Big Sandy Family Conference April 2017

[Palimpsest]

Not sure if this was posted before, but Big Sandy is scheduled for April. I was just browsing the offerings and mugshots of our usual suspects (Gil and OfGil Bates, Jim Bob and OfJimBob Duggar, the incomparable Davy Waller, and little Gabe Cleaver Cleator) when who should pop up but Steve and OfSteve Maxwell!  

I don't remember them being on the schedule before: http://familyconferences.org/events/family-conference/big-sandy/

[Howl]

Quote

Steve and Teri Maxwell, the parents of eight grown children and many grandchildren, homeschooled for thirty years. Their messages encourage hearers to seek Christ and prepare children to do great things.

Srsly?

(I never knew that Maxhell was a Gothard enclave.) 

And speaking of faux paramilitary crap with uniforms:  

ALERT Cadet Challenge: Participants will enjoy challenging outdoor activities, spend time in God’s Word, and learn and practice new life skills. They will work with other young men in a squad structure alongside older ALERT Cadets, ALERT men, and ALERT Cadet officers.

 

[marmalade]

I posted the link elsewhere, assuming that it was already posted here. 

I think this is a first for the Maxwells and speaks to their desperation. With no conferences last year, Steve needs new followers. IBLP's leader is weak. Lots of potential fresh meat.

[Howl]

Wait just a gosh darned minute!  Does this mean that some single offspring of Penis Headship Stevehovah might be unsupervised at home in Maxhell while the parents are off discussing how they prepared the kids to do Great Things™?  If so, who knows what mischief might happen!  Someone might read for pleasure, make an idol of a cookie by eating one, or take a nap. I guess it's just a risk they have to take. 

[mango_fandango]

The Maxwells are absolutely NOT ATI/IBLP. They are The Church Of Stevehovah. I think they may have been involved with ATI originally, at least a little bit, but then Steve broke away to form his own cult.

 

[Palimpsest]

Steve sniffed around both IBLP and VF in the past.  They marketed to IBLP and ATI and home schoolers in general.  There has been a vague Maxwell and Duggar connection in the past - the chore charts in the Duggar home,  Jim Bob writing a foreword for Buying a House Debt Free, and they have been invited to Duggar weddings and graduations, IIRC.

I think Steve is hurting for cash now the Maxwell conferences are practically moribund and 1TonRamp went belly up.  

On another subject, I'm surprised that a Duggar or Bates girl hasn't snapped up young Gabe Cleator in marriage.  Perhaps Stevehovah is finally getting serious about matchmaking for the girls. 

[Howl]

Wonder if he'll blog about it three months after the fact.  

[ChickenettiLuvr]

Who is Gabe Cleator?  I first thought the reference was to Boyer Gabe.

[Palimpsest]

1 minute ago, ChickenettiLuvr said:

Who is Gabe Cleator?  I first thought the reference was to Boyer Gabe.

No, but I can see why you thought so.  Young Beaver Cleaver  Gabriel Cleator appeared on the scene 2 - 3 years ago as an inspirational speaker at Family Conferences.  I've been keeping a casual eye on him.   I think he may be a few years older than he looks.  Note Embassy Media is yet another IBLP offshoot.   https://embassymedia.com/speaker/gabriel-cleator

[Howl]

Whoa! International Ministerial Institute, Beaver Cleator's alma mater, is in Burnet, TX, just up the road from Austin. How to pronounce Burnet?  "It's Burnet, dern it, if you can't say it, learn it!" 

 

15 minutes ago, Palimpsest said:

 I think he may be a few years older than he looks.

Much like the Pecan Thief himself!  

In 2013, Cleator  graduated from International Ministerial Institute,  a three- to four-year program. He could possibly be early-ish to mid 20s....and single.  Whoo boy.   He's got to be the boyish hot mess that fundy girls don't fantasize about (Musn't! Think! About! Him! Must. Save. Pieces. of. Heart.).  

 

[Bad Wolf]

As usual, the boys get to go to pretend boy scouts, and the girls learn crafts and how to be a meek Jebus follower.  Boring. If I were a girl there, I'd be pissed.

 

[Casserole]

Stevehovah was spotted at Jinger's wedding and I figured times were tough and they were shilling their outdated chore packs to a new/larger audience... guess I was right. 

