The Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) is a nondenominational Christian fundamentalist organization established by American Christian minister Bill Gothard in 1961.
The organization's stated purpose is to provide instruction on how to find success in life by following biblical principles, via programs that include seminars for ministry, community outreach, troubled youth mentoring, and an international ministry. IBLP is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, nonprofit organization. However, it does not publicly release financial information; such information (such as IRS Form 990s) must be obtained from other groups which routinely obtain and publish said data.
The group is highly controversial, even within Christian circles, for its teachings and practices, including confirmed allegations of sexual impropriety by Gothard.
History IBLP was originally organized in 1961 under the name Campus Teams. The organization changed its name to Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts (IBYC) in 1974 (consistent with the title of its founder's seminar) and adopted its current name in 1989 (to reflect its expansion beyond the seminars).
IBLP was headquartered on a 223-acre compound in Hinsdale, Gothard's hometown (though it prominently featured its Box One, Oak Brook, Illinois mailing address on its promotional materials during its heyday and it can still be found on some materials). However, according to Chicago Magazine, sometime around 2015 it moved its headquarters and nearly all of its remaining operations to a facility east of the small East Texas town of Big Sandy. The facility was originally obtained by IBLP from Hobby Lobby President David Green in 2000, when he purchased the former Texas campus of Ambassador College and leased it to IBLP (it was later sold or donated to them according to public property records). As of 2026, the only facilities shown on the ministry's website are: the organization's headquarters in Texas, which houses most of its operations, the Northwoods Conference Center (a retreat center on 3,000 acres near Watersmeet, Michigan), a post office box in Conway, Arkansas for its prison ministry, and several locations (some of which are mailing facilities only) in other countries.
IBLP started promoting Basic Youth Conflicts seminars in areas around the United States and other nations, which, according to its own history, saw attendances of up to 20,000 during the 1970s.
In 1976, the Institute published its first book, Character Sketches, the first in a series of books meant to provide instruction on the character of God. The Institute continued to publish books and pamphlets and in 2006, In These Times reported the IBLP earned (equivalent to about $ million in ).Silja J.A. Talvi "Cult of Character" In These Times January 9, 2006
From its inception through the early 1980s, the organization grew rapidly, both in the United States and internationally. However, in the 1980s, Gothard's brother, Steve Gothard, resigned as administrative director after having affairs with several secretaries of the institute; Bill (who was also accused of sexual impropriety, though not actual sexual intercourse) would "resign" for a brief time, only to return (in the wake of a power struggle) and establish near total control thereafter until his resignation and eventual removal in 2014. It would result in a decline in the group's popularity and growth.
In 2008 the rise to celebrity status of one group of IBLP followers, the Duggar family, through the TLC series 17 Kids and Counting and its subsequent shows, brought a new wave of interest in the organization and its teachings.
However, notwithstanding the increased interest, the public became increasingly aware of controversy (more specifically, allegations of sexual misconduct) associated with the organization and Gothard. Gothard allegedly selected young women for administrative positions within the organization, then manipulated and harassed them while in his employment.
In light of these events, Gothard would again resign from IBLP in 2014. This time, however, an investigation into the allegations by the IBLP board concluded he did not act "criminally" but did act "inappropriately", and therefore was "not permitted to serve in any counseling, leadership, or Board role within the IBLP ministry". Unlike his 1980 "resignation", this one was permanent (though an unconfirmed rumor on an anti-IBLP site claimed he did make an unsuccessful attempt to regain control). Since then, Gothard has not been involved in IBLP in any manner, and IBLP's website mentions him only in its historical section. (Though it continues to sell the Basic and Advanced Seminars he taught, it does not actively promote them.)
The sexual misconduct issues of the early 2010s led to a negative impact on IBLP's finances, which continues to this day: according to IRS Form 990s publicly available, since 2011 the organization has consistently had more expenses than revenues and a steady decline in total assets.https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/366108515
IBLP Teachings
IBLP's Statement of Faith states that the organization holds to what it calls "historic" statements of Christian faith, and that "[t]he Bible itself is the source of all that we believe". However, IBLP's teachings were developed through Gothard's idiosyncratic interpretations of Biblical texts, which differ in many respects from Biblical interpretation as held by Evangelical Christians and have been accused of being elevated above the Bible itself. This has continued even after Gothard's departure from IBLP, though some of his teachings have been de-emphasized.
