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My pets? [MORE: See photos of life at New Bethany. Do not be a schizophrenic woman but a virtuous woman! One of the most haunting and disturbing testaments to the imbecilic brutality that continues to be sheltered and protected in Christian Fundamentalism. Hephzibah House operates under the authority of Believers Baptist Church in Warsaw, Indiana. Ben Williams, one of Pastor Ronald Williams and his late wife, Patti's, nine children, speaks out for the first time about Hephzibah House, the Christian boarding school Ronald and Patti founded in 1971 and Ronald still runs today. The assistant director of Hephzibah House is speaking out after a two-part series aired on Dr. Phil earlier this month about the boarding school. You will stand alone but then so has every earnest Christian since the first century. Jay Kirksey, Circle of Hopes attorney, would not address Donnas claims, but he extended an invitation to come visit. I will continue to try to help as long as people want me to help them, explains Ben Williams. Even then I wanted to be beautiful. Then your holy book is evil. One of the greatest shocks our girls go through is to have their pants taken away! Three weeks ago, Dr. Phil featured Hephzibah House on his daily TV talk show. I felt they stole whatever was inside me that allowed me to trust, Rider says. I saw that with a lot of other students. If you do not care then you are In severe rebellion and rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft (I Samuel 15:23). If you would like to contact Bruce directly, please use the contact form to do so. The schools effects on Roxy were striking, Jeannie Marie told me. Imagine eating a bowl full of greasy kettle chips, sitting in a cold room shivering in your dreadful uniform, knowing that was to be your nourishment until supper ocurred at least 5 or 6 hours later. They went through every single girl and talked to every single staff the day after it aired. A safe place where a daughter can go to have time alone to find God and her direction.. she said. My fingerprints were never on them. But he adds that he fired three staff members shortly before the raid for abusive methods: one for shooting a rifle over the boys heads, one for roughhousing a resident and shoving him into a locker, and one for placing a boy in handcuffs. Its hard to understand it, but faith-based is just taboo for regulation, says Matthew Franck, an editor at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who authored an investigative series on the states homes in the mid-2000s. No. He would arrive with a school bus full of teenagers from his girls home in Arcadia, a Louisiana town of 2,700. Perhaps you live a decent Chrlstian life, but why are you allowing your daughter to live like a strange woman? We had pants, shorts, bathing suits, immodest clothing, television, movies, dancing lessons, circuses etc. Ive been calling everyone, Donna says, and I want to know: Why is nothing being done?, Our Consumer Protection Division is still looking into the issue, Gonder responds. After a housemother bandaged Angelas arms, Rider said, she heard the girl being beaten down the hall. They also refuted claims that they keep students locked in a basement. There's still work that has to be done, says Mary Kumar. Hopefully the more the word gets out, the fewer girls and families can be devastated by this so-called "ministry.". It feels great, says Mary. Translated from the original Hebrew, Hephzibah literally means, "My delight is in her.". Donna told me that she has approached at least seven state and federal officesincluding the Missouri AGseeking action against Circle of Hope for stating falsely on its website that it was state-registered, a claim she says gave her the confidence to send Kelsey there. I hope after the Dr. Phil expos that Indiana officials will finally bring to bear on Hephzibah House the full weight of Indiana law. Don assumed the pastorate of the church from his father truly a family-owned and operated institution. I would give literature to parents about the schools, says Gerencser, who is now a critic of the IFB mindset. Schizophrenic Women was tl:dr. Why cant The Religious be succinct? Petition Closed. We live in very unbiblical times where people do not like certain rules.Our church is considering supporting this ministry and I am supportive of this decision. The girls call her a Holly Hobbie doll. Perhaps you are wondering how you can have freedom of movement in a dress. I think you have made a very wise observation. Headmaster Bill McNamara spoke, too, depicting the home as a place where girls could get on track academically, restore broken relationships, and learn to walk with God. But dozens of. "We would get cases of, banana boxes full of dented cans that had no labels. School records, Dee Rapier told me, were shredded. