Get A Life - Ex-Cult Conversations

Have you ever wondered- how accurate all the stories told to us and shared with us are? In this episode, we share pieces of a JHS documentary that rewrites history into lies. History is about understanding facts and learning lessons of what not to do and the mistakes that should never be repeated. What then, when we find a group claiming to be a "Mainstream Christian Church" and we disco...

Residents of the Chicago suburb of Barrington turned to the Get-a-Life team for help when the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church came to town. The secretive cult is trying to secure a 32 acre site in Barrington for a huge complex of a 2000 seater hall, a school and a superstore. Rather than make an honest approach, we believe that the PBCC corrupted two Barrington Park district Councilors with off...

The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church plan to build a 17,000sq ft church, plus a school and superstore in Barrington IL, a suburb of Chicago. here a former member of the PBCC explains exactly what a PBCC "church" will look like, and exposes the PBCC representative Dale Diener's lie that the capacity of the hall will be only 1000 persons. We also get a tour inside a PBCC meeting hall...

TRIGGER WARNING- Suicide, self harm, abuse Join the Get A Life team and our special guest Tiffany as she shares her story, beginning at the age of 6 and continuing through to the present time. A story of callous, brutal, unchristian treatment dealt out without any regard to the feelings and damage being done to a young girl. Tiffany describes in her own words, how demonstrably more terrible bullyi...

As Stephane gets ready to celebrate his 30th year of freedom from the PBCC/Exclusive Brethren, he walks us through his journey that led him up to finally making the break from this cult. He gives a very lighthearted but accurate description of what it is like to live inside this religious sect. From the priestly visits, bullying and coming out as gay- he describes what so many leavers describe. Li...

Are you looking for more information on the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church? Are you needing a video to send someone to inform them of the PBCC practices? This video was created just for that! These are real stories from real survivors of the PBCC/Exclusive Brethren. Some of these survivors have ongoing investigations due to the abuse they endured. Before you make your decision regarding this r...

In February 2009 The Preston Down Trust applied to the Charity Commission of England and Wales to renew its charitable status. In June 2012 the Charity Commission rejected this application on the basis the doctrines and practices of the PBCC as practiced by the Trust did not meet the test for public benefit as set out in charity law. This resulted in a hearing being scheduled in the First Tier Tri...

What is it like to work at OneSchool Global? A former teacher in the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church’s global schooling system courageously speaks out. Behind the veneer of military orderliness and impressive campus buildings, she shows us an ugly culture of unchecked bullying, misogyny, racism and homophobia. She talks about the evidence she saw of marital abuse in the parents, and how it was...

What is it like to work at One School Global? In Part 2 a former teacher from OneSchool Global explains the legal imperative on teachers to report signs of child sex abuse to the proper authorities, the racist harassment that non-Caucasian teachers suffer in the schools, and the racial slurs that are the norm for PBCC students. Next, we discuss the ban on University education and the narrow minded...

What happens when you are in the PBCC and fall in love with an outsider? Sarah describes what happened to her and how she and her family were so harshly dealt with just because they asked if someone could join the brethren to be with her. Sarah tells us of the treatment her father received at the hands of the brethren and how this contributed to his nervous breakdown. She speaks emotionally of how...

TRIGGER WARNING!-Discussion regarding suicide, bullying and sexual harassment. A podcast guest that hails from the Land Down Under, Jono Thomas joined us with a story so shocking it shook us to our very core. From his early years, he was tied to a chair with his mother's stockings so his parents could try conversion therapy to rid their young 9 year old son of his gay. Jono has truly experienc...

TRIGGER WARNING- Discussion on sexual abuse How do we make a change in systems and organizations that are very avid in covering up sexual abuse? How do we get through to parents that need to protect their children vs following a "Man of God"? Abi and Anne sit down with the founder of Something To Say, Jeremy Indika, who dives into his pursuit of bringing a very taboo subject to the publi...

In 2014, The PBCC in their charity commisions review declared that they would allow outside members to join and attend their meetings. Emily Victoria gave up her friends, family, got rid of her TV, jewelry, wore dresses and headbands and sincerely wanted to join the PBCC and reunite with her boyfriend that wanted to marry her. Unfortunately, she was denied in every way and cut off of contact from...