IBLP's teachings are based on what it calls seven "principles" or (ironically, given later criticism) "steps to freedom": Design ("How and why God made me") Authority ("Our response to God-ordained leadership") Responsibility ("Cleansing the conscience") Suffering ("Responding to the hurts inflicted upon me") Ownership ("Properly handling material possessions") Freedom ("Escaping the bondage of moral impurity") Success ("How to fulfill our God-given purpose")
Of the seven principles, much of IBLP teaching is centered around Authority. IBLP emphasizes this principle via: a strong view that authority is to be obeyed in nearly all circumstances, an adherence to traditional gender norms and family roles, and a belief that many Old Testament laws (such as dietary requirements and circumcision) are either still binding on Christian believers or are beneficial to keep (however, the organization does not teach Sabbatarianism).
IBLP teaches a version of Biblical patriarchy through what Gothard termed "umbrellas of authority": God is the largest umbrella, the husband/father is directly under that, then the wife/mother, and finally the child(ren).Previously, Gothard used a "chisel" diagram to explain Biblical authority, where God is shown chipping at the father/husband, who then is chipping at the mother/wife, who then is chipping at the child(ren); however, due to concerns that it was endorsing abusive behavior (which Gothard did not overtly teach), the chisel diagram was replaced by the umbrella diagram. The idea is that if each person stays under their authority's umbrella, then nothing bad can happen to them, but if something bad does happen to them, it is because they moved out from under their umbrella, or that the umbrella (of the father/mother) had a "leak" due to "secret sin" causing harm to those under them.
IBLP's teaching focuses heavily on the roles and responsibilities of men and women within a marriage covenant. A husband's authority over his wife is God-given, as is his wife's non-negotiable duty to submit to him; she must respect his position regardless of his "deficiencies". Within marriage, IBLP teaches that God "grants spouses full access to each other's bodies for sexual gratification" and warns against "resistance or indifference to a husband's need for physical intimacy". A married woman should not seek financial independence, take "matters into her own hands", resist her husband's physical affection, or ask for outside counsel without his permission. Inwardly, married women are admonished to nurture a "meek and quiet spirit", while outwardly maintaining beauty, remaining "well-groomed", and striving to dress to "please their husbands".
Women are raised to become good wives and mothers (with large families; birth control is frowned upon), and to raise children according to IBLP principles; they are discouraged from seeking higher education, as their role in the IBLP system is in the home. IBLP teaches that an extensive family history needs to be compiled prior to a child being adopted, in order to "bind generational curses" that the child might bring into the adopting family. Gothard taught that divorce was never permitted for any reason.
Unmarried adult children are expected to continue to live with their parent(s) until marriage or parental death (Gothard himself - who has never married - did so until his parents died) and submit to them during that time. Adult children are not expected to "flirt" or date; instead, a male suitor is to request permission from the female's father (females are never to initiate the relationship), and eventually couples are matched after a complex courtship overseen by both sets of parents.
The consumption of media, such as television, movies, most music (including Contemporary Christian Music and Christian Rock), and the internet, is limited due to concern about immoral or "worldly" content. Similarly, some toys are prohibited for the same reasons (notably, Cabbage Patch Dolls, which Gothard considered "demonic"). Substances that have mentally impairing properties (such as alcohol, tobacco, and street drugs) are not permitted.
Women are expected to wear dresses or skirts that are knee-length at a minimum, and loose-fitting, opaque shirts and blouses (pants or pantsuits are considered "ungodly" when worn by women, under the premise that such clothing is forbidden in the Old Testament as it "pertains to a man"). Text printed onto dresses is not allowed, as it is thought to bring attention to the body. Jewelry and makeup, though not explicitly forbidden, are discouraged; head coverings (like those worn by women in Amish and Mennonite groups) are not required but can often be seen within IBLP groups. Men are expected to wear dark suits and white shirts when not wearing work gear. Men are also expected to be circumcised, as being uncircumcised is seen as impure.
Parents are encouraged to homeschool their children (attendance at public schools, or even Christian private schools, was highly discouraged). IBLP produced its own homeschooling curriculum, which IBLP adherents were strongly encouraged to use in lieu of more well-known curriculum (such as A Beka or BJU Press), which previously was available only to families accepted and enrolled into IBLP's homeschool program; the program was later discontinued and some of the material is now available for public purchase. Sexual education is not part of IBLP teachings (believing that to be the sole province of parents), leading some children and teens to not understand what sexual assault is, and the practice of not teaching sexual education has been criticized by adults who have since left the IBLP and struggle with relationships.
At one time, IBLP endorsed the teachings of Michael and Debi Pearl on physical discipline, which have come under scrutiny over the last several years.