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. There was no horseback riding. Interestingly, Hephzibah House is not mentioned as a ministry on the churchs website. Hephzibah [H] [S] my delight is in her. Now 65 and living in Texarkana, Texas, Dee had pleaded for forgiveness from her former charges. Stopping a curse can be accomplished by obeying Gods Word. Absolutely. In 1984, police were tipped off by escapees about a rope chain gang working the gardens, and beatings with PVC pipewhich, the boys darkly joked, stood for pound victims cruelly., Officers raided the compound and discovered Doug Word bound, in his underwear, on the floor of a dark and padlocked isolation cell. At Hephzibah House Ron Williams preached from the pulpit that menstruation was called the curse because it was a curse. A billing dispute with New Beginnings staff didnt make things any easier. Williams died several years ago, but her husband still continues to operate Hephzibah House. In one memorable 1982 incident, a student named Guy disappeared from the school after he was badly beaten with golf clubs by other students, leaving Guys terror-stricken friends to wonder whether the staff had finished him off. Rants, Musings, and Mental Meanderings of a former Conservative Christian Mother. Again, I believe they realized they would be shut down so that one had to go.Ron Williams is still very interested in who's who in the virginal world of his students, however. Hephzibah House, which still operates today and was championed to the end by WMUU, the radio station started by Bob Jones University, has been investigated in the past for child abuse. Being bisexual is common. Indeed, when looking to rent in Hephzibah, GA, you can expect to pay as little as $540.00 or as much as $3,820.00, with the average rent median estimated to be $1,240.00. One-time donations can be made through PayPal. (Though after reading comments from local law enforcement, its evident that any action against Hephzibah House and the Williamses will NOT come from local authorities.). Just because they closed the door is not going to give a prisoner afraid of retaliation any comfort talking about the abuse. This Williams woman was seriously misguided at best, possibly had mental health issues, or far, far, worse. "The things that are happening at Hephzibah House are definitely cultish. Yet I was an ERA type woman to the core. It's us but for your ears. The Lord has done a marvelous work in our lives. "We had to work on our knees on the floor for three or four hours every day, so when I left I had very thick callouses on my knees that would crack and bleed.". BEATEN not disciplined. Hephzibah House describes itself as a private Christian boarding school for teenage girls. Click here to read the Hephzibah House full response to the allegations. You are using an out of date browser. "I will not shut up. Ladies it was and is hard for me to change. The Cassells offer the listener a front row seat to the enormous conspiracy of lies that only slowly began to unfold in 2005.These interviews are pulled from the podcast, with very little sound added, but they are powerful in their own right, without adornment. Follow Bruce on Facebook and Twitter. You have to wear diapers now.'". After Word had been there for almost seven months, his watch escaped. What follows are several video clips from the show. Ive been fighting this. One of the students Martin contacted was Teresa Frye, now a 43-year-old mother of four. There was no apparent reason for this treatment, Glover says, save reminding the girls who was in charge. Since then, she had begun acting up at home, as well as sneaking out and drinking. ERA has definitely won a battle among Christian women. But because deputies neglected to seize Pattersons computer, which the escapee claimed contained files of videotaped beatings, Patterson was able to plead his felony charges down to a verbal harassment misdemeanor carrying a $500 fine. Ugh ! Dad will burst his buttons with praise over a pure virgin daughter filled with Godly character if you do it Gods way. We have noticed that after a few weeks their outward appearance changes. Targeted Because 0f Your Race or Religion? Their studies consisted of memorizing Scripture (mistakes were punishable by paddling) and a rote Christian curriculum. Oh to be like Him! Available on A&E now, the documentary on Hephzibah House (Living in Sin). Violence was the norm, Word says, and students were expected to enforce discipline. Back in Maryland, Jeannie Marie was unaware of her daughters plight. What follows is an excerpt from the pamphlet: One of the hottest issues today among women is the pants issue and other areas of clothing. I again pulled out one of my mini skirts and my shiny black boots and immediately I felt like a strange woman and I desired to dance and prance. Believers Baptist is pastored by Don Williams, the son of Ron and Patti Williams. Our daughters are virtuous women because we have obeyed the Lords commands. Thank you so much for posting this! Netflix and Korean public broadcaster MBC on Thursday defeated a court application for an injunction to stop the airing of their documentary "In The Name of God: A Holy Betrayal." The 8-part series began airing from Friday (March 3). A woman who is causing problems in the body of Christ is either not dressed properly or not under submission to her husband. The Lord will forgive and forget but her body and mind will bear nonerasable scars. They are softer, sweeter and submissive. Roxy got the redshirt treatment: For a solid week, 10 hours a day, she had to stand facing a wall, with breaks only for worship or twice-daily bathroom trips. Neither characteristic is a Godly one. The New Press amplifies progressive voices for a more inclusive, just, and equitable world. Kalie, Susan, and Gabby say they want to raise awareness about Hephzibah House, where they claim they experienced abuse that still haunts them to this day. Just as important are the fruits of her marriage: the children. ]My attempts to track down Larry Rapier proved fruitless. Inside A Religious Reform School: Survivors of Hephzibah House. But Lucinda, another former student, is defending the work she says Pastor Williams has done at Hephzibah House. Wisdom says, maybe we should have just not done that. The Williamses and their lackeys have engaged in criminal behavior for decades. Girls at Hephzibah House are housed for a minimum of fifteen months, and during that time attend serviced at Believers Baptist three times a week. Pastor Dave Halyaman is also the assistant pastor at Believers Baptist Church, and has held the positions since 1990. They are our fruits. On his second day, he recalls, he watched administrator Larry Rapier punch a boy of 10 or so in the mouth for wetting his pants on the bus to Sunday worship. His role becomes more confusing with relation to a girl. They do not know how to walk sit or act. Thats the backdoor channel that Donna, a military wife and mother of eight in the Northeast, ended up taking. SIA is planning a 2012 convention for adults who have been through lockdown teen facilities., Back in Maryland, Jeannie Marie has introduced Roxy to the survivor community in the hope that sharing her ordeal will help her recover. But Lucinda, another former student, is defending . "They really dumbed us down there, because women aren't really supposed to have a lot of thoughts or dreams besides becoming a mother. But apparently not if youre a teenage girl.. Ford operated a separate New Bethany home for boys in Longstreet, Louisiana. He taught us that when a young girl began menstruating it was God's sign to the papa that she was ready to be married. Unfortunately, just like there is in the public schools and public sector, there are disgruntled parents, who, instead of looking at their own child and situation, choose to talk about the school, he said. We found 84 addresses and 85 properties on Highway 88 in Hephzibah, GA. One day last November, a group of teenage girls dressed in long khaki skirts and modest blouses stepped onto the stage at an Independent Fundamental Baptist church in Maryland where Jeannie Marie (a military spouse who asked that her last name not be used) attended services with her family. This five part audio documentary explores the teachings and practices of Chuck Shifflett, former pastor of Calvary Baptist Church of Culpeper Virginia and a devoted, indeed fanatical, follower of the late Jack Hyles. What is using the same staff he was using to help with children do for PTSD?. Would you want us to not do that [give pelvic exams] ? We can be dowdy and stand out in a ridiculous way or we can be sloppy which reveals a sloppy character or be so fancy we appear proud and haughty. This pamphlet remains popular in some corners of the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) world. I was sent to this home,and know many other's our lives were forever damaged. Help these children now The healing and long journey of recovery begins the moment a