I at one time attended a church that supported this ". If you have any information please send it to prettykitty1964@live.com, This is a great ministry and the Williams are very kind people. 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. Soon I felt bold, hard, haughty and unfeminine. Then they wanted to talk to the girls. 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! She becomes either bold or sloppy perhaps slobby. Hephzibah House has been based in the Winona Lake area for almost 49 years. I really admire the dress of the Amish and Mennonite women who live relatively close to our mission. About The New Press. Oh, this is all part of some deitys Perfect Plan? As soon as I took them off I changed my personality inasmuch as I felt softer, meeker, feminine and gentle. Perhaps you are wondering how you can have freedom of movement in a dress. Mary Kumar is a survivor of a lockdown reform school for the wayward. He said he is stumped by the abuse accusations. 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). 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. Indeed, Olin King (who through his wife declined to comment for this article) now runs a North Carolina home for preteen boys under the names King Family Ministries and Second Chance Ranch. The school is still asking for financial support from Fundamentalist Baptist church-goers, which leaves former students with unanswered questions. He and his wife have six grown children and twelve grandchildren. The school says its mission is to take in troubled girls and help them with God's love. You must log in or register to reply here. They went through every single girl and talked to every single staff the day after it aired. 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. She will be the person you molded her to be and Dad will glow. (It, too, died in the Senate.) I am not so sure any of us are really deceived deep down inside. Still, without proof of a crime, law enforcement officials say little can be done. Our position does not win friends and influence people to love us. Bill McNamara and his wife eventually took over, and when state officials began investigating the home, they moved New Beginnings to Missouri. Dad will burst his buttons with praise over a pure virgin daughter filled with Godly character if you do it Gods way. I saw that with a lot of other students. But are they cultish? Just an observation. Titus 2:5 says we are to be keepers at home. This is yet another example of why I hate fundamentalism. Because I used to listen to [Roloff] on the radio, and read about the great girls coming out of his place, I thought maybe this was Gods thing for Roxy, Jeannie Marie remembers. The schools effects on Roxy were striking, Jeannie Marie told me. It was discontinued because technology is so advanced, you can do blood work and figure out whats going on. In some cases she is neither dressed in a proper manner nor under her husband. A good society limits the behaviors of its members only as much as is necessary for the health and well-being of the group. 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. And I do not think any woman is innocent in this area. Fear of government intrusionparticularly on account of the communitys spare the rod, spoil the child worldviewis so pervasive that IFB congregations are primed to dismiss regulatory actions against abusive facilities as religious persecution. 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. Doctor. They do an excellent job of imitating our bad qualities. All first-time comments are moderated. Anita Bryant is a prime example of what the Bible condemns. Photos: New Bethany Alumni; Barbed Wire: Brian Hagiwara/Getty Images. Schizophrenic Women should give you a good idea of how Hephzibah House was operated and how incarcerated girls were treated by the Williamses. If he [Ron Williams] was an abuser or a pedophile, I would know. This location included Believers Baptist Church, a school and staff houses. Ben Williams says this is just one step in the healing process. Please take the time to read the Times Union article about Halymans response. Teresa Frye did my body weight in drugs after her stint at New Bethany. 16 News Now requested an interview with him, and he agreed to send us prerecorded responses to our questions. My soup is threatening to come back up. 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. My pets? Most references were to his dad but he seems to have very little good to say about his mom. Ladies it was and is hard for me to change. And we've received some from every one of the 50 states and from some foreign countries because of missionaries having trouble with their daughters," Williams said. I have done all I can do. After a while, I was so brainwashed I didnt even want to run, she told me. According to Assistant Director Pastor Dave Halyaman, the boarding school at 2277 E. Pierceton Road, right outside of Winona Lake, is closed. In addition to documenting the complaint, the health inspector also cited Hephzibah House for a few of its procedures involving food preparations. We know how we are but we hide behind a spiritual mask and a civilized veneer. Karen Glover, a Navy veteran who attended Indianas Roloff-inspired Hephzibah House as a girl, described what she calls the bowel and bladder torture. The girls were given bran, made to drink lots of water at breakfast, and then denied bathroom access until lunchtime. When that could've been easily fixed with Metamucil or putting us on a better diet," she said. Most people in Hephzibah, GA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 28.7 minutes. 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. [MORE: See photos of life at New Bethany. Stopping a curse can be accomplished by obeying Gods Word. 