a death in the family.

Re: Teen Challenge Exposed!

jkaufman_knows — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 17:32:26 GMT

“U Turn for Christ” run by Calvary Chapel is just as bad as Teen Challenge. My daughter’s boyfriend nearly went there, but I had a terrible feeling about the place and we talked him into secular treatment. This went thoroughly against the wishes of his born-again mother. She is affiliated with Assembly of God and Calvary Chapel churches.

We did what was best for him. He is doing just fine in secular treatment.

Re: Teen Challenge Exposed!

Samuel — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 05:16:24 GMT

Your website is spot on. Teen Challenge is a work camp that profits off the addictions they claim to be helping...there is a lot of mental abuse as well where they claim you can leave if you want but that god will no longer protect you and you will die. One time I did try to leave and they refused to give me my wallet, ID, and cash which they keep locked away from you...I left anyways and had to get the police to get my things. This place is pretty much a cult that rejects modern medicine and the concept of addiction.

Thank you for the work you’re doing.

Re: Teen Challenge Exposed!

Rods Jr — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 19:02:29 GMT

We often have people who have left the Teen Challenge compound knock at our door asking for help. The last man stated that he had no where to go and no family but couldn't endure TC's intense training, so he walked off. He asked them to use the phone as he wanted to call the army and enlist if they would come and get him. TC refused to let him use the phone or help him in any way so he came to our home and our neighbor gave him a ride to a nearby office and helped him out.

I wish they could be better exposed to the public for the awful liars they really are. You are certainly doing your part.

Re: Teen Challenge Exposed!

John O — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 03:16:30 GMT

I just checked myself out after two weeks. I didn’t fall for their brainwashing and their hidden agenda.

Re: Teen Challenge Exposed!

Marie M — Sat, 16 May 2009 05:53:41 GMT

We brought our 19 year old to Teen Challenge. At first it went as expected and actually has done wonders for our son. He found strength in God and was willing to work hard to be well. Our visits was wonderful and it seemed we had our son back, but still somewhat troubling mixed feelings. The last visit more so and since then he has been very depressed - they do not help him emotionally to deal with his issues. Only given more scriptures to read, and they apparently berate and dehumanize the residents. The living conditions are mold ridden walls.

I do not want him to hate God because of this experience and I do want him to get counseling for depression and other emotional issues that have been a factor to his drug use.

I am thinking of driving the 3 hours tomorrow to get him.

Re: Teen Challenge Exposed!

john_burns_sucks — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 04:20:36 GMT

John:
For Jesus Christ is the way the truth and the life and without Teen Challenge a-lot of people would not have a life.

They still have to follow secular laws, John. Even if they helped 100,000 people every day, they still must do so within the parameters of federal, state, county and municipal laws. Claiming to "represent God" (which is asinine at best) does not relieve them of this requirement.

Re: Teen Challenge Exposed!

John — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 01:08:44 GMT

john_burns_sucks:

A former Teen Challenge student exposes this abusive Christian alcohol and drug program. Although seen by many as a worthwhile organization, Teen Challenge has a dark side, one of pathological abuse and an obsession with the almighty dollar.

http://www.teenchallengeexposed.com

Yes it is hard and that is why they call it challenge because some people need a challenge to get their life back on track!!!!

For Jesus Christ is the way the truth and the life and without Teen Challenge a-lot of people would not have a life.

Re: Teen Challenge Exposed!

Shut It Down — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 04:12:55 GMT

Thanks for putting up the new Sanford Scam page on your excellent site. Sanford is as bad, or worse, than anything out west.

Sooner or later, this organization will make the headlines, but not in a way they'd ever envision.

Re: Teen Challenge Exposed!

john_burns_sucks — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 17:13:03 GMT

mykidsmom wrote the following post at 03-09-2009 8:25 PM:

This post ought to be Michael Kincheloe exposed. All you have to do is google him and you'll find out that this is not recent. My son went through T.C. with him and knows that Mr. Kincheloe is not what he portrays nor is the Teen Challenge he "exposes". There are people who would rather go back to prison than stay in the program because it is not a vacation. In prison you don't have to deal with any of your problems and you won't get clean. Mr. Kincheloe believes that T.C. should be a free ride and that society should pay all the debt for his issues (which aren't all addiction related.) Working and leading a disciplined life are part of overcoming addiction and are part of real life. Mr. Kincheloe seems to have a lot of time on his hands to be able to continue to target T.C. after all these years and I doubt he has real job. It sounds like an obsession which would point to his other issues

Your son went through Teen Challenge with me? When? What year? What do I look like?

