UBF Strategy
One of the most helpful and revealing pieces of information about the UBF shepherding system is the knowledge of their strategies. How do they convince new students who are well-grounded and even strong in faith to join the system?
Reduction
Silence
Outlasting
- It is helpful to realize that UBF missionaries and shepherds are often thinking on a superficial level. As such, they rarely can outwit someone. Ironically, they can appear to be very clever at times, but the norm is that they intend to outlast you. They will teach about the importance of "waiting on God". If a student is not growing enough into the system, they will wait. They typically try to outlast critics by going silent for about six months at a time.
Distraction
- Partly due to the strong influence of Korean ideas and Eastern religion in the UBF shepherding system, the UBF shepherds and missionaries will often use distraction. Without realizing it, a young adult in the system will make decisions they think are their own, but all the time they were being lead to do what the leaders wanted. This strategy of distraction is seen most clearly during the arranged marriage process, which they call marriage by faith.
Blessing
- Insiders quickly recognized the phrase "be a blessing". This is a strategy derived form Genesis 12:1-3 primarily. The story of Abraham leaving his father's household is a near-perfect story for motivating young students to leave their family, since the young adults are away from home and usually living on their own for the first time. The blessing strategy is used to guilt trip student into making adverse or unusual decisions that demonstrate loyalty to the UBF system. The shepherds ask sheep questions such as "You want to be a blessing don't you?" and "You used up so much blessing from your shepherds! Why don't you repay that blessing by doing this new thing?".
- Also the blessing strategy is used as a dangling carrot. They claim you will get a future blessing, such as being sent out as a missionary or getting married to a "most beautiful" spose (called a co-worker). This is nearly the same as the cult control technique called love-bombing.
