Ministry that once nourished Duggar family's faith falls from grace

Source: NBC News

Ministry that once nourished Duggar family’s faith falls from grace

Scandal brought “19 Kids and Counting” to an end, coinciding with the waning influence of the Institute in Basic Life Principles.

Feb. 6, 2022, 5:30 AM -04 / Updated Feb. 6, 2022, 7:07 PM -04
By Caroline Radnofsky

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Gothard once filled convention centers and earned endorsements from prominent politicians, and some of his followers were living out his values on national television.

The Duggar family has attended and promoted IBLP events on and off camera. Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, regular speakers at its semiannual Family Conferences in Big Sandy, Texas, have said Gothard’s teachings “changed our lives.”

But today, the IBLP is losing income, and Gothard, 87, has been forced out over allegations that he abused young women working at its headquarters. And the Duggars’ shows have been canceled: “19 Kids and Counting” in 2015 amid revelations that their eldest son molested four of his sisters as a young teen and “Counting On” last year ahead of his child pornography trial and eventual conviction.

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Dramatic rise and fall

The dramatic rise and decline of the influential fundamentalist ministry and its poster family offer a window into the evolving landscape of American faith.

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Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ministry-nourished-duggar-familys-faith-falls-grace-rcna14024