Onion, your post should be shocking and distressing news to anyone ever associated with TLWF. I also hope that victims will continue to come forward and bravely tell their truth.

"People should not be afraid of information."

Absolutely!

Reepicheep - Your post from the Daily Beast threw me into a deeper level of disdain and anger towards self-serving church leaders. CHILDREN being given a 10-step set of rules on forgiving their abusers. I am so furious. I believe churches who perpetrate this type of teaching (blaming the victims, even children) should immediately lose their tax-exempt status. IMMEDIATELY and retroactively!

I just can't even think clearly enough to say much. These people are MONSTERS.

And Reep - I agree with your characterization of the communal homes. I'm just too angry to share some of the story of what life was like at the Blix house. It wasn't pretty - the girls were pretty - life was tough.

Quote
GSchaeff
> He [JRS] demanded this of his congregants as they
> abandoned their jobs, joined communal homes, moved
> across the country, worked 80-hour weeks
> performing unskilled manual labor, and donated
> almost all of their earnings to the church. It's
> time that we stop deifying JRS and apply a little
> more scrutiny to what his true motivations often
> were: vanity and greed at the expense of those who
> trusted him.

Crediting this incisive statement to GSchaeff.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/2019 09:37PM by changedagain.

This was written by Saw enough, back in 2013:


Posted by: Saw enough
Date: August 13, 2013 02:52PM

It would be nice if churches, like doctors, took an oath to "First, do no harm."

The Living Word Fellowship has been marked by a series of abusive relationships and a lack of transparency, dating back to its beginning. For example:

Sexual abuse was common in churches like Anaheim, San Diego, Washington Iowa, the Valley, Brazil, the Bay Area, the Living Word Building and countless others.

Funds were misappropriated in ventures like Brazil and the ill-fated silver mine.

There was always secrecy around the function of the Blix House as a cover for John & Marilyn's relationship while he was married.

Hundreds of people were spiritually mistreated by their shepherds -- shamed, driven out, "blown out," shunned, put on demeaning discipline programs or publicly called out in the name of the work of the cross.

John claimed to have been transported 7 years into the future to see the Kingdom and to have returned from his several-hour long vision disoriented. One of the girls affiliated with the Blix House later claimed to have been with him that day. John may have also fathered a child -- some of these things were commonly talked about by people in the know or by younger kids but who knows if it was ever addressed publicly?

Secrecy surrounding John's last days, when commissions were given and authority changed hands to Marilyn Stevens and Gary Hargrave. Chaos surrounding John's death when some people claimed to feel a freedom and release in their spirits and others angrily took over services to demand John's resurrection because "We need our father back." Gary later announced that John had taken down Satan with his death. This may or may not be believed still.

Manipulative relationships, breakups, divorces, remarriages, affairs, and more remarriages.

The assignment of "designated relationships" where people were instructed to submit to relationships as to Christ. Sometimes this took the form of husbands being told to submit to their wives, pastors to church members, everyone to Marilyn and Gary, old people to young people. Many of these relationships deteriorated into abuse, but the leadership just moved on to the next subject.

Abusive relationships where Marilyn was allowed to vent her anger at the people because they had "violated" her spirit or not paid enough respect. Commissions doled out to those who were the most violent supporters of Marilyn. Angry sermons from the new pastors about either getting with the revelation that Marilyn was Christ in the earth or getting the hell out of the church were common. Mathematicians would be required to count the number of regime changes that have taken place in churches, schools, relationships and businesses in the last 25 years.

Hiring of public relations experts to improve their image. Cleansing their website from all of their defensive "We are not a cult" arguments and "debunking the myths" terminology and presenting themselves as a mainstream Christian church.

Claims that everything is different now, although the same patterns of controlling shepherding structures remain in place.

