Surviving Faith Assembly: A Former Cult Member's Story

[@JulezKeebler]

My parents and siblings actually went to Faith Assembly in Indiana. I ended up with meningitis when I was 2. If it wasn't for my Dad fighting for me and taking me to the hospital to seek medical care. I wouldn't be here today. I literally died and they the doctors brought me back. I still believe in faith and God but do seek medical attention when necessary.

[@allenpeck8239]

I, too, was a child of Faith Assembly and the Glory Barn in the late 70s, early 80s. Seeing your video & hearing what you had to say was one thing, but suddenly hearing his voice again,(Dr. Freemans')brought memories cascading down on me like hadn't happened in many, many years. Wow... Wow... And I most definitely agree that a result of those teachings, no matter how many years ago they were put into my head, the main result is the distrust of pretty much anyone and anything, just as you described it. The only true negativity I still hold onto from that time in my life, was how enthusiastic my father became with the encouragement he received to never 'spare the rod'. Especially with me, who was too young to fully understand what I was expected to understand. (born in 1970) Therefore, it was beaten into me by my father's hand. Oh, the things I was 'justifiably' beaten for...boggles the mind today. And here I was, foolishly thinking I was the only one...Thank You

[@wuznotbornyesterda]

Allen Peck, sorry you had what you thought was an overbearing father, but you were just a small child in those days and not being an adult with a saving faith in Jesus at that time, you don't have the perspective to judge past your own family. In fact, the Glory Barn was long gone before you were even there. I was there then and those were the happiest years of my life with fellowship of the saints. I've never found a church with such love as we had there.

[@allenpeck8239]

@@wuznotbornyesterda You're probably right to say that I was not in attendance at the Glory Barn per se, much too young, was I. But I do vividly remember attending services at Faith Assembly in Warsaw, Indiana, in between the years 1976 and 1984, traveling there from Pittsburgh, PA, where I grew up. However, I must take issue with your statement of "what I thought was an overbearing father..." See, I didn't think it, I knew it, & I still know it. I do agree with you that there was some happy times then, tho it seems for me, there were a lot more unhappy times. Even in my adulthood now, I'm still suffering from afflictions that were brought on as a child, never taken care of. I was prayed over, but never treated by any physician, and i still have daily complications with me today. Oh the joys of memory.

[@cellblock131]

My wife and her family attended that church. Very damaging to her beliefs nowadays. She is deconstructing that world and religion in order to find the truth. I told her I am giving her the room to run and discover the truth. She was very grateful that I would not guilt her into going to church where she did not feel sincere in her beliefs.

[@terrymorrow2779]

Allen your youth doesn't matter, your experience does even at home. It is reflective of what was taught or received wrongly. Having listened to Hobart Freeman tapes and reading his books, I 'never' came away or desired to live as many of you have, with personal experiences from the glory barn that are disgusting to me. Please tell me if this was common practice by all. It is abuse to me, not correction or teaching from Jesus Word. I do know whom I sat under in our small home fellowship lacked in desiring to be like Jesus in all he did. I knew this. After twelve years I left, Now I began at age 24 & left at 36. We really studied and learned many things from the Bible itself. The teaching itself was very good. Never followed this mans' personal example in all he did. Father used him and he really heard from the Holy Spirit. How a man can be so right on and still miss it personally is something I leave to Father. I am now 69yrs. Still following Jesus strongly! ♥ As others have said, I am so sorry your experiences were not what I call Christian. I 'love you, Allen'.

[@allenpeck8239]

@Joy Dorsett Pardon me, but I couldn't help notice that in your reply to a comment, you had stated, somewhat casually, "... my parents... they still go to 'that' church..." (my quotes) Did you intend on saying that sentence as you did? Meaning the Church of Faith Assembly, once presided over by Dr. Freeman, that is still a viable House of Worship? Or was that some kind of typographic error maybe...

[@jenniferlaprees1985]

Went there till I was 10. This hits on so many levels at age 46. Dismantling those messages in way that is not self destructive feels devastating and also like vindication. I know where you are coming from.

[@Esme3281]

I’m a survivor. My family was n the “church” til I was 13. It was in the early 80’s early 90’s. I was in a congregation that was in Michigan. My father refused to talk about this period of life or acknowledge it was a cult. I learn what I have from my aunt and my own memories of course. I would love to talk to other survivors.

