JesusJesusJesus - Mounted exotic trophies and hides? OMFG. I cannot believe it. One more reason I am so happy to be FREE from any embarrassing connection to those horrid people.

Changed - Not to worry, I'm not worried about church.

I went to see my therapist today, and we talked a lot about how I can prevent myself from investing any more energy in "those horrid people." Sometimes (this is just my opinion), it can look like a positive thing, but when you stop and ask yourself, "What is this for?" It becomes very interesting.

By the way, didn't the Sayers move to CSprings to escape the horrible stain of Tony Flores' rapes of young men? Aren't they one of the pair of "ministries" who kept Tony in place as the head of a young men's communal home? And didn't they tell victims not to report anything or it would come back on G&M in a harmful way? Which, of course, always carries the message that THEY (G&M) have value, but the wounded, tormented young person clearly (in their opinion) does not.

So what do you think? John mad behind the pulpit because he got caught with a pedophile's pants down? Or because instead of Santa Barbara, he was living in the snow? He certainly wasn't mad at Tony Flores because he kept Tony in his position for a LONG time after he knew it was WRONG.

So am I giving energy to this? A little. What is it for? It makes me happy to speak the truth where deception kept me (and others) in a cage for so long.

It kind of sounds like JS was the one with anger management problems, among other things, doesn't it? It's so disturbing and disappointing to learn how the TLWF hierarchy routinely covered up clergy sexual abuse of congregants, and most especially of children. A nice big millstone is probably what awaits them.

Hey Onion,

Glad you're here, and glad you're giving a little energy to speaking the truth to deception.

It took me decades to speak the word "cult" out loud. I was walked out of LWF in 1984-5 (cannot remember exactly, those years were so traumatic). I didn't speak the word "cult" out loud until 2016, believe it or not that was when I finally felt like I was leaving my cage.

So many have different life experiences having left the cult. One friend told me she spent a decade in therapy and still suffers PTSD at the mention of the name of the church, all these decades later. Another told me recently that there were "no regrets" for time in LWF - even though a sibling is still stuck there and they no longer speak.

Me, I have regrets, but I don't regret speaking out. I don't regret speaking the word "cult" out loud for all to hear.

Good to hear from you, 40yearsin2016.

This, from Rick Ross. I think every warning sign he mentions here applies to the Walk/TLWF:

Here are 10 warning signs of a potentially unsafe group or leader.

• Absolute authoritarianism without meaningful accountability.

• No tolerance for questions or critical inquiry.

• No meaningful financial disclosure regarding budget or expenses, such as an independently audited financial statement.

• Unreasonable fear about the outside world, such as impending catastrophe, evil conspiracies and persecutions.

• There is no legitimate reason to leave, former followers are always wrong in leaving, negative or even evil.

• Former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances.

• There are records, books, news articles, or broadcast reports that document the abuses of the group/leader.

• Followers feel they can never be "good enough".

• The group/leader is always right.

• The group/leader is the exclusive means of knowing "truth" or receiving validation, no other process of discovery is really acceptable or credible.

4 0 i n


We are sad to hear of your unfortunate experiences, with a silver lining possibly being that you missed the worst of it; 1983-'present'.

The opposing experiences of your two friends just illustrates how many shades of gray there were in all of our experiences, from bad to good. We are grieved by all the injury, but we can still celebrate that which was GOOD.

Quote

Posted by: 40yearsin2016
Date: November 08, 2019 03:04PM

"It took me decades to speak the word "cult" out loud. I was walked out of LWF in 1984-5 (cannot remember exactly, those years were so traumatic). I didn't speak the word "cult" out loud until 2016, believe it or not that was when I finally felt like I was leaving my cage.

"So many have different life experiences having left the cult. One friend told me she spent a decade in therapy and still suffers PTSD at the mention of the name of the church, all these decades later. Another told me recently that there were "no regrets" for time in LWF - even though a sibling is still stuck there and they no longer speak.

"Me, I have regrets, but I don't regret speaking out. I don't regret speaking the word "cult" out loud for all to hear."

Thanks for chiming in, 40 Years. Always enjoy your insight. I have many regrets also. It took me a long time to come to the realization that TLWF is a cult. Like you, I don't regret speaking up and calling it what it is and always has been. I still hope that there will be some type of resolution for those who have been harmed the most. But even if all we do is leave warning signs for those who become free enough to read this forum, that's something.

40 Years wrote:
It took me decades to speak the word "cult" out loud. I was walked out of LWF in 1984-5 (cannot remember exactly, those years were so traumatic).

Those were tumultuous years--even by Walk/TLWF 'standards.'
I do recall a few influential people in my life during that time period who could have accurately gone by the pseudonym 40ozInTheMorning. I think open containers were a sign you were on the path toward Sonship. That, and having fire in your eyes during the prayer sessions. Following John's death, there was an intercession focus on demanding that God bring him back. I was a participant in that nonsense.

Reepicheep Wrote:
I still hope that there will be some type of resolution for those who have been harmed the most. But even if all we do is leave warning signs for those who become free enough to read this forum, that's something.

Yes

Reepicheep Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
But even if all we do is leave warning signs for those who
become free enough to read this forum, that's something.

Even after 12 years of covering seemingly every gamut of this little cult, the discussion here still generates interest, perhaps (in part) because there is new info disclosed by a poster who previously not come forward. As fear recedes, participants are inclined to share suppressed cult memories, and the composite picture of what we've been through becomes more clear.
(1,273,623 page views to date)