Richard M., I remember those days of the elite intercessors group. Somehow they knew years before anyone else did that JRS had a "nephilim wife", and were actively praying for her death. They knew that Stevens had prophesied against Robert Kennedy, and were strangely ok with his assassination because it was "God's will". How is that Christian? Many times various ones r
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

What happens when a leader's prophecies don't happen as foretold? (Or, in the case of TLWF/The Walk, it becomes stunningly obvious that "The Apostle to the Kingdom" was a conman?) Do the cult members realize that something is wrong with the teaching? Or do they go through mental gyrations to keep their beliefs intact? This story about the Christmas the aliens didn't come
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteRichard M. ...Stevens made it clear to Richard that taking as much as you can through the gifts of others without being known for it or otherwise caught for your self-serving and sycophant goals, was the height of success. And he was still reaching for it partly through the willing help of Marilyn. Between this and the accounts of motel room trysts up on the Boulevard, it's pretty
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteRichard M. Reepicheep, thanks. I knew Stevens was a phony when I first saw and met him. He wouldn't look at me eye-to-eye and seemed even a little frightened of me. Of course, it later made more sense. But if there hadn't been Marilyn and my kids tied to her, he never would have survived to stand at another sermon . . . But I had my own future and two kids’ lives to consider so a
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Richard M., you are awesome for sharing your experiences. I didn't see this when it was on FACTNET, but it is so important that you shared it again. This is epic, and should lay to rest the thinking that the founder of the Walk was anything other than a very skilled conman. I want to believe in Santa Claus and the Wizard of Oz too, but it is not a healthy obsession for adults. And neither is
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteOnion As to forgiveness, depending on each individual's stage of recovery, I believe the best route is for people to consult their therapists or other providers with education in the area of abuse recovery and forgiveness before responding in a willy nilly fashion to a surface interpretation or another's opinion on how forgiveness works within the victim. Forgiveness is a deep
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteNancyB Wimpy little apology is not repentance nor is it rehabilitation for sexual addiction of so many leaders who helped themselves to those vulnerable children/sheep who should have protected by the leaders. Sick. There is no way a religious leader can claim to speak words of the lord and the lord forgets to reveal heinous abuse. Does it really make sense that god gives wisdom to tell pe
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Welcome deborahs. Over the years there were many leaders who were treated very badly by JRS and G&M, including W.J. Stevens, Vere Thomas and many more. There were even more congregants who were used and taken advantage of. This is where the abuse train stops. No more.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteOnion Apparently, the best thing all of us have done is to publicly speak up. I would hope that those who are die-hard loyalists to the past will realize there is a requirement to speak out about wrongdoing to avoid being held responsible. Of course, the complete control exercised by various leaders will result in complete liability but that doesn't mean they will be the only ones cul
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

With all due respect to the lovely calls for forgiveness, I would like to point out that many people posting here (especially women and those who were minors at the time) have had forgiveness shoved down their throats for most of their lives while those hurting them gleefully piled abuse upon abuse. It is not healthy to ignore our own process because "someone" tells us that the correct
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuotekBOY POST TLW LEXICON: ~ Walk with Fraud ~ Shalom-oshima ~ Tramp of Israel ~ Apologetic Company (APCO) ~ Alcoholic Company (ALCO) ~ Center of the LoonyVerse ~ School of Profits ~ Impostor-stolic Company ~ Pervert Prince ~ Lying Word ~ Personal Misdirection ~ Queen of Con My autocorrect supplied this one: Church of the Living Weird
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Here is an article that I believe would be helpful to many people on this forum. The title is "Forget About Forgiving Your Narcissist/Psychopath: Here's Why ". Here's a sneak peek of the subtitles: You need to move on You get more drained by the second It's time for you to come first You need to stop feeling bad for seeking justice Toxic people get off scot-free
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Changed, Onion and kbyrne, Thank you for bringing up the names of people who were unceremoniously shown the door and disenfranchised for whatever reason or no reason at all. I remember being told to go to church to hear a super secret restricted tape one night. It was about Larry Makuakane. I don't know what to call "those" tapes. Demonizing and orders to shun tapes. There we
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quotechangedagain Yes, Hargrave and company always manage to dump guilt on the victims--or at least try to. Placing a requirement of forgiving your enemies (highlighting certain verses in Matt. 18) is just the latest manipulative tactic. The burden, of course, is once again placed on the wounded, while the transgressors refuse to specifically acknowledge their wrongdoing, and the havoc it has wre
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteOnion I was remembering a funny story today and thought I would share. I first heard the rumors about JRS' lascivious behavior and reputation for womanizing in the mid to late 60's. I had met JRS once or twice but had not yet considered being a Christian and going to the church. I was on a date with a guy I had known (and had a crush on) in High School. As we sat in his car in my d
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteRe: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens Posted by: changedagain () Date: February 10, 2019 09:34AM Interesting. My father-in-law ('Pops Jekel') was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, and participated in the first major battle depicted in the movie 'We Were Soldiers.' In the late the 70's, according to my wife, he attended a living word 'ki
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quote Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens Posted by: NancyB () Date: February 01, 2019 12:06AM puddington Wrote: -------------------------------------------------------k > Mental health professionals will tell you there is > an inner self that is deep and private. A normal > person keeps this place secret and private. It is > very unhealthy to expos
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Isn't that sort of like the country song "I'm My Own Grandpa"? Just sayin'. ;)
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Quote Re: The Living Word Fellowship, The Walk, John Robert Stevens Posted by: kbyrne () Date: January 29, 2019 09:25AM Reading some of the lastest posts, strangely, it reminds me of magic tricks. Coming into the walk in '73, a huge thing was to try to position yourself to get a "word," "personal ministry," from JRS. Personally, I could never get enough. And lik
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

