Recently, I received the following information about a new and timely International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) presentation. Over the years, many survivors have voiced questions about what options they have in relation to their previous group. This presentation is a resource for answers to those questions. DO NOT MISS this opportunity!
Phil Elberg, Esq. has experience that is a valuable resource for survivors of controlling groups. I am excited to hear his story and draw from his wealth of knowledge.
Please, don’t pass up this opportunity. You can view from the privacy of your home. It is FREE! There is no requirement to donate. If you are able, please, consider a donation to support this educational project.
During the research for my soon to be released book, “Locked in”, I remembered my time within Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) and the time shortly after my departure in July 2008. For days on end, the emotions washed over me as I recounted the anxieties, the drama and the choices made during those months. At least part of the struggle was discovering who I really was. It was a “spring thaw” from the many years of my “self” existing frozen in the deep recesses of my soul; put there by the many rules, dictates and practices of WOFF. Those first few months of freedom were full of apprehension, while many times overrun with the questions… what do I do here? How do I? When do I? What if I? I was living free and making choices for the first time in many years.
Through the years since 2008, I learned my struggles were new to me, but not unexpected for one leaving a religious cult or a high-demand group. The feelings and emotions of those days were predictable. There was no one close to me who had traveled the same road and could guide me. In a quest to learn more, I turned to resources- books and online sources. Many a night, I traded sleep for the time to read survivor stories or other resources and/or the freedom to write. Both reading and writing helped sort out the jumbled mess of my life from the years within WOFF.
One of the most valuable resources I found is the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA). Their online resources are many. July of 2014, I attended their conference in Washington, DC. The people I met and the sessions I attended, deepened my understanding of the dangers and results of high-demand groups. One of the benefits of membership is receiving the publication, ICSA Today.
ICSA Today Magazine volume 5 number 3 2014 – contains an article titled “Thought Reform and the Psychology of Breaking Away from Totalism”, written by Ron Burks, PhD. This is my resource for this post. I will quote from it in order to explain my struggles and those of others leaving WOFF during these days. Continue reading Leaving Thought Reform – Spring Thaw and the Resulting Liberty (1)→
Over the years, I have been through definitive phases while writing this blog. In the beginning, the purpose was to tell my experiences inside Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). The more I wrote, the more I needed to write. The process helped me sort the surreal and the confusions which came as a result of involvement in WOFF. The cathartic effects were priceless. The process did not stop there. As the months turned into years and the drive to share evolved into the desire to learn about other religious control groups; I made comparisons between WOFF and groups such as FLDS, Exclusive Brethren, Strong City, NTCC and others. Survivors of others groups read my posts and confirmed the likeness of their own experiences.
This phase led into reading and reviewing different resources that helped me understand my experience as well as the experience of others. For those readers who have visited over the years, you have seen these transitions. I have also chronicled the struggles of other survivors of WOFF. Helping them has been an honor and a privilege.
In the last few months, the pace of my postings has slowed, but the interest has not. My time has been spent compiling my experiences into a different format. It has been humbling and another type of struggle putting my thoughts, opinions and recollections into a book format. The process is near completion and I will share more about the finished product in the near future.
Earlier this month, I spent about ninety minutes sharing my experiences and what I have learned with two young college students. They had a beginner’s understanding about religious cults and were full of very good questions. They found me through a simple Internet search. After this experience, I realized that at least a portion of my readers are not searching for information about WOFF. Also, I know that a certain portion of my readers consists of those affected by WOFF and groups like them while never actually being a member of such a group.
It is with these background thoughts that I share the resource of the YouTube channel for the International Cultic Studies Association. I trust the source and actually met several of the presenters during the conference in July of 2014. The main channel link is here.
The first video I recommend has K. Gordon Neufeld as the presenter. I met Mr. Neufeld this past July and enjoyed his humorous reading from his book- “Cult Stories.” In this video he explains his time in The Unification Church (Moonies). He also goes into detail about his struggles with the questions about leaving the Moonies and reconciling the decision after he did leave the group. A note of irony, his initial exposure to the Unification Church came at a time when he was searching for answers about something totally different- Primal Scream Therapy. When I first read that in his book, I cackled.
“Writing Down the Pain: A Case Study for the Benefits of Writing for Cult Survivors”
The Phoenix Project presentation was Thursday evening during the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) conference earlier this month. Time and space was set aside for not only art work of different forms, but presentations by survivors of poetry, literary works, videos, songs, and classical piano. The time of presentation allowed survivors of high-demand groups to express to an understanding audience, the thoughts and emotions concerning their experiences. I wrote this piece before realizing it could be presented for consideration in the Project. After a couple of edits to cut down the length, I read the following narrative about a meeting held on the grounds of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) in 2008.
