Cult Criteria – Religious Cults Info ~ Resources, Answers and Hope

Anderson vs. Anderson – First Day in Court (audio)

Admin — Wed, 02 May 2018 02:41:21 +0000

After long delays for one reason or another, the Anderson vs. Anderson custody case began this morning in front of the Honorable Judge Thomas McAvoy “Mack” Brittain, Jr. in courtroom 3 of the Rutherford County courthouse. There was a full day of testimonies from several folks. For this post, I will summarize a few key points and expound on them in the mp3 file included. I am not promising this format from here on out, but I am hoping it will be quicker and a better use of my time. Not sure you would call this an official podcast, but I will do my best to edit the audio to make it pleasant to listen to while including much more information than if I wrote out today’s adventures.

Here is a short recap of a few of the vital issues on the table. Plaintiff Nicholas Anderson filed action against Sarah Anderson after she left the Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) February 26, 2016. The son, Aden Brock Anderson first left with Sarah and on a subsequent weekend of agreed visitation for Nick, he did not return the child as promised. March 7, 2016, he filed for divorce and child custody. He first listed he desire for primary care and custody, but also listed a shared custody option.

March 16, 2016; Judge Laura Powell signed a Memorandum of Judgment outlining joint custody and the parameters. Included in this order was the following:

“e. Neither party shall subject the child or allow anyone else to subject the child to abuse, including yelling, shaking, striking or any form of physical abuse.”

I was in the court room that day and felt this was a victory for Sarah. Not a guarantee it would never happen, just open acknowledgment that the Judge was aware it could happen and may have previously. Unfortunately, Judge Powell recused herself February 28, 2017 the day after the first article from the Associated Press outlining allegations of abuse from ex-members.

April 4, 2016- Sarah filed an Answer to Nick’s Compliant. She stated in her motion after telling Nick her intention to not return to WOFF and not allowing their son to return; she was denied access to the marital home “if she would not submit herself to church scrutiny and discipline.”

Also, in this document, under the “Child Custody” section:

“34. That the Defendant has maintained the primary care of the minor child through the date of the separation when the Defendant voiced concerned about the safety of the infant child being subjected to secretive church practices of physical mistreatment in which the Plaintiff was unwilling to intervene and provide protection for the minor child.”

These two points and more were the basis for much of the testimony today. Nick’s attorney, Alan LeCroy from Morganton has a previous commitment on Wednesday. Court is set to resume Thursday morning at 9:00AM.

Hope you enjoy the audio file.
https://religiouscultsinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Anderson-vs-Anderson-5-1-18.mp3
Please, let me know your feedback.

Follow this blog on Twitter- @religiouscults
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/johnhuddleauthor

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. Jane told me and Josh confirmed it.

Comments are invited from all readers, including present or former members. Polls are not scientific and no private information is gathered.

Guest posts reflect the opinions of the writers. Their opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of John Huddle or any other persons affiliated with this blog.

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.

Cause or Conspiracy?

Admin — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 06:25:12 +0000

The Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) radio program Monday morning included Karel Reynolds, Justin Davies and Christian Whitbeck. The purpose of the show was to retell the content from the Community Forum held this past Saturday afternoon at the Spindale House. There were some common themes which emerged at the characterization of the content from Saturday. Justin and Christian were “appalled.” They were shocked at the “hate speech” used by ex-member survivors of WOFF. They said the language used would incite hate towards them and they felt unsafe going out in the community with their children. Karel wrapped it all up in a few statements calling the ex-members as ones leading a “conspiracy to shut the doors of our church.”

Listening to them go on about their shock and bewilderment was at first hard to grasp. Then I remembered that in their world, all things fit and the rationalization to “call things that are not as though they were…” allows them to survive. I have written about it here before. There are facts and there is truth inside of WOFF. Facts are superseded by the Truth that Jane hears from God about a situation. If you see a fact- one person pushed another during deliverance, and then you question Jane about it, she could very well spin the deed as “love.” “Doing whatever it takes to keep that person in the will of God.” (i.e. – a member of WOFF)

Karel defined conspiracy as “telling lies, distorting the truth and then demonizing people to make them look like something they are not, attacking people, attacking individuals of an organization to demonize them and thirdly-they create an “us and them” within the community. And that has been the attempt of this group- to create an “us and them” against the WOFF.”

Before I go on, look at this definition she uses. What does it sound like? “…telling lies, distorting truth and then demonizing people…” Present and ex-members of WOFF, who assigns more demon names to ordinary daily activities than anyone you know?

During my days at WOFF I heard more names of devils than I could even have imagined. Let’s list a few of them: religious devil, ping-pong devil, video devil, lust devil, French vanilla devil, lazy devil, foolish devil, soccer devil, baseball devil, competition devil, newspaper devil, radio devil (watchout- Jim!), TV devil, selfish devil, karate devil, boy scout devil, unclean devil, sex devil, perversion devil, furniture devil, toilet paper devil, Sprite devil, Babylonian devil, sleep devil, music devil, drum devil, guitar devil, driving devil, talking devil… do you get the point? If there is any one person in this world who is proficient at “demonization”- it is guess who? Opps! WOFF members don’t “guess.” That is witchcraft or you guessed it- the guessing devil.

Back to the definition: “… to make them look like something they are not.” What purpose does it serve to tell someone they are “giving to a (take your pick) devil”? To put them down? To put them in a lower position than yourself? To make yourself appear special or more spiritual? Or could it be to exercise a level of control over that person as you also claim to have the cure for that “devil”? Inside of WOFF- that was of blasting, deliverance prayer.

