Dr. Williams is also Pastor Emeritus of Believers Baptist Church, an independent, fundamental, separated church fellowship under which Hephzibah House operates. Be willing to resist the pressures of the world and disobedient Christians. When that could've been easily fixed with Metamucil or putting us on a better diet," she said. Religious reform school closes after former students allege abuse & neglect, At least 5 sent to hospital in downtown Elkhart house fire. He refused to discuss any allegations of abuse. This boarding school for girls is located in Winona Lake, Indiana called, Hephzibah House. I have huge bulges, varicose veins, fat pockets. He worked as a Public Health Advisor with the National Venereal Disease Control Program of the United States Public Health Service for seven years. No man would control my life! Please let me get a hold of this scum that beat babies. 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. She must be crazy or something. 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. The name Hephzibah or Hafzbah expresses a very clear idea. The average car ownership in Hephzibah, GA was 2 cars per household. Our students are taught to be productive and responsible members of society. Sexual Abuse in the Name of God: New Bethany Home for Girls, Teen Group Homes: Dear IFB Pastor, Its Time for You to Atone for Your Sin, NPR Story on Mack Ford, Sexual Abuse, and New Bethany Home for Girls in Arcadia, Louisiana, Black Collar Crime: Pastor Eddy Noelsaint Accused of Rape, Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Pastor Josh Henley Sentenced to Forty-Five Years in Prison for Sex Crimes Against Children, Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Student Ministry Leader Vernon Willis Accused of Inappropriately Touching Church Girls, Evangelicals are an Existential Threat to the United States, Some Atheists Think I was Stupid for not Deconverting Sooner, Black Collar Crime: Catholic School Teacher Verity Beck Accused of Murdering Her Parents, Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Evangelist Chris Brooks Accused of Assaulting His Wife, Why I Write The Black Collar Crime Series and Will Continue to Do So Despite Criticism from Evangelicals, Dr. David Tee Thinks Everyone Who is Not a Christian is an Atheist, Bruce, I Pray You Will Have Your Eyes Opened and the Truth will Guide You, Dont Dress Like a Whore if You Dont Want to Get Sexually Assaulted Says Lori Alexander. 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. Perhaps you live a decent Chrlstian life, but why are you allowing your daughter to live like a strange woman? Have them made mid-length then wear long underwear or tights with boots if you are cold. Instead, he offered to put me in touch with two pastors who had daughters there. 4020 EDENFIELD, Hephzibah, GA 30815 $348,077 Redfin Estimate 5 Beds 3 Baths Sq Ft Off Market This home last sold for $355,000 on Aug 5, 2022. While at Grace Seminary, he was awarded the annual Glenn Russell Fink Award in expository preaching (1978).In 1987, Brother Williams was honored by the Great Plains Baptist College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where they conferred upon him an honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree. He surrendered to preach in 1982. Buy. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Believer's Baptist is pastored by Don Williams, the son of Ron and Patti Williams. Nope she is burning in hell. I took that case personally, recalls Emory Rush, the now-retired sheriffs chief deputy who led the raid. The home was originally at 508 School Street in Winona Lake. More recently, he underwent Emergency Medical Technician training in Indiana, and served for ten years as an EMT. This video is unavailable because we were unable to load a message from our sponsors. 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. We know how we are but we hide behind a spiritual mask and a civilized veneer. These are easy to make or to have made. Doesnt he have some responsibility in all of this? She's not the only one who says she suffered at Hephzibah House. The conversation politely ended, and it's in God's hands now. Because if their parents who sent them there still have control over the girl she will not speak freely. A private religious school does not require state certification. thank you so much for shedding light on this place. Rapier, who had continued running the school while free on bond in a 1981 child-abuse case (the charges were eventually dropped), sent the other boys awaysome went home, some were placed at kindred facilities. Perhaps you will identify or relate to what I have to say. I saw that with a lot of other students. This woman is intentionally mean, calling older women whose bodies are aging as womens bodies do disgusting slobs and those whose bodies may have held up better slutty temptresses. I am a former student of Hephzibah House in Indiana. He and his wife Wenda reside in Warsaw, Indiana, and have 10 children and 10 grandchildren. Most people in Hephzibah, GA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 28.7 minutes. For what reason? We ought to balance out what we wear. King and his assistant were charged with kidnapping, unlawful neglect, and conspiracy. Pastor Dave Halyaman is also the assistant pastor at Believers Baptist Church, and has held the positions since 1990. Peer pressure forces us to allow our girls to wear them. They draw a lot of attention to the feet, ankles and leg. I wept with joy because I know now that no more parents, who don't have the ability to be the parents they should have been, can just dump their girls to somewhere where that girl is locked up for 1, 2, 3, 4 5 years at a time! Of course they should have interviewed girls that have left the place who will tell the truth willingly. I reached him at home on three occasions, and he hung up on me twice. Read carefully as he explains how Hephzibah House is operated and how the girls are and were treated. Or similarly lots of makeup and a bland or unkempt hair style is equally awkward. I look back on it and see how irresponsible that was., In September 2008, Clark Word began doing some research on New Bethany. That was round-about long-winded way of saying that I am glad that I did not grow up under the regime of such extremism and do not know what it is like to have to be completely deprogrammed of that false version of Christianity. Spanking -- To my knowledge they no longer spank, however this is so they will continue to receive students in my opinion. