Bill Gothard

Bill Gothard
Bill Gothard (2002, age 67)
Born (1934-11-02) November 2, 1934 (age 89)
Hinsdale, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation(s)Instructor, author
Known forFounding the Institute in Basic Life Principles
WebsiteBillGothard.com

William W. Gothard Jr. (born November 2, 1934) is an American Christian minister, speaker, and writer, and the founder of the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), an independent fundamentalist Christian organization.[1] His conservative teachings encourage Bible memorization, large families, homeschooling, aversion to debt, familial patriarchy, the submission of wives to husbands, and modest attire.[1][2]

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.[3] 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.[4]

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.[2] In 2016, Gothard and IBLP were sued by a group of alleged victims.[5] The lawsuit was dismissed in 2018, as the statute of limitations had been exceeded.[6][7]

  1. ^ a b Smith, Bryan (June 20, 2016). "The Cult Next Door". Chicago.
  2. ^ a b Bailey, Sarah Pulliam (March 7, 2014). "Conservative leader Bill Gothard resigns following abuse allegations". Washington Post.
  3. ^ Bockelman, Wilfred (1976). Gothard: The Man and his Ministry: An Evaluation. p. 35.
  4. ^ "Rep Gunning For Boehner's Job Has Long History With Fringey Duggar Ministry". TPM – Talking Points Memo. September 30, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  5. ^ Bailey, Sarah Pulliam (January 6, 2016). "New charges allege religious leader, who has ties to the Duggars, sexually abused women". Washington Post.
  6. ^ "Motion to Voluntarily Dismiss" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 21, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  7. ^ Stankorb, Sarah (June 15, 2018). "The Daughters' Great Escape". Marie Claire. Retrieved August 22, 2018.