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But the truth is Homestead Heritage does not fit that mold, they say. While the church refused to answer questions about allegations of abuse, it did move aggressively to respond on its own terms, setting up a web page to rebut a story it hadnt seen (the site remained under construction as this story was going to press). I read once about a guy who's family was involved in Scientology and his mom finally packed up him and his brother and left their brainwashed dad and took off because they knew they wouldn't be able to leave any other way. Before they died, its members couldnt keep suppressing these normal human feelings and emotions so some of the men had themselves castrated. She finds it hard to date people and often worries about the children still living in the community of Elm Mott outside of Waco. I think the key word on what members though of visitors would be "judgemental". Personal experience and academic study have taught him that people often fear religious sects that are different, he says. Years ago, such action was common in churches, members say. The group first tried community living at a ranch in Colorado, but eventually settled on a 500-acre farm in McLennan County, near Waco. Members would rather talk with people about what they believe than tell them to read a book, they say. Texas Observer exclusive: Waco religious group accused of child abuse, beatings and cover-ups. E) The were having a meeting and screaming at some kids and the kids were crying and I guess that was the last straw for my dad. I wish you were proud but you are not. An ex-member told me, To join, first of all you have to say youve heard from God that this is a place youre supposed to be. Former members say Sunday meetings began at 10 a.m. and often lasted until after 3 p.m. He dragged me by the ear, threw me down on the floor, took a wooden spoon and beat me until I was black and blue, he said. Thats why a settlement was reached - not because the group had done anything wrong, they say. Read free previews and reviews from booklovers. Hey, that's interesting because so few people in Waco seem to see how creepy they are. The Sedona Historical Society (SHS) will host an evening of entertainment and wine tasting on Saturday, March 4, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Sedona Heritage Museum. In response to my story, the church published an extensive rebuttal in the form of text and video. Crow, who left the group seven years ago, said young men growing up in the community are made to suppress their desires and sex drive. Outlets must also tag the Observer in all social media posts. Due to an editing error, we incorrectly reported that Bill DeLong told police he continued sexually abusing a young girl after admitting his abuse to a church elder. He was the greatest thing that ever lived. His father eventually became a leader and, as Crow puts it, he grew up in the upper clique, spending most of the week at church leader Blair Adamss house. Then only if they decide you can be forgiven can you be forgiven, he said. All rights reserved. Certainly, Homestead Heritage takes it seriously when someone leaves. Shopping Gifts & Handcrafted items Heirloom furniture Organic grains, flour & baking mixes Groceries, meat & produce Gardening & Homesteading Supplies Such meetings tend to flow week to week and would likely prove difficult for a visitor to make sense of, he says. All I want is for you to love me. Even more damning for Arnn, they say, is the fact Arnn commissioned the articles. 2021 The Texas Observer. The rationalization that Elder and other ex-members have engaged in, the group says, has left those ex-members vulnerable to Watchman Fellowships manipulation. Such an inquiry would be the minimum to be extended to a friend nation who South Africa shares a common heritage ( Ubuntu). I love answering good questions that make me think about why I am who I am. Our family made it out although it was very difficult to leave. 2021 The Texas Observer. Promotional materials distributed by your outlet, including all social media work, must include cites for the Observer and our reporter. Articles must link back to the original article and contain the following attribution at the top of the story: This article was originally published by the, Articles cannot be rewritten, edited or changed beyond alignments with house style books. And they preach that they are representatives of God. Sorry if others have asked the same questions (don't worry about answering any that have been already answered) I started typing them up when you said you were planning to do this AMA :). I live in Big Timber Montana where a large group of heritage has moved in here. That causes some people, like the ex-members, to make claims of abuse against those who continue exercising such discipline, they say. Crow told her he wasnt imagining it, and she replied that she had forgiven her husband and that the Bible said if something is forgiven its forgotten. My mother and I would go out there sometimes when driving through from Fort Worth between 2007-2010; it never occurred to us that it was a cult. Exes talk of people being disciplined for eating chocolate, wearing