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. "Nothing's changed in the belief structure. Violence was the norm, Word says, and students were expected to enforce discipline. They included former Indiana Rep. Mark Souder (Hephzibah House), Alabama Rep. Robert Aderholt (Reclamation Ranch, Rachel Academy), and North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx (King Family Ministries), who testified: This bill is not neededThe states and the localities can handle these situations. I show her the websites, Jeannie Marie says, and tell her, Look how long ago this happened to these girls: 5, 10, 15, 20 years ago. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? Please share your thoughts in the comment section. Heres some of what he said: When this thing aired, Wednesday morning guess who was at our door. I was also shocked that this place is still open and that young women are continuing to be . Despite being investigated by the state numerous times, Hephzibah House remains in operation. Bruce Gerencser, who spent 25 years as an IFB pastor, recalls Lester Roloff visiting his Bible college to promote the homes. That the homes own former staffers arent sure of the year speaks volumes about an industry so poorly regulated that state officials cant verify whether certain homes even exist. In 1982, they sent her to New Bethany, and her 10-year-old sister followed soon after. They also endured exhaustive corporal punishment. If he does not desire to speak out then do not speak out either but pray the Lord protect your child. I was only there for three months, Roxy said, but because we werent allowed to keep track of time, it felt like six., Desperate for a way out, shed attempted suicidemany of the girls did, she added nonchalantly, if only for the chance to get taken to a hospital and beg for outside help. 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. I came across this documentary about Hephzibah House yesterday and wondered if anybody here has seen it Then there's this story from a Williams son: That wasa little bit interesting. Hephzibah House, the embattled private faith-based Winona Lake boarding school for troubled teenage girls, will be featured on CNN tonight as part of an ongoing series on child discipline and religion called "Ungodly Discipline." Deuteronomy 22:5 says you are an abomination to God if you wear the clothing of a man. A reform school in Kosciusko County, facing allegations of neglect and abuse from former students, has closed. We have allowed the world to dictate our styles. October 25, 2018 Mary Kumar's Story. Years ago, Patti Williams wrote a pamphlet titled Schizophrenic Women. This resulted in many personalities. She told me of her upbringing in North Carolina, where an IFB preacher named Mack Ford occasionally visited her church. You wont want to miss this episode. In a locked-up basement where they never see the light of day, as a prisoner and that's over. Hephzibah [H] [S] my delight is in her. Thank you so much for posting this! These fashions included the mini skirt. We have our critics, but also people who think very well of us, he said. The Bible tells us in I Timothy 2:9 that a woman is to dress in a modest way. But are they cultish? They wear balanced, simple and modest clothing. "I had an accident and they were like, 'Oh! 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 did an invasive exam to see why I couldn't go to the bathroom. 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. MLS# 481380. Dr. Williams served in the United States Marine Corps Reserves from 1960 to 1966.He was educated at the State University of South Dakota at Vermillion and Augustana College (Sioux Falls, South Dakota), earning the Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History with a minor in Russian in 1964. 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. It was done with written permission. Each child has an individualized treatment plan to address their specific needs. The school was founded by Dr. Ron Williams in the seventies, but his son says he's glad to see it all come to an end. It's us but for your ears. It sounded like a discipleship program, Jeannie Marie recalls. Dec 1, 2020 #1 We as former students-myself included-have revisited horribly painful memories and have signed our name along with our statements. Ive known him for 30 years. You have to wear diapers now.'". We were not saved until we were in our late twenties. It is hard to imagine now but she was a real tomboy. They could have said anything, they could have maligned us and bashed us, and all they did was praise us. "I had this weird ear infection while I was there because they wouldn't let us use Q-tips and I didn't have a lot of time to clean myself because of our three-minute showers. Copyright 2023 Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress. 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. thank you for sharing. 