[@slarson231]

There are a lot of us. Crawfordsville, Lafayette, the Glory Barn, Faith Assembly and Zion Lake. It's a miracle that any of us are sane.

[@Esme3281]

@@slarson231I actually have severe PTSD from being in it and my home life

[@jenniferschooley2143]

I am a survivor of this extremist religious group. Until I left home at age 18, I suffered trauma from the abuse and neglect my parents decided on based on the teachings of Faith Assembly. To be accurate I still suffer from it, but I am in the process of healing. I haven't been able trust people, form emotional bonds with people, or have a successful marriage and career. I guess it doesn't matter whose fault it is, the damage has been done to my family and to my life. But I do wish that Faith Assembly had never been a part of my life.

[@slarson231]

I'm 54 and you describe me exactly. Thank you.

[@1whitemat]

Thanks for doing this project. We're the same age and I remember all too well this bad chapter of my life experience. I will be writing about this on my blog at some point.

[@rochellebroglen4155]

My father and sister's mother were members of a Faith Assembly satellite church in Pennsylvania. It was smaller, maybe 5-10 families at any given time. We went to church every night except Tuesdays and Thursdays, and also Sunday mornings. We would listen to tapes during most of the evening services and Brother Jim Freeman would commute from Indiana for the Saturday night and Sunday morning services. We once went to Indiana to see Brother Hobart preach. It was a big deal. The whole church travelled, in a caravan, like were going to see JC himself. I remember a woman, Sister Mary Jane, having a stillborn baby. He would have been her first. If I recall correctly, he was also strangled by the umbilical cord. I remember she was missing a front tooth, but had faith it would regrow. The harsh discipline is what I remember the most. Spare the rod, spoil the child. Also the handmade clothing. I went to public school and was so embarrassed by the way I had to dress. And of course, the tapes. They were a constant part of our home life. I didn't have the tapes as bad as my cousins though. Their parents would play them at night for them, while they slept. I'm no longer a Christian, but have strong spiritual beliefs. It took years for me to get past the fear of demon possession. I can't really say that I'm 100% free from those fears. Whenever something in life goes wrong, they arise. I agree with the cult definition. I experienced a lot of other trauma in childhood too. I believe the extreme shame and fear from the teachings worsened the impacts of those injuries. If you were a member of the church, please look into C-PTSD. I love the work of Gabor Maté and highly recommend. YT has a lot of his lectures and interviews. When I began learning about childhood trauma, my life began to make so much sense. Healing is possible. Awareness opens the door. Sending love and intentions for your healing. You're precious and worthy. You matter.

[@TrainerJJ]

Me too!

[@allenpeck8239]

You speak of Sister Mary Jane and her still born child. Before i go any further, let me ask you if you know or recall any of these names- Jim & Ruth Oswalt Mike & Betty Hurst Jesse Quannah David & Shirley Peck Just to make sure

[@rochellebroglen4155]

​@@allenpeck8239 Yes, I remember them. Do you remember Roseanne? She had a son named Phil that was a couple of years older than you, a step daughter named Shelly (me), and a little girl named Amy. My Dad's name was Bob. He didn't go all of the time. I remember your parents and vaguely remember you. I was a couple of years younger than you. JJ, who commented above, was Rose's nephew (so kind of like a cousin to me). He had a sister named Shelly too. She was a brunette. I was blonde. I only lived with them during summer vacations and for a couple of years during middle school. Despite having other frames of reference (my grandparents and my Mom), those teachings caused lifelong trauma for me. It wasn't until I was in my 40s that I began to understand I wasn't inherently flawed. I honestly didn't know how to respond to Jason's comment. It made me feel vulnerable. I was surprised that he didn't know who I was, just based on my name. I'm not sure if I want to renew contact with anybody up there, which kind of sucks. Amy turned out to be pretty cool, but there's just so much trauma that I don't want to open back up. I haven't spoken to any of them since 2008, when my dad died. I know Rose died several years ago. I'm sorry that you experienced a childhood in that "church". It wasn't a church. It was a cult. The adults were seriously misled and what we experienced was abuse. Please don't gaslight yourself. I hope that you've begun to find true healing.

