Hope Church ASU Open Investigation

Hope Christian Church ASU, located on the Tempe campus of America's largest University, is currently under investigation by Arizona State University and local news media for violating University rules and regulations and engaging in cult-practices. Updates will continue to be posted on this site as they become available.

The investigation was prompted when, on July 6, 2016 a large group of former members, including current students, alumni, a former pastor at Hope Christian Church ASU, and family of former members, submitted a formal report with the Dean's Office and Council of Religious Advisers at ASU (CORA), after two of their number had previously met with ASU administration. While this is not the first time people have spoken out about Hope Christian ASU and their activities, this is the first time ASU has received complaints from current students, and thus the first time they have launched a real investigation. The experiences covered date from 2005 until the current year.

The report has also been submitted to several local news outlets, who are interested in publishing stories about Hope Christian Church ASU, and investigating their unethical cult practices. So far, the organizations include:

• The Tucson Metro, who covered the controversy surrounding Hope's mother-Church in 2015
• ABC 15 Phoenix
• CBS 5 Phoenix

The report submitted totaled over 120 pages in length, and detailed:

• 4 categories of ASU code of conduct violations
• 6 practices that, while not explicitly covered in the code of conduct, nonetheless create an unhealthy campus environment at ASU
• Much of which regards Hope Christian Church ASU and their use of campus clubs as "front groups"
• 8 categories of psychological manipulation and abuse
• The roots of Hope Christian Church ASU, which stem from groups on the first, second, and third levels who are widely considered by evangelical leaders and scholars to be religious cults. 
• 44 indicators of religious cult-groups (per research from social psychologists, sociologists, and evangelical leaders) which are embodied by Hope Christian Church ASU
• 4 From Steve Hassan's work, "Releasing the Bonds"
• 14 From the Non-Profit Organization, "Families Against Cult Teachings"
• 6 Tendencies listed as "Red Flags" by the University of Arizona Religious Council
• 12 from Dr. Kathleen Taylor's "Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control", 8 of which are "Lifton's 8 Totalist Themes", derived from his work "Thought Reform: The Psychology of Totalism"
• 7 From Shawn Nelson's work, "Spiritual Abuse: Unspoken Crisis"
• 7 Categories of scriptural and Biblical distortion, undertaken by Hope Christian Church ASU to advance the interests and agenda of the Church 

Each of these sub-categories of the investigative report is presented as it's own page on this website, without disclosing the identities of the individuals behind the experiences. You can navigate to each page below the header.

In our estimation, the facts and experiences which have come to light regarding Hope Christian Church ASU demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt that they are more than just a Christian church, but in fact a bona fide religious cult, whose practices are often harmful to ASU and it's students.

We pray that the information on this site will be enlightening, and will stir in each reader whatever response God's Holy Spirit wishes to evoke in them.

God bless.