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. I pray that some will stand for His sake and not let the world control our dress and our lives. My dear Sister in Christ, look around our daughters are no longer pure. Food -- The food sucked most of the time. She lived at Hephzibah House from 2007 to 2009. In the News. I would control his! It may not display this or other websites correctly. However, common sense is laid aside for the sake of style! The Hephzibah House, a recovery home in Newton, recently closed permanently after about eight years of helping . Whether you're traveling with friends, family, or even pets, Vrbo vacation homes have the best amenities for hanging out with the people that matter most, including private pools and swimming pools. "A lot of on the floor work," she said. If a religion supports these things, then it is f****** EVIL. There's good people there to this day but when you get captured into that culture, it takes years for you to literally deprogram," Ben Williams explained. The home relocated to Missouri three years later, returning to Texas in 1998 after then-Gov. As I listen to their questions, handle their problems and study the Word for answers, I see that the Bible holds us responsible as mothers for our part in helping or harming our children. In fact, in a letter to the constituents inquiring about the bill, Brown had simply noted that this was a concern of the bills opponents, not necessarily his own view. Excellent point that you made about the fact they just answer to themselvesthey definately need to have some accountability for the things that they do!!! Back in Maryland, she showed signs of an eating disorder, self-destructive behavior, and severe depression. Donna, spread thin with her husband on his third Iraq deployment, and fearful of a family history of substance abuse, worried that Kelsey was headed for trouble. Because it's going to help them heal. [Ron Williams] is asking supporting churches to support him until the end of the year which is a lot of money. Parents need to read these stories before sending their children to be tortured! Our daughters are virtuous women because we have obeyed the Lords commands. We are the fruits of the last generation and this must stop! "We would get cases of, banana boxes full of dented cans that had no labels. Open Houses. "There are myriads of troubled teenage girls in this world, and we can't help all of them, but, praise God, we can help some. Good thing his wife isnt alive. Donna estimates that the family spent $20,000 on her three-month staytuition and fees, plus the cost of counseling and educational catch-up required after Kelsey came home. Just getting a girl out of pants changes their personality and they are not even aware of the change. Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox. Then your holy book is evil. In a 1979 standoff that would become the stuff of fundamentalist folklore, Roloff declared his cause the Christian Alamo, organizing hundreds of supporters into barricades to keep state officials off his compound. She was also punished with cold showers, she said, and endless sets of calisthenics after meals. We have noticed that after a few weeks their outward appearance changes. The shocking accounts of survivors who were beaten, starved,enslaved, and humiliated.Today young girls are still. The schools effects on Roxy were striking, Jeannie Marie told me. Houses for Rent Near Me; Cheap Apartments for Rent Near Me; More. Hephzibah House operates under the authority of Believers Baptist Church in Warsaw, Indiana. AS THE USUAL, the food was rather poor and not always cooked very well. New Homes. Williams died several years ago, but her husband still continues to operate Hephzibah House. That Hephzibah House remains open till this day is nothing short of scandalous. I gotta learn not to read stuff like this right after dinner. So I dug out my pants and wore them for one entire day. George W. Bush deregulated the activities of faith-based groups there. Hephzibah House, the private Christian boarding school for troubled teenaged girls that has been marred for decades with accusations of abuse, is now permanently closed. It still is a struggle 10 years later. You are using an out of date browser. Hephzibah Home is a residential treatment program for children ages 3 to 11 and it includes two units, The Treehouse and The Clubhouse. Copyright 2023 The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser Powered by Flywheel. 2,384 Sq Ft. 3474 Stockport Dr, Hephzibah, GA 30815. They are very beautiful to me and communicate a sense of purity. Interestingly, Hephzibah House is not mentioned as a ministry on the churchs website. While it is unlikely they will ever be arrested and prosecuted, surely Indiana law enforcement and child protective services can find ways to eradicate the stench coming from Hephzibah House. A woman is not submissive in a pair of pants. You will stand alone but then so has every earnest Christian since the first century. A woman who is causing problems in the body of Christ is either not dressed properly or not under submission to her husband. In 2007, a spate of deaths at teen residential programs prompted a nationwide investigation by the Government Accountability Office. 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. They accompanied her to the shower and toilet, and introduced her to a life of communal isolation and rigid discipline. Available on A&E now, the documentary on Hephzibah House (Living in Sin). (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.). Founded in 1971, the school operates under the authority of Believers Baptist Church, one of the hundreds of small churches that ascribe to the religious teachings of the independent fundamental Baptist movement. I have thought the same thing myself, but I can be easily dismissed since I am a former student. there is a difference. Women: no skills, need to marry & have kids This is false. He said he is stumped by the abuse accusations. Among them was Cat Givens, an Ohio radio technician who stayed at New Bethany in 1974 and became so shell-shocked by the routine of punishment and submissionand the spectacle of runaways being returned by the police and handcuffed to their bedsthat she lost her will to resist. Thats still true. (Missouri isnt alone. I was a different personality for specific occasions and my dress fit the occasion. Parents: Is Your Child Addicted to Screen Time? "At night you had a 10:30 bathroom break and a 2 a.m. bathroom break, and there will be times where they take the 10:30 and they miss the 2 a.m. bathroom break. Visitors to the festival have increased from 65,000 in 2000 to 285,000 in 2018. Schizophrenic Women was tl:dr. Why cant The Religious be succinct? Hephzibah Discover a selection of 70 vacation rentals in Hephzibah, GA that are perfect for your trip. 