“Truth Shouldn’t Need Fear”: Bro. Ace Abalos Explains His Departure From MCGI

Ace Abalos spent decades inside MCGI. He joined in 1997, entered the ministry, and later became a bawtisador assigned to the United States. He carried doctrine across borders. He served congregations abroad. He watched the rise of practices that shaped the group’s identity and the tightening culture around obedience and belief. For years, he kept his doubts private. On the podcast Discerning Christians, hosted by CJ Perez, he finally explained why he left and why he can no longer defend the system he once upheld.

He begins with the mind. He cites research from The Mind Explained, pointing out how fear and guilt weaken the brain’s dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. This is the region that checks claims, questions teachings and weighs decisions. When fear is constant, this part of the brain loses strength. Indoctrination takes advantage of that moment. You stop thinking clearly. You accept what is taught without evaluating it.

For Ace, this matched the atmosphere inside Members Church of God (MCGI) indoctrination sessions. Questions were discouraged. Acceptance was demanded. The process conditioned members to obey first and understand later.

Ace Abalos is a graduate of Centro Escolar University in Manila with a degree in Psychology. This background shaped the way he explains his experience inside MCGI. He understands how fear, guilt and group pressure affect the mind, so his testimony often draws from basic psychological concepts to show why indoctrination feels convincing and why many members struggle to question what they hear. His academic training gives him language to describe how doubt forms, how critical thinking weakens under emotional pressure and why people remain loyal even when they feel something is wrong.

Bro. Ace Abalos and fellow pioneer MCGI members share a moment in the early days.

He contrasts this with the early Christian model. The apostles baptized believers immediately. Teaching followed after the decision of faith. Modern practice reverses the order. You sit through long doctrinal 15 to 30-day sessions, sign on to every teaching, and only then receive baptism.

Money is never discussed during indoctrination, yet financial obligations begin right after. For many, this becomes the first crack in their expectations. They accepted a biblical message but were introduced to a separate financial system they never agreed to.

Ace speaks about the weight of investment. Years of service, loyalty and relationships become emotional chains. You fear the cost of walking away. You fear losing your community. You fear being wrong after giving so much. He experienced this personally. The tension between doubt and loyalty pushed him to a breaking point. He prayed for clarity and asked why truth needed fear to survive.

Bro. Ace Abalos with Kuya Daniel Razon sharing a warm and friendly moment.

Scripture sits at the center of his critique. He describes a pattern of selective explanation. Verses are highlighted to support exclusivity while passages that contradict these claims are ignored. He cites the common use of Matthew 28:19 to justify prolonged indoctrination, even though the passage shows a sequence that contradicts the practice. He rejects the claim that only one messenger of God exists at any point in history. The Bible shows many leaders coexisting and many believers teaching at the same time. For him, this undercut the entire claim of exclusive authority.

He also raises stories from inside the ministry. He saw doctrinal shifts that benefited leadership convenience. Teachings on fasting changed. Rules on alcohol became inconsistent. Practices that were once condemned became acceptable when connected to people close to leadership. When workers raised questions, they faced silence or reprimand. Over time, this bred an internal culture where people pretended to agree even when they felt uneasy. He names this as pluralistic ignorance. Everyone thinks they are alone in their doubts, so they keep quiet, and the silence reinforces the belief that no one else thinks the same.

Congregation gathered at the MCGI Lokal ng Los Angeles, California, during a service where Bro. Ace Abalos served.

The strongest pressure came from the threat of social loss. Members fear losing family, friends and their entire support network if they leave. Ace recalls biblical stories of synagogue expulsions during the time of Jesus, showing how religious systems punish those who do not conform. For him, this parallel is unavoidable. He stresses that leaving the group is not abandoning God. It is refusing a system that no longer aligns with the text it claims to uphold.

He is open about the emotional cost. Walking away meant losing people he cared about. But he says choosing integrity over comfort was necessary. He wanted a faith built on understanding, not guilt. His study of scripture convinced him that leaders can be corrected and questioned. He points to Elijah’s errors and Paul’s rebuke of Peter. These examples reject the idea that any leader is beyond accountability.

Bro. Ace Abalos with Josel Mallari, chief minister and head of MCGI North American Division.

He also details internal practices that disturbed him. Workers were pressured to make video statements of loyalty. These recordings were kept by leadership. He fears these could be used to silence dissent. He mentions irregular financial practices and doctrinal changes that were never explained to the members. For him, these were signs of a system built on control rather than transparency.

Ace ends with empathy. He knows many members cannot leave. They depend on the community. They fear losing their families. They fear judgment. He does not condemn them. He understands their position. His appeal is simple--seek truth directly from scripture, question harmful systems, and refuse loyalty built on fear. He emphasizes that God is not confined to any institution. Faith does not collapse when you walk away. Sometimes, it becomes clearer.

His final message is a call for healing. He hopes that former and current members can speak without fear. He hopes for unity based on truth, not coercion. He prays for those hurt by the split and those still struggling in silence. His account reveals the quiet battles many members face and the high cost of speaking out. And it asks a larger question--how many more MCGI workers carry stories like this but have not yet found the courage to tell them?