So many thoughts racing through my head after a day spent reading and listening to reports from WKTV Channel 2 out of New York. The thoughts and feelings have washed as waves in and out of my mind. One minute, I read the reports and the next; I experience memories of my time in Word of Life – Greenville and Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) in Spindale. More emotional and painful are the memories of Michael Lowry’s first interview in November of 2011 in a Chinese restaurant in Forest City. Listening to details of the attack in New York ignited the memories of his account of life in the lower building at WOFF. He was put out of WOFF, recaptured and escaped a second time. For Lucas Leonard of Word of Life Church in Chadwicks, NY- there was no escape. His life ended as the result of blunt force trauma which officials acknowledge included “fists and feet…” during a “counseling session” where the teens were supposed to confess sin and ask forgiveness.

This afternoon, I watched the live stream of the news conference given by the local sheriff. When taking questions from reporters, you could sense he was overwhelmed as if facing the darkest storm with only a flashlight. He proceeded with caution and at the end allowed the District Attorney to finish providing further details of the State’s plans for another hearing on Friday where more may become known surrounding the events which left one dead and another in the hospital in “serious condition.”

A brief recap of what has been reported. Monday, Lucas Leonard, 19, was driven to St. Luke’s Hospital in New Hartford, NY to investigate reports of a victim with a gunshot wound. Those reports were “unfounded.” Lucas Leonard died at the hospital from blunt force trauma. Investigators learned of a second victim, Lucas’s brother, Christopher (17). He was located after an extensive search and transported to the hospital in serious condition. He also suffered from blunt force trauma.

From the WKTV.com website:

“As the investigation progressed, it was determined that the “Word of Life Church” was the scene of crime and a search warrant was secured for that location. The New York State Police SORT (Special Operations Response Team), The METRO SWAT Team (Utica/New Hartford), along with members of the Rome Police Department SWAT Team, secured the church grounds and eventually made a tactical entry into the church building without incident. Members of the New York State Police Forensic Investigation Unit and New Hartford Police Evidence Technicians then processed the crime scene.
Several church members were interviewed throughout the day and night, and several children were secured from the church and turned over to Oneida County Child Protective Services.”

Six members of the church have been charged as follows:

Charges:
As a result of this investigation, the following church members were arrested and charged with the indicated crimes:
Bruce Leonard, 65, of Clayville: Manslaughter in the First Degree
Deborah Leonard, 59, of Clayville: Manslaughter in the First Degree
Joseph Irwin, 26, of Chadwicks: Assault in the in the Second Degree
David Morey, 26, of Utica: Assault in the in the Second Degree
Linda Morey, 54, of Utica: Assault in the in the Second Degree
Sarah Ferguson, 33, of Clayville: Assault in the in the Second Degree

Sarah Ferguson is the sister of the deceased, Lucas Leonard. Bail was set Tuesday at the arraignment for $100,000 each for the parents and $50,000 each for the other four charged in the incident which began Sunday evening at the church. Each defendant entered a not guilty plea. Officials declined to comment on whether the church was a “cult.”

Other reports quote a former member denying the group was a cult, based on their teachings. If the term “cult” is a sticking point for some, can we agree the group is reclusive and for certain dangerous? There was a homicide committed on church grounds. The church is a crime scene. I don’t think “teachings based on the Bible” is a good defense here, do you?

My thoughts remain heavy for the children from this church which were put in the custody of social services. Officials need to find out more about the language used in the side the group. The “sins” the young men were to confess may be defined differently inside the group than outside. Asking “forgiveness” could entail more than words – inside that group. The group’s language is key here.

What does a “counseling” session consist of? Was physical contact normally allowed and if so, how was it regulated and who decided the boundaries of the contact? Were there any recordings of sermons or of this counseling session? Did the children feel “safe” while inside the church compound? Were the children subject to the same type of “counseling’ and physical contact? The children need to be ex-rayed for any internal damages to the spine or limbs. Pediatric psychologists, with knowledge of closed subcultures, need to interview the children to determine what practices may have harmed them. Ask the children to demonstrate the practices in question. How did the adult act toward them? This is not about religion, this is about safety.

Facts to note- the husband and wife have different attorneys! All six defendants charged with crimes from the same incident may end up with different attorneys-why? This allows each to freely report what they saw and heard without fear of compromise of their own position. None of them has posted bond as far as I can tell. Other interesting tidbits- as in this case, there is a St. Luke’s Hospital in Tryon, NC near Word of Faith Fellowship. Neighbors in NY describe the members as reclusive and only interactions were at yard sales of flea markets outside the church grounds. Loud noises have been reported at night times coming from the church. The children of the church were not allowed to interact with children outside the group. Apparently, the children were home-schooled, though Bruce Leonard worked in the local public school system since 2007. Former members tell of being threatened if they were to leave the group- a reporter close to the situation conveyed to me.

For now, the law enforcement officials have their hands full with understanding the nuances of a closed subculture and examining the practices to determine what crimes were committed and who was/is responsible. I believe with near certainty, additional charges will be filed and more defendants named. It will take longer to process the information gained from the children of the group. This investigation needs to be thorough and complete.

If the session Friday is available on stream, I hope to watch it. There are so many heartbreaking pieces to this story.

CNN link-
from www.abc-7.com

Season of Changes is upon us. Will this be a cold winter in Spindale?

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Scripture references are Amplified Version unless otherwise noted. (Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation ) This is post number 545.