cowboy boots or rolling up shirt sleeves. But my parents have set up a pretty awesome support network for people who leave and a few families left after us and are great friends now. The man told Wheeler that soon the whole world would know Homestead Heritage was the next cult in Waco and that the news media would become involved. Many families obtain 80 to 90 percent of their food that way, they say. It is a very long process in which they get extremely serious and make you say a whole bunch of vows and then they dunk you in a huge tank. Visitors see traditional craftsmen and women who bake their own bread, sow their own crops, make their own furniture and build their own homes. Homestead Heritage leaders learned of the site three days after it was launched. Idk all I know is it really is an awful place and I am so glad to be out of there. But in those examples, and all of the others given by the group, ironclad proof that ex-members are purposefully lying is elusive. I also used to get super emotional in movies, I would cry when the actors did, laugh with themman, that was awesome. He first got to know Homestead Heritage in 1999 and since then has visited its property near Chalk Bluff numerous times, often bringing along his students. They have gotten even Better at hiding abuse and Lying to cover it up. An example of a less serious post is one in which Crow says Homestead Heritage founder Blair Adams lives in a home with luxurious touches such as leather furniture and the best of appliances. Basically, did you see or hear anything that corroborates that? That approach also ensures people know exactly what awaits them if they join Homestead Heritage, members say. Was there any special criteria involved with working at the cafe or the various buildings during public hours? In fact, one of their members from the Arizona branch ended up torching her house and burning herself and her kids in it. They strictly enforce dress codes (I remember an elder yelling at me for wearing a T-shirt). But after praying and studying Scriptures, they came to the conclusion they should not only give Elder the money he sought, they should give him more. Thats the anchor thats got you. Shop eBooks and audiobooks at Rakuten Kobo. But thats it. When my dad said he was leaving they started coming over to our house for hours a day for over a week, calling threats of hell and generally scaring the shit out of me. Women wear long dresses and long sleeves. If Homestead Heritage didnt insist on people following certain rules and customs, it would lose that identity, members say. What originally drew your parents in to joining? Did others leave the cult at the same time? The Dumfries Town Council has passed a resolution to establish a committee to plan a celebration in 2024 to mark the 275th anniversary of the town's charter, according to a news release. For a year and a half, they have deluged us, Wheeler says. In the case of Bill DeLong, the fact that George Klingensmith, the church elder, knew about his child sex abuse a year before DeLong turned himself in, meant he too may have committed a crime under Texas law. I mean, we had a garden back then that I liked but I still do! Thats why the group does not have a written statement of faith, members say. Years later, he asked her about it, but she denied it had ever happened. Most people in there buy into the fact that Homestead is the only route to heaven and while they are miserable they would never leave. The closest the group came to providing evidence that anybody acted in bad faith is information it gave the Tribune-Herald about Watchman Fellowship researcher Phil Arnn. Using pseudonyms, they continue today to post their testimonies on online forums like F.A.C.T.net, a resource for those recovering from the coercive practices of cults and religions, and on Topix.com, a web-based discussion community. PDF Media. Consequently, they have begun eyeing any group outside the mainstream. One ex-member of Homestead Heritage sent me a copy of commonly asked visitors questions a publication not meant for anyone outside the church. Others boil down to a he said/she said contest. The truth is the group believes salvation comes through grace and that Christs blood alone cleanses them of sin, members say. What was your impression of him? The whole realm of pleasure, which God gave us is held suspect in so many ways by Homestead Heritage., Jeremy Crow, 35, joined Homestead along with his parents when he was 8 years old. He said the leaders attempt to control every aspect of a members life. Somehow we ended up in a scuffle and he took my thumb and started bending it into my arm so I kicked him in the knee and punched him. Its forcing people not to be human., Janja Lalich, a sociology professor at California State University and author of two books on recovering from cults and abusive relationships, said sexual repression is one of most powerful ways that a group can exert control. After about a year it was clear to me this act that Bill had done was weighing very heavy on him, Klingensmith wrote in his statement. And when you dont find joy in everyday life, you go looking for pleasure elsewhere, anywhere you can find it. But my parents didnt have