Category Archives: Uncategorized

Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized, WOFF and Money Issues

Simple, Financial Disclosure- Why Not?

May 3, 2010 Admin 3 Comments

Today, as I was leaving church, I was handed a Quarterly Financial Report! Everyone that left through the front door was offered one, even the lady in front of me, who was a first time visitor! Wow, not only annual financial reports from this church, but QUARTERLY! Is this a great idea or what? I was stunned at the openness about the tithes and offerings received and the telling folks how the money was spent. The name of the church is Grace Community Church located outside of Marion, NC

Since it has been years since I had seen a church quaterly report, I reviewed it closely. Here is what I found… This report covered January, February and March of 2010. The first section was titled: Exalting Christ. In that section were listed different basic statistics from the ministry to different age groups. Areas of ministry reviewed included Children’s ministry, Youth ministry, and Prayer ministry as well as stats showing numbers who attend and how many are actual members. The average attendance on Sunday mornings during the quarter was 639. The number on the membership roll is 525. There were 5 new members during the first quarter.

The next section was titled, “Transforming Lives” . This section revealed the direction of different groups. Some bullets listed upcoming events and some listed activities that had taken place. There was a bullet about the students from a local college that attended as well as listing different mission trips and how many folks participated. The last bullet said that Adult Bible Fellowship had grown by 41% during the last year.

On the back page was a section titled. “Embracing a Community”. Here was listed bullet points explaining some of the outreach projects to the local community, also telling about some of the missionaries who were supported. The Student Ministry had started supporting a child through Compassion International. 312 boxes had been distributed through the food pantry. 29 families were helped through the benevolence ministry. The support given to a family when their house burned was listed. There was bullet point for the number of families active in the prayer chain as well as new baptisms in the period. The church also participated in the “Buckets of Hope” ministry to Haiti. And get this; there was a recap of the offerings and budget needs. There was also listed a balance in the New Building Account! Actual dollars! They are actually planning and saving for a new building! What a great idea!

Continue reading Simple, Financial Disclosure- Why Not? →

Behavior Control, Uncategorized

Misinformation Abounds

May 1, 2010 Admin 1 Comment

Today, I was made aware of several bits of misinformation about this blog and the circumstances surrounding its creation and support. First, I take no financial support from any other group for the expenses incurred in writing or promoting this personal blog. The Faith Freedom Fund does not contribute to the expenses incurred for publishing this blog. I actually donated the space they have on this blog to them. The content for their page met their approval, but they do not “approve” or direct beforehand the content of posts on this blog. The material in this blog, except in two posts as noted; (one by Faith Freedom Fund and one by Jerry Cooper) is solely from my reflections, memories and observations. The line of discussion, content and order of publishing is entirely up to my discretion and choosing.

No one is forced to read these posts. No one is forced to believe or act on these posts. In several places, I note that the writings from my time at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) are totally from my recollections and memories. My time spent in the group started in 1992 and ended in 2008. The first ten years, I was a member of a church in South Carolina that was a sister church to WOFF. Our trips from Greenville to WOFF increased over the years. In the beginning we were only coming for seminars. I was not inside the church during the “Inside Edition” era, my information about that was filtered back through a few other folks. My memories are not perfect in every detail. However, certain dates and events are imprinted in a vivid way. Since we were not allowed to take notes during the sermons after a certain time, the content of sermons may not be in exact time order. (However, I have found some old notes and will be posting on them in the future.)

Continue reading Misinformation Abounds →

Behavior Control, Uncategorized

Life is Short – And Then ??

May 1, 2010 Admin 3 Comments

These are the age old questions- Why am I here? What is my purpose? What happens after I die? No matter the shamans that arise, telling others they “know” the answers- the questions remain at the end of the day. Honest and some dishonest religious leaders arise to help the seekers. Some have a true desire to help folks find their answers and to live their personal convictions. Others seek inordinate profits and live in lavish lifestyles in trade for their ability to “hear God” and discern the “will of God”. This all while pontificating on some-one’s course in the hereafter…

No matter how solid the answers, at times, the questions arise again. This week I attended the funeral of my cousin, Jason Huddle. He was killed in an automobile accident on a curvy road that leads to his home. He was not far from home when his front right wheel dropped off the pavement and he over corrected hitting a tree and dying at the scene. He passed away at age 35, leaving a wife and step-daughter. My thoughts were many as I saw his father, mother, two brothers and their families walk through an ever increasing sea of emotions. As I watched the father and oldest brother stand before the casket just before the closure, I knew I had no way to relate to the intense emotions they must be feeling. Life truly is short. We remember the past, we live in the now, and we all face an unknown future. Certainly having some answers about the hereafter brings some peace for the here and now. One thing I can say, Jason encouraged me for 20 minutes on during a rough time in my life in August of 2009. We had not spoken much before then, but his fervor to encourage me will never be forgotten. Prayers for the entire family as in the days ahead they mourn over the loss of a son.