More: “…attacking people, attacking members of an organization to demonize them…”

How many people remember the organized attack by WOFF on the Faith Freedom Fund started years ago? I was on the inside when it started. Irony at its best. When inside WOFF, I did not see it as an “attack” on the Faith Freedom Fund. I saw it as a righteous cause to tell people not to give them money and certainly don’t believe their lies. In reality, WOFF was demonizing Billy Honeycutt and the other founders. Would you believe years later I joined the Faith Freedom Fund and heard their side of the story. They felt “demonized” for doing the will of God- helping people, ex-members of WOFF! And when I found out that WOFF members had stolen the Faith Freedom Fund signs showing members safe places. I was shocked. Not so much now, huh?

Last part of her definition of conspiracy: “they create and ‘us and them’ in the community.”

Need I explain? Karel was accusing a group of ex-members of attempting to create what WOFF has thrived on for years. Dividing families. For WOFF members- it is “us”- God’s righteous family and then there is “them;” those who have chosen not to believe the WOFF version of truth. This group includes all who have not ever been a part of WOFF and those who “became a Judas” are left them.

Micah listed as a characteristic of a cult- they create an “us vs them” mentality. Now, Karel tries to call ex-members a part of a conspiracy to “shut the doors of our church” using this practice which WOFF has perfected. Does she even see the sad irony of her definition? She is pointing at us accusing us of doing what Jane and her leadership have been doing for years. They have been waging a conspiracy to deceive Rutherford County and others into believing they are a bunch of harmless persecuted Jewish wanna-bes. (Their Holocaust Museum used as the proof of their concern and care for the Jewish community.) All the while calling outsiders something they are not and demonizing their own to keep them in submission to Jane and her edicts.

Just as understanding changed and I joined the group WOFF demonized for years- the Faith Freedom Fund. So, my understanding has changed as to the true nature of the deeds done in secret at WOFF. The WOFF destructive practices which were once the “will of God” in my eyes are not any more. I believe I left the group which operates the conspiracy and am now a part of a group that has a cause. The cause is to do what is in our power to tell our experiences and shed light into WOFF; in hopes the children there now will not have to grow-up living the conspiracy –while singing the song of the persecuted.

I will write more on the content of this broadcast in the days to come. Things I plan to cover are the comments by Benjamin Cooper which included his reference to things which he went through at WOFF were things done in Communist concentration camps. In years past, I have made the same analogy and will explain again how these comments were accurate.

Also, on the slate to cover will be Justin’s reference to his feeling persecuted like the Jews. We will breakdown why this is a conditioned response by him and he can be expected to copy his leader. He will espouse her feelings as his own. He believes he is perfectly just in his proclamation, to his own discredit and as an insult to many of the Jewish faith.

Ex-members- what say you to being accused of a conspiracy as Karel defined it? Who lives the conspiracy?

Follow this blog on Twitter- @religiouscults
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/johnhuddleauthor

Comments are invited from all readers, including present or former members. Polls are not scientific and no private information is gathered.

Guest posts reflect the opinions of the writers. Their opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of John Huddle or any other persons affiliated with this blog.

Scripture references are Amplified Version unless otherwise noted.

Understanding the Word of Faith Fellowship Response to Recent Reports of “Slavery”

Admin — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 12:58:18 +0000

The text message telling me about the Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) press release from July 30, 2017 ended with “smh.” This is a new abbreviation for me, it left me wondering. I searched and found it means “scratching my head.” After I quit laughing about my temporary confusion, I pondered the answer to the obvious question- Why and how would Joshua Farmer and Jane Whaley consider their press release appropriate?

This post is my answer. First, the text of the release – source: www.wordoffaithfellowship.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Word of Faith Fellowship Responds to AP reports regarding “enslaved” members

Spindale, North Carolina – July 30, 2017 — We are appalled to learn of the allegations published by the Associated Press regarding foreign members of our church being “enslaved”. Many of these allegations are obviously preposterous on their face and they are all false. It is ludicrous that people now claim they were in an abusive environment at our church but admit that they traveled from Brazil to the United States many different times, returning repeatedly to their place of alleged enslavement. Clearly, there is a group of people determined to stop at nothing in their campaign to destroy our ministry. We are confident that the truth will ultimately prevail and we remain hopeful that the public will see through these fabrications and see them for what they are.

Next, the release includes a quotation of II Timothy 3:1-5 (Amplified Bible). The release is closed with acknowledgment of Sam and Jane Whaley and Attorney Joshua Farmer- Farmer and Morris Law (828) 286-3866.

The standard WOFF strategy is followed here by saying “Many of these allegations are obviously preposterous on their face and they are all false.” This is standard WOFF practice to deny accounts of wrong doing by calling the testimony of survivors of their group- lies and false.

Next, “It is ludicrous that people now claim they were in an abusive environment at our church but admit that they traveled from Brazil to the United States many different times, returning repeatedly to their place of alleged enslavement.”

This may be confusing for some. However, many of the victims were sent to North Carolina while under the legal age of majority. They were compelled by others making decisions for them. Also, there is the group dynamic which labels these trips as “the will of God.” And though there were hard times awaiting them in NC, while in that group, going against “the will of God” as interpreted by Jane Whaley was a quick road to harsh discipline or forced expulsion. Until a member is ready to cross that bridge leading out, they will do amazing things which include submitting to the dictates outlined in the allegations.

The release goes on: “Clearly, there is a group of people determined to stop at nothing in their campaign to destroy our ministry. We are confident that the truth will ultimately prevail and we remain hopeful that the public will see through these fabrications and see them for what they are.”