a clue. I remember as a kid listening through the door while mom was on the phone to leaders wives. . Crow also has an explanation for his comments about medical care. Homestead Heritage, on the other hand, lets members decide how much, if any, contact to have with family members who leave. On occasion they do, members say. That fear can manifest itself in ugly ways, he says, especially in a community like Waco, still living in the shadow of the Branch Davidian tragedy. Joseph Ratliff was convicted of five counts of sexual abuse, sexual assault, and indecency with a child. Although the group was founded by Blair Adams, he has no more authority than the other ministers, they say. I remember sitting on my bed and realizing I was going to have to change what I thought was reality and in my head it felt impossible. Professor Olson ignored repeated requests to talk to me for this story. All Homestead Heritage asks of such people is that if they join a church with greater light, then tell Homestead Heritage leadership where it is, leaders say. I remember being so surprised just watching the intro to CNN News and how the camera feels like it is flying through the letters and being spellbound by all of the sound effects and everything. Crow tells the story of seeing a woman struck by her husband several times. Over time, however, Watchman Fellowship and anti-cult activists have run out of truly dangerous groups to pursue, Wheeler says. Did you have any personal interaction with the founder at all? The Observer asked Homestead Heritage for an in-person interview with Blair Adams or other elders, but our interview request was denied. The Texas Observer is known for its fiercely independent, uncompromising work which we are pleased to provide to the public at no charge in this space. The McLennan County Sheriffs office wouldnt release details of the cases against Bill DeLong, Andrew DeLong or Joseph Ratliff, even though they are part of the public record. While its true the document is not given to members nowadays, thats because the church no longer uses it. And if a child is brave enough to tell, its going to take an awful lot of guts for anyone inside to do anything about it., One ex-member I spoke to, John (not his real name), said members of Homestead Heritage are repressed emotionally, spiritually, psychologically and sexually. My requests to interview Ratliff and both DeLongs in prison were turned down, and none of the men replied to letters sent by mail. If there is one thing on which most ex-members agree, it is the level of control the leaders of the group exert on their followers. There are some areas we are more ahead in than others.. No matter what we say, as the Jews have experienced, you cannot falsify the accusation that someone has a secret, Wheeler said. The sharing of leadership doesnt end there, the group says. But he still worries that others might not bother to investigate the group after hearing lies from ex-members. It would go on and on like this. It was, he said, an intense mix of Pentecostal preacher with fire-and-brimstone judgment. John said his father was a leader one minute and demoted the next. Ex-members are making the sensational claim because one characteristic of a cult is having a charismatic leader or group of leaders, members say. If you support this mission, we need your help. They lie and steak and have decieved many. After a while they start making the Friday night meetings more similar to how they really are. That never happened.. The law in Texas is gray here. I really didn't care bc it was good fishing. Thanks! This whole process takes years. Services are held every Friday night and Sunday, but for its members and they currently number about 1,000 Homestead Heritage is a way of life. The group especially noted the persecution of Jews throughout history, saying one of the weapons used against Jews was wild claims of a secret conspiracy to take over the world. I remember how much I liked these meetings because whenever "visitors" are there, they are super friendly and everyone just seems so damn happy lol. Built in Middlebury, Connecticut, in 1783, it was taken apart and moved to Deary last summer where a crew (under Brother Kevin Durkin's care) restored it to its original beauty. Christina was a member back then, and she recalls Adams quoting scripture as he went into some detail about what fathers should use to beat their children with; what kind of switches to utilize and what they could be made of. Clinton Elder is a perfect example of how ex-members have tried to blame Homestead Heritage rather than deal with personal failure, members say. As for the information about the ranch, he says he was just repeating what his father once a group leader told him. Four members, I discovered, had been convicted of sexually assaulting minors, but I uncovered further allegations of sexual abuse of children that had never been reported to authorities. We literally had meetings in which we were trained to memorize these., Beechner said they were trained to answer in a way that deflected the question. Regular members play an important role in ministry, too, doing everything from shaping the course of services to helping write religious literature.