Thanks for re-posting, changedagain. It's important to remember the conversations on this forum. Regarding alcohol abuse in The Walk/TLWF, where to start? At the beginning, with JRS, who was by many accounts an inveterate alcoholic. By the time people were close enough "to the center of the camp" to suspect this, they were already under such control that the excuses of spiritual wa
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quote Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens Posted by: changedagain () Date: July 02, 2019 10:49AM Note: I did a search for the word "obedience" in the category "former cult members and affected families"--which includes over 400 discussion groups. I received 257 results--192 pointing to our discussion group. Apparently even among cults, at least i
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quote Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens Posted by: Road to Damascus () Date: July 03, 2019 05:52AM I have been thinking about the so called word given last summer where GH said a time of persecution was coming and we would be tested to stay steady in the word. Makes me wonder if he knew what was coming. This coupled with the whole will you remain obedient is what
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quote NancyB Wrote: > With that said, how in the world does Gary > Hargrave get off peddling his so called revelation > of what "god" is doing today? Changedagain Wrote: For the past 35 years of so, the only ones in the fellowship who could get away with saying 'no' to him were Marilyn, and perhaps Rick. I can't think of anyone beyond those two, post-J
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I remember sometime in the mid-seventies hearing of Martha asking JRS, "Well, are you feeling a little more divine today?" At the time, I was dutifully shocked that she would mock him like that. Now I think it's hilarious.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quote Posted by: Road to Damascus () Date: June 29, 2019 05:02PM Something I have been noticing lately is how some people whom I love refuse to accept that anyone who has left are not hurting as much as the ones who have stayed, and that any one that left are somehow misinformed and have dropped off the front line and that God will deal with them. Amazing that and they are walking in the word
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Dick Helphand was JRS' son-in-law and also an attorney. He helped JRS with legal matters related to the mine venture. Paul Holder was the one claiming to have a process for extracting ore. Condolences on finding out that you're not as "chosen" as you thought, changed. ;)
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quote Posted by: changedagain () Date: June 29, 2019 09:23AM Do you think JRS was fooled by this guy (Dr. Kerry Reams)...or was he receiving kickbacks from him, after allowing him access to members of the fellowship? I suppose both propositions could be true. I wonder the same thing about the mine scam. Was JRS really fooled by his son-in-law's scheme...a display of ignorance which al
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteNancyB Date: June 28, 2019 09:41AM The old quack was Dr Kerry Reams. My mom forced me to take his courses- it was a real money maker for Reams. Instead of blood he used urine and saliva- which can help diagnosis. Several problems- those he trained had little or no education- were not licensed to practice medicine NOR was Reams licensed to to practice- he was biologist who invent the Real
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteNancyB Date: June 26, 2019 07:06AM I think most people don't realize how much contributions employers kick into to a pay check above the wage paid. The amount of employer contribution is considerable. (I've owned a business and have been self employed. ) if the kingdom had come in '79, paying into Social Security and SSDI and etc, I guess, would have seemed moot or even sil
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Well, they actually call it a "farm". Potato -- potahto.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