SunnyFord, Welcome to the RR Forum. Thank you for finding the 1958 First Principles and posting the terminology. It's very enlightening. Here are two of the most stressed doctrines in TLWF from the beginning, and the most damaging as well. SUBMISSION: Is the accepting the control or authority of another, being obedient and compliant to those over you in the Lord. Ephesian 5:21 to 6:9 a
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuotekBOY wrote: "One thing we will all be taking away from our TLW involvement will be the wonderful relationships we would not have had otherwise . Amidst all the heartache, the silver lining of LOVE we have for each other will transform every tear into JOY." kBOY, no matter how much they told us to break bonds with everyone, the human heart will still love people. For all their ad
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteRoad to Damascus Interesting bit of news. a piece MFC land is listed for sale. The congregants have not been told. I wonder where the money from it will go? Any guesses Thanks for the info, Road to Damascus. Any more details?
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Changed and kBoy, Re: Being the center of the universe. Think JRS was narcissistic much?
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Lexicon additions...not sure if anyone said these yet. If not here you go: Hit = Under Satanic attack or battle Joshua Generation or Josh Gen = Children's group for those under 12 Wilderness = A time of confusion or unbelief YASP = Young Adult Summer Program or Young Adult School of Prophets (for ages 12 to adult. (18?)
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

QuoteCloudwatcher I really hate that from the time I was young, my actions and behavior were subject to JRS finding out if I did anything wrong. I hate that he did that cold reading shit and I hate that he gave us words over our lives. I hate that I listened to a damn thing he said and even took notes. We all thought he loved us but he knew how to make us feel loved and covered and hence--contr
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Walked and Onion, many are still reeling from the realization of time, money and lives wasted on The Walk/TLWF con. It is truly sickening. I also hope to salvage some good by networking with others who have awakened. PressingOn and kBoy, seeing the terms "aura" and "reading your spirit" together reminded me that of one of the big HOOKS for JRS was the personal ministry serv
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

changedagain Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > That's not a derogatory statement, A bit of > "soulishness" is not a bad thing, IMO. "Soulish", how the hell did we miss that term? Good one changed! How about "stonewalling": Shutting God/shepherds out of your decisions. In other words, what Gary and friends are doing
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

Regarding SU, those who have already invested thousands of dollars attending, or more likely, studying online, may find that their credits are not transferrable. Beware when a group tries to monopolize every aspect of your life. It's so much harder to extricate yourself from all the snares and entanglements.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

A recent sermon by Bill Grier for your listening enjoyment...notice that the song at the beginning is a Walk chorus from the seventies.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families

lone.wolf, Bill Grier was a pastor in The Walk during the late sixties and seventies. He was a high school teacher and pastor in Fallbrook, CA and later pastored in Claremont, N.H. He apparently joined another group called The Move, founded by Sam Fife, after leaving The Walk. He is currently a leader of Whitestone Farm in Delta Junction, AK, which is part of The Move group.
Forum: Former Cult Members and Affected Families