ForgottenIA wrote:
I am glad to see many former members were able to appreciate the article I wrote. Thank you to everybody that has shared their stories within this forum, as well as the few that have conversed with me.

Given how guarded most of us are in this forum, you handled the situation adroitly. All the best.

A post by dbc from November of 2018:

Posted by: dbc
Date: November 02, 2018 05:28AM

Let’s not forget the origins of this group. ( please feel free to correct any errors. My memory ain’t what it used to be! ) It was meant to be the restoration of apostolic authority. Inherent in that is a lack of accountability. The only check on abuse in the beginning was created by relationships with other groups. Richard Riss wrote about these five groups that came out of the latter rain movement in his masters thesis. John Stevens’last contact with Bob Mumford whose teachings and organization also reflected submission to shepherding authority meant the beginning of an era when John was surrounded by people who only agreed with him. The finances and church structures also reflected this new testament model meaning local church corporations were not autonomous but responsive the the flow of authority - but the money flowed the other way. Also there was a deliberate decision to charge for the tapes. To pay five dollars in the 1970s for a cassette tape was outrageous. JOHN boasted that the church of the living word was the greatest purchaser of blank tapes in Southern California. That was a lot of money.

After John died, with the reorganization to Hargrave family ministries it seemed like everything was on steroids. The upward flow. Designated relationships. Authority with no accountability. As local churches folded their assets were sold and the money returned to the word for the world fund. Plus tithes plus special offerings for apostolic travel.

Unless the DNA changes there will be no substantive changes at all. And there are no signs of the DNA changing. The seeds of what we’re seeing now were there from the very beginning. I’m sure no one intended it to happen, but when the crystal forms and grows it follows the pattern set out by the basic molecular structure. That’s why “you will know them by their fruit.” The fruit is quite apparent now. It would seem the only reasonable response is to walk away.

Unfortunately, those who post in this forum give testimony to the fact that it’s difficult to leave this group without being damaged goods. There will be a whole lot of hurting going on for quite a while.

Don't kill my plants! (fool me twice's encounter with 'the Apostle to the Kingdom'):

Posted by: fool me twice
Date: March 24, 2019 01:57AM

Onion wrote:
<Fool me twice: How many hours did you work to earn that whopping weekly pay?
I would estimate at least 60 hours a week.

60 is likely the correct amount of hours. I should add that for $35.00 weekly I got room and board (an unfinished, musty and dirty basement) Once I got my raise to $75.00 a week all living expenses were mine to pay. Yes to be 'selected' for this opportunity to serve my marriage was rushed and we were in Iowa two weeks later.

changedagain wrote:
<I recall shortly after joining the cult I was working as an apprentice for a guy in the church that owned/operated a local painting business.>

I also had that same privilege to work for a different KB as a painter. I did painting on both the JRS home and the Blix house. One day while I was scraping paint on JRS's house, a job that is not only quite dirty but also causes a lot of paint chips to fall into your eyes since no productive gear was a thing with KB's. JRS stepped out of his house and scolded me because I had failed to somehow prevent the paint chips from falling into his flower beds. "That paint has lead in it and that will kill my plants" Not that lead paint could be harmful to you or your eyes. Actually that was the only time JRS said a single word to me outside of a service.

Posted by: Onion
Date: March 24, 2019 02:38AM

Fool me twice - I would love to hear any and every story where JRS' mask slipped and his true motivation was exposed. Dick Holbrook helped a lot with that and there must be many more stories that "coulda-shoulda" been red flags but we were intentionally blinded. By deception and now we know, by paint chips.

Does the exposure of their horrible motivations ever reach the end? Not so far.

Posted by: fool me twice
Date: March 24, 2019 05:17AM

Onion - Speaking of the mask of JRS brings up another memory. I, along with everyone else, was told early on not try to speak to JRS after a service or any other time. His time was considered too important for him to be bothered by just anyone. Honestly with him being the pastor of three churches (his choice by the way) and primary overseer of nearly a hundred, I get it that he needed to guard his time.That said you would be hard pressed to find many church pastors that think like that. My thoughts about it now are that he could not wear that mask 24/7 and had no desire to be bothered by his cult members. The red flags were many and we did see them it's just that we were indeed blinded. It would be interesting to know if there is even one former TLWF member did not have at least one, or several, family members that saw those red flags from the beginning. I sure did!

Posted by: fool me twice
Date: March 24, 2019 05:17AM

"It would be interesting to know if there is even one former TLWF member did not have at least one, or several, family members that saw those red flags from the beginning. I sure did!"

**************

My husband gave his mom a JRS tape to listen to back in the seventies. After listening, she returned it and said, "He sounds like an old drunk!"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2022 11:11PM by Reepicheep.

Reep wrote:
My husband gave his mom a JRS tape to listen to back in the seventies. After listening, she returned it and said, "He sounds like an old drunk!

Ha--yet another reason he was qualified (IMO) to head the Alcoholic company...or was it the Apcoholic company? No matter. If he wasn't such a con man, exploiting people left and right, I might have had 'sympathy' for him.

#Sh*tFacedInChrist

An example of answering a question by revelation.

Question: Who is the drunk guy driving the red golf cart?

Answer: That is King David

/s



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/2022 12:44AM by changedagain.

changedagain Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
An example of answering a question by revelation.

Question: Who is the drunk guy driving the red golf cart?

Answer: That is King David

/s

*************************

To this day, I cannot stand the sight of golf carts. Good thing I don't play golf, I guess.

Too many memories of "dear leaders", drinks in hand, being driven around the cult compound in golf carts. And always with servants trotting alongside to fulfill their every request and shield them from the unwashed masses.

Too many memories of "dear leaders", drinks in hand, being driven around the cult compound in golf carts. And always with servants trotting alongside to fulfill their every request and shield them from the unwashed masses.

I bet not one of them bothered to feed Rick's horse.

Too many memories of "dear leaders", drinks in hand, being driven around the cult compound in golf carts. And always with servants trotting alongside to fulfill their every request and shield them from the unwashed masses.

Were there any stops to feed Rick's horse?
Nevermind

I came across this quote this morning, and it certainly rings true. Since it is political in nature, I have no problem if it's removed:

"Note that when Putin says "Russia" he means "me." He fears his own loss of power."
-Anne Applebaum