

Steady Ground on “Nature Boy” and the “cult” called “Carbonation”.Nicole Niper on Racist, sexist, homophobic cult leader dead at 83.Exploiting the painful “cult” experience of Ginni Thomas is wrong.Rudolf Steiner, Racism and Waldorf Schools.ABC News show GMA3 promotes purported “cult” leaders as inspirational couples counselors and “thought leaders”.

Hare Krishna teacher abuses children in Dallas.Does ISKCON and its Child Protection Office effectively protect Krishna kids?.Hopefully, the concerned families in Florida will somehow work things out with their children, though one has already filed a restraining order, which would preclude contact. Within her book Chrnalogar examines in depth how destructive groups can manipulate the bible.Ī tight knit group like the so-called “Bowenites” can be potentially more controlling than a larger group, due to the ever-present focus of a leader working personally with only a few individuals. Mary Alice Chrnalogar another veteran cult watcher wrote a book on this very subject titled “ Twisted Scriptures” published by Zondervan Press. Infamous cult leaders David Koresh and Jim Jones both deftly twisted scriptures out of context to achieve their ends. Simply because a group is small, does not preclude the possibility that it is a “cult” or potentially unsafe.Īnd the manipulation of the bible to justify isolation, control and commitment to a particular group and/or leader is not new. Carl Stevens began as a milkman with a supposed “gift” for bible study. It is not unusual for destructive cults to begin very modestly, with only a handful of people and/or as a family operation.

The Bible Speaks is now known as “ Greater Grace World Outreach” of Baltimore, Maryland and still led by its founder Carl Stevens. That woman later won a lawsuit that claimed she was essentially “brainwashed,” which bankrupted the church. Realtime driving directions to Greater Grace World Outreach, 6025 Moravia Park Dr, Baltimore, based on live traffic updates and road conditions from Waze. “They basically encouraged kids to sever ties with their parents……friends.”Ĭoncerned families brought in veteran cult exit-counselor Dave Clark.Ĭlark has worked in the cult field for more than twenty years and is perhaps best known for his intervention regarding a member of the “Bible Speaks.” He helped an heiress to a department store fortune break away from the group. “This is a destructive religious cult,” said father and psychologist Gerald Mussenden. Some families now call the small household group the “Bowenites.” But historically, at least two churches have asked the couple to leave their congregations. One family said the Bowens have “stolen” their daughter. It seems Bowen recruited her students to attend a “bible study” led by her husband Tom Bowen, a pharmaceutical salesman. That high school teacher was Christine Bowen, who was subsequently fired. The limit will raise to 50 percent capacity later this month.Tampa parents say their children are “caught in the clutches of a cult.” But rather than a group recruiting on a college campus, this “cult” was allegedly gaining members through a long-term substitute teacher at a high school, reports the St. In a statement, Mayor Brandon Scott's office said enforcement of the mayor's executive order will continue, saying in part, "(W)e remain encouraged by the vast majority of faith institutions that continue to find ways to worship safely during this pandemic."Ĭurrently, Baltimore City places of worship can congregate at 25 percent capacity. "This is a church…When we come in here, God is in charge." This is not the Baltimore Oriole Stadium," Schaller said. The Health Department says as of Friday afternoon, the church has not submitted a safe reopening plan. My desire is to have communion." The pastor acknowledged the closure order. Like, are we really walking with God-well, God answered my prayer," Greater Grace Pastor Thomas Schaller said at the pulpit via its live stream Wednesday. "We haven't been in the newspapers and we're not getting in any trouble. The violations are for not enforcing facial covering requirements and physical distancing. Greater Grace World Outreach on Moravia Park Road held its regular worship service Wednesday, March 17, three days after the Health Department issued a temporary closure notice and issued a citation.