child comes through our doors. She said, So many of you turned out to have alcohol and drug problems. I didnt tell her at that point that shed ruined my life.. Kosciusko County Sheriff Kyle Dukes says that of allegations investigated in the past 20 years, no criminal charges were ever filed. So I dug out my pants and wore them for one entire day. They also endured exhaustive corporal punishment. He surrendered to preach in 1982. Anderson Cooper covered a thorough investigation of the boarding school for girls and no one has made any efforts to close down this . No child should ever be brain washed to believe a person who inflicts harm. The Lord has shown me the role of the woman in the home. The enemy here is not the critics of Ron Williams and Hephzibah House. Kalie, Susan, and Gabby say they want to raise awareness about Hephzibah House, where they claim they experienced abuse that still haunts them to this day. Hephzibah, GA Real Estate and Homes for Sale 3D Tour Newly Listed 1057 FOX DEN RD, Hephzibah, GA 30815 $275,000 4 Beds 3 Baths 2,034 Sq Ft Listing by Meybohm Real Estate -North Augusta Newly Listed 2420 BOYKIN RD, Hephzibah, GA 30815 $135,000 3 Beds 2 Baths 1,215 Sq Ft Listing by Re/max True Advantage Newly Listed Explore rentals by neighborhoods, schools, local guides and more on Trulia! I gotta learn not to read stuff like this right after dinner. Pastor Don Williams graduated from Hyles-Anderson College in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Theology. Officials with Hephzibah House say they're still praying for former students in a statement that reads in full: While Ben, Mary, and countless others plan to continue working together. Good thing his wife isnt alive. One of the critics who was on the Dr. Phil show, after she graduated and she left us, she invited all of us the whole staff, months later to her graduation party. For several years, Brother Halyaman worked in the broadcasting industry as an announcer, television anchor, and News Director of several small market radio and television stations. They were not allowed contact with their families during their first month, or with anyone else for six months. We as former students-myself included-have revisited horribly painful memories and have signed our name along with our statements. He worked as a Public Health Advisor with the National Venereal Disease Control Program of the United States Public Health Service for seven years. When Rider tried to apologize, Angela asked why she hadnt just let her die. At both the state and federal levels, the troubled teen industryreligious and secularenjoys quiet support from many politicians. Officers raiding the compound discovered a young man bound, in his underwear, on the floor of a dark and padlocked isolation cell. Are You Involved in a Story Making Headlines? Inside a Religious Reform School: Survivors of Hephzibah House: With Phil McGraw. I know that there's hundreds of girls that this is huge for them and this is a relief and I'm so happy for them. graduated from Hyles-Anderson College in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Theology. What do normal 18-year-olds do?" He does not know how to treat a woman. Sick. My soup is threatening to come back up. This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors. It was basically like in the military, where they do a blanket party, throwing a blanket over your head, and your teammates beat the crap out of you to make you get back in line, says Lenee Rider, a New Bethany alum whose father, an IFB pastor, frequently hosted Fords touring chorus during his training. Bill McNamara and his wife eventually took over, and when state officials began investigating the home, they moved New Beginnings to Missouri. "Nothing's changed in the belief structure. In an open letter, Williams argued that it would effectively close all Christian ministries helping troubled youth because of its onerous provisions. They were joined by a group called the National Association of Therapeutic Schools and Programs, which opposed HR 911 on the grounds that statesdespite all evidence to the contraryare best situated to oversee the homes. Copyright 2023 The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser Powered by Flywheel. But you Christian mothers, why are you allowing your daughter to be a strange woman, a schizophrenic woman? It still is a struggle 10 years later. In 2000, Rider created a New Bethany survivor forum comprising as many as 400 former residents and staff. Women Claim They Were Housed In Basement, Punished With Paddling, Assigned Bathroom Times At Hephzibah House, Woman Claims She Wasnt