I worked at Shiloh and sawmill for a year 1976-77 and met my wife there. She worked at Blix in LA. When engaged, John Stevens sent me to LA to work at Fine Line Graphix. There was a day in the bindery when a young man from Seattle (sent to work in word work) with anger problems attacked my wife while she was working in the Bindery. I stepped in to protect her but didn't know how to box. He did. He went crazy and everyone watched us fight. Jim Reling and Jim West just watched. Fortunately, I didn't win or lose but held my own. No one stepped in to help me. They just told me to keep quiet after it was over. This kid also assaulted someone in a communal home (Moonbeam house, I believe). A couple days after the incident, someone came up to me and said they put the kid on a bus back to Seattle. My neck was hurt for a few months. No one counselled me, or asked if I needed medical assistance. I never really got over that. No shepherds heart there that I could see. I always loved Jerry Beavers, John Cockas and Charles Beech at the Living Word Building. They were always loving to me. Jim Reling and Jim West, on the other hand were very position oriented and not much love. I always really liked the editors of the this weeks which I typeset (Jim Mickelson, Earl Spencer, Sue Walkey and her mother, Lois Farmer and another woman (forgot her name). I know John Horning.

When my wife and I both worked at Fine Line, she got pregnant with our first child in 1978. The authorities were not happy. She miscarried. The brothers told us to get ministry at the LA valley church on Sunday night. It was a horrible experience in the back room. My grieving wife was told it was great that she miscarried so we could both keep giving our lives to the word work at Fine Line. Well … about 2 months after this ministry, we found out she was 5 or 6 months pregnant. The baby was a twin (one twin miscarried and the other made it to full term). When the brothers found out they were furious, saying it was not God's will. My wife went to John Stevens privately and he said it was OK that she was still pregnant and we were not out of God's will.

I was told by Jim Reling to leave Fine Line when my wife was 9 months pregnant and get a job in the world. I found a job in downtown LA which I loved and felt more love from my boss and co-workers there than at Fine Line. When my wife had our first born she was also told to leave fine line graphix by Mr. Reling.



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. . . "Independent investigation?" Just exactly what is and who does an independent investigation? Church members? Good luck . ..
. .

Typer: Welcome to the Forum. Your story is already so heartbreaking. The lack of care for the people supposedly being shepherded was rampant in every area of the walk churches.

I must have known you and your wife. I got married at Shiloh in May 1977 and had lived at Blix from Feb 1972 until I got married. I worked full time in accounting at TLW starting in Feb of 1976 and still worked at Blix in the tape room.

Having someone you were supposed to trust, gloat over a miscarriage as the will of God makes me vomit. And then to tell your joyfully pregnant wife it wasn't the will of God - well we can all vomit over that.

I am so happy you and your wife made it thru that time period and I hope you will feel completely free to tell your story. You will find a rambunctious but understanding and empathetic group of people on this forum. Saved my life.

My wife (and I) say thank you. I (we) really feel your love. My wife worked in the master tape room with you in 1976 and she was then transferred to work at TLW on the AB Dick printer for books, this weeks and tape catalogs. She worked with Andy Anderson, very fond memories of him. Her mom (who lives with us) was good friends of Meredith and Dave in Iowa.

Richard M. Wrote:
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> . . . "Independent investigation?" Just exactly
> what is and who does an independent investigation?
> Church members? Good luck . ..

Yeah, really.

typer Wrote:
> There was a day in the bindery when a young man from Seattle (sent to
> work in word work) with anger problems attacked my
> wife while she was working in the Bindery. I
> stepped in to protect her but didn't know how to
> box. He did. He went crazy and everyone watched us
> fight. Jim Reling and Jim West just watched.
> Fortunately, I didn't win or lose but held my own.

That was especially crazy time period. Glad you held your own. I suppose some "prophets" during that era would justify the fistfights, saying it was preparation for ruling and reigning over the earth. Who knows.
Anyway, welcome to the forum, typer.

Thank you for your kindness. Many tears in visiting things buried for a long time, except in dreams (nightmares). It is overwhelming that in all your hurts, you and others here express such genuine care.

Hope I'm not typing too much, but I wanted to share feelings on "designated relationships." A little worried on revealing the person's name since he was related to my wife and still deeply involved in LA church. When we moved to Palmer Lake I was "assigned" a designated relationship which seemed OK at first. Then I wanted to share my heart on some concerns and things went sour. I tried to go to him after a service to make things right, because he was ignoring me (refused to answer me on purpose). He told me he ignored me on purpose to mature me. We started yelling at each other (loud conversation), and the effort by me to work things out blew up. John Sayer (the apostolic pastor at the time) sent a person over to me to tell me I was being assigned a new designated relationship. He didn't even have the guts to talk to me directly. Anyway I was told to meet this person at a restaurant and talk to him. He was a nice, kind person, but always had a notebook and took notes when I met and talked with him. The worst part was it was not natural, organic, or genuine, but instead an order from headquarters. I was raised Anglican, but it was never real to me. Then in college (1971), I really started seeking to have a relationship with the Lord. I would go over to a house on campus run by the Catholic Church for the college and argue doctrine with the priest, a Father Lester in Billings, Montana. We would get in heated arguments, and not agree on many things (like having to pray to Mary, the mother of God, so she could take it to Jesus to answer a prayer). But even though we never agreed on many things, I never felt shamed until I encountered TLWF authority. After debating with Father Lester on a variety of doctrines, we never came to agreement on many things, but I never felt put down after words, and we still genuinely liked each other. We didn't even know why, but love seemed to prevail. I never thought about "excommunication" or shaming or had those kind of thoughts or dreams until encountering TLWFC counseling sessions. That is when my self esteem went south. I'm actually now starting to love myself again since the church quit meeting in October. We are trying out some different churches where all their sermons are online and archived on U tube FOR FREE. I AM SO GLAD I DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR TAPES/CD's ANYMORE. These main line churches actually get their word out to the whole world through U Tube, especially soldiers in war zones. Why didn't TLWFC do that?

I thought of something funny. I'm getting ready for some of my friends to start calling me a "Nephilim". I've never been this bold before. I am no longer afraid of "Excommunication." If they do, I will feel I belong on this forum even more.