No news is good news at this point. It seems the leadership is struggling to keep things afloat, especially when a ministry finance chart showed over 80% of the tithes and offerings went to the salaries of the leadership. Dan Lantis returned to San Diego and his goo pond.
Forum: Destructive Churches

"Every cult I ever saw or read about thinks they're in a world unto themselves. But underneath it all, there's more similarities than differences. Most cults wall off the world and make a strong line of demarcation between those in the cult and the outside world. It's as if only the world in the cult is spiritually correct and the rest of the world operates in a fashion that
Forum: Destructive Churches

As a former cult member, I understand the mindset many have when they meet a church or organization that falls outside the mainstream. The initial encounter seems very appealing, and many of us are enticed by the sales pitch, especially the idea we can make a difference. It is when we stick around, grow, and are drawn into the inner circle that we see what is really behind the curtain. This ru
Forum: Destructive Churches

A few months ago, Geneva Paulson - mother of former CFCMI member Randy Paulson - released a book titled Rescuing Randy. It's an excellent read, and is available on Amazon.com; she tells in vivid detail what her son experienced. I have shared this with my family.
Forum: Destructive Churches

I received the information on Joe Watson from another ex-member who has connections in San Diego. He told me about Watson's departure. Unfortunately, I was also told that Watson still practices his sexual deviancy, only now without a cloak of religion to cover it up.
Forum: Destructive Churches

Over the past few months, not much has been happening at all. A few of the major players migrated to Norfolk like Richard Brand, but their numbers are declining. The exposure on a now-deleted thread on the City-Data forum brought nearly 30,000 views before the moderator closed it down. The MySpace page is still active. - new message board - new website with analysis and feedback -
Forum: Destructive Churches

There are basically two primary fellowships/congregations left: Norfolk and San Diego. Waukegan, the former headquarters, is just a fragmented group; Hawaii all but vanished; Fort Lauderdale pretty much abandoned. Washington State and Japan are now closed. This group is dying a slow, painful death.
Forum: Destructive Churches

They are in the process of moving their whole operation to Norfolk, Virginia. The congregations in Waukegan and San Diego are being closed. More info to come!
Forum: Destructive Churches

Phelps' bunch in 2006 extended their protests beyond the funerals of sodomites and soldiers. In January 2006 they arrived in Sago, West Virginia (my home state) to picket the funerals of the 12 coal miners killed in a tragic accident; state police were sent to protect WBC from angry locals who had considered using the Phelps family for target practice. In September of 2006, they threatened
Forum: "Cults," Sects, and "New Religious Movements"

With her new look, maybe she could don a yellow robe and join the hare Krishnas...
Forum: Celebrities associated with "cult-like" groups

They are a different group than the one I was affiliated with.
Forum: Destructive Churches

RCI and CFCMI have very striking similarities in their leadership styles, abuse, controlling methods, and double standards. The major difference is that Lloyd R. Davis, CFCMI's founder, was a homosexual and a pedophile; Lloyd R. Longfield was simply a control freak. Davis went to prison. Longfield, to my knowledge, has no criminal record. Both spoke negatively about former members.
Forum: Destructive Churches

Ed Thomas has relocated what is left of his congregation to a high school in Chesapeake, Virginia...just a short distance from his home in North Carolina. No one is being fooled now. Letters are being sent to the Chesapeake School Board to alert them of what is going on.
Forum: Destructive Churches

The Slam the Door website is currently down.
Forum: Destructive Churches

1. Why did you leave? What influenced you etc.? I left because I could no longer deal with the lies and cover-ups of the leadership over various problems within the church. I spent a good part of a deployment reading and evaluation a series of events prior to going out to sea; when I offered reform proposals, they were all rejected. 2. What was the hardest step you took towards leaving?
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I believe brainwashing is very real. It also is a subtle process in which small servings are offered and drilled into the members until they have become totally compliant with the whims of the organization.
Forum: Coercive Persuasion and Undue Influence

I am a former member of an abusive church whose pastor had gotten himself into some serious trouble with the law. As my days there were drawing to a close, I noticed a lot of things the church did that were neither Biblical nor right. One of the sites which helped me in the knowledge and recovery process was this one, set up by two fellow ex-members: There are message boards, links to
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

The luring of celebrities into cults is easy because of one of the reasons already mentioned...they are easily manipulated. Once in, and they become *dedicated*, these high-profile individuals lend credibilty to their cause. More folks would be inclined to at least look into Scientology with someone like Cruise or Travolta onboard. New Agers are enthralled by Shirley MacLaine's speeches
Forum: Celebrities associated with "cult-like" groups

I have read this site and enjoyed it. My favorite is the sound bites of Mitchell's ranting. Those are hilarious!
Forum: Destructive Churches

Here is a timeline of the church: 1934 - Hazel Beck born in Tennessee. 1935 - Lloyd Ray Davis born in Arkansas. 1947 - Lloyd Ray Davis baptized in Jesus' name. 1948 - Davis receives the Holy Ghost. 1954 - Lloyd and Hazel marry; they would have three children - Debra Louise, Pamela Jean, and Larry Ray. 1960 - Davis licensed by the United Pentecostal Church. 1968 - Accusat
Forum: Destructive Churches

Greetings to the forum! I am an ex-member of the church named in the title. I was deeply involved for nearly 17 years until I was shown that there a lot of problems in the organization. CFCMI was founded in 1974 by Lloyd Ray Davis, a former UPC pastor who left the church amid an investigation by the Arkansas General District over charges of homosexuality and child molesting. He left before
Forum: Destructive Churches