Hi Deb, Good to see you here on the forum. Welcome, and I hope it will bring clarification and some healing to you. God Bless.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Getting back to the question regarding Kathy McDermott, yes, I knew her. In fact, I lived for a time in a sister's house next to the church in Campbell. Kathy lived in the house. There was a Miriam who lived there as well, and I believe a girl by the name of Cheryl or Chris, and then there was Sue Madeiros that married Howie Klein. Kathy M. did marry one of the Waller boys. I cannot recal
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I am wondering why so many of us are hiding behind an alias? I really wish we would disclose our true identities, to make all of this a bit more up front. We have nothing to fear, except for ourselves. I am the former Jan Whitwer. I was married to Ray Whitwer. I was in the walk in the 70's, phasing out of it and out of my marriage in the early 80's. I was in the walk in Camp
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Thanks for your reply. I will check those fb pages out. It is very hard to let go of some of the past. I try to set things into proper perspective, but I often think of those I knew both at Coniah Chapel and the church in Campbell under Howard Klein. It takes you back, doesn't it? I must say, I am feeling very old this morning.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I think my last visit to the forum was around Thanksgiving. I have just spent the last hour looking at various posts, and it seems like everything is carrying on pretty much as it was. It is good to take a few steps back from it all. Life is short. I don't know if anyone from the Coniah Chapel group under Pastor RD Cronquist remembers a young woman by the name of Dawn Lounsbury...she
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I really do not understand what he was saying here.........quite odd.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I do hope that the group of us who gather on this page to seek explanations, insight, etc in an attempt to make sense of experiences, will in time, be able to put the bulk of it in the past. We live in the here and now, and have little control over anything that happens, but we have the ability to control how we respond. I know that harbouring hurt, resentment, ill feelings etc, does nothing po
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I would not get caught up in any of the signs and wonders which took place in the congregations of the Living Word churches. We were warned that not all would be signalling the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Actually, Jesus gave us the instruction to forgive, as He himself, upon the cross, pleaded that God the Father should forgive them for they know not what they do. It is hard to forgive very hurtful wrongs, but Jesus did show us the way. To keep dwelling on the past means we cannot forgive or forget, so we carry it all as a burden.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

You hit the nail on the head with this. Everything but love is a clanging cymbal. Just unpleasant noise. It is that simple.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Well, reading over the recent posts, I see that for a lot of people, living in the past is what they are most comfortable with. When the past has offered so many false ideas, when so many have tried to put the past behind them without success, I do believe that it would be helpful to realize that we were all doing what we thought was best at that given moment in time when we sealed our lives to t
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I think your response shows great insight, and the ability to move forward, even in light of difficult past experiences. This involvement with the Living Word Churches and the messages we received under JRS did have a profound effect upon some of us, including those who married within the walk in matches which were deemed suitable in the eyes of those in leadership. Believe me, many of us were
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

In some ways, you were probably blessed to be part of a much smaller group, far away from the Valley churches or the San Diego faction, and Shiloh. I still wonder at the meaning of it all. Since leaving the Walk, I have not found another group to attach myself to. I guess I never want to risk having a repeat of any of that whole circus. I have come to terms with the past, and see only the p
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Perhaps something good will come of it all. I did log onto the fb page for the church, and it does appear that there has been somewhat of an effort to appear more mainstream. I stumbled onto a few names that I was surprised by, people who were around in the 70's and 80's. We all have a lot to ask forgiveness for. In the end, that is something we all must do. I believe we must wa
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Interesting to hear about Marilyn's passing. I just hope that she really had a moment with Jesus when her time came. I am sure that Jesus must have given her an opportunity to repent. He is the Saviour to those who believe. In the end, I hang on to that eternal hope of His Grace and Forgiveness. We all hang on to bitterness and I do believe that in many ways we share a common afflicti
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I was in the walk from around 1970 until around 1983. Which local body did you attend? I was mainly in the Campbell area church under Howard Klein, and then in the Coniah Chapel group under RD Cronquist, but attended many of the LA churches with JRS on special occasions.........like the feasts. I think it was all so messed up.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Who arranged my first marriage? Well, that is complex. First of all, unless you were dating someone in the walk, be it your local branch or one of the other approved branches, you were walking outside of the protection of the church and you would in most cases be cast out. People who came into the walk as a couple were permitted to stay involved. Most young people are on the lookout, natura
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I am just curious as to why so many of us are still affected by having been in the walk. What is the power that it seems to hold over us? Why do we keep coming back, looking for validation and clarification because I don't understand it myself. I belonged to this organisation since 1970 through to about 1983. I was in the California churches, first the Campbell church under Howard Klein,
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Someone had mentioned earlier that Marilyn and Gary have not attended services in quite awhile. I had also heard that Marilyn was not well and that she has cancer, and that people are saying that very bad vibes from former members were causing her to be ill. I can only imagine the sort of so called prayers which are being said against many who are not in submission to that couple. You would th
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I too have had time in this cult. Very perverse and caused many people a great deal of loss on so many levels. My question is why would I have ever entered into an arranged marriage. How was I so naïve to have even become involved in such an organization that is by no means a Christian fellowship. I hope that by now you have had a bit of healing come into your life.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I was in the Walk for 13 yrs. I will say that much of what has been written about it is true, and not false rumour. I don't know how much money JRS was worth. You have to be careful of any religious organization in which the leadership enjoys a higher than average type of lifestyle..........expensive properties, airplanes, fine art collections, fancy cars, etc. Something is then defini
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I belonged to the LW church for 13 yrs. Some of the churches or congregations had it rougher than in other congregations. It sounds like Shiloh was very much into abusive control. I came into the so called "walk" in the SFO Bay area in Campbell, Ca. under the direction of Howard Klein and his wife, Naomi. It was like many of the other charismatic churches of the 70's and the pe
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

For 13 yrs. I was a member of the "Walk", otherwise known as the Church of the Living word, under the direction of John Robert Stevens. It fits the definition of Cult in every way imaginable. Many people have suffered from the after effects of what happened in their lives under the leadership of self appointed false prophets. I wish that I had never joined the group, but I am thankfu
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Lily Rose, thank you for your reply. I think you are very correct in what you say. For myself, I will eventually have to make a decision to forgive, but at this time the rubbing of salt into the wound that never heals has really caused so much pain. I thought about it a lot and came to the decision if these people still cause me a lot of heartache, I will simply not expose myself to their pres
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Just tuning back into the group. We are all still mysteriously bound to the past and it does seem that many of us continue to have difficulty with organized religion. Fear factor or just a healthy reluctance to embark on another erroneous journey? I suffered so much in the 13 yrs. I was a member of the walk. My marriage was such a farce, without love. It hurt so much. I did think I loved th
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I am a former "Walk" member. I joined the cult in the SFO bay area under Howard Klein. I was one of the unfortunate ones who was somehow involved in what I now relate to as an arranged marriage, being told that it was unacceptable to date someone who was not in the walk. Somehow I believed many false teachings, reluctantly but on the other hand, much did not ring true. I stayed wit
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families