If allowing survivors tell their story and get help after suffering the abuses outlined in the Associated Press reports “destroys our ministry,” then it needed to be destroyed. “Fabrications?” The central thread in the survivor testimonies of abuse is the same shape and color on at least two continents. Former members will agree there are additional survivors from other countries as well. Many of these folks do not know each other personally and were not afforded a chance to coordinate the ongoing avalanche of accounts which include physical and emotional abuse and harm.

Still the nagging question remains. How can Attorney Joshua Farmer make such statements in the face of such a tidal wave of well documented evidence from the AP? My answer is that the AP and Mr. Farmer are speaking from two different views and in fact two different realities. The AP is basing their reports on testimonies of ex-members, legal documents, recordings and pictures. The AP functions in the reality known by those in a free-thinking community. The practices which brought on the reports of abuse are compared to the laws of this land and the practices of other churches and individuals.

Attorney Farmer is telling us the perspective from inside the closed sub-culture of WOFF. If you doubt it is a closed sub-culture, try to drive down Old Flynn Road expecting to enter freely to the church services. You will meet with resistance and guards carrying concealed weapons. Farmer can say these things because in his reality and in the WOFF subculture, they are true.

From their perspective, members are not enslaved. They are “sold out to the will of God” and “submitting to the ways of God.” It is believed that the ways of God lived inside that group cannot be understood by those on the outside. This is an accepted manner of thinking, WOFF-think. This justifies the denial of the testimonies of survivors and gives reasons for Farmer to stand firm in the face of the AP reports.

You may still wonder how he can consistently represent the reality of the WOFF sub-culture while at the same time witnessing the damaged lives of survivors. My answer to that includes the skill of justification. He is a master at justifying the stark contrasts in his world. He has honed his skill over the years to manage any cognitive dissonance between what he sees inside WOFF and what he knows others believe about true WOFF-life. How long will he be able to continue the charade? Time will tell…

For now, the quandary deepens as government officials in both countries sort out the conundrum created by a closed sub-culture in North Carolina which recruited folks for dubious reasons glossed over by the “will of God.”

Follow this blog on Twitter- @religiouscults
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/johnhuddleauthor

Comments are invited from all readers, including present or former members. Polls are not scientific and no private information is gathered.

Guest posts reflect the opinions of the writers. Their opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of John Huddle or any other persons affiliated with this blog.

Scripture references are Amplified Version unless otherwise noted.

AP: US church goes to Brazil; instills fear, splits families

Admin — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 09:56:44 +0000

In light of the most recent Associated Press release- Brazilians detail abuses by US church, shattered lives…
I believe it is appropriate to repost this review titled: “More Thoughts on WOFF and Brazil” from August of 2010. (click “back” button to return here)

The lead paragraph from this article:

SAO JOAQUIM DE BICAS, BRAZIL (AP) — At the Word of Faith Fellowship churches in the Brazilian cities of Sao Joaquim de Bicas and Franco da Rocha, the signs of broken families are everywhere: parents separated from their children, siblings who no longer speak, grandparents who wonder if they will ever know their grandchildren.

This AP release goes on to chronicle the process of WOFF taking the practice of destroying families from North Carolina to Brazil. The Brazilian churches have become a sad reflection of WOFF NC. Jane Whaley’s ministry of destruction and pain has indeed transferred its dark stain seen and felt in America to Brazil.

Read the post below and note the heartache and angst. The WOFF-effect on families is real. It is indeed an international travesty.

On a personal note, my daughter is expecting or has already delivered her child this month. I am one who wonders if I will ever know my grandson…

___________________________________________________________________________________
Jane Whaley and her crew from Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) have been making trips to Brazil for many years. The first time I knew about the trips was in 1992. At that time, I heard about previous trips in previous years made by members of the Greenville church traveling with WOFF members to Brazil for seminars. There was always a certain mystique associated with the trips and the privilege of going to help the Brazilian church members. During the early years, those who did not go to Brazil would hear about shopping trips to rock shops and eating at Brazilian restaurants. The seminars would also include many deliverance sessions and teachings about WOFF ways and WOFF life. Many of the teachings were about “hearing God” as Jane or certain others would speak, with Jane’s approval. For sure, the church members in Brazil would emulate WOFF members and end up copying many of the WOFF ways and in order to live in WOFFness.

Since my time at WOFF ended in July of 2008, I have heard several accounts of WOFF doings that as a member inside of WOFF, we just did not learn about. Why would that be? A few months ago, someone began to let me know about things happening in Brazil. At first, I was shocked. But, as I considered what I knew has/had happened in America over the whole WOFF saga, it all began to make sense. What I will share here is from a translated email sent to me from Brazil. The names of the church members affected are not the key part of this story. The key thing about the scenario of events is to note the strange and sad similarity to previous events here in North Carolina and/or in other states caught in the WOFF-web.

The email begins “What happened to my children was terrible and very demonic.” The former Brazilian church member goes on to explain the events preceding the exit of her family from one of the WOFF Brazilian churches. Under the direction of Jane Whaley, a WOFF “minister” has been sent to Brazil to help “take hold of them.” She is listed on the WOFF website as an “Associate Pastor” under the “Missions” tab, then “Brazil Ministerio Verb Vivo”. My impression of her during my time at WOFF was extremely dedicated to Jane Whaley and the “purpose” of WOFF and WOFFness. Since leaving, I have learned things about her that really do not surprise me. She is definitely “locked-in” to Jane on a “high level”.

