I was member of a group that spurred from Broadway Tabernacle in Seattle in the 60's not long after Derek Prince left the church in the hands of James A Watt. My father Ramon Haas was instrumental in getting this group started. About five years after it began it became very legalistic and authoritarian. This was partly due to an adoption of teachings from the Shepherding movement popular in the 70's. After my father's death the church became ultra-authoritarian under the new leadership. It is, and has always been, strictly a home based group. It now calls itself "The Assembly of the Body of Christ" and is headed up by a man named Gilbert Larson, who considers himself to be the apostle, David North, who is considered to be the prophet, Andy Atwell who is considered to be the evangelist and another individual named Bruce Leonard who has a lot of authority in the church but has no official title. I give the names of these men because most times the actual name of the denomination is not disclosed to newcomers until time has passed. Gilbert Larson and Andy Atwell recently began a radio show which airs in New Mexico and California under the name "Gilbert and Friends". From this show they invite listeners to coffee gatherings in order to win them as a new member of their church. Once you are in though, if you try to leave, you are told you will be "out of fellowship" and "in the wilderness" and God will no longer look peaceably on you.

This church was built on doctrine originally established by the Latter Rain Movement and became intermingled with some very authoritarian practices. To better understand how this church operates a visit to the website How Cults Work will explain it all.

Many people, including myself, have been ex-communicated and damaged by their authoritarian and downright vicious spiritual attacks. After I was suddenly ex-communicated, without warning, over one sentence I spoke, I was left with anxiety and nightmare issues so severe I ended up in the emergency room several times. I ended up having to sell a home I had just bought in order to hide out from people stopping by to question why I was being called a" blasphemer". Others tried to persuade my wife to leave me and contacted her through her work and relatives in order to try to undermine our relationship. I ended up with severe emotional distress and had to leave my high paying, rather stressful job, since I could not handle the stress they were putting my family through and the stress of the job too. It has taken me years to get to the place where I can even talk about this stuff and I know of many others in the same position. I heard recently that a young couple was ex-communicated and are going through some really tough times but want to see no one. I have been to that point and know how it feels.

This group love bombs you up front but in the end they seek to destroy you with harsh judgments, shunning and ex-communication if you do not agree with the leadership on even the smallest point. Anyone who questions the leadership, or even provides an opinion outside what you are told to believe, is told they must decide if they are "in or out" of the fellowship. If the individual then does not follow the party line you are labeled rebellious and letters are sent or phone calls are made to the other members telling them to have nothing to do with you. You suddenly lose every "friend" you had overnight. It can be quite devastating.

A great deal of money comes into this organization and is funneled, without disclosure, to just a few top men. Gilbert Larson receives the lions share of the money. Anyone inquiring about the money is told they just need to "trust God" and they refuse to disclose how the money is used. I attempted many times to get an accounting but was absolutely refused. Detailed records are kept on who tithes and who doesn't and if it appears you do not give your fair share you find yourself being counted as inferior.

This is a very short synopsis and I plan to come back here and begin listing more specific examples that I have witnessed as examples of the abuse this denomination dishes out. For those like me that do become vocal it is their practice to turn that individual over to satan and I am quite certain they have already done this. For an explanation of my crime that got me ex-communicated visit My Crime and you can make your own determination if my one sentence was "nearly blasphemy of the Holy Spirit" as I was told. I have read enough now about churches that abuse spiritually to know that this is not the only church that abuses and there are many others. I hope perhaps the examples I give will help others avoid this church and others like it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/21/2008 09:38PM by rrmoderator.

I do not understand how these internet things work. I left the fellowship/cult three years ago....and it is still killing me and my family. I have questions. I know you and I stayed in your home the first time I went to an All Church Meeting.

I slept in your kitchen on the floor. You had all kinds of cool kitchen gadgets and that just amazed me. I think that will tell you who I am. It was about 18 years ago or so. You lived in a trailer and the first night there was a big yellow slug on your back porch and I had never seen such a thing before that.

Anxiously waiting for your reply.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/30/2008 08:39PM by rrmoderator.

CrushedAndBroken:

Don't post email addresses and other contact information on this message board.

This is against the rules.

There is a private messaging system.

To my Brother in Christ, John,
As you are well aware of, I too am no longer fellowshipping with the Group, here in San Diego, Ca.
My last felloship was in late '86. My life has changed alot since then. But all is well!
I'm still Spirit filled and alive and have found new fellowship in Jesus Christ. Let me assure you that you too are Spirit filled and still alive in Christ. If you would like to talk, Please reply thru this forum and I will check it occasionally.
Lord Bless you Gary.

Please Pray for my family. I believe their eyes may be beginning to open

Ray Haas had and adultrous relationship with Yvonne,his second wife.He left Scott and his first wife high and dry its a fact so how was he and elder when he doesnt qualify according to the scriptures.And then theres Gil,liviving in a million dollar home in New Mexico? Tithing is a lie ,Hebrews 7:18 says it was set aside because of its weakness.Then Gil turns Mike Parnell and elder at the time in the body ,over to Satan,and doesnt even tell Mike ? Isnt there a due process?Two brothers then the whole body ,according to the scipture.It was because Mike complained about the huge salarys they were paying themselves and called them on it that Gil did this.To invoke fear and compliance amongst the other members ,else why didnt he tell Mike he had been handed over to Satan?Last I heard Gil was taking down 65k or so a year back in the late ninetys.How do you start with a lie being Rays adultrous relationship and end up with the truth?

I love my brothers in the Lord,but I do not fear Gil Larson .I have seen him get angry and use it for a control mechanism . None of us should be beyond reproach or accountability.I would never say these things to cause division,THE TRUTH IS THE TRUTH! All that should be done hear is to have some questions answered.Is it a sin to demand some answers? How dare they deviate from the Apostles teachings as far as how the ministry is and was supported . How do you become born in the spirit and are perfected in the flesh? Isnt by faith we are saved? Wasnt it by faith Abraham gave a tenth to the King of Salem? Where is the Apostles teaching on this? Show me one time that the Apostles teaching says that they should be supported by tithing? Not to say that the ministry shouldnt be supported.As long as that ministry is teaching Gods Truth! They can say what they want,its not what the Apostles teaching says!