I recommend watching People Magazine Investigates Cults, Season 2, Episode 5. Tonight on Investigation Discovery Channel, The Move of God founded by Sam Fife is investigated. This group has very close roots to The Walk. Both came out of the Pentecostal offshoot known as Latter Rain. Pastor of Claremont, New Hamphshire church, Bill Grier joined forces with The Move upon leaving JRS' The Walk
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quote Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens Posted by: changedagain () Date: June 20, 2019 07:14AM Willing homes to TLW? Asked to provide detailed personal financial statements? Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens Posted by: Invisible Date: April 29, 2017 My point in mentioning the ballroom gowns was to show how naive I was. In reali
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quotechangedagain If only more had seen this palace while we were still duped, and living hand-to-mouth to afford G & M these absurd luxuries. What do 2 people need a house like that for? And how many "sheep" ever set foot in it? How could anyone have seen this and known that it was one of (how many?) houses they "owned" and not been suspicious or questioning of their true
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quotechangedagain Perhaps Gary & Silas are both maneuvering behind the scenes. They're not accustomed to being on opposite sides, as far as I know. Date: May 14, 2019 Walknntalkn wrote: I'm eager to hear more about Brazil, Onion. My source there tells me that the split in Monte Siao is a result of the majority of the congregation asking for Silas & Shuma to step down, which
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteOhman? A friend of mine that's blew out 20+ years back got a friend request from Silas Esteves on FB yesterday. Hmm... Ohman?, it sounds like Silas may be trying to make up his current FB friend deficit. ;)
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quotefool me twice Reepicheep, I swear there actually were huge red flags! That said I don't think many people there saw them at the time. As they say hind sight is 20/20. Looking back those huge red flags were there the entire time, for over 68 years. So yes everyone of the flag poles at Shiloh must have had a huge red flag waving in the wind that day, I'm sure of it. I still don'
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Wow, fool me twice, thanks for this. So, were these actually literal huge red flags? If so, completely apropos. Should have been flown in our faces since the very beginning!
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Thank you for your insightful posts, Reveal. And thank you changedagain for finding and re-posting such important pieces of information. Marilyn's funeral sounds like a study in distasteful TLWF practices. It's at extravagant events like these that the true beliefs of the leaders are on full display. Pomp and circumstance for royalty, special seats of honor with the rest standing on
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

From the Book of Gary the Mo-lijah... 14 and his servants came to him and said, "Oh, man of God, there is death in the pot." 15 Then Gary said unto them, "Why are you sniveling and telling me this? Go therefore and eat. Then let me know if you die or not... 16 but first get me something else to eat." 17 And so the servants brought Gary other food, then they all ate the p
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

OMG, the suncreen incident and the lead paint incident! Entitled, narcissistic leaders who make their wealth from the tithes, offerings, sales of church properties and the "volunteer" labor of the faithful are really a revolting breed of individuals. They demonstrate zero love or care for those serving them day and night. They are more concerned for their flowers than for the health of
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

“Christians want to believe that everything the church does for them is for their safety and salvation,” he said. “That simply isn’t true, not right now.” Apparently, clergy abuse is alive and well everywhere. It's a wonder people go to church at all anymore. However, as bad as this story is, and as much as it reminds me of crimes reported within TLWF, it still doesn't sink to th
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Dear RR Forum, We missed you last night. So glad to see you back this morning. Love, Reep <3
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

NancyB shared this link to the International Cultic Studies Association: **************************************** Scary stuff, NancyB.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quotechangedagain Wasn't John ensconced in the Shiloh compound during the time period the mine scam was being dealt with by law enforcement (mid-late 70's)? I think someone went to prison, but it wasn't him. He was busy bringing forth the Kingdom of God That's very possible, changed. I never heard more about the mine until a couple of years ago when some survivors shared th
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

P.S. The problem for most of us who heard some of these reports back in the day was that we BELIEVED JRS/G&M. Sort of like the remaining "TLWF true believers" who won't read the accounts of abuse on Facebook and elsewhere. It is a hard step to take. I understand. The years and totality of self invested are cruel and criminal in light of the fact that the leaders are nothing but
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quotechangedagain I guess the point that was being pushed...is that whatever wrongdoing was going on in the fellowship, G & M were not a part of it and not aware of it...otherwise they would have put a stop to it. That's laughable. When JRS and/or G&M found out about sexual abuse, they were happy to cover it up or blame and intimidate the victim. And if it was abuse by a "mini
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quotechangedagain Who within the fellowship had the ability to put a stop to something without needing the approval of other "ministries?" I can't think of anyone (post-John) besides Gary and Marilyn. Is it possible given their propensity for monitoring everything that happened in their environment, they were somehow unaware of decades of sexual abuse involving people they were clo
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Oops! Thirty-five more years, not twenty-five...I must have lost ten. Actually I lost many more than ten years. :(
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

During the 1970s, this approximate quote was made by John Robert Stevens: If they carry me out of here feet first, you'll know that this word wasn't true. Truer words were never epoken by this leader. June 4th, 1983 should have been the end of The Living Word Fellowship. And yet the travestsy continued to torment members and devastate families for another 25 years. Why? Money?
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families