Religion is a controversial topic, and it certainly is not a black-and-white issue.

First Century Club, part of the International Church of Christ, is one church on campus that has left a negative impression on some people. The nationwide International Church of Christ itself has faced controversy, with some former members reporting they felt as if they were in a cult-like atmosphere.

Dakota Bailey, sophomore in computer engineering, said he was a member of First Century Club for about two or three months. Bailey said he decided to leave the church because he did not agree with some of its views.

Bailey said when he first started attending First Century Club, he wasn’t part of any church; he was “just kind of looking.”

Bailey said one aspect of the church that bothered him was that when he would set up a meeting with one of its members, there often would be three members at the meeting. He called the situation “a little intimidating.”

“They were really eager to tell me about the Bible and tell me about the Gospel,” he said. “They just kept showing me several parts, [telling] me how I should respond to the message.”

Bailey said he believes the church is “right on some stuff, but on other issues, I don’t totally agree.”

Before leaving First Century Club, Bailey said he attended 20 Bible studies.

“They were all right,” he said. “It was interesting stuff, but now I don’t totally agree.”

Not only has First Century Club had trouble keeping some of its members, but its adviser also resigned last October after hearing “uncomfortable” allegations about the church.

Michael Crum, professor and chairman of the transportation and logistics department, said he became the church’s adviser upon the request of one of his students. He said he never attended any of the meetings, but he got to know a couple of the members — whom he calls “outstanding students and fine young persons.”

“I was informed by the Office of the Dean of Students that there had been complaints, such as from students and some from their parents, about what I would term ‘heavy-handed’ efforts by club members to recruit students to their church,” Crum said in a written statement.

Crum said this was the first time he heard any of these allegations.

“Believing that choice of religion is a very personal and private matter, these allegations made me uncomfortable,” he said. “Without passing judgment on the merit of the allegations, I decided to resign as adviser for the club.”

John MacDonald, president of First Century Club and senior in transportation and logistics, said he does not have a problem with people who disagree with his church’s teaching.

“That’s their choice if they don’t want to take the Bible for what it says,” he said.

MacDonald, who was first introduced to the church through his friends, said what members of his church do is “really believe in the Bible.”

“We take the Bible for what it says, as God’s word,” he said. “We have a great relationship with God, and we want to share that.”

First Century Club, MacDonald said, believes that “repenting and being baptized is necessary for salvation.”

“It’s my focus right now, that I have a great relationship with God,” he said.

Jennifer Spencer, sophomore in journalism and mass communication, also decided to leave First Century Club after the uncomfortableness and pressure from its members became too great.

She said she was invited to a Bible study by members of First Century Club and that the study mainly consisted of members discussing Scripture. Spencer, who says “I know my Scripture,” was unnerved by the members’ legalist interpretation of the Bible.

“They take … one sentence out of context, and that’s kind of disconcerting,” she said.

Spencer also was uncomfortable about the way she said members of the church talked about other religions, often calling them “watered down.”

In total, Spencer met with the group about once or twice a week over the course of six weeks.

Despite her discomfort, Spencer said she kept going back to the Bible studies because of a mix of fear and a need to figure out what was going on.

“I was basically scared — are they right? Am I going to hell?” Spencer said.

Spencer said there was intense pressure by church members for her to be baptized.

“They said ‘Are you going to be baptized?’ and ‘Jennifer, you need to make a decision,'” she said.

Spencer said the immediacy of their statements made her uneasy.

After encouragement from friends, Spencer said she made the uncomfortable decision to leave the church.

Spencer now describes her experience with the church as “strengthening,” but she said she is nervous that the same situation could happen to another student.

“I’m concerned that there is someone like me, who will see this church as a challenging place,” she said.

Spencer said she feels the members of the group range from “innocent” to “conniving.”

“They were always very kind to me. I don’t know if some of them realize what they’re doing. It’s the only thing in their life,” she said.

Spencer isn’t the only one concerned about First Century Club.

John Woodward, campus minister for Campus Christian Fellowship, said his understanding of the group is that “they tend to be very authoritative over the people that get involved.”

“My understanding is that they take this discipleship to an extreme, and what they often do is bring people into their church and then have certain authoritative figures oversee them and their lives,” he said. “Another major aspect [of the church] is their tendency to believe they have the corner on truth.”

Woodward, who first heard about the club through his ministry work, said religion is such a complex issue that any church that claims to have the ultimate truth is incorrect.

“Anyone who claims to know it all, one needs to question,” he said. “With this group and other ‘cult-like’ groups, the tendency is to be the embodiment of truth.”