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. The raid grabbed headlines, but the school reopened again, this time merging with Fords New Bethany girls school in Arcadia. Watch Living in Sin: Inside a Religious Reform School | A&E. Celebrating original thought, religious freedom, parenthood, free enterprise and chocolate. Those who say they were abused will continue to try to get Hephzibah House shut down. If you would like to contact Bruce directly, please use the contact form to do so. But Lucinda, another former student, is defending . George W. Bush deregulated the activities of faith-based groups there. Hephzibah, GA 30815 Contact Property Brokered by Meybohm Real Estate-West Augusta For Rent - House $1,295 $55 3 bed 2 bath 1,196 sqft 1406 Brookstone Rd Hephzibah, GA 30815 Contact Property. In response to the accusation that they conduct child labor, the school said it does require students to do daily chores but does not overwork them. Dr. Phil S18E80 (Hephzivah House P1) Inside A Religious Reform School - Survivors of Hephzibah House Pepperoni Pizza 136K subscribers Subscribe 49K views 11 months ago Monday January 13, 2020. In April, Montana state Rep. Christy Clark, who campaigned on a faith and family platform, joined 11 other Republicans in scuttling a bill that would have regulated religious teen homes; a mother of three, she cast the homes residents as unreliable witnesses who struggle with truthfulness.), When Jeannie Marie arrived at New Beginnings, she had a tense conversation with the school counselor, who insisted that Roxy wanted to stay. Spanking -- To my knowledge they no longer spank, however this is so they will continue to receive students in my opinion. King and his assistant were charged with kidnapping, unlawful neglect, and conspiracy. The call dissolved into a shouting match between Jeannie Marie and McNamarawho finally declared that he would only discuss the matter with her husband. Since then, the landscape of "victim advocacy" has changed a lot. But dozens of women who were students there say what they experienced was not love but abuse. She told me of her upbringing in North Carolina, where an IFB preacher named Mack Ford occasionally visited her church. 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. Geez, the cop and CPS should have known this. "When you start spanking all the way down to your thighs, you have bruises on your thighs instead just on your bottom. 16 News Now investigates: Former students speak out against religious reform school, At least 5 sent to hospital in downtown Elkhart house fire. The girls found themselves at a remote compound bordered by a rural highway and ringed with barbed wire. In a locked-up basement where they never see the light of day, as a prisoner and that's over. A soft-spoken young woman, blonde and blue-eyed with a bright smile, Roxy confided to me that she found it easier to discuss her ordeal with a stranger than with the people closest to her. Instead, he offered to put me in touch with two pastors who had daughters there. Thread starter ALAYMAN; Start date Dec 1, 2020; ALAYMAN Well-known member. Deuteronomy 22:5 says you are an abomination to God if you wear the clothing of a man. .. She extracted her daughter nonetheless. Local courts promote the homes as an alternative to juvenile detention, and facilities can collect a variety of state and federal grants. That is true. (Please read Who's to Blame For the Tragic Death of IFB Missionary Charles Wesco?) Officers raiding the compound discovered a young man bound, in his underwear, on the floor of a dark and padlocked isolation cell. Would call us, stay in touch, invite us to their weddings, so now they are leading a whole group against us which is really inexplicable to us," he said. We found 84 addresses and 85 properties on Highway 88 in Hephzibah, GA. About This Home BACK ON THE MARKET AT NO FAULT OF THE SELLER! Windows nailed shut in sleeping quarters is a fire code violation. ]My attempts to track down Larry Rapier proved fruitless. IFB churches emphasize strict obedience and consider teen rebellion an invention of worldly society, so its little surprise that families faced with teenage drinking, smoking, or truancy might turn to programs promising a tough-love fix. I genuinely desire to be like my precious Saviour. Her dress and character will bear fruit in her children. Garden Lady is right -what were the cops and CPS thinking? Mother, you can avoid this by rearing her properly, or perhaps cleaning up your own life first and then cleaning hers up. I too am a former Hephzibah student and so appreciate those who are helping get the word out! I have personally heard Ron Williams present the "ministry" of Hephzibah House on three separate occasions. The operators of shady homes do seem to have a knack for avoiding major prosecution. Theyre [the accusations made on Dr. Phil] either blatant lies or complete distortions. No man would control my life! Ive been fighting this. Read carefully as he explains how Hephzibah House is operated and how the girls are and were treated. Donations are always appreciated. Reclamation Ranch, he says, had a family-style atmosphere. He points to his misdemeanor sentence as proof that the prosecution was politically motivated. I was proud and haughty at my catch but filled with doubts and suspicions afterwards. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. 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. If you value what you get from Mother Jones, please join us with a tax-deductible donation today so we can keep on doing the type of journalism 2023 demands. Isn't it strange that those who testify against abuse boldly sign their names and those who are supposedly supporting the school don't dare to? One-time donations can be made through PayPal. 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. I had a lot to crucify in my life. Shut down Hephzibah house. Quote of the Day: Are Militant Secularists Trying to Take Over the United States? 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. Hephzibah [H] [S] my delight is in her. 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. Brenda in FL, Brenda, thank you for your comment. That daughter will reveal this in her marriage. They are softer, sweeter and submissive. I soon learned that I could control men with my eyes, voice, body movements and dress. Elect. Hephzibah House, an Independent Fundamental Baptist-run girls home located in Winona Lake, IN, was recently thrust into the national spotlight after the Dr. Phil Show did a two-day expose' on January 13 & 14.I watched both episodes today and was completely horrified by the stories that the women told. Hopefully the more the word gets out, the fewer girls and families can be devastated by this so-called "ministry.". (Rapiers ex-wife Dee told me she sent Guy to recover at her mothers Texas home before returning him to his parents.). "They really dumbed us down there, because women aren't really supposed to have a lot of thoughts or dreams besides becoming a mother. I wanted them to notice me and I learned how to please them, resulting in the character qualities of the Biblical strange woman in Proverbs. You may now be thinking or wondering what she is getting at? The girls could have said anything. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. It has been a journey. For more than 40 years, the ministry has been helping teenage girls receive a Christian education as well as being taught how to improve their relationships with parents and Pastors. You can have them made for most jobs at which you work. It's not. More recently, he underwent Emergency Medical Technician training in Indiana, and served for ten years as an EMT. Whos to Blame For the Tragic Death of IFB Missionary Charles Wesco? 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. The Lord has done a marvelous work in our lives. Dr. Ron Williams founded Hephzibah House in 1971. Copyright 2023 The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser Powered by Flywheel. 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. The school reopened the next year in Walterboro, South Carolina, under a new administrator, Olin King. I will continue to try to help as long as people want me to help them, explains Ben Williams. Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox. Larry had a room that used to be a storage place that was six by eight, or eight by eight, that he called solitary confinement,' she told me. I am very sorry to say I won my own husband by my dress and actions. New Homes. It was relatively easy to take the girl out of the IFBX, but taking the IFBX out of the girl is another matter. I too came from a church that supported "the Double HH Ranch" and am absolutely appalled at the things I am hearing about this place. 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. Standing Strong against ignorance, preconceptions, labels and excessive housework. It's us but for your ears. Dec 1, 2020 #1 Houses for Rent Near Me; Cheap Apartments for Rent Near Me; More. A billing dispute with New Beginnings staff didnt make things any easier. A good society does not teach children that might makes right. I was conscious of how I walked and sat. But while Williams tours the country speaking to churchgoers about home and family, his son Ben is speaking out against his father's school. It has long been my goal, as well as the goal of over one hundred to two hundred other girls, to expose the things we had to endure while in Hephzibah House's care in the hopes of protecting . Inexpensive, too! In 2 Kings 21:1, Hephzibah is the name of King Hezekiah's wife. Kumar says the neglect was beyond physical, leaving her unprepared for the real world. With so many woman contacting 16 News Now, we reached out to Hephzibah House. We had pants, shorts, bathing suits, immodest clothing, television, movies, dancing lessons, circuses etc. Our children are being molded by our character whether we like it or not. Good thing his wife isnt alive. He worked as a Public Health Advisor with the National Venereal Disease Control Program of the United States Public Health Service for seven years. We did go out to eat twice I think, but the second time we were only allowed the salad bar since we took half the ministry with us as well, and there wasn't enough money to feed everyone the other tempting food. There is so much wrong with what this woman wrote, beginning with the assertion that little girls are purposefully sexual temptresses. ], 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. 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. Neither will the rest of us. Celebrating original thought, religious freedom, parenthood, free enterprise and chocolate. But the one thing that they would tell me was, 'This is the way God wants us to do it, and this is your fault this is happening,'" Lambright explained. Mother, we are producing the ungodly generation. We noticed you have an ad blocker on. I want to please the Lord not man. The combination does not really go together. Yes of course he does. 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. The home relocated to Missouri three years later, returning to Texas in 1998 after then-Gov. What is using the same staff he was using to help with children do for PTSD?. After Dr. Phils expos, Dave Halyaman publicly voiced his objections to the story. 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 It was founded in 1971. He and his wife Wenda reside in Warsaw, Indiana, and have 10 children and 10 grandchildren. There was no way before. New Beginnings is emblematic of an unknown number of troubled teen homes catering to the Independent Fundamental Baptist communitya web of thousands of autonomous churches linked by doctrine, overlapping leadership, and affiliations with Bible colleges like Bob Jones University. Dr. Williams is also active in the field of evangelism. A woman who is causing problems in the body of Christ is either not dressed properly or not under submission to her husband. Translated from the original Hebrew, Hephzibah literally means, "My delight is in her.". Are You Involved in a Story Making Headlines? A woman is either attractive and causing a man to stumble or she is a slob and gross in appearance when she wears mens clothes. Perhaps you have worn these and did not desire these things. I know this will step on toes literally, but these new sandals with three and four inch heels are not simple. It was not easy and I am still running the race striving to be like Jesus. Dress definitely affects our personality. 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. 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." If your Christianity is about following the instructions of Christ in how you treat your fellow humans, you have at least a chance of building a good society. Satan doesnt want that. The only times we really got good food were holidays, Friday nights (sometimes) and whenever a girl recieved treat money. Pastor Dave Halyaman is also the assistant pastor at Believers Baptist Church, and has held the positions since 1990.