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. Quote of the Day: Are Militant Secularists Trying to Take Over the United States? Reclamation Ranch founder Lee Patterson calls the abuse allegations bogus: The ranch, he insists, had a family-style atmosphere., We have laws to protect people from illegal incarceration, says an alum of one tough-love home for teens. The average property tax on Highway 88 is $1,560/yr and the average house or building was built in 1971. 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. If you are convicted and truly believe pants are a sin, then you are sinning against God by working at a job that requires you to compromise your convictions. I took them personally through every single room, downstairs, they wanted to see the storage area, the girls. 879 likes. Instead, Roxy found herself on the receiving end of brutal punishments. Teresa Frye did my body weight in drugs after her stint at New Bethany. My wife and I left a teaching position in the early nineties. They are our fruits. Later, she slashed her wrists. Please take the time to read the Times Union article about Halymans response. One of the students Martin contacted was Teresa Frye, now a 43-year-old mother of four. I hope more reporters and journalists will be exposing this horror it has been going far too long. You do have to sign in through some type of cable provider to watch it: https://www.aetv.com//living-in-sin-inside-a-/full-special aetv.com Watch Living in Sin: Inside a Religious Reform School | A&E Sheriff Dukes has an open invitation anytime he wants, they dont need a warrant, and same to Winona Lake police. Pastor Ronald Williams and his late wife, Patti, founded Hephzibah House in 1971, a Christian boarding school for teen girls. JavaScript is disabled. Absolutely. 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. They made a striking presentationyoung women in white blouses or dresses, with lovely voices, singing and offering dramatic testimonies. The school has confirmed that they've closed permanently. One of the most haunting and disturbing testaments to the imbecilic brutality that continues to be sheltered and protected in Christian Fundamentalism. (A former staffer called them revival rooms.) Misbehaving boys were put in isolation, given a can to pee in, and forced to listen to hours of taped sermons, Word remembers. Do not be a schizophrenic woman but a virtuous woman! The Faith Community has been prominent in our county since 1894, the beginning of the Winona Lake Bible Conference.. Sometimes, it seems like because they portray themselves so well, people just believe them without really checking into the place, hopefully more and more will truly investigate and realize the truth. The school cooperated in providing information, but their information was different from hers.. This five-part, 75 minute series explores the brutal cult of ignorance promoted by Ron and the late Pattie Williams. My wife, on the other hand, grew up in it. Hephzibah House is a small private boarding school in Winona Lake, Indiana, a small town about an hour west from Fort Wayne. By Jason W. February 15, 2016 at 11:37 am CST. The operators of shady homes do seem to have a knack for avoiding major prosecution. [MORE: See photos of life at New Bethany. Rider found her in the bathroom, surrounded by shards of broken mirror. Well you say we are in different times, they wore different clothing and besides they both wore robes. 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. My ear erupted down the side of my face and that wasn't really given a lot of focus," she recalled. Recently Sold . The Schizophrenic Woman, what has that to do with me? Over a period of twelve days, it has screened more than 300 films and sold more than 250,000 tickets. He has pastored in West Virginia and ministered as a replacement missionary with his wife, Sandy, in Germany in 1993-94.He and Sandy reside in Warsaw, Indiana. And guess what? I recently noticed a website that is somewhat of a memorial to the recently deceased Patti Williams. Mental abuse -- YES YES YES. Local courts promote the homes as an alternative to juvenile detention, and facilities can collect a variety of state and federal grants. So, it was a team effort by thousands of people across the country.. Dress definitely affects our personality. Mother, you can avoid this by rearing her properly, or perhaps cleaning up your own life first and then cleaning hers up. Besides being very hard on the back, difficult to walk in, and cold on the feet in the winter when there is snow and ice. Survivors of Hephzibah House testify about beatings until they bled, bizarre rituals of control in whch they went for hours without being allowed to use the bathroom, starvation, forced feeding, and hour after hour of labor for no pay, all the while being humiliated and berated. A symbolical name of Zion, as representing the Lord's favour toward her ( Isaiah 62:4 ). You have this sense of total isolation: Theres no way out of it, youre there for the rest of your life.. Thank you for reading this post. ], King Family Ministries and Second Chance Ranch, hosts a show on the Bob Jones University radio station, nationwide investigation by the Government Accountability Office, join us with a tax-deductible donation today. Know a Teen Girl or Young Adult Coached By Mom on How to Lose Weight? One-time donations can be made through PayPal. 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