Recently, while ordering books from Amazon.com, I chose “One Last Kiss” written by Michael Cuneo. (Copyright©2012 by Michael Cuneo, St. Martin’s Press, ISBN 978-0-312053972-6) The subtitle reads “The True-Story of a Minister’s Bodyguard, His Beautiful Mistress, and a Brutal Triple Homicide.” Admittedly, my interest was piqued by two things. First, the minster’s body guard worked for Joyce Meyer Ministries. Second, I had read a previous book by Michael Cuneo which he included a chapter about this visit to Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) in Spindale, NC. In that book, he retold his observations during his visit to WOFF and conversations with Jane Whaley. Previously on this blog, we reviewed parts of his book, “American Exorcism” –Expelling Demons in the Land of Plenty (Copyright©2001 by Michael Cuneo, published by Doubleday, ISBN- 0-385-50176-5)

Not every time do I write a post immediately after reading a book which contains material pertinent to this blog. That was the case here. It has been several weeks since I finished reading the book.  Recent events have prompted me to take time to share some quotes and observations from Cuneo’s work. I never expected to find the analogies and references to “authoritarian cult” while reading this book. However, you read the quoted passages; it will become obvious why I could not let this post go unwritten. Before we proceed, let me say that my purpose here is not to impugn Joyce Meyer Ministries in anyway. Any reference to Joyce Meyer or Joyce Meyer Ministries is solely to give context to the true story of this tragic event.

Cuneo’s book tells the story of Chris and Sheri Coleman and their two boys, Garett and Gavin. At the time of the tragic death of Sheri, Gavin and Garett; Chris Coleman worked as the head of security and body guard for Joyce Myer. Chris had become entangled in an intense affair with Tara Lintz, one of Sheri’s friends from her past. As pressure mounted from Tara to end his relationship with Sheri, Chris realized that the job he needed as head of security, would also be jeopardized if he divorced Shari. Cuneo gives background of the people caught up in this tragic drama, as well as citing from court records to unfold the events leading to the murder of a mother and her two children. As far as I have discovered, Chris Coleman was convicted and is still serving time for the murders of Sheri, Gavin and Garett.

Toward the end of the book, Cuneo wrote a short synopsis of the events.

“Chris Coleman became infatuated with Tara Lintz in the fall of 2009. He decided he wanted to divorce Sheri so that he could start a new life with Tara, Almost at once; however, he faced a dilemma. How could he divorce Sheri and marry Tara without putting his dream job with Joyce Meyer Ministries at risk? Would he get fired outright from the ministry for divorcing Sheri? Perhaps not, but he’d almost certainly suffer a demotion.

   So he came up with a plan. He’d kill Sheri and perhaps also his two sons. He’d try to throw the police off track by making it look as if the killings were the handiwork of some rabid enemy of Joyce Myer.  He began to implement the plan in November of 2009 when he wrote threatening emails on his own laptop. For added spice, he subsequently also wrote the threatening letters that he claimed to retrieve form his mailbox.” (page 311)

Below is a video from a local television station in St Louis, MO with a report one year after the conviction of Chris Coleman. The story is about a tradition which Coleman broke.

While reading the book and learning the outline of the events, the most surprising aspect of the story was contained in Cuneo’s observations and ideas on how Chris Coleman evolved into a killer. It was shocking in some regards to get some insight into how he could be raised in a Christian home with a father, who was a pastor, and subsequently morph into a cold, plotting killer of the ones he professed to love. It is these ideas which will finish out this post and fill the next one. The references may not follow the order of the book, but, I hope to bring them into focus and also share my observations about the skillful, yet most harmful, religious rationalization that appeared to have permeated Coleman.

Cuneo attempts to answer the question of Chris Coleman’s ability to kill his family from several perspectives. I will bring out the few I found the most interesting. Cuneo writes, “The question of how Chris managed to kill his family can’t be easily answered. Evil always contains a core of mystery. It can never be explained entirely… In Chris’s case, however, we can suggest a partial answer. We can piece together the rudiments of an explanation…” (page 315). It is from here, that I will quote passages from this book and then use them in an attempt to answer some of the questions that I repeatedly get from relatives of present members of WOFF. How could my father, mother, sister or brother turn on us like they have done? What could have allowed them to deny their past with such venom? Deny their family or deny the very people that love them and care for them? In essence, how could the relationships which have been some important to them in the past – be murdered and obliterated in the name of their new WOFF religion?