Teen Challenge staff member Marty Coleman thought enough of me that he offered to let me graduate a month early if I would go back to Shafter for a four-month internship. I declined, and my friend Brandon Sholes took the offer instead.

You doubt that I have a real job? You doubt wrong, sister. I'm a salesman at Sears, 3501 S. Mooney Blvd. in Visalia. I've worked there since April 17, 2006, and during that time I have missed all of 2 1/2 days of work. Call (559) 636-4200 and speak to Laura in HR or one of the managers. I dare you.

Obsession? To someone of your limited abilities, perhaps, but to someone like myself who has an IQ of 134 and a superb memory, it is a mere hobby.

I'm returning to CSU Fresno this fall to further my education, so before you go sticking your other foot in your mouth, read this:

http://i607.photobucket.com/albums/tt153/ca_skunk/CSUFletter-1.jpg?t=1236671343

The next time that you get any bright ideas about pretending that you actually know something about anything, try taking your brain out of neutral.

Shouldn't you be praying for someone like me? After all, that's your answer for everything, isn't it?

Re: Teen Challenge Exposed!

mykidsmom — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 01:31:48 GMT

You weren't a mudslinging heather you were just not a family member. No one is allowed to visit that isn't a family member. Your friend was violating the rules which are set in place for a very good reason. For all they know you were a dealer. No one is brainwashed there. Everyone can leave of their own free will. If they catch you, of course they're going to try to talk you out of it but they won't prevent you. All you have to do is look at their entry and exit logs. You would like to see it shut down but there aren't any programs out there that even come close.

Re: Teen Challenge Exposed!

mykidsmom — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 01:25:18 GMT

Re: Teen Challenge Exposed!

ZombieToast — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 06:31:04 GMT

I don't know how all locations are, but what I saw/heard of the one in Shafter was awful. A friend of mine was admitted there...keep in mind, he was never a criminal. He's never been arrested. His parents simply thought he was too lazy, so they sent him there because he wouldn't go out and look for a job. When I went to visit him, people were very nosey and somewhat rude. He snuck me up to the living quarters (this is very much frowned upon by them) and I was greeted by rows of cots and dressers and a large gym-like shower. Every dresser (which was shared by two people each) was adorned with two big Ziploc bags full of yellow pills. He told me they were One-A-Day dietary supplements, but I'm skeptical. The workers "swept" the quarters daily and if they found anything nonsecular (music, books, etc.), they would throw them away and revoke bahtroom or phone privileges. Fairly big punishment considering that they got 15 minutes per day for the bathroom and 30 minutes per week for the phone.

He may have been making it up, but he told me that several of the men (there were only three or four teens) would speak in tongues in the middle of the night. He also claimed that they were taught how to smell evil and rebuke people of their demons. As outlandish—and...well, insane—as this sounds, I'm not making this up in an attempt to slander the establishment. I am not just a "mudslinging heathen" as one of them called me. I don't agree with Christian beliefs, but I respect the people (my wife's family is Christian and I love them dearly). Teen Challenge, however, distorted these beliefs and brainwashed the men. They also made me out to be an evil person just because I don't share their beliefs.

My friend wasn't allowed to leave at his own will, so when he finally snapped out of it and decided he wanted to leave, another friend and I basically had to break him out. We picked a day and time to visit and left the car running in the parking lot. When it was clear, we grabbed his things and got out of there. He was homeless for a month or two and it was even longer before his state of mind returned to normal, but he was always grateful to us for getting him out of there. It's great to have programs, but they are going about it in all of the wrong ways. Instead of preparing people to re-enter society, I felt like they were creating axe murderers who will kill in the name of whatever they perceive to be a god (sounds a bit like Frailty). I would be happy to see this place shut down.

Re: Teen Challenge Exposed!

john_burns_sucks — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 06:50:32 GMT

bye1962:
yea!!!!! i sure am glad that some one is finally exposing them. great job! :) and thank-you. :)

Thanks, 1962.

With over 50,000 hits on my web site, someone is paying attention.