The email goes on to explain the “abuse with the children and the yelling with them in the school” had this person’s spouse concerned. They “thought it was better for (them) to get away from the school for a while and be a minister only at the church”. With this move, the American “started realizing something was wrong and started a plan for my children”. Basically, there was strife planted between the parents and their children. It was worded like this, the children were told “we had forsaken her (them) and we did not want her (them) anymore and we were possessed by demons and didn’t want to see them any longer.” This person admitted, (her children) “got very shocked because (she and her husband) … always taught her (the children) ministers were always right and we always hid from them the wrong things the ministers did.” Former WOFF members: Does any of this sound familiar? Am I saying the Jane Whaley and her ministers have ever separated children from their parents with a rouse that pits the parents fighting and denying “God” “or “God’s will? Am I? Do I have any personal knowledge of this scheme? So, do I?

So, why would I share this? Because I can believe it as the events do not sound strange, but in many respects common in WOFF-land. The accused acts of the American WOFF minister are not abnormal sounding in relation to WOFF and I fully understand the statement of the person affected- “we always hid from them the wrong things the ministers did.” Talking about mistakes that Jane or WOFF ministers would make was not allowed. So, for children, youth and many adults; the idolatry and worship of Jane Whaley and her WOFF ministers is passed down and around. There results have very detrimental effects in many lives year after year after year. From what I read, this family and several others have been separated and torn by this American WOFF minister and her doings. Directed by who? Am I shocked? No. Does it cause me deep regret? Yes.

To The Brazilian People:

I want to take this opportunity to express my deepest regrets and apologies for strife, division and error that Jane Whaley, her WOFF ministers and regular members have taken to your nation. Jane Whaley has taken her home grown WOFF doctrines, WOFF-life and WOFF-strife to you. As in America, she has destroyed many of your families and furthered the notion that she and her members are some special elite breed of “Christian”. The events from the last few years just do not affirm this insane notion. Whatever “good” that could be attributed to WOFF is tainted and annulled by the destructive results we have witnessed to families over the years.

How can I make this claim? First, I supported WOFF with tithes and offerings for years. I also traveled to your country with WOFF and joined in the delusion. I allowed the error to reside in me for years. Now, as I witness the WOFF-strife in the lives of former church members in Brazil, it grieves me that I had a part in furthering the WOFF deception.

The message and lifestyle portrayed at WOFF does not accurately reflect the American ideals of freedom of religion or freedoms in general. Our Founders certainly did not envision the brand of WOFF-life that has developed here in America, to be held up as a standard or benchmark by which all other Americans should model their lives. Jane Whaley and her leaders claim it is God’s will for some to have freedoms and some not to have the freedoms guaranteed in this nation. How do we know this? It is evident by their ACTIONS! There is a level of freedom for Jane and there is a stricter lifestyle for regular members. It is sad to realize that WOFF-life is one of the American exports to Brazil. Then of course, the Brazilians already know this, as certainly they have seen it with their own eyes. WOFF-life is exported other places as well in the world. In my opinion, this whole WOFF-mess is dark stain on the United States of America.

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.

(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 166.

AP: Brazilians funneled as “slaves” by US church, ex-members say

Admin — Mon, 24 Jul 2017 09:54:30 +0000

For years, the smoke and mirrors used by Jane Whaley and her leadership at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) has created an aura of deception, filled with misstatements and euphemistic renaming of their practices. Screaming is called prayer, verbal and physical abuse is called “love.” Private sexual relations between and husband and wife are not private, but are regulated by church leadership to “keep out the unclean.” Members are prohibited from free access to news sources including radio, television, newspapers and computers because they are “not able to hear God and stand against the devil.” Unpaid forced and coerced labor is called “volunteer work.” These highly restrictive church practices equate to “walking in God’s ways with God’s people.”

Now the individuals damaged from the years of chicanery are speaking out. The latest installment of the Associated Press’ ongoing in-depth investigation has been released. The long needed reporting of the secretive church practices is clearing the smoke of confusion and angst which hangs thick over Old Flynn Road. There, the church compound serves as the hub of the WOFF-kingdom in the sad ongoing saga of abuses revealed by the AP. The aim is not only for the souls of the members, but this report reveals the aim is to capture “slaves,” laborers- mostly unpaid to work at the church or school or for businesses owned by church leaders, as well as in their homes.

The AP report: This link has the full text, pictures and video. (click icons bottom right of image)

“When Andre Oliveira answered the call to leave his Word of Faith Fellowship congregation in Brazil to move to the mother church in North Carolina at the age of 18, his passport and money were confiscated by church leaders – for safekeeping, he said he was told.

Trapped in a foreign land, he said he was forced to work 15 hours a day, usually for no pay, first cleaning warehouses for the evangelical church and later working at businesses owned by the sect’s senior ministers. Any violation of the rules risked the wrath of church leaders, he said, ranging from beatings to shaming from the pulpit.”

From my years at WOFF, I ask who could actually count the endless number of young Brazilians who were brought over to North Carolina? The number would vary from year to year according to how much room could be made in member’s homes or at the warehouses on Shiloh Road. Who can deny the ever flowing “pipeline” of young souls, male and female? The numbers would increase for every seminar.

While a member of WOFF- I was not directly involved in regulating the daily activities of this segment of the membership. However, who can honestly deny the multiple hours for work projects and free labor harvested from these folks? Who remembers the trips that young men, American and Brazilian, would make to update or redo the foreclosed home(s) in South Carolina? These projects orchestrated by church leadership were “fundraisers” to help “meet the budget.” I understand from members who left after I did that this practice of “volunteering” for “work projects” did not stop.