One event in my life has brought some answers when these questions arise over the years. The funeral this week reminded me of this event. When I was 9 or 10 years old, I played football for the Belle Heath Bull Pups in Radford, VA. We were at practice one afternoon doing drills. It was my turn to stand at the end of a double row of tires. Another player was to put one foot in each tire and then pop the guy at the end. Darryl Boothe was coming down the line of tires. He was always intense. He popped me and I remember leaning over and heading for the ground. I do not remember hitting the ground. Next, it felt like I went out through my face and then began to hover over the scene. I could see my body on the ground. The coach, Mike, had on a black shirt and green fatigues. He was leaning over my body and then stepped over me from right to left. Next, I felt as if I was being drawn back in through my face. My eyes could see but, then they were closed. I blinked a few times and my eyes seemed to “reconnect” and finally open. Coach then called off practice and the team started to walk away as someone helped me to my feet. Kent Hall came up beside me and asked if I was okay. I asked him if the coach had stepped over me as I was laying down, from my left to right? He said, “Yes, how did you know that? Your eyes were closed.” I told him I didn’t know, I just saw it.

Continue reading Life is Short – And Then ?? →

Cult Leader News, Uncategorized

What They Did in Secret- Has Changed Their Lives..

April 30, 2010 Admin 2 Comments

FLDS Update: Another FLDS Member Sentenced in Texas. Five men have been sentenced so far.. The deeds done in secret have changed their lives. The link below is about an FLDS member- Lehi Barlow Jeffs. This is from the Salt Lake Tribune on April 15, 2010.

“An FLDS man who was to stand trial later this month in Texas on charges related to sexual assault of a child and bigamy has pleaded no contest and been sentenced to two eight-year terms in prison.

Fifty-first District Judge Barbara Walther issued the sentences, which will run concurrently, during a hearing for Lehi Barlow Jeffs, 31, on Thursday in San Angelo, Texas….”

The link to the article is hear. A picture of Jeffs is included.. http://tiny.cc/nf5cd

When will the vile filth of this FLDS polygamous cult be purged? The trial of Winston Blackmore in Canada has taken several turns.. In the article noted, Canadians may not end up paying the legal fees of the “broke” FLDS businessman.

Blackmore welcome, but reference case on anti-polygamy law can go ahead without him By Daphne Bramham, Vancouver Sun April 20, 2010

“The participation of Winston Blackmore, Canada’s most notorious polygamist, would be welcome in the reference case on the anti-polygamy law’s constitutionality, but the chief justice of the B.C. Supreme Court said Tuesday that it’s not necessary.

In a written decision, Robert Bauman said that not only is Winston Blackmore’s participation and that of his 500 or so followers from the community of Bountiful, B.C. not necessary, there is no reason for taxpayers to pay their legal costs of participating in the reference case…”

See the full article and a picture of Blackmore with more headlines in the case- here… http://tiny.cc/gcmub

Update on Tony Alamo Ministries:

Alamo cites religion, wants appeal

Convicted evangelist says he deserves new trial because of judge’s beliefs

By: Lynn LaRowe – Texarkana Gazette –

Published: 04/18/2010

“Tony Alamo contends he should get a new trial because the judge considered his own religious beliefs when sentencing Alamo to 175 years in federal prison, according to documents filed late last week. ”

See the article with a picture of Alamo- here …http://tiny.cc/kuj73 Basically, the judge judged and gave him the maximum sentence on each count. Where is the problem? See other articles in the rather bizarre tale by searching this newspaper site- here.. http://tiny.cc/5sc1m

In a very sad case, a Virginia man, James R. Boughton Jr., killed a Mormon and injured another. This was a tragedy. The 23 year old man was sentenced to 38 1/2 years.

See link with picture here.. http://tiny.cc/06lmj

Rick Ross has a great resource for news related to various cults. See this link for other news of interest.

http://tiny.cc/2ezpz For sure deeds done in secret, can and will change your life. This is for good or for the bad.

Behavior Control, Criteria for Cults, Uncategorized

Hope for Those in Cult Mind Control Groups

April 29, 2010 Admin 1 Comment

One common concern of many who are outside of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) is the children now in the group. Over the years, the children have grown up, married and begun to have there own children. WOFF is clearly into the second generation growth stage. There is a group of children and youth who have known only the WOFF “cult-ture”. They are marrying and having children. Recently, a person expressed concern and regret for the second generation of WOFFers (WOFF members) – will they ever have a chance to leave?