[@allenpeck8239]

@@rochellebroglen4155 I think I remember you. Maybe. Did you have really long perfectly straight blond hair? Phil was my buddy for a while, until I was forbidden to see him since he was a ‘bad influence’ on me, as We used to Have the kind of teenager fun that most kids wouldn’t have to fear such as regularly going to Explore around the railroad trestle bridge by the Wheeler building Where were we attended services outside of Pittsburgh in Bridgeville. Those names you mentioned I can recall yes such as Shelly & Amy, And you said your father was Bob I think I remember Bob I believe he was cool I don’t know my memories of those times are so skewed. Amy was such a young girl I never saw her again after that. You know,I never knew what happened with all the troubles of the church and my parents my mother especially was extraordinarily skilled at shielding me and bending the truth and not allowing anything bad to come to my poor virgin ears I never knew until just recently The extent of what went on there I don’t think we’ll ever know.I never knew why all of a sudden everything just stopped I was always wondered what happened to some of the kids I knew back then. I saw Philip once at the Wildwood flea market, now that was a reunion I have been looking forward to but it was incredibly strange and strained and awkward and we never pursued a friendship again. I am filled with strange memories uncertainty unsettling deep down inside of me when I think of the names and pictures of faces of the Oswalts and others, and just some of some of what went on I don’t know how to talk about it. I wish I could. People think it’s no big deal just get over these things that you can just start over without a problem but that trauma happened to me during the most formative years of my existence from 4 yrs old through about 16 something like that and I can’t believe it stuck with me so deeply so long thank you for writing me back and thank you for listening to me. It is so different and good talking to someone in the know like yourself I can’t stop crying as I type this PS I’ve lost the shame of admitting this part of it, I have since come to learn that as a result of all of this, that long ago and to this day, Here, as I stand before you, I am currently, and always will maintain my status as being the Best Damn Drug Addict that I’ve ever known. In fact, so dedicated am I to my calling, that I am phenomenal at this slow death, this only Solace. Forgive me please for ending on such a negative note

[@rochellebroglen4155]

@@allenpeck8239 yes, straight blonde hair, and slightly chubby. I spent decades of my life abandoning myself and trying to be "good enough". Learning about childhood trauma and how our early experiences shape "who" we become saved my life and freed me from the overwhelming shame that was programmed and conditioned into me. It's been a process, and I'm not "there" yet, but I've learned at least a modicum of self-acceptance and am developing the courage to be authentically me. There's no shame in addiction. No one wants to be in pain. Why do we judge it so harshly and ignore the myriads of other ways that people harm themselves? It's a journey I've taken too, both to substance (alcohol) and to behaviors, like work, approval, and other wounded people who were bad for me. My phone is definitely a coping mechanism that I overuse now. I write a lot too, which is probably my healthiest outlet. My Dad was cool. He never really fit in at the church. Rose just kept him around because of his financial support. Sadly, he died as a result of his alcoholism. He was a sensitive Soul and had his own experiences with trauma. It's multigenerational. I'm sure your parents had their own trauma stories too. (But that's not an excuse. You never should have been hurt like you were). If you're not familiar with John Bradshaw's video "Healing the Shame that Binds You", please watch it. There are a couple of versions of it on YT, look for the version that's an hour long. Also, I mentioned Gabor Maté in my original post. His work is so healing, especially for those who've known the stigmas and shame of addiction. Tim Fletcher's channel is probably the best resource I've found for understanding Cptsd. For me, learning has opened the door for self compassion. Healing isn't an intellectual process, but when we connect with our Inner Wisdom, which we all have, we can start to forgive ourselves and see more clearly. There's no shame in being wounded. There's nothing wrong with you. You were wounded and your vital needs for safety and healthy connection weren't met. Of course there would be symptoms. You're human. In our culture, we've learned to judge people for the symptoms they display. Then we hold deep beliefs of shame and unworthiness, which create more wounding. You deserve well-being. You deserve your own empathy and compassion. I'm sorry you've known the pain that you have. Please be gentle with yourself.

[@akamagic3879]

my mother was forced in this cult :(

[@emeldakerkhoff5754]

Josh. My heart goes out to you. We are survivors. We appreciate your story. Love you.

[@tangerinefizz11]

You should never put that much faith in a human being! No human being is infallible. Think for yourself!

