“Jesus Camp” is a documentary produced by Loki Films for A&E Indie Films Copyright © 2006 A&E Television Networks. (www.jesuscampthemovie.com) The film presents a close –up look at Becky Fisher, a children’s minister. Her website is  https://kidsinministry.org/ . The film crew is allowed to document a week of summer camp, “Kids on Fire”, led by Becky Fisher and her team. The camp is located at Lakewood Park Bible Camp near Devil’s Lake, ND. The camp includes certain normal summer camp activities plus intense teaching sessions led by Ms. Fisher as she presents a Pentecostal, Evangelical message. She includes teaching sessions using props along with teaching about sin, living for God and praying for the government and specifically the President.

    It is my understanding, the directors; Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady do not claim to be Christian. This would explain the composition of the film. Many political references are made as the radio talk show host, Mike Papantonio, of the Ring of Fire (http://www.ringoffireradio.com/ ) is allowed several minutes to express his views. This show is the voice of the Progressive Movement which constantly takes aim at Evangelical Christians in this nation.

   

   All this being said, I will review some interesting observations found in the film and compare them to my experience at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) in Spindale, NC. WOFF is led by Jane Whaley and proclaims to be a “Protestant, Non-denominational church”… which “beliefs include traditional, evangelical doctrines” . I spent sixteen years either directly or indirectly being influenced by the teachings of Jane Whaley. I attended countless meetings and witnessed many non-normal “Pentecostal events”. Many of these events included children. In my opinion, this gives me ground to express my thoughts on the material in this movie and compare it to life in WOFF.  

    My time away from WOFF has only been since July of 2008. I must honestly admit my inward struggle to separate true traditional, evangelical beliefs, doctrines and practices from the mind control I experienced while in WOFF. In admitting the struggle, I must also confirm my belief in God and adherence to the doctrine of true salvation in Jesus Christ. BEFORE I became mixed up with WOFF, I believed that and was a person seeking God’s will in my life. That much at least has not changed. How does one survive so many years of out right mind control and the consequential aversion to being controlled by a pastor or minister and still follow after Jesus- only time will tell. It has not been easy to learn to trust pastors, in general.

    Now, let’s move on to the film. The film begins by setting the political atmosphere of the times by using audio clips from President Bush and James Dobson and others proclaiming the “culture wars” are here… The overall gist of the movie is to doubt the validity of this “culture war”. Here is where my first struggle surfaced.  I think it is insane to say that this country is no different from when I was younger. There is a moral decline in this country that is as obvious as the sun coming up in the morning. Next, the scene changes to a children’s prayer conference in Missouri which includes children dramatizing the seriousness of the hour using rod rendering drama/dance teams and music. It is not clear if this is Becky Fisher’s home church, but she is seen on the front row with her team. As this drama scene ends, she stands up to begin speaking and making announcements for her ministry support products. She also includes a plug for her camp in August. The message continues and I will not attempt a re-preach.  

   Though a few highlights are needed. The message includes “group speak” prayers, which I have been a part of in years past. Becky soon launches into the Pentecostal message and the children are seen speaking in tongues. “This is the greatest day of your life next to the day you got saved…”, she proclaims. It is apparent Becky is very intent on her message that Christians should teach children as they are “useable”. Another reason for this intense training, according to Becky, she knows websites that show Palestinian camps which train children to use hand grenades, rifles and machine guns. Why should Christians not teach their own children to pray and share their faith? She wants the ones she trains to lay down their life for their faith.  

    Next, the film interviews a few evangelicals in their homes while they home-school their children and then Mike Papantonio is shown speaking his perspective. He is totally opposed to the evangelical message and life-style. This film also follows two children in their homes and their church. These children go the camp and the film crew follows them and allows them to voice their views, hopes and excitement in their beliefs. One girl is shown dancing in her room and she believes God can use that to reach others for Him. She loves “Christian, heavy metal, rock and roll”. The film also shows a family repeating the pledge to the Christian flag and the Bible. It was the first time I had heard these pledges. Where have I been all these years?

    The message at camp included Christian rap music, group dances, declarations and intense preaching against Harry Potter and his movies. There was preaching against sin using props and a time of repentance and prayer. Children were allowed to take the microphone, confess their sin and pray. Much of this I have seen in meetings at WOFF. As a contrast, children are shown telling ghost stories and being corrected by the counselor. Becky shows her props and tells why she uses them to help the children. The Pentecostal message is emphasized, but what else would be expected?  Honestly, Becky Fisher’s mannerisms were a lot like the “Holocaust teacher” at WOFF. It was a bit eerie.

     There were meetings shown where the children prayed over and then spoke to a life size stand-up representation of President Bush. Another session drove home the reality of abortion with plastic fetus props. This appeared like the end of the camp meetings. Then, again, Mike, the Progressive, is allowed his time.

