Controversy FAQ

Over time, negative comments and accusations regarding ACCD and its programs have appeared on the Internet. As an organization, we believe in transparency. In that spirit, we have put together a FAQ section regarding the specific accusations that have been leveled against ACCD.

We realize there are always many points of view within Christendom, and vigorous disagreement has been an integral part of religious discourse throughout the history of Christianity. We realize that, at times, reasonable people can agree to disagree, as evidenced by the thousands of denominations currently in existence in Christianity. We appreciate the right to free speech and value the understanding that comes through conversation and dialogue. As a ministry, we seek to reconcile with any and all who have offenses with us, in the spirit of Matthew 18.

We also vigorously disagree with most, if not all, of the accusations leveled against us as an organization, believing they are peppered with mis-information and misconstrued half-truths. We are clear as to what we believe God is calling us to as an organization, and we are unwilling to compromise the principles to which we are committed, which are distinctly Christian. We are committed followers of Jesus, and we are open to reconciliation with anyone who takes issue with us.

We stand by our record. We have had over 15,000 participants attend our training events, and the feedback we consistently receive, using the industry gold-standards of survey feedback and metric analysis, is overwhelmingly positive, with a high percentage of participants stating that attending an ACCD training event was one of the most significant experiences of their lives.

The accusations on the internet primarily stem from those who have no first- hand experience of our work, and the vast majority of accusations found on the internet originate from a handful of people. We weigh this against the thousands of lives changed and thousands who have come to the Lord through our work, and we will stand by that record.

A thorough representation of the accusations that have been expressed on the internet and our reply in the face of these accusations follow.

(Read Full Version of the Controversy Interview Here)

1. Is Jesus Christ central to the teachings of ACCD Trainings? What do you say to the charge that ACCD is a secular, humanistic, or even a New Age organization masquerading underneath a nominally Christian garb?

2. Are you saying that the focus that ACCD puts on personal responsibility and mankind's response to God gets misinterpreted or labeled as New Age or secular humanism?

3. How do you think the ACCD trainings reconcile with the notion of salvation through Jesus Christ alone?

4. What is the purpose of an ACCD training such as the Discovery Seminar or the Breakthrough Training?

5. In the trainings, where is the focus of truth…in the participants' emotions or in Scripture?

6. Is the theological notion of God's grace alone being the key to salvation and transformation a key principle of an ACCD training event?

7. The trainings are open to both Christians and non-Christians alike, correct?

8. How is it that non-Christians can be said to be transformed? What room does this leave for the Holy Spirit in an individual's transformation?

9. Let's say that someone takes the training and they're not a Christian, and they come to the training and they rejoice in the fact that they feel like they've had a very transformational experience. They plan to go out in the world and live in this transformation. But they make no decision towards God, or they have no plans or inclination towards becoming a Christian or believing in Jesus. Would you say that this person has experienced transformation, or are they deceived? Or are they taking part in transformation but not the full thing? How would you describe that scenario?

10. How do you respond to the charge that ACCD is an LGAT (Large Group Awareness Training)?

11. How does ACCD compare to other LGATs?

12. The following questions you've already spoken to a good deal. Dan Tocchini, the founder of ACCD, was a trainer for Lifespring, a secular training organization not dissimilar to ACCD. Is ACCD a secular derivative of Lifespring cloaked in religious language?

13. Do you believe that Lifespring or EST hold humanistic or New Age philosophies?

14. What distinguishes your notion of transformation from secular or New Age or humanistic teachings of self-actualization?

15. Many of your detractors quote brainwash expert Margaret Singer and then go on to say that you use the same methods of control and manipulation that a cult does. ACCD's own literature admits that the trainings can be intense or emotionally rigorous events. What do you say to the charge than an ACCD training's artificial physical and emotional stress make people highly suggestible to brain manipulation, and that ACCD trainers use intellectual confusion designed to wear down the will of participants and make them controllable?

16. In terms of artificial physical and emotional stress in the training, can you speak to, for example, the training schedule, which includes very long days?

17. And to the charge of brain manipulation and the participants being controlled?

18. Are the trainings manipulative?

19. What if a participant disagrees with a trainer?

20. What if a participant doesn't want to participate?

21. Do you think it's a fair statement that there is an undercurrent of group pressure or manipulation to participate in a certain way?

22. Do the trainers attack participants or use confrontational exercises that involve directed confession of sin, screaming, or physical movement in which a participant must participate?

23. Do you think that a large number of people have had what they would call a negative experience in an ACCD training?

24. As an organization, do you measure in any quantitative way the feedback you get?

25. In general, what kind of feedback do you get for your training events?

26. Do you think that everyone should participate in ACCD training events? And a related question, are there ever participants that should not be in the training?

27. What's the point of the Hold Harmless agreement? Doesn't the bible prohibit against rash vows? Is the Hold Harmless ethical?

28. Why is there a Hold-Harmless for Breakthrough and no other training?

29. Why do you have a no-refund policy on registration fees?

30. Doesn't that contradict what you said earlier about a participant being free to leave the training at any point? Isn't it sort of a form of manipulation that they have to stay through the whole training to get refund?

31. Has ACCD been responsible for church splits?

32. ACCD is also noted for being full of members of what is often considered a cult-The Way International. Is there a connection between ex-Way members and ACCD?

33. Why is there defamatory material against you written on the internet?

34. Have you tried to have reconciliation with your detractors?

35. Did you change your name to ACCD from Mashiyach Ministries in order to disassociate from criticism on the internet attached to the name Mashiyach/Momentus?

36. Do you have any response to the detractors to ACCD that can be found on the internet?

(Read Full Version of the Controversy Interview Here)