[@mikeygoodboi]

I look forward to your full doc. This short was intelligently created and edited. I know a good amount of this man. I used to collect his tapes but I sold every last one about 4 years ago. Glad they're gone.

[@CC-yh5jt]

Hey Mike, yeah they are gone. But others are doing the same thing. The problem has only gotten worse as more and more self-proclaimed spiritual 'leaders' take to the Internet to recruit more victims. Check out the following NY Times article, the ministry mentioned has a history of 'faith fraud': Trials for Parents Who Chose Faith Over Medicine (www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/us/21faith.html)

[@hyramchepoofniac8121]

and these teachings were so "evil" (*in your mind) that you decided to turn them into an investment and pass them along? . . . and that's a 'good thing' to you? Not only do you lack judgement but scruples as well. I, myself, have been very fortunate to have had access to, and have access to, many of Dr. Freeman's books and teachings. I highly value them.

[@gordonrose7097]

I went down from. Canada once a month. I loved the worship and Dr. Freeman good teacher. But near the end something went wrong. Last time I went women were dying in childbirth. Then Dr. Freeman died cause he would not go to the Doctor. What a shame it started out so good.

[@ryandawson2877]

IM 31 and the young minister of the gospel. I agree with you. It’s interesting how you can hear material of his from like the early to mid-70s and things are pretty good. As long as he was teaching the Bible he was great. But when he would get off on his medical diatribe it was a disaster. Another thing I noticed is that later in life he became more and more reclusive which is always dangerous. Ministers need people to be accountable to in their lives… Pastors need pastors. It seems he surrounded himself with yes men and studied all the time and wouldn’t fellowship with people who disagreed with him. It is very interesting. Sorry for the typos. I have no vision and I’m dictating this to Siri so it is her fault. LOL I am not the judge or anything, and I believe he is with the Lord. However, I believe the Lord allowed him to be taken out from the earth early because of the harm he had begun two cars over the last several years of his life.

[@lindasampson9607]

@@ryandawson2877My ? question is, when did GOD stop healing people and why throughout scripture does GOD say he will heal people? Are you calling GOD a liar? GOD Does Not Change But Man does! Malachi 3:6

[@OpenAirPreacher]

Faith Assembly.. was the only place you could hear the real truth.... there were many miraculous healings... God's chosen.. walk by faith... very few.. find the path to righteousness... those that are called but not chosen. because of the wickedness of their hearts.. living unbelief.. and Scoff

[@cellblock131]

My wife and her family grew up in the Glory Barn era, after Hobart had passed away. Her father continued some of the church on his own in Indiana. She is currently deconstructing that world and religion to discover what is the truth.

[@davidrose3737]

It was good at the beginning, I used to visit faith assembly from Canada.Last time I went many women and kids died while having a baby. After that feeling hearing that, never went back. Something went wrong..Stan Hill died a minister then Hobart Freeman. I heard Bruce Kinsey I liked died of cancer. Wow what a shame..A young guy who had sugar diabetes also died young there. I used to listen to. Carl Sites. Good thing is they are all in heaven now.. On a posative nots.

[@allenpeck8239]

Bruce Kinsey! Wow I have not heard that name quite some time. I liked him as well, his sermons were funny the man had a way of getting through to an audience through humor and I remember Mr. Kinsey being the only one of them that I liked to listen to

[@dushenkamoya7]

God or Life Delivered my husband OUT of that church back in 1980 (he was only there for a little over year thankfully) during that time a church friend died from Diabetes that they decided to trust that god had healed.... :( I hope you do eventually make your documentary...

[@gordonrose7097]

Was that Carl Sites that talented singer??? So Sad

[@ravens438]

I would be interested in talking with you, Josh. I grew up in the glory barn.

[@joshuawilson4605]

+Raven S Could you please send me an email to [e-mail]?

[@joshuawilson4605]

+Raven S Could you please send me an email to [e-mail]?