Always with the claim that they were on the front lines of creating change in the earth. Fasting and prayer to control the outcome of elections. Then when the results were disappointing to most of the people in the congregation being told that it was okay because in reality they are commissioned to control the nations through their prophecy, according to the vision from John. Or now being told that Gary & Marilyn's prayers for the Catholic church resulted in the election of the current pope, who seems almost too good to be true because he believes in weird things like mercy and not being judgmental. Maybe they can bathe in the reflected glory of someone else.

If they were just their own echo chamber and met together to reassure each other that they were awesome, perhaps they would not do much harm. But because they continue to come down with such a heavy hand on people, I do not think it is wrong for people to say somewhere like on this forum, "It seems that these people have done more harm than good."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/2019 03:34AM by changedagain.

Changedagain - Thank you for sharing Sawenough from 2013. Whoever he or she is, I would like to give them thanks. This post is beautifully written and 100% accurate.

Some things began to change last year as a result of people bravely taking a stand. I understand some private communications started the ball rolling quite some time before the public exposures of October 2018. But many of the promises made in October and November are proving to be more smoke blown up our collective skirt.

I was advised by a very reliable source that there are weekly "prayer meetings" in various locations where the focus of the intercession is blessing Gary Hargrave and praying for the Lord to guide his next steps/his current and future ministry. Some of these groups are led by people who are unwavering in their loyalty to Gary and standing firm in their support, facilitation and probable participation in the wrongdoings of the past, or in present and future plans for more wrongdoing. One of the groups interceding for Gary is in San Diego and is led by Gary's cohort Bruce Larson, who is Gary's personal accountant and officer/director/trustee on Shiloh U, Hargrave Ministries, and likely the Trust which has been the source of funds for Gary's unfettered spending for decades (my opinion/conclusion based on credible information and documentation).

I am researching what action is needed to approach Legistors about the need for nonprofits to face consequences for housing sexual predators, blaming victims, and the gender bias involved in blaming women for their rapes, and likewise blaming children and adult victimes (male and female) for sexual abuse. Sometimes action is taken legally as we have seen with the Catholic church but much, much more needs to be done.

Churches should not be able to retain their tax exempt status when they behave as the source of harm to people, adults and children, and try to hide it under the guise of "handling it within their church." That's fine - but they shouldn't be able to benefit by retaining tax exempt status when their policies are, have been and continue to be harmful (lifelong consequences to the victims).

Onion Wrote:

> Some things began to change last year as a result
> of people bravely taking a stand. I understand
> some private communications started the ball
> rolling quite some time before the public
> exposures of October 2018. But many of the
> promises made in October and November are proving
> to be more smoke blown up our collective skirt.

Yeah--I never put much weight on the promises made by former TLWF leaders.
I figured it was just a way to buy them time to come up with a strategy to shield themselves...and, if possible, portray themselves as the real victims. And it appears, so far, to be effective. There are now apparently home meetings where people are praying for them to continue leading their lives. Oh well.

This post (below) was shared in 2013. It provides a heart-breaking picture of the consequences of being subjected to the system of inhumane 'shepherding' so prevalent within TLWF (now dissolved). There's a personal connection for me here...since my wife was close 'friends' (if such a thing existed within TLWF) with Ann, the subject of the post. They both came into the fellowship at roughly the same time (mid-70s) and were members of the same small church.
A warning--this is not an easy read.
____________________________________


Posted by: sierradawn
Date: October 09, 2013 03:00PM
Hello all,

Unfortunately due to the permanent loss of previous posts by many including all of mine and at the request of a fellow poster, I am reposting my story to continue to help others who are on the fence about whether to leave this cult known as The Living Word. If you're NOT on the fence and are curious about how such a "wonderful" church could be labeled as a cult, read on.

I was born into "The Walk" in 1976 shortly after my mother, Ann ------, joined this church. I grew up going to church at least 3-4 times per week. I didn't have too much of a life outside of church. Even though it was pretty much all I knew about God and religion and didn't have any other reference point, I still remember thinking how odd some things we did as a church were. Like wearing pin badges that year when it was "SHE who must be obeyed!" and participating in an auction to be able to win the privilege of talking to Gary and Marilyn as a church over the speakerphone. Good God, really??? I even bid on my parents' behalf. Barf.

