In cleaning out some files on my laptop, I found the following which I wrote on 11/03/18. I'm not sure where I even posted it, but I am posting it here, in case there might be anyone reading that still feels some kind of allegiance to TLWF. I lost my original response to this post. Hopefully, I can get it said. As the mother of a 32 year that walked away from this years before me or Dav
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Onion: Little Red Flag - I like to hear from you ANY time. Nice to see you back here. Thank you! I don't have details about the policies in play in the lawsuits. It is my understanding that the policies on the church entities have a duty to defend. I'm not involved in the lawsuits other than what I can read in the public record. I watch the L.A. cases because they're at &quo
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

CHANGEAGAIN: I think the main reason I was apprehensive about the level of intoxication within the ranks of 'ministries,' is that they were often assuming a role of managing (to put it lightly) people's lives. I've witnessed and also received truly bizarre directives from obviously drunk authorities. Yes, I suppose there might have been a few that could be reasonably functi
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Onion - what does this actually mean? An umbrella liability insurance, or ?? "The defense appears to have coverage from insurance on all the claims..." Thanks! P.S. Do you like how I'm absent from this forum for months and then randomly ask this question - LOL?
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My apologies if someone has already posted this link. I am posting it for those TLWF people still holding out that may read this forum. Sex offenders grooming churches
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Onion - after helping get TLWF's Accounting Manual out, I somehow got roped into doing the auditing (with another person), each churches' annual financial statements. I can so clearly remember being on a phone call with a husband and wife shepherding team in LA years ago. I saw several examples of expenditure items that didn't seem in line with the church's "mission sta
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

While we are on the subject, you know what really rankles me? JRS, Gary, Marilyn, Rick, and others getting away with lying, abuse of clergy, cover-ups, deception, offerings, sexual misconduct, all night prayer, multiple affairs, bad stewardship of funds, breaking up marriages, abandoning children, etc., etc., ad nauseam without any accountability.
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Prettyboy - Thank you for the summary of the merries. Each of us plays a part in moving this along, even if it is simple words of encouragement. I love thinking of each of us tirelessly, faithfully and consistently writing and speaking a truth. Whether we see immediate results, or not, it has a ripple affect of good triumphing over evil. Onion - thank you so much for clarification on the lega
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

changedagain - Thank you for that independent summary of the independent investigation. I feel so much safer now. With regards and independence (wait, isn't that supposed to be a bad word?) - that little red flag
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I'm guessing some of you may have already read this, but here is the latest article by Andrew Marzoni. Breaking away from a Boomer Christian cult Read more:
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Tmason - I’m with you a bit on the caution that there is a need to go easy on the acting leadership. Dave and I had many times that someone tried to pull us into the leadership or some kind of “it” group. We just couldn’t buy into the requirement of laying aside what we had been taught about right and wrong for the supposed greater purpose. I was “put over” one of the first girls house that I
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

This link may have already been posted by someone else, but I thought it was important enough to post again (translation: I'm too lazy to look through all the posts to see if it was). It links to an article titled "Forget About Forgiving Your Narcissist/ Psychopath: Here's Why".
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I just have the optimist view that no matter the extent of physical, mental abuse and injury, it can be absorbed and used to be better than we used to be. After all, we are the sum of both the good and bad that has made us who we are. Our mistakes should be little more than building blocks we learn from . . . . my motto? I'm in good shape for the shape I'm in . . . . Richard M. -
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Richard M. - Wow. Thank you for sharing. I, like others that have spent decades living this lie, appreciate your insight and honesty. I remarked to my husband, as I started to read your story, how easy it was to assume and believe that you were the bad guy. I can also feel the heartache of hearing you acknowledge losing a wife and kids to all of the deceit. I'm sure some of the posts
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Prettyboy - Darn, that flight to Iowa left without us. (P.S. 56 and sunny, after a few days of rain.)
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I'm good with being an overachieving backslider. Its looking better and better. (As one can tell, sometimes I don't put that much thought into my posts - just a gleeful reaction of anticipation!)
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Onion - I have more to say, but because I’m on my phone I’m not going to right now. What I will say is that I wish you would also post this on the new forum too. There are different people on each of these forums. We all need to see each other in the light we truly are - including you, post walk. Thank you for bravely getting it all out there. Love you.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Prettyboy- Oh, so sorry. We ended up staying here in the unfrozen section of the country. Was going to text to see if you could still type, but got distracted. Apparently you have survived - glad to hear. Carry on!
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Onion - I think you "org chart" of the generations is probably truer than trying to define it by date only. The following is my musing on "what generation am I?" from the new forum, The Living Word Fellowship Survivors Community. Originally the term "generation" was used to describe what time period you came into the walk. I would have termed 1st generati
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Dissillusioned - I hear what you are saying, there are so many good people that I continue to respect and love. However, I would encourage you to read the moderators list of identifying cult factors. We were in a cult. We were vulnerable, thinking we were getting ourselves into a church that was "different than other churches". I think that once I read the list I began to se
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

changedagain - Good job on the coffee table research - keep on it!
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I wish that there was some way to do keep an on-going "spreadsheet" of everything that has been discovered, revealed, and what still needs documentation. Congregants were lied to, abused in every possible way. Every time I read (here or on a chat, or ??) that one other item has been discovered and exposed, my heart does little somersaults and yipees! Each little bit learned valida
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Changedagain- please behave (although), I couldn’t tell from the coversation what was going on. You are almost a founding member, and are needed here to keep us smiling with your jokes and sarcasm. I’m extremely thankful you are still posting! Also, I heard the Honolulu home sold, along with the very famous coffee table we all donated toward. Do we all feel like we should have egg on our face
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Prettyboy - I agree, and hope more people find their way to this forum, especially those that don't feel safe posting on FB where their name is attached to a post. These pages have explained a lot of the history and the stories have been able to fill in a lot of the blanks. Its important for all of those sitting on the fence to get the big picture. When you are in the middle of it, it
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Prettyboy - A couple of things First, we will find a way to contact you. Our son would die (sorry, bad choice of words) to come look at your collection of vinyls, but I've got the phone number. Let me know what time works, and we will start there. For now, sit with the merries here. This is really where we all found each other. We've often wondered how a few months ago we would
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JJJ - Haven't had a chance to check out the link, but your foreword is beautifully written. Prettyboy I think you will be a good addition to our tribe. Let's talk soon.
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Prettyboy - Is your address in IC the same as a Speedy-Mart? P.S. Sorry to other posters.... just saying hi to someone from many, many years ago. (And yes, we are pretty old!)
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Prettyboy - Doing well here in San Diego with Kboy (Dave - we’ve already revealed our real names in another post), married almost 40 years. We were dumb enough to hang out in this thing up until a few years back after being married at Shiloh in 1979. How is life? So fun to think that you’re here on the forum. I always appreciated you as one of my favorite people during those years. Nice to he
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Prettyboy - Did you walk by Art’s Barbershop on your way to the beach? This is Kboy’s wife - Marci from Del Mar/Encinitas.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

pobHg - thanks for all of your posts. Apologies for our lack of acknowledgement. Sometimes we are good hosts, and sometimes we get wrapped up in all of the activity and posts (as you know, A LOT has been happening). We appreciate those that take the time to tell their story. It may appear to go unnoticed, but those of us reading realize another person is taking a step to heal and inform.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families