[@kirkb2596]

Raven S I went to an "offshoot" where freeman was talked about all the time . We were in the Deep South. Funny we never heard about the people dying at the "glory bard" for many years after our church dissolved

[@emmarose12988]

There were offshoot churches of Hobart Freeman’s!? I want this documentary to come out so bad. I did my senior research paper on The Glory Barn and it was still “taboo” to talk about openly in 2005/2006 as teachers would hush us and explained that a mass of the student body are children from parents who used to attend the glory barn “back in the day”. Hardly anyone would talk openly about it... I keep thinking and hoping for a good documentary to bring this to light, publicly. It’s worth it whether you feel it’s a cult, religion, it deserves to have the stories told on all sides like say Wild Wild Country and the Rajneesh... North Webster is such a small place to grow up and to learn about this hidden history and to have childhood friends who’s parents were in it at one point really explained a lot and it’s something that I want to know more about.

[@cloydk]

The Bible says in various ways to trust in the Lord, have faith in God, the just shall live by faith, and we walk by faith and not by site. The faith message didn't really begin with Hobart Freeman, or other great modern men of faith, but with Abraham, Noah and many others. Even Jesus rebuked his disciples several times for not having faith or their lack of. The message of faith was valid/solid then and is valid/solid today regardless of what others have experienced in their lives. Sorry of your lost. However, God's word is still true, He's the same yesterday today and forever.

[@luciusuri9415]

Faith in fictional stories and magical creatures is not a redeeming quality.

[@rg0057]

cloydk That's how you know that, in that book, Jesus and his Father were the bad guys. You have faith in evil.

[@rjjuliavaldez3101]

U are correct.

[@rjjuliavaldez3101]

+Lucius Uri u are living a fantasy. Read the bible

[@CC-yh5jt]

Hmm., a man with an experience is not at the mercy of a man with an argument. Your argument is faulty at best. You have to have REAL faith, not legalistic faith which produces 'faith fraud.' You ever hear of peer-pressure faith? You're implication regarding Jesus rebuking his disciples is a weak excuse and does nothing to really address the issue. If anything, it shows that even Jesus's apostles struggled with fait, and they saw and walked with him. So, how can you condemn others for where their faith is at? Do you know how much faith is takes to raise the dead or heal someone? A mustard seed? Or are there others factors that your human mind cannot discriminate? How much more grace and compassion should we have on those who are pressured into saying the 'right word's of faith, but really don't have the substance of the thing hoped for? (Hebrews. 11:1) Are you now the expert on measurement standards of faith OR is God, who sees the heart and much more than us? Rather than just judge these people for losing their loved ones and implying that they don't believe God is true, and the same today and yesterday maybe you should ask more questions as to why this happens? Legalism kills and this cult was clearly into legalism. Have you ever wonder why Jesus told Satan that thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God? Why didn't Jesus jump of the pinnacle of the temple and PROVE his faith? There is much more to how faith works than we think, so please be more sensitive to those who did ALL this things your assert in your post, yet people still died.

[@bobbyphillips1077]

I encountered some people who were still following a lot of Freeman's teachings when I was an undergrad Psychology major. It was an odd, upside-down feeling when I discovered this truth about them, which they were rather secretive about. I tried my level best to convince them from Scripture that they were excluding from their analysis many verses and examples from Church history that gave approval to medicine, but ultimately they decided to more or less cut me off. A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon the mother's obituary, which gave no clues as to how she died. But I sense in my heart that it was probably something simple and preventable. Even today, I live with the guilt that I was never able to convince them. And I think a lot of that has to do with the attitude I developed as a result; I became virulently opposed to FA. But as God has tempered me with more life experiences, I've realized that that was a mistake. These people live in a world where all their opponents are out to enslave them to Satan; and I was just reinforcing that prejudice. I appreciate deeply the sentiment of this video, the sadness of those who have lost their lives to Freeman's errors. But the torch-bearers of Freeman's legacy need to be told about the blessings awaiting them outside the group, not the horrors inside. To those who keep Freeman's teachings alive, I personally want you to know that I continue to love you in Christ just where you are. I never stopped loving you all, and you don't have to leave Freeman's teachings for that to be true. At the same time, I wish you could see how richly God has blessed me through practitioners of medicine and psychology, or how He has used my knowledge of behavioral psychology to improve the lives of children with autism. Doctors are in the hands of God's Providence, and it takes enormous faith in that Providence to trust that He can work through doctors in spite of their human flaws, which are often even bigger obstacles than mere microbes and genetic defects. I pray His blessings upon you, too.

