Some thoughts about The Association for Christian Character Development (ACCD)



Legal Disclaimer: Nothing on this site is stated as absolute fact. It is merely opinion and conjecture based on personal experience with ACCD trainings, discussions with ACCD members, web research, and knowledge of basic psychological and new age principles. In fact, a portion of it is based on information that may or may not be spurious. Please do your own research and leave feedback. It is not designed to malign any person or organization, but as a service to inform the public. (Also, we do not endorse any of the banner advertisements you will see here)

Hi there, thanks for taking the time to read this. I have a few questions for you:

  • If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, would you be involved in a self-help group that uses such occult techniques such as Hypnosis, Trance Induction, Guided Imagery, and Chakra Balancing?

  • If your body and mind/spirit/psyche is the temple of the Holy Spirit, would you expose it to psychotherapy techniques that have been condemned by reputable psychologists as having the potential to cause serious mental damage and even death?

  • If you know that in these "latter times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons (I Tim 4:1)," would you use techniques their creator claimed were given by his "Spirit Guide" Philemon?

  • If you believe in the basics of Christianity, would you agree to accept without evaluation teaching from an organization governed by people that also ran an international cult that denies the deity of Christ and the Holy Spirit?

  • If you are called to be a light shining in the darkness, would you be involved with an organization that hides its controversial identity from its perspective members? Would you submit yourself to a seminar that was carefully crafted to manipulate your emotions and actions through numerous well-known, effective group psychological principles?

    If you are reading this web page, your church is deeply involved in promoting Large Group Awareness Trainings (LGATs) that are hosted by the Association for Christian Character Development (ACCD, formerly called "Momentus by Mashiyach Ministries.") ACCD markets its controversial LGATs through churches all over the world under these names: Discovery, Breakthrough, One Accord, and Gap Youth Training. I strongly encourage you to research these seminars before attending.


    These seminars are especially popular in areas that have been influenced by new-age thinking such as Austin, LA, Atlanta, Northern California

    LGAT trainings, which have been in existence for 20+ years, are carefully designed and scripted experiences that leverage experimental group psychology to create a psychological 'high', and to alter the way participants think and feel about themselves. They are very intense - emotionally, psychologically, financially, and in the amount of time they take: generally 3-5 12+ hour days.

    LGATs were created in the 80s by a group called Mind Dynamics which included Werner Erhard and John Hanley. After studying Scientology, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jung, Pavlov, Heidegger, Silva mindcontrol, Chinese military interrogation tactics, and and other wonderful things, Erhard started Est and Hanley started Lifespring. After much bad publicity, lawsuits and even some deaths, both companies shut down. Est restarted immediately as "Landmark Forum". Lifespring altered into an informal franchise model - with more than a dozen companies using its technology today. Each of these franchises has a target market, whether regional or otherwise. ACCD has chosen to take its Lifespring training to the Christian market.

    As you read through the information on the links to the left, you will see stories of exposure to Hypnosis, Neurolinguistic programming, verbal abuse, foul language, questionable tactics, new-age exercises and existential philosophy. You will see stories of resulting broken marriages, psychotic episodes,and even deaths.

     In the stories contained in the links
  • You will see a picture of a company that hides its true financial and accountability structure behind a confusing maze of dozens of shell companies and websites. You will see multiple ACCD links to a well-known international Christian cult

  • You will see (In addition to the lawsuits and publicity) concerted condemnation of LGATs by psychologists, cult watchers, and mainstream Christian media as dangerous and open to abuse.

  • You will see that the organization gives no hint of any controversy surrounding it to prospective attendees - no hint of any danger, nothing new age, nothing potentially psychologically dangerous, nothing incompatible with basic Christian doctrine. In fact, as you see descriptions of these seminars, you will see little connection to anything Christian outside of some bible verses on the wall.

  • You will see an organization that collects and uses extremely intimate personal information, requires extensive waivers, non-disclosure forms, and offers no refunds for any reason. You will see a "Christian" organization that cultivates relationships and positions of leadership in the church in large part for the purpose of selling seminars.

  • You will see an organization that uses very strong, questionable psychological tactics (including hypnosis) to put people into a certain frame of mind and then takes up an end-of-seminar offering

  • You will see an organization that markets its wares through relationships in the greatest pool of trusting people out there: the church.
    You will find it is especially popular in 2 different kinds of churches: 1) those that embrace anything at all that is mystical or powerful as "of God" and 2) those that lack strong Bible teaching, lack deep worship experience and lack deep fellowship.

  • You will see carefully scripted weekends modeled after the classic pattern of break-down/confusion/thawing, followed by training and ending with bonding/refreezing used in franternity hazing, criminal interrogations, and military trainings around the world.

    If you are involved in this organization, I urge you to consider the information here very carefully and evaluate your heart. If you are considering going to a seminar, I urge you to reconsider. The seminar will change your life, but not in a good way. I pray that the Holy Spirit would speak truth into your life.