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. No. 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. (Please read Who's to Blame For the Tragic Death of IFB Missionary Charles Wesco?) What can you say about my husband? But the thing that makes my stomach churn is that these horrible ideas of how girls and women should behave, the ideas about how to raise and discipline a child, and the banality of the infractions that got the girls sent to the place in some casesthese are all celebrated by some versions of Christianity. 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. All first-time comments are moderated. 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. Shut down Hephzibah house. The good news is that finding an affordable and desirable property to rent in Hephzibah, GA -- whether it's apartments . Girls were not allowed to converse except from 6 to 9 p.m. each Friday. "We would get cases of, banana boxes full of dented cans that had no labels. But Dee Rapier confirmed the atmosphere of physical and psychological torment at the facility she ran with her former husband. Are You Involved in a Story Making Headlines? Doesnt he have some responsibility in all of this? 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.. You are using an out of date browser. Those who say they were abused will continue to try to get Hephzibah House shut down. They will look after the children., In the absence of federal action, alumni of the teen institutions have been trying to expose the abuses. No man would control my life! Wisdom says, maybe we should have just not done that. The average property tax on Highway 88 is $1,560/yr and the average house or building was built in 1971. There was no horseback riding. Its good to know that someone isn't actively being abused right now, she explains. They pled no contest to false-imprisonment charges and received suspended sentences and probation. 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. She will suffer all the rest of her life. This Williams woman was seriously misguided at best, possibly had mental health issues, or far, far, worse. I also see this change in children. If a mans eyes are filled with lust (Matthew 5:28 Proverbs 27:20), then how can we justify the wearing of swimming apparel in mixed swimming? Eighteen-year-old Olivia Lambright just left the school last June. 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. You will stand alone but then so has every earnest Christian since the first century. 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. 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. I look back on it and see how irresponsible that was., In September 2008, Clark Word began doing some research on New Bethany. There are accusations of abuse dating back to the 1980s. Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights. Can you pitch in a few bucks to help fund Mother Jones' investigative journalism? No, I do not know how it is! I work with the Hephzibah House girls on Saturday evenings. Bruce Gerencser, who spent 25 years as an IFB pastor, recalls Lester Roloff visiting his Bible college to promote the homes. It's not. They take away any feeling that you are capable of doing anything outside the home, she said. It was founded in 1971. ]New Beginnings and numerous other Christian reform schools trace their lineages to Texas radio evangelist Lester Roloff, who founded the Rebekah Home for Girls in Corpus Christi back in 1967, employing disciplinary tactics that were adopted by dozens of imitators. 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. 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. TM & 2023 Peteski Productions, Inc. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc.. a Paramount company. Bill McNamara and his wife eventually took over, and when state officials began investigating the home, they moved New Beginnings to Missouri. Inside A Religious Reform School: Survivors of Hephzibah House. Teresa Frye did my body weight in drugs after her stint at New Bethany. But let us look at ourselves Mother. Oh how I pray some will stand for Jesus! Hephzibah House has been based in the Winona Lake area for almost 49 years. Search one of the largest collections of foreclosure, bank-owned, 2nd Chance Foreclosure, Short Sale, and luxury properties available online. Better a pink bottom than a black soul, Roloff famously declared at a 1973 court hearing after he was prosecuted by the state of Texas on behalf of 16 Rebekah girls. Fear. Watch Living in Sin: Inside a Religious Reform School | A&E. Rider recalled one new girl she was assigned to supervise: Angela was a firebrand whod arrived at New Bethany straight out of a mental institution and became such a target of staff and big sister discipline that she twice attempted suicide. This petition had 249 supporters. Whos to Blame For the Tragic Death of IFB Missionary Charles Wesco? (The attorney general responded that he was more concerned with bottoms that were blue, black, and bloody.) Later that year, a former student testified that a whipping at Rebekah Home left inch-high welts on her body. Hephzibah House operates under the authority of Believers Baptist Church in Warsaw, Indiana. We never got the food we should have recieved, I am sure of it. Just because they closed the door is not going to give a prisoner afraid of retaliation any comfort talking about the abuse. Then they wanted to talk to the girls. 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. Churchgoers emptied their wallets, pouring out love offerings to sustain Fords mission. There was no apparent reason for this treatment, Glover says, save reminding the girls who was in charge. Hephzibah House tells 16 News Now there are currently four girls enrolled at the reform school. I really admire the dress of the Amish and Mennonite women who live relatively close to our mission. 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. I want to please the Lord not man. 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. And my lesbian friends would disagree that all girls and women are out to get attention from men. We must repent of what we have done. graduated from Hyles-Anderson College in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Theology. I will continue to try to help as long as people want me to help them, explains Ben Williams. His psychology is messed up and he probably feels like a freak, but disguises it with the sinister behaviors. But Kumar says other medical problems were given too much focus. (A criminal background check came back clean, and the teacher, who denied abusing any children, remains at Amelia.). When another girl snitched, Roxy said, McNamara locked some girls in makeshift isolation cells, tiled closets without furniture or windows. Vaginal exam -- [This] did not happen to me, luckily. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. Listen on Apple Podcasts. Kumar also says she didn't get proper medical care while staying at Hephzibah House. Of course they should have interviewed girls that have left the place who will tell the truth willingly. 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. The Lord will forgive and forget but her body and mind will bear nonerasable scars. Heather wore pants until she was five when we got saved. The average car ownership in Hephzibah, GA was 2 cars per household. 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. is an assistant Director of Hephzibah House, and Assistant Pastor at Believers Baptist Church in Warsaw, Indiana and has held these positions since 1990. Hephzibah House documentary. Dr. Ron Williams founded Hephzibah House in 1971. Perhaps you have worn these and did not desire these things. This pamphlet remains popular in some corners of the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) world. Williams said the school and its staff do the Lord's work in line with fundamentalist Baptist teachings. Or similarly lots of makeup and a bland or unkempt hair style is equally awkward. 5 Bedroom, 3 Full Bathroom w/ 2728 sq ft home built in 2019. It is a Netflix Original, meaning that the streamer has global rights, including in Korea. "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. 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. I recently noticed a website that is somewhat of a memorial to the recently deceased Patti Williams. 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. 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. First she jumped through the glass of a second-story window. Clark Word, now 44, was sent there when he was about 15. A traveling chorus from New Bethany. Despite being investigated by the state numerous times, Hephzibah House remains in operation. Surrounded by her disciplinarians, the girl replied that she had to staythat New Beginnings was good for her. Kumar says the neglect was beyond physical, leaving her unprepared for the real world. According to Assistant Director Pastor Dave Halyaman, the boarding school at 2277 E. Pierceton Road, right outside of Winona Lake, is closed. Elect. Mary Kumar is a survivor of a lockdown reform school for the wayward . My wife, on the other hand, grew up in it. This is yet another example of why I hate fundamentalism. Explore rentals by neighborhoods, schools, local guides and more on Trulia! Once Gerencser reached the pulpit, he saw teen-home directors showing up at pastors fellowship meetings to peddle their services; Hephzibah House director Ron Williamswho now hosts a show on the Bob Jones University radio stationvisited Gerencsers own church with a girls chorus. You have to wear diapers now.'". I remember thinking that it was funny that we had a great relationship with all the other missionaries we supported, but never once in the 13 years we attended there ever saw Ron Williams or had his ministry presented or shared with our congregation. He earned the certificate in Biblical Studies in May, 1977, and the Master of Divinity (cum laude) from Grace in 1979. As a small child I desired to be a beautiful movie star and practiced the role by prancing and dancing all around the house. In some cases she is neither dressed in a proper manner nor under her husband. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition, published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. It took decades of work to get just the most minimal standards of regulation at faith-based child-care centers, he adds. My wife and I left a teaching position in the early nineties. At both the state and federal levels, the troubled teen industryreligious and secularenjoys quiet support from many politicians. I knew what I was doing, I was not innocent. There may be more. 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. (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.). It was discontinued because technology is so advanced, you can do blood work and figure out whats going on. Subscribe today and get a full year of Mother Jones for just $14.95. 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. The school is still asking for financial support from Fundamentalist Baptist church-goers, which leaves former students with unanswered questions. A woman who wears pants or immodest dress will produce a daughter that will have either masculine character or rebellious character or the qualities of a strange woman. I reached him at home on three occasions, and he hung up on me twice. Mental abuse -- YES YES YES. One of the most haunting and disturbing testaments to the imbecilic brutality that continues to be sheltered and protected in Christian Fundamentalism. After Dr. Phils expos, Dave Halyaman publicly voiced his objections to the story. Thats still true. (Missouri isnt alone. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. The raid grabbed headlines, but the school reopened again, this time merging with Fords New Bethany girls school in Arcadia. I at one time attended a church that supported this ". 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! Other girls? Hephzibah House sent a letter to their supporters saying they sent their last student away and that the closure came after their insurance carrier dropped them. Because we are disobeying the Lord a mother who wears pants will produce a daughter that may not have a servant spirit to men or her husband unless she wants something special from him. They asked Roxy if she wanted to come home. 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. Ford operated a separate New Bethany home for boys in Longstreet, Louisiana. After a heated school-board meeting where parents demanded an investigation, Amelia headmaster George Martin went online to solicit stories from New Bethany alumni. She told me how, in her first weeks at the academys Missouri compounda summer-camp setup in remote La Russell, population 145she and other girls snuck letters to their parents between the pages of hymnals in a local church they attended, along with entreaties to congregants to mail them. In 1989, Fairhaven Baptist College, Chesterton, Indiana, presented the Fighting Fundamentalist of the Year award to Pastor Williams. I took them personally through every single room, downstairs, they wanted to see the storage area, the girls. This is a link to the article I mentioned, where Ron Williams explains how to "beat" an infant. 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. 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.