AP: “They trafficked us up here. They knew what they were doing. They needed labor and we were cheap labor — hell, free labor,” Oliveira said. … “They kept us as slaves,” Oliveira said, pausing at times to wipe away tears. “We were expendable. We meant nothing to them. Nothing. How can you do that to people — claim you love them and then beat them in the name of God?”

AP: “On at least one occasion, former members alerted authorities. In 2014, three ex-congregants told an assistant U.S. attorney that the Brazilians were being forced to work for no pay, according to a recording obtained by the AP.

“And do they beat up the Brazilians?” Jill Rose, now the U.S. attorney in Charlotte, asked.

“Most definitely,” one of the former congregants responded. Ministers “mostly bring them up here for free work,” another said.

Though Rose could be heard promising to look into it, the former members said she never responded when they repeatedly tried to contact her in the months after the meeting.”

Yes, Jill Rose, the US District Attorney was informed of these practices in January 2014. I was in the meeting referred to in this article. I heard her say- she will “take a fresh look at it.” (meaning the abuses told to her during the almost two hour meeting) After the meeting, I sent her a certified letter outlining my concerns. I heard nothing back in the months that followed. There was not a second meeting as promised.

The AP article reports: “Rose declined to comment to AP, citing an ongoing investigation.”

Let’s hope Jill Rose doesn’t add her name to the list of government officials such as Brad Greenway, Chris Francis, John Carroll, Jeff Hunt and others who all decided to do nothing about the reports of abuses from survivors of WOFF.

Let’s hope the “ongoing investigation” is thorough and not hindered by the “smoke and mirrors” – religious dog and pony show which inevitably everyone gets when WOFF has time to prepare for visitors.

AP: “Perhaps to circumvent the rules against employment, church leaders sometimes referred to the forced labor projects as “volunteer work,” according to Brazilians interviewed in both countries.

Many females worked as babysitters and in the church’s K-12 school, and many males worked in construction, the former members said. The work included ripping out walls and installing drywall in apartments owned and rented out by a senior church minister, they said.

Ross Eisenbrey of the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank focusing on labor issues, said rental properties are “for-profit businesses for which the immigrants cannot volunteer” under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Some of those interviewed said they’d been lured to the U.S. in part by promises of obtaining a college education but were unable to study or attend classes because of their punishing work schedules.”

“It was slave labor,” said Rebeca Melo, 29, who grew up in the church in Brazil and visited the U.S. about 10 times.

Whaley’s brand of “love” also played a key role in enticing Brazilian males to Spindale – and keeping them there once their visas expired, according to former members of the church.

Ten of those interviewed spoke of male Brazilians obtaining green cards for permanent residency and being able to legally work by being married off to female American congregants.”

Let us remember where we see the numbers “ten” and “16” in this report, those numbers represent real people, the ones willing to talk. Many survivors refuse to speak still living in fear of Jane.

These were individuals who were brought here to America and according to this investigation were shamefully mistreated, all under the guise of some religious sham, cloaking the real reason for their journey. I was there for years. Jane Whaley and her enabling minions were and still are very skilled at spinning and “calling things that are not as though they were…” Does that sound familiar?

AP: “Former congregant Jay Plummer supervised remodeling projects for a church leader’s business and confirmed that his fellow American workers were paid while the Brazilians who labored alongside them were not.

“Room and board is what they worked for, and they did not have a choice,” Plummer told the AP. “And when they would not want to work and vocalize that, they would just get in trouble.”

AP: “Former member Thiago Silva said he was excited when he boarded a plane in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte to fly to a Word of Faith youth seminar in North Carolina in 2001. He was 18 and expecting to use his tourist visa to meet new people and visit the U.S.

He soon learned, he said, that there would be “no happiness.”

“Brazilians came here for labor. I’m telling you, that’s it,” Silva said. He called the treatment “a violation of human rights.”
Silva, now 34, recounted being among a group of Brazilians working alongside Americans — the locals were paid, the Brazilians were not, he said.

Silva and others also said Whaley took complete control of congregants’ lives on both continents, mandating such daily staples of life as where they lived and when they could eat — and even forcing some into arranged marriages to Americans so they could stay in the country. (emphasis added)

The lack of freedom was pervasive, they said: Silva, for example, said he could phone his parents from the U.S only if someone who spoke Portuguese monitored the call.

“There’s no free will,” he said. “There’s Jane’s will.”

Okay, the members of WOFF have witnessed it for years. Is this the first time a news organization has reported on the practice of “arranged marriages?” Jane’s insistence to marry Brazilians to Americans concentrates her power over both congregations. This is not saying that some couples don’t or will not survive the contrived genesis of their relationship. However, the odds are not good for long term marriages with such a beginning. If the purpose is to avoid immigration laws- it is illegal.

This article is very extensive and full of sad facts about life inside WOFF for Brazilians and Americans. The practice of arranged marriages affects both Brazilians and Americans. Hopefully, you will read the all of the source article and read Kim Rooper’s story. She is talking about her relationship to Steven Aquirre. She tells of her inability to continue the sham. I was with Steven when he was told she had left WOFF. He was heartbroken and very emotional. There was a lot of blasting prayer for him that day. It is what we were told to do. Looking back, the whole scene was strange. I should have seen through the smoke and haze, but I did not. Eventually, Steven was married to another American WOFF member.

This article is so extensive it may warrant another post. In closing for now, we must ask – will the investigation referred to by Jill Rose be able to finally cut through the murkiness and haze created by the ongoing deceit and hocus pocus used by WOFF?