______________________________________________________________________________ Winds of Destruction….
Severe weather experts would record that during the first six months of 2008, “Tornadoes caused 111 deaths through the end of May, the second highest death toll for any year in the Doppler radar era…” ** Though I would live through those months unaware of the death and destruction caused by this severe weather pattern, the winds of destruction blowing in my life that spring would be an ironic reflection of the course of nature’s wrath.
April 9, 2008 was a Wednesday.
This day began as many other days. As a member of the Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) in Spindale, NC, living in shared housing with other church members was a normal and even an expected practice. We had moved into this household arrangement in October 2002. My wife, son, daughter and I shared a spacious five bedroom house on a cul-de-sac with another church family of three. There were two other church families living close by on our street- Carver Lane. My wife taught fourth grade in the church sponsored school where my children attended. My son was beginning his middle school years. This was my daughter’s senior year and graduation was scheduled for June 1st. Preparation had already begun for this event which was looked upon with much anticipation and excitement. Continue reading Phoenix Project- Winds of Destruction…→
As I have been doing my daily deeds, I have been reflecting on the ICSA conference attended last week. There was so much good information shared and many new relationships formed. It was a lot to take in all at once. So, as happens with me and I suspect others, I remembered things said during meetings that at the time did not get my attention or make an “Ah Hah” moment. Today, I remembered a quick comment made by a speaker that has since jarred me. I cannot remember exactly which speaker said this since I believe it was in a session where a panel of counselors and experts were leading the meeting. The comment paraphrased was “Leaders of these groups have to control their members because of their own insecurities.” The manner in which it was said conveyed the speaker’s position that we all should remember this. This is where we start when understanding the motivations of a leader of a controlling group. We must get past the smoke and mirrors of any religious authority or special enlightenment. We must push through the euphemistic phrases used by the leader and even the leadership. The reason for the control of a group leader to keep people INSIDE the group is NOT healthy. The motivation is from the leader’s own insecurities. Okay, that being said, we are talking about destructive controlling groups here of which I firmly believe Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) has become one of those groups.
The statement remembered today brought me back into focus on several levels. When getting caught up in telling the horror stories of members inside and those who have left, lost in the menagerie of descriptions replete with heartache and drama is the starting point. Lost can be the reason for the leader’s profound motivation to keep people within their grasp and control. The starting point is the leader’s dysfunction, NOT the state of those recruited into the group. Time after time, people pose the question often in a sense of superiority – How could anyone get involved in a group like that? Though this question is viable in the discussion, it is not the starting point. The starting point is the dysfunction of the leader and the measures growing out of that dysfunction which trap victims in the web of control. In my opinion, the leaders of these groups are NOT mentally healthy. True some evolve into a black hole of dysfunction, but that still does not excuse the outcome nor should it cause us to begin with the victim when considering the evolution of the group. Continue reading Remember This…→
Last week, I attended the International Cultic Studies (ICSA) conference in Washington, D.C. During the meetings and in between sessions, I found real people seeking and finding real help from those who could provide the insights and resources meant to further recovery from involvement in a high-demand group. I do not regret any of the changes in my schedule or the cost of attending the conference. My experience may not be exactly what other attendees encountered, but I believe the majority of the people around me felt the same as they left the conference.
Starting in February, I planned this trip. As new information was released, the excitement grew. One benefit I expected was to meet a few of the professionals whom I had been in contact with over these last few years. For various reasons, I had contacted professionals across the country involved in either the studies surrounding high demand groups or directly helping survivors. I met these folks and many more. There were people from many different nations as well as many from different States. Continue reading Real People Getting Real Help…→
In an effort to provide information about resources that can be a help to those affected by high demand faith groups or any control group, this post shares information about the International Cultic Studies Association (ICSA) Annual Conference in Washington, DC. The Conference will be from July 3rd through the 5th of this year. Preconference workshops will be opened on Wednesday, July 2nd. The information is explained here at the ICSA website.
The theme of the conference is “Government, Human Rights, and the Cult Phenomenon.” However, talks are by no means limited to this theme.”
Who should attend? “The program will be varied with numerous sessions pertinent toformer members of cultic or other high-demand groups, families, helping professionals, researchers, and others. A track within the program will include sessions addressing aspects of the conference theme of government, human rights, and the cult phenomenon.”
(After you click to read the rest of the post, the Registration Form comes up. Use the slide bar to backup and read excerpts from the Agenda.)