    I will not reveal how the documentary ends or much of the other political content. Though, let me just add one more note. The children were filmed, in what at the time was the church where Ted Haggard was the senior pastor. The documentary shows some Ted Haggard’s speaking and interaction with the children after the service where he preached against homosexuality. Is that ironic? At that time, Ted Haggard was advising the President every Monday, so the film reported. See clip… 

 After the film was released, Becky Fisher stopped holding these camps. She reorganized her camps under a different name. See link here for more information.. http://tinyurl.com/66dg3l

    All this being said; I will leave the final impression with the readers. Let me just add this about what I saw in the film and what I have seen at WOFF. Becky Fisher was accused of “brainwashing” children. If that were true, she had a lot to accomplish in a week of camp. To gain some perspective, Becky had 75 to 100 children for a week. WOFF children number over 100 and there are more being born ever so often, from what I hear. There was a time when several couples adopted children. When I left there were about 34 children under five years old.  

    WOFF has their children in school five days a week and they confess a twelve month school calendar. They also are in church at least four other times during the week. That does not include the often intense prayer times and highly regulated home lives. The time available to condition, manipulate or use mind control is greater at WOFF. As a comparison, there has been at least one service, not in a seminar, as far as I remember, where the children were all instructed how to pray in tongues. That was a long service. I should know I was right there in the mix. Can you understand my struggle to know where normal evangelical doctrines and practices spill over into unhealthy group/peer pressure and mind control? I have more questions to be answered.

    However, I do know this, WOFF services DO NOT include drama, mime, and rock music, rap, props, painted faces, and shorts (as far as I know- though I have seen WOFF children in public, in shorts), t-shirts or jeans. If you doubt it, search for the website and see for yourself. There have been “group speak” prayers led by Jane or Sam. There was also great prayer rendered for President Bush. During his terms, there were many current events taught in the school Mrs. CD which covered his accomplishments. Not sure how our President now is being prayed for or his accomplishments being taught.  

    Instead of “Kid’s Camp”, WOFF has “Children’s Seminar”- every August. WOFF members DO NOT call their children- “kids”. “Kids are baby goats.” WOFF Children’s Seminar is for adults and children of all ages. Everyone needs to hear the word of the Lord – approved by Jane, of course. Subjects which have been taught at Children’s Seminars of the past include- folding towels, ironing clothes, folding and proper storage of your clothes, proper haircuts, proper shoes for each activity, flossing and brushing your teeth, cleaning your bathroom, which toys are of the Devil. Yes, WOFF hates Harry Potter, also. But, he is just one of many “don’ts”. Games and toys are always subject to review and approval by Jane.

   At Children’s Seminars, parents were taught how to hold their children as to not contact their private parts, how to pray with them and correct them and properly spank them and “take hold” of them and watch them while doing house work. Of course, there have meetings focused on how to dress your children. Surprised? There have been meetings on how to protect your children in public from television and radio and ungodly music and strangers, and, and….. Also, there was a big emphasis on NEVER leaving your children alone for ANY reason. Yes, if they spend too much time in the bathroom, you are to ask them-why? Did they clean out the tub when they were done? How did you leave the toilet paper roll?

    There was training on how to best use your time to get ready in the morning to be on time for school or church. Did you pack your lunch the night before? Did you iron your clothes the night before? There was training on how your house should be left when you leave for church or any other reason. Was your bed made and are the dishes washed? Children were taught how to act in the car. They are even taught how to help take hold of other children in prayer and WOFF things… That is how they learn “how to walk as ministers” and even correct their parents or other adults. Who are you locked-in with? Since WOFF children, as a rule, do not play with children from the outside; there was no reason to teach them how to talk to strangers and share their “faith in Jesus”. This would have eventually led to them being asked where they go to church. Who would want their young child having to explain WOFF to a total stranger? How do you explain Jane-worship to an outsider? It is hard, even for the adults. Most or I suppose all of them will not even admit it, much less explain it properly. That insight is saved for the ones who make it inside and need to know “how to flow”. New members are treated so well…. for a while.

   Yes, as you may have already noticed, the guys at Ring of Fire would be totally shocked at the more intense training that goes on at WOFF. I dare say that they would have no idea of the level of detail that WOFF children are trained. I could tell them, since I lived there and was a part. Would they even believe me?  

   Thank you, for taking time to visit and read this blog. Please, consume the information on this site responsibly. The author is not a licensed mental health professional and encourages those that need professional help to seek it. The intent of the material is to inform and be a resource. Be sure to tell every member that you know at WOFF about this blog. There are readers at WOFF. Comments are invited from all readers, including present or former members. Polls are not scientific and no private information is gathered.

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    (Please, take time to read the Terms of Use for this personal blog. As mentioned, the information about WOFF is from my memories and recollections as perfect as that may be or not be. ) Scripture references are Amplified Version unless otherwise noted. (Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation ) This is post number 246.