[@jenniferlaprees1985]

A generous take on an incredibly fraught experience.

[@elizabethknaak383]

I have a friend who raised her children and her husband under this teaching he just died

[@eugenebell83]

I know of a preacher like that, he even pulled teeth when somebody needed them pulled, himself, with pliers . The women all had their kids at home with the use of midwives. BUT, when he started having chest pains, now HE went in the hospital. But then, it is different when it comes to the shepherd. They live by a different standard.

[@mikeygoodboi]

Yes, do as I say not as I do. Pure hypocrisy.

[@janesmith3287]

It is often the same with these groups.

[@LunaRae888]

My dad also had all of his teeth pulled by a man in the church. He was not a dentist. No medication was used during. It was awful.

[@tinahardy6459]

Sorry to say, I was part of what I believed was a small home church. Not knowing that it wasn't until we lost a member from childbirth & the church disbanded. I knew the members as strong believers, but we failed to see the balance of the scriptures. Any negative comments were considered a lack of faith.

[@brideready1436]

Where is this Faith Assembly church. It is not the one I attend in IN. Never heard of Freeman . (??)

[@rachelseitz27]

Good for you for putting this out there!

[@bagelbruin]

If there is one thing that Hobart Freeman said that is true, it's starts at 3:30. Isn't he describing himself?

[@CC-yh5jt]

Was he projecting? Was this man a narcissist? This is one of the many things narcs do, they project.

[@JimGardner]

Well I can think of one or two people who I'd very much like to see have a live hangout chat with this guy. What a story!

[@James-m8j2w]

I dont recall hobart told people not to go to college or university

[@amberkavanagh5858]

I'm interested in this documentary. I would like to be part of it. I am a former child of FA. Can someone give me some contact info? I don't use facebook. Thank you.

[@bloodboughtbigphilr8266]

Faith Assembly under Hobart Freeman's leadership is an example of a fairly orthodox evangelical group who become very imbalanced, introverted and insular and took on cult trappings. I'm sure a lot of good, genuine believers got caught up in it and Hobart Freeman himself appears to have been a gifted Bible teacher who went off the rails. Even the most spiritually minded of us are still flesh and blood sinners and fallible. It is their extreme teaching on healing that brought them into disrepute above all else and with tragic consequences for those refusing medical help as they thought it demonstrated a lack of faith. God does heal today in response to believing prayer and where it is His will to glorify Himself. Healing is not guaranteed for all Christians everywhere and at all times. ''The outward man perisheth' and clearly shows as we age. If bodily healing was provided for in Christ's atonement this side of Heaven, skin wouldn't wrinkle, hairs wouldn't turn grey and we would have perfect hearing, eyesight and everything else. I do agree that we should turn first to the Lord for healing for our infirmities rather than medical professionals but availing ourselves of their services is not wrong or sinful. Indeed, they are a gift from God and He can use them to bring healing or symptomatic relief by natural means. We also have to face facts that it is not always God's will to heal and He may have a higher spiritual purpose in not healing the ailment. That is the mistake Faith Assembly made and we're seeing this today in the Word of Faith movement although I would say there was a well meaning sincerity with Faith Assembly unlike all these health and wealth hucksters making a name for themselves in the hyper-charismatic circuit. Claimed healings to support a defective theology where no healing has taken place at all only brings reproach upon Christ's cause and gives "great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme'. When Bible doctrine gets all messed up, carnage follows. The sober lesson taught to us by what went on at Faith Assembly.

[@mistertommy]

Blood bought Big Phil R You’re being too generous.

[@bloodboughtbigphilr8266]

@@mistertommy Possibly but I haven't been making excuses for them either. Their excesses in the area of healing and the results of that wrong teaching is what Faith Assembly is most notorious for. However, that was not the sum total of what went awry. They saw themselves as God's special messengers on earth and this bred an exclusivity and suspicion of those who weren't in their fold leading to them becoming increasingly inward looking and preoccupied with putting up a preventitive screen to keep out what they saw as representing the world's evils. This soon gave rise to undue control of all facets of the member's lives allowing little or no room for exercise of individual judgement and expression. Much was vested in the position, personality and pronouncements of Hobart Freeman as 'God's Man' or 'Anointed Vessel' with an unquestioning subservience and an imbuing him with infallible status. The writing was well on the wall before the outbreak of the scandal and the church took on classic cult hallmarks. A potent case study all in all as to what could happen when there is a mindset of having a monopoly on revealed Truth, rigid rules of separation, elevation of the importance of a single leader and unrelenting group pressure to conform to what that leader has said even if it is at odds with what the Scriptures actually state.