In Steven Hassan’s book – Releasing the Bonds.. (copyright 2000) he explains in chapter 2 the answers to “What is Destructive Mind Control?” The chapter is rich with a detailed explanation of his perspective obtained over many years of research and helping people who have affected by mind control. At the end of the chapter, he closes with these thoughts, “Everyone has an authentic self. Although a healthy individual will grow and mature over time, his personality type should never change. Changes in a personality type often indicate unhealthy social pressure that forces a person to act as if he were someone else…. It is also verified the existence of a cult identity which binds and gags the authentic self.” (page 60)

This explains the results which the person shared in a comment for the previous post..One minister who moved up from Greenville ( he has a military background) even said to another (now former) member that they (the church) did everything they could to break (my son) but they just could not. My son just would not “submit his heart”. I do not doubt at all the WOFF attempts to suppress or annihilate the authentic self of this young person and replace it with a robotic, cult identity. I witnessed it first hand. The perverted “love” he was shown by WOFF members in his household and in the church nearly destroyed him. Members who do not assume the cult identity do not fit well in the WOFF “cult-ture”. It truly is a sub-culture in Rutherford county as well as other places abroad. Pressuring folks to change identities by cult mind control methods is one source of the major emotional trauma seen in many who leave WOFF. But, that too can be worked through.

Hassan goes on and his words bring hope. “When interacting with your loved one, (in a mind control group) it is essential you recognize the differences between pre-cult identity (before recruitment), and the cult identity (during membership), and the person’s authentic self, which stays in them forever. Even people who are BORN into cults have an authentic self which was suppressed at birth. It is the strength of the authentic self that makes it possible to rescue people from cults years, even decades, after becoming involved in the group…. (page 60- emphasis added..)

Jane Whaley and her cohorts in “identity theft” can never steal away a person’s authentic self. When that “self” begins to yearn for expression, then the hope turns to action. In WOFF, it was described as a person was “under the dealings of God”. In some ways, YES! In many cases, it was the authentic self, struggling to break free from the cult identity and explore and express itself – as GOD DESIRES! A few folks test what is considered normal when they come out of WOFF. After a while, many find inner strength and harmony, then they begin to live a life of the true expression, of who God intended for them to be.

This answers the questions and assumptions of some folks who think their family members are “happy” in WOFF. In that environment, their relatives are not living their true, authentic self. They are struggling to fit into the WOFF “cult-ture” with a manufactured WOFF identity. If you have family or friends in WOFF, you really may not know them because they have had to suppress their authentic self in order to continue in the group. Has anyone seen their friends or relatives enter into WOFF and go through a personality change? Should I list names! Consider why after reading this post. It is becoming obvious to me that in order to continue in WOFF, I suppressed thoughts, questions and basically lied to myself that those things were not important. Reviewing that is for another day… I encourage all to read Hassan’s book.

Behavior Control, Uncategorized, WOFF Updates

A Letter to the Churches- From ??

April 28, 2010 Admin 3 Comments

Recently, I learned about the letter which had been sent to several churches in Rutherford county. As the information came to me, several of the envelopes were addressed by hand. Possibly three different folks writing the addresses. There was no return address on the envelopes. The postmarks were from Charlotte, NC. The letter is posted below:

Unsigned letter sent to Churches — Downtown Activities

The person who composed this attempted smear campaign against Robynn Spence did not have the courage to sign their work. The photo is reported by many as taken by Ramona Hall’s daughter. (see here for previous post about Ramona Hall’s campaign –http://tiny.cc/lhi4c ) So, who could have been behind this? You tell me. The person composing this letter was a coward at best and was definitely showing their true colors. Whoever was involved in this letter campaign meant to stir up certain churches to encourage voters to shirk a qualified candidate, over a personal choice the candidate made. The key point is not if Robynn Spence chose to drink a beer. Drinking a beer does not disqualify a person from public office. (Presdent Obama reflects this point) The key point is the delivery method of the messenger. This shows the letter writer’s approval of using control and intimidation. The person who used this “tool” is really the “fool”. Are these the methods that this person condones and proposes to use, if they were to win the election to the Clerk of Court position? Would the “tool” be used again while administering the official duties of the office? Who colluded with the candidate and gave their approval of such a tactic? You tell me. Which candidate will go on record as denying their involvement in any way with this attempted smear campaign? If anyone has a written reply about this matter, please send to this address: author@religiouscultsinfo.com or post a comment.

Continue reading A Letter to the Churches- From ?? →

Religious Cults Info ~ Resources, Answers and Hope