The author writes, “Chris was raised in an intensely religious household. His father, Reverend Ron, preached a dogmatic, dualistic version of Christianity. In Ron’s world, there was strict division between the forces of righteousness on the one hand, and the forces of iniquity on the other. There was good and evil, black and white—and nothing in between…

   And what was Chris’s place in this dualistic schema? He counted himself among the righteous, the elect. He was one of God’s holy anointed. His parents likely would have assured him of this from an early age. They’d have assured him that his was a position of spiritual privilege. That he enjoyed God’s special favor, that his salvation was certain and irrevocable. That there was perhaps nothing whatsoever that could cause him to forfeit it…

   This sense of belonging to the elect, of enjoying divine favor, must have been greatly amplified with his rapid ascension at Joyce Meyer Ministries… Such good fortune surely didn’t befall anyone. It only befell those of special spiritual privilege.” (page 315-316)

Cuneo’s ideas didn’t seem too farfetched to me. Can any WOFF survivors recall that special feeling of being in God’s elect—since you were a member of WOFF? Am I the only one who witnessed it in others as well as felt it creeping inside me? The feeling did not come so much as to what you the doctrines believed inside WOFF, but more of what you acted on and how you reacted to those who doubted the position of Jane Whaley and her followers. Why do I say that? It is because other groups believe some similar doctrines as WOFF. One main difference from what is described about Chris Coleman and being inside WOFF, your enjoyment of spiritual privilege was totally tied up in how Jane viewed you and/or your family. If Jane “heard from God” you were in sin, then you were in sin- no matter the facts. If Jane “heard” you were not in sin, then you were not- regardless of the facts.

Cuneo continues, “Add to this the influence of the prosperity Gospel, which played so critical a role in Chris’s life. His parents preached it as Grace Church… The prosperity Gospel can easily foster a mentality of entitlement… If you have faith enough, it might be interpreted to mean, you’re entitled to material riches and creaturely comforts. In Chris’s warped mind, it might also have meant that he was entitled to untrammeled happiness, to the fulfillment of his every desire.” (page 316)

Who can deny the influence of the “prosperity Gospel” on Jane Whaley and her members? Sam Whaley was a major prophet of this teaching in the early years. As the events have unfolded over the years, in my opinion, the prosperity solely pertains to Jane’s life and those whom she chooses to share her “blessings”. As for other regular members, tithe and give offerings and show your faith in God. It has been said from the WOFF pulpit- “God would not have us not meet our “budget”, right?” Who knew what the budget contained – anyway? Who was shocked to find the “creaturely comforts” enjoyed by the Whaleys and certain other leadership at the beach house in Charleston? The evidence speaks loudly about right now…

Back to our reference text with what is in my opinion, the most poignant and accurate description of a mindset capable of killing people and certainly any relationship that would stand in the way of “the call of God” on a person’s life. “Chris was deeply narcissistic. He was innately selfish. And he also saw himself as divinely anointed, as one of the righteous few. All of which resulted in a remarkable capacity for rationalization and self-justification. Ordinary rules of morality—ordinary restrictions—simply didn’t apply to him. He was above it all. He was an exalted being who was guaranteed God’s eternal favor. Why shouldn’t he kill Sheri and the boys?…” (page 316-317)

There is no doubt in my mind to the similarities between the described mindset of Chris Coleman and that which I have witnessed of Jane Whaley. She is narcissistic and very selfish. How can I say this after all the “love” she shows her people and even total strangers? Examine her goals and the purpose for the showing of “love”… Jane has proclaimed her divine anointing and from her actions, evidently sees herself as one of the righteous few. “All of which (have) resulted in a remarkable capacity for (RELIGIOUS) rationalization and self-justification. Ordinary rules of morality—ordinary restrictions—simply didn’t apply to him (her).”

For those in leadership and even down to the regular members, in order to confirm and support Jane’s anointing and burden as being the only one who hears God, there is justification to violate social mores and deny familial relationships and friendships that don’t confirm and support Jane’s position as the elect. If your relationship with a WOFF member conflicts with the requirement to worship Jane as the anointed – that relationship must be ended. No relationship inside or outside WOFF is worth jeopardizing the opportunity for being one of the elect of God in WOFF. For a faithful WOFF member, no relationship is worth the possibility of incurring Jane’s wrath displayed via the public humiliation she uses on those who “don’t hear God” or “give over to sin.”

From our text, “Ron and Connie’s treatment of Chris over the years would have only fueled his arrogance, his sense of spiritual elitism.” (page 317)  That is the direction the next post will take. We will review more of Cuneo’s perspective on Chris’s parents. One more quote from Cuneo’s text describing Chris Coleman. “He believed he occupied a special spiritual class. That what counted for sin for other people didn’t count as such for him. And as far as disabusing him of these delusions over the years, his parents likely only would have strengthened them.” (page 318) How does this speak to the children growing up under Jane’s rule? She does seem to take enjoyment in passing on certain spiritual privileges and attitudes to certain children.

Cuneo includes a footnote concerning what he witnessed about Chris Coleman in the courtroom. “…During research for various books over the past decade or so, I have attended dozens of exorcisms throughout the United States. I have sat down for lengthy interviews with prisoners convicted of horrible crimes. I have explored the subterranean depths of America while riding freight trains across America. Not once during this research did I feel that I was in the presence of pure evil. I did, however, feel the chill of evil while undertaking research for this book. I felt it whenever Chris Coleman entered the courtroom and took his place at the defense table. I felt it while observing his bland reactions to the prosecution’s evidence. It was ineffable but also unmistakable. It was the chill of a vacant soul.” (Page 318)

Has anyone else experienced the “chill of a vacant soul?”

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Please, take time to read the Terms of Use for this personal blog. As mentioned, for posts written by John Huddle, any information about WOFF is from his 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 417.