By high school I was naturally becoming more independent and when a family (whose kids I was close with) chose to leave the church, I started to question the church more. I even fought with my parents about my not wanting to go on Sundays anymore because I felt like they were putting G&M on a pedestal.

Fortunately my budding career as a model right after high school graduation took me overseas and was really able to live life on my own. My love for God never stopped though, and to this day still have my faith, just not to the church. At 26 years old, after I had moved to California to take a break from modeling, I took my then-boyfriend-now-husband to a Feast service. He was so enraged by how the worship service was being conducted (the intense focus on the worship leader and making people look at each other while singing to the "Christ" in each other, remember that y'all?) that he up and walked out of the service and wished God would burn the church to the ground. I went after him that day and that was the last time I ever attended a service as a member.

I rededicated my life to Jesus shortly after that (I never really did that before since I was "born" into it and it's not something the church does - altar calls). Even still, I hesitated to call that church a cult. Why? Because as twisted as it is, there were some elements of Godly truth and as you all know, there are some amazing, loving people in that church.

It took the passing of my mother, Ann ------, this year in June to fully and completely sever my spiritual and emotional ties to this church. My Dad (technically stepdad since I was 4 years old) also passed on four years ago. Both of my parents had cancer. Why did I feel like I could finally sever myself that way? Shortly after my Mom had passed, I had found out that during her last year in San Diego (where my parents were living and going to church at the time) Bruce and Gilee Larson gave an order to members of the church to stop relating to her. That means she got no rides to the ER when she needed it and she was newly diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer with no support. WHY? Because my mom finally decided to live life more on her terms. That meant she made certain decisions for herself rather than just doing what Bruce and Gilee wanted her to do. They were her Designated Relationships along with a few others, by the way. I'll let the following letter I wrote to Bruce and Gilee speaks for itself:

Bruce and Gilee,

I need to get this off my chest. I hope you will be willing to read this letter in its entirety.

I am deeply hurt and betrayed by both of you for the cruel treatment of my mother during her last year in San Diego. How dare you cut people off from relating to her and being with her when she most needed it? People wouldn't even give her a ride to the ER when she needed it. There is ABSOLUTELY no excuse for it. You really thought that was best for everyone's spiritual welfare? How wrong you were. Even Jesus ate with people who were considered unworthy.

I am utterly floored, appalled by your ugly directives against her, and I don't care how much you disagreed with her choices. Those were her choices, my goodness she was a grown woman. Her decision to leave San Diego was the best thing she ever did for herself and I never saw her so FREE and happy and she grew closer to God like never before because people like you weren't in the way of it anymore.

I've read all the emails between you and her that she saved on her email account. That she would have to ASK you about visiting me and her family and then ask whether she "needs" to make it back down to church on Sunday, in which you reply that yes, she should visit but she should come back down for church if she could? She had to "SUBMIT" moving to Laguna Beach shortly after my Dad passed, in which you and XXXXX told her to hold off on making that decision. How furious I am. THAT is hardly a decision worth thinking twice about. You robbed me of the help from her and closeness I could have gotten with her when my son was born. You robbed her of being near family after losing her husband of over 25 years. Of course she could have just done so, but you didn't support her in that, so unfortunately she stay put. She was MISERABLE. No wonder she got cancer.

It sickens me how the church treats grown adults like little children, that you act like mommy and daddy and make them feel like they can't make any decisions without your approval. This is a cult to the highest degree. Marilyn is not God, yet all of you treat her as so. You guys have been corrupted by the thirst for power and using the name of God to do these things. You may use fancy terms like mentorship, designated relationships, etc. but it is extremely unhealthy and that practice in the church has got to end. My mother felt she couldn't make decisions on her own. That is spiritual abuse, dxxn it. All these years of her being involved destroyed that decision-making ability and then some. I'm embarrassed for my Mom when I read her emails to you, pouring out her soul, looking for validation, approval and direction. That is what the church reduced her to. I'm glad she got out when she did, so she could experience life in freedom, if only for a short while.

