kBOY wrote:
Thanks to Caleb for refusing to let go of this bone, sometimes to his own detriment.

Yes

A post by 40yearsin2016 from September 2016:

Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens
Posted by: 40yearsin2016 ()
Date: September 25, 2018 02:07PM

Ok I'll play...

but instead of filling in a questionnaire, Here's what I require for my healing.

Amy should, being charged the responsibility since "Gary doesn't want to get involved":

1 - Read this forum - all 689 pages (note from changed: now 1100 pages, sorry about that)
2 - Read Woodrow Nichols book - all of it.

Based on that research generate a list of questions to be read from the pulpit on Sunday AM. Give the church leadership one week to respond in writing.

Next, Amy should post a notice on the bulletin board in the lobby of each church encouraging current members affected by sexual abuse within the church to call local hotlines (numbers provided) as well as local legal authorities. Independent legal counsel should to be funded by "Hargrave Ministries"

oh, I'm not done.

Finally, in support of my healing, Amy should commission and independent forensic audit of "Hargrave Ministries". Document all assets. Identify historic sources of those assets. Identify any IRS gaps. Document sources of income for "Hargrave Ministries" for as many years as the documents support. Forensic audit should be published publically, a link supplied on this forum would aide in my healing...

I would add listening to this podcast to your list, as well:
[www.ltaspod.com]
The Living Word Fellowship.

Thank you! I'm so blown away at what God has shielded me from! I ws young when I hung out at Enos Bender's farm and was deeply dismayed when he told me about his plans to donate it to JRS and the Walk! So much I don't know about this stuff, but witnessed it being played out in front of me as I grew older! JRS was an incredible speaker, and when he started out, he was a Godly man! I wonder how he could have gotten so evil! I loved dad Stevens as did many in the Washington Iowa area! John Bender, Enos's uncle, I think is the real estate being sold, that was'absorbed'by The cult as well! Not sure how long I'll stay in the forum, but I'd really like to reconnect with some of the Early arrivals to Enos's farm! We had a good time, but then again I wasn't a part of the cult practices, so I don't know what the other men were going through! i just know they were there to be isolated from familiar territory to control them! classic cult practice! Also I have talked to Fred bickhart many times over the years, until his passing years ago! Fred knew something was wrong early on, but the organization used their tactics to shame him into submission, just like they did with Johnny Bender and his family! Bickhart, and J bender finally escaped, but they were damaged mentally for a long time!

TH231955

You bring a sobering assessment of being one who was looking from the outside in with a larger perspective than most of us had.

My Shiloh stint was 1978-79 at the Sawmill with over 400+ living in the house.  Most of us were 20-somethings, full of piss & vinegar, thinking we were God's gift, only to find out we were a package of full of deception and disappointment.

Please feel free to contribute at will.

C H A N G E D

Previous post was #11,000 on page 1,100. (Stat geeks.)

kBOY Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> C H A N G E D
>
> Previous post was #11,000 on page 1,100. (Stat
> geeks.)

Yes, I took notice...and for once, didn't bring to to anyone's attention.
The record keeper is not quite as persistent as he used to be.
That said, it is noteworthy. We've been busy in this forum for a very long time...hopefully it has done some good ;)

kBOY wrote:
My Shiloh stint was 1978-79 at the Sawmill with over 400+ living in the house.

Wow

C H A N G E D

When I arrived at Shiloh in June of '78, it was quite an electric atmosphere--kind of like a mini-Woodstock live-in with 400+ 'like-minded?' individuals from all over the country.

My entire time I bunked in a room with five other guys, mostly sawmill crew, along with a few randoms.  The schedule was insane (referenced in earlier posts), but being young (stupid?) we incorporated it with the appropriate youthful exuberance.

A few tricks of the trade I learned in such a crowded house was to take my daily work-clothes (from the sawmill) into the shower with me, both shower and wash clothes, and then hang them off the top bunk to dry.  I rotated two sets so there was always dry clothes available and ample dry-time for the others.

