Ever hear of this group?

[salex]

I had wondered what exactly was driving one of my Cousin's kids and it seems she has got involved in a church that seems pretty creepy to me. She moved halfway across the country to join a church called Soma Tacoma somatacoma.org/ which is part of a larger group of 27 churches across the country.

Their bigger / umbrella organization is here wearesoma.com/ and a quick read through suggests they believe in "the elect" and men and women are equal, but only men can be elders and men are in charge at home--pretty basic stuff in line with stuff we discuss here Cousin is a single woman in her early 30s, well educated but sort of an underachiever the last few years. Not home schooled, graduated from a good state college, worked abroad for a couple of years and then went off in unexpected directions.

Wartburg watch suggests possible relationship to Mars Hill.... thewartburgwatch.com/2014/11/26/another-family-of-churches-what-is-soma-and-why-is-mars-hill-bellevue-getting-involved/

All in all, it am rather creeped out by her choices, but obviously she is an adult and not my offspring. Still, I had wondered if she had moved for her church (which I didn't know the name of until now--but learned from her go fund me trying to get donations to pay for her midwifery classes...)

[Geechee Girl]

I've never heard of Soma churches. Reading their "What We Believe" is grounds for concern considering their stance on wifely submission. Because she is unmarried, are the church elders her Headship?

[salex]

I've never heard of Soma churches. Reading their "What We Believe" is grounds for concern considering their stance on wifely submission. Because she is unmarried, are the church elders her Headship?

I don't know. I don't see her often, and I would never have thought to ask her a question like that until I saw who she was affiliating herself with. Jeez, if she wanted to join a cult, she lived 5 miles from IHOP headquarters....

[kpmom]

I don't know. I don't see her often, and I would never have thought to ask her a question like that until I saw who she was affiliating herself with. Jeez, if she wanted to join a cult, she lived 5 miles from IHOP headquarters....

Mmmmmm I'd join the IHOP cult of pancakes and waffles anytime!/jk. I know it actually stands for International House of Prayer, but all I can think of is the pancake house when I see IHOP.

O.T., I wonder who had the name first and if they had IHOP trademarked?

[Fallgirl30]

My brother moved to Seattle from the Bay Area, a few years ago. He was looking for a church, and was referred to Mars Hill and Soma by a good friend of our Mom. He has been having a crisis or faith, and has his antennae up for fundy, or doctrinally unsound churches. I believe he visited both Mars Hill, and Soma, and ran for his life. If I can find out more, I will.

[salex]

Mmmmmm I'd join the IHOP cult of pancakes and waffles anytime!/jk. I know it actually stands for International House of Prayer, but all I can think of is the pancake house when I see IHOP.

O.T., I wonder who had the name first and if they had IHOP trademarked?

International House of Pancakes had the name first and there have been suits over it.

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/dec/30 ... p-20101230

[salex]

My brother moved to Seattle from the Bay Area, a few years ago. He was looking for a church, and was referred to Mars Hill and Soma by a good friend of our Mom. He has been having a crisis or faith, and has his antennae up for fundy, or doctrinally unsound churches. I believe he visited both Mars Hill, and Soma, and ran for his life. If I can find out more, I will.

Thanks!

[mirele]

There's one/three of these outfits here in my area. (I say one/three because it looks like they just hived into three different groups that meets together as one group once a month.) I crawled all over their website and could not figure out who was in charge. It wasn't until I went to an associated site that I figured out who was running it. Then I went over to the two neo-Calvinist websites (9marks.org and thegospelcoalition.org) and determined this outfit is registered with 9marks. (For the record, Soma Tacoma is not registered on either site.)

I also notice that their women's bible study is on Wednesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 am. That says volumes to me. I guess they put it at a time they expect women to be "free."

[salex]

There's one/three of these outfits here in my area. (I say one/three because it looks like they just hived into three different groups that meets together as one group once a month.) I crawled all over their website and could not figure out who was in charge. It wasn't until I went to an associated site that I figured out who was running it. Then I went over to the two neo-Calvinist websites (9marks.org and thegospelcoalition.org) and determined this outfit is registered with 9marks. (For the record, Soma Tacoma is not registered on either site.)

I also notice that their women's bible study is on Wednesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 am. That says volumes to me. I guess they put it at a time they expect women to be "free."

Thanks.

[FaustianSlip]

Wasn't soma the drug everyone took in Brave New World to keep them high and compliant with the regime? I guess on the bright side, the church is saying exactly what it is right there on the tin.

[older than allosaurs]

Oooh ooh. I know this one--a little bit. It rang a bell because of my obsessive reading on the Mars Hill Church's implosion last year. (Also I was born in Tacoma and love Brave New World and its Soma, so how could I resist.) A founding pastor of Soma Tacoma took over at Mars Hill Bellevue as the Mars Hill empire crumbled. Some of the chatter at the time was to the point that Soma culture was too kind and gentle to fit with the Mars Hill program.

On the other hand, they are part of the Acts 29 church planting network, of which there has been much discussion over on Wartburg Watch. My impression is that Acts 29 churches tend toward an aggressive growth model with lots of callow, ambitious, overreaching young "elders." Members are kept very busy with meetings, accountability groups, volunteer obligations etc.

Warren Throckmorton at Patheos is another source for Soma commentary.