In the time since 2014 when Jill Rose was made aware of the dangerous WOFF practices, how many more lives have been harmed and families torn apart? How many other adults and children have to suffer at the hands of Jane and her leadership before these practices come to a halt? We shall see. For now, things are full steam ahead for the next seminar and wave of Brazilian devotees. Do you think this article will stop or even slow down the flow of Brazilians into Spindale? Do you know Jane Whaley?

Follow this blog on Twitter- @religiouscults
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/johnhuddleauthor

Comments are invited from all readers, including present or former members. Polls are not scientific and no private information is gathered.

Guest posts reflect the opinions of the writers. Their opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of John Huddle or any other persons affiliated with this blog.

Scripture references are Amplified Version unless otherwise noted.

Fenner Case: Next Hearing May 19th- 2:00PM

Admin — Wed, 17 May 2017 10:45:28 +0000

The next chapter in the Matthew Fenner case is scheduled for Friday, May 19th at 2:00PM. Rccatalyst.com reported on May 9th an additional motion placed on the agenda for the hearing. A Motion of Discovery filed by ADA Garland Byers seeks the preview of all documents, photographs, video recordings which Brooke Covington’s defense attorney David Teddy plans to use during trial. The State also requests to learn if Teddy plans to use insanity, self-defense, voluntary or involuntary intoxication as her defense along with the reuqest for a list of any expert witnesses. A copy of the Motion is found in the article at Rccatalyst.com.

The list of Motions include:
– Defendant’s Motion for Change of Venue,
– Defendant’s Motion for a Bill of Particulars ( opposed by the State in Rccatalyst.com-here)
– State’s Motion for Joinder of Offenses for Trial
– State’s Motion in the Alternative to a venue change s Special Venire (jury pool),
– Motion for Discovery

One more motion by the State filed March 22nd- Motion for Jury View & Testimony During Jury View was discussed in a previous hearing, but not listed in the Rccatlyst.com coverage.

The Motion for Change of Venue will determine the future of this case when and where it will be held. The outcome of the Change of Venire will tell us from which county the jury pool will originate, if different from Rutherford County. The Motion for Jury View if approved will allow the jury to visit Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) and have Matthew describe in sworn testimony the events that unfolded the fateful night of January 27, 2013. My friends, we are not surprised that Jane Whaley is fighting this Motion with her own attorney, John W. Gresham. She is putting her foot down, her hand held up high and her shrill cry peeling the paint off the walls in warring prayer to squash any effort to cast her beloved sanctuary as a potential crime scene.

In my opinion, it is too late. Jane’s beloved private property on Oakland Rd. is already believed as the scene of many unreported and unprosecuted crimes. I can understand the push to deny the obvious acknowledgement, however, even if the Motion is denied; the WOFF property, indeed the entire WOFF kingdom will remain listed as UNSAFE in the eyes of many.

Let me be clear, it is the practices promoted which are deemed UNSAFE. The high shrill sounds of blasting deliverance prayer accompanied by the physical contact, which I understand has been reduced and modified, all add together for a super-queasy, uneasy, spiritually-sleazy subculture.

If the practices of physical contact during deliverance prayer were so righteous and necessary, then why were they dialed back? If WOFF ways are the Holy Way, then do as you sing and “Throw Open Your Doors” during the most heated times of devil-kicking deliverance and let the cameras roll! The question remains: Jane- Is your God ashamed of His ways or of you and what you have become? Have you become the reproach which you so quickly label others? The question rings out: are you lost in your own maze of cover-up and deception? Is it possible?

I hope for many survivors’ sake that the wheels of justice turn faster this year. Regardless of the legal outcome, the cat is literally out of the bag. (Thank you, Associated Press News team.)

The WOFF kingdom is full of smoke and mirrors added to emotional and physically dangerous trap doors. The hearts of many victims will know no rest as long as WOFF survives in its present condition. Can WOFF change their ways? It is not for me to say one way or the other. We deal with what we know for sure that has happened. Members have been hurt, families destroyed based on years of fear and intimidation.

The next chapter in this complex, sad and tragic drama will take place this week. It seems unlikely the entire list of Motions will be heard Friday. There is too much at stake for the Honorable Judge Gary Gavenus to chance future issues which may negate the State’s efforts or the completeness of the defense. Nonetheless, move forward we will. Check back after soon for a review of the happenings in court.

Follow this blog on Twitter- @religiouscults and
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/johnhuddleauthor

Comments are invited from all readers, including present or former members. Polls are not scientific and no private information is gathered.

Look on the right side of any post for the option to subscribe by email for notifications or RSS feeds notifying of new postings. It is a great feature. Also, find more posts by selecting “Categories”.
Guest posts reflect the opinions of the writers. Their opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of John Huddle or any other persons affiliated with this blog.

Scripture references are Amplified Version unless otherwise noted.

Repost of Podcast Explains Struggles of Life Inside WOFF

Admin — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 19:04:56 +0000

After publishing “Locked in”, I was afforded the opportunity to participate in an interview from Steve and Becky Lyles. The connection was over Skype and the sound quality is not perfection, but it is adequate. During this podcast, I answer questions about life inside of Word of Faith Fellowship. This was recorded before the AP Investigation- Broken Faith was released.

Listen, comment and share. I go into more detail here than in the book.

Thank you, for visiting often and sharing the posts here. Hit back arrow to return here.

Winds of Destruction- listen here.

Follow this blog on Twitter- @religiouscults and
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/johnhuddleauthor

Comments are invited from all readers, including present or former members. Polls are not scientific and no private information is gathered.

