Tag Archives: Leaving a Cult

AP Investigation – Broken Faith (main video)

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”.

Continue reading AP Investigation – Broken Faith (main video)

FaithFreedomFund.org – Q&A

For the past few years, I have worked with the Faith Freedom Fund helping survivors of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) as well as survivors from other groups. During my time inside of WOFF, there were many misinformed statements made by the leadership about the purpose and people behind this support group. While many of us await the release of the AP Investigation “Broken Faith”; I thought it a good time to address some of the misinformation that was told WOFF members.

First, let me go on record as saying I took help from Faith Freedom Fund (FFF) during my first few months after leaving WOFF. My brother suggested I call the main contact at the time, Cal Sayles. Cal later reminded me of how skittish I was during the first few contacts over the phone. I would not even give him my name until I agreed to meet him at a fast food place in Shelby. There we talked about I don’t remember what- probably my exit drama. After that meeting, I kept in contact from time to time with Cal. Over the years, as I progressed in my open protests walking down Oakland Road, it became a regular thing to pass on survivor requests to the leaders of FFF.

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Choose Yourself, Choose Your Happiness…

Yes, I know. Even writing a title like this one scares me. Deep down inside there is a horn blaring- don’t say that! People will think you are SELFISH! You can’t choose yourself-first! You must do for others first. You are a worthless piece of no count nothing. Remember the song- JOY? Jesus then Others then You… what a wonderful way to spell JOY… Announcement! That song doesn’t tell the whole story. It was a fine song for children in summer vacation Bible school who were learning to share their toys.

Do you have that voice in you? Always consider yourself last. Put others first; others and their needs and their desires ahead of everything you need or want? How is that working for you? Sleeping good at night? Always smiling?

Okay, I know from being a parent there comes time to sacrifice and make choices for your children. Those are not the times and choices I am writing about. I am aiming for those thoughts and habits which don’t consider your own needs and therefore you are not fulfilled and able to make those quality choices which help others around you. Let me explain.

First off, after my time at Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF), I shy away from making blanket endorsements for any man or woman who is teaching their ways to success. It could be business or religion or any other area. I hesitate giving anyone total approval. With that said, today’s post stems from my reading a book by James Altucher: Choose Yourself! –originally published 2013. For disclosure, I am not finished reading this book. It is not a prim and proper book. The language is frank and frontal. However, if you can see past the presentation and hear the message, this book may be one to read.
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Fenner Hearing Reveals Queen(s) for the Day…..

Updated: December 9, 2016 10:31 AM
The Hearing held December 8th in the Fenner case answered some questions and left many still unanswered. By the time I entered Courtroom #2, the discussions of the State’s request for the Honorable Judge Marvin Pope to hear all cases related to the indictments were well under way. The Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF) crowd was seated in the back right of the room close to the main entry door. This was not the normal front left position as in previous sessions. The media and others not affiliated with WOFF were sitting on the left side. Of course, I found a seat up about middle left.

Today was yet another small chapter in the ongoing saga of the Matthew Fenner case. Events from January 27, 2013 are in question. Five present and former WOFF members were formally indicted in January 2015. The indictments against Brooke Covington, Justin Covington and Robert Lewis Walker, Jr. who are still members and Adam Bartley and Sarah Anderson, former members; include second degree kidnapping, first degree assault and one count of inflicting injury by attempted strangulation. After initially attempting to represent all five defendants, WOFF attorneys Joshua Farmer, Mark Morris and all their associates were disqualified by Judge Pope in August 2015.

As a result, all five defendants have separate counsel. Brooke Covington is represented by David Teddy. Justin Covington is represented by Krinn Evans. Robert Lewis Walker, Jr. is represented by Matthew Cabe. Sarah Covington is represented by the Cooper Firm. Adam Bartley is represented by Robert Denton who also represents Nicholas Anderson in his civil case for divorce and custody against Sarah. All five defendants and their counsel were present today.

Now, back to the hearing….
Continue reading Fenner Hearing Reveals Queen(s) for the Day…..

“The Crossroads of Should and Must” and Much more…

This series of events has become a pattern for me. I have been coming home late from work, grabbing a snack and plopping down for “a few minutes in front of my small television to watch something to relax me before going to bed…” Ultimately, I fall asleep sitting up sometimes with my contacts in or sometimes not. Startled by an unknown something, I awaken to see some YouTube video playing and immediately wondering how long I had been asleep. I try my best to remember the last time I looked at a clock and do the math. Two? Three? or four hours? Four. It felt like much less time that I had slept.

Last night, I repeated the pattern. After a long shift at work, I arrived home and convincing myself that this time would be different, I promised self to only stay a few minutes on the couch. Well, I am not sure what awakened me just at that moment, but four hours later with my eyes screaming for oxygen, I wake up and see an interview playing on the screen. Two young folks were talking which did not catch my attention at first. Then I honed in on their conversation. They were extolling the benefits of getting the right amount of sleep! Great, as if I did not feel guilty enough, here I wake up on the couch when any normal person would have been in bed getting the “right amount of sleep.”

Next, the lady began to say that when she get the right amount of sleep her dreams were vivid and real and in some ways she felt held keys to her wake hours. She described a sequence of events where she found an apartment which she had dreamed about over and over… Now, I am intrigued. The young man interviewing Elle Luna spoke about her new book. My mind raced, this lady has a book? I grabbed a pen and wrote her name down hoping to search for the book after getting more sleep. Yet, I could not stop watching the interview even after peeling the contacts out of my dry eyes and brushing my teeth.
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Hearing Set in Matthew Fenner Case –Dec. 8th

Judges chair
Judges chair

Several events have colored this year with surprise and even shock. Unfortunately, the conclusion of the Matthew Fenner case has not been one of them. We roll our hopes forward to 2017. The next step in the process will be this Thursday, December 8th.

Rccatalyst.com recently reported the notice filed by Assistant District Attorney Garland Byers requesting four of the five defendants to appear and address pre-trial motions. Adam Bartley’s attorney, Robert Denton will not be available for the hearing and was not listed in the announcement.

This case stems from events of January 27, 2013 inside the sanctuary of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). Matthew alleges during a session of blasting deliverance prayer he was held against his will and assaulted including an attempt to strangle him. This form of prayer has been a controversial signature practice of WOFF since its inception over thirty years ago.
Continue reading Hearing Set in Matthew Fenner Case –Dec. 8th