Rules or Relationship: When Does a Religious Movement Become a Cult?

Behind the facade of a religious community, lies a story of manipulation, mind control, and tragedy. Let’s investigate the secrets, the power, and the psychological grip of the Word of Life Church – a story of religious devotion taken to the extreme.

 

Welcome to another episode of The Unlovely Truth. I’m your host, private investigator Lori Morrison. Join me for another captivating true crime story, where physical, spiritual, and emotional safety takeaways are waiting for us. If you are listening, I believe you have a unique calling—to become a different kind of PI, not a typical private investigator, but a person of impact!

 

This is Season 4, Episode 43. Our book this week is Broken Faith: Inside One of America’s Most Dangerous Cults  by Mitch Weiss and Holbrook Mohr. Our guest this week is Lori Prather, our chaplain here at The Unlovely Truth. Get ready for an eye-opening journey into the heart of the Word of Life Church– a story that will make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and make your question your  own susceptibility to be manipulated.

 

This is one of the most disturbing instances of what I considered spiritual abuse and physical abuse in a church setting that I’ve ever come across. A church movement that started in 1979 and still exists today has many critics and many who would defend it with their lives. Though written as an expose, I believe this book also serves as a cautionary tale of sorts. It may be hard for some of us to accept that people can proclaim to be godly, then turn around and be horribly abusive. But it does happen. That’s why Jesus says this in Matthew 7:15 -  Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. We will look at what else He says about how to recognize these false prophets.

 

Matthew 7:15-20 NLT

 

Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 

So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 

Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.

 

This passage of scripture is so straightforward and so practical and it calls us all to practice what security experts often call situational awareness. Jesus is instructing his disciples on how to know who in ministry is authentic, and who is not. He knew we would deal with situations like this and He told us exactly what to do! We have to embrace this as part of our calling. If we look closely at this passage, we can see that Jesus gave us a simple three step process. 

 

First we have to be willing to accept the fact that there will be false prophets trying to exert influence in our churches and ministries. Jesus doesn’t say we might encounter them, He states that they will come. We are instructed to be on the lookout.

 

Second, we must look objectively at a person’s actions. Trees produce fruit, and people produce actions. If someone produces bad actions, they are not a harmless sheep but are really a vicious wolf.

 

Third, Once we identify these bad actions, we have to deal with them. No - we aren’t going to throw anyone in the fire, don’t do that. But we may need to have that person step down from a leadership position or even remove them from our midst.

 

I know that sounds harsh, but I didn’t come up with this, God did. The integrity of our churches and our ministries is too important to handle wolves in sheep’s clothing any differently. Closing our eyes and hoping for the best is not a safety strategy!

 

Let me know what you think! Send me an email at lori@theunlovelytruth.com or message me on social media. I love it when people are willing to have those hard, but impactful conversations!

 

Please visit my website to access more episodes, read my blog posts, or check out ways you can financially support the podcast so that together we can impact more people, more families, and more communities. If you would like to contact me about booking me as a speaker, or ask about my consulting and investigative services, email me at lori@theunlovelytruth.com. 

 

Link to buy Broken Faith: Inside One of America’s Most Dangerous Cults

 

Learn more about the Word of Life Fellowship

 

Show your support!

 

Share the episode 

 

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn

 

Let me know how The Unlovely Truth has made a difference in your life. 

 

Interested in personal safety? Grab a copy of my books How to Kick Fear to the Curb: Private Investigator Approved Personal Safety Tips with Biblical Evidence to "Fear Not" and In God We Trust: Everyone Else Gets a Background Check