Pastors and church members have reported dynamics that have been unhealthy or divisive within congregations. One pastor observed that in his church, the programs bred dependency, "It was now "What does Gary say?" about all child-rearing stuff." Another pastor agreed, "When I unleashed GKGW on our church in Florida, we got our own set of "zombies" as well." Numerous prominent Christian leaders have voiced concerns.
Ezzo urges ideas on parents so fervently that the line is blurred between what is optional and what is truly biblical. This is complicated when missionaries who like the materials take them abroad in the hope of sharing parenting skills along with Christianity. The material makes ethnocentric assumptions, from general concepts about relationships and the use of time all the way to particulars about cribs and playpens. This presumes blindly that U.S. preferences equal Christianity, and it may offend or alienate the very people the missionaries hope to serve and introduce to Christ.
Parents who decide the classes aren't a good fit, or who find themselves in disagreement, are sometimes viewed negatively. The material itself contains many cues about how to view families who are not following Ezzo's ideas.
Philip Johnson, who was an elder at the well-regarded evangelical church Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California where Ezzo was on staff when he developed his programs, recently wrote,
"On this [divisiveness] and other, even more serious matters of personal integrity, Gary has been confronted repeatedly by people to whom he should be accountable, and his consistent response has been to move out from under the accountability of anyone who challenges him—then treat all his critics as enemies. This is a long-standing pattern which in my view disqualifies him from the kind of public ministry he is doing."
Questions of authenticity arise since the Ezzos have portrayed friendship with one's adult children as the goal and result of following their methods, even though their own adult children cut off contact with them several years ago.
Other concerns that surround parenting programs from Growing Families International are catalogued elsewhere on this site: substandard medical information in the baby materials, ignorance of basic child development issues throughout all the baby and child materials, a manipulative and divisive style of teaching, biblical concerns, and character concerns about the authors.
There are many other parenting books and programs available to churches which don't come front-loaded with such controversy and problems.
For Further Reading:
One
Church's Review Process
a church reevaluated sponsering GFI classes
Prominent Christian Leaders and Organizations
that have Voiced Concerns
Growing
Kids the Ezzo Way
Dr. Philip Ryken, 10th Presbyterian Church, cautions his
congregation
Another
Church's Elder Statement on GFI
Berean Calvary Chapel's statement
An
Open Letter to Pastors
Frank York, past editorial
director at GFI, presents concerns to pastors
Information
about Growing Kids God's Way Movement
Northwest Bible Church of OKC
publishes a concise summary of concerns
Growing Kids God's Way -- Not Ezzo's
Thoughtful commentary from a Baptist pastor
Dr. John MacArthur's Statement on Ezzo and Grace Community Church
Living Hope Evangelical Fellowship Statement of Excommunication