Allowed To Speak For 30 Weeks At Hephzibah House School, Claim School Denies, The Girls Who Are Speaking Out Against Hephzibah House In A Negative Light Are Lying, Claims Former Student, Women Claim They Were Made To Eat Rotten And Bug-Filled Food At Christian School, Claim School Denies, Do Not Send Your Daughter To Hephzibah House, Says Son Of Founder And Director Speaking Out For First Time, Women Claim They Had To Wear Sentence Uniforms So Everyone In Church Knew They Were Being Punished, Sponsored: Dr. Phil McGraw Teams Up With Sundae To Help Homeowners Sell As-Is. Dr. (Please read Who's to Blame For the Tragic Death of IFB Missionary Charles Wesco?) Shoddy work by both agencies. My wife, on the other hand, grew up in it. As I have worked with women and teens for years I see the same character in each female. Then there was the big sister treatmentestablished students, directed by staff, inflicting punishments on the newbies. It will ruin your daughter physically, mentally, emotionally," Lambright pleaded. 229 Hephzibah homes for sale range from $6K - $1.99M with the avg price of a 2-bed single family home of $108K. [MORE: See photos of life at New Bethany. Brenda in FL, Brenda, thank you for your comment. Nanci Gonder, press secretary for the Missouri attorney generals office, suggests that officials are hamstrungprivate schools dont require state accreditation and are not governed by laws regulating the public schools. This boarding school for girls is located in Winona Lake, Indiana called, Hephzibah House. Builder is offering $8000 Buyer Incentive on this home. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Hephzibah House is a private Christian boarding school for teenage girls, founded in 1971 and located in Winona Lake, Indiana. And yes, every once in a while they deny this but every once in a while a can of dog food would get dropped in. It sounded like a discipleship program, Jeannie Marie recalls. This boarding school for girls is located in Winona Lake, Indiana called, Hephzibah House. Celebrating original thought, religious freedom, parenthood, free enterprise and chocolate. Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox. These fashions included the mini skirt. And if you can't drive yourself to the research site, ask about transportation options. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? The operators of shady homes do seem to have a knack for avoiding major prosecution. For further information on their stories, please read the following posts: Bruce Gerencser, 62, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 41 years. Our only authority is through the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, which would include concerns like false advertising, she says. Michelle Guenther Leonard, resident of Hephzibah House January 2, 2009 until May 18, 2010 I am a survivor of Hephzibah House located in Winona Lake, IN. The average household income in the Highway 88 area is $57,996. We know how we are but we hide behind a spiritual mask and a civilized veneer. A woman has an inner desire to attract men. He served as Assistant Pastor in Believers Baptist Church in Warsaw, Indiana for 11 years and since 1998, has been the Senior Pastor.He also has served as an assistant to the director of Hephzibah House since 1987. Theres still people out here that are hurt, so Im still talking. Money? Search one of the largest collections of foreclosure, bank-owned, 2nd Chance Foreclosure, Short Sale, and luxury properties available online. Houses for Rent Near Me; Cheap Apartments for Rent Near Me; More. I am sorry that these girls did not like the rules I will pray for them, An excellent documentary on this school by Jeri Massi.http://www.jeriwho.net/tlohh.html. "The leaders of most of our critics, when they left our ministry, were very cordial, friendly, amiable. Its findingswhich detailed the use of extended stress positions, days of seclusion, strenuous labor, denial of bathroom access, and deathscame out in a series of dramatic congressional hearings over two years. I feel for any girl or woman who has ever been under the purview of this place and SHAME on any parents who sent their children there! I know this will step on toes literally, but these new sandals with three and four inch heels are not simple. There is so much wrong with what this woman wrote, beginning with the assertion that little girls are purposefully sexual temptresses. And guess what? She was monitored day and night by two buddies, girls whod been there awhile and knew the drill. 