By MITCH WEISS
Today
SPINDALE, N.C. (AP) — From all over the world, they flocked to this tiny town in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, lured by promises of inner peace and eternal life. What many found instead: years of terror — waged in the name of the Lord.
Congregants of the Word of Faith Fellowship were regularly punched, smacked, choked, slammed to the floor or thrown through walls in a violent form of deliverance meant to "purify" sinners by beating out devils, 43 former members told The Associated Press in separate, exclusive interviews.
Victims of the violence included pre-teens and toddlers — even crying babies, who were vigorously shaken, screamed at and sometimes smacked to banish demons.
"I saw so many people beaten over the years. Little kids punched in the face, called Satanists," said Katherine Fetachu, 27, who spent nearly 17 years in the church.
Word of Faith Fellowship, an evangelical church with hundreds of members in North Carolina and branches in other countries, also subjected members to a practice called "blasting" — an ear-piercing verbal onslaught often conducted in hours-long sessions meant to cast out devils.
Word of Faith Fellowship, an evangelical church with hundreds of members in North Carolina and branches in other countries, also subjected members to a practice called "blasting" — an ear-piercing verbal onslaught often conducted in hours-long sessions meant to cast out devils.
These people have to be crazy.
FIRE AND BRIMSTONE!!!
'Tis the work of the Devil, 'tis is!
I wonder what our in-house super-Christian proselytizing evangelist would say about this.
Nothing
Nope.
I'm glad you seeded this! I read this early this morning and thought about seeding it, but just not up to the excuses and lies that would go with it...
Your right Dowser, I'm sure that a lot of people don't want to face this for what it is.
There is all this conversation about the abuse of Christians, but, at least this group is abusing themselves...
These people have to be crazy.
They remind me of the cultish turn my own Southern Baptist church took back in the 70's, after a change of Preachers.
Former members of NC church describe years of abuse, odd rules about sex, TV
Newcomers to the Word of Faith Fellowship live by a list of strict rules for daily life, which sect leader Jane Whaley says God revealed to her, former members say.
They include:
— Followers are banned from celebrating birthdays and religious or secular holidays, including Christmas, Easter and the Fourth of July.
— Congregants are prohibited from watching television and movies, reading newspapers, or eating in restaurants that play music or serve alcohol.
— Men and women must swim with shirts covering their upper bodies and cannot take the extra clothing off in public — not even in their own backyards.
— Men cannot grow beards.
— Followers are not allowed to enroll in college without permission and, if permission is granted, can attend only alongside other members so their behavior can be monitored. Whaley also picks their majors, and they must work for the church or a business owned by church leaders once they leave school.
— Whaley’s permission is required to buy a house or a car.
— Members are not allowed to wear Nike products because Whaley believes the company’s iconic “swoosh” logo is a pagan symbol.
— Congregants aren’t allowed to play board games like Monopoly.
When it comes to relationships, marriage and sex, Word of Faith Fellowship members must follow strict and unusual rules — or risk severe punishment, former members say.
Some of the edicts:
— Congregants need permission from leader Jane Whaley and other ministers to get married, and it then can take months — or even a year — before the newlyweds are allowed to have sex.
— No one is allowed to date without permission, and most relationships and marriages are arranged by Whaley and ministers.
— On their wedding night, couples are permitted only a “godly peck on the cheek.” When they get in bed together, they must roll over and go to sleep.
— For all married couples, love-making is limited to 30 minutes, no foreplay is allowed, the lights must be turned off and only the missionary position is sanctioned.
— Couples need permission from church leadership to have children, and leaders dole out condoms to make sure unapproved women don’t get pregnant.
It's bizarre beyond words, AH.
Well we have people who play with snakes and now we have people who yell the devil out of you.
Sounds more like S&M
In addition to yelling it out of you, they beat it out of you..
Sounds just perfect for a bunch that belongs in an insane asylum.
OR>>>>S&M
Maybe stockholm syndrome?
I wonder what the education and intelligence level is of the people in this church.
That might explain a lot.
I'm confident that they voted for Trump.
It's difficult to come up with any kind of explanation for this type of behavior.
I was able to keep a straight face until I got to the Nike one, which is where I burst out laughing, and my self-control went downhill from there.
The ''Swoosh'' is very sexual, Buzz..I surprised that you weren't aware of that...
I never made that connection. Maybe I'm just too old to be able to read those signs.
I was kidding, Buzz.
Kidding hell! It IS sexy!
LOL
Sounds like a cross/hybrid version of the Morman and Roman Catholic Churches to me. They parishoners are ruled and the preachers/priest benefit, always to the detriment of the congregation.
Jeffrey Beaumont : It's a strange world.
Blue Velvet
Perfect.
"...then the preacher screamed at the demon...
......come out my friend"!
Shout it out brother, I can't hear you....
Sounds like a sect in the woods just outside of Allegan, Michigan about 35 years ago that was accused of having constructed posts and racks to tie children to so the devil could be beaten out of them with lashes from tree branches. They had some very strange beliefs that the always claimed were from the bible. All of their children were home schooled at their little compound (there was only about 40 or 50 members including the kids). One of them got a job working at the same factory that I was but he lasted less then one shift because he started proselytizing to others on the line he was working. Most people ignored him until he claimed that all unmarried women were whores and could only become purified by getting married. That pissed off a lot of people and the factory supervisor had security escort him out of the door. Guess he was there about 3 hours all together.
After a lot of rumors and complaints County Child Services and the County Sheriffs Department raided their compound and found enough evidence to take several children away. Eventually somehow they got the kids back and the whole group picked up and left the state headed South. No one that I know knows where they ended up at.
Sadly Randy,
We see these types of stories far to frequently.
I wonder just how many "cults" there are in the US right now? I mean I know it would depend on ones definition of what a cult is, but I'm talking abut the David Koresh or Jim Jones type. Big ones and ones so small they mostly go unnoticed? If you think about I'd bet there may be hundreds.
It was a cult that taught me not to fear the reaper.
Now that was baaaaaad! LOL!
Lol!
The Cult is all about Love.
How about Scientology? Is it considered an "acceptable" cult? Not in MY book.
I'd call it a cult.