Tag Archives: Leaving a Cult

Hope is the Only Thing Stronger than Fear…

Not often do I think that a line from a movie is worth sharing. However, this one will not go away and it finally became an idea worthy of sharing here. Suzanne Collins’ book and subsequent movie- “The Hunger Games” had been out for a long time before I was convinced by a friend to see it. Contrary to what some in Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) may believe, I don’t readily read or desire works of fiction. In order to appease this request, I agreed to watch the first of the trilogy by Ms. Collins. The main attraction for me was the story was filmed in Asheville, NC. Once I learned that, it made the thought of watching it a bit easier.

My purpose is here is not a full movie review. If you have not seen the movie, then make your own decision. Let me just set the scene and provide the quote. Somewhere on the North American continent in the distant future and after a rebellion is quashed; the ruling class sets up 12 districts called Pan AM and begins to rule with an iron hand. President Snow is speaking to the man in charge of the annual Hunger Games about the growing unrest in the outlying districts. The citizens there have no say in how they are governed. President Snow says, “Hope is the only thing stronger than fear.” And he goes on to admonish the games maker to not give the citizens too much hope.

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Abuse is Abuse is Abuse….There is No Excuse

The rccatalyst.com write up on the event on Saturday said this… “The crowd waited quietly even as they stood divided into two camps…” After I read that, I pondered- What were the two camps? Was it those who were against abuse and those who were for it? No, I am sure that would not be admitted. In a simplified explanation, it was those who had left Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) and those who were still there. There was a third camp of concerned citizens who may or may not have been aware of the drama that surrounded them. If the ensuing outburst of flailing arms and shouts at the speaker did not pique their curiosity then, okay. But, there were at least two “camps” and a third group of supporters.

It is the group of WOFF members who attended the event to whom I address this post. Many of you either soon will be or are already of child bearing age. Some were carrying unborn babies at the event. It is to that group this post is focused. In order to make my case, let me share a series of events relayed to me by a former WOFF member concerning a child who attends Word of Faith Christian School (WFCS).

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“The Light” Shines Bright at the Candlelight Vigil in Rutherfordton!

The Light Shines
The Light Shines

First, allow me to acknowledge those who put in the many hours of preparation for this event. You know who you are and my most heartfelt appreciation goes out to you. Thank you. Also, I want to thank the supporters who showed up early to lend a hand with balloons and pinwheels and bows and everything else. Next, let me thank the speakers who took time from their weekend to tread uncharted waters and take their message to the steps of the courthouse.  There were many unknowns going into the event, but it came together and the outcome was one none had predicted. Oh, there is more… It is the wee hours of Sunday morning, but I feel pressed to post this before things heat-up again on Sunday.  Oh, yes… there will be heat in many places. Let me explain.

Upon arrival early Saturday evening, I found a bee hive of activity with balloons, bows, a banner and a sign posted in memory of Robynn Spence. The weather could not have been better.  We were on the east side of the courthouse in the shade. The breezes were brisk at times, but that kept the pinwheels spinning and temperatures down to some degree. As the last preparations were completed and the speaker system in place; folks began to meander into the courthouse area. Many had expressions of wonder and for sure we hoped each was greeted with a smile as we were all truly glad folks made the choice to come and support the efforts on Saturday.

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Dear Sarah…

Dear Sarah,

It has been a little over a year since I tried to contact you on your job in Tryon. There has not a day gone by since then that I don’t think of you and Michael and wonder how you both are doing. I love you both very much and miss you beyond words. My efforts at that time were prompted by information I received that a few weeks previous, you had expressed a desire to call me. I understand that desire was met with a strong rebuke by Jane saying, “You will go nowhere young lady, if you leave here you will end up just like your Dad!” Knowing the results of that exchange are just as upsetting to me today, as learning about it last year.

After I tried to reach you, two local government officials called me to say that your mother was requesting on your behalf that I not try to reach you. Once I was told you were in the room and expressed agreement. Even though I find that hard to believe, I know how that could happen within your group and the pressures you would have exercised upon you to say those things. Those calls did not lessen my love for you.

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The Federal Injunction: The Cure Becomes the Disease (1)

About a year ago, I hinted at a post which would include a review of the ominous “Federal Injunction.” Time passes quickly and this seems to be the time to bring to you a short background and review of the results of the lawsuit Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) brought against the Rutherford County Department of Social Services (RCDSS). The basis for the legal action was the investigative techniques taken by RCDSS workers during their investigation of WOFF. Let me say I am no legal scholar. At this moment, I do not have a copy of the entire case file. I only have the document from which the new guidelines were put forth. I have no intentions of reviewing the entire case file in this post. That review is for another time and another venue. Today, we will take an overview of the “Stipulation for Compromised Settlement Thereon” filed June 21, 2005 in the United States District Court for the Western Division of North Carolina Asheville Division pertaining to Case File No. 1:03CV298. From the case file number- we can learn that this case started in 2003.

The perspective I bring to this discussion is unique in several ways. First, I was inside WOFF during the investigation. At the very beginning of the whole ruckus, I lived in Greenville, SC and was a part of Word of Life Church – otherwise known as Grace and Truth Fellowship. During the frenzy around the Inside Edition investigation, we felt the pressure in Greenville. Looking back, I know we were not privileged to the entire scoop, but we heard enough and saw enough to feel the same pressures and fears even though we lived several miles away. The news investigators came to Greenville and attempted to interview Gerald and Linda Southerland during 1995. During the years between 1995 and 2002, we were becoming more and more part of the WOFF drama. Looking back, I understand we were only told what was okay for those at our level of the WOFF pyramid to know. I am sure I do not have complete knowledge of the inside drama during those years, but I was aware of the main steps and what DSS did to investigate the children inside certain of WOFF. As mentioned previously, in 2002, we moved inside the group into a WOFF household. We were in the meeting where Jane introduced the idea to the congregation asking the question if we felt that suing DSS was the right thing to do. There was apparent agreement expressed. Jane then announced we would do just that…

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Three WOFF Survivors Speak Out!

tears of pain
tears of pain

This has been another busy 48 hours on certain social media outlets. During this period three Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) survivors have put short versions of their plight inside the group. Each left at different times, but you will see certain commonalities in their stories. You may ask John, why would you repost here? The answer is simple. Not everyone is on Facebook® nor does everyone care to be socially connected in that way. In light of that, I have asked for and received permission to repost these short stories here. I have been in contact off and on with Morgan Sample for longer than any of them. She told me this part of her story when we first connected and yet, she did not feel comfortable to share it here on this blog or other social media outlets. Now, she has let others know what she had already told in private. Continue reading for the survivor stories…

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DSS Returns WOFF Escapee

Friday, I received an email about an incident on Wednesday in Rutherford County. I read the email, read it again and then read it again before I understood the impact of the content. Here is the important part of the email—

“…DSS… they had a girl about 17 try to leave WOFF Wed. She came to DSS. They were so afraid of WOFF that they put her in a room by herself and immediately called WOFF. They of course came and took her back with her head slumped forward.”

It seems this drama had been playing out for a couple of days and I was just being included. Sources confirmed the story of a young girl from Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) who ended up at Department of Social Services (DSS) in Rutherford County. Because of their fear of the dreaded Federal Injunction… they were kept from doing their duty and as the email says, “…put her in a room by herself and immediately called WOFF.” That is not the official version, but a version from someone INSIDE the DSS who was there when it all went down. The official version will include a retelling of the events as if the young girl willingly went back into her parents home after the situation with a cell phone was resolved and she was expected to live happily ever after.

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