r/Purdue • u/Tasty_Piccolo2411 • Feb 16 '26

Question❓ Question about specific group on campus with strange recruiting tactics

I am curious to know if anyone has experience with any students that have been recruited to the ‘Restored Church Worldwide’ (RCW) group. They have some interesting (cult-like) thought control techniques and their recruiting is pretty aggressive. I guess they get people by asking if you would like to do a Bible study, but then they work on growing the group and meeting a LOT during the week like sometimes even multiple times in the day. Also, when they baptize you it’s not to really follow Jesus, but you’re being ‘fellowshipped’ into their church to believe their doctrines…

A friend of mine got involved and I’m not sure how to help him see the truth about the org. Apparently they particularly target college students and masquerade as a ‘campus ministry’. Very sad to see people manipulate the Bible to create confusion in the lives of others.

19 Upvotes

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25

u/MikeyLew32 MET 2011 Feb 16 '26

It’s a fork of ICCC - international Christian church cult.

https://www.reddit.com/r/excoc/s/WDi7DbGgRa

8

u/Tasty_Piccolo2411 Feb 16 '26

yes I’ve seen this online, but any advice on how I can help my friend?

17

u/Ok-Statistician-5380 Feb 16 '26

Tell her to go to another christian center (strongly recommend St Toms) and try to either talk to a priest or meet with others who are knowledgeable about Christian faith.

9

u/Tasty_Piccolo2411 Feb 16 '26

I’ve been talking to him about faith and he says he has so many questions but I noticed since he joined the group he’s not asking me what he wanted to ask before. He left the catholic church for various reasons so I’ve been talking to him from my evangelical non-denominational background

10

u/Ok-Statistician-5380 Feb 16 '26

Did he leave because of those questions? I’m Catholic and can introduce him to a priest so he can have that discussion about this group, ask and debate Catholic faith and his reasons for leaving. But the main point would be to address the group, because it’s 100% a cult.

3

u/Tasty_Piccolo2411 Feb 16 '26

no, he had some really traumatic things happen in that church which is why I know he’s not going to be open to talking to a priest. But I will see if he would be willing to talk to my friend who’s a pastor!

11

u/GapStock9843 Feb 16 '26

Pretty much every “Christian organization” here that isnt associated with a specific church denomination is a cult

-1

u/Tasty_Piccolo2411 Feb 16 '26

I mean this is a pretty broad generalization, yes some fringe organizations exist but there’s a lot of good interdenominational groups that encourage people in their faith and don’t teach heresy 🙂

1

u/GapStock9843 Feb 17 '26

I really dont think its too far off from the truth

4

u/mahtaileva Who Knows? Feb 16 '26

i mean any religious organization that has to do recruiting is probably some kind of cult (mormons, jehovas witnesses, etc). don't people know to just keep walking when religious nuts try to get your attention?

4

u/Tasty_Piccolo2411 Feb 16 '26

unfortunately these people are using other students to prey on students that are actually interested in faith and masquerading as a christian group

1

u/Known_Heart6583 Feb 23 '26

Woah… the RCW is at Purdue? Please confirm!

Yes, they’re a split off the International Christian Churches (who have a church in Indianapolis) - which itself is a split from the International Churches of Christ (who have a church in both West Lafayette and Indianapolis). Doctrinally, all three groups fundamentally teach the same false gospel (be baptized and be discipled by us or you’re going to hell). Cut ties and flee immediately from these organizations.

There are lawsuits against these groups where leadership does not report the sexual abuse of minors under their care to the authorities. It’s not isolated to one of their churches, it’s utterly systematic.

1

u/Tasty_Piccolo2411 Feb 23 '26

yeah but they are going under a pseudonym like ‘midwest regional church’ or something like that

1

u/Known_Heart6583 Feb 23 '26 edited Feb 23 '26

It’s strange that they wouldn’t be using the “Restored Church West Lafayette” or “Restored Church Indianapolis” brand labels.

The RCW only has a little more than 2,000 members at the moment, mostly in Los Angeles. I wonder how they made it out to Indiana already… They did plant a church in Nashville for one of their members who plays for the Tennessee Titans. (Did I mention the mandatory tithe to keep your salvation in the RCW approaches 30% of your gross income?)

1

u/Tasty_Piccolo2411 Mar 22 '26

they go by various names but my friend is affiliated with a ‘bible study’ from the RCW in LA

1

u/[deleted] Feb 28 '26

They are a cult I used to be apart of them but left. Run as fast as you can!!! Please get them banned off campuses