2016 Hephzibah House Contact Usvar _rwObsfuscatedHref0 = "mai";var _rwObsfuscatedHref1 = "lto";var _rwObsfuscatedHref2 = ":he";var _rwObsfuscatedHref3 = "phz";var _rwObsfuscatedHref4 = "iba";var _rwObsfuscatedHref5 = "hpi";var _rwObsfuscatedHref6 = "ctu";var _rwObsfuscatedHref7 = "res";var _rwObsfuscatedHref8 = "@gm";var _rwObsfuscatedHref9 = "ail";var _rwObsfuscatedHref10 = ".co";var _rwObsfuscatedHref11 = "m";var _rwObsfuscatedHref = _rwObsfuscatedHref0+_rwObsfuscatedHref1+_rwObsfuscatedHref2+_rwObsfuscatedHref3+_rwObsfuscatedHref4+_rwObsfuscatedHref5+_rwObsfuscatedHref6+_rwObsfuscatedHref7+_rwObsfuscatedHref8+_rwObsfuscatedHref9+_rwObsfuscatedHref10+_rwObsfuscatedHref11; document.getElementById('rw_email_contact').href = _rwObsfuscatedHref; is the Founder and Director of Hephzibah House, Inc., a Christian Boarding School for troubled girls. Its good to know that someone isn't actively being abused right now, she explains. He earned an Associate of Arts degree in Fine Arts from Cerritos Junior College in Los Angeles in 1971 and a certificate in radio broadcasting in 1972. (New Beginnings has operated under multiple names in Florida, Mississippi, and Texas.) Our Staff Ronald E. Williams is the Founder and Director of Hephzibah House, Inc., a Christian Boarding School for troubled girls. We have allowed the world to dictate our styles. Like you, I came to Christ as a young adult and had no experience at all with extremism until then. The documentary traces the beliefs that Shifflett embraced and taught, which his followers gullibly beleived, that empowered him to tyrannize over his church and ultimately gave him immunity as he brutalized, enlaved, and molested church children. Movoto has access to the latest real estate data including single family homes, condos/townhouses, open houses, new listings and more in Hephzibah GA. We are the fruits of the last generation and this must stop! DCS says that's why there are no formal inspections unless child neglect or abuse is reported, and even then they don't investigate claims against unlicensed facilities without law enforcement. There's girls there right now and my heart hurts for them every day," she said. Watch Living in Sin: Inside a Religious Reform School | A&E. Heather wore pants until she was five when we got saved. Theyre [the accusations made on Dr. Phil] either blatant lies or complete distortions. (Please read Whos to Blame For the Tragic Death of IFB Missionary Charles Wesco?). I work with the Hephzibah House girls on Saturday evenings. He said he is stumped by the abuse accusations. This is yet another example of why I hate fundamentalism. Hephzibah House - UnGodly Discipline - CNN report 60,646 views Sep 1, 2011 274 Dislike wdtony 730 subscribers Anderson Cooper Of CNN reports on allegations of abuse at Hephzibah House, a. Local courts promote the homes as an alternative to juvenile detention, and facilities can collect a variety of state and federal grants. While jogging earlier that year, the 17-year-old (whom Ill call Roxy) had been pulled into a vehicle and assaulted by a group of men. That is an absolute contradiction of standards and another aspect of a feminine schizophrenic personality. (I dont know anything about that, he said.) I took that case personally, recalls Emory Rush, the now-retired sheriffs chief deputy who led the raid. The irony almost knocked me over.. When CPS came to interview the girls, of course none of them said anything against the staff. Interviews with a half-dozen former students indicate that most of the girls were merely rebellious teenslike Frye, who at age 14 began resisting her strict Baptist parents. Reclamation Ranch, he says, had a family-style atmosphere. He points to his misdemeanor sentence as proof that the prosecution was politically motivated. They could have said anything, they could have maligned us and bashed us, and all they did was praise us. A good society does not teach children that might makes right. We have been unable to get that confirmed with DCS. Copyright 2014 - All Rights Reserved - jeriwho.net. They were Wiley Cameron (who later served on Bushs peer-review board for Christian childrens agencies in Texas) and his wife Faye (who was banned from working with children in the Lone Star state). Naomi is not a tomboy and I think it is because she has been in dresses and feminine styles from her birth. He says he wants the community to know about the physical and emotional abuse he both saw and endured growing up at Hephzibah House. Thank god!. Thread starter ALAYMAN; Start date Dec 1, 2020; ALAYMAN Well-known member. So 'surprise soup' would be multiple different soups dumped in, stir it up, and that was the slop that they were served," Ben Williams said.