Many disenfranchised "60's" teens found a new expression of Christianity in the center located near Paducah Tilghman High School.
In 1972, Weiner founded a campus ministry called the "Maranatha House" at Murray State University, a few miles from Paducah.
Early members were discipled through weekly meetings and periodic weekend conferences which hosted top national speakers.
[2] Maranatha's members were told to work hard, get the best grades, and look as good as possible in order to rise in the economic and political ladders of success to be next to influence decision-makers.
At a local level, decisions were made by the pastors and elders of the university churches in their movement as well as by the traveling ministry teams.
Weiner, as Maranatha's president, was considered the ministry's "apostle," and was believed to receive direct revelations from God.
Disobeying one's pastor, or "shepherd," could have serious consequences ultimately leading to excommunication if one didn't fall in line with leadership.
Although tithing is considered accepted practice in mainstream evangelical circles,[10][11][12] several Maranatha pastors were rumored to keep detailed records of financial contributions.
Dennis Richardson, a former member of Maranatha's Penn State chapter, said he broke off his marriage engagement on the advice of his "shepherd."
Kathy Mynatt, a former member of the University of Kentucky chapter, claimed that when she questioned a church teaching that tampons were unsafe, she was told she had a "spirit of independent thinking and rebellion" that needed to be cast out of her.
[13] At a November 1989 meeting, after a few years of private conflict about the governance structure of the movement, Maranatha's board decided to disband the organization.
This criticism had continued almost unabated since the CRI report, and grew especially pointed after The Chronicle of Higher Education published an article [16] detailing concerns about abusive religious groups on college campuses.
Indeed, at the last international conference held in San Antonio, Texas, in December 1989, Weiner publicly apologized and asked for forgiveness for any abuses anyone suffered from him personally from authoritarianism or from the organization.
In the break-up, leaders announced that the individual local churches were free to become independent entirely or to voluntarily associate with whomever they chose.
[17] In a May 2006 letter, Murrell stated that Every Nation does not permit any practices and teachings that were "controlling, coercive, or intrusive, or that violate biblical principles (or) the priesthood of the believer.
As Vice President of His People International, Bennot maintained ties with former Maranatha ministers such as Rice Broocks.
Ralph Reed, later to become famous as the president of the Christian Coalition, said that he thought Maranatha got "a bum rap" from its critics.