Scripture references are Amplified Version unless otherwise noted.

AP – Broken Faith- Unconventional Rules on Sex and Marriage

Admin — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 00:20:59 +0000

This article details some of the odd but absolute rules for those in relationships and married couples. I have included a few excerpts. The full report is here.

SPINDALE, N.C. (AP) — When it comes to relationships, marriage and sex, Word of Faith Fellowship members must follow strict and unusual rules — or risk severe punishment, former members say.
Some of the edicts:

— Congregants need permission from leader Jane Whaley and other ministers to get married, and it then can take months — or even a year — before the newlyweds are allowed to have sex.

— No one is allowed to date without permission, and most relationships and marriages are arranged by Whaley and ministers.

— On their wedding night, couples are permitted only a “godly peck on the cheek.” When they get in bed together, they must roll over and go to sleep.

— For all married couples, love-making is limited to 30 minutes, no foreplay is allowed, the lights must be turned off and only the missionary position is sanctioned.”

In my book, “Locked In”– I share some of the same odd practices. I detail many of the same rules as mentioned in the above article and the one following. I list 145 rules in my book. The list was never written down; you were expected to remember “by the Spirit of God.” Of course, when you forgot one, you were “in sin and out of God’s will” and subject to a rebuke or worse.

“Sect rules include no TV, movies or reading newpapers”

From the resource:
“— Followers are banned from celebrating birthdays and religious or secular holidays, including Christmas, Easter and the Fourth of July.

— Congregants are prohibited from watching television and movies, reading newspapers, or eating in restaurants that play music or serve alcohol.

— Men and women must swim with shirts covering their upper bodies and cannot take the extra clothing off in public — not even in their own backyards.

— Men cannot grow beards.”

Check back often for more breaking information on this unfolding investigation.

Follow this blog on Twitter- @religiouscults and
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/johnhuddleauthor

Comments are invited from all readers, including present or former members. Polls are not scientific and no private information is gathered.

AP Investigation – Broken Faith (main video)

Admin — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 08:50:56 +0000

The Associated Press has released its extensive report centering on the abuses suffered by ex-members of the Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) in Spindale, North Carolina. There are two main articles released so far and a video containing testimony of ex-members. More media will be released in a few hours. Below is the full video which now includes the WOFF response.

The first article titled “Ex-congregants reveal years of ungodly abuse”.

The lead picture is of the Cooper baby dedication showing Jane Whaley holding the baby and praying. Sam Whaley is shown touching the baby’s head. The parents are to Jane’s right.

I will not presume to add to the tragic testimonies of the many victims portrayed through these reports. Much of what is relayed happened after my exit in July of 2008. Looking back to my first efforts to bring attention to the dangers of this group in 2010 through this blog and later by active protests; I had no real idea the magnitude, frequency and intensity which the abuses were occurring. Survivors leaving after 2008 confirmed the abuse became more intense over the years.

At this point, I want to personally thank every survivor who agreed to be interviewed by Mitch Weiss. I know it was courageous to go against the hours and hours of preaching from Jane warning of “turning your backs on God.” This was WOFF-speak for daring to tell the truth about the happenings inside WOFF to outsiders who lived “without God or God’s people.” Those people could not understand God’s ways and would certainly be used to attack the move of God and the people of God.

Thank you, for considering someone else’s future- those children still left behind. Also, this investigation seeks to help those who have yet to be born to WOFF members. What failed in 1995 and 2005 will have a larger platform and more power to correct that which has been allowed to affect hundreds of people over the years. We can hope and pray that those in authority will step up and listen to the brave survivors in this investigation.

Former disciples describe storage annex for “worst sinners.”

The second article outlines the living conditions and horrors of the lower building. November 21, 2011 was my first introduction to the lower building lifestyle. Michael Lowry told of the sufferings he experience there. On some level, this piece vindicates him. I believed his story and now understand more how he lived during those weeks and months. Thank you, to all the men who told about their life during their stay in the Lower Building.

The next article released – “Who is Jane Whaley?”

I have nothing to add except the picture of Jane is foreboding.

Follow this blog on Twitter- @religiouscults and
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/johnhuddleauthor

Comments are invited from all readers, including present or former members. Polls are not scientific and no private information is gathered.
Look on the right side of any post for the option to subscribe by email for notifications or RSS feeds notifying of new postings. It is a great feature. Also, find more posts by selecting “Categories”.

Guest posts reflect the opinions of the writers. Their opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of John Huddle or any other persons affiliated with this blog.

Are WOFF Members “Radicalized?” (Video)

Admin — Sun, 25 Sep 2016 05:03:54 +0000

The concept of a person being “radicalized,” becoming a “radical” and the process of radicalization have all been in the news lately as the world deals with new terror threats almost daily. What does it mean to become “radicalized” or go through a “radicalization” process? The concept of radical includes when a person becomes a) very different from the usual or traditional; b) favoring extreme changes in views, habits, conditions, or institutions; c) associated with political views, practices or policies of extreme change. (here)

There are so many aspects of this question to consider. I will not attempt a comprehensive discussion of the term “radical” or radicalization” as it pertains to today’s world, but will limit this post to the question, “Are WOFF members “radicalized?” Allow me share my first remembrance of the term as it applied to my religious experience- years before Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF).

During my childhood and teenage years, my family attended a Methodist church. It was considered mainline, conservative during those years. After leaving home, I chose an informal non-denominational church. On occasion, while attending that church, the concept of being a “radical Christian” was mentioned. Looking back, I took it to mean following the rules for behavior which were instilled in me as a child and adding to them other things such as being aware of the music I listened to, the movies I watched, the places I went for entertainment, etc. In other words, I started taking the Bible as a guide for my life. That is what being “radical” meant to me then.