[@PaulSimscji]

Yes my bible says " all things are possible to those who believe!

[@bigzack1011]

Sad, Very Sad.

[@brotherdavi]

What's even more amazing is the fact that this young man could only have been 10 years old when Dr. Hobart E. Freeman died! How he has become an authority on this church and has not instead used his life to better himself is beyond me. Hundreds of kids went to the church who have gone on to productive lives and have survived! Living the life of a victim will never bring peace. May you find Jesus Christ and His peace and let go of a past that you were too young to remember.

[@joshuawilson4605]

+David Letro Thanks for taking time to share your opinions, Dave. I remember you and your family quite well from FCA. I disagree with your assertion that I've not bettered myself in life. I also disagree with your assertion that I live the life of a victim. Cheers!

[@rjjuliavaldez3101]

Hobart spoke the truth. Don't compromise the bible. Be true to God. Faith is real.

[@aktinkerbelle]

Interesting..yes many of us did grow up in that church and have grown up and had productive lives. But there are times when I look back and realized how my life was so screwed up because of this church. Because my family was a part of this church I was not allowed to have friends like my children have experienced, I was not allowed take medicine when my head and ears hurt. Medicine would have helped the pain, I remember so many ear aches that I experienced that I had to endure for days because they wouldn't give me medicine. I had a ballpoint pen thrown in my eye by my brother and got gangrene in it. I would have lost my eye or gone blind if my grandparents wouldn't have taken me to the doctor. So yes, once we moved away from that place it did get better. My mom and dad divorced and we had to move away. That was the best thing that ever happened to our family. I am still a christian but realize that being a christian does not mean judgement or condemnation. That is all that I learned about Christ when I was in that church, was how I was going to hell if I did one thing wrong. I lived in fear and God is not about fear, he is about love and compassion.

[@janesmith3287]

I don't agree and also that is the classic answer given by cults when someone leaves and sheds light on the past darkness. Scientology does it all the time. Instead we need our eyes opened to these groups so we can stop them growing.

[@OrthodoxChristianBeliever]

it reminds me of a lot of liberal charismatics today

[@audreyhepburn2038]

Very interesting. Thank you x

[@frankpusok9617]

It is better then going to a A Died church !

[@rjjuliavaldez3101]

Faith Assembly is not a cult. It is sound doctrine taught the way the bible should be. If a person dies then it is Gods will for that death, not the will of man to use instruments to keep that human being alive. It's not easy but is quite simple, the difference between head faith & heart faith. U think the apostles of Jesus had it easy? It's a daily battle. Just because we are living in this time and age, relying solely on technology, doesn't mean we are to compromise the bibles teachings.

[@bobbyphillips1077]

Okay, I hear you. So where do you find those teachings?

[@soldsanity]

So when Jesus died he should have just stayed dead because that was Gods will?

[@offa]

RJ, Julia, God gave different "gifts" to different people. To soldiers and generals, he gave the gift of defending homes and wives, and countries against armies of men. To scientists, he gave the gift of medicine and keeping people alive against armies of tiny bacteria. The command of Jesus that we love and do unto others as we would want done, is includes the duties of soldiers and scientists to use their gifts to help others. Parents who do not do unto their children, who do not provide the defense and help available from the gifts God gave to others, are VILE SATANIC DEMONS who should be CURSED AND CAST INTO THE PIT OF DESTRUCTION. Ministers who preach, Do Not Defend and Do Not Help Children, are MURDERERS and LIARS who should be beheaded or crucified.

[@janesmith3287]

There is no God so refusing medicine is a bit silly but an adult individual can of course decide that for themselves sa to whether they use doctors or not.

[@wuznotbornyesterda]

@@offa You are definitely off balance! Not Biblical!

[@maggiemostly5248]

I know a guy named freaking Bullwolf. I'm not kidding. He came from this insanity. He has a lot of siblings... They're ruined people.