Trigger warning-Discussions on suicide A drastic look from an outsiders perspective while working at UBT, Floss learned very fast where she was on the PBCC hierachial system. In her year working there, she could not understand how awful this "Christian" group was to humans. She met with Bruce Hales a few times and he referred to her as a whore to her face. Forced to wear long skirts and...

In 1978, after the Jonestown massacre in which 900 people died, police searching the cult’s compound found tens of thousands of doses of mood altering drugs, both legal and illegal, that were used to control members who were considered to be insubordinate. We have long been aware of the extensive abuse of prescription drugs by the brethren’s “in-house” doctors to dope and medicate troublesome cult...

Ben Woodbury joins us for a discussion on OneSchool Global. He shows us very disturbing messages he's received from concerned teachers and citizens. We dive into the concerns and questions that every parent should have in any schooling system. Why would a school go through 6 principles in 5 years? What is Massimo Introvigne, a well known cult apologist and scholar of Satanism, doing at a Chris...

Malcolm Rawlings and his young family were wrongly excommunicated in the 1970s. For 28 years, the family kept faith with Brethren doctrine, practicing separation and holding church meetings to the brethren calendar as a household. In Maple Creek, the brethren acknowledged their wrongdoing and the family, now with married children and with grandchildren, were readmitted to the fellowship in Maple C...

3 years ago, Rowan Scott was asked to record on video an attempt to get a message to Bruce Hales (the leader of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church) about how the brethren doctrines destroy families. What unfolded on that day was unexpected. Join us as we discuss Rowan’s recollection of these unusual and completely unexpected events. Rowan also tells us about his story of leaving and in particu...

In 1975, Roy Symington killed his brother Kenny in a moment of reckless foolishness. His father, J H Symington laid it on Roy to take care of Kenny's widow and orphaned children. At some point in the mid-1980s, Roy approached his father with one of Ken's sons present, with a proposal - a large parcel of farmland had come up for sale - if JHS would give him the money, Roy would buy the farm...

Nearly all members of the PBCC are born into the community and know no different – unless they leave. However, Dean Wheelers’ parents left the PBCC and he was born outside of it. His father rejoined when Dean was 11 years old and gained custody of his three sons. Dean describes how alien it was to suddenly have to conform to PBCC rules and way of life after having a childhood of freedom. He recoun...

This is part 3 of a 3 part series. Trigger warning! This podcast contains discussion regarding sexual abuse. Viewer discretion is advised. We merge 2 podcasts together to discuss the hierachy within the PBCC. Abi takes us through an in depth look at how this "mainstream Christian church" runs as a business that seems to only benefit those at the top of this ecosystem. She walks us throug...

THIS IS PART 2 OF A 3 PART SERIES TRIGGER WARNING! THIS PODCAST CONTAINS DISCUSSION OF SEXUAL ABUSE. Abi takes us through some crucial points of what sexual abuse is for those still in the cult and the horrendous effects this scourge of abuse has on survivors. We also go over once again what defines a cult, and how the PBCC ticks all the boxes. Contact us at info.getalife@proton.me for information...

THIS IS PART 1 OF A 3 PART SERIES TRIGGER WARNING! THIS PODCAST CONTAINS DISCUSSION OF SEXUAL ABUSE. We welcome Abi Thompson, a very recent leaver, who takes us through her story of horrific sexual abuse and many other abuses. After the final event, she was moved to Australia to live under Bruce Hales, who said he would be a father to her. She thought she would be safe there, but the moving around...

It was just another day at the office, but as Murray Chattell arrived, he burst into a torrent of tears. A sympathetic work colleague covered for him at work as she insisted that he went to see a Doctor. As Murray shares what led up to that final breakdown and how this resulted in him leaving the brethren, we see yet another family divided by the brethren doctrine of separation. Murray describes h...

How do you pick yourself up when you lose the family you love? Stephen Gear had to do just that when he left the control of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC) in order to preserve his mental well-being. Many who have left this group will empathise with the deep sadness having to make that choice brings. Stephen shares how he found kindness outside the brethren when he needed it most. He...