Today, after living several years at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF), I see the former concept as not very “radical” at all. Life before WOFF was not radical compared to life inside WOFF. Life before included a devotion to God out of a sense of respect and a freedom to accept, delay or even reject a suggested interpretation of the Bible which required a change in conduct. In other words, I still had free-will. I believe the concept of retaining one’s free will in the exercise of religion is very traditional. Do you agree?

After living for a time inside the WOFF sub-culture, this traditional concept of free-will did not survive. This change occurred gradually as we lived through the pressures to surrender one’s free will and right to question decisions made my Jane Whaley. On this basis, I believe members of WOFF are radicalized and live life very far from the “usual or traditional.” In order to stay a member of WOFF, one must allow and “favor extreme changes in (their) views, habits and conditions…” There remains no doubt that integration into WOFF requires a process of submission to a radicalizing process cloaked in euphemistic terms resulting in a lifestyle far from any traditional norms of other churches or our American society. In my experience, I could see the differences in WOFF-life versus life on the outside, but at least for a time, I accepted it as necessary to live for God. Let me explain.

While inside WOFF, EVERY detail of your life was subject to a new rule. These rules came with the understanding that your choice to follow them was made when you joined the group. Your membership into the church was a blanket acceptance of anything Jane Whaley declared as “God’s ways.” In order to remain in the group, there was a total surrender of your ability to refuse the rules as they were issued. Refusing the “ways of God” was refusing God, His leader, Jane, and all the relationships with family, friends and any other members. We were never told before joining WOFF that we would surrender our free will to Jane. It was conveyed with more seduction.

If you questioned a new practice or revelation, you were met with questions such as, “You do want God, right?” You do want to live with God’s people?” You chose to obey all that God has for you when you said yes to Jesus, the day you became born-again. In order to make it to heaven, you must trust God with your whole life, every area you must surrender to His will. And this (new rule) is a part of His will. We were told, “We are walking in new places in God.” Of course, you have not done this before, “God is revealing Himself one day at a time, one revelation at a time.”

Moving your lifestyle from “traditional” to extreme was labeled as “normal” for God’s people. What once was consider abnormal became expected and in some sense normal. Living through the initial radicalization process of total surrender of your free will, control over your life, your children, your employment, your housing, your future, your clothing choices, all of your relationships was euphemistically labeled as “getting to know God’s ways.” Of course, you were not told how far you would be required to go in order to finally be one of “God’s chosen.” Jane could not describe the end because she needed to continue moving the standard to keep her power and control over the whole charade and its players. The rules were better left unwritten so they could be changed to fit the next new level of submission to her decisions.

Okay, John, you need to give some examples. How can you label WOFF members as radicalized unless you give examples of how their life deviates from traditional norms in our country? Allow me to list a few of the more well-known radical lifestyle aspects of life inside WOFF.

1. Communal housing set-up at the total discretion of Jane.
2. Relationships between friends, families, all members determined and monitored by Jane.
3. Member’s employment choices subject to Jane’s approval.
4. Housing choices and decorations subject to Jane’s approval.
5. Recreational choices subject to Jane’s approval.
6. College classes subject to Jane’s direction.
7. Dietary choices subject to Jane’s direction.

A comprehensive list is exhaustive and too long for this post. It is difficult to convey the level of control WOFF members’ subject themselves to under Jane’s radicalized kingdom. All of this could be labeled as innocuous if we did not now have example after example of the mental, emotional and physical harm this radicalized sub-culture inflicts on its own members. The extreme practices of shunning, public humiliation, blasting, forced confession sessions, hours of listening to Jane “preach”, control over marital intimacy and other family choices, child on child bullying, all point to an unsafe group where becoming radicalized is the ticket to continual membership.

As I explain in this video from last year, when you live inside, you are not concentrating on what you give up- the “normal”. You are concentrating on what you are told you are gaining- life with God’s people and eventually eternal life.

Newsflash: Life inside of WOFF is not normal or safe. The degree of radicalization WOFF members live under each day will be made public in the two court cases; the Matthew Fenner trial and the Anderson vs. Anderson divorce/custody case. Both of which have and will continue to reveal at least a portion of the extremes of life behind the closed WOFF doors. The facts revealed during these cases about life inside will be heart-wrenching for some and shocking for all who have never been a member.

For those inside who have never known any contrasting reality, accepting their lifestyle as radical and NOT inclusive of normal or traditional directions is a hard pill to swallow. My advice is start by asking these questions:

– Are “all men (and women) equal” inside of WOFF?
– Why are “God’s ways” so secret, that outsiders would not understand?
– What would happen if you told your entire life story to outsiders? Would Jane approve? Are you sure? Have you ever tried? Why or why not?
– Why do so many of the leadership inside WOFF carry guns? Who or what are they defending?

In these times of social uncertainty and unrest, the citizens of Rutherford County and the surrounding counties need to know that a radicalized sect lives among them with a deep loyalty to protect their harmful lifestyle orchestrated, in my opinion, by a fanatical sociopathic leader bent on filling her financial needs.

2016 continues as the year for changes!

Follow this blog on Twitter- @religiouscults and

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/johnhuddleauthor

Comments are invited from all readers, including present or former members. Polls are not scientific and no private information is gathered.

Guest posts reflect the opinions of the writers. Their opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of John Huddle or any other persons affiliated with this blog.