[Elegant Mess]

Hey!  I found the perfect event at the Big Sandy conference for Christopher Maxwell to attend.  Maybe he'd learn something! 

http://familyconferences.org/programs/event-photography/

[acheronbeach]

3 hours ago, Howl said:

Wait just a gosh darned minute!  Does this mean that some single offspring of Penis Headship Stevehovah might be unsupervised at home in Maxhell while the parents are off discussing how they prepared the kids to do Great Things™?  If so, who knows what mischief might happen!  Someone might read for pleasure, make an idol of a cookie by eating one, or take a nap. I guess it's just a risk they have to take. 

Who knows?   We may get "The Cheese Paper Incident Part 2."  Who will eat the cheese paper this time? 

[Dandruff]

4 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

On another subject, I'm surprised that a Duggar or Bates girl hasn't snapped up young Gabe Cleator in marriage.  Perhaps Stevehovah is finally getting serious about matchmaking for the girls. 

He reminds me of Alfred E. Neuman, which isn't very nice, but he does.  And I don't think I've ever seen a photo of him with even a slightly different expression on his face, which creeps me out a bit.

[Granwych]

8 hours ago, Howl said:

Srsly?

(I never knew that Maxhell was a Gothard enclave.) 

I remember reading somewhere how upset Steve was when Doug Phillips' shenanigans were exposed.  I think that Steve just supported the Vision Forum line for its homeschool stuff, though.

[freedom_for_all]

Whoa! International Ministerial Institute, Beaver Cleator's alma mater, is in Burnet, TX, just up the road from Austin. How to pronounce Burnet?  "It's Burnet, dern it, if you can't say it, learn it!" 

 

Much like the Pecan Thief himself!  

In 2013, Cleator  graduated from International Ministerial Institute,  a three- to four-year program. He could possibly be early-ish to mid 20s....and single.  Whoo boy.   He's got to be the boyish hot mess that fundy girls don't fantasize about (Musn't! Think! About! Him! Must. Save. Pieces. of. Heart.).  

 

That gap tooth smile is pretty cute!

[ChickenettiLuvr]

Thank you, @Palimpsest.  ... So you're saying he looks 12, but is actually 15?  

[JermajestyDuggar]

I'm not doing the math but just imagine how expensive it would be for a family the size of Jill Rod's to go to the conference if most of them went to their age appropriate session. Even if they prepaid and got a discount! No wonder the Duggars would drive, bring all their own food, and stay in their RV when they went to Big Sandy. 

[ophelia]

5 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I'm not doing the math but just imagine how expensive it would be for a family the size of Jill Rod's to go to the conference if most of them went to their age appropriate session. Even if they prepaid and got a discount! No wonder the Duggars would drive, bring all their own food, and stay in their RV when they went to Big Sandy. 

I wonder wether really all of the kiddos took part in said activities before the TLC gravy train was paying for them. And I'm sure it is a new thing for the Bates kids to be in the sessions.

[BobTheWalrus]

On 29/01/2017 at 8:34 PM, Howl said:

..... Penis Headship Stevehovah .....

dying

[LadyCrow1313]

On ‎1‎/‎31‎/‎2017 at 10:24 PM, JermajestyDuggar said:

I'm not doing the math but just imagine how expensive it would be for a family the size of Jill Rod's to go to the conference if most of them went to their age appropriate session. Even if they prepaid and got a discount! No wonder the Duggars would drive, bring all their own food, and stay in their RV when they went to Big Sandy. 

That actually is smart thinking on their part, isn't it?

Looks like buying used and saving the difference wouldn't help with the cost of conference fees, would it?   

[smittykins]

JIM BOB AND MICHELLE DUGGAR

As parents of 19 kids including a confessed child molestor Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar teach invaluable lessons about equipping and releasing their children to follow what God has called them to do.  Except Jana.  Someone has to stick around to be a buddy to the littles.  We can't expect MEEchelle to actually parent her own kids, amirite?

Fixed it for 'em.

[Audrey2]

31 minutes ago, smittykins said:

JIM BOB AND MICHELLE DUGGAR

As parents of 19 kids including a confessed child molestor Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar teach invaluable lessons about equipping and releasing their children to follow what God has called them to do.  Except Jana.  Someone has to stick around to be a buddy to the littles.  We can't expect MEEchelle to actually parent her own kids, amirite?

Fixed it for 'em.

Really? Equipping and releasing the children? It seems like the only ones to be even sort of released have been the girls who got married and Josh. We know how that turned out for Josh, and Jill and Jessa and families are pretty much back home, or at least under the control of Jim Bob. Jessa never left. 

[nickelodeon]

Still side-eyeing the Doogars for continuing to position themselves as bastions of wisdom when part of their platform during Joshley 1.0 was "we never claimed to be perfect!!!!"