Oops! I'm In A Cult

Larry Bobo joined The Living Word Fellowship in Des Moines, Iowa in 1969. From there he watched as leadership was expelled for not fully submitting to John Robert Stevens’ teachings. As a teenager he experienced sexual abuse at the hands of a leader and a another member of the church. In later years he became a leader himself and was relocated to the Colorado church where he called out inconsisten...

Lauren Beckman was born and raised in The LIving Word Fellowship, her early life spent in San Diego where she was separated from her mother as a teenager and sent to be a live-in servant for her shepherd where she was physically, emotionally and mentally abused. In early adulthood, she moved to the Church of The Living Word in Los Angeles, where the abuse only escalated. Not only was Lauren regula...

In today’s episode Scott Barker and Charity break down the system of “submission” The Living Word Fellowship used to control and manipulate the lives of its members. They revisit John Robert Stevens’ and Gary Hargrave’s sermons to reveal how this system existed at the very inception of “The Walk” and how through its many iterations it became increasingly more controlling and severe, resulting in s...

AKA: A nuclear wasteland of shit! In this episode of Oops, Scott and Charity talk about the process of recognizing that they no longer wished to be a part of The Living Word Fellowship. They discuss cult expert Rick Ross's signs you might be in a cult or high control group. They share their experiences of recognizing that they were a part of an unhealthy community, the process they went throug...

On today's episode we read feedback we've received from other former members of The Living Word and one curious local of Kalona Iowa who observed from afar, but instantly knew that Shiloh was anything but normal. If you or someone you know has a mental illness, is struggling emotionally, or has concerns about their mental health, there are ways to get help. Use these resources to find help...

Adam Beatty was a member of the original Southgate, CA church, Grace Chapel, as well as the Shiloh, IA faction of The Living Word Fellowship. Adam talks with us about his family's history in The Walk, starting in the John Robert Stevens days, his experience with power dynamics and racism within the Fellowship, and learning to maintain relationships with friends and family members who still bel...

What is the truth about John Robert Stevens? Throughout the history of The Living Word Fellowship cult rumors circulated about John's purported infidelities and indiscretions, but these rumors were always excused away by the belief that his "apostleship" outweighed the importance of any questionable behavior. His claims of time travel and having the power to cause the deaths of peopl...

On this episode we sit down with Beau Brown who gives us his perspective on The Living Word Cult as an outsider looking in. Beau never attended the church itself, but was a student at the Living Word based school, Centers of Learning, in North Hills, California, which was originally attended only by members of TLWF and later opened up to the public. His unique observations as a non-member give us...

In this episode we talk with Titus Walker, who was born into The Living Word Fellowship and remained a devoted member until his early twenties when he was unceremoniously kicked out of the church by its top leadership, Marilyn and Gary Hargrave. Titus reveals how this excommunication propelled him down a dark path, having lost almost everything and everyone he had ever known. He discusses how this...

In this episode we delve into the 2018 letters that forever changed the course of The Living Word Fellowship, bringing the truth of the rampant abuse in the organization to light. We discuss the details of the letters Shalom Abrahamson published on Facebook, how they reflected the toxic leadership structure and controlling culture of the Fellowship, and why her letters were instrumental in opening...

On today's episode, we talk with Leni Davis and her son Sam, former members of the Oahu, Hawaii chapter of The Living Word Fellowship, known as Grace Chapel of Honolulu. Leni and Sam discuss why Leni joined the fellowship in the early 1970's, her initial interactions with John Robert Stevens and how, in the years that followed, the toxicity of the organization affected her as an individual...

What do you do when you realize that the church you grew up in was actually a cult? You make a podcast to talk all about it! Born and raised in The Living Word Fellowship, hosts Scott Barker and Charity Navalesi discuss their experiences growing up in this modern day cult, conducting in-depth interviews with other former members and exploring the hidden truths of an organization that masqueraded a...

The Living Word Fellowship was a cult. In this podcast we'll discuss the history of the organization and the effects of its abusive culture and toxic leadership. We’ll investigate the remaining factions of The Living Word Fellowship, its former leaders and... The kidnapping of Yoko Ono’s baby Doomsday prepping Time Travel Gold and Silver Mine scams Raising people from the dead Secret affairs S...