A few days ago, Google Alerts® provided a link to an article about Nick Skinner. I did not know who Nick Skinner was but, the title of the article caught my attention. The subtitle told me a little more: “Nick Skinner, husband of Savannah Miller, talks for the first time about life inside a Costa Rican cult.” I continued reading this article written by Lynne Wallis and knew it had many points that could prove helpful to our readers.

  According to Steven Hassan, a leading cult expert, there are four main types of cults. We have reviewed mostly religious cults on this blog. Other that religious cults, there are political groups, therapy/large group awareness training groups and commercial groups. Source: “Releasing the Bonds” (Copyright© by Steven Hassan 2000, A Freedom of Mind Press Book, ISBN: 0-9670688-0-0) It helped me to review this article and see the common techniques used in the group Nick Skinner became a part of and the practices of Word of Faith Fellowship (WOFF). The link to view the entire article is here – http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/9061694/How-Igot-sucked-into-a-cult.html . We will only review certain parts that coincide or appear similar to the practices of WOFF we have discussed here on this blog.

  Skinner begins, “People don’t tend to go looking to join a cult,” he says. “Instead, curious and often idealistic people are led into recruitment and their lives are then ruined. That is certainly what happened to me.”  Well, that seems to fit the WOFF experience. How many WOFF members, present and pervious were drawn into Jane Whaley’s group by their desire to “know God”, have a family living in God’s ways… I can say for myself that there was certainly the curious idealism that led me to be a part of WOFF. Oh, it was disguised as “seeking the call of God” or “wanting to know more of God’s ways”. In reality, I look back and remember the curiosity and desire to live the life God had for me and yet I did not use any discernment or verify anything about WOFF. It was so easy to believe what was going on at WOFF as being the “move of God”… because I wanted to believe it.  I have done more research about a car I wanted to buy than performing any research or verifying the past of Sam and Jane Whaley. That was sad to realize.

   Continue reading “How I got sucked into a cult…” from the UK →