Broken faith : inside the Word of Faith Fellowship, one of America's most dangerous cults

Title:

Author:

Summary:

An investigation into the Word of Faith Fellowship, a secretive evangelical cult whose charismatic female leader, Jane Whaley, is a master of manipulation. Starting in 1979 with a small group of followers, the group has expended to include thousands of congregants across three continents. Gives the story of a singular female cult leader, a terrifying portrait of life inside the cult, and the harrowing account of one family who escaped after two decades.

Contents:

Part one. In the beginning. Moving day, September 19, 1993 ; Settling in ; A fox in the flock ; Busted ; The attack ; The investigation ; Little house in the country -- Part two. Children of the damned. Doubting the word ; No escape ; The five boys ; "Happy are the children" ; Surrogate parents ; Money and influence ; Religious freedom ; "We won, we won!" ; The "slaves" ; The loneliest day -- Part three. The advocates. Saving Michael Lowry ; A little help from his friends ; The ruse ; Matthew Fenner ; Danielle's salvation ; The wedding ; The fight for justice ; The escape ; Perseverance and redemption ; The reunion.

Physical Description:

411 pages ; 24 cm

Personal Subject:

Whaley, Jane.

Corporate Subject:

Word of Faith Fellowship.

Subject Term:

Cults.

Ex-cultists.

Offenses against the person.

Christian sects.

Author(s):

Mohr, Holbrook,

Publisher:

Hanover Square Press,

Publication Date:

2020

ISBN:

9781335145239

Publication Information:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada : Hanover Square Press, [2020]

Call Number:

289.9 WEISS

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003492587	Adult Nonfiction	289.9 WEISS	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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*An NPR Best Book of the Year*

A PopSugar Best True Crime Book of 2020

"I can't imagine a more important book."--Jeff Guinn, New York Times bestselling author

An explosive investigation into Word of Faith Fellowship, a secretive evangelical cult whose charismatic female leader is a master of manipulation

In 1979, a fiery preacher named Jane Whaley attracted a small group of followers with a promise that she could turn their lives around.

In the years since, Whaley's following has expanded to include thousands of congregants across three continents. In their eyes she's a prophet. And to disobey her means eternal damnation.

The control Whaley exerts is absolute: she decides what her followers study, where they work, whom they can marry--even when they can have sex.

Based on hundreds of interviews, secretly recorded conversations, and thousands of pages of documents, Pulitzer Prize winner Mitch Weiss and Holbrook Mohr's Broken Faith is a terrifying portrait of life inside the Word of Faith Fellowship, and the harrowing account of one family who escaped after two decades.

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Journalists Weiss and Mohr provide a fast-paced, harrowing exposé of the Word of Faith Fellowship, an evangelical Christian ministry. Weiss and Mohr explore the appeal of the North Carolina church and its charismatic leader Jane Whaley by following the experiences of Rick and Suzanne Cooper, who joined the church with their six children in 1993. The Coopers grew increasingly devoted, even as Whaley exerted ever more control over the family, including forcing their children to live away from the family in Word of Faith housing and dictating when the couple could have more children. Whaley preaches a strict vision of spiritual warfare in which she singles out individuals at each service for "blasting": long session of being violently berated and sometimes hit by other congregants in order to force the demons out, particularly accusing members of not sufficiently suppressing sexual desires. Defectors, including Suzanne's sister, face orchestrated efforts to lure them back and discredit them. In 2014, after over two decades as congregants of Word of Faith, the Coopers left the church. The ballooning number of characters and some unresolved trajectories can make the narrative feel jumbled, but the stories of prolonged abuse and powerful control tactics are transfixing. This is catnip for readers who enjoy investigative reporting on shadowy organizations. (Feb.)

Library Journal Review

The Word of Faith Fellowship, an independent evangelical church, has thousands of members spread across three continents. Despite their numbers, the inner workings of the church are secretive and hidden to outsiders. Jane Whaley founded the church which is based in Spindale, NC, in 1979, and church members view Whaley as a prophet. She exerts total control over members lives, deciding who gets rewarded or punished. This punishment can mean separation from family for weeks, or "blasting," which consists of church members yelling, screaming, pushing, slapping, and hitting people to drive out demons and evil spirits. Journalists Weiss (The Heart of Hell) and Mohr detail how a local sheriff and county prosecutors refused to investigate or file reports naming church members, and advised church leaders on the status of lawsuits. The authors rely on interviews with former members, court documents, and secretly recorded conversations to paint a truly terrifying picture of life inside this cult, and the price paid by former members to escape. VERDICT Those interested in cults and true crime will be enthralled by this account, which should be read in conjunction with Susan Ashline's Without a Prayer. --Chad E. Statler, Westlake Porter P.L., Westlake, OH

Quote	p. 17
Introduction	p. 19
Part 1 In the Beginning	p. 21
Prologue: The Escape	p. 23
1 Moving Day, September 19, 1993	p. 27
2 Settling In	p. 35
3 A Fox in the Flock	p. 52
4 Busted	p. 64
5 The Attack	p. 76
6 The Investigation	p. 90
7 Little House in the Country	p. 104
Part 2 Children of the Damned	p. 117
8 Doubting the Word	p. 119
9 No Escape	p. 127
10 The Five Boys	p. 138
11 "Happy Are the Children"	p. 147
12 Surrogate Parents	p. 153
13 Money and Influence	p. 160
14 Religious Freedom	p. 173
15 "We Won. We Won!"	p. 180
16 The "Slaves"	p. 190
17 The Loneliest Day	p. 207
Part 3 The Advocates	p. 227
18 Saving Michael Lowry	p. 229
19 A Little Help from His Friends	p. 243
20 The Ruse	p. 257
21 Matthew Fenner	p. 273
22 Danielle's Salvation	p. 288
23 The Wedding	p. 298
24 The Fight for Justice	p. 306
25 The Escape	p. 316
26 Perseverance and Redemption	p. 333
27 The Reunion	p. 348
Epilogue	p. 358
Acknowledgments	p. 383
Glossary	p. 385
Notes on Sources	p. 387
Books	p. 407
Newspapers	p. 409

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Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Library Journal Review

Table of Contents