The best time to shower was at the beginning of dinner (when most others were eating) and leave enough time to hit the chow-line.  (This did not work quite as well during the summer months when many of the 'departments' actually went back to work after dinner.)

We were quite creative in entertaining ourselves, especially during the long cold winter months when outdoor recreation was severely limited. Something that grew out of the routine was a weekly underground rag called 'Off The Wall' which provided much needed comedic relief, since it was open-season in roasting certain Shiloh-celebrities with biting wit.  It also had sports predictions, cartoons, and movie reviews (for those who actually got to see them.)  The 'authors' attempted to remain anonymous in order to escape 'fire from Heaven'.

Anyone who had a TV was instantly popular, not only for sports, but for watching that outrageous new show, Saturday Night Live.  There was mouse-hockey in the basement, food-fights in the kitchen, raiding the refrigerators late at night, and roaming the grounds under the cover of darkness on Night-Watch--our version of security.

Monday nights and Sunday afternoons were our only free time.  Everything else was WORD/WORSHIP/WORK.  Life reduced to basics--TLW style.

Happy to have you aboard th231955

I want to comment on your statement, ..."Godly man! I wonder how he could have gotten so evil! "

It sure seemed that way, but, IMO it was only an illusion.

Many more than I saw indiscretions here and there and questioned the 'human flaws" under our breaths, in our heads or even voiced the irregularities out loud and paid dearly for it- "Look the Emperor clothes are see-through! He is naked. (In a hotel room or flirting with a nice looking female; sexist jokes; demeaning his wife; controlling words- all recorded.) We teenagers did not understand the impact of what he was saying and grooming us for.

So many covered his behind- few are willing to admit that. Those who have also paid dearly for it. Many still refuse to see that JRS was a fraud- so here we are...

I would rather tell the truth. But, there are some who know they are complicit in the fraud; misappropriation of funds; abuse of people...youth trusted the leaders.

Until this forum existed no 2 or 3 witness was able to corroborate more than a few puzzles pieces. TLWF wanted it that way. My guess is that it was more the Queen who was the power behind the throne who wanted to build her kingdom.

If JRS was such a "Godly man" he would not have used women; amassed such wealth at the expense of those who 'slave labored', nor allowed Marilyn to grab such a controlling hold on the people...this did not happen overnight. It was plotted and planned- Shiloh was NOT what it was originally presented and prayed for to be.

Godly pastors protect their flocks at great expense to their own lives.
JRS was sham...a really big show. I trusted him, too up to a point when I could not overlook the sneaky looks and actions that never matched up. I could no longer ignore my gut/ the holy spirit/ god inspired conscience -whatever you want to call it.

JRS loved the lights on the big stage with adoring fans for as long as I knew him since the late 1950s. In front of the audience, he seemed to be something that the fruit of his action never matched up to. Stage presence and behind the scene was very different. this fact which we are exposing - is devastating for most of TLWF remembers to accept.

th231955 I hope you don't feel jumped upon for bluntly pointing to your words.it is not personal. The truth about JRS is a hard pill to swallow.

if you have not been filled in yet from reading back post after you left the claim that JRS passed his mantle on to Mariyl and Gary is so bogus- IMO -there was no mantle and it was a show when JRS was a grown man in a trusted position of authority - he took advantage of everyone he had under his thumb.

NO doubt the boy, John, was passionate about the word of God. It grieves me so as you said, "so evil" perhaps. I encourage you to read Rick Ross cult forum basics. You will see that JRS pretty much fits the destructive pattern of all cult leaders - they all think and have the people believing that they have "godly characteristics like no one else- the people are "special and we must do "god's will" in order to save the world... No, we were duped into believing that.

I am glad you enjoyed having out with Enos.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/2020 07:57AM by NancyB.

Thanks again for sharing your insight into the real JRS, NancyB.