Bill Gothard, 91, Remains in Coma Four Months After Heart Attack as Family Asks for Prayer

The family of Bill Gothard is asking for prayer for the 91-year-old ministry founder, who remains in a coma more than four months after suffering a serious heart attack in late June, according to Protestia.

Gothard, who will turn 92 on November 2, has been unconscious since the heart attack, and his family shared the prayer request on their Facebook page as the milestone birthday approaches.

Gothard founded the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP) in 1961, a nonprofit organization that taught what it described as biblical principles for family life, education, government, and business. For decades the organization held conferences and training seminars and published books and booklets promoting its teachings.

He became best known for the Advanced Training Institute, a homeschooling program whose curriculum was built around the Sermon on the Mount, and for strict teaching on Christian conduct that emphasized the authority of the Bible, personal responsibility, and a biblical "chain of command" for the home. The movement drew many conservative, independent Baptist, and homeschooling families, and its summer camps and seminars were widely attended.

In later years, Gothard and the IBLP came under growing scrutiny. In 2014, 34 women came forward with accounts of sexual harassment and misconduct by Gothard, including four who alleged molestation, according to reporting cited by Protestia. Several members of the IBLP board resigned, and Gothard stepped down from his role at the organization.

The IBLP board said at the time that "Mr. Gothard has acted in an inappropriate manner," adding that it realized "the seriousness of his lack of discretion and failure to follow Christ's example of being blameless and above reproach," and that he was not permitted to serve in any counseling, leadership, or board role within the ministry.

Several alleged victims later filed a lawsuit against Gothard and the IBLP, but withdrew it in 2018, citing complexities in the case and the statute of limitations, Protestia reported. The allegations were never adjudicated in court, and the lawsuit's withdrawal left the claims unresolved as a legal matter.

Former members have also criticized the movement's teachings as overly rigid and legalistic, while others have defended its emphasis on Scripture and family order — a divide that has followed the ministry for years.

For now, the family's request is simple: prayer for a 91-year-old man who has spent four months unconscious, and for those caring for him as his 92nd birthday draws near.