I firmly believe that part of her illness is from the stress that you guys inflicted upon her. I don't blame you for her death, but it certainly didn't help that you BETRAYED her. You may say you loved Ann, but that "love" was obviously conditional. I realize this wasn't your intention, but should serve to show you the TOXICITY of the way the church is being operated, especially in San Diego.

I just pray that you guys wake up to the cruelty you're involved with, get out of the church and start living life free from Gary and Marilyn. Trust me, you're deceived. I really do hope you guys see what you're doing. You've got to stop messing with people's lives. I am flabbergasted that you would think that "Alienation of Affection" to a member of a church is something Jesus would actually condone. It is EMOTIONAL and SPIRITUAL abuse.

Sierra ------

I haven't heard back from them nor do I expect to. I sent it a couple weeks ago.

Furthermore, as I was going through my mom's things shortly after she passed, I came across a letter that she wrote only a year ago to my Dad (already deceased). It was obviously a letter where she was practicing forgiveness in the spirit. However, there was a heartbreaking paragraph she wrote. I'm sharing this to show just how deeply affected she was by this church. To put this into context, my Dad, during the last month of his life told my Mom not to "blow out" of the church after he died. For the last 10 years of their lives together, my Mom was becoming more and more disconnected from the church but stayed with it because my Dad was very much into it, and as a fellow poster said when I posted this before it got lost on this website, she probably stayed in it to hold the family together. It would have torn us apart if she left. Below she talks about what happened after he died:

"Most people were worried about me, not knowing what I was going to do. I stayed as long as I could. But the more I stayed the more I realized it was not in me anymore. I was done. I should have left sooner. I don't think I could have left without an excuse. In my mind I needed something so I created that cancer. It was what I needed to get out."

Gosh, let that sink in for a moment. That she felt SO incapable of just upping and leaving because she felt like it goes to show how effed up that church is. Controlling, manipulative, unsupportive of others' individual needs/wants.

My mother (and my dad) were both very healthy individuals. I truly believe their greatness was diminished by this church. If there is ANY good that came out of their deaths, it is that I was finally able to see TLW for what it is.

Note: I think Bruce Larson (aka David Larson) is the chief financial officer of Hargrave Ministries (formerly Hargrave Family Ministries).

Onion, unfortunately the tax exempt status of religious organizations seems to be a draw for leaders with evil and greedy intentions. Hopefully, laws can be changed, or the IRS will take note of the abuses and revoke this privilege.

I am so thankful that we have this forum to share information and to learn more about the type of group that controlled many of our lives for so long. One of the fortunate side-effects of this forum and others on FB is that we find others who have been an important part of our lives along the way. John Robert Stevens, Marilyn Hargrave and Gary Hargrave created and maintained a system of fear by which if someone left or was "set out of the Body", they ceased to exist for those still involved. How many times were we called to a special meeting to hear a tape explaining why we must break all bonds with a former leader who had a falling out with one of the aforementioned individuals. I have even heard tales of "the faithful" harrassing people who were set out in ways that sicken and disgust me. And always the underlying, unspoken message was, "Watch it, or you'll be next!"

To those posting here, you have regained your personhood and right to be heard. To those reading, but still fearful, I wish you strength and healing. To those who are still trapped and afraid, please read the accounts of abuse on these and other pages. As Onion said, "People should not be afraid of information." The boogeyman is a farce. God is not standing over you with a bolt of lightning in his hand waiting to "kill you for your unbelief" as JRS so famously said. There is more life outside of TLWF than inside.

Changedagain,

Thank you for re-sharing Sierra Dawn's post. Her story about her mom is tragic. It is probably one of the stories that bothers people the most and is remembered years after first reading her account. Sierra Dawn, if you still read here, know that much good has come from you bravely sharing.